For the majority of the time, I was engaged in research on HIV prevention for Jamaican youth–which culminated in a presentation of findings (Securing our Future_ Presentation) and the distribution of the Report, which is featured in the my previous post.

Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica

In addition to that research, I was very busy traveling across the Jamaica, visiting five Social Development Commission (SDC) offices–Portland, Trelawny, St. Thomas, Kingston and St. Andrew, and St. James–to deliver key human rights materials, as part of the thrust to mainstream human rights (HR) in the everyday work of SDC community development officers.

The main training material that I used was the SEJ Community Development Manual for Trainers, which outlines the modules, subjects, presentations, forms and other useful tools for introducing residents to their development rights and responsibilities.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed between Jamaicans for Justice and the Social Development Commission in October 2009 sought to establish a partnership aimed at strengthening its officers for more effective community development programming. The commitment included:

1. Delivery of five training of trainers workshops to 65 participants,
2. Execution of a national print (newspaper, brochures and posters) and electronic (radio) multimedia campaign for four months,
3. Facilitation of nine community workshops across three unique communities and parishes reaching a minimum of 75 residents,
4. Establishment of an archive of HR materials in key locations in the parish, which are accessible to the public,
5. Integration of HR components in the annual plans of SDC officers as at March 2010,
6. Integration of HR as a key topic/ sub-topic in presentations by SDC officers to community leaders, etc.,
7. Distribution of digital support materials on HR to SDC officers in order to build their knowledge base on HR.

At a later date, when I’ve evaluated the key components of the MOU, I will publish the SWOT report, but preliminarily, all stakeholders agree that HR awareness is critical for community development.

Children's Rights

I created this post to seek and get feedback on the following Children’s Rights presentation that I am preparing to sensitize students and their teachers.

I took on this challenge subsequent to a conversation with children in my daughter’s class about fighting–I realised that 5, 6 and 7 year olds could be informed about Children’s Rights and use the  information to improve student-student and student-teacher relationships.

I just started the process of converting my research notes to the presentation template, so  it is not yet a completed version of what I intend to present. Nevertheless, I felt that I could benefit from your feedback especially concerning some of my core considerations:

1. Colour scheme–I chose a colourful, attention grabbing presentation template, which in my opinion portrays an environment that is safe and fit for, and attractive to children.
2. Language use–I used large, straight texts that can easily be read and with letters that could be identified by the youngest target.
3. Content–was presented using a Q&A format, so that children can create easy connections. Answers are delivered in short phrases/ sentences and separated by bullets or numbers for distinguishing concepts.
4. Activities–child appropriate activities are suggested to  reinforce the assimilation of information.
5. Subject–personal pronouns are used to express children’s basic rights. It is anticipated that this will encourage connection with the content in the presentation.
6. Outcomes–are articulated so that the presenter and other stakeholders can readily identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and measure their success.

So what are your thoughts? Do you have any recommendations? How can I improve it to make it connect with the kids?

Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre (entrance)

I recently concluded a series of human rights workshops with inmates at the Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre,  located in Portmore, St. Catherine (Jamaica). The experience has left me hopeful–on account of participants’ enthusiasm to learn about human rights and quickly apply their newly honed skills to secure better living standards and quality of life; as well as institutional leaders’ enthusiasm to obtain materials and demand that workshops be designed for them as well.

Over the duration of my visit I have sought to: impart knowledge about human rights, advocacy, the Access to Information Act, networking and communications, leadership, conflict, group development, and participatory governance; transfer skills in: leadership, advocacy, and networking and communications; and gather data about inmates’ experiences realizing their economic and social rights (ESR), as well as the preparedness of Fort Augusta for development and participatory governance, via large group discussions, surveys, face-to-face conversations, and general observation.

View of Rehabilitation Unit and Training Rooms at Fort Augusta

It was quite encouraging finding that both the inmates and staff were interested in learning about human rights, not merely in order to protect themselves, but to better serve the Fort Augusta community. In fact, in conversations with institutional leaders such as the superintendents, assistant superintendents, and officers, I was asked to use my findings to help them lobby for and integrate a human rights approach in their work. Critical human rights tools were requested and disseminated to institutional leaders and inmates, and I was given the charge, by inmates and Superintendent Pitter to advocate to the Ministry of National Security (MNS) and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to take their human rights challenges seriously and consider mainstreaming it within the institution. To fulfill this charge, I must now assume the role of advocate in order to represent the issue to the various stakeholders.

In addition to universal education about human rights, which staff and inmates had consensus about. Inmates also noted that particular situations needed urgent attention if the institution was to be seen as fulfilling their fundamental rights as laid out in the: Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners, and the Corrections Act (Jamaica). The major complaints of the inmates are listed below:

1. Absence of a decent and routine family day–We don’t get to touch our kids, even if they visit. Of the 19 participants who were present at the Assessment Workshop, 10 were mothers who attested to not seeing their children in over one year. Of the 10 inmates who had not seen their children, at least six of them are Jamaicans, who have children in the island. The inability to see children is worsened by the fact that telephone calls to children are only permitted during the week and at hours when they are at school,
2. Roach infestation–I work in the kitchen and both it and the laundry area are infested with roaches. Even the seasoning for the food has roaches in it,
3. Rat infestation–the rats are very big, the size of mongooses, and they are in our dorms. We can’t sleep at nights,
4. Absence of toilet and shower facilities–there are no toilets and showers in the punishment block. We have to use buckets to defaecate in. I was there for about two consecutive months and I had to use newspapers as my toilet. People pass on the outdoor of the block and see us while we bathe inside,
5. Inadequate access to medical care–persons with medical conditions and illnesses  don’t get to see a doctor until at least one month after reporting the problem. There are persons with toothache who can’t see the dentist. I have had this condition on my foot since November, and four months have lapsed since I reported it. It is worsening but I can’t get the attention of a doctor,
   
6. Inability to realize all our rights to visitors–We are short changed or our visit times, as we are allowed five minutes rather than the regulated 15 minutes. Further, only three individuals are allowed to register to visit an inmate at a time, which takes six months to process for eligibility. If there are unforeseen circumstances, like loss of employment, which impair registered visitors, the inmate will have to wait another six months before a new batch of visitors are eligible. Inmates often times do not get their special meals during holidays like Christmas, on account of this situation,
7. Lack of privacy when inmates get visitors–An officer is always there, which makes it quite difficult and uncomfortable to talk with family and get emotional support,
8. Inadequate access to telecommunications–there are three phone booths and only one is working. This situation has made it very difficult to keep in touch with family, as two dorms comprising of a maximum of 28 inmates are allowed to use the sole functioning phone. Jamaican nationals get two minutes conversational time, and non-Jamaicans get five minutes, which expires by the time the connection is made overseas,
9. Slow processing and transfer of funds–foreigners have difficulty getting their money, which is sent by relatives. One British national noted that her brother had sent her cash (pounds) in a letter in September 2008, from which she was given the letter, but not the cash. On contacting the prison administration she was told that the money was lodged and is being processed. Since being told that she made three official requests (in writing), after which she was told that she should wait for them to contact her. Six months have now passed and the money has not been given to the inmate,
10. Unavailability of nutritious food–the tuck shop supplies only sweet juices and snacks, which does not encourage a healthy diet for our physical development and monthly nutritional needs,
11. No remuneration for employment within or outside the institution
12. Lack of access to grooming tools
13. Lack of uniformity of treatment of inmates by officers

Inmates maintaining Fort Augusta's Grounds

These challenges are certainly not insurmountable, and I believe that the stakeholders of Fort Augusta–Major Reese (Permanent Secretary, MNS), Dr. Edwards-Kerr (Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Division, MNS), Mrs. June Jarret (Acting Commissioner of Corrections, DCS), Mrs. Mabel Morris (Inmate Welfare Coordinator, DCS), Mrs. Sylvia Passley (Rehabilitation Coordinator, DCS), Mr. Courtney Gordon (Education Coordinator, DCS), Superintendent Kelly (Fort Augusta), Superintendent Pitter (Fort Augusta), Assistant Superintendent Schloss (Fort Augusta), Corporal Appleton (Fort Augusta), and Fort Augusta inmates–have the right attitude for development. I can’t wait to see the outcome of my charge, to advocate for the institutionalization of human rights at Fort Augusta–What a model this would be for Jamaican communities,  Fort Augusta: Prepared for Development!

Leaving Fort Augusta (with the prison behind this is the road ahead)

Ne-Yo

The directive for the censorship of Romping Shop is not simply an assault by the state on ’slackness’ or Dancehall culture. In fact, its familiar rhythm, copied from Ne-Yo’s, Miss Independent, has brought international pressure on the Broadcasting Commission to regulate musical content and place a ban on the distribution and promotion of Romping Shop. It seems as if this situation has added fuel to a burning fire, as the ban was not limited to the ‘copyright offensive’ song, rather it sought to curtail many elements of the ’socially offensive’ Dancehall culture.

Check out the following videos–the similarity of the rhythm is indisputable…

There is an important question to be asked in this situation of copyright infringement, Why was ‘Romping Shop’ awarded song of the year, publicized internationally, and promoted across the Jamaican mass media, if it was only a demonstration record (white label)?

Spice

Answers to this question may lead us to the source of the problem–a general disregard for intellectual rights and an absence of an effective classification, monitoring and regulatory system for creative content in Jamaica. Copyright protection is no joke, and the stakeholders of the Jamaican music industry simply ignored it in this case. This leaves us to wonder, Who is in charge of monitoring the use of intellectual property?

Vybz Kartel

So many things went wrong in this Romping Shop situation–necessitating such things like: artist development and education about a number of critical issues; reformation of the standards surrounding how we classify creative content; and the establishment of a regulatory system to monitor human (including intellectual) rights and government legislation and policies concerning such rights.

We cannot reform and get the best from our creative industries if we do not invest in its development–Better preparation is definitely needed.

People-centred Advocacy

Michael Moore is a favorite of mine. I think he has been doing very important work using film as an advocacy tool for resisting, engaging, creating, strategising, and bridging gaps in order to improve people’s lives. It is often times said that a picture tells a thousand words, and since discovering the power of film, I believe that it tells people’s stories, as seen in the following video of illegal immigrant workers to the United States of America.

Video advocacy is a powerful tool and it enables persons who are affected by a particular problem to: capture it as it happens, present the side effects and cumulative challenges, and show it to leaders who have the power to make changes. Video, helps community leaders to tell elected representatives, donors, and other stakeholders a more believable story. Video illuminates a problem, thus allowing it to be seen easily.

In my work with Jamaican communities, I therefore urge them to present testimonies of their experiences using video, audio, photography, and hand records. In today’s world of rapidly advancing technology, we can complement personal and community advocacy campaigns with handy equipment like a tape recorder and video and digital camera. In fact, the presentation of a convincing story that will stimulate emotions for social change are dependent on them.

Michael Moore uses testimonies, video footage, and photographs accumulated specifically for his advocacy campaign (as seen in the following video) to tell a convincing story and achieve a success!