Justices of the Peace (JPs) in the eastern end of the island recently participated in a specially convened training on human rights and gender-based violence. The training sessions facilitated by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC) saw JPs in St. Thomas being exposed to various topics over the two days. Some of these topics included: law and human rights, understanding stigma and discrimination, and gender-based violence and its impact on key population groups.
The Justices of the Peace welcomed the opportunity to participate in what many called enlightening sessions. Errol Bernard said the training was very informative and equipped him to better carry out his role in the St. Thomas community he serves. “In my community, a lot of people are exposed to crime, and they do not know their rights. The training has put me in a position to assist them better. So some of the things that are happening in my community, I can now speak to them, I can help more people because I will be able to give them more information and better advise persons based on what I learned during the sessions,” he shared.
Meanwhile, Darlene McCalla, who has been serving as a Justice of the Peace in St. Thomas for the past four years, said the sessions equipped her with the knowledge required to help people stand up for their rights. “I have learned a lot and now know more about my human rights. What we’ve learned over the two days will also help us to be more impactful as JPs in society. Sometimes, our rights are being trampled, and because we don’t know our rights, we just stay in a corner and roll over and play dead. But now, with us knowing our rights and being able to impart these rights to our fellow Jamaicans, we’ll be better able to handle ourselves in some situations. Also, if we feel like our rights are being violated, we can go to the courts. We should also stand up for the rights of the vulnerable and against stigma and discrimination. As JPs, people in our communities look up to us and listen to us, so these trainings are necessary, and they give you the knowledge to step in when you see injustice happening,” she said.
In the meantime, Norman Huggins said he found one session most interesting. “The session on stigma and discrimination was very important as it helped us to identify stigma and showed us ways to deal with it. This will help us to be more informed to go out and do a good job. All JPs should do a session like this because it has lots of information that can help them serve their country better,” he argued. Errol Bernard agrees, saying, “The training was very informative for me, and I would recommend it to other JPs who wouldn’t have had a training like this. I definitely think others would benefit from this training. I can also share what I learned here today with other JPs in my community, and I know that it will have an impact on them as well.”
The two-day training in St. Thomas is part of CVC’s continued efforts to equip various duty-bearers with the knowledge required to help improve the lives of members of key population groups.
