The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) fully supports the one-week ‘Change of Mindset’ workshop which has been held at Burns Creek East of Honiara from 13 – 17 May 2019 as part of the National Crime Prevention Strategy.
The workshop, attended by more than 100 youth, chiefs and church leaders, is a joint effort by the churches in the Burns Creek area, the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industries and the RSIPF. It is held at the St. Michael House of Prayer at the Kunu Community in the Burns Creek area.
RSIPF Deputy Commissioner Operations Gabriel Manelusi says, “The aim of the workshop is to promote the need to change the mindset of our people to discover their God given potentials and utilizing these potentials for the benefit of the community that we live in.”
“As responsible people in our community at Burns Creek it is important we understand the need to change the way we think, the way we do business according to law and at the same time derive financial benefit from what we do,” DC Manelusi told the participants at the workshop today.
He explains: “Burns Creek has been a hot spot area for youths allegedly involved in criminal activities like stealing and attacking police vehicles. You are part of our community and we’re concerned about you. We need to find out why youth are involved in criminal activities in that area and address the situation by coordinating activities that will involve the youth.”
“We must work together to find a way to shift the focus of our youth so they can focus on better and beneficial activities for the good of all of us.”
“The police is part of the community and so we must work together to prevent our youth from being involved in crime for a peaceful Solomon Islands. We need to create economic opportunities for our communities so our youth can be involved such activities to help themselves,” says DC Manelusi.
He told the participants: “I urge you to be instrumental agents of our community at Burns Creek and the wider Solomon Islands. Use the SARA Model you have learned today from the workshop, as a tool to address issues in our community here at Burns Creek.”
“I want to thank Fr Alfred Akwai of the Church of Melanesia for facilitating the sessions during the workshop and getting the interest of the participants,” says DC Manelusi.
Fr Alfred says, “I am thankful that this workshop will certainly give an insight to change the mindsets of our youth. The people at Burns Creek will never be the same again as they will change their way of thinking and change the perception of other people about Burns Creek as a hotspot for criminal activities in Honiara.”
Source: RSIPF