The consensus is that there is definitely a serious breakdown in discipline at home, school, church, and in general. A combination of factors has contributed to the downhill slide, some of which are very obvious. But there are others that are worth investigating. {{more}}

Some clues exist, and the R.I.P.P.L.E.S. project is attempting to build a bridge linking the present to the past, the older generation with the younger generation, finding out what worthwhile principles and practices were lost along the way to “progress” that would help to reduce the evil that stalks our land.

Revival of Important Principles and Practices to Lessen Evil in Society (R.I.P.P.L.E.S) is a community-based project designed to reach out to youth-at-risk through culture, especially through music. It is sponsored by UNESCO and Caribbean Neighbours, a small tourism-based enterprise on Bequia.

The groundwork for the project was laid last August when a group of primary school children from Bequia, with the assistance of the UNESCO National Commission, attended a drumming workshop in St. Vincent with well-known local artist and director of Naked Roots drumming group, Nzimbu Browne.

Since January of this year, the R.I.P.P.L.E.S. project has attracted several children from the Sunday School, who, with more exposure to instruction in family values, will share their skills with other youth, by incorporating the artistic element of music into their spiritual lessons, reading, games, or schoolwork. They will visit with the elderly and share life stories at both ends. They will discover the missing link.

A free community concert is planned for the evening of March 13 at the Paget Farm Community Center, prior to National Heroes Day. The following day, the 14th, the group will participate in a hike dubbed “Retracing the Steps” as they reenact a morning in the life of a school child dating back to as recently as 35 years ago, waking up at the same time and going to gather wood, move the animals, work in the garden, have a traditional breakfast, and run down to the sea for an early morning bath before the walk to school.

The project is being coordinated by Leah Belmar who can be contacted by telephone at 4583514 or 495 3351.