Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
A section of the large crowd which turned out at Emancipation Park in New Kingston on Wednesday to participate in the private sector-led initiative against crime. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
NOT EVERYONE who showed up at Emancipation Park on Wednesday for the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica's peace rally were impressed by what many regarded as a show of national unity.
Alrick Denham, representing the Global Family Tree, was among the disgruntled few, describing the event as 'pure hypocrisy.' According to the lanky Rastafarian the love fest excluded the class that have suffered most in Jamaica's ongoing crime saga.
"Weh the ghetto youths dem? Dem not here. I jus' see a man outside an all him a seh is 'it nice yuh si'. Imagine the crisis wi inna and this man come fi get entertained," said Mr. Denham. He told The Gleaner that he had approached the PSOJ executive to address the gathering but was denied.
STAY AWAY FROM CRIME
The Global Family Tree, which is based in Swallowfield, St. Andrew, encourages inner-city youth to stay away from crime and develop their own businesses. He says since the organisation was started over three years ago, it has grown to over 30 affiliates which hail from some of the country's toughest communities.
"We have spent a couple million dollars without any backing from anybody to make sure that our solutions work ... and they do," he explained. "The biggest car thief in Rockfort we stop him from thief car, the man who used to arm wid gun wi stop dat...right now him have a shop an' two vehicle."
The 60-year-old Denham did not say where funding for his organisation came from but stated that the Global Family Tree's outreach programmes have had much success in crime-ridden Kingston areas such as Seaview and Rockfort.
GRASSROOTS ORGANISATIONS
He believes the PSOJ and Government should establish similar projects and involve grassroots organisations.
"Government sey dem going to give the police $300 million ... yuh know how dat is interpreted in the ghetto? 'More armour fi come mash wi down," said the former policeman. "Yuh know what we sey? Give it to us 'cause we know what to do wid it."
Roman Catholic priest, Monsignor Richard Albert, said the Emancipation Park rally was a success. But he agreed with Mr. Denham that once Government and civic society start addressing poverty in Jamaica crime will decline significantly.
