PM Douglas proposes National New Year’s resolution to reduce and eradicate gang violence
 
 

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and former jamaican sprint-ace Don Quarrie speak with local athletes at the Basseterre High School.

Let us agree that instead of always pointing out what parents, teachers, the police, the business community, young people, the government and everyone else is failing to do, we will, each of us, commit to do just one thing, no matter how small, on an ongoing basis, that we think, in some way, will reduce the appeal of gangs to some child or some group of children in our society,” said Prime Minister Douglas, who called for this to be shared with the churches, schools and political leaders so that it may be replicated elsewhere.

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas (right) with young people at the Chi-Lites Concert for the Youths and family at the Marriott ballrooon.

 
Addressing the issue crime and gang violence in his first “Ask the Prime Minister” radio programme for 2009, the St. Kitts and Nevis leader noted “these tiny measures may not, on the surface seem very significant, but it is by small, individual acts of social responsibility, undertaken by thousands of caring individuals, that healthy, stable societies are born.”
 

Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas with members of the St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association. All photos by Erasmus Williams

He said it was a time for concrete commitments to the youths of St. Kitts and Nevis as it would be “the most powerful countermeasure we as a society can come up with as we try to prevent the emergence of new gang members, and so I hope that each of us will take the importance of our individual roles in this battle very seriously, in this regard.”