U.B. holds crime prevention workshop
A University of Belize Conference on the role of higher education in the region was held this week and wrapped up today with sessions on crime prevention and management. News 5 was at the Princess this morning.
Ewart Robateau, External Relations Officer, U.B.
“We do have the capacity. Many people had said that U.B.-there are a lot of things said about U.B., but this conference is proof that the university has a great capacity in providing the services and the ideas in national development that needs to be focussed at a national university.”
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The University of Belize says the conference well surpassed the daily target number of two hundred participants and considers the event a success.
Ewart Robateau
“Now I have always advocated for student participation in activities, and this is a way where I can visible see that students are eager to learn more and to stimulate their interest in international affairs and domestic affairs.”
The international conference lasted for five days and included a number of proceedings including a discussion Crimes Prevention, Management and Community Policing.
Rayford Gordon, Workshop Facilitator
“The objective is to create a format to get the necessary ingredients that in the near future, which we have follow-up workshops, we will try to enact. The objective is to create, not the laws and bylaws, to understand what is plaguing our society, Belize and what can be done to facilitate, combat, or eradicate if you want to use that word, the topic that is being discussed.”
The workshop facilitator, Rayford Gordon, says it hoped that as a result of the conference they will be able to facilitate a faculty of Criminology in Belize.
Rayford Gordon
“Crime prevention and crime prevention management is a social problem. We have found out, and we are finding out now, that our social economic conditions have a lot to do with it. So the extract from these workshop today, the university will-well not try, I am certain they will come up with solutions which the system will put in place.”
The participants also examined what role higher education in the region can play to address the issue of national development.
Ewart Robateau
“Someone had asked why is it that U.B. is not taking up key issues within the society, so I think this conference has worked out to be the first in a series of consultations that U.B. is taking the with community and with the nation. And we’ve even taking it globally, in this case.”
The conference was the first of its kind organized by U.B., however, the university has been involved in international conferences such as the 2002 Latin American Literature with Perdue University and the 2003 Caribbean Studies Association.
