Since her nephew Chris Galvez was murdered in December, Yolanda Schakron has made her plight for justice a crusade and now she is making it into a movement. Schakron has joined forces with literally hundreds of other Belizeans who’ve lost sons, brothers, nephews, and friends to gun violence for a peace rally. It will be held on Sunday evening starting at 4 and it promises to be large. But more than a just crowd, Schakron along with Yvonne Husman Moore, who lost her son nadir to gun violence, says it will send an important message. They told us what that message will be.
Yolanda Schakron, Organizer
“We want people to come out in numbers. This is non-political, we want everybody to come out because we want to send a message and we want our leaders to start listening and realizing that we’re suffering a lot with crimes and unsolved murders and corruption in the Police Department and we want it to stop.”
Yvonne Husman-Moore, Organizer
“I lost my child Nadira Husman to a ruthless, senseless crime and I feel the pain of all the other persons who will be participating in.”
Keith Swift,
“Why do you think this will help and why this will make a difference?”
Yvonne Husman-Moore,
“Numbers are powerful. The crimes are reported on television and there is never ever any followup. Everybody grieves in silence but no one has ever sat down to tabulate the number of people affected; families, siblings, extended family members. The numbers we are expecting to be present is a demonstration of a hurting nation. This is not what I want to pass on to my child or my grandchildren. We have to do something.”
Yolanda Schakron,
“We have to come out because we have to become one. We have to unify and you know united we stand and if you don’t come out, it is like you are just accepting and you’re swallowing everything. You are accepting the corruption in the Police Department, you are accepting that the justice system is not corrupted too. But you need to come out and let’s make a difference, let our voices be heard.”
While suspects were charged for the murder of Yvonne Husman-Moore’s Nadir, the case against them fell apart in the court. Sunday’s peace rally starts at 4 from the corner of Casesar Ridge Road and Central American Boulevard. It will peacefully proceed through the streets and end at the City Center for a rally.
In related news – the association of family and friends of crime victims have launched a website – www.peaceinbelizebz.org. They have also activated a hotline for information. That number is 650-4357.
