Sir Richard Branson called for inspiring leaders in the Caribbean to stand up!

Almost every day a video featuring pupils of one of our schools is posted to sites on social media and to coin the description by traditional media, it goes viral. The BU household does not intend to post the latest video of students attacking one of their own like a pack of wild animals making the rounds to support the point. While it is constructive sometimes to post the odd video to awaken the concern of a public that has grown numb to growing violence among a segment of our youth population. We observe that many of the videos and pictures featured by many in the traditional and social media is to ride the popularity that being sensationalistic generates.

It is evident if we are forced to listen to the talking heads featured in the traditional media the reasons offered for the bad behaviour seem less than convincing and steeped in emotionalism. The growing trend of violence in the society- especially in the youth population- is worrying to BU because it acts as a reminder of our inability as a country to effectively manage the PSV sector to recall one example.  Many have warned for the last 30 years that there was a need for the stakeholders including the government, insurance companies, PTAs and other NGOs in civil society,  to sensibly address the sub culture that had emerged. Sadly the negative aspects of the sub culture has interwoven with the way of life for many of our school children therefore adding to the complexity of the problem. How we have allowed this sub culture to take root over the last 30 years does not lend confidence that we will be able to effectively wrestle the incidents of rising violence in schools and related behaviour being given wings on social media.

First the traditional media sought a quote from the ineffective President of Barbados National Council of Parent Teacher Association (BNCPTA) Shone Gibbs “There is no need for anyone to take the law into their own hands, but it must be prosecuted to the hills by the family of the victim because we cannot allow these things to happen, this level of bullying and intimidation, because someone could have easily lost their life yesterday”.  Why has his organization that is suppose to represent all PTAs in Barbados not mobilize by arranging a national march to bring focus to the issue of violence in schools and other related issues affecting the school population? Why not collaborate with the BUT and BSTU in a full court press to challenge the many issues swirling in schools? Stop being so damn politically correct!

WE the citizens of Barbados sit on our behinds and offer platitudes when one of these graphic videos is posted which confirms what we already know. The time has come to act to win back the minds of many of our children who are challenged because of the lack of parental guidance in the home and positive role models in their lives. What are the NGOs like the BNCPTA and the ministry in government responsible for youth affairs to cite only two doing to convert words into action plans designed to work to materially attack the problems?

There are enough signs that the traditional values and structure to our society that undergirded it in times of yore are no longer effective. We live in times when the political leader of the country refused to condemn the immoral and unethical behaviour of the Speaker of the House. We have the  incident where a senior minister of government is reported to have brandished a weapon within the precinct of Parliament and the political class conspire to squash the matter.  There were promises made by the Attorney General and the prime minster that they would investigate a matter and report to parliament …

Our county is crying out for leaders and we didn’t need Sir Richard Branson on a recent visit to Barbados to make the observation.

Will our real leaders please stand up!