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For some weeks the CYDP has been tailoring and revitalizing some its core programmes to meet the needs of some their target groups. And today the work started but not without a frightening demonstration of why mediation is needed in the streets:

Marnette Westby, Program and Conselling - CYDP
"What happen back in 2008 CYDP had embark on some peace initiative, Mayflower Street was one of those areas, they had the Mayflower people's coalition, it didn't go very far at that time and so in 2010 we re-energize that program but with a new zeal and in order that we may look at the needs and what can be done as you know Mayflower is an area where there is a lot of crime and violence, so we have re-energize the Mayflower people's coalition program; we now call it the CASE program (clean attractive safe environment) and so the officers from CYDP department is going out there now to do the assessment and to let people be aware of the idea, so they are doing their form of gathering data that we will use to look at the way forward in Mayflower in order to change the attitudes and behavior in that area."

Daniel Lawrence, CYDP Conflict Coordinator
"I was with some youths in the area on Mahogany Street, I was going through a little survey form with them, getting their ideas and see if they have conflict with other groups and rivals and whilst I was doing that the guys hinted to me that they have little problems in the area with other groups and at that specific time it just happens that 2 youths rode up on bicycle and jut open fire at us. So it was something kind of like I didn't expect it, I was trying to get some work done and gunshot blazing all of a sudden."

Marnette Westby, Program and Conselling - CYDP
"They have forms that they are filling out, it basically look at the lifestyle of the family, both from a financial standpoint, physical standpoint and as well as it relates to life on a whole; the effects of crime; the effects of the economy, the jobs. So it basically looks at everything to see; 1: we have to figure the root cause and we have to see how it can be address."

Daniel Lawrence, CYDP Conflict Coordinator
"The next step after we have complete these interviews with these people in that vicinity, the data would be access and base on the agencies that will be infiltrating the area to see some work in progress and other programs then along with these agencies, there are about 12 of them including CYDP, all the youth programs, BFLA, we have RESTORE Belize, we have NFCF and many other agencies that will come aboard with this program and try to fit in some aspects of the social issues to help these communities."

The CASE programme will be targeting young people between the ages of 14-29.