Youth Department Successfully Host First Stage of Anti Violence Workshop

The Department of Youth Affairs, held the first of its series of workshops aimed at Violence prevention aimed at boys and young men. The workshop took place on Tuesday, 17th February 2015 at the Community College Auditorium, Grand Turk.

Topics covered included:

• Youth, Violence and the Society
• The relationship between violence and the impact on family, home, individual and society
• Conflict resolution with tips and techniques on different approaches to solving conflicts
• Changing course-- preventing the call to join gangs/groups
• The role of the Family, Counselors, Religious Institutions, Community, and Government in violence prevention
• Violence prevention through sporting clubs and activities

Presenters included Dr. Timar Stephenson-Education Planner; Donte Francis- National Youth Ambassador; Damian Wilson and Donavan Fulford who presented on violence prevention and sports. The workshop was held as part of a new strategy by the Department aimed at reducing violence among boys and young men and additionally to create an avenue for youths, to not only have their views heard but devise a way forward for action.

Participants got an opportunity to know men in the community who could be mentors to help empower them to resist involvement in violence and develop a zero tolerance policy for their peers who were violent. The workshop was primarily attended by students from H. J. Robinson High School, Ona Glinton Primary, Eliza Simons Primary and male students from the Turks and Caicos Community College, Grand Turk Campus.

The workshop was positively evaluated by the participants, and it is expected that the information gleaned from the participants will assist in the violence prevention policy and strategy under development by the Department of Youth Affairs.

The workshop continues throughout the islands on the following days:

North Caicos – Thursday, 26^th February at the Library in Bottle creek at 10:00am
Providenciales – Friday, 27^th February at the Occasions Banquet Hall and Conference Centre Airport Road at 10:00am
South Caicos – Thursday, 5^th March at the Community Center at 10:00am

For further information contact Nixon Dickenson, Senior Program Officer on 338 5101