Herbert Gayle Launches ‘Like a Bushfire’

Born out of a social research known as the Gayle Report, conducted in Belize over six years ago, Like A Bushfire was officially launched at the Image Factory this morning.  The book which focuses on inner city violence was co-written by several authors, including anthropologist Doctor Herbert Gayle and education officer Nelma Mortis.  The social impact of crime and violence is carefully pored over from various perspectives and not only does the work look at the effects of these issues from the community aspect, it also looks at the economic realities that factor into crime and violence.  According to Mortis, Like A Bushfire sheds light on adolescence.

Nelma Mortis

Nelma Mortis, Education Officer, Belize District

“It looks at the relationship with boys and what it is that is affecting them.  What opportunities are lacking for them.  So it basically gives us a whole picture of what boys are going through as they are growing up to become young men that we hope to be providers, priests and protectors for families.  So therefore, we are showing you the suffering that they are going through. The book came out of a report that was undertaken in 2010 which was a research done to look at the root causes of what it is that’s affecting them and out of that report we put it into the book so that we can get the message more simplified for the basic person to pick up, read and understand what is happening to them and of course there are recommendations, both in the report and in the book that gives us some suggestions, some actions that can be taken to work towards improving the situation.”