Caribbean News

JAMAICA: Social Intervention Programmes Under Way in Denham Town

Published

6 years ago

April 13, 2018

#Jamaica, April 13, 2018 – Kingston – Several social-intervention programmes are currently under way in the Denham Town community in West Kingston, which is currently a Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO). Speaking in the House of Representatives on April 11, Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, said the Zinc Fence Substitution and Integrated Infrastructure Project is being implemented.

He noted that the project, which had seen over 400 metres of zinc fence removed in Denham Town, resumed with a further 75 metres of zinc fence being removed along Reggae Villa.

“The project is progressing and has, to date, employed 30 persons and is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. At the completion, we would do 140 metres in terms of replacing zinc fencing with concrete fencing or other aesthetically appealing and secure material,” the Prime Minister said. He also cited the Infrastructure Improvement Project, which will provide water, sewerage and road improvement works throughout Denham Town.

Mr. Holness said the project, which is scheduled to come on stream by June 2018, will significantly improve the quality of infrastructure in the community.

“There is an incentive programme for the proper management of solid waste. The programme is still in its development phase, but remains on scheduled to be rolled out this year and will heavily engage the community-based organisations. It will see to the creation of environmental wardens, and these wardens will be working closely with the National Solid Waste Management Authority,” he noted.

In the area of human and community development and employment, the Prime Minister said a school-wide behaviour modification programme is to be implemented at the St. Anne’s, St. Alban’s and Denham Town Primary and Denham Town High Schools. He pointed out that this intervention will be implemented within the first quarter of the 2018/19 financial year, and will address issues of truancy and behaviour modification among youth and adolescents.

The programme is to be implemented in collaboration with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF); Ministry of Education, Youth and Information; and the Safe Schools Programme of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

In terms of skills training, a programme to support this area has been approved and is currently in the procurement stage for service providers to provide new training areas and modalities. This programme will provide opportunities for youth in Denham Town to acquire new skills.

The Prime Minister also informed that additional support is being provided by the HOPE Programme though the HEART Trust/NTA. Approximately 50 young persons are projected to benefit from the new interventions. In addition, a programme geared towards entrepreneurship was launched on March 19, 2018, and will allow strong community-based enterprises in Denham Town to access grants ranging from $1.5 million to $25 million to start new enterprises, or for existing entrepreneurs to retool and expand.

The ZOSOs in Mount Salem, St. James; and Denham Town have been extended by a further 60 days.

The House of Representatives on April 11, approved two Resolutions for the extensions, which were moved by Prime Minister Holness.

The Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Act gives the Prime Minister power to declare an area a ZOSO in order to tackle increased crime and volatility. This is in consultation with the National Security Council.

The Zone can only be established after the Police Commissioner and the Chief of Defence Staff make a request for such a declaration in writing to the Prime Minister.

Release: JIS

Caribbean News

CARICOM pushes need for Reparations Tribunal at Forum in Geneva

Published

8 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer

Words are in circulation in support for the establishment of an international tribunal, geared towards seeking reparations for centuries long transatlantic slave trade, after a CARICOM official made calls at the third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) in Geneva, Switzerland.

During day two of the gathering held from April 16 to 19, 2024, David Comissiong, Barbados Ambassador to the Caribbean Community, stated there is a need for the tribunal as there is currently no international court to deal with the issues of reparations.

Commision, like the other members that support his view, according to reports, are aware this won’t be an easy feat, as he expressed that establishing the tribunal would require a “positive decision” by the UN General Assembly, further calling on the officials at the Forum and the UN, to come together through international collaboration and “make this happen.”

The idea creation of the tribunal was born last year 2023, suggested by the PFPAD, now reiterated by Comissiong.

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, in a video, addressing the opening of the forum, supported the ongoing calls for respiratory efforts, a sentiment not shared by many.

Mentioning that racism is still an issue in today’s society, Guterres said, “ now we must build on that momentum, to drive meaningful change by ensuring that people of African descent enjoy the full and equal realization of their human rights; by stepping up efforts to eliminate racism and discrimination, including through reparations.”

Caribbean News

CARICOM sends warning as Oil prices creep higher in the Israel v Iran conflict; 14 regional states import energy

Published

8 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

Garfield Ekon
Staff Writer

The recent attack on the Sate of Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran, has delivered growing uncertainty across the Caribbean region, and the rest of the global economy.

Chief among the many concerns, is the free flow of oil from the Middle East, which stands at 31% of daily production for the global economy. At minimum, shipping costs are likely to increase based on the increased risk of military action in the Persian Gulf.

Pressure is also building on US and European insurance clubs to avoid any transaction, including those with China, that involve Iranian crude and additional rerouting of oil and gas shipments in response to Houthi threats, or Allied responses.

According to the Caribbean Community Council of Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), “these developments not only exacerbate the already tense situation but also pose significant threats to regional stability and international peace,” the group warned in a media statement.

It added that the continued cycle of retaliation, including the recent attack on Israel by Hamas, Israel’s “disproportionate response” in Gaza, and the “alarming new dimension of direct confrontations between Israel and Iran, leads to an untenable situation fraught with potential for greater regional conflict and global instability.

“The human toll of this conflict, highlighted by tragic incidents such as deaths and injuries to children, demand an immediate and empathetic response from the global community. It is imperative that there be no further escalation that can lead to more suffering and instability,” it said.

While calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, the regional body underscored that it strongly urges both nations to halt any further military actions that could worsen the situation, endangering not only their own populations but also the broader international community.

“We implore all parties to consider the severe consequences of further conflict and to commit to diplomatic solutions that ensure the safety, sovereignty, and dignity of all people involved,” the CARICOM statement said.

On October 6, 2023, the day before Hamas attacked Israel, the international benchmark Brent crude was trading at $85 per barrel and has been fluctuating at up to $96.

On Thursday, it traded at $91 per barrel. With the exception of gas-rich Trinidad and Tobago, the 14 other countries of CARICOM, are energy importers.

Approximately 93 percent of the region’s energy needs are met by oil imports, which average 13% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Caribbean News

Gov’t Committed to Seeking Reparations for Chattel Slavery – Minister Grange

Published

8 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

KINGSTON, April 16 (JIS):

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, says the Jamaican Government remains committed to seeking reparations for the prolonged period of chattel enslavement endured by the African forefathers on the country’s plantations.

Minister Grange said that the historical events of the transatlantic slave trade continue to have a lasting impact on Black communities to this day.

She contended that the ongoing struggles to finance education and healthcare, address poverty and housing issues, respond to economic shocks and climate change impacts, and foster peaceful societies are all rooted in the historical legacy of enslavement.

Minister Grange was addressing a church service on Sunday (April 14) at the Webster Memorial United Church in St. Andrew, where an apology was issued on behalf of the United Reform Church (URC) in the United Kingdom (UK) by Moderator of the Assembly of the URC, Reverend Tessa Henry-Robinson, for the church’s historical involvement in slavery.

“We, the general assembly of the United Reform Church, mindful of our own history and that of our antecedent bodies, wish to confess and apologise for our role in transatlantic slavery and the scars which continue to blight our society, our church and the lives of Black people in our midst and around the globe today,” the apology read.

Minister Grange, in accepting the apology, urged UK churches, particularly those whose representatives were present for the historic apology in Jamaica, to communicate to their government the ethical imperative of admitting culpability through an apology and working with Jamaica to discern the potential avenues for reparations.

She said that the church’s role in the transatlantic slave trade has had significant and enduring effects on Black communities, impacting society, the church itself, and the lives of Black individuals worldwide.

“It is this complicity of the church that gave solace and comfort to the citizens and governments of UK and Europe as they endorsed and defended with their military project, that saw the capture, the torture, the dehumanisation, and devaluation of African people, legacies of which we experience today as racism, white supremacy, and discrimination,” she stated.

“We struggle to build peaceful, stable societies because of the perpetration of violence which was the platform on which enslavement was executed yet, in spite of this, we have been good converts to these same religions. Our people have adopted and adapted the doctrines and rituals of these new religions and in many instances have energised and revitalised them with cultural practices of African spirituality,” the Minister emphasised.

The URC is a community of Christians gathering in local churches across England, Scotland, and Wales, and is part of the global family of Reformed Churches, comprising more than 70 million Christians.

With approximately 42,000 members in around 1,200 congregations, supported by more than 600 ministers, the URC plays a significant role in the spiritual and communal life of its members and the broader community.

CONTACT: BRITNEY STEVENS