Dr Herbert Gayle, senior lecturer at The University of the West Indies, is underscoring the important role that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can play in addressing the root causes of violence.

“The time has come for us to work together as a family and begin to focus and educate ourselves as to what to do. Non-governmental organisations can make a world of difference; you have access to resources. I beg of you to focus and let us see if we can save some lives, as the life we save might be our own,” he said, referencing Jamaica’s high crime rate.