Reduce rapists, violators

This is the view of Citizen Security Programme (CSP) Coordinator Gregory Sloane-Seale. He made the comments while delivering the feature address yesterday at the graduation ceremony for the CSP Conflict Management/Mediation programme held at the Chamber of Commerce, Westmoorings.

He pointed out that the issue of domestic violence has been circulating recently. Last week Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley received both praise and criticism for his statements that women have a responsibility to pick those they associate with wisely and should know when to get out of a relationship.

Sloane-Seale said the country is in the throes of a very challenging time noting January had a lot of violence and homicides.

He added that below the surface most incidents had to do with interpersonal relationships or the lack thereof.

He noted that soca artiste Bunji Garlin (Ian Alvarez) and his social media challenge for men to protect women and stand up for them. Sloane- Seale applauded Bunji for bringing the issue to the fore and added that the challenge is to the men.

He said as a man he understands the challenges and the sometimes unreasonable expectations placed upon men. He pointed out that as a boy is encouraged to not express emotions and not to cry when things hurt because “that’s what girls do”.

He stressed, however, that it is what humans do and because men are not able to express themselves over the developmental stages many of them have repressed feelings of anger, frustration and confusion.

He said their bodies want to cry and talk about things but no social space exists for this, even for children.

He continued that the place where they seek the most comfort, the home, is where they feel they can express their negative energy and act like they own women.

He explained that domestic violence and male on male violence is an issue of power and control.

“And that power and control is something that has been taken away from boys and men over the years and it is something that we have to relinquish. And I am talking about the power to be human.

The power to cry because you angry, you frustrated, you sad, you just not feeling good. The power to express your weaknesses, your insecurities without being laughed at by men and women. By not being labelled a negative label because ‘is not man to do that’...

that is a girl thing,” he said.

He explained that all human beings have male and female attributes and there were deep rooted things that we need to discuss. He reported that two graduates from the programme have given their personal perspective and that they now see relationships through a different lens.

“I think that’s a beautiful thing,” he added.