Faith and Justice Commission marches against violence

The murder rate continues to spike since the beginning of the year and many of the homicides remain unresolved while in the courts the conviction rate appears dismal. Several organizations today joined the families whose loved ones have died as a result of gun violence.  This evening the Faith and Justice Commission held a march and rally involving primary school children.  The event featured fallen victims and their families. The placards they bore pictures of the fallen ones and carried messages of peace.  The event ended at the Cumberbatch Field in the Port Loyola area and that’s where News Five caught up with them.

Sr. Carolee Chanona, Faith & Justice Commission

“This event is a response to the escalating violence that we have been experiencing in Belize. As a commission, we wanted to see what is one simple thing that we could do. We know there are lots of things to do and so it’s almost—this is our seventh march for peace. We have done an event, we try to do it in each of the districts. We’ve been to all five of the six districts. The only district we haven’t had an event is in Toledo.  It is a march for peace in solidarity with the victims of violence.”

Marion Ali

“I noted that there were lots of students out here as well, what has been the reception from them?”

Cynthia Williams, Faith & Justice Commission

Cynthia Williams

“They have been very open to coming. I think they are fully aware of the importance of coming together as we search for a response to end this violence. So if you see we had quite a bit of students. Most of the schools had other activities that clash with this one and therefore many of them were not able to be there. But we have had a very good response from each school that we’ve contacted. I would like to say thank you to everybody who came here but at the same time to really invite everybody in the country, not only in Belize City because I think violence affects every single person in the country of Belize, to look at what we are doing also to contribute to what is going on and we’d really like to promote the pledge that we are beginning today, which is stop the violence, save a life; it could be yours.”