Monthly Archives: April 2022

NASSAU, Bahamas, April 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring break season is underway, and travelers seeking warmer days need look no further than The Islands of The Bahamas. With exciting resort offerings, tourism investments and new businesses opening their doors, the islands are brimming with vacation opportunities that appeal to everyone, from large families and friends to newlyweds.

NEWS

Angel Fish Creek Bridge Opens in Abaco The communities of Great Abaco and Little Abaco are reunited following the completion of the restored and renamed Angel Fish Creek Bridge, the longest single-span bridge ever built in The Bahamas, which was destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

The Bahamas Distillery Company Begins Production in Freeport Spirits are high in Grand Bahama Island, courtesy of the newly established Bahamas Distilling Company, located in Freeport, that has started production on two offerings, Floating Pig Spiced Rum and Hammered Coconut Rum.

Iggy Azalea Headlines at Resorts World Bimini Resorts World Bimini welcomes fans for a weekend-long party, from 15 17 April, to see GRAMMY nominated rapper Iggy Azalea perform live. Packages begin at $598 per person, including round-trip transportation from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a two-night resort stay and a complimentary concert admission.

Carnival Cruise Line Marks 50 Years Visiting The Bahamas Carnival Cruise Line celebrated 50 years of visiting The Bahamas on 10 March 2022. To honour the long-standing partnership, festivities at Pompey Square, Nassau, featured remarks from the Honourable I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation and live performances by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Band.

The Bahamas Revered as a Top Travel Destination The Bahamas lands global recognition as a "Best Family Spring Break Destination" by U.S. News & World Report for its relaxing atmosphere and thriving ecosystem. The Bahamas has also been nominated for several World Travel Awards, from "Caribbean's Leading Beach Destination" to "Caribbean's Most Romantic Destination." Online voting for the World Travel Awards closes 3 May.

PROMOTIONS AND OFFERS

For a complete listing of deals and packages for The Bahamas, visitwww.bahamas.com/deals-packages.

Stay a Little Longer at Baha Mar Resort guests at Baha Mar receive the fourth night free when booking a stay at either Grand Hyatt or SLS, or the fifth night free at Rosewood, plus a $100 resort credit, unlimited access to Baha Bay Water Park and a complimentary "Return Home" Rapid Antigen Test.

Travel Worry-Free with Viva Wyndham Resorts Guests now enjoy enhanced travel benefits when booking a stay at Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, including flexible travel solutions, superior safety protocols and onsite COVID-19 testing.

$150 Fee Credit for Out Island Vacationers Private pilots receive a $150 fee credit for a pre-booked two-night hotel stay at any participatingBahama Out IslandsPromotion Board member hotel before 30 June 2022, to be used for travel until 31 October 2022.

PRESS INQUIRIESAnita Johnson-PattyBahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation[emailprotected]

Weber ShandwickPublic Relations[emailprotected]

SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation

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WHAT'S NEW IN THE BAHAMAS IN APRIL - PR Newswire

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The University of the West Indies Open Campus Bahamas has commissioned its first Advisory Board of Directors.

The Board will provide strategic direction, competencies and guidance as a means of ensuring the work plan and outputs are relevant and of high quality, and also are in alignment with student, business, government, national and community needs in The Bahamas.

In addition to making recommendations, advice and support, Board members ensure that programmes are current and relevant to business, industry, labor and professional development practices in The Bahamas.

Board members include: Marisa Mason-Smith, Chair; Charles Sealy, Vice Chair; Dr. Raveenia Roberts-Hanna; Terri Bellot; Dr Mortimer Moxey; Dr Kitiboni Rolle-Adderley; and Dr. Yvonne Hunter-Johnson.

We must commend the leadership of UWI Open Campus for the first appointment of a Board that will complement the advancement of its quality academic programmes and initiatives to its students and stakeholders, said Chair Mason-Smith.

This Board comprises a diverse team of professionals who are experts in their careers, making invaluable contributions in our community in fact, globally. It is an honour to be the first Chairman of this Board. I am humbled and confident that this Board will continue to serve with integrity, purpose and passion, leaving a legacy of academic excellence in our nation.

The Board may also be involved in providing insights with the areas of programming, such as marketing, promotion, fundraising and assisting with job placement for programme and course graduates.

In just a few weeks, thousands of students will complete their high school journey.

However, not all of them will receive a diploma. In some cases, these students are more adept at vocational studies. They, too, deserve an opportunity to receive some kind of certification.

For this reason, the University of the West Indies Open Campus Bahamas has designed programs that have given many students like these, the boost of confidence they need to leave school and be productive in society.

Many vocational programmes offered in high schools, such as cosmetology, agricultural science, and motor mechanics do not offer national certificates to reflect knowledge and skill learned in the content area, said Bridgette Cooper, Country Head, UWI Open Campus Bahamas (UWIOCB).

As a result, many students in these subject areas graduate from high school without evidence to confirm their academic achievements and participation career option. UWIOCB wishes to assist these students in earning Certificates of Achievement in the areas of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, designed for students interested in becoming a business owner/entrepreneur; and Health Management Programme is designed for aspirant clinical professionals in need of formal introductory training in the discipline. These two programme options will assist in preparing students for their chosen careers in either area upon graduating from high school, thus giving them a head start in their chosen careers.

UWIOCBs high school initiative started in 2021. It was so successful that students have requested the continuance of the five-week programme this summer.

Open Campus Bahamas was established in 2008 and is well known for offering a plethora of options for continuing education, personal enrichment and professional development. They include certifications, as well as Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral Degrees.

Cooper noted that UWIOCB has the capacity to design courses to suit almost any professional need, including programmes with courses specific to the need of an organization that wishes to support the professional growth of its employees.

UWIOCB has officially launched its most recent fundraiser the first annual fun, run, walk, push event. Proceeds will be used to award partial scholarships to high school students to attend this years five-week High School Summer programme. Participants will cover 5 kilometers as they exercise for a worthy cause. The fundraising event will be held on Saturday, April 30. Online registration begins on Wednesday, April 6. Registration fee is $35 and includes a race T-shirt.

UWIOCB is located on 33 Tedder St., Maderia St., Palmdale. For more information, visit http://www.bahamas@open.uwi.edu, or call 323-6593/456-6687; on Facebook: UWIOCCSB and Instagram: uwi.oc.bahamas.

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UWI Open Campus Bahamas appoints first board Eye Witness News - EyeWitness News

The Trinidad and Tobago Mens National Senior Team have been reunited with The Bahamas as both nations were tonight put together in Group C of the second tier of the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League.

The two League B nations are grouped with Nicaragua and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in Group C. The winner will be promoted to League A, the top tier of the Concacaf competition while the bottom team will drop to League C.

The Nations League kicks off in June and fixtures are now imminent.

At the top end of the Nations League draw, the Jamaica Reggae Boyz were grouped with Mexico and Suriname in Group A of League A while Grenada drew inaugural champions USA, and El Salvador in Group C.

Costa Rica, Panama and Martinique are in Group B and Canada, Honduras and Curaao are in Group C of the top rung of the Confederation.

Elsewhere in Concacafs second tier, Guyana, coached by Jamaal Shabazz, were partnered with Haiti, Bermuda and Montserrat in Group B of League B. And Barbados, led by Russell Latapy, are in Group A of League B alongside Cuba, Guadeloupe and Antigua and Barbuda.

In Concacafs third and lowest rung, League C, Trinidad and Tobago coaches Rajesh Latchoo and Stern John will again square off against each other at the helm of Dominica and Anguilla respectively.

Dominica and Anguilla are in Group C of League C along with Saint Lucia. Only one of those three nations will climb up to League B.

Latchoos Dominica defeated Johns Anguilla 3-0 during the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifying series.

Saint Kitts and Nevis, who advanced to the second round of the 2022 World Cup qualifying series at the expense of Trinidad and Tobago, head Group B of League C, which includes Aruba and Saint Martin.

The Soca Warriors were eliminated from the Qatar qualifiers after they failed to defeat the Bahamas, then ranked 201st in the world, in Nassau on 5 June 2021.

Trinidad and Tobagos costly draw in Nassau led to then coach Terry Fenwick being replaced by current boss Angus Eve. The fact that the Warriors and the Bahamas are in the same sphere is down to a third coach, Dennis Lawrence, who oversaw T&Ts relegation from League A in 2019.

Eve now knows the teams standing in the way of Trinidad and Tobagos return to the top echelon. Nicaragua, ranked 144th in the world by Fifa but a steady, organised bunch, are the most obvious challenger.

Trinidad and Tobago have never lost to Nicaragua although the two nations have rarely met on the football field. Since their first meeting in 1967, the Warriors have managed two wins and one draw.

The Warriors lost 1-0 in their last meeting with Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesa friendly in 2019. However, there were four wins and one draw before that in their clashes between 2006 and 2016 while Trinidad and Tobagos overall record against Vincy Heat reads eight wins, five losses and one draw.

Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas have met just once, and the resulting goalless draw was the only point picked up by the minnows in their entire competition.

Eves troops will want to address that soon.

Concacaf Nations League

League A

Group A: Mexico, Jamaica, Suriname;

Group B: Costa Rica, Panama, Martinique;

Group C: Canada, Honduras, Curaao;

Group D: United States, El Salvador, Grenada.

League B

Group A: Cuba, Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados;

Group B: Haiti, Bermuda, Guyana, Montserrat;

Group C: Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Bahamas;

Group D: Guatemala, French Guiana, Dominican Republic, Belize.

League C (13 teams)

Group A: Bonaire, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands, Sint Maarten,

Group B: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Aruba, Saint Martin,

Group C: Saint Lucia, Dominica, Anguilla;

Group D: Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands.

Read more from the original source:

Trinidad and Tobago draw The Bahamas, Nicaragua and 'Vincy Heat' in Concacaf Nations League - Wired868

NASSAU, BAHAMAS If society would look at youth through a positive lens, and invest heavily in their development, they stand to become national assets that will bode well for the future of the Bahamas, according to Neville Wisdom, former Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture.

We need to challenge and assist our youth to greatness as opposed to a reliance on punishment and incarceration as a response to the antisocial behaviour which currently challenges all levels of the Bahamian experience, he said.

Our youth are equipped with the technology, the energy and the exuberance to bring about a paradigm shift towards a positive future.

In light of recent reports related to young people and violence and misconduct, Wisdom decided to speak out with the hope of providing guidance for government, civil society, schools, and all stakeholders involved with the youth.

By the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Cultures definition, this includes young people ages 13 to 25.

Young people are good people, he continued.

They just are victims of the circumstances and the communities from which they have come from.

Wisdom said: A part of the solution lies in confronting the solutions with statistical data, as opposed to making decisions based on emotions. He pointed to initiatives such as Youth 2030: the UN Youth Strategy, built on three pillars peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development in all contexts. It seeks to significantly strengthen the UNs capacity to engage young people and benefit from their views, insights and ideas, ensuring that any work on youth issues is pursued in a coordinated, coherent and holistic manner. The Bahamas, he advised could benefit from UN assistance in collecting and providing the data needed to get a true sense of what the youth need and want to succeed. Meanwhile, there are national and international agencies with the skills and resources to assist in providing tangible solutions.

In 2003/ 2004, the Inter-American Development Bank, at the request of my ministry, conducted a study and produced a report, he said.

It was entitled The Situation of Youth in the Bahamas. A copy of it can be obtained from the Ministry of Youth. It spoke specifically to some of the challenges, and gave some recommendations as to what could be done to meet those challenges based on data and statistics. I would put it to you that today, we are working on emotion and not on data and statistics.

We should know how many young people are in this country. What are their names? What do they do? Where are they, in terms of their physical location? What are their ambitions? We need a proper collection of statistical information so that we do not operate on emotion after some incident would have already happened.

Wisdom said that every young person in the country should be attached to a youth club or organization.

The history of our country is replete with examples of young people who, when given a chance, will rise to the occasion, he said.

We only need recognize the fact that most of the people we call national heroes today came from very humbling experiences. Because they were provided with positive opportunities, they succeeded.

Young people can be categorized into three groups, he continued.

The first category is what we call high flyers those who excel over and above. They are naturally exceptional. They include our Rhodes Scholars and Olympic athletes. Those are the people who show tremendous promise, even from an early age. Then you have the standard Bahamian young person who may be involved in some youth organization; they are doing well in school and will have a successful life.

The third category is the at-risk youth. Those are the young people who would have would have fallen through the cracks, and are in need some assistance to get them back to where they need to be. Programs like the National Youth Service the Boys and Girl Scouts, the Boys and Gi Brigade, and so many of the other youth programs can be mobilized. We need encourage at-risk youth to participate and be involved in something meaningful.

Wisdom called for the National Youth Program that was a cooperative effort between the Government of the Bahamas and the Catholic church to be reinstated.

The program, which was based in North Andros, was a very successful program, he said.

Yes, it was expensive, but the results were amazing. It promoted the concepts of discipline, skills, and training for young men, as well as attendance at church and spirituality. It let young men know that there were consequences for their actions, both positive and negative. The program demonstrated that one of the main problem they faced was simply that they did not know what manhood was all about. You see, young men are the products of old men. I dont think any man would want to think the future of his son or daughter to be one of incarceration. In this program, civil society, the courts, the Police and the Defence Forces were all involved.

Wisdom added: We need to challenge our sons and our daughters to goodness and to greatness. Lets take a chance with our youth. Let us invest in our youth.

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Former minister calls for all hands on deck to save the youth - EyeWitness News

By FELICITY DARVILLE

SANKOFA Flamingo is a unique and purposeful group. It comprises Bahamian men and women with a passion for Africa. They have made it their lifes mission to connect the dots between Africa and The Bahamas. For centuries, blank spaces in the history of the black people of The Bahamas have existed. Documenting history from the perspective of the African was negligent, because he was enslaved. The colonialists, however, held the purse and the pen. So, the average Bahamian knows only a little about the original Bahamians, the Lucayans, and a little about their rich African history before the trans-Atlantic slave trade, unless they resorted to researching beyond the school curriculum. They do know, however, a great deal more about the era of the Nassau pirates, and the colonial history that followed.

For Christopher Davis, there was so much more to learn. He embarked on a journey of knowledge of self, and his roots, and eventually, Sankofa Flamingo was born. Sankofa is a word in the Twi language of Ghana meaning to retrieve. It is symbolised by a bird, which turns its neck 180 degrees to retrieve a seed found right on its back. The flamingo, the national bird of the Bahamas, stands elegantly graceful, and can do so on one leg. Together, these birds became the standard bearers of a group determined to connect the dots, and bring Africa and The Bahamas together.

Initially, Sankofa Flamingo was started as a way for Bahamians to trace their roots, and also to research the origins of Junkanoo, Christopher shared.

The more I learned... and since visiting, the more the story expanded and reveals Jan Kwaw, also known as John Canoe (the namesake of the commemorations throughout the western world), also known as King Badu Bonsu II, and the entire Ahanta people are heroes for the entire Diaspora and the rediscovery of a black mecca in South West Ghana.

The research took me to Princess Town in the Ahanta West Province of Ghana. This is where you can find Jan Kwaws fort and ruins of his palace, mansion and wall. It was there he fought the Dutch, Danish, British and Portuguese slave traders for a number of years until he was finally removed in 1725 and took exile at Kwadaso in Kumasi. He was a general, a chief, and the proverbial minister of defence.

The first stage of the research is complete with the help of the Sankofa Flamingo team Tamara, Robin, Angelique, Michael and Oswald. It will be published in various forms for Bahamians and the wider Diaspora to read. The research connects Jan Kwaw (John Canoe) to numerous countries; but nowhere is he commemorated like the Bahamas biannual Junkanoo parade. This is only a beginning and it changes the historical narrative to one the entire Disapora can be proud of.

Today, we share a bit of the journey of two members: Tamara Scavella Davis and Angelique McKay, whose lives have been changed by their recent trips to Ghana. They travel to the Ahanta region, and specifically to the town of Pokesu, which is where King Jan Kwaws castle drew many from the surrounding regions to safety.

Tamara and Christopher made their first trip to Ghana in July of 2021. On this fact-finding mission, they were able to make confirmations of their research, and see and feel the place where the mighty Jan Kwaw reigned.

It was amazing, Tamara told me.

I learned so much. It felt like these people were our brothers and sisters; that we were a part of a wider community... which we were. We were able to confirm some of the things in our research. We were able to see his castle and learn about the things that Jan Kwaw did to save his people during the time of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. They were not only capturing people, but also precious jewels. One of the powers he had was retaining his water reserves everyone needed fresh water, which you know was a commodity at that time. People would make a pilgrimage to Jan Kwaws kingdom for water and for safety. During that time, people were not travelling alone. He would send them out on missions 50 at a time to keep his people safe.

After learning so much and gathering more information, they returned to Nassau, only to return to the Ahanta Region, the home of King Jan Kwaw, again by October 2021. In this region, their pilgrimages are made to a town called Pokesu, where the remains of the castle still stands. Just as people made their pilgrimage to Jan Kwaw centuries ago, Sankofa Flamingo members made their pilgrimage there. They were going to the wellspring of knowledge and appreciation, unmasking the origins of a culture for which so many Bahamians are proud Junkanoo.

On this trip, Tamara shared that they took along with them clothing for those in need. They also provided school supplies for the children. Christopher is a soccer player, and the sport is huge in Africa; so naturally, they took soccer gear for the kids football club. But what they received from these people love, esteem, history, culture, spirituality, and togetherness is worth so much more to the Davises.

The young girls took to Tamara, a well-known singer and performer and eventually, they asked her to assist them in putting on a pageant, which she will serve as chairperson. She also took the time to meet with young girls and speak with them about hygiene, beauty, etiquette and self-care, as well as respect for their bodies, and deciding on goals and aspirations for their lives.

Things are definitely working out there in Ghana, she said, I was happy to learn, to grow, and to give back, and I will continue to do as long as I am alive. Ahanta forever!

Angelique made the most recent pilgrimage with the Sankofa Flamingo group, returning to Nassau just days ago: We were greeted as if we were long lost children, and in actuality we were! I got the sense that stories were told for generations about how their children were taken away from them and that they will eventually come back. They greeted us like, Our children are back home! So, this trip has changed me. It has me feeling like this is my destiny right here!

As a member of the Junkanoo Commandos, Angelique has had the opportunity to travel all over the world displaying Bahamian culture. To find the root and the source of Junkanoo has been awe-inspiring for her. Due to her wealth of knowledge in festival development, she was a presenter at a special conference designed to create a tourist product for Pokesu. Together, Sankofa Flamingo and Pokesu elders will map out the way forward to show the origins of many western festivals such as Junkanoo. She will be heading some of the virtual training sessions with them over the next few months. She will be sharing with them best practices, and guiding them on how to monetize their heritage sites. She said that as the Junkanoo Commandos travelled, she always felt that the ancestors were guiding their steps. As she set foot in Pokesu, she resolved that the ancestor at work over the years was indeed Jan Kwaw himself.

I feel at peace in Pokesu in the same way I feel at peace in Cat Island, she said.

I feel like this is what Ive been training all these years to do - to be in a position to help my people... because they are also my people. They need me. I have the expertise and I am going to help.

While in Pokesu, she was given the title Asafochereba, meaning warrior queen, during a special ceremony: As a queen mother it is my responsibility to assist the community. Traditionally, this person would guide the women and children. If men were going to war, she would find a safe space for the women and children and hold it down. In this day and age, I am a representative, like a mInister of Social Services kind of thing, helping to ensure the well-being of the women and children in the community. I have a seat at the table with the elders to help make decisions for the village.

This is my destiny. This is what I have been waiting for. This is what I have been training for, and I take this very seriously.

During this trip, Christopher received the title: Nana Asafohene Jan Kwa II. The members of the Sankofa Flamongo Foundation (SFF) on the trip also included: Archeologist and anthropologist Dr Michael Pateman, humanitarian RObin Lightbourne, and performing artist Oswald White, better known as Ras Copper.

They had the honour of being the first people outside of Africa, to visit the mortal remains of Otumfuo Badu Bonsu II, known as the Great Whale, Ahantahene. They were prepared for the visit by undergoing a cleansing ritual. The Great Whale was beheaded by the Dutch in 1838 during the wars between the Ahanta people and the Dutch. Jan Kwaw, who was chief of Pokesu, todays Princess Town, was his Minister of Defense, trusted advisor and best friend. The Great Whales head was taken back to Holland to be studied by the Dutch. They were trying to ascertain how a black man, with limited weapons, could mount such strong strategic resistance to their armies.

Stay tuned for more from Sankofa Flamingo (find them on Facebook) as they continue to reveal the wonders of their travels. I saw a news report in Ghana that highlighted the trip of these Bahamians to Ahantaland. It was amazing to see the elders, kings and queens adorned in gold, all over themselves and their garments. It is important to connect these dots and find a sense of pride in the rich history, and we thank the Sankofa Flamingo team for their efforts and discoveries.

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FACE TO FACE: The women of Sankofa Flamingo - Bahamas Tribune

NASSAU, BAHAMAS United Public Transportation Companys President Harrison Moxey yesterday sought to dismiss harmful generalisations concerning bus drivers and their alleged relationships with school-aged girls that he claims has negatively impacted the industry.

Moxey was responding to sentiments made by Senator Maxine Seymour during a debate on amendments to the National Heroes Awards Honours.

Seymour underscored the importance of highlighting everyday Bahamians, like bus drivers, but added that some of them molest little girls.

Its so easy to focus on the bad things that are happening in our society, she said.

But I have to say that there are still good things happening among us.

And yes Madam president, there are absolutely bus drivers who molest little girls who are passengers on their bus.

But there are also bus drivers like Johnny who has been driving for at least 30 plus yearsand I havent heard in 30 plus years of anything other than safety, and him making sure he follows the law, drivers at a certain speed and see looks out for his passengers.

Seymour insisted that there are several others in the industry who do well by our children, who make sure our children get where they are going without any interruption.

The issue was raised amidst growing conversations regarding a change of the age of consent in The Bahamas from 16 to 18 and sexual crimes in the country after a 40-year-old man was recently sentenced to four years for impregnating a 14-year-old girl.

Last March, Dennis Clarke, a bus driver, was fined $200 or one month in prison by Magistrate Ambrose Armbrister for an incident that reportedly occurred in October 2019 with him allegedly putting his hand under her skirt.

The sentencing was met with public outcry and labeled as a slap on the wrist after Clarke was found guilty of the indecent assault of a 14-year-old girl.

But United Public Transportation Companys President Harrison Moxey said that this is not the case for the entire industry.

We have people work in all facets of society that commit a crime in various facets of society and I never heard nobody brandish a school teacher, he said.

Youve had it with school teachers molesting children they take care of. Youve never heard anybody say school teachers molest children. Youve had it with other incidents of other caretakers and caregivers.

Ive never heard a broad stick being painted on anybody like that. Something like that I find to be very offensive.

Not every bus river is a rapist. We have children too. If you have that, when you deal with a situation you deal it with a case by case matter.

He admitted that the matter has happened with bus drivers, but it has also happened with hoteliers and even with the police.

If one police were to get involved with a young child and some of these things would have happened, you still have to call the police because you dont believe all of them are corrupt and you trust in the commissioner of police to go and deal with the one that is corrupt.

Moxey added that as a father of a 14-year-old daughter, he finds the suggestion offensive.

I believe the responsibility is always on the adult even if a child stands before you naked and presents themselves to you, he said.

I still believe its your responsibility to be an adult, to know better than what somebody is doing, whether its a proposition or not. I do not support in any way for something like that to happen.

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NOT ALL OF US: Bus drivers hit back on accusations of predatory behaviour rampant in the industry - EyeWitness News

SUPERINTENDENT Audley Peters speaking to AF Adderley Jr High students yesterday.

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Police Force and education officials held a special forum at AF Adderley Junior High School yesterday to caution students about the dangers of gangs and violence.

The sobering message was delivered weeks after a student was stabbed at the school. A 13-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder in the wake of the incident. Police have been returned to some school campuses after the attack, AF Adderley being one of them.

A funeral casket was on display at the forum - a jarring reminder of the unfortunate outcomes of poor choices.

Convict Ronald George Simmons, 48, knows too well the consequences of making bad decisions.

Simmons was convicted of killing a police officer while escaping the scene of a robbery in Andros. He was sentenced to death on April 5, 2002 at the age of 28, but is now serving a life sentence for the crime.

Dressed in black and white stripes and in shackles, he told the mostly young audience to think about how their decisions impact their lives and others around them.

Theyre decisions you have to make at your very young age because at your very young age its quite obvious that you are able to do extreme damage. Like I said, life is about choices and some of the choices that you make you cannot easily fix, the convict said.

Theres a choice that I made that I cannot fix. I would like to, but I cannot fix some of the mistakes I have made and there are choices you will make that will last a very long time and some of the decisions will be your very last decision because it will be a fatal decision and the people that you see standing here asking me to speak to you because they dont want you to make the decision that could be a fatal decision or decision that you will regret for the rest of your life.

Police officers also gave a presentation on gangs, including listing a few that are active and how they recruit young people to be their soldiers. After the AF Adderley stabbing, officials said it may have been gang-related.

These are what young persons are doing marking their territory - letting it be known Im a part of this gang, one officer told the students.

During one point in the presentation, some members of the audience were able to identify a gang by the hand signs associated with that particular unlawful organised group.

Superintendent Audley Peters said the forum was held for ninth graders yesterday, with seventh graders expected today.

The intention of the police in this instance is to provide the students and faculty here with nuances of the student experience on the street, thats one, to expose the students of the consequences of their behaviours and decisions and also to encourage them to begin to know themselves using the various exercises we use during this forum, he explained.

The police department is always seeking to address issues as they arrive in our communities and we know that crime and misbehaviour is an issue that is always at the forefront of peoples minds. So, we sought to seek to address this issue of school violence by putting on this forum having speakers come in who wouldve experienced what the students might be experiencing, potentially having to experience so that they may be exposed to the information and have the power to make the right decision when the time comes to reap the desire of being a productive person, growing up to be a productive citizen.

Inspector Makelle Pinder, who has worked as a homicide detective for three years, put a spotlight on some of the countrys young victims of violence, many of whom were teens.

One of the most high-profile cases the officer dealt with was the killing of teen mother Breanna Mackey. Mackey was stabbed to death a day after celebrating her 19th birthday and the accused were a group of females said to be her friends.

Inspector Pinder also mentioned two cousins who were AF Adderley students, 13 and 15, who were executed back in 2017.

So whos going to lead us? Young women and men, when we see this happening every day, (people are) gutted and left in the streets like animals - whos going to lead us? The end result is if you dont wake up your ideas you can either be an inmate or you can be a victim of crime - the ultimate choice is yours, she said.

The forum is the first in a series planned with the police force, the Ministry of Education and the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

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Students are urged to stay away from gangs and violence - Bahamas Tribune