Youth-friendly spaces to create safer communities
DPI, Guyana, Monday, June 4, 2018
Creating youth-friendly spaces can help communities reduce the scourge of crime and violence.
That was one of the messages coming out of a one-day workshop held last Friday at Grand Coastal Hotel for community action officers and representatives of 18 Community Action Councils falling under the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) funded Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP).
Lauren Fraser Community Action Specialist (2nd. from right) with members of TAIRASS.
Youth friendly spaces, community grounds and the improvement of existing facilities will be undertaken as part of Rapid Impact Projects which aim to quickly strengthen community resilience against crime and violence. These will be rolled out in communities in Regions 3,4,5,6 and 10.
In brief remarks, CSSP project manager Dr. Clement Henry told the participants that the efforts now being put in place should continue after the life of the CSSP. “This training is to develop capacity in the communities…We don’t want, from our experience, when the project comes to an end then the activities in those communities come to an end.”
The three-pronged Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) is aimed at, among other things, reducing crime and violence among young people. Through Component One of this initiative, at-risk youths are selected and sent for technical and vocational training which in most cases will lead to the Caribbean Vocational Qualification Level One (CVQ1). Beneficiaries are also exposed to psycho-social support and community-based violence free conflict resolution among other measures.
To date, there are 392 students enrolled in training institutions such as the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI), Carnegie School of Home Economics, Sophia Special School, and Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC), undertaking studies in the areas of catering, plumbing, data operations, masonry among others.
By: Kidackie Amsterdam.