Peace builder wants murder-free African Gardens to be emulated
Published:Saturday | February 12, 2022 | 12:09 AMAinsworth Morris/Staff Reporter
Despite the flare-up of violence and murders in the August Town division in St Andrew, African Gardens – one of the five communities within the division – has not recorded a single murder in the last four years.
For this, the model community topped the Safe Community Competition on Sunday, February 6, and was again awarded the Barry Chevannes Trophy.
Since the start of 2022, there have been two persons killed in the August Town division.
The Safe Community Competition, which started in 2010, is organised jointly by the Peace Management Initiative, Violence Prevention Alliance, August Town Peace Builders and the Sizzla Youth Foundation.
As part of the awards ceremony for the community, there was an online town hall, which explored the August Town State of the Union of Communities Report 2020 and Plan of Action 2022. Also, the governance of the community was discussed.
On February 5, the focus was on community economic tourism, and on February 6, they zoned in on community safety.
BEHAVING PEACEFULLY
Kenneth Wilson, chairman of August Town Peace Builders and one of the organisers of the events and awards ceremony, said for the past four years, persons living in African Gardens have been behaving peacefully.
“The whole idea around [the events] is to bring the community together, look back at the previous year and make plans for this year,” Wilson told The Gleaner.
He added: “The whole gist right now is to promote peace across the community and we have been in recent weeks. We want to highlight what is happening in African Gardens. The youth in this part of the community choose peace and live in harmony, so if one community can do it, every community can do it.”
Despite the ongoing pandemic and fact that the competition had not been given the type of support it needs, Wilson said the organisers have pressed on with the planning of the award ceremony, hoping it will be a motivation to the other sections of August Town to end violence and promote peace.
CALL FOR GUNMEN TO CHANGE WAYS
He is encouraging persons in the area who have conflicts to visit the Restorative Justice Centre at Bryce Hill Square, even as he called on the gunmen to change their ways.
“The gunmen will not change unless the people force them to change,” he said.
Courtney Harrison, who has lived in African Gardens since birth, was elated that it had grabbed top honours for another consecutive year.
“The youth dem play a big part [in us winning again] because di [other] youth dem in a di road a do things, so when you can get them [from African Gardens] fi play a big part, you have fi respect dem fi that and congratulate them,” Harrison said.
He added, “We, the big people, we can talk and keep whole heap a meeting and do all type of things, and dem still do the thing, so when we can get dem fi do the right thing, you have fi celebrate them.”
Reverend Dorothy Price Maitland, a justice of the peace and restorative justice facilitator living in African Gardens, was equally pleased.
“So far, for the years I have been here, African Gardens has been successful in whatever we do, especially with regard to the youth, because we can’t do anything without the youth. The award we are getting, it’s because of the youth who have behaved themselves and heard what we are saying to them,” she said.
“The young people here are very motivating. They are well talented and I’m very much proud of them to know that they keep the peace along with the peacemakers and us,” she said.