WEDNESDAY, JULY 18: Islanders will be urged to brainstorm ideas to tackle gun violence at a meeting on Friday.
A community conference will follow one held earlier this month after the shooting of Joshua Robinson, who was murdered as he sat in Jason’s barbershop.
Glenn Fubler, of Imagine Bermuda, coordinator of the event, said: “The incident at Jason’s barbershop took the cycle of violence to a new level.
“It was an extraordinary situation and out of this we recognised that extraordinary steps need to be taken.
“It’s about sharing, getting together, looking at those things that are in place which are working and brainstorming to see if there are some other approaches that can be used.”
The event — to be held on Friday at the Bermuda High School for Girls assembly hall – will be under the same ‘Renewal’ banner of the first event, held on the anniversary of the successful 1959 theatre boycott, which ended segregation in places of entertainment.
Diverse participation
Mr Fubler said that although Bermuda is a small community, the list of groups taking part in Friday’s event mirrored the diversity of the island.
Among those taking part are the Anglican Church, the Coalition for the Protection of Children, the Family Centre, the First Church of God, Pembroke’s Seventh Day Adventist congregation and sports clubs like North Village and Spanish Town.
Mr Fubler said: “One of the issues on the agenda is how we might help affected families to handle the circumstances of the cycle of violence and also perhaps get families who would be able to reduce the tension among the individuals involved in it.”
The event will run from 9.30am to 12.30pm and Mr Fubler said individuals and businesspeople who want to continue were welcome to attend.
Mr Fubler said groups taking part had been asked to provide summaries of any programmes they were running to help address the vicious circle of poverty and violence.
• Anyone interested in taking part should contact Mr Fubler at ImagineBermuda@myoffice.bm by noon today (Wednesday).