7 News Belize

Restore Belize Defends Gang Truce
posted (May 2, 2012)
And while Usher says too many have died, RESTORE Belize says that if it were not for their mediation efforts, the numbers could be greater.

That office held a media breakfast and briefing this morning where they explained why the Gang Truce is working - even as violence abounds - starting with the controversial work programme which provides employment to 15 members from 13 gangs across the city...

Mary Vasquez - Director, Restore Belize
"This work program, despite what may be said to the contrary, has been very successful for the neighborhoods in that, there has been a lot of neighborhood clean-ups. There has been a lot of activity in rehabilitating parks etc. The men from these programs do want the continued economic benefit to their areas that they have still been working in. They did make a special request to the police for additional patrols to ensure their own security. What has been happening since the start of the truce - and it has been happening increasingly so as the truce progressed - is that, now, when there a conflict - some skirmish, or some kind of aggression from one gang to the other - they contact the truce mediators, and they ask for assistance to intervene directly in that event. And in mediating, if it is a conflict of some standing, they would then ask for some mediation, and in some cases, these mediation talks would continue over a period of 2 or 3 weeks. Again, it depends on who the participants are and what the depth and nature of the particular grievance is. Through this process of mediation - which as I said, it happens behind the scenes - there are many grievances that have been resolved peacefully. We continue to do this today. Our mediators are on the street every day. Our job is to try to keep communications open, and try to prevent skirmishes from escalating into shooting or into murder."

RESTORE Belize also provided statistics to show that they are directly impacting about 790 persons per week.

That includes 72 students on high school scholarships, 220 primary school students in a feeding programme and in May and June, Thousands of students will be given a pair of shoes country wide.

That also includes 30 to 50 persons involved in gang truce mediation weekly and 200 gang affiliated persons employed in the work programme.

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