More work needed to tackle interpersonal violence

– Ramjattan

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan on Monday launched a conflict resolution intervention to address issues of interpersonal violence, the improving of parenting skills and strengthening of conflict resolution skills.

According to a Department of Public Information release, Ramjattan stated that more work is needed to address these issues.

“I want to say that our government is trying its best in a very substantial way to help adolescents and youths both perpetrators and victims who should be in school and otherwise gainfully occupied to help in the prevention of this violence,” Ramjattan was quoted as saying.

The minister noted the need to nurture the existing talents of the at-risk youths and not allow their idleness to lead them down the wrong paths. He referred to the recent training of 46 young persons, primarily women, in cosmetology and computer science, the release also stated.

Ramjattan stressed the importance of having a comprehensive understanding of violence even as the government, along with other stakeholders strive to curb this social ill. The minister further noted that reducing crime and violence is high on government’s agenda since both crime and violence pose a real threat to public security and to the human rights of all Guyanese.

The Parenting, Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Conflict Resolution Intervention is being facilitated by ADCO Engineering and Consulting Incorporated. The event was hosted at the Umana Yana as part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded Citizens Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP). It featured presentations from agencies on their strategies and policies employed to manage crime and violence in their areas of specialisations.