It is hard to believe that the V.I. “Peace Summit” was more than 10 years ago. As an outsider, but one with more than 40 years of experience in the territory, I have developed a set of perspectives on achieving change, both social and organizational. And an approach to working with — listening to — groups that are working to achieve it.
At the heart of that approach is a lot of “why” and “how,” and very little “should.” And a lot of listening, and not much talking.
The explicit goal of the Virgin Islands Peace Summit was to dramatically reduce the high levels of violence in the Virgin Islands. By virtually any standard, it failed to achieve that goal. The key question: Why? Why have levels of violence and homicide rates remained so high? Shockingly high by any standard compared to other places?
Here are an outsider’s thoughts about the “why’s.” Starting with an important quote, one that sadly gets confirmed on a regular basis. It is a quote from Tolstoy, who wrote, “There are no conditions to which a person cannot become accustomed, especially if they see everyone around them living in the same way.”
Virgin Islanders are no exception. People have become accustomed to high levels of violence. It has been normalized, just the way things are.
Another partial answer to the “why” question. Over a long period of time, violence wasn’t a major concern to the territory’s elites because “they’re killing each other.” And, God forbid, not a white tourist. As a result, the effective responses, whether law enforcement or social supports weren’t implemented. And people got used to it.
Here is a framework, a kind of checklist, for thinking further about why things have not changed. But more important, and I hope, usefully, suggesting an approach to successfully changing things in the future. Getting unused to these current realities, and replacing them with hopefulness and peaceful communities.
At the heart of that framework are two equations, one very simple, the other, the pathway to actually move forward.
The first equation: success = execution. Execution: the discipline of getting things done. Starting with the obvious, but not to everyone, that having a brilliant, or even a good, idea and implementing it are not the same thing.
The failure of the Peace Summit was a failure of execution, and, in a certain sense, a failure of imagination. The inability to see that doing things in the same way, “just the way we do things here,” would not produce successful change. And that conferences don’t change things, no matter how productive. That change comes from getting unused to certain things, and doing what I did yesterday is not going to be the same as what I do tomorrow.
As an outsider, what has always struck me about the Virgin Islands is an unstated adherence to what is known as the French model of change: we want dramatic change, with only one condition: that everything remains the same, and I don’t have to do anything different. A future Peace Conference might begin by examining that norm, its bad consequences, and what there is a willingness to change. And, of real importance, what we are willing to hold one another accountable for.
Then, there is the full equation for success. The checklist that, if addressed, will produce real, measurable improvement and community pride in a major — “We did it”! — accomplishment.
That equation (from the 2002 book, Execution): execution = a clear and effective strategy and plan + the right people in the right jobs + effective basic systems and work processes + solid internal and external communications + core values of trust, clarity, mutual accountability, problem solving as opposed to blame/blame avoidance, and openness to change.
Each item in that equation can — should — be the theme for solid action planning to reduce violence, starting with the basic assumption: a good strategy isn’t enough. It is the same as thinking that having an idea and implementing it are the same thing. They are not.
Which brings us to what in many instances is a fundamental problem facing the territory. It is that its leaders have, over the course of decades, become accustomed to doing things — actually not doing things — in ways that most people now accept as “just the way things are here.”
As a result, there is a clear need for significant improvement for every item on that checklist. The equation can be the action agenda for a brighter future for the territory. But, there has to be a willingness to actually do things, some of which will be uncomfortable.
Tolstoy was right in a very important sense. What everyone has gotten accustomed to is a deep sense of pessimism about the possibilities of change and, in particular, the ability of the territory to dramatically reduce violence. Pessimists will always be right: if you believe it can’t be done, it won’t. Except that they are wrong. It is possible! How do we know that? Because it has been done elsewhere in similar and in communities as complex as the Virgin Islands.
Here are four suggested starting points toward building a more peaceful future. First, make sure that all of the “right” people are in the room, even if it produces uncomfortable discussions, making clear that the focus is problem solving and not blaming/blame avoidance. Second, “name” the problems that stand in the way of blocking change, including pessimism, as uncomfortable as that may be. Third, use the execution checklist as the framework and tool for planning change, focusing on “whys” and “hows” and forgetting about the “shoulds.” And, fourth, identify short-term, visible wins that will sustain commitment by demonstrating on a continuing basis that “yes, we can do it.”
With respect to the last point, the short term “wins,” if people leave that room just saying, “this makes sense,” it is a near certainty that little or nothing will happen. The goal of this process has to be to produce a deep emotional commitment to change. That this is really important. Given the stakes, that should be an easily achievable goal.
— Frank Schneiger was executive director of the Federal Region II Children’s Resource Center, which trained a generation of V.I. children’s services workers. He subsequently founded St. Thomas/St. John Youth MultiService Center. In the past two decades, he has served as a planning consultant for a range of Virgin Islands organizations and has been a columnist for the Virgin Islands Source. He is the author of two books, “The Arc,” under the pen name of Roberto Vincent, and “The Purge: The Future As History in the Age of Trump,” available on Amazon.
