Black men who are not mentoring young men in how to conduct their lives are contributing to the Island’s problems.So believes Wayne Caines of Rise Above Bermuda, who said there were many professionals who had become “spectators or commentators” rather than helping the issues.He said every man be they a businessman, tradesman, sportsman or part of a civic, social or faith-based organisation could contribute their time and talent to helping mentor youths.“With all that we have been blessed with in our community we must shoulder our portion of the blame. We must find ways to effect change and transform lives. Too many times we rely on politicians, talk shows, barbershop banter, chatter of good days gone by as a substitute for action.”Rise Above Bermuda, a grassroots organisation formed after a wave of shootings hit the Island in 2009, aims to promote leadership, mentorship, capacity-building and action to impact solutions in the community.Mr Caines, who is one of the group’s founding members, spoke before the joint select committee on violent crime and gun violence yesterday. He said three areas family, faith and fellowship needed to be considered as part of solutions.The CEO of Digicel Bermuda said there is a need for more mentors and better development of community clubs. He said such clubs continued to attract large numbers of young men particularly those at risk for gang violence but many struggled to find the necessary financial support.“A football club in troubled areas attracts young men and attempts to provide support, mentorship and a haven in their development.“Yet these organisations do not represent the ‘sexy’ kind of charities that receive annual corporate donations and support because of the clientele they engage. In one sense the greatest single asset is the ability of these organisations to attract men who have been shunned or have been underserved in other aspects of society.”Sporting groups also needed to shift from full competition mode to competition-collaboration mode to work together and combat common problems, he said.“There would also be an element of sharing/pooling resources across clubs that may shift the balance in an era of limited resources.”Useful websites: www.riseabovebermuda.org.