Restore Belize’s Peace in the Parks receives grant from UNESCO
Every two years, countries operating under the UNESCO banner have the opportunity to submit proposals for grant funding, up to fifty-two thousand Belize dollars per project. Only ten projects are approved by headquarters in Paris after a stringent selection process. Those projects must work to further UNESCO’s objectives through education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information. This year, Restore Belize’s Peace in the Parks initiative earned thirty-nine thousand dollars in support and on Wednesday, UNESCO’s representative in Belize handed over the check in Belize City.
Mary Vasquez, Restore Belize
“Restore Belize works a lot in trying to bring together existing resources and trying to attract new resources…to build communities so that they can be safe, so that they can be empowered to address the social issues that cause crime or that eventually lead to crime.”
Rudolph Anthony
Reverend Dr. Rudolph Anthony, Secretary General, UNESCO Belize
“For Restore Belize they put in a project which is called Peace in the Parks which is an anti-crime initiative which they’re going to do with young people. And they will go around Belize City, particularly situated in Belize City, to work with young people and so the recipients eventually will be the young people in Belize City to keep them out of crime and so forth.”
Mary Vasquez
Mary Vasquez
“This Peace in the Parks proposal which we submitted to UNESCO is to do activities in different neighborhoods in parks or public spaces that maybe have fallen into disuse or are under-utilized and to have child-friendly, family-oriented activities, cultural activities, various recreational activities…bring people out into the communities, in public space. It addresses the crime situation somewhat because it’s bringing people out in a safe space and it also addresses the rights of children and of communities to have accessible recreation.”
The funding is available to ministries, departments, organizations, NGOs and private companies.
