BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE “social alliance” between the Government and the church has been “reignited” and it is expected that within months, the latter would be performing a more integral role in the shaping of the lives of the Federation’s youth.
This was the information revealed today (Mar. 8) by Minister of State with responsibility for Gender Affairs the Hon. Wendy Phipps.
She was at the time speaking on the government’s weekly radio programme ‘Working for You’, in commemoration of International Women’s Day.
“I should mention for the benefit of the entire country, that the Cabinet has reignited its social alliance with the churches, primarily the evangelical associations and Christian councils on both islands. And I know that Premier of Nevis the Hon. Vance Amory - who is also the Federal Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs - has been charged with rebuilding that type of relationship for the very reasons and problems that we have expounded on thus far.”
The revival of a chaplaincy for each school is one of the areas which Phipps said is expected of the ecclesiastical organisations.
“And I know, based on the last meeting we would have had with the representatives from the churches, they have agreed to certain deliverables, among them being the reintroduction of a chaplaincy in all of the schools. And then hopefully, we can get some mentoring programmes going on.
“We already, at the ministry level, have a pilot project which is the boys mentorship programme, to begin to identify - with the assistance of some of the guidance counsellors - those young men who are at risk of being exposed to gang membership; so that you give them some diversion programmes and steer them away from that type of gang culture.”
Minister Phipps expressed that with the difficulties being experienced by the fairer sex, similar intervention is necessary.
“We need to do the same with some of our females who need strong feminine role models. But we are looking forward to building out that programme with the churches which, as I indicated, Premier Amory is leading. So in the next couple of months we expect to see that type of support working along with the Ministry of Education as well as the Department of Gender Affairs and Community Development as well.”
The government – as well as other organisations and individuals within the local community – has been making consistent calls for the church to take a more hands-on approach in helping to curb instances of crime, violence and other deviant behaviour.
