Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 27, 2015 (SKNIS): Youth of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis were encouraged to stay on the right path of the law by four members of the Barbados Youth Action Programme (BYAP), when the group visited this week.
BYAP leader Lamumba Batson explained that since their key message was directed at youth they went wherever youth could be found, such as in communities, prisons, schools and churches.
“We showed them that there are consequences to every action; we kind of used our life experience to show them where we went wrong and what were the consequences to us going wrong – what we had to pay,” Mr. Batson said. “The effects that it had on our families, the effects that it had on our communities, so we try to show people that it’s not just what you do, because what you do has an impact on so many people, other than yourself.”
Mr. Batson noted that this being BYAP’s third trip to the Federation, they had been able to meet several young offenders from the previous visits.
“Couple of them [young offenders] walked up to me I don’t even know them and said well, you may have forgotten me but I was in prison when you come in there and I have not forgotten anything that you said,” Mr. Batson stated. “So yes I could believe that it’s having an impact, which gave rise to us coming for the third time.”
Ramon Power, an 18 year old member of BYAP, gave a personal experience stating that a critical trait that some youth lack is respect for their elders.
“My father is a politician and I happen to be going down a path that he didn’t like, so we always came into friction,” he explained, noting that the conflicts actually helped him by assisting with his maturity. “It showed me that respect is due to everyone, but we need to respect those who love us.”
Mr. Power went on to express that even when there are difficult circumstances such as his own, respect for one’s parents should come naturally.
“Respect to them is due more than respect to anybody else in your life,” he said, explaining that when youth get into trouble the only ones they have left to call is Mom or Dad or Aunty or Granny. “They are the ones getting up in the middle of the night, coming to the police stations. They’re the ones who when you don’t have any food, you don’t have anywhere to stay, things like that, they’re the one’s who help you get through these little struggles that teenagers have these days.”
Another BYAP representative Emanuel Beryllia, explained that the word respect has varied meanings, including its interpretation by “young people on the block.” He gave his own definition.
“If I respect you, when I look into your eyes, I actually see a small reflection of myself.” Mr. Beryllia explained, noting that it has been said that the eyes are the window to the soul. “So if we see each other, the way we should respect each other it’s because we have that profound divine love for who we see in the other individual, who is ourself.”
He said that it would then be virtually impossible to develop hate that would cause one to kill another individual.
“So it’s difficult, then to commit a crime against someone like that or say that you would kill your brother,” Mr. Beryllia said, emphasizing that it would be impossible if you were able to see your reflection in such an individual. “BYAP has travelled throughout the region, we’ve been to St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica and we’re from Barbados. The issue all across the Caribbean is that young African youth are dealing with each other in a hostile, aggressive manner.”
The BYAP representatives were brought to the Federation under the auspices of the Department of Youth Empowerment in collaboration with the Community Renewal and Youth Reach Enterprise. They are expected to leave the Federation on Saturday, November 28, 2015.
*************************
DISCLAIMER
This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKNVibes.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors or advertisers
