Caribbean News

JAMAICA: RGD Stages Free Birth Registration Fairs

Published

6 years ago

June 19, 2018

#Kingston, June 19, 2018 – Jamaica – The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) will be hosting a series of registration fairs across the island over the next 18 months to facilitate persons who are without a birth certificate or those who may need to complete the process. The first in the series of fairs will be held on Wednesday (June 20) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Linstead Methodist Church in St. Catherine.

Persons in Linstead and surrounding areas will be able to access late registration and late entry of name services, free of cost.

“So, if you are not sure you were registered, never seen a copy of your birth certificate, have a birth certificate but no surname or name on it, then we will help you get an identity,” RGD’s Marketing and Planning Manager, Nicole Whyte, said in a JIS News interview.

She explained that the staging of the fairs “is a drive to register all unregistered persons in Jamaica, as there are persons who are not accounted for – they do not have an identity; they were born but were never, ever registered”. She noted that there are also individuals who were registered but they were not named at birth.

“So, there is no name at registration, just the sex of male or female, the date and where they were born. Also there are persons who were given a first name but no surname, and that is not acceptable now. We cannot print or generate a birth certificate without a name or surname on it, and so the registration process would be deemed incomplete in these instances,” she pointed out.

Mrs. Whyte said that persons will be required to present whatever documents they possess that can be used as verification, in addition to completing a form.

“If persons have access to their christening records, a marriage certificate, if any of their parents is deceased and they have the death certificate, immunisation card, or school records… whatever they have as proof of name or to substantiate who they say they are, will be accepted and used in the registration process,” she pointed out.

She informed that for the late entry of name, the process takes four to six weeks for the birth certificate to be generated while the late registration takes a longer period, involving a lengthy, thorough process of searching records to ensure that persons were not previously registered.

Highlighting the importance of registration, Mrs. Whyte pointed out that “it allows you to have an identity and that is how we are able to say this is ‘John Brown’, who was born to such parents at this particular place and date”.

“The birth certificate is one of those first documents that you will need in order to get other documents. So you need a birth certificate in order to obtain a passport, tax registration number (TRN), to apply and get benefits from the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH); or for persons who are working and approaching retirement, they need their birth certificate in order to access their pension,” she noted.

“So, if you know you were not registered, never seen a copy of your birth certificate, have a birth certificate but no surname or name is on it, then we are encouraging you to make use of this opportunity and get registered or complete the registration process free of cost at these upcoming fairs,” Mrs. Whyte urged.

Persons who are already registered, but may need another copy of their birth certificate, can also access the service at a cost.

For information on dates and locations of the fairs, members of the public can contact the RGD at 876-619-1260 or 749-0550.

Release: JIS

Photo credit: HuffPost

Caribbean News

CARICOM pushes need for Reparations Tribunal at Forum in Geneva

Published

5 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

6 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

6 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