Damilola Taylor Memorial Lecture 2018

On 7 December 2018, the Damilola Taylor Trust will be staging the third Damilola Taylor Memorial Lectures, an advocacy activity designed to keep the issue of youth violence and its destructive impact on the life chances of youths high on the public agenda.. The global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, a longstanding supporter of the Trust, will host the event for the third consecutive year.

The theme of this year’s lecture is ‘Promoting the new way forward for the ultimate solution to violence reduction’ and the keynote speaker is Karyn McCluskey the founder of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).

The Trust is also delighted to be supported by the All-Party Parliamentary Commission into youth violence. The Youth Violence Commission conducted a two-year evidence based review into the root causes of the violence affecting our young people and at the interim report stage saw policy shifts from both the London Mayor’s office and the Government. Much of the work had been focused on the success achieved in Scotland hence we are excited to have the two co-founders of the Scottish VRU joining us as guest speakers and panellists for our audience Q&A session.

The current VRU Director Niven Reed will join Karyn McCluskey and John Carnochan OBE. The VRU was launched in 2005 with a ten year plan to treat violence as a disease based on the principles of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its success has been remarkable. In 2017, not a single young life was lost in Scotland as a result of violence.

Richard Taylor said, “People will remember that when Damilola died 18 years ago, it was a tragedy that shocked the entire United Kingdom. ‘What has society come to?’ we asked. Now, it is such an everyday occurrence that young people kill each other.

I am delighted that the All-Party Parliamentary Commission has highlighted the new way forward of adopting the public health approach to treating violence as a disease. I am also delighted that the pioneers of this approach in the UK, the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, are able to join us here in London for our memorial event.

With the Government and the Mayor of London both adopting the Commission's policy recommendations, this has given the Damilola Taylor Trust the drive needed for the planning of our 20th anniversary Vision of Change Peace Concert in 2020 in collaboration with a range of charity and media partners.

The campaign leading up to the anniversary peace concert will rely upon the use of the governmental public health strategy to achieve the target of at least a 50% reduction in the current levels of youth violence devastating London by the end of 2020.”

Karyn McCluskey said, “We are thrilled to be able to join the Damilola Taylor Trust for this commemorative event. We all remember the tragedy. There have been far too many tragedies since. Damilola captured the heart of the nation though, and the work Richard and the Trust have done to help young people ever since is so commendable. I hope we can contribute to a wonderful occasion”.

Chair of the Parliamentary Commission on Youth Violence, Vicky Foxcroft, said, “I am so happy that Richard asked us to support this event. The changes in policy announced by the Home Office and the Mayor of London are, we hope, indicative of the evidence the commission has produced and that in no small part was down to the Scottish VRU team so to share this event with them is a fitting way to commemorate the occasion."

The event will take place at the offices of global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright.