Sodomy is an Issue for Teens says Jamaicans for Justice Interim Chairman

As Jamaicans for Justice settles itself and the pending police investigations which to me is going too far in a witch hunt to punish someone continue the interim chairman has spoken again on the issue of sodomy, early initiation and youngsters as highlighted in today's Gleaner below. He had spoken to it in a radio interview in a previous post on this blog via RJR's Beyond The Headlines.

See that post here: Jamaicans for Justice Slowly Recovers & Appoints an Interim Board

Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter today reports:

Dr Barry Wade, the interim chairman of Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), has declared that a controversial education programme introduced in six private children's homes by the under-fire human rights lobby was justified, arguing that many of the nation's children are being exposed to anal sex.

"A lot of the children in Jamaica are sodomised. That's the reality," Wade told The Sunday Gleaner shortly after his appointment was announced last week.

"What we were doing was helping the children with how to deal with it; first of all, how to avoid it, then how to report it in instances of it happening, and how to manage themselves in a sexually safe and sound way."

Copies of the course outline obtained by The Sunday Gleaner showed where the wards at these homes were taught that "vaginal sex, anal sex and oral sex are forms of sexual penetration".

actual slides from the instructor's version of the JFJ manual (not included in the article) 

The course outline went on to state: "Anal and oral sex have traditionally been frowned upon, but with time, these practices are becoming more accepted."

The children were urged to "use a condom and lubricant during anal sex" to protect themselves against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Despite Wade's utterances, chairman of the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, Dr Wayne West, believes information of that nature should not have been included in a course geared towards children.

"I would suggest that probably the more important thing is to make people aware of the risk and of the harm that persons who seek to do that to them are in fact doing to them, both physically and psychologically," West said.

"Sodomising children is a criminal offence, and if you are seeking to protect them, you seek not to make it safe, but tell them how to bring the perpetrators to justice. But I am not hearing Jamaicans for Justice doing that."

The sex-education programme, which started in the homes in October 2013 and wrapped up earlier this year, saw children as young as 11 years old being taught about what many consider controversial alternative sexual practices.

An interim report by the Child Development Agency (CDA) stated that a review of the content of the JFJ training programme found that sections were "inappropriate for the age cohort and a departure from that approved by the Ministry of Education for use in public schools".

NECESSARY COURSE

But Wade, who was last Tuesday co-opted as chairman of a provisional 10-member board, believes the type of information the children were exposed to was necessary.

"The youngsters who we were engaging with, many of them were already sexually active, and that is a problem in many of the children's homes. These children - willingly or unwillingly - are being exposed to these things," Wade argued. "The purpose of the programme was to indicate to them that these things were there, how they could handle it, and how they could protect themselves in such situations. They weren't being introduced to something that they either had no knowledge of or that was outside of the so-called Jamaican culture. This is reality for many of the youngsters in the children's homes, so the context in which it was being taught was a very real one."

West is, however, of the view that if Wade and the other interim board members continue to sing from the same hymn book as the previous board, and do not get back to the organisation's roots, the JFJ will struggle to regain the confidence of Jamaicans.

"When they (JFJ) came into being, they were protecting the right to life, which would be of the citizens, and they were very good at that, and what they were doing was a good thing," West said. "The question of sexual rights is a whole new concept, which does not have international support and which, from the perspective of culture, may be something that the vast majority of Jamaican persons will not embrace. The concept that young people 10 years old have a right to sex as they choose is a cultural phenomenon that Jamaicans may not accept. So, to the extent that Jamaicans for Justice plans to include that in their mandate and continue to pursue it, it will, I think, give them a challenge to their image."

The training programme, titled 'Realising Sexual and Reproductive Health Responsibly: JFJ's Pilot Intervention in Children's Homes', was undertaken without the knowledge of the CDA or the relevant ministry at Alpha Boys' Home, St John's Bosco, Jamaica National Children's Home, Sunbeam Home for Boys, Elsie Bemand Home for Girls, and Best Care Children's Home.

The police are currently carrying out investigations into the programme to ascertain whether the Child Care and Protection Act and the Offences Against the Person Act were breached, and if anyone should face charges.

ENDS

Frankly the JCHS will do anything to oppose "homosexuality" as it were alongside the recently formed Jamaica CAUSE as as well og which Dr Wayne West is a founding member so I am not surprised at the well crafted rebuttal that really means nothing in the final analysis.

Even when common sense should prevail we see rubbish before us, this course is needed the only thing that has and still bothers me is the bypassing of the constituted authority which is the Child Development Agency, CDA as is legally required and the fact that they with all the proxy and monitoring powers they have of children's homes with abilities to not seek permission from their administrators to access the wards of the state did not see or hear of this seven month long course, someone is not speaking the truth.

Let us watch this development, I hope the JFJ regains its position of trust and the principles which it has come to be known via public advocacy, transparency, good governance and accountability.

A letter in the Jamaica Observer August 4 challenges the legality of the board which raises more questions of in-fighting:

It Read:

Dear Editor,

It is necessary to challenge by what authority do Dr Barry Wade and other members of the newly announced Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) board of directors act.

Only two board members remained following the children's homes 'scandal' that caused the majority of board members to resign.

It is written in the JFJ Board of Directors Manual, Item 2(f) iii that the board shall consist of no less than seven persons. Therefore, new elections should have been held at the recent JFJ extraordinary general meeting to select new directors to direct the affairs of JFJ. This did not happen.

The so-called new board of directors has no authority to act on behalf of JFJ. A properly constituted board of directors needs to be elected forthwith.

Beverly Sinclair
sinclairbv311@yahoo.com
Kingston 8

I am sure this is not the end of this as some persons seek to de-legitimize the work of JFJ apparently. 

And as sure as I gave the last update above here comes another:

August 4
KINGSTON, Jamaica:  Wade Insists JFJ Board is OK

Interim chairman of Jamaicans for Justice, Dr Barry Wade is today insisting that the interim board of the human rights lobby group was constitutionally appointed.

JFJ has been plunged into crisis over its unauthorised implementation of a sex education course in six privately-run children’s homes.

The human rights group has also been facing a leadership meltdown following mass resignations and counterclaims over who is responsible for the introduction of anal and oral sex content as part of the course.

The interim board was appointed last week during an emergency meeting of JFJ’s membership.

However, following the announcement, questions have been raised in some sectors about the constitutionality of the board.

According to the Interim Chairman, the group’s constitution gives remaining board members the authority to co-opt to the JFJ.

He says this is what was done for the interim board.
Peace and tolerance

H