Devika Parsaud

Devika graduated from York University’s School of Health Policy and Management with a Masters in Health specializing in Health Policy and Equity, and holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Health Studies from the University of Toronto. She grew up in Toronto and is passionate about the social determinants of health and public policy. She has goals of exploring social injustices and being a part of interventions and change for a more equitable healthy society.

Devika worked with the City of Toronto to conduct research and create a set of community-based and policy recommendations that will help address community trauma and reduce community violence in Toronto.

Community Engagement Initiative

In partnership with the Toronto Youth
Cabinet, Devika hosted a roundtable community discussion on gun violence. The Toronto Youth Cabinet is a non-partisan organization that advocates on behalf of Toronto’s youth. Young people ages 16-29 across different Toronto neighbourhoods were invited to discuss SafeTO – Toronto’s Community Safety & Well-Being Plan, with 25 young people ultimately attending the digital roundtable conducted via Zoom. This worked to effectively engage with youth in Toronto, and to ensure young people’s voices were heard on this critical issue. Read the report: Youth Perspectives on a Public Health Approach to Gun Violence.

Report

A Public Health Approach to Gun Violence in Toronto

This report explores the four stages of a public health approach to gun violence and how they can be applied in Toronto. These stages (monitoring, risk and protective factors,  intervention, and implementation) offer a path forward for a more inclusive, safe, and thriving city. The information in this report will contribute towards finalizing the implementation plan of SafeTO, which will be presented to the Executive Committee and Council in December 2021. 

Keywords

Toronto, gun violence, violence prevention, community safety, inclusive cities.