Peace rally held for city youths
While September normally brings a children’s rally to promote patriotism, today a rally was held for high school students to promote peace and end the violence on the streets. Leading the charge were Youth for the Future and Belize Youth Movement, with considerable help from some international music stars.
Linsford Castillo, Administrator, Y.F.F.
“We have realised, and it is confirmed to us that we must become proactive as far as this issue is concerned. So, as far as we are concerned, we need to speak into the situation and we believe that we have the mechanisms in place to effectively at least address the issue.”
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
One way Youth For the Future hopes to reduce crime is through its national anti-violence campaign. Today that initiative was launched before hundreds of high school students and other invited guests.
Linsford Castillo
“Youth For the Future, in light of recent issues in terms of youth, crime, and violence have embarked on a national anti-violence campaign where we will literally be taking the message of peace, the message of anti-violence, the message of hope to the young people from north, south, east and west in this country.”
To date a total of sixty-two persons have been killed. Most of the victims are youths who were shot to death.
Linsford Castillo
“The whole fact that the amount of violence occurring today is largely attributed to that of young people. So the whole subject of youth, crime, and violence is a prevailing matter in our society and we here at Youth For the Future, while we have our programmes in place and we’re not an “out the fire” type operation, but realising what is happening and the intensity of which it is happening recently.”
Today’s peace rally may have taken place under the sweltering heat, but the hot weather did not seem to faze the young audience who really got pumped up by the special appearances of well-known Jamaican reggae artists General Degree and Half Pint.
We are not sure is most students were paying attention to the addresses delivered, but it’s clear that many were far more interested in the recording artists than the reality of the effects of crime on families and the country.
Dr. Andre Sosa, Guest Speaker
“Whether you want to accept it, whether you want to listen, whether you want to do anything or not, a grave injury can become a serious financial disaster that can cause a family to lose its main source of income, to lose its house and to become burdened with long term indebtedness.”
In the hospitals across this country we continue to count the cost of so many lives destroyed by violence, drunk driving, and HIV/AIDS. The cost is measured in the millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money spent to treat the victims. It can easily take eighty to one hundred thousand dollars to treat just one critical patient.”
“Those are borne by the many orphans and relatives left behind to fend for themselves. It is measured by the ruined lives of the disabled victims or the persons who are punished with imprisonment. But death does not always come quickly, if at all. Consider the agony of laying in bed for weeks and days whilst being nursed back to health. Consider having to bear the guilt of causing pain and suffering to our friends and relatives.”
The fight against crime is one battle the government itself recognises. G.O.B. promises to do what it can to protect the country’s future leaders.
Jose Coye, Min. of Works, Transport, Communication
“We have a responsibility to you to break those opportunities in well-grounded education and in uplifting moral values. You the youths have a responsibility to embrace that opportunity. So throughout the celebrations, the national celebrations, the message is to free our mind of violence and to full it instead with love and compassion.”
The Peace Rally was held under the theme “Stop The Violence ? Increase The Peace.” Jacqueline Woods for News Five.
