A team of artistes and people in the entertainment industry and "influencers" are joining the fight against crime and hoping to have some impact on the situation.
Singer Orlando Octave, together with Isasha, Erphaan Alves, Akeem "Preedy" Chance, Jaron Nurse, DJ Lila, Pengo Music’s Randal Alexander and others, are hoping to change the crime narrative through their "Unitty" campaign which was launched via social media.
[caption id="attachment_1038769" align="alignnone" width="683"] Erphaan Alves - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
“The overall mission is to curtail crime in our country – to give our young boys and girls a fighting chance,” Alexander said in a media release.
A father himself, Alexander is a producer who has worked in the entertainment industry for many years. He stands firmly in support of positive reinforcement, the release said.
[caption id="attachment_1038767" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Jaron Nurse - David Reid[/caption]
“What we would like to do is transform the media’s narrative, turning it from negative, to positive. The loudest noise is heard from a distance. If that noise is negative, a larger cross-section of our society feeds on this negative noise. We must change that – flipping it from negative to positive.”
Team Unitty has produced a number of short, interactive videos, engaging artistes on the topic of crime. In one of the videos, Preedy says he’s learnt the most powerful words in the art of war is “I apologise.”
[caption id="attachment_1038766" align="alignnone" width="864"] Soca artiste Orlando Octave stands at the forefront of the UNITTY project to fight against crime. -[/caption]
“The problems and the solutions are right there,” he said,
The videos have been making the rounds on social media.
“Our mission’s success is based on the amount of support we receive from people who have the resources to help – people who want to help,” Alexander said.
As well as the core team members, who include Octave and events professional Jean Marc Aimey, Alexander said a number of partners have shown interest, so a 100-day Positivity campaign has been launched.
[caption id="attachment_1038765" align="alignnone" width="733"] Events professional Jean Marc Aimey, left, and prodcucer Randal Alexander support the initiative to fight for a better Trinidad and Tobago and are part of team Unitty's mission. -[/caption]
“This will be the forerunner to the main event – a coming together, a unifying and uplifting concert for change – a peace festival, which will take place at the close of the year.”
Radio stations and other media groups have been invited and encouraged to partner on this undertaking, the release said.
“This is no small feat. This has to be intentional. We also understand the importance of a covert approach, because our desire is not to turn the youth away.”
Octave, Alexander, Aimey and others who have committed to the cause say something must be done to bring about change.
“It’s better to try and fail than the alternative. This is our country. Our children and ge
