Plans For Kemp Road’s Community Centre Advance in Public Consultation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 31st, 2019
Plans For Kemp Road’s Community Centre Advance in Public Consultation
~Scores of residents turn out to give their input on how this centre can turn their community around.
NASSAU, Bahamas – Kemp Road residents, during a recent public consultation meeting, offered several suggestions to the Citizen Security and Justice Programme on the functioning of a community centre focused on lessening violent crimes reported in their neighbourhood.
The public consultation is the first step in a process of constructing a new state-of-the-art community centre that will implement youth violence interruption activities as well as multi-generational programs.
Residents attended the consultation with many questions, including who the centre would target, what programs could be expected and how their suggestions would be incorporated in the overall plan.
“We want the residents to tell us what they want from this centre,” said CSJP Project Manager Dr. Dorcas Cox, at the meeting. “We are bringing two things that communities often say they want and don’t have and that’s funding and technical assistance.
“So, those two very big pieces we will take off of your plate and the only thing we need from you is your passion, your engagement, your ideas and your involvement.”
The construction of this centre involves several steps, including an environment impact assessment, architectural engagement and, finally, construction. The CSJP is aiming for a 2020 construction start, with community members included in the entire process from start to finish.
Dr. Cox said the aim was for the end result to reflect the positive spirit of the community and to improve behaviors for non-violent conflict resolution in the island of New Providence. The program will use evidenced based interventions and activities like training activities provided to the youth, adults and local leaders to address norms that promote the acceptance of violence. School-based violence prevention activities and youth violence interruption activities.
This Social Crime and Violence Prevention in New Providence initiative, which includes community centres, is just one part of the CSJP’s four-component target to ‘Transform Lives and Communities’ in The Bahamas.
This process of consultation has already been duplicated in several other locations designated as sites for these community centres in the capital, including Yellow Elder and Nassau Village.
Component Coordinator Dr. Rochelle Lightbourne said the centres, once complete, should act as a gathering place for neighbors to positively interact.
“We want young people to be accompanied by young adults because we’re going to have some programs for them,” said Dr. Lightbourne. “We want older people who are retired to come out and be mentors to the youth but also come out and do jewelry making and crafts and get stronger in computer skills. And we also want persons who want to live healthier lives to come out and do yoga and other classes. This is what we want for your community.”
ABOUT: The Citizen Security and Justice Program is one of the country’s leading social programmes that aims to reduce crime and violence with a multi-faceted approach targeting youth and community development, employment and employ-ability, strengthening the Justice system and prison reform. The CSJP is funded by a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to the Government of The Bahamas and is executed under the Ministry of National Security.
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Media Contact:
Inderia Saunders
Citizen Security & Justice Programme
(242) 604-1034