WESTERN BUREAU:
FOUR INNER-CITY communities in Montego Bay, St. James, have taken up the initiative of promoting peace and unity through sports interaction.
The four communities are Canterbury, North Gully, Railway Gardens and Hart Street/Barracks Road, who are currently involved in the 'One Love' Six-a-Side football competition, sponsored by the Social Development Commission (SDC).
The communities, all stigmatised by violence and other anti-social characteristics, are hoping that their involvement in this project will help them to relinquish their tarnished image. As a consequence, they have all welcomed the SDC involvement.
According to Christopher Graham, the SDC's Community Development Officer for all four communities; the commission is seeking to facilitate the formation of community-based organisations, as an initial step to sustainable development. He said that the competition would generate interest at the community level as it relates to the formation of football teams and youth and sports clubs.
"This is our way of getting the young people to interact with each other in a socially accepted way," said Graham. "The fact that the youngsters are showing a genuine interest in the project is just wonderful because that is the main objective."
Graham also said that through active involvement in groups and organisations, residents in inner city communities stand to gain from the networking capabilities and opportunities made possible by the commission. The communities are being urged to plan and execute their own community eliminations through the use of their own resources.
The competition, which will run from March 1-8, will see the top two teams from each community advancing to a major one-day extravaganza, slated for March 29.
Residents in all four communities are elated by the move being made by the SDC to use sports as a means of promoting peace and unity. According to Glendon Ferguson, a resident of Barnett Lane/Railway Gardens area, the move is a tremendous step in unifying communities, which formerly did not get along well.
"I am convinced that this programme will gain momentum which will result in a positive outcome in the community", said Mr. Ferguson.
The staging of the competition has brought individuals, who have not spoken to each other for years, together," Mr. Ferguson told The Gleaner.
He said that he has seen an increase in the number of youths showing an interest in the well-being of each other. He added that he was looking forward to the support of business interests in and around the area to keep the project going.
