16/06/2014
New Nation Coalition is calling upon Youth Minister, Lisa Hannah, to explain to the Jamaican people the circumstances under which specialized training in “s*xual rights and discriminatory practices” is being delivered by Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) to children in six children’s homes without the knowledge and consent of the Child Development Agency (CDA), the entity responsible for the oversight of all children’s homes. New Nation is asking, “Was permission sought and given by the Youth Minister?”
New Nation has taken note that the CDA in a press release issued on July 12, 2014 expressed its own concerns that it was completely in the dark about JFJ’s training programme, and charged the organization with “violating procedure by undertaking an unauthorized intervention project…”, “What is the Minister prepared to do now that this violation has been made public?, New Nation asks.
New Nation has also taken note that to date, the names of the six children’s homes have not been disclosed. Children’s Advocate and New Nation Founder, Betty Ann Blaine wants to know, “Which homes are we talking about?, “Who runs these homes?, and what type of training are the children being exposed to?”
“Even more importantly is the matter of who the children are and what are their ages?, Blaine adds. “We have noticed that JFJ describes the children as “marginalized”, but that would apply to close to one-half of the Jamaican youth population. JFJ needs to explain to the Jamaican people exactly how “marginalized” the children they singled out are, and how different those children are from the large population of children who are vulnerable due largely to poverty, dispossession and poor parenting.” We are curious to know what criteria were used to identify and train this group of children.”
“We understand fully that children who are placed in institutions and become wards of the state are there under extenuating circumstances, and that is precisely why those children must be protected from certain types of training, and by the state which is in essence the “parent” of those children.”
New Nation is equally concerned that the stated support for the training project came from the newly formed, Dr. Carolyn Gomes’-led NGO, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC). Asks Blaine, “Exactly which Jamaican children does CVC support and is CVC a grant-receiving or grant-making NGO?
“As a member of the NGO community, I find it interesting that funds for training seems to be geared to certain designated entities and not others. As far as I know there are a number of children’s NGO’s that are able to deliver training in health-related issues. Were any of them given the opportunity under this new funding mechanism?”, Blaine asks.
