CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – HOPE Nevis launched its Anti-Crime Campaign on Saturday (Apr. 18) with a children’s carnival and fun-day at the Villa grounds in Charlestown.
The event, which featured games of chance, food and drink, and performances by three calypsonians, was attended by Deputy Premier and Minister of Youth, Sport and Community Development, Hon. Hensley Daniel who officially declared the campaign started.
Minister Daniel congratulated HOPE on linking fun to the prevention of crime and urged the media to highlight events such as Saturday’s since there are “far more positive things happening in the community than negative”.
The Minister said HOPE has the full support of government and his ministry in the campaign, and is willing to partner them in the CARE programme suggested by Sergeant Stephen Hector of the Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force. Hector had earlier proposed Crime Awareness Resistance Education (CARE) which would target primarily secondary school students between the first and second forms. According to Hector, the programme would not only teach positive values but also ensures students are enrolled in groups that teach the virtues of self-esteem, national pride and loyalty. Hector called on HOPE to spearhead this programme.
Minister Daniel also said that government recognises the high cost of criminal activity as it relates to health care and tourism. He said people come to Nevis in search of peace and so the task of citizens is to build an everlasting peace and it should begin with them.
In his presentation, Hector proposed CARE because he said not enough attention is paid to secondary school-age students. The policeman pointed to the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) programme which, in Nevis, was geared toward the primary school students. He said that his research shows that DARE was designed for both primary and secondary schools, but it was not allowed to develop at the secondary level. While saying he is not pointing any fingers, he believes the time is right for the introduction of CARE, and called on HOPE to lead the charge.
Sergeant Hector said not enough young people are enrolled in organisations like the Cadet Corps, the Brownies and Girl Guides, and believes that if students’ energies are channeled into that sort of training and development they would become better persons naturally.
HOPE President Ron Daniel said his organisation was willing to accept the CARE challenge but suggested that Sergeant Hector should lead the way.
Daniel said that since its inception in 2006, HOPE has been focused on the broader call of the community. It has organised seminars for young professionals, made monetary contributions to various causes, and provided training for the youth summer job attachment programmes, among other endeavours.
According to Daniel however, the upsurge in violent crime and gang activity in the Federation has prompted HOPE, as a responsible organisation, to turn its attention to tackling crime head on by attacking criminal attitudes.
“Cognisant of the age old adage that prevention is better than cure, HOPE intends to start with the youths and promote the values of unity, forgiveness, self control, tolerance and love, over and above division, strife and hate.”
Daniel said HOPE intends to continue anti-crime efforts by forming partnerships with government, community groups and civic-minded individuals to continue to stamp out the criminal mindset in the community.
Daniel revealed that HOPE Nevis would be going into all the primary and secondary schools in Nevis in the new term to speak out against crime and violence. HOPE will also host inter-active community meetings where professionals in the field will speak on the effects of crime.
“If we are able in our efforts to even prevent one person in each parish from leading a life of crime to one of positivity, then we would have done our job.”
Later in the afternoon patrons were entertained by calypsonians King Astro, King Konris and King Meeko. Konris, in particular, was a hit with the children who he invited to join him in dancing to the popular ‘Mommy and Daddy’ and ‘Walk Away’.
