Last month we told you about the Bricenco Administration's proposed multi-sectoral approach to controlling crime and violence on the southside of Belize City. It's a plan that brings together several ministries including labor, human development, youth sports, and E-governance to work with young people.
That plan got some forward momentum today when the Department of Youth Services wrapped up capacity training for councilors already placed in strategic roles throughout the community.
Our cameras stopped by for those final sessions this morning. Kevin Cadle, the acting Director of Youth services gave us the breakdown.
Kevin Cadle, Acting Director, DYS
"About a month ago the prime minister had relayed to the nation that there is going to be a multi-sectoral approach to deal with crime and violence on south side Belize City. He mentioned that there is going to be a short term, medium term and a long term plan and so LIU along with the ministry of human development, ministry of youth, sports and e-governance, ministry of labour and ministry of home affairs came together and what we did was formulate a strategy called the multi-sectoral approach so that we could literally from all different angles work with young people specifically from the south side of Belize City."
"One of the things that is known globally is the cure-violence model and what we are doing is replicating the cure-violence model and the department of youth services teamed up with the University of Belize and we created what is called "heal up with roots". On one angle there is going to be a lot of therapeutic sessions with these young persons and then on the other angle the department of youth services is going to provide soft skill training, so what we are going to do is that we are going to capacitate 60 people. These people are made up of people within the community and we are looking at perspective approach to dealing with crime and violence and not like what was happening in the past, we are looking at how we could literally do our best to change what is happening in our city and in our country with crime and violence especially with gangs. So they are trained now in the introduction to advance to anti-violence prevention and they are also trained in the advance model of anti-violence prevention from the cure violence model."
"Now, they are doing basic counseling skills, so these people would be trained in how to counsel people within their own communities. Communities know best and from a strength perspective, people within the community would rather go to those persons in their community rather than go outside to seek other people to get assistance. So when they complete this basic training then they will also do an advance training in counseling then we have a mentoring curriculum that was developed for them to do mentoring as well, so we are building their capacities to be able to provide services within their communities."
"A couple months ago I know that you heard that UNHCR and the department of youth services are teamed up, so this is a part of what we have teamed up to do. Alongside this some of these very same people will be on a 5 days wellness, wilderness camp that we are taking 240 gang members to Mountain Pine Ridge for a 20 days trek. They will be doing 5 days starting next week Monday. These guys will be going to Mountain Pine Ridge. And what we will actually be doing out there is group work. the University of Belize, headed by Mr. Fermin Olivera will be taking on that responsibility along with our counseling and wellness services and they are going to be providing counseling on one end and on the other end the BDF soldiers will be taking them out on courses and also to literally go out in the wilderness and learn about Belize by camping in the wilderness."
