Member of Parliament for St James North Edmund Hinkson, believes the current crime situation affects everyone on the island.
“I think that it is incumbent upon us not to stay within our communities and say that isn’t affecting me; that it’s affecting those down in Gall Hill or Black Rock…it affects all of us,” he stressed.
Hinkson was at the time addressing the graduation ceremony of the Clarkson Foundation Inc. VIBES Life-Skills programme for unemployed and underemployed youth conducted by the National Initiative of Service Excellence (NISE).
Recognising that Barbados is too small a society, he told the gathering at his 4th Avenue, Lower Carlton constituency office, “we therefore have a duty to try to stamp out the immediate threats and build societal systems; educational systems that will give young people the opportunity.”
“Because I for one don’t believe anyone is born a criminal. You might be born into adverse circumstances in life; economic, social and otherwise, but that does not mean that given the opportunity, you cannot achieve as anyone born into a wealthier background can achieve.”
Minister at Open Doors Island Worship Group, Mario Bruce, commended the all-male graduating class.
He urged them to share what they learned, CV writing to effective communication skills, with the young men within their communities.
“This Programme has given you the power to be leaders. You can now be influential to your communities; share what you learned, share the experiences from VIBES, these can help change our society – assist other young men to make more positive decisions in life”.
“Our nation needs it, we need leaders. The mere fact that you have endured this programme and have graduated is great…For some young men the last graduation was the transition from primary to secondary school,” he pointed out.
Bruce, admitting that he made some bad decisions in the past, expressed that his past does not determine his future.
“And your past, does not determine your future,” he told the graduates.
“People will say bad things, people will try to discourage you but it is what lives in you, the strength in you, that will keep you above the ridicule and persecution and it will keep you going.”
“I only recently received my first CXC, in English, and I intend to achieve more. And I urged you not to stop here with VIBES, let it be a continual lifestyle. There are young men depending on you, you can now be teachers and leaders in your communities that can change the face of this nation,” he further stressed. (TL)