Welcome to Barbados - where Human Rights seems Optional?
Channel: bajanreporter
Date: 2012-09-16

This conference which you are viewing highlights from, in my view, seems pre-ordered - Fanz Kafka's "The Trial" may be far more appropriate to quote than Martin Luther King Jr  and spouting how Human Rights are essential or Democracy is more than votes... This is not a statement merely my own personal assessment of a Grant for Civil {Ha! Sic} Society members... The title from BGIS seems so appropriate...

* ALL ACTORS MUST WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE GOALS

Minister of Finance, Christopher Sinckler is calling on all actors within the society to work together to assist civil society in achieving its goals by liberating its members from the constraints of poverty, social degradation and the dislocation that comes from the economic fallout.

He made this observation while addressing the launch of the European Union's $250,000 Non-State Actors Grants Scheme (NSA) launch at the delegation's Hastings, Christ Church, office.

Underscoring the importance of a democratic society, the Minister noted persons would not realise their true potential if these constraints remained a constant feature of their lives.

"Therefore, it is important that government, NGO's, labour, the private sector and the religious community work together to establish common platforms on which they can set forth the community to be able to achieve both individual and collective goals," Mr. Sinckler stressed.

The Minister of Finance said the ongoing economic crisis had exposed the vulnerability of states around the world and urged all societies to find commonality in the principles that would lead to an orderly society.

"As we become more integrated and more reliant on each other, we, therefore, have to find common pathways that clearly delineate the core principles which we intend to follow and which we believe are best for the evolution of an orderly, productive and sustainable society," Mr. Sinckler surmised.

The Minister mentioned the role non-state actors played in promoting a better quality of life for citizens and how this would be achieved through the EU Small Grants Programme.

"This [grant programme] is one step in solidifying that process of building capacity, not only financial and otherwise, but, in the training of persons to undertake that very huge and herculean task of ensuring that they continue to protect and promote the best elements of democracy across our societies.

"I want to encourage my colleagues in the NSA community to continue to do that work ... you have the full support of Government where we can contribute, we will, whether it is with financial resources or otherwise, and we will continue to hold your hands as you hold ours, in ensuring that we make our society a better place to live, work and play," Mr. Sinckler added.

Meanwhile, Acting Head of the EU Delegation, Claude Bochu, said the current grant scheme would "become the flagship programme of the Barbados EU/NSA panel and will empower around 10 non-governmental organisations to work on human rights and human resources advocacy".

"I want to encourage my colleagues in the NSA community to continue to do that work ... you have the full support of Government where we can contribute, we will, whether it is with financial resources or otherwise, and we will continue to hold your hands as you hold ours, in ensuring that we make our society a better place to live, work and play," Mr. Sinckler added.

Meanwhile, Acting Head of the EU Delegation, Claude Bochu, said the current grant scheme would "become the flagship programme of the Barbados EU/NSA panel and will empower around 10 non-governmental organisations to work on human rights and human resources advocacy".

The rest of the BGIS PR fluff will be found in full at bajanreporter.com

* The following item can be seen as justification for denying Garcia his Human Rights or it can be considered as a failure on the part of Barbados to rehabilitate offenders once incarcerated? This was taken from the Online Nation of 16/09/2012;-

The man who was solely responsible for drug rehabilitation in prisons in Barbados is adamant that Cuban Raul Garcia should not be let loose on the nation's streets -- not now, not even 20 years from now.

And Cephus Sealey, who served for ten years at Glendairy and then HMP Dodds, is calling on the Government to petition the United Nations to pay for Garcia's stay here until the global body can find somewhere to lodge the now "stateless" Immigration detainee.

In an exclusive interview with the SUNDAY SUN, Sealey, who retired in May, said Garcia, who was moved to a "safe house" last Sunday at the Garrison, St Michael, after serving nearly 20 years in jail for cocaine possession, never showed any interest in rehabilitation or any remorse over his deeds, and as such still posed a danger to this country.

More on this fascinating juxtaposition at bajanreporter.com in the next 24 hours!