BUILDING PEACE:THROUGH RESPECT & COMMUNITY

A typical mediation

Hotel room

Heated exchange

“Shottas” venting about the past

Made to face the future

TODAY

A much changed scene, partisan political differences reduced

Dancing in the streets in the December 29th national election

MY AGENDAJamaica & the origin of its murder epidemic

The Peace Management Initiative

The Current scene

Inner city Youth Mindset

JAMAICA

A mix of contradictions

Not in our genes

Political parties

THE FORMATION OF “GARRISONS”

Housing just for one party’s followers

Copied by the next party

Plus guns

THE DEEPER DIVISION

Class and Race, raced class

Upward mobility notwithstanding

A FRESH APPROACH

The Peace Management Initiative

- Civilians

- To Reduce Community violence

- Dialogue, counseling, development

CORNER CREWS

Orientation different from that of Criminal Gang

Difference in crimes

What they wanted

What the PMI offered

DELINQUENTS

Not “criminals”

Therefore to be treated differently

PMI’s RESULTS

Contributed to 15% decline in homicides in first two years

Contributed to 42% decline between 2005 & 2009

Homicides across 4 police divisions – Kingston Central, East & West, & St Andrew Central, 2005-2009

Homicides in Dunkirk, part of Franklyn Twn in the Kingston East Police Division

ANOTHER APPROACH

The police approach: community policing and mano dura

First step on a ladder

Anti-gang legislation

A FURTHER PERSPECTIVE

Crews and gangs as rooted in

COMMUNITIES

# A Criminalising process

MAY 2010

Incursion into Tivoli Gardens

Scores killed in cold blood

A BLOW TO GARRISONS ANOTHER ASPECT

Impunity lost

Decline in murders

Exercise of authority: birth of Civil Society Coalition

An alternative path

Sought by some members of criminal gangs

Pointing to the role of circumstances

The PMI today

Research

One-on-one contact

Participant files and follow-up

YOUTH MIND-SET

Aggressive, anti-authority machismo

But low self-esteem

MIND-SET (cont.)

Confused, depressed, pessimistic

But longing for & responsive to Respect

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY YOUTH

Armed

But reachable