Vincentians, stand up and rally against crime and violence

Tue, Apr 17. 2012

Editor: On April 20th, there will be a march and rally against crime and violence organized by the Leave Out Violence In S.V.G Association. The march is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. at Peace Memorial Hall and will journey around Kingstown where the rally will climax at Heritage Square.{{more}}

The president of the association Nailah John will give a speech, followed by an appearance by Image Modeling Agency, strutting Wadada Beads Jewelry by Shari Osborne, Poetry by Writer’s Flow and performances by Fireman Hooper, Hance, Bomani, Skarpyon, Danielle, Da heartbeat Drummaz, Diva, Luta, Shaunelle, Rocky and others.

This event is important for St Vincent and the Grenadines and needs the support of everyone. Crime and violence has been escalating over the past few months. While many may argue it is nothing compared to other Caribbean countries, what we must realize is that the type of crimes being committed is seriously alarming. As a small island nation we must ‘STAND UP’. We should not remain quiet because the issue does not relate directly to us. We cannot and should not remain silent on the issue of crime and violence as our brothers and sisters mourn the loss of their loved ones. It’s time we view the issue fully as a nation and put forward our ideas/solutions. What causes crime and violence? What can be done to tackle the issue? With the use of open forums, we can hear the views and solutions of our people. It is important that we realize the importance of tackling the issue NOW, before it becomes a norm.

The scheduled event requires the involvement of everyone, even if it means you’re just there listening and or supporting. The march and rally symbolize solidarity for those who have lost loved ones to the issue and it sends a strong message to those who are bent on committing violent activities and endangering the lives of others. What it also does is sends a powerful message to those in authority that we need to begin implementing programs/measures to tackle the issue.

Youths, you are the future of tomorrow; we need you to stand up; we need you to end the silence and get involved. We need you to be positive and contribute to creating a better S.V.G. Nothing in life comes easy and change won’t come about in one day; it’s a process that will take time and we need to be willing to act on faith and believe that positive changes will come about. For too long I have seen and listened to how politically divided we are as a people; even our youths have become so politically aligned and inclined that they often refuse to look beyond the surface. Regardless of political affiliation, we are Vincentians, who should all be concerned about the issues which affect us daily. On April 20th, join this worthy cause and ’STAND UP.’ Join me as I support Nailah John and her team, as they seek to tackle the issue of crime and violence. Let us move forward to inspire and create change with love, faith, unity, peace and togetherness. Our heavenly father made us in his image and therefore we are able to withstand the barricades of life. Jesus showed how much potential we posses while on earth; Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks and all those great historians who contributed to the development of their country and the world proved that it is possible to bring about positive changes.

The event is a step in the right direction, but it needs ongoing support and programs to continue tackling the issue. As a people, we need to know how to handle everyday situations, how to solve conflicts; we need to bypass the anger that tries to consumes us; we need to analyze situations carefully and keenly; we need to be willing to look at the bright and positive side of each situations rather than zooming in on the negative. We need to support and be there for each other; we need to be the best that we can be and let love be our guide, love for ourselves and those around us, but more so love for life and all that we have been blessed with.

End the silence! STAND UP!

Dillon Ollivierre