An anti-violence campaigner has called on men to help guide at-risk young men and boost their self-confidence.

Desmond Crockwell will unveil his plan this month to recruit older mentors at the Men of God Meet Up event, which will also see the launch of the second edition of the anti-violence magazine Visionz.

Mr Crockwell, of YouthVision Promotions, said: “It’s all about building mentors and building relationships with our young men because they need people that they can talk to.

“They need people they can trust, that will listen to them. “They need people that they can honestly feel safe talking to.”

Mr Crockwell said the focus will be on helping young men make positive changes and added that building relationships was key.

He added: “Our young men are humans. They need to be guided. The way they think about themselves now has to change.

“We are looking to put war aside, we are looking to redirect our children’s attention — those that are angry and at-risk and are ready to activate and fight and to take a man’s life.

“We are ready to help those people but we have to come collectively because I can’t go to ten gangsters and tell them I am going to help them all because I’d be lying.

“But if we have 100 people, I am pretty sure we could save five. And five could probably save five down the road.”

The event is part of a series of anti-violence forums and Mr Crockwell said he had seen the positive impact building relationships could have through his work with youth over the past 20 years.

He added: “Building relationships with the wrong person is part of the problem but building relationships with the right person is part of the solution but they’ve got to trust them.”

However he said it is also about finding out what people want to do with their lives.

“An example is if a young man wants to go fishing then we need to have somebody that can take them fishing.

“And when you’re out on the water, then you can listen to a story that you probably never imagined before.

“And that allows him to feel that he can trust somebody now and he could talk to somebody.”

Mr Crockwell called on like-minded men to get involved, regardless of religion, denomination or background.

He said: “One person might respond to a Rasta, someone else may respond to a Muslim, someone else might respond to a Christian. It’s giving everybody somebody to relate to.”

Mr Crockwell added that women also have an important role to play, “especially in spiritual awakenings or awareness”.

He said: “Men need women in their lives. Women have influence over men that other men don’t have and, of course, women are more organised than anybody.

“That’s why its important for our females to come along. But we want males to take the lead in building relationships with our target market, which is our angry young men or those that are at risk.”

Mr Crockwell explained that they chose to target those who believe in God for this event because spiritual intervention can help young people change the way they look at themselves.

But he said this would not be the focus of the event and added that all those who came “with love in their heart” and wanted to make a difference would be welcome.

He concluded: “We need people to get involved of all races, colours and creeds. I know people say it doesn’t impact white people and all that type of stuff but let’s not wait until it does.”

“We really want people to get involved, those that it impacts and those that it hasn’t impacted yet because as a country it impacts us all.”

The event will feature speakers including Dr Ernest Peets, the Reverend Nicholas Tweed, former prisoner Andre Minors and Lloyd Duncan, Bishop of the Church of God.

It will see the launch of the second edition of the anti-violence magazine Visionz, which focuses on changing lives.

Mr Crockwell, chief editor of the magazine, said the issue featured interviews, opinions and experiences from the likes of community activist Gina Spence, former national security minister Jeff Baron, Mr Minors and Dr Peets. The magazine will cost $10 and will be available at Bermuda College, Brown & Co.

Other locations will be revealed at the event, which will be held at the Heritage Worship Centre on Dundonald Street from 6pm to 9pm on January 27.