Tobago CivilNET hosts online crime symposium

THE Tobago Civil Society Network (CivilNET) will host a four-day crime symposium, beginning on November 12, to help empower society in the face of the rise in violent crime on the island.

For the year so far, Tobago has reported a record 25 murders, the last one in early October when the body of Marcus Archer, a Guyanese national, was found on a beach behind the runway of the ANR Robinson International Airport. This compared to last year’s murder rate of 14.

A release from Tobago CivilNET said, “Tobago, known worldwide for its peaceful environment where souls in need of clean, green and serene come, is facing the threat of social destabilisation by a rising rate of crime and violence.”

It said the organisation had been planning the virtual symposium, titled An Introduction to the Public Health Approach to Crime and Violence in Tobago, since November 2023, as it saw the increasing threat.

Sponsored by Eastern Credit Union, the symposium will be presented in four sessions from 6-8 pm.

The first session, Crime and Taxation: Is Gang Violence Worth The Price?, is scheduled for November 12. Ex-federal convict and founder of No Youth Left Behind Quincy Joseph will facilitate that session.

On November 19, Dr David Muhammad, the Caribbean representative of the Nation of Islam and director of the Black Agenda, will facilitate The Untold Truth of Our Society’s Failure to Develop Our Youth.

Camille Swapp, child and adolescent developmental psychologist, is expected to run the Joyful Learning as an Antidote to Failing, Ailing and Misbehaving among the Youth session on November 26.

And on December 3, the Public Health Approach to Crime and Violence session will be managed by Dr Ulric Johnson from Boston, founder of Transformative Counselling, Coaching and Consultation (TLC) and the founder and director of the peer leadership, youth and family programme Teens Against Gang Violence.

Tobago CivilNET said after Johnson's session a comprehensive action plan would be developed for application in Tobago.

All sessions will be held via Zoom and can be viewed on the Tobago CivilNET Facebook page. Interested parties should contact Tobago CivilNet at tobagocivilnet@gmail.com.