Western Hanover residents march for peace

WESTERN BUREAU:

DESPITE THE sweltering heat and sporadic bouts of rain, residents of Green Island, Hanover, turned out in large numbers on Tuesday to participate in a peace march and public meeting, which formed part of their effort to draw attention to the lawlessness affecting their community.

The march, which was organised by the Green Island-based Christian Community United for Change (CCUC), was endorsed by the leadership of the Hanover police and several community organisations. It started at the Green Island Police Station and culminated at the Cauldwell taxi stand, about half of a mile.

The march, which was staged under the theme ‘The man in the mirror’, saw a coffin with a mirror inside being used as a prop to highlight the need to take personal responsibility in confronting crime.

“Our aim is to remind the community that crime affects everyone, and the Church and the police are available not only to prosecute, but also to educate and partner with the community to combat crime,” said Reverend Revern Grant, chairman of the CCUC. “Christians and non-Christians alike, in fact, all residents from the areas of Cove, Pell River, Logwood, Green Island and their surrounding areas were invited to participate.

“We have been talking to the residents about the level of where crime is in the parish and Jamaica at large, but now we are focusing on Hanover and how it is affecting everyone, not just a few, but everyone. We have been asking persons not to retaliate if they have been hurt by anyone, but try and make peace in the interest of having a better Jamaica,” added Grant.

Tamika Davis, the member of parliament for Hanover Western, who participated in the march, said the mirror placed inside the coffin is very fitting, as it gives the reflection of who can be inside if crime is not brought under control.

“You do not have to wait until crime has affected you directly, you do not have to know who has died, it could be a mother, a father or friend. It does not matter if you know the person or not, one death from crime is one too many,” said Davis.

She called on residents to work to return the parish to the days when communities would strive to protect and raise children in a loving and caring environment.

Shorna Miller, a community activist and senior teacher at Green Island High School, made a passionate appeal to the general community to work together to tame the lawlessness.

“If war is in the minds of men, it means the minds of men need to be changed to prevent war,” said Miller. “It is individual action that determines another person’s reaction, and as such, each individual has a responsibility to be at peace with everyone.

“Be the man in the mirror and stop blaming everyone else,” continued Miller. “Even with a call for the implementation of a crime plan, it will take the input of individuals in the communities, playing their respective roles, for any crime plan to work.”