In April of 2014, Adrian Acoby was murdered at the age of 25 in Winnipeg’s inner city in a domestic related dispute. The violence in the North End of Winnipeg in 2014 is affecting young people, and young people are taking action. The “Who Walks With The Buffalo Tour” In Honour of Adrian Acoby is an initiative of young people from the North End, reaching out to our peers in neighbourhood schools, and asking for their help to prevent further violence in the neighbourhood over the summer. From June 9th to 13th we are dedicating all of our North End speaking engagements to Adrian and inviting our community to Meet Me at the Bell Tower on Friday June 13th for a special community gathering.
Our main objective is to empower youth, to use their gifts and abilities to prevent violence and be a positive role model in the North End of Winnipeg
Who is Adrian – Who Walks With the Buffalo?
Adrian Acoby was a young Aboriginal man who was intelligent, funny with a demeanor and sense of humour that put his peers and fellow community members at ease. He was a community helper and was always the first to volunteer when an opportunity presented itself. Like many young people, Adrian was struggling with addictions and homelessness. He even turned his challenges into education for others volunteering in the 2013 CEO Sleepout with the Downtown BIZ alongside AYO!. That night, in 2013, Adrian went home with an AYO! Leadership member and had the feeling of a warm bed in the middle of his addictions and his own struggles with homelessness
Unfortunately, in April 2014 Adrian Acoby became one of 9 murders of the year in Winnipeg. In a year of violence for Aboriginal Youth and Winnipeg as a whole, the inner city was feeling the sting. There were many violent incidents in only the first 6 Months of the year. The most devastating event for us as a group involved Adrian, who at the age of 25, was involved in a domestic assault with another young women, known to us through community involvement, and became a victim of homicide. She is being charged with second degree murder. This trauma has hurt us beyond measure, and when we look back to the first months of 2014 and imagine what is coming this summer and in the next 6 months, we cannot help but remember 2011 the year when Winnipeg was the murder capital of Canada.
That’s why AYO says no more, and wants to invite North End students to share their gifts this summer, engage their friends in creative actions to bring on the peace and ultimately stop the violence. Let’s prevent violence from occurring by being pro active and looking out for each other. We’re doing this for Adrian and we need your help to make it happen.
MM@BT Facebook page:
http://www.fb.com/NorthEndBellTower
Official AYO Bell Tower web page:
http://www.ayomovement.com/mmbt.html
For more info or to book a presentation email:
mc@ayomovement.com
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