Barbados Today

Government today lent its voice to the call for Barbadians to observe next Monday, September 3, as a Day of Reflection, in honour of the six women who lost their lives in the Campus Trendz tragedy, as well as all other victims of violent crime in Barbados.

In announcing plans for the Day of Reflection, Minister of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, disclosed that the September 3rd Foundation, with support from Government, has planned a number of activities on September 2 and 3 to commemorate the sad event which occurred on September 3, 2010.

Lashley said that on Sunday, September 2, the relatives of the six women and members of the September 3rd Foundation would attend the 9 a.m. service at St. Michael’s Cathedral, led by Dean of the Cathedral, Reverend Dr. Frank Marshall. In addition, churches across the island are being encouraged to dedicate their services to the memory of the women and reinforce the family and society’s role to properly guide the youth.

The following day, Monday, the entire nation is being encouraged to observe a minute’s silence or to pray silently at noon. Relatives of the six young women and members of the September 3rd Foundation will assemble at Heroes Square, Bridgetown, for the minute of silence. Immediately after, they, along with four young people chosen by the Ministry of Youth, will journey to four of the grave sites, which are located in Barbados – Westbury Cemetery, Christ Church Parish Church, Coral Ridge Cemetery and St. Andrew Parish Church – to lay wreaths.

Later in the evening, at 8 o’clock, there will be a panel discussion on The Causes of and Solutions to Youth Alienation and Crime in Barbados, at the Clement Payne Cultural Centre, Crumpton Street, Bridgetown. Panellists will include Thelma Gill Barnett, Miles Muhammad, Monica Chase and David Comissiong.