A TIME TO KILL & A TIME TO HEAL

“If someone killed your mother, your father, or—worse yet—your child as part of a retaliatory gang war, what would you do? Would you seek revenge or find it in your heart to forgive? Now imagine this cycle repeated 21 times in just one year, leaving multiple families in a small town engulfed in grief. How could such a relentless cycle of revenge ever come to an end? This is the story of Vieux Fort in St. Lucia during 2023—a year marked by the urge to kill and the desperate need to heal.”

[Music] [Music] [Music] if someone’s mother is killed their father or wor at their child as a result of conflict between feuding parties duruing War shall never end these words carefully crafted by one of youup for’s most notorious gangsters became the Grim prophecy behind the execution of 21 people in a reprisal Killing Spree unprecedented in St Lucia on Clark Street lives Thrive amidst hidden dangers revealing a complex dance of power and Peril orchestrated by gangs they marked their territories with silent Whispers And Swift retribution weaving through the lives forever changed by this unending conflict we explored a fragile line between victims and aggressors caught in a Relentless struggle for survival yet in this despair a flicker of Hope arises from those daring to defy the status quo attempting to broke her truth in a community scarred by violence this documentary delves deep into the heart of VI for’s challenges showcasing The community’s Pursuit Of Peace as a testament to the unwavering resilience and indomitable Spirit of the Old Fort as we journey through the Shadows that have shrouded this town we are faced with a critical juncture was it V for’s time to kill or view for’s time to heal view for a town of 16,28 people Clark Street the main street is home to vendors Traders buyers drivers drug dealers gangsters Fishers and of course law [Music] enforcement like several other communities in St Lucia gangs guns and violence have punctuated the town here the gang culture is organized carved into geographic regions with identifiable leaders who call the shorts the undercurrent is discussed in hush stones vew Fort a place where unemployment unskilled youth unoccupied minds and the inherent desire for Quick Cash inevitably lead to Crime there are three known gangs young faiths who have carved out this block of Breville or Shanty toown now called the seven gang the mang booys AKA critical now called The Six Gang are less than a for minute walk away and death trap AKA 300 who occupy the Martin Luther King Street area over the years they have spilled each other’s blood with Brazen attacks befitting of any Gangland movie in 2019 I visited the Bly Correctional Facility to speak to the then leader of the critical gang at the time he was on remand for conspiracy to commit murder our interview was on the backr of a recent gang war where a bounty had been placed on this gang Leader’s head he recounted what sparked the war a guy got killed down in the town of efor like West Side area and speculations people was saying like it was me and it started a a war with the next side yeah but I had nothing to do with that all right tell me how do the war roll out like after he got gunned down then my cousin and an exf friend of mine pass shanyong and they got gunned down and then just continue what happened next and next two get gunned down from shanyong like it was turns like every time somebody in my area get gunned down next set of people in getting gun down and the started so yeah and people say like his friends versus P Shong versus man that’s how they had it during that time about how many people were shot me see I have to just now [Music] than double last five seven 8 9 about 10 shootings but nine murders so yeah from 2016 to 2019 up until that point the bullets of waren gang members were reserved for each other the violence had not spilled into the wider Community France’s words during that interview were prophetic that’s the right time to stop it for good because it might reach a stage where it will not be able to stop for example if somebody murder D in that or somebody child or something so you understand then it will l a lot of innocent people will die post this interview by St Lucia under the safe spaces initiative undertook several violence Interruption programs in the town of eort the gangs agreed to a ceasefire and a semblance of calm returned well that was up until the evening of February 19th 2023 when Dylan Harrow of Lon vort was shot in the head as he walked through a dimly lit area leading to his home it shocked to me because then the morning when I woke up I dreamed that I dream a lot of people came to my house and he was dead and I could not do anything I went to lock myself in the room and that’s exactly what happened last night I the snowball of gun violence slowly gathered momentum with the shooting of Denzel Joseph and Kareem mcfallen on February 22nd at Sandy Beach in VI Fort interestingly these homicides occurred on a beach party in plain sight of hundreds of patrons at about 2:30 p.m. on March 9th 2023 Dylan Bast AKA fat toot of Breville vew a member of the young Faith gang was standing at this shop in the VI for Fisheries complex when two male individuals walked up to him and discharged multiple gunshots at him he sustained wounds to his head torso and neck he later succumbed less than 2 hours later 61-year-old Rufus claudus Steven Alias Breo a longtime figure in the view for underworld was riding his bicycle on this Pavement in Breville when it is alleged that Nicholas Joseph a member of the young Faith gang shot Breo in the head and left shoulder Nicholas Joseph is currently on remand for this homicide minutes after breo’s murder laurine saver of Breville grandmother to Colin Solan a member of the young Faith’s gang was walking along Clark Street viewfor when it is alleged that Arin Su AKA Toto who is breo’s grandson walked up to her shot her in the back upper neck and face she later succumbed and so began a neverbe seen reprisal Killing Spree March 10th 2023 59-year-old syvan squa and 47-year-old Dexter Vitalis were having a mundane Friday night drink in this bar in Westside when an unknown shooter snuffed their lives from all accounts these two men were not part of youup for’s gang culture syvan squa was the father of one of the Waring gangsters and the other was suspected to be collateral damage when the gunman pounced to exact Vengeance 2 hours later there would be yet another fatal shooting Marcus shry of Bruceville was in his yard chilling when an unknown shooter took him out execution style Marcus shry was the father of Marvin Joseph a member of death trap 300 as the sun rose the following morning The Familiar soundtrack erupted 56-year-old eustus Roland of Martin Luther King Street the neighborhood tayor succumbed due to gunshot wounds to the head and torso again from all accounts this man was not involved in any Gangland or nefarious activity however Marvin Joseph the son of Marcus shry was the prime suspect in this homicide the night before eustus Roland was warned by his son to leave the house and the area as there was a genuine fear that gunmen seeking retaliation would try to get even eustus insisted he wouldn’t move [Music] criminal gangs often conduct their own rudimentary investigations prior to executing Revenge killings this involves Gathering intelligence through their Network which might include surveillance street level informance and insight sources within rival groups the aim is to identify and verify the target they believe responsible for a perceived offense against their members or the gang itself the planning and execution of such Revenge acts are typically carried out with a degree of sophistication considering factors like potential law enforcement intervention and Escape strategies following the ACT efforts are usually made to cover up the crime and evade detection including disposing of evidence and fabricating aliis these illegal activities not only endangered those directly involved but also pose a significant risk to innocent bystanders perpetuating a cycle of violence remember the fourth murder in the vew for Fisheries pond on March 9th 2023 of Dylan Bast AKA fat toot The Gangs identified 20-year-old Aiden mcfallen AKA bedroom of West Hall group as the shooter and so they lay in weight here Aiden was walking along this sedah Heist Road having left his girlfriend’s house when he was fatally shot in the head and neck and [Music] succumbed gang violence that extends to the family members of rival gangs is perhaps the most reprehensible act and one which France Theodore predicted would unleash an unprecedented and Unstoppable wave of Revenge and retaliation killings these retribution shootings are done for several reasons firstly it’s about showing power when a gang targets a rival’s family is a brutal display of strength signaling That No One Is Safe revenge and retaliation if the primary target is not accessible attacking their family can be seen as a form of Revenge or retaliation it’s a way to inflict pain and suffering on the intended target indirectly thirdly it’s about instilling fear such acts terrorize not just the rival gang but entire communities given the attacking gang a form of control finally this tactic inevitably leads to more violence each attack prompts a Counterattack creating a Relentless cycle of conflict that tears through communities next of King killings is more than just gang Warfare It’s a societal crisis with far-reaching implications just a tough situation just unbelievable well the family is shocked like we just never expected anything like that when we fought everything before that come down it just uh was just a unbelievable experience in 2022 do with Charles Alias Chaser was killed on Clark Street the suspected killer was Ethan Joseph who allegedly fled to Martinique shortly after but Gangland retaliation is calculated and devoid of timelines on the evening of April 8th 2023 at about 6:30 p.m. Tara Joseph Ethan’s mother and Ethan’s 2-year-old son were inside this dwelling when a Hitman came to exact revenge and to hit Ethan where it would hurt the most a Friday morning 1:4 5 where they break and Enter that same house they used that window her room window she were not there to and I was the one there and her son the same one I told it was the only two of us that was there when they brick and enter they F they not anybody there so apparently that happened okay everything C police involved and everything so during a shooting that sat same Saturday that stuff happened to my aunt there was a shooting before Tara Joseph was shot four times and her grandson at times and in an all too familiar paradoxical twist the following day April 9th 2023 47-year-old Nicole Charles of Breville who was a very close friend of Tara Joseph who had been killed the day before also met her fate in nearly the same manner Nicole and her mother were inside this dwelling house when a gunman forced his way in and and riddled her with bullets according to reports Nicole was fully aware of the impending danger and was in the thick of plans to flee the country Nicole’s son Shane Charles was in prison on a burglary charge he was also suspected of being part of the critical gang also known as six with the new thrust towards next of kin murders Nicole Charles’s execution sent a chilling message throughout the view for Underworld the killings froze a town in a KOMO State business places closed at midday schools were shut the once bustling Clark Street was a postapocalyptic version of itself while residents waited apprehensively for the next flurry of gunfire and dead bodies law enforcement worked over time with more boots on the ground the unprecedented crime wave called for novel response from central government and so on March 11th 2023 prime minister Philip Pierre addressed the nation we have taken the following actions to arrest the situation in vifor the regional security system RSS and other assets have been contacted and will be on the ground early next week 24-hour SSU Patrol is being deployed in vifor the police will be given more resources to assist in this upsurge of violence Special Operations will be conducted by the police new legislation will be enacted to deal with the suppression of crime when we return the three main gangs meet to call a truce time to get to an idle hand you know [Music] if I would have know that you wouldn’t be here anymore I would have make the moments last a little longer cuz now I’m alone and you’re just a memory in my mind I would have given anything to say goodbye my big bro oh the general J 21 G salute I see you soon on the other side if I would have know if I would have known had broke the road and come home sooner if I would have known 70% of all Health decisions are influenced by lab results delivery of accurate reliable And Timely results has been our mandate for over 20 years we are laboratory services and consultations limited generating hundreds of lab tests each year while delivering quality personalized confidential service one client at a time with a reliable network of regional and international Partners all tests are conducted with patient care in mind laboratory services and consultations limited saving lives and caring for people we focus on results so you can focus on what’s important telephone 45922 [Music] introducing the new and delicious Maro bayum creams true St Lucian flavor available [Music] islandwide in viewfor Gang Related killings are creating a cycle of violence and fear this ongoing conflict not only leads to more violence but also affects the community in many ways it increases police presence which can change daily life for residents and discourages investment and tourism hurting the local economy people especially the youth are living in fear leading to mental health issues and a lower quality of life this violence damages Community Trust and cohesion also it strains law enforcement and the justice system system leaving many crimes unsolved and reducing public trust in these institutions solving this problem in viewfor needs a broad strategy that involves law enforcement Community involvement and addressing the root social and economic causes of this [Music] violence Dr Stephen King is a pathologist by profession his years of dissecting the dead retrieving projectile from human flesh and the desire to see fewer young people on his Mory slab have made him Channel his energies into violence Interruption and conflict resolution initiatives around St Lucia to disrupt the cycle of Revenge killings Dr King teamed up with an unusual cast of characters so the team that went down was pretty good because with Kash myself and and Bea it was quite a broad spectrum of of representation in that team from you could call me a systems guy with with networks and bridges to the system right you can see Kash with um his raran and his other issues and his other networks that he brings and of course Betty with her Grassroots um uh Network and more importantly her emotional intelligence and her ability of being able to speak directly into the minds of people that would be otherwise perpetrators I their task to break the cycle of Revenge killings how they plan to do this was complex risky and unprecedented tell me Po the first te of discussions what had to happen from Bruce Ville discussions how did it spread out into coming to an agreement okay so after we we we went to Bruce went to westall and then we went to um downtown um view Fort Martin Luther King Street spoke to all sides and then we got them all to come together indeed what was interesting about this particular intervention is that he did a very female centered approach which I think may give it more power and rather interesting and it’s a lesson that I think to go forward um in that we got the the first set of people we got together in a in a group from all sides were the women got them together and spoke to to them um then we got everybody um together and and you had essentially perpetrators and victims all in one space thanks to the South Community College which gave us their space to do that we had about 80 people maybe in that space Dr King how are you able to pull that off considering these people have been hurting each other there I’m sure there are people in the room who the prime Suspects for these things would have been in the room or their fames in the room and there’s literal Blood and Tears in that room yes yes how are you able to manage that well it’s not when you say me it’s not just me but that’s understand it’s a team but more importantly I always I like I say it’s not us that are managing it’s the people that are managing him because remember we’ve spoken to everybody so we know that in general there’s a will to to quell the violence nobody likes violence nobody even perpetrators nobody likes violence violence is an IT tend to be um a for one better word a last result most people prefer to make their money and live their life and have have a good time most people that’s what they prefer right so when we when we bring them everybody together there’s a will they have a will to quell the violence and indeed that’s why I have no fear in these things because we’ve already ascertained we’ve already tested the temperature of that so we already know that they have a will so what we’re doing now is facilitating the face to face because it would be very difficult for them to walk across from one area to another and say look I come to um speak to you to make a piece that that you know but when we do it cuz we are Outsiders and we bring them together and they trust people like Betty and indeed in that particular one we had guys from Castries we had ly we had te we had all these guys down there with us for that particular um group facilitation of everybody um and we go when they came they spoke you were right tears emotion was high tears were in the people’s eyes right pain was you could feel it but they spoke it and then they came to the understanding that you know something let us go forward without violence let us allow people to move and mingle let us go back cuz at the end of the day we are all just one people let us agree that we will drop our guns and what we had is we had we had significant leaders um from all areas that were there all the main leaders were there and what I call a code which is what we Implement in central Castries the code we we we we we have a code that people have to maintain on May 30th members of the umuntu movement Inc seeds for justice peace and economic prosperity in St Lucia initiative brought all the Waring parties together at the vort human resource Development Center to announce that they had reached an agreement geared towards a reduction in Gang Related and reprisal violence we attended this event in an effort to fully understand the Genesis of the war in viewfor who better to ask than France Theodore who was previously the gang leader of critical the mang gang Mr OT you have some question that’s ra your yes the question is for Mr France because for the average person who does not leg you for we don’t understand what is the Genesis of the problem that we are solving today to be honest I don’t even know because what we fighting for we’re not fighting for for money we’re not fighting for Turf I don’t even know what we’re fighting for yeah to be honest yeah I’m sorry I these questions are on the of everybody who will watch this and then try to understand this is happening because of what what sped it started with two individuals and then it continued that’s how it started and like Bruce Ville and it started with Bruce Ville and West All group two individuals were in a problem one was killed and then well the one from Bruce Ville was killed and it end up being a back and forth between the two communities so is this happening because of drugs money women what no none of the above are just a little misunderstanding yeah and that’s how let me answer let me let me speak on that um you asked me a question about what happened now but remember I told you all that what that’s not something that that occurred tonight for tomorrow this is from the last time and the last time and the last time that we didn’t do the intervention properly remember all the remember people had a lot of um a piece a piece a piece that we just speak to down one call us and tell us why they not involv in that the peace in town and then we just and no no form of intervention so I know people out there going to say but yall have we’ve heard the piece before they never had a proper piece they never in fact it’s not even a piece right now it’s a respect respecting each other because respect is more powerful than the piece we talking about so that fumed from the B way beginning so that’s how many years ago and yes we were on the layer all the time but now we have gone down to the belly of the Beast like your words the belly of the Beast meaning that we not leaving anything on turn we making sure we handle it whether one on on whether counseling that they never had the people have lost their families for years nobody has ever showed any form of okay they probably they probably need help so it has always been us they wanting the piece because the last time it was them wanting it because they saw it in cases and they wanted to live a life but now we are going down we are if you notice that we’ve gone on with the women and all so it is not something that happened overnight and I cannot tell you because I’m not from here but he said it to you already what started how it started years ago so what happened there now is just a continuation and if we do not stop it it will continue it would beiss me not to ask France because one of France’s most famous lines is what brings NES to this point yes if you you have a situation where somebody’s mother is killed somebody’s child is killed their brother this cycle will go on and on and on and on and on and on now then she sit in there and I applaud you but how does this how has the cycle been broken to allow people to walk the streets tomorrow and for allow your lives to war how well yeah there is a code yeah you break the code you suffer the consequences straight yeah and all the leaders we agree to the code so if any little boy can break the code he’ll have to face the consequences FR sounds like French let me let me let me help France explain let me let me hold hold let me let me answer that there’s a concept called citizen security right which is the which is the which is cdb and all of them and and and the whole world is pushing citizen security what we talking about is people taking up the ownership of their safety and their communities and and making sure that the peace Reigns in their spaces they don’t look to the police to create peace because the police cannot create peace what the police can do is law enforce that’s the police job but who creates citizen citizen peace and citizen security the citizens that is what Fran when he says the code what he means is we hold each other accountable to be peaceful and don’t and do not and be not violent resolve our conflict remember he said this thing start with a little misunderstanding and somebody died and then the Revenge cycle started we need to break that one we deal with the misunderstanding because citizens are together in the on the block or in the community they see the misunderstanding and they mediate the misunderstanding right right and if it heaven forbid it goes to a killing we then come in with the citizens to do the extra visit the the counseling the wraparound services that needed the the continued conflict resolution or conflict management that is required this is what we have to have in place in areas like viewfor the introduction of a code amongst gangs with established rules and mutual agreements holds the potential to significantly curb gang on gang violence and reprisal killings such a code respected and enforced within gang structures can act as a social contract delineating boundaries and consequences for transgressions its Effectiveness hinges on several factors the commitment to nonviolence and conflict resolution within the gang Community the involvement and support of local community leaders who can lend legitimacy and moral weight to these agreements and the indirect support of law enforcement and government policies that recognize and allow space for community-led initiatives crucially the inclusion of mechanisms of nonviolent dispute resolutions and specific Provisions to ctail the cycle of retaliation can lead to a tangible reduction in gang violence however the success of such a code is not guaranteed as it operates within a complex socioeconomic and legal framework and requires the ConEd effort of all stakeholders to Foster sustainable period of peace and stability in the community to the average person explain to them how this piece Works say for example somebody from West Hall steals a motorcycle belonging to somebody from Martin Luther King Street they have wall words and there’s a possibility of one person shooting the other over a motorcycle how does this agreement work to quell that violence so what we depend on is again the leader enforcing of the code so what would happen if um somebody from West sto a a motorcycle from somebody from M Luther King Street the two leaders would speak and that motorcycle would be returned okay and the person who stole it would be disciplined the average person’s next question would be how how are they discipline it varies sometimes um you the the you take the person’s um means of of Transport like his bike or whatever you give him you you demote him in the in the shall we say in the hierarchy of things in the hierarchy of the Brotherhood he may he may get a PL you know or two it varies I mean different leaders do sanction people differently they but at the end of the day order order will be um maintained when we return we meet the men and women working behind the scenes to provide opportunities for those impacted by crime and to re-engineer social [Music] inequality yeah [Music] yes yes [Music] M to experience the benefits of a tropical solar water heating system call 4531 1868 in Castries or 4546 6344 in V for are you still bending and cutting on your construction site at Caribbean Metals limited we use state-of-the-art technology and Machinery to fabricate all the steel you need for your foundation starter bars U Lings stups columns beams and any bent bar reduce your project time cost and material let Caribbean Metals bend your steel and increase your savings significantly come in call call email we will do the rest Caribbean medals limited we’ve got you covered [Music] guaranteed the gang war in vew Fort in 2023 had a significant impact on local businesses and commerce um this was happening in our in an area our store was was centrally located um and of course it meant closure decisions had to be made um at a time where we would otherwise not want to do that uh so and and this was not just for KFC alone I know a lot of businesses were impacted in that way um you know the commence that the town was reduced to almost a ghost town on on days when it you know was bustling with life and activity um was a tested to the fear that it created police are investigating the shooting deaths of 47-year-old Tara Joseph and 2-year-old Kell Joseph of West H group view Fort the incident took place on the evening of Saturday April 8th at the Joseph’s family home in West Hall group view Fort according to uh it did visit to our doorstep um in in the case of nades who whose son was was was was murdered and um uh it brought it very very close to him um as like I said I forgive the person that kill my son forgive have to forget and to move on and thank you for bringing me here today the wonderful work that do um I myself as a musician has been affected because I mean we don’t get to they don’t give us permit to do shows so I can get to perform and people don’t come out to shop so a lot of money people can’t make money the business is closing early you know because of of of nobody in town to buy stuff so not even the The Market vendors want to come out and sell this stuff cuz there’s nobody to buy it and plus they fear for their life so every form of business has been affected the umuntu movement sphe headed by Dr Steven King Betty Jean PRI keash goddess itopia a team of special social workers headed by Dr Virginia Joseph faith-based representatives and business Community leaders played a pivotal role in quelling gang conflicts in viewfor by May 30th 2023 their efforts culminated in a historic movement of Peace enabling a meeting in Bruceville previously a hot spot for gang tensions the leaders of the main gangs agreed to a ceasefire and a strict code of conduct and dispute resolution I love people you sign up a piece of paper there’s no such a peace treaty sign piece of paper what you deal with is man man and woman heart it’s a heart piece the peace is written in your heart okay your heart is pure and you want to go back to as normal life as you can for yourself and your children your loved ones and it’s your heart we look at not a piece of paper this breakthrough was marked by an unprecedented procession involving gang members from all waren factions walking shoulder Tosh shoulder from Breville through the contentious areas of the mang West Hall group past Martin Luther King Street down to the Fisheries complex a location often associated with violence this event not only showcased the effectiveness of the violence interrupts but also the willingness of the gangs and the support of the viewfor police in pursuing peace we may not be in a position to say that any one single activity is responsible for the camp that we experiencing in south at this point but I’m very thankful that we are this position um I have said repeatedly in other forums that I believe in order for us to make and create that serious dent in crime fighting in San luia as a police force we need to be physically present Central to our mission is the whole issue of community policing and I am of the firm belief that we need to Rebrand our community policing initiative as I said earlier to be within the communities that’s the only time we get an opportunity to speak with people to understand the issues that they going through and to see how we can work together to find solutions to these issues it’s also an opportunity to help build the trust and develop the confidence that persons need to communicate with you whether on the job or on the streets the py I am a little skeptical but I have a little hope I mean it’s better than nothing you understand before that thing you would never see those guys hugging each other smoking together like I saw at the pawn and I saw on the live you never see those guys walking through the streets some of the guy came guys came to Shany Town they’ve never been there for ages same with some of the guys who went down there they have relatives that they haven’t seen for ages that’s because they cannot go there and that initiative called C that to you know give me a little hope that that can change I see guys passing and checking each other now that would never happen so all that have me hopeful and I’m glad for that do you think this is sustainable I hope it is I truly hope it is because it’s I mean um like I tell you this is has been happening for a while and the the the did try that once that piss Trad thing and it didn’t hold so I guess they they took example from that and they going to use it to make sure that this one don’t fall like the last one or two they tried the official day of the ceasefire culminated in an open air concert where all feuding parties mingled freely for many it was the first time in years they were able to walk through their enemy’s Turf between February 19th and April 9th 2023 14 people died in the community of vew for due to gang violence and reprisal [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] killings with the intervention of the utu movement from April 10th to August 1st there was a semblance of peace in response to the wave of Gang Related killings in viewfor the government sought assistance from the regional security system RSS they joined their local counterparts in Round the Clock police patrols to address the immediate security concerns Parliament also passed the suppression of escalated crime police Powers Act 2023 to provide the Royal St Lucia police force with expanded power to effectively respond to such areas some of these expanded powers include designation of escalated crime areas the national security minister upon advice from the commissioner of police can designate an area as an escalated crime area allowing for focused police intervention increased penalties the legislation includes provision for summary convictions and indictments with severe penalties cont control of public spaces police officers above a certain rank have the authority to regulate places of public Resort and entertainment within a designated escalated crime area protection of police actions the ACT provides legal protection to police officers from certain types of legal actions suits or prosecutions related to their duties under this act the ACT failed to address some ke key issues in that escalated crime suppression there should been an escalated psychosocial program an escalated economic program and escalated access of opportunity and for Education and Training okay um vew Fort which does not have a magistrates court for the last two years escalate and prioritize putting the court there because why solving little problems prevent big problems right and vfor nsdc is not open is waiting for renovation fix it open it and make it accessible to the people to be trained the umuntu movement Inc seeds for justice peace and economic prosperity in St Lucia initiative is crucial in vew for because it addresses both the symptoms and root causes of Violence by focusing on community empowerment especially among youth it aims to replace the cycle of violence with opportunities for personal and economic growth the initiative sustainability lies in its holistic approach targeting not just immediate peace but long-term socioeconomic development which is essential for lasting change the initiative’s achievements are multifaceted encompassing the establishment of a community resource center to Foster economic reinfrank through various Industries right after we open the community center we’re going to start doing capacity building and hopefully we’ll be able to create job opportunities but also have access to micro loans um just to give people opportunity to earn we’re going to use the Arts also to bring some peace to the community people have people are interested to join up with that as well and we’re going to do a SWAT analysis more than likely that person say it’s dale dale is going to pop up on our radar and Dale may want to be a carpenter we’re going to connect Dale with Workforce because Workforce is just down the road who offers a certification and carpentry and we’re going to manage we’re going to do some handholding for Dale we’re going to make sure he shows up for his classes and once Dale is finished or close to finish we’re going to contact potential companies that could use his skill so so that’s how it’s going to work out um someone wants to be a chef for example but they’re not yet qualified but with our relationship with restaurants or say Coconut Bay we could call them up and ask for an apprenticeship but because it’s coming under our umbrella seeds Resource Center those conversations would be easier than if the individual was to try and do it on their own so we’re really facilitating change but now the center is going to be staffed who is going to manage the process for us so you need to fill in a form you need to get a bank account we’re going to hold your hand with that you need to apply for a job we’ll hold your hand with that we’ll dress you for the job we’ll educate you for the to do the interview we’ll fill in the application forms with you you will you know what I mean we will help in that is where the resource center comes in a resource center that truly understands the needs of people and can translate those needs into action that can help them to negotiate successfully through the system what are you really interested in in terms of you want to be a carpenter how can we get you to to be there how can we then get jobs for you when you’re a carpenter when you come from bruev and nobody want to hire anybody out of Bruce Ville how can we change that how can we work how can we bring businesses together and tell them hey guys let’s change this Paradigm here let’s start to think better let us let us train out these people bring them to you let you see them in the better light give them that opportunity it is a practical vision for Community restoration working to transform The Narrative of viewfor from a zone of violence to a beacon of progress and stability the umuntu movement’s approach is a commendable example of a community-led action demonstrating the power of collective efforts in addressing deep rooted social issues on August 1st 2023 the dreaded soundtrack returned to view Fort louder than ever 21-year-old Marvin Joseph of Breville viewfor was shot in the head August 23rd 20-year-old Dave Edgar and 21-year-old Rufus Evans both residents of Clark Street will ride in a black scooter in the sabens Bay Area when they were both shot to death September 24th Ryan Henry of West Hall was seated in a vehicle in Shantytown with his father when a masked individual approached him and discharged several rounds in their direction making him yet another shooting victim in view Fort October 26th 66 6-year-old Thomas louisi AKA Ms of Bridge Street was shot in the head that same day 44 year-old Jimmy Henry was found unresponsive lying on the road in the intersection of Bridge Street and labry street view fort with gunshot wounds to his torso on November 19th 19-year-old mikas Prescott was walking along Commercial Street View Fort when police say he was short and killed by shumak tal the year would end on a positive note as not one murder was reported in the town during the month of December it was the bloodiest year in the history of St Lucia 75 homicides 37 of which were Gang Related with vew for being the murder capital with all 30 killings being executed using firearms in 2023 vew for faced a harrowing reality marked by escalating gang violence the government’s response including the deployment of the regional security system and the enactment of robust crime suppression legislation was a testament to the urgency of the situation amidst this the omun movement emerged as a Beacon of Hope focusing on community empowerment and economic opportunities especially for the Youth this documentary’s conclusion underscores a pivotal moment in view for’s history a community grappling with violence government and Civil Society interventions striving for peace and the enduring resilience of its people this narrative captures the essence of a town at a Crossroads reflecting on a year marked by challenges responses and the UN wavering Spirit of a community determined to overcome in the words of youup for’s Father Rhymes you the strug and we’ve been through the pain but we will rise again for the [Music] future has never been told good go the full has never been told go on on the F has never been told good go on the F has never been [Music]