Acting Prime Minister Richard Sealy is encouraging residents of Barbados to use the September 3 anniversary of the Campus Trendz tragedy to reflect on what they can do to rid the society of the wave of violence which is being manifested in all its forms.
Mr. Sealy expressed his views in a message in support of the request of the September 3rd Foundation Inc. to use tomorrow, the fourth anniversary of the Campus Trendz tragedy, to remember the six young women who died in that horrific fire, as well as the 28 persons who lost their lives due to violent acts since September 3, 2013.
The Acting Prime Minister said: ???We must also find ways to stop the perpetuation of violent acts which result in the loss of lives of our most productive citizens. In recent times, we have been experiencing a level of violence which is unfamiliar to our society and this is a worrying trend for all of us. As a nation, we decry these acts, but we must do more. We have to unearth the root cause or causes and deal with them head-on.
???It appears that there is a small segment in our society who believe that acts of violence can solve problems. The majority of us know that this is not the case.???
Mr. Sealy commended the many organisations that are reaching out to young people to educate them about conflict resolution and are exploring the reasons for the upsurge in the violence being displayed.
???I believe that we need to reinforce our traditional values which include the sanctity of human life and being our brother???s keeper. We must all work together to find solutions to correct this situation which has the potential to erode the positive image of our country which we have worked hard to build over several generations,??? the Acting Prime Minister stated.
Mr. Sealy called on members of the public to observe a minute silence at noon tomorrow, Wednesday, September 3, noting that the families and friends of the young women were still grappling with the loss of their loved ones.
sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb