Community activist calls for conflict resolution to be taught in schools after latest murder

The fatal shooting of 24-year-old Donte Tyrell Alleyne in Eden Lodge has sparked renewed calls for conflict resolution to be taught in schools as a critical tool to address violence among young people.

Community activist and head of the Eden Lodge Charitable Trust, Dwayne Grazette, said the latest murder on Monday night — Barbados’ 20th for the year — highlights the urgent need for educational reform that addresses how young people handle disputes.

“The educational reform has to have components for conflict resolution, [for how they] deal with issues, apart from violence,” Grazette told Barbados TODAY. “Communication is very important. Dialogue is going to be a very important part.”

Alleyne, who acquaintances said was trying to get his life together, was gunned down outside his grandmother’s house at Downhill Drive, Eden Lodge, St Michael, around 11:58 p.m.

Police Public Affairs and Communications Officer, Acting Inspector Ryan Brathwaite said, “On the arrival of the police, they found the motionless body of a male lying outside a residence. The ambulance service was contacted, personnel arrived and examined that body and found that there were no signs of life. A medical doctor was summoned, and examined the body.

“Our preliminary investigations have shown that the deceased was walking towards his residence when he was pounced upon by an assailant. A number of shots were discharged, and he succumbed to the injuries at the scene.”

Gazette said he knew Alleyne all his life and never knew him of being involved in any criminal activity.

“I know him before he born actually, because his mother was in the Eden Lodge youth group before we changed to the charity,” he said.

He added that Alleyne’s mother had long been asking for programmes to support the youth in Eden Lodge: “This is about two years now that his mother has been asking and asking me to bring some programmes and interventions for these young people in Eden Lodge. And only [Monday], his mother was messaging me in reference to her grandchildren.”

Grazette said it was when he saw the news on social media that he became aware of the tragedy.

He added, “From what I know about that young gentleman, he was a very decent young gentleman, and he had been looking for work, he was currently working as a groundsman at a hotel…. I don’t know him to be involved in any criminal activity.”

Grazette urged that young people be taught better avenues for resolving conflicts. He also pleaded with the government to meet with communities more to resolve disputes without bloodshed.

“Because, at the end of the day and the night, you cannot bring back a life, but I could curse you, I could tell how I feel, I could talk to and communicate with you—even if I tell you something that is bad, I could apologise after. But we cannot say sorry about somebody’s life. And these things need to be taught in school. It needs to be ingrained in the culture,” he said.

An emotional Grazette said he could no longer stay silent. “I had enough, right? I cannot feel good to know that we’re losing so many young people in this country.”

The community activist criticised the handling of the crime prevention initiative. “We got to call on the government, because the government ain’t getting to the root of the problem. They don’t go in these communities. So how do you expect it will work?”

Investigations are ongoing, and police have asked anyone with information or who may have witnessed the shooting that took Alleyne’s life to contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-8477, police emergency at 211, or the District ‘A’ Police Station at 430-7242.

louriannegraham@barbadostoday.bb