The Gully-Gaza conflict and the lottery scam will be the main topics at the next 'Speak Out' session being organised by the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ).

NPTAJ President Miranda Sutherland made the announcement last week during a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank session at the agency's head office in St Andrew.

"I want to raise the issue of the Gully-Gaza. I don't know much about it, but it seems to be leading our children in a negative direction," Sutherland commented.

"Identity has its place, but I believe that we cannot allow this thing to fester to the point of it becoming an epidemic, such that we are now going to be scared. It's another way of causing violence and crime and killing among our children."

She added: "I am making an appeal out there to all the parents and the Church population because, as ministers of religion, we also have these young people coming under our voices in our different services. It is important that the principals and teachers continue to address this at schools. We cannot take it lightly or else it's going to be serious."

Venue to be announced

The Speak Out session, which will take place in the western end of the island at a location to be announced, will also address the lottery scam in that area.

"I want to raise the very delicate issue of the lotto scam in the west. I don't know if it is happening anywhere else, but it is prevalent down there, as we get the news of the children being involved. When we did preliminary discussions with our team in Montego Bay, we gathered that some parents are saying it is a form of income for the family, and this is very serious," Sutherland declared.

"It's serious because, if the children are made to be involved in something as dishonest as scamming, then the kinds of values that our children are learning at that young, tender age is going to follow through in the society, and I believe that the call is for us now to come together to see how we can address this," she stressed.

According to the Sutherland, who is also a reverend, a 'Speak Out' is a session where the general public is invited to discuss issues and find ways and means to resolve them.