Motivational speaker Dennis Watson is calling on Government to use the funding for the Bermuda Music Festival on a Youth Summit instead.

Mr. Watson, Bermudian chairman of the US National Youth and Gang Violence Taskforce, also wants to see taxpayers' money ploughed into youth centres across the Island.

He said: "We need the type of money we invested in the Bermuda Music Festival, bringing in Beyonce and Quincy Jones. This is the kind of money that should be invested in Bermuda's youth.

"Let's raise a generation of successful youth no more wasting taxpayers' money on nonsense, because we are losing a generation. It's time to stand up."

Mr. Watson was speaking after the third shooting incident in two weeks, which resulted in a man and a woman being admitted to intensive care.

Two men have been arrested following the incident at Southside Cinema on Friday.

Jahmel Blakeney, 28-year-old son of Government Minister Glenn Blakeney, and 18-year-old Sanchey Kiajuan Grant, of Hamilton Parish, were released on Police bail on Tuesday.

Shaki Minors, 26, and Renee Kuchler, 24, were shot at 11.20 p.m. as they left a screening of the film 'Precious'. They are currently recovering from their injuries at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Commenting on the recent spate of shootings, Mr. Watson said: "What our young men need is validation, a sense of purpose, love and hugs.

"We need youth centres, from Somerset to St. George's. I would also like to see a Youth Summit, a gathering of all young men at the National Stadium.

"They could each register at a table dedicated to specific problems, such as unemployment, housing, drugs or paternity issues, manned by civil servants and experts who can help them.

"For example, a domestic violence table would have advisors who could then get them to pick up the phone and apologise. We need results-driven teams to solve the problem."

Mr. Watson, who lives in New York City, recently visited Bermuda as the keynote speaker at the Age Concern '50 + Expo' conference.

He gave thanks to his former teachers 95-year-old Dorothy Tatem and Davina Blakeney, and Carol Ann Furbert of the youth theatre group 'We Are People Too'.

Mr. Watson said: "I apologised in my speech to the audience for the bad behaviour of this generation, with guns and shootings, killings and murders.

"The behaviour manifested in Bermuda is not Bermudian, we are importing the worst habits from the United States and the Caribbean.

"We are all stakeholders and our motto must be, enough is enough."