US decries human rights practices in Caribbean

Jamaica criticised for ‘a lack of willing witnesses and inefficiencies in the judiciary’

WASHINGTON,DC, USA (CMC) – The United States of America, which has itself been criticised for police and other abuses, continues to decry human rights practices in Caribbean Community (Caricom) member-states, saying that many of them are still engaged in egregious practices that derail democracy.

In its 2015 edition of the “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,” released here last Wednesday, the US Department of State pointed to what it described as “a global governance crisis” in which it said the respect for the rule of law in some Caricom states is inadequate and this is exacerbated by a deficient judicial system and chronic corruption in some branches of Government, among other things.

In Haiti, the State Department said the most serious impediments to human rights involved weak democratic governance worsened by the dissolution of Parliament in January, when the terms of all deputies and two-thirds of the Senate expired.

The department said there was also insufficient respect for the rule of law, worsened by “a deficient judicial system and chronic corruption in all branches of Government.”

Other human rights problems in Haiti included “isolated allegations of arbitrary and unlawful killings by Government officials; allegations of use of force against suspects and protesters; overcrowding and poor sanitation in prisons; prolonged pretrial detention; an inefficient, unreliable, and inconsistent judiciary; and governmental confiscation of private property without due process,” the report said.

Additionally, the State Department said there were reports of rape, violence and societal discrimination against women; child abuse; allegations of social marginalisation of vulnerable populations; and trafficking in persons.

Violence, including gender-based violence, and crime within the remaining internally displaced persons (IDP) camps remained a problem, the report said.

“Although the Government took steps to prosecute or punish government and law enforcement officials accused of committing abuses, credible reports persisted of officials engaging in corrupt practices, and civil society groups alleged that impunity was a problem,” the State Department said.

It said the most serious human rights problem in Suriname was the “unresolved trial” of President Desire Delano Bouterse and 22 co-defendants for the 1982 extra-judicial killings of 15 political opponents, “a trial that exemplifies deeper doubts about judicial independence in the country.”

Other human rights problems in Suriname included: Police brutality; poor conditions in detention centres; self-censorship by media organisations and journalists; widespread Government corruption; and violence and abuse against women and children.

The State Department also said other issues included trafficking in persons; continued lack of recognition of land rights for Maroons – the descendants of escaped slaves who fled to the hinterland, and Amerindians; discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons and other minorities; and child labour in the informal sector.

In Jamaica, the report said “an overburdened, under-resourced and dysfunctional judicial system, which obstructed access to justice for victims of crime and their families, and allegedly unlawful killings by Government security forces” were the most serious human rights issues.

According to the report, other human rights issues in Jamaica included inadequate prison and jail conditions; violence against and sexual abuse of children; and violence and discrimination against women, and against (LGBTI) persons.

The State Department said the Jamaican Government’s efforts resulted in charging a much larger number of police officers with abuses than the previous year.

But the report said a lack of willing witnesses and inefficiencies in the judiciary “continued to plague the justice system”, adding that trials continued to languish.

Stating that civilian authorities in Guyana, at times, did not maintain effective control over the security forces in 2015, the State Department said the most significant human rights problems were “arbitrary killings by the Government or its agents; allegations of Government corruption, including among police officials”, and laws that discriminate against women and LGBTI persons.

Other human rights problems in Guyana included lengthy pretrial detention.

“There was a lack of independent and transparent procedures for handling allegations of abuses by security force members,” the report said.

“Prosecutions, when pursued, were extremely lengthy, and convictions rare, leading to a widespread perception that security force members and Government officials enjoyed impunity,” it added.

In the Bahamas, the State Department said the most serious human rights problems were “mistreatment of irregular migrants, compounded by problems in processing them; an inefficient judicial system, resulting in trial delays and an increase in retaliatory crime against both witnesses and alleged perpetrators; and the perception of impunity on the part of law enforcement and immigration officials accused of using excessive force.”

Other human rights problems in the Bahamas, the report said, included substandard detention conditions; corruption; violence and discrimination against women; sexual abuse of children; and discrimination based on ethnic descent, sexual orientation, or HIV status.

The report said, however, that, in some cases, the Government took action against police officers and other officials accused of abuse of power.

For Belize, the State Department said the most important human rights abuses included the use of excessive force by security forces, especially the police; lengthy pretrial detention; and harassment and threats based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Other human rights problems included corruption by officials, domestic violence, discrimination against women, sexual abuse of children, trafficking in persons, and child labour.

“In some cases, the Government took steps to prosecute public officers who committed abuses, both administratively and through the courts, but there were few successful prosecutions,” the report said.

“While many lower-ranking officials faced disciplinary action and/or criminal charges for alleged abuses, higher-ranking officials were less likely to face punishment, resulting in a perception of impunity,” it added.

The State Department identified police mistreatment of suspects, detainees and prisoners; poor prison conditions and a slow judicial system; and violence and discrimination against women as the most serious human rights issues in Trinidad and Tobago.

It said other human rights problems in the twin-island republic involved high-profile cases of alleged bribery and corruption; inadequate services for vulnerable populations, such as children and persons with disabilities; and laws that discriminate against LGBTI persons.

“The Government took some steps to punish security force members and other officials charged with killings or other abuse, but there continued to be a perception of impunity based on the open-ended nature of many investigations and the generally slow pace of criminal judicial proceedings,” the report said.

It said other human rights problems included child abuse and discrimination against persons with disabilities.

In St Lucia, the report said the most serious human rights problems included long delays in investigating reports of unlawful police killings, abuse of suspects and prisoners by the police, and continued postponements of trials and sentencing.

Other human rights problems included violence against women, child abuse, and discrimination against persons based on their “real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity,” the report said.

“Although the Government took limited steps to prosecute officials and employees who committed abuses, the procedure for investigating police officers was lengthy, cumbersome, and often inconclusive,” it added.

In St Vincent and the Grenadines, the State Department said gender-based violence and police impunity were the most serious human rights problems.

The department said other human rights problems included official corruption; lack of Government transparency; discrimination; child abuse; and laws that discriminate against LGBTI persons.

Government procedures exist to investigate violations, but few reports of violations were made,” the department said.

In St Kitts and Nevis, the most serious human rights problems were poor prison conditions and discrimination and violence against women, the State Department said.

Other human rights problems, it said, included Government corruption, child abuse, and discrimination against the LGBTI community.

The report said the Timothy Harris Administration took steps to prosecute and convict officials who committed abuses, but added that “some cases remained unresolved”.

The most significant human rights abuses in Dominica, according to the State Department, included domestic and sexual violence against women and children.

Other human rights problems included laws that discriminated against LGBTI persons and discrimination against persons with disabilities, the department said.

It said the Dominica Government took steps to prosecute officials who committed abuses, and that there were no known cases of impunity.

On the other hand, the most significant human rights abuses in Grenada included poor prison conditions, violence against women, child abuse, and laws against LGBTI persons, according to the report.

“Unprofessional conduct” by police, violence against women and discrimination against LGBTI individuals were the most serious human rights problems in Barbados, the report said.

Paper on LGBT Situation in Jamaica Launched

also see: 

Govt Advances Plans to Establish National Human Rights Institute ... 2015

JFLAG had a press conference as reported on Nationwide radio on their midday news where they asked for some considerations about the previously announced human rights institute by the justice minister but I would have preferred this in June when the announcement was done and not so many months later and in the middle of an election campaign at that, this is just going to be drowned out by all the shenanigans of the internal politics that now obtains. Anyway see what you make of it as the introduction in part says below, to download the PDF go here.

National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are State bodies with a constitutional and/or legislative mandate to protect and promote human rights. They are part of the State apparatus and are funded by the State1. Their function as enumerated by the Paris Principles is to protect and promote the human rights secured by international law within the domestic sphere of Member States of the United Nations. 

This paper seeks to question how the establishment of such an institution will impact the human rights situation within Jamaica, particularly for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. 

The paper will consider the Paris Principles which outline the operational framework, roles and responsibilities of NHRIs and make a determination as to whether there are any current spaces in which such an institution can be regarded as existing within the Jamaican context. It will then set out the situation of human rights abuses faced by the LGBT community and the legal framework within which these abuses are committed, often times with impunity. Finally, there will be an analysis of the possible formation of a Jamaican NHRI and how that will address the concerns of the LGBT community, with a view to making useful recommendations concerning the establishment of this body within our legal framework.

THE PARIS PRINCIPLES
A PUTATIVE NHRI FRAMEWORK

The Paris Principles were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in its 44th session on the 4th of March 1994. They established the minimum operational standard for NHRIs within several guidelines. The implications of these guidelines will be considered in order to weigh the possibility and merit of having an NHRI within the Jamaican jurisdiction. The first and second principles read as follow:

1. A national institution shall be vested with competence to promote and protect human rights. 

2. A national institution shall be given as broad a mandate as possible, which shall be clearly set forth in a constitutional or legislative text, specifying its composition and its sphere of competence. The first establishes the broad mandate of an NHRI.

The promotion and protection of human rights go beyond the duty on States to respect the rights of the citizen; the latter is generally framed as a duty of non-interference. Protection involves positive action by the State to ensure observance of the right by both State and non-State actors and promotion involves making persons aware of their rights and how to access them. 

The second principle requires the State to actually go through the process of lawmaking or constitutional amendment. This is an important step as a legislative or constitutional basis gives the NHRI legitimacy and some measure of credibility and accountability. Such a body cannot act outside of the four corners of its lawmaking document. This would mean Parliament would have to go through the rigorous process of drafting legislation and having public consultation. Even more so, if the method to be taken is by way of a constitutional amendment. 

Section 49 of the Jamaican Constitution outlines the varied and lengthy procedures for constitutional amendment.

World Health Organization, WHO Urging Gay Men To Take Antiretrovirals, Says HIV Cases High In Group

download/read the report HERE 

Let me just be clear I am having mixed feelings about this new call.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging all sexually active gay men to take antiretroviral drugs to reduce the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Problem is are we sure what are the side effects when one stops taking these system altering drugs that go to the core of the immune systems and metabolic areas?

According to a BBC report, the organisation says the move may help prevent a million new HIV infections over 10 years.

Officials warn rates of HIV among gay men remain high across the globe.

However, activists suggest this could discourage the use of condoms - one of the best methods to stop the virus spreading. The "chemical condom" psychological concern is real as persons may abandon such traditional practices for safer sex and instead latch on to a "take a pill" get a thrill philosophy abandoning any care and vigilance for reducing risk. When is it for example is one to take these pills prior to sex, immediately, two hours how long before and how long after if one is on let's see an orgy or a multiple day sexual activity?

The vagueness of this call is disturbing to me and I wonder if this is another way to make money for drug companies or extend the life of the cogs of HIV prevention so careers can be saved, was it really ever about finding a cure of different treatment that would or could lead to less drugs?

According to the WHO report, men who have sex with men are 19 times more likely to have HIV than the general population.

Health experts say offering antiretroviral drugs to all at-risk men - known as pre-exposure prophylaxis - will provide an additional way to prevent infection, together with condom use. I supported the concept at first but after seeing the new push and some of whom who are behind it I like many other gay men worldwide are questioning its veracity and relevance and indeed necessity when so much other research is out there such as the German patient and the bone marrow transplant etc.

When taken consistently by people at high risk, studies show the medication can reduce the chances of getting HIV by up to 92 per cent.

Scientists say encouraging this group of men to take these pills could lead to a 25 per cent reduction in new cases across the globe.

So a pill can stop transmission and at how much percentage of coverage, will persons who use PrEP still need to use a condom?

The BBC report also said:

'Exciting approach'

Health experts say offering antiretroviral drugs to all at-risk men - known as pre-exposure prophylaxis - will provide an additional way to prevent infection, together with condom use.

When taken consistently by people at high risk, studies show the medication can reduce the chances of getting HIV by up to 92%.

And scientists say encouraging this group of men to take these pills could lead to a 25% reduction in new cases across the globe.

Dr Rosemary Gillespie, of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "We already know if someone has HIV, using treatment drastically reduces the likelihood of them passing it on, as does using condoms.

"The idea of treatment as prevention is not new, but the idea of extending treatment to HIV-negative people from high-risk groups is.

"Pre-exposure prophylaxis is an exciting approach, and likely to be one of a number of ways in which we can reduce the spread of HIV in the future.

"However, we need to evaluate how effective it will be in preventing HIV among gay men."'Progress threatened'

She says until the results of UK trials are known, condoms and regular testing remain the best weapons against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

And while the number of people dying of Aids is falling sharply, the WHO says key populations need more attention.

According to the report, transgender women are almost 50 times more likely to have HIV than other adults, a level similar to that seen among people who inject drugs.

And sex workers are 14 times more likely to have HIV than the general population.

"Dr Gottfried Hirnschall of the World Health Organization said: "Failure to provide services to the people who are at greatest risk of HIV jeopardises further progress against the global epidemic and threatens the health and well-being of individuals, their families and the broader community."

ENDS

more questions:

Where are the psycho social developmental pieces to this?

We are just reduced to penis sticking or penis taking sex crazed folks?

Where are the cognitive engaging activities especially for young homeless MSM who are facing other challenges for survival? 

What about promoting healthier relationships between men who have sex with men?

Is abstinence out the window now, even for adolescent gay persons so as to delay sex until thy find the right partner?

I have said it before and I will say it again all we are to these HIV prevention specialists are statistics and targets to be met we seem not to have a mind or can have healthy normal lives in their eyes so we are reduced to only interested in sex. Hardly any discussion around person-hood, healthy socialization, acceptance or those kinds of self affirming issues or development.

MSM Global Forum (MSM activist professional club as I see it) gladly jumped on the bandwagon even without questioning or mentioning some of the psycho-social considerations that MUST be aligned with HIV prevention, our homeless MSM/Trans population has proven that beyond the shadow of a doubt:

The MSMGF said in its release: (some positive sections highlighted in yellow)

"The guidelines aim to: provide a comprehensive package of evidence-based HIV-related recommendations for all key populations; increase awareness of the needs of and issues important to key populations; improve access, coverage, and uptake of effective and acceptable services; and catalyze greater national and global commitment to adequate funding and services. The new guidelines describe numerous important interventions that, in combination with one another, represent a comprehensive continuum of services. Guidelines include:
Explicit language around the correct and consistent use of condoms with condom-compatible lubricants;
A new recommendation on offering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for MSM as an additional HIV prevention option; and

Considerations for offering PEP to key populations in need.
Moreover, the MSMGF applauds the emphasis on the importance of human rights and health equity. 

The guidelines stress:
Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support as fundamental to realizing the universal right to health;
Enhanced community empowerment of key populations through the implementation of interventions, including interventions designed to prevent and address violence; and Review and revision of laws to promote the implementation and enforcement of anti-discrimination and to protect the rights of key populations.

The MSMGF commends the 2014 Consolidated Guidelines for considering elements common to all key populations as well as highlighting specific issues and risks unique to each group, including for the first time separate sections and recommendations for transgender people. The MSMGF staff was intensely involved in the development of these guidelines, serving on the guidelines development group and steering group, as well as conducting a study commissioned by the WHO on the values and preferences of MSM regarding use of antiretroviral therapy as prevention.

“Implementation of the recommendations contained in these guidelines must incorporate a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the drivers of HIV vulnerability, including the role of structural factors play in stopping key populations from seeking out and accessing health services, particularly the stigma among many health care providers toward members of key populations,” said MSMGF Executive Director Dr. George Ayala.

“We are pleased that the new guidelines have responded to evidence on the health benefits of PrEP,” said Dr Ayala. “However, the PrEP recommendations for MSM and transgender people are fraught with challenges that need urgent attention. The MSMGF’s values and preferences study indicated potential complications of PrEP roll out among MSM in settings where basic HIV services like condoms, lubricants, and HIV treatment are difficult to obtain, or where basic services not already guaranteed to those who need and want them. In addition, MSM worldwide are worried about potential side effects and costs, and targeted education campaigns are needed to clarify PrEP’s implications. The guidelines’ recommendation on PrEP must be tempered by the needs and concerns of MSM on the ground, especially in resource-limited settings.”

The MSMGF looks forward to engaging with the WHO and other stakeholders in order to disseminate the guidelines and support their use by departments of health for national programming, and by community-based organizations for advocacy and service provision."

ENDS

So even the gate keepers have hugged this up wholesale with lip service to empowerment once again, we have seen this before.

also see

YOUNG MSM/TRANSGENDER WANT TO BE TREATED AS CITIZENS NOT POTENTIAL HIV/AIDS VICTIMS

Gay Men Are Receptive to Sexual Health Info on Hookup Sites says Scottish Study

German Study: Gay men who discuss HIV status with sexual partners are less likely to acquire HIV
St. Kitts and Nevis PM Douglas defends PANCAP’s Justice For All programme

Continued oversight or deliberate overlooking of Jamaican SGL Women in HIV Prevention?

Jamaica Increasing Funding For HIV/AIDS Programmes

13,328 Jamaican MSM Reached by HIV Prevention says report on National HIV Program ........ but

New Efforts To Halt Spread Of HIV Among Gay Jamaica Men

Concerns for HIV prevalence rate in MSM in Jamaica & connected matters

Health Minister Ferguson on WAD '13 & FBOs fear of a Buggery repeal with future parachuted gay marriage rights

Incestuous messes, poor NGO monitoring & ever deepening mistrust about "gay rights"

Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston instead of the Children’s Home Fiasco ...........

YOUNG MSM/TRANSGENDER WANT TO BE TREATED AS CITIZENS NOT POTENTIAL HIV/AIDS VICTIMS from March 2014

HIV and MSM community: Should we care? — Pt 2

Layered Stigma among Health Facility and Social Services Staff toward Most-at-Risk Populations in Jamaica

Big AIDS fight boost - Ja gets US$3.8 million from US$7-b fund

2007 MSM Study Reminder

New HIV infections rising in region, Unprotected straight, anal and bisexual intercourse blamed 2011

Review condom policy for prisoners

Continued oversight of same gender loving women in HIV response

Peace and tolerance needed indeed

H

Tolerant Taxi driver complains of pressure from counterparts on transporting "gays"

Over the weekend I was out and about in Kingston when I ran into an old taxi colleague who once transported myself and other party patrons in the days of the entourage and other clubs back then, taxi drivers then preferred to take LGBT patrons from parties knowing they could charge double or triple scale as they know such patrons want to be safe and sound from profiling and abuse. The driver I will call him "Glen" for this post was well known but went off the scene for a while due to ill health however he was forced to return to driving his own vehicle as most owners of hackney carriage do to earn a better profit. Since his return he has been making inroads it seems in the community as old faces remember his services and are re-engaging him but this has not gone down well with rival drivers who operate from the parking area they "shoot" from i.e. answer central radio call while customers are on hold to the main switchboard of the respective taxi service agency.

The competition can and has led to riffs with drivers on similar agencies or rival ones and with violent outcomes or stealing or under pricing so as to cut into the others business. The rival drivers have now become vitriolic towards the tolerant taxi driver (not the same one who intervened in a case I blogged about in 2010 - Homeless MSM/CSWs in New Kingston rescued by taxi driver) they are now jealous of the continuous patronage this man is now enjoying, some would say in Jamaican style "bad mind" that even if Glen is spotted on a duty in traffic by other drivers it becomes source for snide remarks over the short wave radio between duty announcements or when he returns to the terminus/stand he is ridiculed that he carries his "battyman fren dem" (gay friends). As of lately thought it has gotten really caustic and Glen is contemplating going solo and leaving the taxi company so as to avoid the taunts and remarks. 

It is not the first time I and others have received such complaints from taxi drivers who routinely carry members of the community and who sometimes develop long term business and platonic friendships for years as when the drivers realise we are no different that they are save and except  our sexual orientation and they in turn sometimes become inadvertent advocates for the cause as they live the experience in socializing with us as homosexuals. I asked Glen if he was threatened in anyway to discontinue using the terminus from his detractors he said no not really but he is not comfortable sometimes when the argument comes up and it could affect business as he drew an inference for being pointed out by others in order to also turn away would be passengers who happen to walk up to the stand for services or sharing his car number with others to cause call in customers not to want to use his car if his number is named as an option.

Real life engagement is the best way to teach persons over time and they in turn realise that there is no social constructionism at work to supposedly recruit persons into homosexuality or some other biological essentialism in the clouds to achieve some down low imperative. Even as Glen is living tolerance by demonstrably showing it he is vilified for being too supportive, what better way to break down the barriers indeed and not just mainstream advocacy stuck in HIV Prevention and rights based legalise. 

One by one persons can change their minds with just a little exposure but with reports coming in recent days of two sets of double murders with unclear motives a this time has left sections of the populations stunned at first but it turned out one was an attempted suicide hence poking another credibility hole in the the crisis reporting/communication while other lesser atrocities are out there alongside our homeless brethren who have been neglected by the more privileged LGBT advocates who offer mere tokenism, more mainstream advocacies and national systems and programs not to mention insensitive parents and public towards LGBT youth in particular.

Glen and I spoke over some beers and he is seriously considering going private and offering services outside the glare of the prying drivers and he is even thinking of changing his car so he cannot be identified as he wants to satisfy his customers while meeting his bottom line whosoever has a problem with gays as it were. I say go Glen you do you and I will gladly support when I can and share his digits with the populations who need such services as I have done for years with other drivers as well.

Peace and tolerance

H

The Robert Carr Doctrine released ..............

The following was released on July 17th by the MSM Global Forum and is deemed a set of Principles for Doctrine a Meaningful Response to HIV Among the World’s Key Affected Populations but after reading the document in its entirety I found nothing specifically on LGBT homelessness overall or hints to any related pyscho social support to enact behaviour change and or help them through self efficacious activities to arrive at an emancipated state, why are LGBT homeless populations not being given any serious attention and focus by LGBT advocacy structures in the Caribbean is puzzling to me given the rises in numbers and fallouts over time.

Bearing in mind Dr Carr was once among other things Executive Director for Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, Chairman of JFLAG's Management Committee I would have thought some more thought from Jamaican perspective given our current realities would have been brought to bear.

Many homeless LGBT persons especially MSM locally resort to commercial sex work to survive and in so doing engage in risky and dangerous behaviours mostly in outdoor settings which lead to literal errors in negotiating condom use or closing a deal in order to make a buck literally speaking, what about those realities? Apparently the MSM Global Forum does not see homelessness as a priority now or have it included specifically in the cadre of HIV prevention messages and programming and is missing from this doctrine so named after Dr. Robert Carr as it were.

a section of the document seems to cover it remotely where it says:

"The end of the HIV epidemic lies with our capacity to develop targeted, tactical, and multi-tiered approaches. Interventions and services are needed at the biological, behavioral, interpersonal, familial, community, social, cultural, and legal levels. All

stakeholders, at multiple levels, must act comprehensively, concurrently, over a sustained period of time, and with respect to the HUMAN RIGHTS and DIGNITY of MSM, people who use drugs, sex workers, and transgender people, including those living with HIV. Although difficult, COALITION work is transformative, and holds the key to unlocking our collective potential to end the epidemic. Ultimately, our success depends on how well we can work together to respond to those most in need." 

But shouldn't displacement and homelessess be tied into the loop as well?

Have a read of the rest of the release and download the PDF for further review:

Marginalized Populations around the World Unite,

Call for Revised Approach to Global HIV Epidemic

Global networks of gay men, people who use drugs, sex workers, transgender people and people living with HIV put forth new strategy for more effective global AIDS response
July 17, 2012 (Washington, D.C.) – As HIV rates continue to climb among marginalized groups around the world, the major global networks of gay men, people who use drugs, sex workers, transgender people and people living with HIV have put forth a series of joint recommendations for a more effective global AIDS response. The recommendations were released earlier today in a set of principles entitled “The Robert Carr Doctrine,” named for the well-respected international AIDS activist who passed away one year ago.

“For the past thirty years, the global AIDS response has been characterized by ‘one size fits all’ programs that fail to address the drivers of the epidemic among the world’s most at risk populations,” said Dr. George Ayala, Executive Director of the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF). “Stigma, discrimination, violence, and criminalization block access to HIV services for gay men, sex workers, people who use drugs, and transgender people.”

“With HIV rates skyrocketing among these groups around the world, we can no longer ignore science for politically expedient solutions,” said Dr. Kevin Moody, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+). “It is time for targeted, tailored, multi-sector community-led responses.”

The Carr Doctrine calls on all stakeholders to re-think the global response to AIDS, urging actors to recognize that HIV is not just a public health issue, but rather a symptom of underlying societal inequities and injustices. Accordingly, the Doctrine calls for a coordinated strategy at behavioral, social, structural, and legal levels.

“In our collective experience across each of these populations, we have found that a coordinated response is key to addressing HIV effectively,” said Ruth Morgan Thomas, Global Coordinator of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP). “A country cannot claim to prioritize sex workers in its national AIDS strategy when that country’s police are actively arresting and brutalizing sex workers. What good is it to supply people with condoms when the police use condoms as evidence of sex work, arresting the people who carry them?”

The Carr Doctrine represents the first time that the global networks of key affected populations have come together to forge a shared strategy. Each network is largely made up of community activists and organizations, all working to address the epidemic among their respective constituencies.

“The history of HIV is largely a story of people standing up to protect their communities when no one else will,” said Dr. Eliot Albers, Executive Director of the International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD). “While each key affected population is unique in its own right, we all have this in common. After thirty years of AIDS, HIV services remain out of reach for the vast majority of our constituents. It is time we stood together to demand the response our communities deserve.”

The launch of the Carr Doctrine was timed to coincide with the start of the International AIDS Conference, taking place the week of July 23rd in Washington, D.C. The organizers of the conference have hailed this year as a potential turning point in the epidemic, citing the development of new technologies like pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment as prevention.

“Scientific advances like pre-exposure prophylaxis are exciting of course,” said Mauro Cabral, Co-Director of Global Action for Trans* Equality (GATE). “But they will fail to make a dent in the epidemic among key affected populations if legal, social, and political barriers continue to impede access to services. In order to create lasting change, science must be balanced with rights-based structural intervention – they are two sides of one coin.”

The HIV Epidemic among Most-At-Risk Populations

A Johns Hopkins-led review of HIV prevalence in 38 low- and middle-income countries found that gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are more than 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population, yet the Global HIV Prevention Working Group has estimated that only 9 percent of MSM around the world have access to HIV prevention services.

According to the journal Health and Human Rights, only an estimated 22% of female sex workers in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to HIV prevention services, despite infection rates as high as 54%, 68%, and 73% in Burkina Faso, Zambia, and Ethiopia, respectively.

According to a systematic review published in The Lancet, HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs (IDU) was 20-40% in five countries and over 40% in nine. Yet worldwide, only an estimated two clean needles were distributed per IDU per month, eight IDU per 100 received opiate substitution therapy, and four HIV-positive IDU per 100 received antiretroviral therapy.

According to the World Health Organization, transgender populations around the world face HIV prevalence rates of between 8% and 68%. Very little data exists on access to HIV services among transgender populations.The full text of the Robert Carr Doctrine can be found online at http://www.msmgf.org/files/msmgf//documents/RobertCarrDoctrine.pdf.

here is an excerpt:

RE-STRUCTURE the response

HIV is not just a public health issue. The current response to the epidemic is underpinned by the faulty assumption that HIV is solely a public health issue. Efforts to address the epidemic are therefore centered on a narrow range of actors and strategies. In reality, the epidemic is a symptom of underlying societal inequities and injustices. A National AIDS Council that prioritizes key affected populations is severely compromised when the rest of that country’s government continues to arrest, harass, and violate the rights of MSM, people who use drugs, sex workers, and transgender people, including those living with HIV. Similarly, scientific advances in HIV prevention and treatment, while welcomed and strongly encouraged, are wasted when communities shouldering a disproportionate HIV disease burden are blatantly denied access to services or cannot access them safely. Bilateral and multilateral funding strategies that fail to prioritize investment toward 

hardest-hit populations, civil society advocacy, and community development will inevitably fall short of achieving an “AIDS-Free Generation.” Structural factors drive the HIV epidemic, so our solutions must address those factors as well. Small-scale interventions targeted at the individual level are important, but they are not enough.  

Maurice Tomlinson delivering the lecture on July 21, 2012

Go Here for More

You decide, interesting that we have to get such a comprehensive timeline from FAREEEEENNNN!!!!! (foreign territory) instead of here towards the LGBT community via some general forumatic activity.

click the "Homeless MSM in Jamaica" tab immediately below for previous entries on the subject

US State Department: 2010 Human Rights Report: Jamaica (including lgbt issues)

Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

The law prohibits "acts of gross indecency" (generally interpreted as any kind of physical intimacy) between men, in public or in private, which are punishable by 10 years in prison.

The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All Sexuals, and Gays (J-FLAG) continued to report human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, mob attacks, stabbings, harassment of gay and lesbian patients by hospital and prison staff, and targeted shootings of such persons. Police often did not investigate such incidents. During the year, J-FLAG received 43 reports of sexually motivated harassment or abuse, which included 26 cases of attempted or actual assault, including three murders and three cases of rape. This violence created a climate of fear that prompted many gay persons to emigrate, while the gross indecency laws left those who remained vulnerable to extortion from neighbors who threatened to report them to the police unless they were paid off.

In September six men brutally gang-raped a lesbian woman and cut her genitals after the assault ended. These men had previously taunted their victim, and this attack typified a phenomenon known as "corrective rape," whereby rapists justify their actions under the rationale that forcing their victim into sex will somehow convert the injured party to heterosexuality. Three days later a taxi driver raped another lesbian woman in an unrelated attack staged in the same northern parish of St. Ann’s. J-FLAG protested both rapes, stating that the women were attacked because of their sexual orientation. The organization believed that, as with heterosexual women, many homosexual rape victims were hesitant to report their abuse out of fear, shame, or for any number of personal reasons, suggesting that the actual incidence of sexual violence perpetrated against such persons could be notably higher.

J-FLAG members also suffered attacks on their property and home intrusions, as people demanded to know the number of persons and beds in a home. Victims reported numerous cases of threats and intimidation to J-FLAG. In many instances family members expelled their own relatives from homes because of sexual orientation. In other cases neighbors drove gay and lesbian persons out of their communities, slashing tires and hurling insults. Many gays and lesbians faced death and arson threats, with some threats also directed at J-FLAG offices.

As a result of such threats, J-FLAG elected not to publicize its location, and one of its officials reported feeling unsafe having meetings with clients at the organization’s office.

The trial of six suspects arrested for the 2005 robbery and murder of prominent gay rights advocate Lenford "Steve" Harvey, initially begun and then postponed in 2007, was scheduled to recommence in early 2011.

Male inmates deemed by prison wardens to be gay were held in a separate facility for their protection. The method used for determining their sexual orientation was subjective and not regulated by the prison system, although inmates were said to confirm their homosexuality for their own safety. There were numerous reports of violence against gay inmates, perpetrated by the wardens and by other inmates, but few inmates sought recourse through the prison system.

Gay men were hesitant to report incidents against them because of fear for their physical well-being. Human rights NGOs and government entities agreed that brutality against such persons, primarily by private citizens, was widespread in the community.

Other Societal Violence or Discrimination

No laws protect persons with HIV/AIDS from discrimination. Human rights NGOs reported severe stigma and discrimination against this group. The International Labor Organization (ILO) worked with the Ministry of Labor on a program to reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS in the workplace and to assist employers in designing policies for workers with HIV/AIDS. Health-care facilities were prepared to handle patients with HIV/AIDS, but health-care workers often neglected such patients. The Ministry of Labor, in conjunction with the ILO and the Ministry of Health, conducted workplace education programs on HIV/AIDS issues. Laws banning homosexual acts and societal attitudes prevented distribution of condoms in prisons and similar institutions.

Academic Freedom and Cultural Events

There were no government restrictions on academic freedom.

With respect to cultural events, the Jamaica Broadcasting Commission (JBC) sought to regulate and limit the dissemination of certain popular music deemed inconsistent with public morality. Since 2009 the JBC banned certain lyrics deemed inappropriate to broadcast, including dancehall songs referring to the simulation of aggressive or violent sex, and employed editing methods to expunge lyrics thought unfit for broadcast. The commission stated that its directive was aimed at "all types of musical broadcast output, including soca music and carnival music."

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Advancing Evidence & Equity: Report on The XVIII International AIDS Conference (AidS 2010)

the XVIII International aIDS Conference (aIDS 2010) took place during a pivotal year for the global health and development field, coinciding with the 2010 deadline world leaders set for achieving universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment to all in need. occurring just after the Group of eight (G8) and Group of 20 (G20) summits in Canada 1and in advance of the united nations (un) Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit and Global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria’s third replenishment, AIDS 2010 was an ideal opportunity to examine scientific and programmatic evidence demonstrating how HIV investments are reaping significant dividends while also contributing to a number of related global health and development goals. the biennial event (see sidebar : aIDS 2010 statistics) , which garnered significant media attention, was also an opportunity to remind world leaders and the general public of the need for continued attention to aIDS as other global priorities continue to emerge.

AIDS 20 0 statistics
• 19,300 participants, including:
• 16,012 delegates
• 1,218 participants from eastern europe and
Central asia
• 848 scholarship recipients
• 1,276 media
• 770 volunteers
• 197 countries represented
Speakers used the conference theme, Rights Here, Right Now, to illustrate the gap between rhetoric and reality on human rights in the global response to aIDS and to document the extent to which unfulfilled human rights commitments contribute to HIV transmission and inhibit access to evidencebased HIV interventions.
With 248 sessions to choose from, AIDS 2010 participants examined the impact of the epidemic globally and regionally. The location of the conference in Vienna, austria, also allowed for an expanded focus on eastern europe and Central Asia (eeCa) , the region where the epidemic is expanding most rapidly. this in turn helped spotlight a call for a more scientific approach to international drug policy. By the close of AIDS 2010, over 12,725 scientists and other supporters had signed the Vienna Declaration www.viennadeclaration.com and support continues to grow, with over 17,000 signatures collected as of 1 October 2010.

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