Ruth Masuka

uth Masuka (she/her) worked with Books, Arts, Music (BAM) Collective a youth-led, arts based, intersectional organization in Toronto, Ontario. Her work centered the lived-experiences of people impacted by gun and other forms of violence and how they create spaces of belonging, resilience and community-care. 

Report

Biting the Bullet: Community, Safety and Gun Violence in Toronto 

The causes and impacts of gun violence in the context of Toronto have been an increasing site of attention by communities, media, policymakers, and other stakeholders. While there is no single profile that can ultimately predict who will be affected by gun violence, it is associated with a convergence of individual, family, neighborhood, and socioeconomic risk factors that interact over one’s life cycle. Social isolation is both a cause and effect of gun violence; safety is often predicated on access to information and knowledge communicated through these social links and gun violence often fractures these connections out of fear and distrust. This is exacerbated by a historical divestment in the emotional infrastructure of communities most affected and the interrupted grief this disparity produces. Likewise as violence is a process, safety is one; it is not simply the absence of violence but the presence of positive community interactions and investments in public services and resources. This research examines the ongoing work done by communities as both an act of belonging-making and site of resistance to their deliberate disenfranchisement. 

Community Engagement Initiative

Ruth wanted to know what does belonging and community look like – feel like? How can we build it? 25 community members came together to create beautiful puzzle-pieces representing what community meant for them. See the community artwork and read more in Peace by Piece! 

Read Ruth’s Blog: The Art of Community 

Bio

Ruth Masuka (she/her) is a student, educator, and community organizer fascinated by the ways in which art functions as a mechanism for peace-building processes, trauma-informed care, and community capacity-building. A firm believer of ‘nothing about us, without us’, Ruth sees creative practices as both a form of expression and action within marginalized communities. She is currently completing her Master’s of Social Work at the University of Toronto, specializing in Community Development with a focus on working for children and families 

Keywords

Gun violence, grief, mutual aid, Toronto, community stakeholder engagement, safety, restorative justice, victimization, trauma