Opposition Jamaica Labour Party MP for West Central St Andrew, Andrew Holness has called on the Government to allocate money in the 2005/2006 budget for skills training and engagement programmes aimed at providing economic relief to residents of war-torn inner-city communities.

In a resolution tabled in the House of Representatives, Holness also called for a long-term programme of compulsory training and service combining the resources of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), the National Youth Service and the HEART Trust/NTA.

He said that the programme should target “at risk youths” and should be administered in a “regimented fashion”, with all participants doing a compulsory one-year stint away from their present environment.

Holness’ resolution said:

“Whereas persons between the ages of 16 and 24 account for approximately 35 per cent of the Jamaican labour force and face a high unemployment rate of approximately 50 per cent; and

“Whereas approximately half of these unemployed youth live in the Kingston Metropolitan Region, and are deprived of the basic social and physical infrastructure needed to properly integrate them as productive, law-abiding citizens in the Jamaican society; and

“Whereas these young unemployed persons who live in urban inner cities have no social safety net, limited access to continuing educational or vocational programmes, very little positive interactions with the state and have no part of a shared vision of an equitable, caring, rights-based and productive Jamaican society; and

“Whereas a critical number of these ‘at risk youths’ have become deviants, delinquents, sociopaths and criminals resorting to illegal means of economic survival – such as extortion rackets – and anti-social means of personal and social fulfilment, such as gangs; and

“Whereas these ‘at risk youths’ have essentially been ignored by the state and the Jamaican society, they have been left on their own on the fringe of society to evolve an alternative culture of violence and crime which has emerged clearly in the last 15 years; and

“Whereas, as a consequence, reported crime has doubled in the last 15 years; and

“Whereas the age cohort 16-24 accounts for approximately 45 per cent of arrests for major crimes, including murder, and of those arrested 99 per cent are males; and

“Whereas this alternative culture of crime and violence is eating away, indiscriminately, at all institutions of mainstream Jamaican society and is clearly demonstrated in the persistent and continuing conflicts plaguing inner-city communities such as Tower Hill, South St Andrew and Southside; and

“Whereas this situation is indeed frightening and worrisome and if swift action and thoughtful responses are not undertaken immediately the very fabric of our society could be undermined;

“Be it resolved that Government moves with great urgency, in time for the next budget, to intervene in those war-torn inner-city communities with a multi-agency, bi-partisan and properly funded programme to reach out to those “at risk youths” both with immediate economic relief and critical life skills training and engagement to show them other means and give them a stake in the Jamaican society.

“And be it further resolved that a long-term programme of compulsory training and service be designed and implemented which would combine the resources of the Jamaica Defence Force, the National Youth Service and the HEART Trust/NTA. This programme should target these “at risk youths” and should be administered in a regimented fashion, with all participants doing a compulsory one-year stint away from their present environment.”

– balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com