The ‘leaders’ of several inner-city communities over the weekend committed to maintaining peace in their respective areas in response to an islandwide call from the National Transformation Programme (NTP) for a crime-free January.

Head of the NTP, Pastor Al Miller, on Saturday visited the communities where he met with some of the top leaders and other men of influence, to encourage them to buy into the vision of a ‘Fresh Start’ for Jamaica.

Miller, who spoke with the men at length at the various stops, told them that the money spent on increasing the budget to fight crime could be better utilised for developing these communities and provide employment and educational opportunities for many, if violence is eradicated.

“We want no bloodshed because we want to spend the New Year right,” he told them.

He also pleaded with them to ensure that criminal activities are not exported from their communities to other areas across the island.

However, even as the men, whose names we were asked to withhold, agreed, they said that in order for a crime-free New Year to become a reality, not only in their communities but across the island, employment must be found for the young people in these areas, many of which have been racked by violence between opposing factions.

In the Jungle 12 community in August Town, St Andrew, the leaders admitted that they have the power to stop all gun violence in the community, pointing out that since a peace treaty was signed in June, there has not been any violent flare ups.

“August Town ah the model community, because since we sign that peace treaty in June nothing no gwaan,” said the leader.

He said that the example set by August Town resulted in communities like Fletchers Land signing a peace treaty.

Like all the other leaders visited that day, he maintained that the youths want to be gainfully employed, contrary to popular belief that they only want to hang out on street corners.

“Say, if we had one or two sites and you have 10 man from this area, 10 from dere so and 10 from down dere so, them would go to work,” he said.

At African Gardens in August Town, otherwise known as Vietnam, the leader agreed that there needs to be more resources for skills training and further development.

He said he disliked hearing the term ghetto, as it further demoralises the youths living in these areas. “This is not a war zone we live in,” he said.

In the nearby community of Goldsmith Villa in August Town, the leader there also lamented the fact that there was no employment opportunity for youths.

“Employment ah the main thing because if a man can eat a food and him alright him nah too think of gun,” he said. “But when the man dem sit down pon the corner and dem nah do nutten, the simplest thing is war dem want war.”

He, too, committed to maintaining the peace, saying that when communities are at war the youths are fearful to even venture out into other areas to seek employment.

“If peace de all bout inna Jamaica, man can go anywhere go work,” he said, adding that recently they sent more than 20 youths to participate in a HEART programme where they were able to earn as they learned.

“When them find out say them can get a $5,000 a two week, everybody want go, we haffi tun back some ah them,” he said.

Education was also high on the priority list as he said there are a lot of students in the community who have dropped out of high school because of peer pressure.

He said, too, that politicians no longer have any influence over them, since they are seen only at Christmas and Labour Day.

He said there is more influence from Jamaicans living abroad who provide funding for things in the community.

In Nannyville, one of the leaders also said he agreed with the fresh start approach and committed to making it work. He said the youths would welcome development in the community in order to earn a living.

“Yea man, we fi mek bygones be bygones because we need some betterment for the youths,” he said, adding that only recently they resumed work on their chicken-rearing project which they hope to revitalise in the New Year.

At Back Bush, a community along Mountain View Avenue, the leader said there has not been any war in that area since this new Government came into power.

“A long time now man put down gun and a look and nothing still nah gwaan fi dem,” he said.

However, he said that their patience was running out as they have no employment.

He said the Fresh Start is timely, as some persons were considering taking back to the streets in January.

He said they also want a fresh look to their community and for the zinc fences to be removed, as they are tired of living in conditions where they do not even have an address.

The youths, he said, are wising up about the killings as they realise that it is their families who have to spend up to $200,000 in burial costs, money they have never been able to save in their lifetime.

At the East Kingston Burgher community, the leader there also bought into the Fresh Start approach, saying that he will be having a meeting with leaders of adjoining communities soon to flesh it out further.

He said the issue of a continued peace was high on the agenda at a recent meeting.

“This is just a push now to unite and to even make it more aggressive,” he said.

At Dunkirk, also in East Kingston, the men said they have been maintaining the peace for nearly four years now, even as they committed to continuing to do so. They said they wanted some buttons and T-shirts so they can help to spread the message.

Miller used the visits to encourage Jamaicans to refrain from violence during this period and practice other ways of solving conflicts.

“Let us pray and work so that there will be no murders or violence in January and beyond, Miller said.

The NTP is a value-based programme supported by a social partnership of the church, state, business, and civil society.