I am heartened by the efforts being made by different organizations in Anguilla to curb violent behaviour among our population. Just last week I was invited to a press preview of a series of short films dubbed Life.264 which will be released by the National Anti-violence Committee later this year as part of its anti-violence campaign. These films, though entertaining, carry a serious message about the effects of violence on individuals and communities. I am also aware of the efforts of the Peace Drive Group which held an anti-violence rally sometime ago and is the process of holding a series of town hall meetings to get to the root of the problem. This week, I was able to witness the Walk of Life, organized by the Faith Foundation, which seemed to be geared at raising awareness of the effects of violence on victims of violence and our society as a whole. The efforts of all these organizations must be applauded and it is my hope that they find some way of working together. We ought to give them our fullest support because the work that they are doing is for the betterment of our country.
However, as a community, we cannot shy away from our individual responsibility in relation to the issue of violence. In my view, each of us has a role to play in ridding Anguilla of this current scourge. Many would say that that the role of some persons or agencies is more important than the role of others but, in my view, the different roles are akin to pieces of a puzzle which must fit together if our efforts are to be successful.
We are to begin with ourselves. Parents must begin by demonstrating love for their children and instilling good moral values in them. If parents were to do nothing else but fulfil these basic obligations this would go a long way in alleviating some of the problems.
Our communities too, must play a role in parenting. The old African saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ should be our mantra. We ought to look out for each other and each other’s children the way we used to – not to engage in gossip but to uphold each other. Our communities should be places where children feel safe, nurtured and supported. They should not be threatening, destructive environments.
The work being undertaken in establishing community centres in villages across the island must be encouraged and expanded as these centres provide positive environments in which children can develop their interests and potential. However, this does not mean that we should turn over to community centres our responsibility to be good neighbours and to be actively involved in community life.
A part of this responsibility is to speak out when we see things happen which affect our neighbours directly and our community by extension. Yes, I am again referring to the need to break the silence. We have remained too quiet for too long. We have seen much and we have said little. Yet we expect our Police Force to perform miracles and wonder what has become of Anguilla! We weep for Anguilla, but we are hypocrites because we are the cause of her pain.
Where does Government fit in all of this? Government must, through outreach and institutional strengthening, seek to alleviate this problem. Focus should be placed on expanding and improving the youth programmes offered by the Department of Youth and Culture. This may mean that there will be need for more resources for the Department. But if Government is serious about this issue, then this is where the investment must be made.
Another area worthy of consideration by Government is investment in a Children’s Home – a safe place for children who have been removed from their home environment for various reasons related to their need for protection. Of course such an institution will need to be run on a twenty-four hour basis by trained personnel equipped to deal with the social and emotional needs of the children. While this is not the most desirable situation, I am of the view that it would serve some children better than being in homes which instill negative emotions such as fear, hate and anger in them. Perhaps, in the interim, Government could focus on strengthening the capacity of, and collaboration between, institutions which provide services to children so that they are equipped to respond speedily and appropriately to situations in which children are at risk.
A critical piece of the puzzle is law enforcement – and here is where our Police Force come in. We ought to commend our Force for the job they have been doing thus far in protecting us and bringing perpetrators to justice. While at times we have been highly critical of them, it is clear that they have been diligent in seeking to obtain the necessary training and resources to do their jobs well. They ought to now work on building relationships within communities across Anguilla so that each community has a trusted officer or officers with whom they can communicate.
Some may wonder, but what about the Church? I have deliberately not mentioned the church, not because it doesn’t have a role – but because the church is not a building. It is made up of you and me and, therefore, if you and I are doing our part, then our work is also the work of the Church.
There are many more agencies that I could mention, but I believe the point has been made that there is a role for each of us, none greater than the other but all critical if we are to make a difference. Nothing that I have said, however, should take away from the fact that every individual must take responsibility for his or her own actions. Undoubtedly, there are and will be areas in which parents, communities or Government have fallen short but, as citizens coexisting in one society, each of us has a duty to exercise self-control and to live peacefully with each other.
