TWO OF Kingston's inner-city communities, Grants Pen and Standpipe, are to benefit from a four-year development programme aimed at increasing entrepreneurship and employment opportunities as well as reducing crime and violence.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and US Ambassador Stanley McLelland yesterday signed a memorandum of co-operation for the inner-city development project, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the tune of US$3 million.
Mr. Patterson told the gathering at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, that the state of the nation's inner cities presented a special challenge to planners, social scientists and all those with responsibility for the building of more wholesome communities.
The Government was committed to inner-city renewal he said noting Cabinet had just approved a policy framework which integrated existing programmes for better implementation.
"While we accept we do not have the resources to undertake everything simultaneously, we recognise we cannot allow any area to languish so as to accentuate social decline and to avoid this, we must mobilise local resources which include all elements of civil society."
A number of private sector companies, NGOs and community-based organisations are expected to assist in the programme, which will provide entrepreneurial training for youths from the communities, provide seed capital for the purchase of raw materials and identify sales outlets for the products of micro-businesses.
In his remarks, Ambassador McLelland stressed the programmes were pilot projects which, if successful, could be replicated in other inner-city communities. Mr. McLelland, who noted that the big cities of the US share similar problems to Jamaica's inner-cities, told residents of Grants Pen and Standpipe the future of their communities and their children depended for the most part on them.
"If you want a less violent community, you are going to have to work at giving conflict resolution efforts and community policing a real chance," he said. "If you truly want new jobs to be created in your community so that you and your kids can have opportunities to live fulfilling and productive lives, then you in the community are going to have to ensure these new job opportunities are not destroyed through robbery and extortion."
