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I believe that the following statement (taken from the article below) is a very true and accurate one. Almost without exception, though, our political representatives have been missing this crucial point since independence.
The cry for jobs is the loudest, as they say contrary to popular belief, the youths on the corners are willing to work. "Ninety per cent of the youth dem no want sit dung pon the corner but them lef' school and dem no have nutten fi do," said one of the men.
Dons say they are filling gaps, cry for employment
BY Ingrid Brown Sunday Observer senior reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, January 04, 2009
They are labelled as dons, area leaders and, in some cases, shottas, but the men who "run" some of the country's toughest inner-city communities say they have been made to fill the gaps left vacant by a system found to be wanting.
In addition to "holding the corner" as a means of protection for the residents, these men say they are constantly straddled with the problems of unemployment and lack of educational opportunities for many of their charges who, they say, would trade in their guns for meaningful employment any day.
Many in the 17 communities visited in Kingston and St Andrew in the past week have readily committed to the Fresh Start concept being sold to leaders in these volatile communities by the Pastor Al Miller-led National Transformation Programme (NTP) and the Peace Management Initiative, but say this must be rewarded with development for these areas.
The cry for jobs is the loudest, as they say contrary to popular belief, the youths on the corners are willing to work.
In Woodford Park in Kingston, the three top men who met with the peace promotion team are no older than 30 years of age. They are the ones who are looked up to by the mothers who have no fathers for their children and the youths who themselves are unemployed and have no means of taking care of their families.
"Ninety per cent of the youth dem no want sit dung pon the corner but them lef' school and dem no have nutten fi do," said one of the men.
The men said they welcomed the fact that their input was being sought as too often dialogue was being held with the wider community who cannot speak on their behalf.
"Is the youth dem weh a fire gun pon each other dem fi talk to," said another man.
In the Downtown community of Telaviv, the top leader said "if a youth no see what dem a ban dem belly for, them won't do it".
He admitted that they have been maintaining peace for a year and six months now and they, too, have not seen any opportunities for those who have put down their guns.
He said one thing which constantly derails efforts at curbing crime is when nothing is put in place as incentives for youngsters.
He said that when a drug don who would support 15 youths is taken out of the system, these dependents turn to violence.
"The man dem hungry and have gun and no man nah dead fi hungry," he said. "What really happen is that when dem teck out the drugs man, dem no replace him with no development for the youths to earn a living."
He said this is exactly what happened in St James, resulting in bouts of violence in parts of that parish.
A leader in Jungle said he endorses the idea of a maintained peace as this is critical if a weekly dance in the area, which feeds many, is to remain profitable.
He said that each Monday he has to find at least $3,000 to give to children to attend school and is in the process of building a wholesale to provide further employment for some persons in the area.
In Allman Town, an area recently plagued by violent flare-ups, the men had the same cry - they want work, but none can be found.
They said they have maintained peace in the community for months now and yet they are waiting to see some of the promised development and employment opportunities for their area.
"Right now, is just that things short and so some people get short-tempered and nah hold it and so dem will go and rob a man," said one youth.
However, he insisted that those who rob are in the minority as most residents are seeking income-generating projects for their community.
They have used the proceeds from a dance to buy three bikes which they will be using to offer delivery services.
When work is available, one youth said, this occupies their time and results in maintained peace in the community.
In Southside, the men who met with Pastor Miller and his team said they would love to see development come to their area in the form of skills training for the youngsters.
The leaders from Rockfort, Burger Gully and Bayshore communities said the political directorate has left the place wanting.
They lamented that there are a lot of skilled youths and even university graduates in these communities who cannot find employment.
"What happen now is that crime has turn fashion, and so if something happen a East a man a West want fi do that to, and so we need to have some community things fi teck people mind off the violence," said one young man.
They also accused the church of failing them, saying that they remain isolated from their issues.
"Them segregate themselves from we and say them nah meet with we cause we a gunman," one man said.
They said they would welcome the intervention of the church as the average gunman doesn't want his son to do the same.
At Maxfield Avenue, a top man in the area said they want some serious development for the community, now that peace is holding there.
One man lamented that while there are talks of sprucing up Jamaica this is only being done in tourist resorts and there is no sprucing up of their communities.
"Whole heap a work needed and that is the only way crime and violence a go stop, cause bigger tankers and guns nah go stop killing," he said.
In Cassava Piece, another of the community visited by the NTP, the men said they are now focusing on developing their community themselves since there has not been any outside intervention.
One young man who is currently manufacturing what he labelled the 'Gully God' clothes line, said he is now looking at ways to expand. In addition, they are also setting up a small computer lab for the children.
"With all the bad vibes we showing say something good de here," he said.
At Big Yard, both Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel who arrived in the area while the team was visiting said they endorsed the Fresh Start approach.
"From yu say Fresh Start a dat we say to," Beenie Man said, adding that with no option for work, many of the youths have been forced to become shottas.
"The teacher endorse it, the pastor pass it and so we need the fresh start inna the place," Kartel added.
On Friday, when the peace team along with members of the St Catherine arm of the Social Development Commission (SDC) visited Tawes Pen and Ellerslie Pen in Spanish Town, dozens of men were seen either playing board games or hanging out.
The top men in these areas said the men are willing to work. They pointed to a National Water Commission project last year where men from opposing sides worked alongside each other as an example that employment also helps in maintaining peace.
A man in a group aligned to the Clansman gang said employment is one of the main things that will continue to fuel the violence.
"If me sit down and don't have anything fi do and me go out there and see someone with dem tings me woulda want teck it," he said.
He also said there were a lot of youths in the community who could not afford to go to school. "Is true me no have it fi send some a them juvenile yah go school," he said.
Pastor Miller said what he has seen in the communities only affirms that the country has a problem. However, he said it is not beyond our ability to overcome and restore.
"I feel a genuine desire for change, prosperity and development because everybody is at the point where they tired of the tension and war," he told the Sunday Observer.
He said attention must now be turned to development for these areas and already he is seeking to identify interventions to meet the needs.
He said a second issue to tackle will be the improvement of the relationship between the communities and the police. He said he is of the belief that the police themselves want to see this improvement. "We want to help the police to restore confidence between some police and the citizens," he said.
The other stage, he said, will involve transformation of these communities, which will deal with employment, education and parenting issues.
As for a timeline, he said this is immediate and as such funds will have to be found quickly, with the help of the church and the private sector.
The cry for jobs is the loudest, as they say contrary to popular belief, the youths on the corners are willing to work. "Ninety per cent of the youth dem no want sit dung pon the corner but them lef' school and dem no have nutten fi do," said one of the men.
Dons say they are filling gaps, cry for employment
BY Ingrid Brown Sunday Observer senior reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, January 04, 2009
They are labelled as dons, area leaders and, in some cases, shottas, but the men who "run" some of the country's toughest inner-city communities say they have been made to fill the gaps left vacant by a system found to be wanting.
In addition to "holding the corner" as a means of protection for the residents, these men say they are constantly straddled with the problems of unemployment and lack of educational opportunities for many of their charges who, they say, would trade in their guns for meaningful employment any day.
Many in the 17 communities visited in Kingston and St Andrew in the past week have readily committed to the Fresh Start concept being sold to leaders in these volatile communities by the Pastor Al Miller-led National Transformation Programme (NTP) and the Peace Management Initiative, but say this must be rewarded with development for these areas.
The cry for jobs is the loudest, as they say contrary to popular belief, the youths on the corners are willing to work.
In Woodford Park in Kingston, the three top men who met with the peace promotion team are no older than 30 years of age. They are the ones who are looked up to by the mothers who have no fathers for their children and the youths who themselves are unemployed and have no means of taking care of their families.
"Ninety per cent of the youth dem no want sit dung pon the corner but them lef' school and dem no have nutten fi do," said one of the men.
The men said they welcomed the fact that their input was being sought as too often dialogue was being held with the wider community who cannot speak on their behalf.
"Is the youth dem weh a fire gun pon each other dem fi talk to," said another man.
In the Downtown community of Telaviv, the top leader said "if a youth no see what dem a ban dem belly for, them won't do it".
He admitted that they have been maintaining peace for a year and six months now and they, too, have not seen any opportunities for those who have put down their guns.
He said one thing which constantly derails efforts at curbing crime is when nothing is put in place as incentives for youngsters.
He said that when a drug don who would support 15 youths is taken out of the system, these dependents turn to violence.
"The man dem hungry and have gun and no man nah dead fi hungry," he said. "What really happen is that when dem teck out the drugs man, dem no replace him with no development for the youths to earn a living."
He said this is exactly what happened in St James, resulting in bouts of violence in parts of that parish.
A leader in Jungle said he endorses the idea of a maintained peace as this is critical if a weekly dance in the area, which feeds many, is to remain profitable.
He said that each Monday he has to find at least $3,000 to give to children to attend school and is in the process of building a wholesale to provide further employment for some persons in the area.
In Allman Town, an area recently plagued by violent flare-ups, the men had the same cry - they want work, but none can be found.
They said they have maintained peace in the community for months now and yet they are waiting to see some of the promised development and employment opportunities for their area.
"Right now, is just that things short and so some people get short-tempered and nah hold it and so dem will go and rob a man," said one youth.
However, he insisted that those who rob are in the minority as most residents are seeking income-generating projects for their community.
They have used the proceeds from a dance to buy three bikes which they will be using to offer delivery services.
When work is available, one youth said, this occupies their time and results in maintained peace in the community.
In Southside, the men who met with Pastor Miller and his team said they would love to see development come to their area in the form of skills training for the youngsters.
The leaders from Rockfort, Burger Gully and Bayshore communities said the political directorate has left the place wanting.
They lamented that there are a lot of skilled youths and even university graduates in these communities who cannot find employment.
"What happen now is that crime has turn fashion, and so if something happen a East a man a West want fi do that to, and so we need to have some community things fi teck people mind off the violence," said one young man.
They also accused the church of failing them, saying that they remain isolated from their issues.
"Them segregate themselves from we and say them nah meet with we cause we a gunman," one man said.
They said they would welcome the intervention of the church as the average gunman doesn't want his son to do the same.
At Maxfield Avenue, a top man in the area said they want some serious development for the community, now that peace is holding there.
One man lamented that while there are talks of sprucing up Jamaica this is only being done in tourist resorts and there is no sprucing up of their communities.
"Whole heap a work needed and that is the only way crime and violence a go stop, cause bigger tankers and guns nah go stop killing," he said.
In Cassava Piece, another of the community visited by the NTP, the men said they are now focusing on developing their community themselves since there has not been any outside intervention.
One young man who is currently manufacturing what he labelled the 'Gully God' clothes line, said he is now looking at ways to expand. In addition, they are also setting up a small computer lab for the children.
"With all the bad vibes we showing say something good de here," he said.
At Big Yard, both Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel who arrived in the area while the team was visiting said they endorsed the Fresh Start approach.
"From yu say Fresh Start a dat we say to," Beenie Man said, adding that with no option for work, many of the youths have been forced to become shottas.
"The teacher endorse it, the pastor pass it and so we need the fresh start inna the place," Kartel added.
On Friday, when the peace team along with members of the St Catherine arm of the Social Development Commission (SDC) visited Tawes Pen and Ellerslie Pen in Spanish Town, dozens of men were seen either playing board games or hanging out.
The top men in these areas said the men are willing to work. They pointed to a National Water Commission project last year where men from opposing sides worked alongside each other as an example that employment also helps in maintaining peace.
A man in a group aligned to the Clansman gang said employment is one of the main things that will continue to fuel the violence.
"If me sit down and don't have anything fi do and me go out there and see someone with dem tings me woulda want teck it," he said.
He also said there were a lot of youths in the community who could not afford to go to school. "Is true me no have it fi send some a them juvenile yah go school," he said.
Pastor Miller said what he has seen in the communities only affirms that the country has a problem. However, he said it is not beyond our ability to overcome and restore.
"I feel a genuine desire for change, prosperity and development because everybody is at the point where they tired of the tension and war," he told the Sunday Observer.
He said attention must now be turned to development for these areas and already he is seeking to identify interventions to meet the needs.
He said a second issue to tackle will be the improvement of the relationship between the communities and the police. He said he is of the belief that the police themselves want to see this improvement. "We want to help the police to restore confidence between some police and the citizens," he said.
The other stage, he said, will involve transformation of these communities, which will deal with employment, education and parenting issues.
As for a timeline, he said this is immediate and as such funds will have to be found quickly, with the help of the church and the private sector.