COMMENTATOR (COMM): Previously on Life. . .

SASKIA SASSEN: An urban war zone is a part of the city that has been neglected in terms of investments -I mean very elementary things.

MARTA SUPLICY: If you have half of the population in these poor sections that are less than 18 years old and they cannot see a light in the tunnel - how can you think they are not going to be violent?

SHEELA PATEL: Citizenship is not universal - it's like "we" and "they".

TITLES: 'There are 70 murders a month in Kingston, Jamaica.

But some local communities are making a stand against violence. . .' MARCHERS SING: Eternal Father bless our land Guide us with thy mighty hand Keep us free from evil powers See our lives through countless hours. . .

COMM: This is Bennetlands - a ghetto community in the heart of Kingston, Jamaica's capital city - and these residents were marching for peace because this has been a troubled area.

MARCHERS SING: Jamaica. . .

COMM: At first glance, Bennetlands looks like any other working class neighbourhood. Some women work as domestics in more affluent communities. Others are employed in garment factories in Jamaica's Free Trade Zone. Some men work on construction sites, and small businesses have sprung up here behind the zinc fences. Ned makes graters our of pieces of left-over metal from the box factory, and sells them along the streets. Clevie buys ice cream and peddles it at sporting events. Devon serves delicious peanut porridge on Sunday mornings. A few residents walk the miles to this beach to buy fish to peddle on Kingston Streets. For many this is the farthest they will ever venture from home. And life goes on.

Five thousand people live here; more than half are young, two thousand are unemployed; but guns bark often in these dusty streets and for most of the residents Bennetlands has become a prison without bars.

SONG LYRICS: Oh Lord... Living in Kingston Said we're living in the heart of the town Living in Kingston City, Sha na na na na-na. Some people find it hard living in the city Life in the Ghetto was never easy No food to eat, no clothes to wear Can't get no where to sleep, no money to spend. And so no I no friend Inna no sky-rise apartment. So no I no big friend Inna big house up at Cherry Gardens. Living in Kingston. . . COMM: The people of Bennetlands look to four beacons of hope in their community. The primary school they see as providing the only avenue for their children to escape to a life outside the area. The St. Peter Claver Catholic Church offers spiritual nourishment to its flock.

FATHER BURCHELL MCPHERSON: Although we're not free to walk the streets, as we'd like we know we are freed by Jesus Christ.

COMM: For other, cares can be eased at the Seventh Day Adventist Church of God. These seats near the door are kept free for those who prefer to keep their back to the wall.

COMM: And here, at the S-Corner Clinic, physical needs are met and a sense of community is being built.

COMM: Angela Stultze Crawle is the Director of The S-Corner Clinic.

ANGELA: It is an integrated community development initiative in which the main emphasis, really, is to improve the living conditions of the citizen in this area and these are through programmes of health, education, sanitation, outreach programmes and those things.

COMM: Once, despite the poverty this was a peaceful place.

CLEVIE: Life was nice because you could go anywhere you want to, you could stay on the street anytime of night you want to stay.

DOREEN: Usual community: nice good people; kids up and down, running about playing, not afraid to go out on the road.

COMM: Some years ago violence broke out in many parts of Jamaica. This is Carlene. She is 14 years old.

CARLENE: This is my baby Kimberly...

COMM: The baby's father was shot four weeks ago and Carlene doesn't know why.

IKIMARTHY: One of the time one of the gunman fired a shot through my mother housetop and as it come inside and we have to move from where we were and go over another yard and live.

DOREEN: Them shot two man up the road the other day and a young girl - 17 years old and pregnant - shoot her. Eh.

COMM: Violence caused many persons to flee their homes, some to live in makeshift shelters, others to seek refuge with relatives elsewhere.

MRS BOLT: Because when the gang wars flare up the children are unable to come to school. It happened just a few weeks ago, during lunchtime there was gunfire from the bottom of the road to the top.

COMM: Fear walked the streets as area dons fought to defend their turf.

HORACE LEVY, Chairman, S-Corner Clinic Board: Basically it was - it's a war between "corner crews" and the "corner crew" must be sharply distinguished from a criminal gang. A "corner crew" is there to give solidarity and self-respect and identity to a group of youth. They don't have it otherwise, they don't have any employment, they don't get any respect from the wider society and their own girlfriends scorn them because they can't bring in a steady income. So the-the crew provides that. It, it's a large family, it's - it provides the stability a family should offer in many respects and doesn't offer. A criminal gang is organised to commit some form of crime. That's not to say that these corner crews do not commit any criminal acts - they do. They have guns, they use them - they maim, they shoot, they kill - but they don't organise for that purpose and they are redeemable.

COMM: But violence erupted when a young man from one area was knifed by persons from the rival side. This split the community in two. Now rival gangs not only fear each other they also fear harassment by the police.

FATHER BURCHELL, St Peter Claver Catholic Church': As soon as the police walks into a community, people - especially males - see the police as a threat. They don't see the police as a peacemaker who are coming and trying to interact with them or, you know to help them or to solve their problems. They see the police as somebody who will come in and - ready to shoot.

PULUS HARRIS, Local resident: You have a law for the poor and a law for the rich. ('There is a law for the poor and a law for the rich.') Yeah? And the poor man law, the poor man law it come like a death penalty but the rich man law and thing - fi money just buy it out and thing and him alright again. ('Poor man law is a death penalty, the rich men can buy themselves out')

COMM: Men without work lose self-esteem and the task of holding a family together rests mainly on women.

ROSEMARIE: Well I have four kids. One of them father die and the other three? ('I have four kids One of them the father's died') Different father the all a them and just me alone with all a them. ('The other three have different fathers and it's just me alone with all of them') Me sell "Gleaner" in the morning. Me leave six o'clock and come home by, say ten o'clock morning time. ('I sell 'The Gleaner' in the morning - I leave by six o'clock and come home at 10 am.')

COMM: For young men, the gun became the symbol of male pride. Where did the guns come from?

CLEVIE: Where it come from? I don't know anything about it - I can't tell you where the guns come from.

MONICA: I don't know where them get it you know.

FISHERMAN: I don't know who but someone does it!

GLEN: Gun come from foreign in barrel.

HORACE: Both the criminal gangs and the corner crews come out of the political tribalism. Under that- in that system you have garrison communities: the don represents the politician and provides leadership and gives guidance and so on in the community - and insists on a certain discipline and order.

BROTHER TREVOR, Adventist Church of God: When the politics business begin to come around and they would give us guns and such like to do things and when the guns supposed to return back now it bring a problem to some people - they don't want to bring it back.

HORACE: You, you've got a continuity in the sense of guns, local leaders, turf, defence of turf, but - and there is still a political element and not all the big dons are gone by any means.

SONG LYRICS: Youths find it hard not to be a victim Of the political ism and schism See them now turning to the guns Outa road Babylon shoot dem down... HORACE: In fact there was one mother who lost three sons who came to her pastor and begged him to do something about it.

ANGELA STULTZE CRAWLE, Director, S-Corner Clinic: As you know Jamaicans really respect the church, they respect religion - they respect all sorts of religion. As Rastafarians we, we preach love, we can relate to poor people and so they feel more comfortable in coming to use with their problems.

COMM: The S-Corner complex houses two schoolrooms. Early in the morning the Grassroots College is in session.

ANGELA: Some of these students that come to the school are between the ages of 16 to 25 years: who have dropped out of previous institutions because they were pregnant, financially unable to continue school, or were seen as juvenile delinquents - society wanted nothing to do with them.

COMM: Later in the day primary school children come here to do their homework. When violence flared many students stayed home. But the S-Corner complex had won the respect of the entire community including the dons and area leaders, by providing health care for young and old.

ANGELA: The old ladies are their mothers, are their grandparents and so they really need our presence and because we have built that relationship with them over the years we were now at an advantage to say if you do not stop shooting at each other then - we'll just close.

PULUS: Me get caught inna violence. Say? Defending my turf and ting - me get gun shot two time. ('I got caught up in the violence defending my turf and I got shot twice')

ANGELA: He got shot in front of the, the clinic! I mean the guy just ambushed him and he got - his neck, and we just really decided that enough was enough.

COMM: It was time for action. A meeting was called with the pastors of the two churches, the S-Corner Staff and the Principal of the primary school.

MRS BOLT: We have had problems with attendance, as they know, but also the individual problems of children whose parents or family members have killed and then the children just disappear - sometimes we don't know where they are.

COMM: Before anything could be achieved they had to persuade the dons to come out of hiding. The first step was to talk to the dons one on one.

HORACE: So we waan have a meeting...

DON: Bonafide me nuh now, a nowe start it, a dem start it. So them to start the peace. So - I don't know...

HORACE: Well, them saying the same thing you know - that you the one that start it, but I mean we don't want to get into that. All I'm asking - all we're asking, basically is you know, just for you and your group to meet with the Peace Committee.

DON WITH NIKE CAP: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

FATHER BURCHELL MCPHERSON: We have to meet at a point where man and man can reason and that's what we're trying to do now.

ANGELA: Me a say, say boy you nah inna no war ting but you nah gonna go down deh. ('You say you're not in a war and you're not going down there'). Them a say the same thing, so we right now we don't know wha' fi do - ('They say the same thing so we don't know what we should do'). Somebody has to make a move.

HORACE: So we just want to meet with you separately...

DON: Me no trust...

HORACE: It'd be just us - us and you, then later on we meet with them. We want to hear your side of the story and we want to present some points to you too.

FATHER BURCHELL MCPHERSON: You guys have to realise this is one street, you know, one little street and there should be no divisions between all of you, you know. And that is what Angela and I trying to do, to sort of break down the barriers and that we can live.

DON: Man know wha' gwaan...

COMM: It wasn't easy. It took about 15 meetings over several months to persuade the area leaders to meet. The area leaders wanted peace but they feared for their lives if they ventured out of their self-made prison. So members of the committee offered to be their human shields.

FATHER BURCHELL MCPHERSON: Let's see if we can come and sit in a circle.

COMM: It is a tense moment. At last the dons are face to face. Can they negotiate peace or will tempers flare again?

HORACE LEVY, Chairman, S-Corner Clinic Board' Brethren, welcome, glad you finally reach here, it's been a long road. You know why we're here. Really we're trying to make a peace in the community.

BROTHER TREVOR, Adventist Church of God: The Bible said, 'Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.' Unity is strength.

DON (ORANGE VEST): Say peace, you know - easy thing to say a ting, but see fi do it! ('Peace is an easy thing to talk about but a hard thing to do')

FATHER BURCHELL MCPHERSON: We don't want to get into the past. You know, what took place or who did shoot who or who did say what about what. What we want to talk about is positive things this afternoon that can help the community - and to help yourself!

DON (WHITE HEADTIE): May I say still a good time now fo' the two communities them come together as one ('May I say it's a good time for the two communities to come together as one') 'cause a just a small place, and we're close by ('It's a small place and we're close by') and - a little thing that hurt me, me tired out. You know fi swap dead body fi live body all the while, you know? ('A thing that hurts me, I'm tired of swapping dead bodies for live bodies all the time')

ANGELA: So even though we talk about emancipation you nah feel it. ('Even though we talk about emancipation you don't feel it'). 'Cause inna the days gone by when our ancestors used to fight fi freedom, right? (In days gone by when our ancestors used to fight for freedom') Them haffi wait until buckie massa gi dem a pass before them can move. ('They had to wait for permission from the colonial masters to move'). Right now it's like you haffi wait on a pass fi move! ('Now it's like you have to wait for permission to move again')

DON (YELLOW CAP): With all a wha' going an' ting, believe we should have a-a woman ('With all this going on... I believe we should have a women...'), something like a committee, or something like that for the woman, you know? ('something like a committee or something for the women').

DON (GREEN CAP): Me is a man haffi defend the football all the way still, you know? ('I have to defend the football all the way, you know'). And the corner league thing we had kinda squash out...('The corner league thing we had was kind of squashed out by all the violence...')

HORACE: Remember some of the things that we suggested was a dance.

DON (WHITE HEAD TIE): Yeah man, the dance! Real man.

ANGELA: So right now we waan broke down dem tings deh and make sure, you know, after this and really mean it -you a talk about emancipation and really freedom! ('Right now we want to break down these barriers and make sure that after this...you really mean it...you talk about emancipation and real freedom').

BROTHER TREVOR: So, I would really like to see you men get back on the track that you used to be - one love, one heart, and let unity reign.

DOREEN: My son was always for the peace movement. From them start organise it, him is a part of it. ('My son was always for the peace movement. Once they started to organise it he was part of it.') Him walk around all the places inna the community and talk to everybody, pastor and boy out a street and mother - everybody. ('He'd walk round the community and talk to everybody - Pastor, boys on the street, everybody.') You know him all had a peace dance for him birth night. ('You know there was a peace dance on the night of his birthday.')

COMM: Little by little life crept back into the lanes and streets of Bennetlands.

BARRY: Well, you can see a lot of difference. 'Cause even at night you can sit on the road site until - on the street side until about 10, 11 o'clock at night and there's no one to molest us.

MONICA: When Angela and de Father and their church speak to them, them hear.

MARLENE: They had people from other lanes streets and lanes that were afraid to come to clinic, and they too have started coming around.

CLEVIE: Yeah, I would like to see the peace. I'll try me best to see the peace.

CHILDREN SING: I lean, I lean, I lean, I lean I'm leaning on the Lord's side!

PULUS: You see violence, right, you know - if you can stay far from it you stay far, seen? ('You see with violence if you can stay away from it, stay far away') 'Cause... It no lead you nowhere right now, more than to prison or some dead-house or cemetry or something, you know? ('It leads you nowhere, other than to prison or some deadhouse, a cemetery.')

PULUS: Me'd a love see myself a little better, where me know me can provide for both she and provide for her mother. ('I'd like to be doing better, where I know I can provide for my daughter and her mother.')

COMM: The inner city simmers below a crown of hills. The women of Bennetlands who rose before sunup to clean other people's houses and wash other people's clothes are going home to cook dinner on a coal stove. Bennetlands has achieved a cease-fire but there are still guns out there - the fabric of peace is fragile.

DOREEN: The night of the dance me watch me son get dressed in him pretty shirt - ('The night of the dance I watched my son get dressed in a pretty shirt') hug him up and watch him go off down the street. ('I gave him a big hug and I watched him go off down the street.') The next day he would have been 19 years old [sobs]. He would have been 19 years old the next day.

COMM: In the past the tragic death of a young man would have sparked a chain reaction of revenge killings.

FATHER BURCHELL MCPHERSON: And one thing I was glad for, they didn't retaliate - they wanted to, they were talking about it but because of the peace, the peace initiative.

COMM: Real peace and progress cannot be won by the community on its own. In Jamaica the gap between rich and poor is widening and so is the gap between rich countries and poor countries. Here as elsewhere there is need for low-cost housing and educational facilities and unemployment figures are dangerously high.

GLEN: You have youth and youth want work and dem way deh. You understand me? Dem want to learn a trade. ('You have youths and youths want to work - they want to learn a trade.') Nuff of them still can't read and write. ('Enough of them can't read and write.')

PULUS: Going to look a job and thing. ('When I went to look for a job...') Them ask me my address, me tell them, say me live off Waltham Park Road, ('They ask me for my address, I say that I live off Waltham Park Road') them say 'Where? Where is off Waltham Park Road?' Me tell them St. Joseph Road, ('They say where off Waltham Park Road I tell them St Joseph Road') them say 'Kingston 13? No man! We don't want that form of people in our place 'cause pure gunman, killer and robber come from Kingston 13'. ('They say, 'Kingston 13? No, we don't want that kind of people in our place. It's just gunmen, killers and robbers that come from Kingston 13.')

COMM: The people of Bennetlands would welcome job creation projects inside the community. Some found work on a latrine building project a few years ago. Some young people cleared land for a community vegetable garden, but were ordered to leave because the land would be needed for a housing project - they are still waiting for that dream to come true. Given the power of faith, given hope and determination some young men have changed their lives against all obstacles.

BROTHER TREVOR: Growing up in the ghetto, I adopt certain principle but now every principle. I believe in work. By the sweat of your brow that you must work and you will eat bread that is what I believe.

COMM: Glen saw the gun wasn't the answer and he is now a highly respected Health Worker at the S-Corner clinic.

COMM: Fabien was born and grew up in this community. He finished High School and is moving on to University - one of the few who have made it in this inner city.

FABIEN: If you have parents who care and understand and counsel you, you can make it in the ghetto. I am a proud example.

COMM: So what does the future hold? A Community Development Council has been formed. Here problems can be discussed and disputes resolved.

FATHER BURCHELL MCPHERSON: We promised that we would find them jobs, we would build relations with them and the police, we would find them a playing field that they could go and play football in, in the afternoon. All these promises that we offered to them, I think we have to see to it they go through because these are the things that we said to them we would do to help them to bring them together.

MRS BOLT: I am very optimistic and I think that is what keeps me here. It's not just getting guys to shake hands for a day, it's an ongoing thing.

CHILDREN SING: Whose side are you dancing on? I'm dancing on the Lord's side! Whose side are you dancing on? I'm dancing on the Lord's side. I dance, I dance, I dance...

HORACE, Chairman, S-Corner Clinic Board: What's happening now is that the process is moving forward - rock solid is some areas, up and down in Bennetland a bit - but still moving forward. It's driven by youth becoming more conscious - more aware of the foolishness of fighting among themselves and of being used and abused by politicians. So it's a moral force that's driving the peace not, not economics, really, which is extremely interesting - and that's the positive side. The negative side is that where World Trade Organisation is driving some of our farmers off the lands - it's better for them, it makes a better living out of import goods from the States than to grow them themselves. And that's not good for the country. So unemployment is there still hardship is there still. But that's the negative - there's also debts, external debts and internal debt, a massive amount which is preventing the state spending what it should on social services. But still overall there is a growing peace - it's reduced the crime rate in the metropolitan area by 23% in the last three years - crime is still too high but that's an important drop.

SONG LYRICS: We can't depend on others to come And right the wrong we've known, woh no To build a better future we've got to do it on our own, woh yes. Tomorrow holds a secret you cannot see today And I know we will find it because we found the way. We got unity, unity, yeah. Unity, yeah, oh yes, I know, Unity...

END