NEWS RELEASE                                                                                                                      2 July 2004

CITY EMPOWERS ATLANTIS YOUTH TO ACT AS ROLE MODELS

FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY

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Only the youth can lead the way out of poverty and crime to a better life in Atlantis, says City of Cape Town Councillor David Sassman.

Addressing the media on the Atlantis Youth Empowerment Project, Councillor Sassman said the project was a collaborative effort between the Safer Cities Programme of the City Police, and the Safe Schools Programme of the Western Cape Education Department.

He said the aim of the project was to develop the potential of the youth in Atlantis – an economically depressed West Coast town with high rates of crime and unemployment - to create better lives for all the people in the community.

“Only the youth have the energy, the determination, the perseverance and the commitment to turn things around and build a better future for the whole community,” said Councillor Sassman.

About 80 learners from primary and secondary schools in Atlantis have been specially selected for their leadership qualities to participate in a youth camp in Melkbosstrand over the weekend. Subjects to be discussed include dealing with diversity, critical and creative thinking, peer mediation, life skills and goal setting.

Councillor Sassman said the Safer Cities Programme of the City Police focused on projects and programmes aimed at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. He said he hoped the learners at the youth camp would become role models and take what they had learned back to their schools. Instead of adopting a hard line on crime in the poorer communities, the Safer Cities Programme focuses on preventing crime through building relationships based on trust and co-operation between the communities and the City Police.

CITY EMPOWERS ATLANTIS YOUTH TO ACT AS ROLE MODELS

FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY

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Projects undertaken successfully in the programme so far are the Silent Witness Project dealing with domestic violence, the National Day of Prayer for Missing Children, the Masifundi Project dealing with delinquent youth, Elsies River Sport Against Crime, the Christmas Tree Project for Disadvantaged Communities, the Lavender Hill Sport Against Crime Project and the Hanover Park Youth Social Crime Prevention Programme.

Issued by                    Rosemary Hare Public Relations cc

                                    P O Box 12521

                                    MILL STREET

                                    8010

On behalf of               The City of Cape Town

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                                    CAPE TOWN

                                    8000

For further information, please contact Rebecca Atherstone at Rosemary Hare Public Relations on (021) 465-1166 or 072 242 2685.

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