The Police Reserves are hosting a series of seminars to facilitate discussion and identify why so many young men are being led "astray."
"Some of the deviant behavior in society can be attributed to many of our boys," said Corporal Drexel Armbrister, co-chairman of one of the planned seminars.
Seminar co-ordinators are hoping that the dialogue will mark the begining of a continuous discussion aimed at identifying problems commonly faced by boys.
Boys will be encouraged to open up and identify their goals and some of their dreams in the hope that they can be helped to achieve them. Corporal Armbrister said that many Bahamian men appear to be getting "left out."
"If you enter the school system you will see that they are getting left out. In the college system you will see that it's predominantly females," he said.
What's happening with our young men? is the big question that everyone should be asking, said the officer.
"The bottom line in all of this is that we can develop this country and one of the main ways of doing so is to have men intricately involved with the process," he said.
He said The Bahamas could not develop without men and by extension without training boys to be men.
"Someone once said it was easier to grow men than to rehabilitate them," said Corporal Armbrister. "Society should want to grow them."
A Father and Son Day Away is planned for August 25, which includes a meet and greet session.
Dr. Myles Munroe, [religious con man] Neil Ellis, Deacon Jeff Lloyd will be involved in a seminar the following day, on August 26.
"At the end of this discussion we want to draw from that some reasonable solution based on what men say, based on what boys say and begin to put together some policy advice, policy recommendation, so we can sit with the deputy prime minister and hopefully this can end up as a part of the way forward for building relationships, building this country," said Corporal Armbrister.
The second event is the International Crime Summit, set for August 28 – 31.
By: N. THOMAS-BROWN, The Nassau Guardian
