By Ashada Joseph

Copyright nationnews

The Supreme Counselling for Personal Development brought together community practitioners to discuss and develop strategies to tackle violence and vandalism in communities.

Through its seminar Igniting Change, Empowering Futures launched yesterday in the conference room of Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, the interactive seminar, which also featured some students from secondary school, addressed issues such as trauma and mental health in youth, strengthening families as the first line of prevention, and building safe and supportive communities, providing attendees with the necessary tools in managing these issues.

Chief executive officer Shawn Clarke made an important call to those present to get on board to create a better future because the future was shaped by decisions made today.

“The future is not waiting for tomorrow. The future is being shaped by decisions we make today. Igniting change, empowering futures, these are just not words, they are a cry for action.

“They are a challenge to every teacher, every community leader, every parent, every friend sitting in this room this morning. They are a reminder that the future of our nation is written not in policy papers or headlines, but in everyday choices of ordinary people who decide to care, who decide to show up, who decide to fight for a better tomorrow,” he said.

Pointing to the recent case of deviant behaviour among schoolchildren, he said it was not a job Government alone could do but it required all

entities, such as schools and the church, to become involved.

“Government has its role to play in terms of assisting and providing the structures and in terms of providing the funding and so on, that is needed. This is a job that churches have to come together, schools have to come together, the home and parents need to know their role in this as well.

“I would treat this the way how we used to treat tourism. This is everybody’s business and it means that we can no longer sit at home and say it has nothing to do with me because it is coming to your doorstep, whether you invite it or not,” he said.

Clarke also challenged the attendees to be the change they wanted to see.

Through the session he hoped to create a greater movement where the Government heard the views of those on the ground. He also believed a strong Government-NGO collaboration was important where a committee was put together to meet monthly and sort out the varying issues.