Restore Belize is an organization based in

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

and directed by the

government of Belize His Majesty's Government in Belize, also referred to as the Belizean Government is the democratic administrative authority of Belize, a constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. It was formed in 1981 after gaining sovereignty from ...

. Founded by former

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Dean Barrow Dean Oliver Barrow, SC PC (born March 2, 1951) is a politician from Belize who served as prime minister of Belize from 2008 until 2020 and as leader of Belize's United Democratic Party. An attorney by profession, Barrow served as Belize's ...

on June 2, 2010, its primary aim is to make Belize a more peaceful and productive nation by implementing law, order, and community building through active citizenship.

History

Restore Belize was established in response to the rising crime rate in Belize. The organization's main objectives include human development, economic development, citizen prosperity,

democratic governance Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...

, and citizen security. To achieve these goals, the Belizean

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

, civil society, and

private sector The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...

collaborate in formulating public involvement programs.

Programs

Conflict Mediation

The conflict mediation program aims to equip communities with problem-solving skills, such as conflict reduction, respectful communication, and creative problem-solving techniques. Activities conducted by this program include mediation training workshops and peer-to-peer mediation programs.

I am Belize

I am Belize is a public education program that seeks to instill social values and positivity. The program's goal is for Belizeans to embrace positive behavior and

cultural identity Cultural identity is a part of a person's identity, or their self-conception and self-perception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct cultur ...

, transforming Belize into a safe, peaceful, and productive country. Advocated values include

national pride Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to one's country. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, language relating to one's own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or histor ...

, courtesy, fairness,

inclusion Inclusion or Include may refer to: Sociology * Social inclusion, aims to create an environment that supports equal opportunity for individuals and groups that form a society. ** Inclusion (disability rights), promotion of people with disabilitie ...

, integrity,

lifelong education Lifelong learning is the "ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated"Department of Education and Science (2000).Learning for Life: Paper on Adult Education Dublin: Stationery Office. pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons ...

, responsible citizenship, and

rule of law The rule of law is the political philosophy that all citizens and institutions within a country, state, or community are accountable to the same laws, including lawmakers and leaders. The rule of law is defined in the ''Encyclopedia Britannica ...

. The program achieves these values by providing scholarships to youths and engaging them in various activities and programs, such as the morning shows Wake up Belize and Peace in the Parks, as well as motivational missionary tours.

Youth Police Initiative

The Youth Police Initiative focuses on fostering positive changes in the relationships between at-risk youths, the police department, and community organizations. The initiative's main objectives include helping police officers better understand the values, beliefs, and experiences of the community's younger generation, developing genuine relationships between the youth and police officers, and encouraging youths to consider and understand the challenges faced by police officers in their daily work. Activities in this initiative involve youths participating in role-play scenarios with trained personnel, providing feedback during

debriefing Debriefing is a report of a mission or project or the information so obtained. It is a structured process following an exercise or event that reviews the actions taken. As a technical term, it implies a specific and active intervention process t ...

, and interacting with police officers in training to complete course activities and team building exercises. These interactions help officers learn how to communicate more effectively with youths by constructively engaging with them.

Partners

Restore Belize collaborates with three main sectors of society: the government, civil society, and the private sector. It also partners with international development agencies. As a government-directed organization, it comprises a significant portion of government ministries, departments, and program units. The organization includes six cabinet ministers: the Ministry of National Security , Education, Youth, Sports, Health, Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation, Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, NEMO, and Immigration and Nationality; and is headed by the Prime Minister.

References

{{Reflist Organisations based in Belize