At left Courtney lets go of the white peace dove on North Street. In the photo at right, from left Ana, Courtney and Kimberley. -Norman Grindley photosTEENAGED PERSONALITIES Courtney Foster, Ana Strachan and Kimberley McLeod came to The Gleaner office yesterday to kick-off what they plan as a campaign against violence, especially as it affects young people.
The three girls teenaged fundraiser/Gleaner honouree Courtney, Miss Hal Jackson Talented Queen(Jamaica) 2002 Ana and Miss Teen Jamaica 2002 Kimberley set free a white dove, as a symbol of their peace initiative, after the interview.
"From I was four years old, I made it clear that my heart rests with the less fortunate and it still does," said Courtney, as they spoke about their project. "And I felt it was my duty to come here this afternoon and speak about the crime level that has been affecting the less fortunate, especially young people."
"The death of teenagers breaks my heart the most: fifteen-year old pregnant Shanique Reynolds who was killed in Wilton Gardens (Rema) and her siblings and 12-year old Calabar Junior High School student, Romeo Lawrence, who was shot to death hours later in a barber shop, (allegedly in retaliation).
"It makes me feel very bad to see that people so young, have their lives cut short," said Courtney, who was honoured by The Gleaner last year for voluntary service. As the head of kids for charity, she has raised some $1.5 million for charity already at the age of 15.
"I am just asking that everyone in Jamaica come together and realise that there is still hope for our country," she added.
The girls praised Dr. Kingsley Stewart former inmate of the approved school in Stony Hill who is now a doctor of anthropology and psychotherapy and a graduate of the University of Connecticut.
According to Ana, "The recent killing of these teenagers is really unfortunate and we sometimes take life for granted, also the privileges we have, those of us who are not in that situation. I am asking that we pray together as a country and stand up, not physically, but make our voices be heard as young people that we don't support crime and violence."
Ana said that she thinks that the main reason for the crime and violence is the lack of opportunities for young people, "there are not enough influences around them, to show them that they could do better. Some of them do have skills, but there are just no jobs and no means of educating themselves."
She thinks that the political leaders are trying, but they need to do more, especially in terms of education, "giving them the basic knowledge of good and bad." Education should not be confined to the book, however, but also include guidance from parents, she said.
"Too many people are dying every day. Every night on the news it is just the same thing, somebody dies, children adults, males, females. It concerns me very much that so many children are involved, like this little boy who just went to the barber and was shot. I don't think that should happen," Kimberley said.
"Children's lives are very uncertain and all my friends who live in these areas, I can't visit them and I can't ask them to visit me and some of them can't even socialise."
They feel that another reason why some of the youths have become so violent is because they have lost relatives and friends and have become bitter.
Courtney believes that religious street meetings in these areas would go a far way in helping to reduce the tensions.
"For example, every year we have a national prayer breakfast and it is held at the Pegasus and dignitaries and professionals attend. But, what should actually be done is that these prayer breakfasts should be held in the inner city or, at least, invite some of the young people involved in the violence," Courtney suggested.
The interview concluded with a prayer from Kimberley.
After the prayer, the girls let off their peace dove in front of The Gleaner Company entrance on North Street. The dove took a little while to get into stride, but when it did it flew down North Street, westerly, towards the West Kingston/South St. Andrew area, one of those primarily afflicted by violence.
