Today is International Human Rights Day , a worthy cause to celebrate, indeed. There is still much work to be done, of course, and of late activists seem to be focusing a lot on slavery, migrants and women’s rights. More specific to Jamaica, I would say that education about basic human rights is the most pressing issue. In many inner-city communities, the concept of human rights is a foreign one, literally. A couple of years ago, working with Youth Opportunities Unlimited, we embarked on a campaign in Rockfort, in which people walked around and handed out pamphlets to this effect. For example, it informed readers that they have a right not to be searched by the police, and that they were not required to let them into their homes without a warrant. It was called “Know Yuh Rights”. (Here is Jamaicans For Justice on the issue, and I posted this informative web page aimed at youth on YOU’s Facebook page today).

Human rights also focus a lot on the LGBTQ population. Case in point, this past weekend a priest at an Anglican Church called Father Sean washed the feet of two self-identified lesbians during a morning service. Some people thought this was terrible and amounted to a “take-over” of the church. Here is the Priest, Father Sean Major-Campbell talking about his sermon:

“The essence of the message is that God cares about those who suffer injustice and persecution. The message at Advent also notes that worship without justice is dead! In the Church, we have tended to do a good job talking about justice and praying about it, but the time has come for us to understand that ‘we have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds have become like a filthy cloth’.

“Many of the influential and so-called learned persons in the halls of power in this country are a brood of vipers, religious though they may be. Jamaica is not short of persons with the ability to heal and inspire, but like the Pharisees and Sadduccees, many, like vipers, wait coiled in silence. They wait to strike but never to be an agent of healing and wisdom.”

A brave and kind man, to be sure, to take up this issue in a nation where people from the LGBTQ community, and sex workers, are thought to be less deserving of basic human rights. With people like Father Major-Campbell taking these risks, as well as groups like Jamaicans for Justice, J-FLAG and the Colour Pink Group, Jamaica will one day be a country in which all citizens do enjoy all the promises of the International Declaration of Human Rights.

This is a leather carving made by a boy from the Possibility program I wrote about the other day. They also make belts, wallets and purses, which are for sale for a reasonable price. They are taught this skill, as well as remedial math, English and entrepreneurialism.

The eastern shore of the island is not a tourist destination, but it should be. It is peaceful, gorgeous and lush with sugar cane and farms. And there is a cool organic farming initiative going on at The Source Farm, where they grow produce and bring it in to Kingston on a bi-weekly basis for a farmer’s market, among other activities. There are several abandoned factories out here, however, including the Goodyear tire factory and a garment factory. And according to a recent survey by the Planning Institute of Jamaica, St. Thomas is the most impoverished parish in the country. The Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (which compared 2010 figures to 2012) found that poverty affects one fifth of all Jamaicans, but in St. Thomas, the rate is the highest at 32.5 per cent.

I would have to do more research to determine why this is the case, but based on natural resources and the amount of hard-working individuals out here, it seems incongruent. I also have some questions about the survey itself, the release of which was delayed (officials apologized) and the indicators they use to define poverty. In any case, the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy your day.

Wut. It’s Sunday.

This is a signal on a concrete wall in Halfway Tree, behind a sagging fence, that the Possibility Program exists. It is an NGO dedicated to helping “unattached” youth (are not in school, working and/or not associated with guardians) get back into society. They learn remedial skills like reading, writing and entrepreneurial tactics. They are between 15 and 18 but Leroy Campbell, who runs the program, says he will keep them for longer if they are doing well. At the end of the program, they will get a certificate and hopefully employment. They also do an internship. Campbell told me the other day that they also go on trips around the island. Some have never gone beyond their communities, so he recently took them on a tour of the airport, to the North Coast and the post office. Many of them live and work on the streets, wiping windscreens or begging for money. When they get some, they like to buy food (mostly KFC or Burger King or cook rice) and clothes so they can go to the parties late at night. Many of them live in small groups on the street, some in a nearby cemetery, where they look out for one another. They cook rice for each other if they get some money. That’s the only way to live, they say, is in groups, so they can protect each other, both from others on the streets and the police. Check out another post I wrote about the program here.

Transparency International has released its 2014 Corruptions Perception Index, and Jamaica retains its spot of 85th out of 175 countries. This index ranks “ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be.” This perception is reflected in a recent survey by the Jamaica Gleaner, which found that

of 1,208 Jamaicans, the average person responded that 70 per cent of Jamaica’s elected officials was corrupt, 80 per cent of the police force was corrupt and 50 per cent of government employees were corrupt.

The countries that are perceived to be the least corrupt are Denmark, New Zealand and Finland, while the worst are Sudan, North Korea and Somalia. Interestingly, the United States sits at 17th place, while Canada and the U.K. rest at 10th and 14th respectively. Transparency International gives nations a score out of 100. Jamaica’s has been 38 for the past three years. This could be perceived two ways, of course. The nation is not improving in eradicating the perception of corruption, neither is it getting worse.

I enjoyed this quote I saw the other day in a downtown office. Hope your day is going well.

Today is International World AIDS Day. This video, just released today, is the fruit of a partnership between Eve For Life and Nomaddz. Eve For Life is an NGO doing some wonderful work to support women and children in Jamaica living with HIV. In Jamaica, women account for about 42 per cent of HIV cases and have little access to support services. Eve For Life was established to provide whatever support they require. (Nomaddz is a local band that also supports Eve For Life’s Nuh Guh Deh campaign, which I have written about. If you’d like to learn more about another campaign to support people living with HIV/AIDS, check out this profile I wrote about Damone Thomas’ Healing With Hope, a courageous individual who is doing a lot of good with few resources.)

And while much progress has been made in terms of treating this illness, it remains a global pandemic. Here are some facts: 34 million people are currently infected and 35 million people have died.

Here are a few more facts about HIV in the UK:

Over 90% of people with HIV were infected through sexual contact
You can now get tested for HIV using a saliva sample
HIV is not passed on through spitting, biting or sharing utensils
Only 1% of babies born to HIV positive mothers have HIV
You can get the results of an HIV test in just 15-20 minutes
There is no vaccine and no cure for HIV

According to this web site, there are several things you can do to support this cause: Educate yourself; wear a red ribbon and donate to groups dedicated to eradicating this illness.

Sunset over Kingston.

There is much “official” Bob Marley merchandise here.