MIC Newsletter - September 20th, 2023

The Civic Space in Jamaica

The issues arising in the civic space are varied and are tied to basic rights of freedom of expression, speech and thought. It relates to the human spirit at its core and how citizens can convey their sentiments responsibly but without fear or reprisal.

Interwoven in the social framework of the civic space is the seeming lack of consideration for members of society who must live with the decisions taken by governments or others who shape their daily lives. It opens the door to suggestions of better informed communities and improved public consultation.

This series focuses on the civic space in Jamaica and was supported by the Media Institute of the Caribbean and Internews.

Rightfully Covering the Civic Space

By Fiona Daniels and Kimberly Henry

In Jamaican culture and especially through reggae music, the country is known for the struggle to protect peoples’ rights. Jamaica has always been a pioneer for freedom, having fought to rid South Africa of apartheid. The term Civics is said to have derived from the Latin word ‘civicus’ which means ‘relating to a citizen’. In the Jamaican space, it’s perceived as unwritten moral guidelines which teach persons how to navigate the social space. Civics focuses on imparting knowledge about rights – human and fundamental – personal responsibility, acceptable behaviour and mores, national awareness, the duties of the citizen and the functioning of the democratic nation. Though the subject was formulated decades ago, there is a premise that there is a drastic degeneration in society because civics is no longer taught in schools or taught to the younger population.

Data Collection

The journalists who did this story conducted a survey entitled ‘Covering the Civic Space 2023 Survey’, to ask Jamaicans if they know their rights, if they were taught their rights in school, if they think learning civics can positively impact our society and if they think it should be mandatory in schools. The survey was conducted over a one month period, from July to August 2023, with 250 participants, from all 14 parishes in Jamaica and the diaspora, of different genders, ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. 

Data was also collected through live in-person interviews of 12 persons within the capital’s corporate area, which includes Half Way Tree, Downtown and New Kingston. 

Further data was collected through in-person and virtual interviews with members from the governing Jamaica Labour Party and the opposition People’s National Party, various ministries and advocacy groups.

Read the full results here:

Rightfully - Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (cijn.org)

“Not an easy Road!”- Jamaica’s Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project

By Robian Williams, Daina Davy, Abugail Bartley and Mahri Stewart

Workmen paving the surface of a section of the Harbour View main road in St. Andrew.

Jamaica’s Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project, SCHIP, is being touted as the country’s largest integrated road infrastructure project.

The multi-billion dollar investment is being implemented by the Andrew Holness-led government, under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation with co-funding from the China Exim Bank. 

The project commenced in January 2017, and is slated to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. 

The flagship project is being executed in three tranches: Part A – May Pen to Williamsfield; Part B (ii) – Harbour View to Yallahs Bridge; and Part B (iii and iv) – Yallahs Bridge to Port Antonio and Morant Bay to Cedar Valley.

The objective is to enhance the alignment and capacity of the existing southern coastal main arterial road, making it safer and more efficient for motorists to traverse.

However, Part B (ii) – Harbour View to Yallahs Bridge of the project has been characterized by inordinate delays, poor community relations and a dust nuisance that has made life almost unbearable for residents of several communities, especially those living closest to the work site.

Read the full story here:

“Not an easy Road!”- Jamaica’s Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project - Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (cijn.org)

Bucknor – A Volatile Clarendon Community Transitions From Violent Past

By David Thomas and Michael Thomas

Sign of the Bucknor Community.

From the heart of the Bucknor community, the echoes of a turbulent past linger. Once notorious for violence and discrimination, the streets that were shrouded in fear are now the stage for a remarkable transformation. Residents’ voices carry stories of resilience, testaments of a collective struggle to break free from a cycle of despair and a determination to reclaim their community.

“This community was pure bush. Only two of us lived here, now houses being are being built and people looking for land to buy,” shares resident of Bucknor for over 40 years, Lynford Thomas. “The violence in the community slow down because who was supporting the violence dead and gone. It needs the residents around to live well with one another, away from that I don’t see anything wrong with the community.”

The lasting impact of violence, however, remains embedded in the community’s fabric. The collective psyche is a tapestry interwoven with the threads of trauma, resilience, and a longing for peace. These invisible wounds, often overlooked, have left residents grappling with a prevailing fear.

“Even twelve o’clock a day you afraid to come out”, said Thomas, “I remember police come when them (criminals) shoot a man right there so (pointing at the spot in front of his home) by the willow tree”. 

Despite these challenges, the Bucknor community stands as a testament to the human spirit’s tenacity. Years of violence and discrimination couldn’t extinguish the spark of hope that’s driving the residents to address the root causes of violence. Their struggles are not just about survival but about redefining their community narrative.

Read the full story here:

Bucknor - A Volatile Clarendon Community Transitions From Violent Past - Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (cijn.org)

ACM's Calls For Swift And Impartial Police Investigation Into Shooting

The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) condemns the recent shooting outside Nationwide News Network's offices in Kingston, Jamaica and calls on the police to conduct a swift and impartial investigation into the matter.

ACM views the shooting incident as an assault on all the press in Jamaica. An assault on the media, verbal or otherwise should not be tolerated and should be condemned by all and sundry. Our media workers, especially our journalists and other who work directly in news gathering should be allowed to do their jobs without fear or intimidation.

During a special meeting with the Press Association of Jamaica, ACM recommitted to providing support to our colleagues affected by this act and will be in contact with regional as well as international partners bringing attention to this act.

SPECIAL FEATURES ALERT

STORIES CAN BE REPUBLISHED FREE OF CHARGE WITH CREDIT TO CIJN

Online Fraud in St. Kitts and Nevis, a Pervasive Problem for Public, Law Enforcement and Banks

By Jermine Abel

Law enforcement officials say that online scams in the twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

But how the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF)’track and document these criminal acts makes it hard to know the prevalence of the scams. Thus, the measuring of the crime data continues as an issue.

Over the last four years, the territory has seen sophisticated forms of online scams being reported to various law enforcement agencies, and it is proving to be a challenge for the agencies to curb the problem.

During his interview with the Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (CIJN), Commissioner of Police, James Sutton concurred that there is a significant increase of online scams within the Federation despite warning that “If it is too good to be true, then it is.” 



Read the full story HERE:

Dominica at Risk of Losing its FreshWater Resource - Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (cijn.org)

The Impact Of Climate Change On The Disabled Communities’ Health In Dominica

By Richie Ferrol

Human Rights and Special Education Consultant, Ms. Beverly Leblanc, Beverly lists out the major issues affecting disabled persons in Dominica.

Video credit: Richie Ferrol

Globally, about 1.3 billion people are living with disabilities. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this represents 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us. 

In many countries, people with disabilities (PWDs) are mainly seen as members of a vulnerable community, and their skills or abilities are often sidelined or overlooked by the wider society. 

On the Caribbean island of Dominica, the same is true.

Although some NGOs and human rights advocates continue to raise awareness regarding the plight and achievement of people with disabilities, civil society and the central government are not doing enough to bolster the community toward sustainability and inclusion.

CIJN has identified some of the main challenges affecting the disabled community in Dominica. It is clear that after the passage of Tropical Storm Erika in 2015 & Hurricane Maria in 2017, people with disabilities were exposed to more significant risks of noncommunicable diseases, severe physical injury, anxiety disorders, amplified respiratory conditions, infectious diseases, lack of access to medical care and medication and in some cases, even malnutrition.

Read the full story HERE:

The Impact Of Climate Change On The Disabled Communities' Health In Dominica - Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (cijn.org)

Pandemic-era Dip in Childhood Vax Rates Sparks Concern

By Jermine Abel and Theresa Goodwin

Vaccines being prepared for shipment by the Pan American Health Organization.

Source: PAHO

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the Caribbean had a vaccination problem.

About 10 years ago, childhood immunisation rates began to slip below the World Health Organisation’s recommended 95 percent, leaving the region vulnerable to a potential re-emergence of deadly diseases like polio, measles or mumps.

When the pandemic hit, those rates plummeted further in many countries.

“If you look at the Caribbean as a whole, we find that of the more than 11,000 children younger than one year who live in the Caribbean, almost one in ten did not receive all of their vaccine doses,” Dr. Margherita Ghiselli, an immunisation advisor with the Pan American Health Organisation, told the Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network during a virtual PAHO media briefing in April.

Much of the rest of the Americas faces a similar predicament, which health officials often blame on a Covid double-whammy: First, movement restrictions during the pandemic limited access to routine medical care; and second, misinformation associated with the Covid shot has made people more reluctant to trust any vaccine.

Falling vaccination rates could be deadly at a time when diseases like measles, mumps and polio have started to re-emerge in the Americas.



To fight back, Caribbean health officials are doubling down on education efforts — even in countries that have managed to keep their own vaccination rates relatively high.

Read the full story HERE:

Pandemic-era Dip in Childhood Vax Rates Sparks Concern - Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (cijn.org)

PRESS RELEASE

THE MEDIA INSTITUTE OF THE CARIBBEAN AND GLOBAL FINANCIAL INTEGRITY SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF JOURNALISTS IN BELIZE

-September 19, 2023

The Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC), in collaboration with Global Financial Integrity (GFI), has completed a six-week investigative journalism programme of virtual training with Belizean journalists focused on investigating matters in the public interest.

The programme was also supported by Friends For Conservation And Development (FCD) of Belize with contributions from the National Biodiversity Unit, the Forest Department, and other stakeholders.

Over the period August 8, 2023 to September 12, 2023, more than 25 journalists were exposed to interactive presentations on financial legislation and enforcement, real estate and money laundering, wildlife trafficking, exploitation of natural resources (illegal gold panning), and conservation. There were also discussions on understanding the process of land ownership and an explanation of the dynamics of the Belizean economy.

At the end of the series there was an exploration of story ideas for further elaboration by journalists in the coming months.

MIC President, Kiran Maharaj, said “the issues in the public interest in Belize regarding the environment and ecosystems are significant and shows the need for better in-depth coverage as well as the support of a free flow of information as it impacts society…the workshops also showed the potential for cross-border collaboration and the benefits of civil society organizations exposing their perspectives and findings.”



In closing, Solangel Vasquez, policy analyst for Belize at GFI praised the MIC for its efforts during the programme and noted the high level of participation by Belizean journalists.

Leading media tutors included MIC Vice President Wesley Gibbings, Jim Clancy (USA), Spencer Woodman (USA), Craig Silverman (Canada), and Sanne Stevens (Netherlands).