Tivoli Gardens residents turn to art for therapy

Labour Day activities focused on building 'Peace Garden'

BY COREY ROBINSON Observer staff reporter robinsonc@jamaicoabserver.com

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

EXACTLY year after the deadly police, military incursion in the area, residents of Tivoli Gardens and Hannah Town in West Kingston used Labour Day yesterday to continue their journey towards healing.

Late into yesterday afternoon, Tivoli Gardens residents were busy cleaning and constructing several murals in an area they identified as the 'Peace Garden'. All the murals were in recognition of the events that unfolded during last year's operation, which left more than 70 persons, including a Jamaica Defence Force soldier, dead.

"I am responsible for the art therapy aspect as it relates to the Tivoli Gardens operation, and we have a group of boys from the community working with us on the project today," said Rozi Chung, lecturer at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

"What we are doing is 'merging' all the youths in the community towards this project. We want to incorporate imagery that deals with peace; there is one image where the guns become a dove. So out of the guns and the wars there is peace. Things like that," explained Chung.

"It is a way of expressing themselves and a way of valuing their community, loving where they are and who they are, and we know that they do," continued Chung, in reference to the youths who participated in the project.

None of the murals were completed yesterday afternoon, but two of the sketches depicted butterflies emerging from cocoons, and a huge heart which was said to be in memory of the persons who were killed in the operation.

The project started shortly after 8:00, Chung said, and saw the participation of dozens of residents. Some of them wore buttons with the image of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, the former strongman for the community. Last year's incursion was meant to apprehend Coke, who was then wanted in the United States on gun and drug charges. He was captured a month later, waived his right to an extradition hearing in Jamaica and flown to New York where he is now in a lock-up awaiting trial.

Meantime, in nearby Hannah Town yesterday, residents remained true to their commitment to assist with the reconstruction of the Hannah Town Police Station, one of three stations attacked and firebombed during last year's operation.

The station, which was abandoned after the operation, was abuzz with activity yesterday as the residents cleared, bushed, and swept the charred remains of the compound. The residents put strength, sweat, and even blood into the initiative, as one woman emerged from the premises with her left foot bleeding, reportedly cut by a piece of broken glass.

"We have been out from 6:00 this morning and there are about 40 members from the community here," said Shadona Watson, a member of the Hannah Town Police Youth Club.

"As you can see we have almost finished half of the police station building, and have completely cleaned out the building that was our Learning Network Centre," she said. "We need it (centre) mostly as we are planning to keep our youth club meeting inside there Friday coming. We have to do it so they (authorities) can see that we really want back the police station," she said.

The residents said they were awaiting assistance from the National Solid Waste Management Authority to remove the burnt out shell of a car, and other debris cleared from the station.

Watson said she was told by NSWMA representatives that their services would resume today.

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Tivoli Gardens residents turn to art for therapy