250 Leaders from 21 countries attended Caribbean Summit to address Youth-driven Violence Prevention
THE Caribbean Summit on Youth Violence Prevention concluded on Wednesday after two days of addressing prevention efforts for staggering youth crime and violence rates in the Caribbean, which are higher than in Latin America and Africa.
The Caribbean Summit on Youth Violence Prevention, which brought together approximately 250 participants from 21 countries in Georgetown, Guyana, was hosted by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Community, Family, and Youth Resilience Program (CFYR), the CARICOM Secretariat, UNICEF, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission and the Caribbean Learning for Youth Networking and Change Sessions (LYNCS) Network.
Throughout the summit, youth leaders met with representatives of development organizations, civil society and government, including CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque and several CARICOM and OECS Ministers.
Key sessions, included presentations and discussions on: Promoting Healthy Masculinity, Youth-Driven Responses to Criminal Gangs, Deleting Bullying: Addressing Bullying in Policy and Practice, The Arts as a Remedy for Youth Violence and Positive Vibrations – Improving Mental Health
An official press release following the summit said, āThe summit discussions will inform the youth-driven Advocacy and Action Agenda (AAA), building on the 2013 CARICOM Social Development and Crime Prevention Action Plan.ā
It added that āThe draft agenda makes a strong case for promoting the scaling-up of innovative programs that aim to prevent and reduce crime and foster social inclusion and promote reintegration.ā
The release concluded, āThe document received verbal endorsement from ShamfaCudjoe, Trinidad and Tobagoās Minister of Youth and Sports, on behalf of the government ministers present during the discussions.ā
For too long, successive Administrations/Governments have been too damn soft on
criminals, that’s why they are no longer afraid to go to Jail, and some multiple times.
For big crime – hard labour at a Quarry, cleaning Streets, doing laundry at the Hospitals.
For the first timers of minor crime, a good ass whipping at the day of their discharge.
Softer than that, then you are just an enabler. You must be tough on the youth of today.