Prime Minister Mia Mottley has called for youth clubs and service organizations to teach young people the responsible use and power of firearms. Speaking at the closing of the annual Tradewinds multinational military exercise at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Thursday, Mottley emphasized the need for proactive measures to address rising gun crime in the region.

In her address, Mottley highlighted the critical role of service organizations in instilling a sense of national service and respect for firearms among the youth. “The question is, how do we ensure that the majority of people within our countries use it for good, such that our efforts can always be gazed outwards and not necessarily inwards?” she asked. Mottley pointed out the high per capita rate of homicides in the Caribbean, underscoring the urgency of this initiative.

Mottley proposed that young men and women be exposed to firearm handling in controlled environments such as cadets, service clubs, and scouts. She drew an analogy with teaching children to light a match responsibly, noting that the goal is to prevent harm through education and respect for the tool. “We teach them how to light a match responsibly because we don’t want them to get burned,” she said.

The prime minister called for a significant expansion of opportunities for youth to engage in national service and learn firearm safety. She commended the Barbados Defence Force for its efforts to expand cadet and sea cadet programs and expressed a desire for every teenager in Barbados to be involved in a service organization.

Mottley also stressed the importance of preparedness for emergencies and disasters, urging that all citizens, not just service officers, be ready to serve when needed. “A time will come when it will not only be the men and women in uniform who would be required to be called into service, but it would actually be the people of the nation who must stand up to the call,” she said, highlighting the vulnerability of small island states like Barbados to natural disasters.

During the past weekend, the Exercise Tradewinds team held an open day at the BDF’s Paragon base in Christ Church, showcasing the armed forces’ readiness to the public. Mottley praised this initiative for demonstrating the dual nature of firearms, as tools for both crime and protection.

She concluded by urging regional governments to promote the responsible use of firearms for protection rather than destruction. “A gun is a tool that kills. It doesn’t walk and even with AI, it doesn’t yet talk. Therefore, it comes back to the basic integrity of the individuals in our society to determine how to treat weapons with respect,” she stated.

Mottley commended the Tradewinds exercise for its public engagement, stressing the importance of teaching children to respect firearms. “We will not be able to obliterate guns from the earth because regrettably it is here. But like with everything else we do with our children, it is to teach them to respect how they use weapons,” she concluded.