"The one thing all children have in common is their rights! Every child has the right to survive and thrive, to be educated, to be free from violence and abuse, to participate and to be heard. " UN Secretary General Bank Ki-moon.
November 20, 2015 is dubbed Universal Children's Day and is observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children.
It is incumbent upon the adults of our twin island nation to serve as the torchbearers of hope for our youths. Adults must be willing to commit to transforming the lives of our children in our various communities, ultimately making our nation safer and certainly prosperous.
In my hometown of Cayon, as in many parts of our twin isles, it comes as no surprise that many of us share close or distant family ties.
Jason Morton was violently gunned down outside his home over a month ago. I didn't know him personally, but I know his mother, his aunts, uncles and several of his cousins.
The seemingly unstoppable trend of youth on youth murder in our community amounts to families destroying each other; eroding the very fabric of an entire community and country in the process.
I personally knew Travon Francis; a young man who grew up attending Sunday School at the St. Mary's Anglican Church for years. Travon was a double homicide victim outside the steps of Henry's Night Spot on the main road in Cayon one November night in 2008. He died alongside Desroy Walwyn, another young man also from Cayon. Their parents and many other parents from my community still grieve for the violent loss of their sons and daughters.
The tragic deaths of our young people forced many in the community to take another look at finding feasible solutions to crime. Many wrestled with the challenges of keeping young men in our community safe and positively engaged. Despite the efforts of several individuals and organizations, some of our young men have become more heartless and brutal and seem willing to stop at nothing to take the life of a so called "enemy".
Today, violent crime still pervades our society and the increasing number of homicides is testimony to this. At a staggering 25 murders of mostly young people in our federation this year alone, our security forces are constantly on the alert and our leaders are doubly challenged to find effective solutions for this burgeoning problem.
Crime isn't a hobby perpetrators take up to past their time. It is often the result of some social or economic disconnect that when left unchecked, quickly impairs the reputation of any nation, particularly small developing islands like St. Kitts and Nevis.
The seasoned adults in our community enjoy reminiscing on the glory days as young people growing up in Cayon. They often engage in conversations about the competitive spirit of our people and the camaraderie that trumped the petty misunderstandings of day to day living.
Back then, they were all from Cayon and that pride in community showed, especially when it was time to engage in some sporting showdown in Basseterre. People who weren't talking to one another in Cayon before a big game would be best friends when it was time to full up a bus and head to Basseterre to chant, "Leh We Go Cayon." Cayonites played hard together and won and lost many competitions in various sports together.
We came back to Cayon and huddled at Maynard's Park, under de sandbox tree, in front of Wallon Grant's shop, even when we lost. Somehow, Cayon amidst all its pockets of "village confusion" worked for all of us.
In the community itself, there have been many clean up initiatives, home and garden contests, football, basketball, cricket, and netball competitions, High School and Primary School Sports Day, Spelling Bee contests, Ms. Cayon High Pageant shows, Church fairs/bazaars, 4-H, Cub Scouts, Girl Guides, Brownies and enough activities to engage our children and keep them busy. We were not a perfect village but we were a people constantly striving for perfection. So what has become of our 21st century community spirit?
Many of us get it!
We get that times have changed. Modern technology and so called enlightenment heavily impact social behaviors and the way our young people think. However, most of us find it difficult to understand how some of our young men think nothing of taking the life of another human being who they feel have offended them and then expect to lead normal lives; their psyche forever tainted by their violent destruction of the life of another. Is the genocide of the male population of our nation the price we must pay for our society's advancement?
As a community, we must constantly think in terms of the Cayon we want our children and grandchildren to inherit. This doesn't mean wielding condemnation on all the young people of our community. Rather, it's an opportunity to end the current trend of senseless warmongering and murder, thereby creating an acceptable climate for the future of our children.
The culture of gangsterism that seems attractive to some of our young people can be curtailed if we seek resolve through a collective effort with government and NGO's partnering with the people of our various communities. It's not personal. It's about saving lives and reshaping our communities.
As has been done in communities worldwide, there are multifaceted approaches individuals and groups can take to help keep our people safe.
1. Set up a Neighborhood Watch or a community patrol and work in unison with police.
2. Make sure streets and homes are well-lighted.
3. Ensure that young people in our neighborhoods have positive ways to spend their spare time, through organized recreation, tutoring programs, part-time work, or volunteer opportunities.
4. Adults! Sorry, we can't just talk about what we used to do back in the day. We HAVE to reach out and help too. Volunteer at church, at a daycare or even offer to volunteer at school; revive a Cub Scout or Girl Guide branch, engage kids in the arts. Get involved! The experiences of our community stalwarts can positively impact our youths if our adults avail themselves to our young people.
5. Build partnerships with police; focus on solving problems instead of reacting to crises. Make it possible for neighbors to report suspicious activity or crimes without fear of retaliation.
6. Take advantage of "safety in numbers" to hold rallies, marches, and other group activities to show we are determined to drive out crime and drugs.
7. Clean up the neighborhood! Involve everyone - teens, children, senior citizens. Graffiti, litter, abandoned cars and the like tell criminals we don't care about where we live or each other. Call Solid Waste for help or arrange clean up projects. It doesn't have to be a huge undertaking; little by little if we start the work, we will see the results.
8. Encourage community leaders and parliamentary representatives to incorporate the use of CCTV as part of the weaponry to help fight crime.
9. Develop and share a phone list of local groups or individuals that can provide counseling, job training, guidance, and other services to help neighbors.
10. If Cayon or any community for that matter is deemed a "hot spot," then security forces must become an active component of policing our community. Regular patrols ought to become standard practice to help minimize the occurrence of crime.
There are many other steps our various communities can take to help minimize crime but there will be absolutely no results from inaction.
The Green Valley Community can become a model community that helps to save our youth and restore an admirable spirit of togetherness. It still begins with that reflection in the mirror. The most meaningful tip in crime prevention and changing the direction of youth activity in our communities rest with the individual through a process called self introspection.
Are we ready to boast about our breathtaking rolling hills, our rich history and our pristine beaches yet distance ourselves from the crime prevention process? If we give up on the Cayon, or St. Kitts and Nevis that we so often boast about, how can we hope to redirect the current negative path some our youths are taking?
In May of 2016, the people of Green Valley will celebrate 20 years of community development through cultural involvement. Throngs of people will descend on Cayon for Green Valley Festival celebrations. This annual celebration has stayed alive despite its many lows because of the will and fortitude of the people of our community.
A wholesome twentieth anniversary celebration should encapsulate all the strengths and positive accomplishments of our community and not just the ills that plague us.
But we must make strides now to bring about meaningful ways to uplift our community and our nation.
The community that shaped us was built on the strength and vision of our ancestors. Our children are our greatest hope for a brighter tomorrow. We have a responsibility to invest in them now. We can help shape the lives of generations to come through the work we commit ourselves to today!
Children First!
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