Caribbean politicians, academics, and other stakeholders, including police commissioners began a two-day symposium on Monday examining violence as a public health issue against the backdrop of increasingly violent crimes across the region.
CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett told the opening ceremony that the presence of at least 10 regional leaders “is a clear indication of the gravity of the crime and violence situation in member states” and the importance that regional governments attach to finding strategies to effectively address the situation.
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“This symposium began as a national undertaking, but it is clear that the rising crime and violence is affecting all our member states, so the move to expand the frame to give it a regional scope is much appreciated.”
Barnett said violence in the region is an epidemic, and like any epidemic, effective strategies to combat the spread require data and research, as well as human and financial resources to allow timely implementation of solutions to address the root causes of crime and mitigate the devastating impact of crime and violence on societies”.
Under the theme, ‘Violence as a Public Health Issue – The Crime Challenge’, the symposium seeks to promote dialogue and regional action aimed at violence reduction and crime prevention.
The Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said the region’s method of addressing crime and violence from a social prevention perspective as well as a criminal justice perspective has been the traditional approach for a number of years.
It said the conventional approach of the criminal justice system focuses on retribution, imprisonment, rehabilitation, and restoration, with the goal of restoring harmony and reintegrating people into society. However, this has resulted in consistently escalating levels of crime and violence which have been an ongoing concern of CARICOM leaders for several years.
“Given CARICOM’s deep concern about the unprecedented levels of crime, heads of Government resolved to increase focus on the determinants of crime by taking a public health approach which would first identify the causal factors and preventions where possible, followed by interventions.
The topics to be discussed over the two days include Violence and Health in the Region; Crime and Violence: A Public Health Approach; Mental Health; Transnational Organised Crime; Using Litigation to Protect Gun Violence – Global Action on Gun Violence; Trans-Border Crime; Education and Youth, Domestic Violence; Economic Inequalities as the Driver of Crime and Violence; Community approaches- Restorative Justice; Sports and Mediation; and the Judicial Perspective- Legislation and Juvenile Justice Reform. (CMC)
