Conference on Preventing Gun Violence
September 10, 2008
Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

The last major conference on gun violence in Oregon was in September 1998. The Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation believes that it is time to reconvene people concerned about this issue—to review the incidence of and risk factors for gun violence in Oregon, explore effective interventions, and examine ways to bring this issue back to the forefront of the public’s concerns. The 2008 conference will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Smith Memorial Student Union (Smith Hall) at Portland State University. Cosponsors include the Sidney Lezak Project and PSU’s College of Urban and Public Affairs.

The conference will feature an extraordinary group of speakers:

Opening remarks by:
Chief Rosie Sizer, Portland Police Bureau
Michael Schrunk, Multnomah County District Attorney

Speakers to include:
Bruce Goldberg, MD, Director, Oregon Department of Human Services
Karin Immergut, United States Attorney for Oregon
PSU Professor Mark Kaplan, DrPH
State Senator Ginny Burdick
Nina Vinik, Legal Director, Legal Community Against Violence
Chief Michael Carroll, 2nd Vice President, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
Fred Weinhouse, Assistant U.S. Attorney for Oregon
Kellie Johnson, Deputy District Attorney for Multnomah County
Michael Riedel, Deputy District Attorney for Multnomah County

Speakers will discuss the risks that gun violence poses to public health; federal and state gun laws; the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in District of Columbia v. Heller; access to guns in Oregon and limiting access by prohibited purchasers; recommendations for reducing gun violence from the IACP and others; and how to engage the public in preventing gun violence. In workshops, participants will discuss how to engage the public in preventing gun violence; how to gain traction for interventions at the federal, state, and local levels; and forming a coalition to work on gun violence issues.

We are inviting people from law enforcement, other government agencies, health care organizations, community organizations concerned about gun violence, the legal community, and other groups to attend the conference. Due to significant funding we have recently received, the registration fee is now only $25 per person. Tabling space might be available for interested organizations.

Our goals for the conference are as follows:

Please register for the conference online using a credit card; you can start the quick process by clicking this Buy Now button.

If you cannot register using a credit card, please send your name, job title, employer’s name, contact information, and a $25 check by Sept. 5 to the Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation, 7327 SW Barnes Road, #316, Portland, OR 97225. For more information, please contact us at info@ceasefireoregon.org or 503.220.1669.

This conference offers an extraordinary opportunity to hear from local and national experts on gun violence and to discuss these issues with other Oregonians concerned about gun violence. We hope to see you there.