Initiative launched to help disrupt cycle of gun violence

On the eve of International Peace Day, the Tyrese Caesar Foundation Against Gun Violence used its third annual fundraising dinner, Fanfare for Peace, to launch an initiative aimed at breaking the cycle of violence.

Unveiled at Mahogany Ridge on Saturday night, the H.O.P.E. (Helping Others Pursue Education) Scholarship: Empowering Minds, Shaping Futures will provide financial assistance to individuals directly impacted by gun violence or committed to advancing justice and prevention through education.

Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Kevin Greenidge, underscored the vital link between economic inclusion and social stability. He urged Barbadians to build peace into everyday financial and community practices.

Delivering the keynote address under the theme, Financial Inclusion and Community Resilience: Building Economic Pathways to Peace, he suggested that true dignity and safety emerge when inclusive policies are grounded in real, community-based action.

“When policy meets presence and presence and policies meet inclusion, then you start to get dignity among our communities, and that is how we quiet the streets of violence,” he said.

“Peace does not arrive by accident. It must start within us and then you must build it into the way that we earn, into the way we pay, into how we save, how we learn and also in how we resolve issues.”

Jacqueline Caesar presented a token of appreciation to Central Bank Governor Dr Kevin Greenidge.

Veronica Prescod, who helped establish the criteria for the scholarship, said education is one of the most powerful tools that can be used to disrupt the cycle of violence, elevate young people and transform communities.

“The Hope Scholarship is more than financial support; it is a lifeline. It is that helping hand that some young man or some young woman needs. It is a chance to continue to contribute to the solution rather than just complain about the problem.”

She called on the corporate community to support the initiative, which covers tuition and the provision of books.

Chairperson and founder of the foundation, Jacqueline Caesar, speaking as both advocate and as a mother dedicated to ensuring that her son’s legacy lives on, reminded guests of the driving force behind her work.

“For those meeting me for the first time, I serve in many capacities, but the most rewarding and dear one is mother to the late Tyrese Caesar,” she said. “In the past year, we have strived to do all in our power to speak up against violence and maintain peace in our communities.”

The foundation has established a record of community outreach through its annual 5K Walk and Prayer Breakfast and is now preparing to launch Christmas Cheer, a new initiative aimed at supporting families impacted by gun violence. (STT)