The Government of Bermuda announced the launch of Leaders on the Record, a new podcast series featuring candid conversations with Government leaders on issues that matter most to the community.
Leaders on the Record is intended to enhance Government’s public engagement and awareness efforts, offering a more conversational and reflective format that allows Ministers and senior leaders to expand on critical policies and speak directly to the public.
The first episode features the Minister of National Security, Michael Weeks, JP, MP, in a wide-ranging discussion on violence in Bermuda, the factors contributing to it, and the shared responsibility required to address it.
In the episode, the Minister speaks openly about the role of families, communities and institutions in violence reduction, stressing that parents cannot take a “not my child” approach when it comes to supporting the work of the Bermuda Police Service, even when that support involves difficult conversations and tough choices.
Minister Weeks also reflects on the impact of children’s early exposure to social media and how it may be shaping attitudes toward conflict and violence.
The discussion further touches on the reality that Government intervention alone cannot resolve the issue if harmful behaviours continue to be protected within communities.
The Minister also clarifies the purpose and function of the Gang Violence Reduction Team, an initiative that has generated significant public discussion, and shares his view that lasting solutions to violence must ultimately be home-grown and rooted in Bermuda’s own communities, rather than imported from abroad.
The inaugural episode of Leaders on the Record can be accessed via the Government of Bermuda’s official listening page at https://www.gov.bm/leadersontherecord, and is available on the Spotify podcasting network.
Members of the public are encouraged to listen to the episode and to follow the series as future conversations are released.