Moravian ministers case transfer decision delayed again

Jermaine Gibson, (left) and Rev Dr Paul Gardner

In a follow up to the previous post on cover-ups and obfuscation related to pastoral care this latest development today smells of convenient delays in my eyes. 

Also see: On pastoral abuse, celibacy, cover-ups & passing the buck

meanwhile

The clergymen involved in the highly talked about sex scandal will have to wait another 12 weeks to find out whether or not their case will move to the Home Circuit Court in Kingston.

Sheesh! 

Now with such a sensitive matter our creaking justice systems ever so often ignore or forget the old addage "Justice delayed is justice denied" and the impacted individuals have to suffer so much more, albeit they might have supportive services since but for the resolution of the matter there must be some speed on this.

Reverend Dr Paul Gardner and Jermaine Gibson, who appeared before the Manchester Circuit Court this morning, had their bails extended and are expected to return to court Wednesday May 24.

According to attorney Peter Champagnie, the defence presented some documents to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who has requested some time to ventilate them.

Gardner and Gibson were charged for sexual misconduct arising from a series of incidents dating back to 2002.

earlier in January this came to hand: 

Moravian pastor battered with tambourine ... activist regrets not using a block

Head of the Moravian Church in Jamaica, Dr Paul Gardner, was reportedly clouted in his head with a tambourine by an enraged protester at last Sunday's service at the Nazareth Moravian Church in Manchester.

The protester, who has been identified as activist Stella Gibson, was among a group of 14 women who were once victims of sexual abuse.

They staged what they described as a peaceful protest at the church in light of the sex scandal now rocking the church, in which Pastor Rupert Clarke, 64, was charged with having sex with a minor.

Gibson has been very vocal about the tambourine ordeal on social media, and has since started a hashtag, #TambourineArmy.

Further clarification

In one post to her Facebook wall, Gibson wrote "I am happy I gave Paul Gardner one [expletive] lick inna him head with a tambourine." She then added, "I should have used a block instead of a tambourine."

When contacted for further clarification on the incident, Gibson explained that she will not be speaking on the tambourine beat down in mainstream media, as she wants her engagement in the media to be survivor-focused.

She said she does not want the tambourine incident to overshadow the real issue at hand.

"I don't see any value in talking about it to the media because I know that something like that will become the highlight or the spotlight, and I'm trying as much as possible to avoid that," she said.

"What we are trying to do is to engage persons who do healing work, and counselling and support kind of work, to provide safe spaces, physical and virtual, for survivors of sexual violence. We are also trying to let people understand the concept of sexual grooming," she added.

Gibson also took the opportunity to encourage abused persons to speak up and name their aggressors.

Meanwhile, Gardner, and his deputy, Jermaine Gibson, have resigned from their posts. Their resignations comes after the continued developments in the sex scandal.

It has been reported that a minister provided a string of emails proving that the church leadership was aware of the embattled pastor's sexual misconduct before he was caught, although they previously denied having prior knowledge.

Clarke, who is also being investigated for other sexual misdeeds, is out on $800,000 bail and is scheduled to reappear in court on February 13.

A group of 14 women who were once victims of sexual abuse staged a peaceful protest at the Nazareth Moravian Church on January 8, citing the silence of the church following the arrest and charge of their pastor for sexual misconduct.

The women, who were there independently of the different organisations they represent, were clad in T-shirts bearing messages against sexual abuse.

Different intervals

They said their main aim was to show support to the victim.

According to one, Caitu Heron, the women appeared at different intervals during the service, but were not all readily accepted.

"They weren't forced out of the church or anything, but they definitely received some verbal attacks ... we pressed on though, and we sat in the church in the front pew. The women who came after entered without any opposition," she said.

Heron said members of the Moravian Church hierarchy acknowledged them and afforded them the opportunity to speak.

"The President of the Elders Council of the Moravian Church welcomed us and made an effort to list the church's strategies to move forward, and was open to the assistance of external organisations," she said.

Heron says the silence of church members can no longer be accepted as the problem of sexual misconduct among ministers is not new to the country.

So have to wait for this

Peace & tolerance

H

On pastoral abuse, celibacy, cover-ups & passing the buck

Gleaner's Lasmay addressed it in 2010

As the furore surrounding the numerous cases of pastoral sexual assault continues, the selectivity by some church related groups is disturbing to say the least. The rapidity of the allegation crossing denominations only adds more of an abominable stench indeed abominations outside the Levitcal posture to the already rotting flesh in the department of trust and power by what is supposed to be trusted and honest clergymen. Something rots in Denmark! What is also coming to the fore is the perceived secrecy indeed cover-ups by some leaders and groups as they try to deflect the national scrutiny since the Moravian pastor allegations of the assault of a minor with a married pastor.

also see:

Betty Ann Blaine | Sex Abuse And The Church: Reveal, Repent And Redress (Gleaner) and Betty Ann Blaine on the big gay lie .......... you do the comparison. I agree with her on the call to Report child molesters and Public Theology Forum | Is It Just A Little Sex? - Church, Sex And Power (Gleaner)

The generalized prayer, the brushing over of the challenge by turning the scrutiny on non-Christians and their sins with the ‘enemy’ as the cause continues as it were instead of an open and honest introspection we get non traditional church voices to include antigay groups blaming traditional churches such as the Catholics who are “afflicted” with that problem; a recent ‘not in our church’ sub texted discussion on The Breath of Change, TBC radio suggested or that sort of thing does not happen in our church. There may be some truth to that given the hundreds of years the Catholic Church has been around and the historical records from as back as the 11th century shows us the appearance of an organised cover-ups running all the way up to successive Popes under whose tenure the problem occurred and continues almost unabated.

New has come to hand (as I did the draft of this entry) thanks to the BBC that a female chief member of the group addressing clerical (one of two previously abused) abuse has resigned even as she suffered abuse in the 1960s. The Irish woman from Dublin is now 70 years old and at the time of her ordeal she was 13 years old. Her idea was called AWARE which included hotline services especially in safeguarding children, counselling and some action against clergy found wanting. Strangely in the first year of the commission’s in 2014 existence there was no office space allocated and no staff which gives the appearance of deliberate obfuscation and efforts to frustrate the processes. Cover-up! The commission was not given any list of designated staff in the various Vatican departments with whom the commission could liaise; the commission then recommended that a tribunal be put in place whereby negligent priests could be held accountable, this was something that was approved by Pope Francis in 2015 but suddenly the congregation for the doctrine of faith said there were some legal difficulties and the tribunal was never implemented.

See her statement HERE then there was this: 1st  March 2017 Press Release from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors

On Monday, February 13, 2017, Mrs. Marie Collins, a Member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors [PCPM] advised Cardinal Sean O’Malley, President of the PCPM, of her intent to resign from the Commission effective March 1, 2017.

Mrs. Collins, a Member of the Pontifical Commission since its inception in 2014 is a survivor of clerical abuse, and consistently and tirelessly championed for the voices of the victims/survivors to be heard, and for the healing of victims/survivors to be a priority of the Church.  In discussing with the Cardinal, and in her resignation letter to the Holy Father, Mrs. Collins cited her frustration at the lack of cooperation with the Commission by other offices in the Roman Curia. 

Mrs. Collins accepted an invitation from Cardinal O’Malley to continue to work with the Commission in an educational role in recognition of her exceptional teaching skills and impact of her testimony as a survivor.

What is also strange is that in 2015 another previously abused member who was also on the committee was sidelined after they announced the entire exercise was mere window dressing. But such are bureaucracies eh. Marie Collins the woman in question said that she was appreciative of the Pope’s leadership and said that he actually isn’t the problem. 

“The Pope is doing his best and he has made it very clear to church leaders around the world what he expects in regards to dealing with child abuse and with anyone who might abuse; but I think within the Vatican itself is a sort of a bubble there are just that small core who still I think don’t get it.” She said to a BBC reporter.

While Mrs Collins (Twitter) was able to fight through these bureaucratic obstacles her position became untenable according to her, when she was told by one Vatican department that they would not ensure all correspondence from victims would receive a response and for her it is the victims of abuse that require the greatest care and rightly so. She decided to resign. The president of the commission itself has expressed deep appreciation for Mrs Collins’ work while several newspapers in the Vatican have been paraphrasing those thoughts garnered from the Pope himself, the president also says he will offer prayers for Mrs Collins and all victims of abuse. That sounds more to me as a thinly snicker in a position of defeat by Mrs Collins, in other words glad she has left and now we can proceed under the guise of offering prayer. 

Meanwhile locally we could easily site some of the obfuscation at the Vatican and other foreign based orders designed to divert or deflect and questions, we are seeing Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Church of God structures and 

UPDATE: Revivalist Pastor arrested in Spanish Town today. Pastor to be charged following allegations that he molested a 14y.o. boy.

— Abka Fitz-Henley (@AbkaFitzHenley) February 5, 2017

Pocomania/Revivalists as a recent case shows, other denominations are factoring which suggests there are other things we may be missing and are festering out of sight but slowly coming to the fore. Who knew the dark secrets all along and did nothing? What do the governing structures of these denominations know and have been deferring or sweeping under the rug? Is the rug now two inches away from the ceiling regarding this matter? Newspaper articles barely skirting the issue of sexual assault by pastors directly while presenting the issue in a generalised context only gives the impression of a kind of intellectual dishonesty about it all; after all the said dishonesty has been used to magnify charges of paedophile intent by gays, grossing out perceptions of anal sex to include scatting or felching when we do not on a wide scale go to such extremes. It is the magnitude of the arguments that make the charges and stigma convincing hence the homophobic trap we find ourselves in. Also see: Dr Wayne West’s continued intellectual dishonesty on fisting felching & chariot racing by homosexuals in Jamaica

The resignation of Pope Benedict is widely believed it is the pressure he met with given the underbelly of the abuse of power by members of the Vatican and at monasteries worldwide, our local archbishop had said that he is not aware of any reports of such abuse, but if we are to go by the fear factor to report powerful bishops and men of the cloth things will remain under the carpet. Impacted individuals will simply not come forward, the US African American evangelical preacher Eddie Long’s case some years ago showed up the complexities of misuse or abuse of pastoral power and lesser powered individuals who often cannot say no or do not know how to in the face of a pastor who is supposed to be next to be infallible; albeit that Long case had a same gender element but the gender of the abused is immaterial and they feel abused. Sadly the unwavering support by congregants is also disturbing as they seem blind to the allegations as in the Long case is also reflected in the pending court cases locally to wait and see what evidence comes forth and the cussing out of the media as if they are the ones castigating the accused while using prayer and the ‘enemy’s fault’ in a victimhood ploy i.e. pastors/priests are infallible.

As the Moravian case and the misguided Hampton High School principal’s intervention by blocking the media from trying to interview the accused even as she helped to post bail for the man has shown us; now the school’s good name and image has been brought into disrepute, as she refuses to resign, in recent weeks much more is slowly coming out to suggest she and others including the wife of the accused who are board members of the school knew of some of the shenanigans but kept it hushed, the usual do not upset the apple cart mantra in governance structures. How various systems and terms over time have made the discourse of the lower powered position such as pregnant teenage mothers but what do we call the men who got them pregnant, normal!

Why is it that the congregants simply do not question pastors on certain things or check them by holding them accountable? Often engaging in victim blaming and seek to justify it. They and other supporters also seek to cuss out the media as they seek to cover the matters outside the courtrooms. The half hearted press releases and convenient narratives by antigay groups such as Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS and its youth affiliate Lovemarch is insulting to say the least; their recently concluded seminar 

on sexual abuse some days ago focused more so on national sexual abuse by non-Christians as opposed to clerical abuse within the church as a whole, all this while charging a fee to enter but when compared to the antigay push mass rallies are held without any charge to attend, numerous documentaries are paid for by them, they fly in foreign antigay voices, sell DVDs and books to earn income while footing the bill for high priced attorneys in the ongoing buggery constitutional matter yet our homeless need help nationally, children’s’ homes need help other societal ills sit right before us. That ‘it’s you others and not us’ subtexts rang loud and clear in the materials that have since been released and the groups skirt around the matter that requires deep introspection.

It is sad that with one God we have so much division and denominational strife, and then there is the business of celibacy as forced in some instances on the priesthood following on theological narratives by Augustine and others while not realising there would have been disastrous consequences in hundreds of years to come. Celibate priests sought to seek the moral advantage over carnal laity while launching a massive re-commitment to helping the poor; however the unintended consequences still are with us today as the histories prove. Part of the new social activism was schools for poor children ran by priests known as pious schools, the combination of strict clerical celibacy with clergy involved in education made for the fermenting of freaks wearing a frock and a collar being created over time. All this happening while a sustained push to all but silence women in the church and or labelling free thinking women as witches in order to punish them, the published Witches' or Malleus Maleficarum is proof of that misuse of church power and was the guide to priests and inquisition judges that instructed how to effect the punishments. The monopolization of marriage under Pope Gregory VII in 1073 only sought to secure church power over persons while also making women as second class and fattening church coffers.

A historical perspective

In 1600 an honest priest named Joseph Calasanz in Rome started a school also known as the Pious or peerists order from which it was great success for the better part of twenty years, however cracks started to show despite strict rules of engagement in terms of priests who were not allowed or should not be alone at any given period with students. The order of the was supposed to be a deeply austere arrangement where narratives such as the priesthood must be seen angels devoid of all cravings or carnal affection of the flesh and so on. It did not work out as he planned and Calasanz became all too aware of the abuse cases that were on the rise when priests are left alone with the children, mostly boys. In 1629 disturbing reports got to Rome on one of the biggest schools in the network in Naples as the young headmaster was accused of sexual abuse. His name was Stefano Calbrini, fully aware of the damage the order may face if it went public sadly the founder Calasanz succumbed to fear and ordered the whole affair to be hushed up and the documents relating to the matter were burnt.

Instead of removing Stefano from the order he was promoted to visitor general of all the schools effectively removing the culprit from the scene of the crime while simultaneously given him access to more boys. It did not end well, father Stefano conspired to disgrace the founder in the eyes of the Pope and successfully forced the founder out of the order and took his place; it took the pious authorities close to half a century to recover. All this happened despite the leadership being aware of father Stefano’s issue including the Pope but did not anything, this was an extraordinary failure of power and trust, the very people dictating the moral agenda were openly defying it. The abuse of children covered up, denied and excused, the trust of many betrayed. My layman’s look at this is that a man starved or forced to be celibate can only lead to issues later, it’s like non conjugal visits to prisons and over time sexually frustrated men find substitutional sex avenues and psychologies to find a fix on the face of it, the challenge is when a matter becomes a case where control is the motivator and not sex then abuse sets in and victims are repeatedly exposed. As children with the point of least resistance being the main challenge they cannot stand up to their abusers and are left to suffer over time in silence.

Strangely in the present Mrs Collins resignation matter mentioned above she also said in part in a follow-up interview with the BBC:

“One particular area of the Vatican don’t want to cooperate with that work [child abuse matter] and that’s what been so shocking to me that these men still exist in the church; it’s something I like most people before I started working with the papal commission I was under the impression that pope just says do it and it’s done, but I think things are a lot more complicated than that there are ways and means in the curia they have been there for hundreds and hundreds of years as appearing to be amenable to something and actually put stumbling blocks in the way.

I think those men strive on secrecy, that has been the problem with the church all along but these men do these things behind closed doors and nobody gets to know about it; so from my point of view I want to say the commission is working very hard, I’m with them completely behind them and behind the Pope in every effort they make but I think keeping it secret that there is this group of people who are not willing and not of like mind I think that has to be said; I worked on it for three years, I’ve stayed silent on this instance and hindrances put in the way but there comes a point when particularly for a survivor where you see this obstruction there you cannot just accept it and go on because that’s how these things thrive; for people to keep it secret and nothing and then they get away with it.”

When asked about the systematic cover-ups equating her Vatican experience to that globally by church leaders, hierarchy and diocese she responded:

“It echoes for me the attitudes I have seen when I try to bring my abuser to justice here in Dublin twenty years ago; it echoes very clearly the attitudes that I met with in hierarchy here and my own archbishop it totally bring that all back but the church in many areas has learned and has improved and I’m particularly pleased with that I have been asked to continue with the training of new bishops.

There are church people willing and open to understand and to learn and to change, the ones that are not and that are pinning on to old ideas and institutional protections and all these other things they’ve got to be rooted out.

I can’t do it, those in the church themselves have to do it.”

Again I ask how much of that context as outlined by Mrs Collins can be placed in our local makeup in other denominations. Our very own Bishop Reece years ago in an interview had said there was no known case of abuse (see: Archbishop of Kingston Denies Claims That Clergy Members Abusing Alpha Boys or No Reported cases of Paedophilia say local Catholic Diocese Representative Reece from a 2010 interview) and the recently edition of the catholic voice publication mentioned nothing on the ongoing hot matter of clerical abuse or pastoral sexual matters but presented its usual politically correct fluff. For a church that has had so much allegations thrown at it I was expected far better particulars, statements and such as they are good at especially given the usual conflation of paedophilia with homosexuality overall often used as justification to deny any pro gay rights wrapped up in a Levitcal imperative thrust while putting other concerns over the safety of children. 

also see: Pope declares 'zero tolerance' for sexual abuse in Catholic church (Guardian) 2017

Meanwhile in a Gleaner article entitled "Canute Thompson | Confronting The Moravian Sex Crisis" and "Canute S. Thompson | Sex, Church And Power" by a member of the Moravian community suggested some actions to address the matter in his church he said in part from the former entry:

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MORAVIAN CHURCH

"A few synods ago, the Church, with the support of National Integrity Action and the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition, held a forum on corruption. That initiative was a welcome one and served to contribute to the image of the Church as a conscious player in an important national debate. The Church has another opportunity: to step up to the plate and show that it has the courage to articulate a commitment to heal not just its internal wounds, but the nation, as it hurts.

Synod 2017 would be a good place to engage in discussions on how the Church can work through the current issues that it faces. Hiding from each other, the public, and our reality is not a solution.

The Moravian Church has a duty to demonstrate to the public that it is serious about dealing with the issues bedevilling it. Speaking only in whispers, praying in generalities, preaching in vague terms, and casting blame will not provide a credible path forward. We have to be willing to confront ourselves and each other patiently and compassionately, yet boldly and honestly.

I offer these additional suggestions for public discussion and for the Church's consideration.

(1) That the Church broaden the terms of reference for the mechanism it has announced to examine the issue of how reports that raise adverse concerns are handled. The terms of reference should include an examination of its decision-making processes at several levels of the organisation to see the extent to which they are subject to checks and balances and capable of providing a trail sufficient for external review.

(2) That the Church seek the assistance of either a committee of the worldwide Moravian Church, or a local group, in reviewing its regulations and constitutional arrangements. The purpose of this review would be to examine whether these regulations and constitutional stipulations make adequate provisions for accountability of various office holders, especially the executive, and whether there is potential for institutionalised protection for abuse of power, violation of due process, and disregard for rules of fairness.

(3) While taking the steps [as suggested in Item (1)], and given that the Church's management of the recent incidents has led the clergy to acknowledge the existence of possible weaknesses, I suggest that the leadership of the Church open recent cases, including those prior to 2016, to review. The purpose of such a review would be to examine whether, in the handling of those cases, the executive followed the relevant procedures or otherwise acted in conformity with the basic rules of natural justice, accountability, transparency, and fairness.

(4) Finally, the church should immediately engage in a series of truth and reconciliation conversations. There are deep issues that go beyond the events of the last few weeks that remain unresolved, and there can be no sustained healing without candid, caring, and courageous truth-telling. The facilitator of such a process should be someone external to the Moravian Church. This person should be highly skilled in the art of healing-facilitation, mediation, and organisational renewal ....."

 Dr Canute Thompson is a member of the Moravian Church in Jamaica. His research interests are in the areas of governance, leadership reimagination, and transformational leadership. Email feedback to canutethompson1@gmail.com.

Trouble with these things and calls for introspection that are often met with snooty rebuffed and ignored, I can identity all too well in that department.

Cover-ups indeed:
Moravian Sex Scandal Deepens - Email Trail Reveals Church Knew Of Sex Allegations Against Pastor (Gleaner)

I run the risk of being criticized yet again of moral equivalence but how can disgraced clergy and pastors claim to speak on moral matters with any credibility? The robust nature of the antigay thrust versus what appears to be a typical expected response is hypocritical to say the least. Several cases are in the courts now I hope the systems can offer good support for victims although I am used to the knee jerk reactions when these waves of abuse come, then something else grabs our attention.

Think on these things

Peace & tolerance

H

also see:

Justified underage sexual abuse in lieu of homosexual sex!

Is the pope serious about confronting child abuse? .... the question of the age 2016

More Pastoral Inappropriateness & Under-aged Victims... Silence from The Selective Religious Anti Gay 2014

Vatican says cover-up accusations due to Pope's opposition to gay rights 2010 

Church members bashed for backing pastor

Two Good Letters on Gay Person-hood & Paedophile Homosexuality Conflation

No Reported cases of Paedophilia say local Catholic Diocese Representative 2010

Another St Thomas Pastor Accused of Rape ........... Where are Anti Gay Religious Groups?

Ephebophilia vs Paedophilia & Male Homosexuality part 2 .... the need to continue the discourse 

Catholic church 'abused 4,400 children'(BBC)

How has the Vatican's responded to child abuse?(BBC)

Pope's reforms polarise the Vatican(BBC)

American owner of missionary orphanage in Haiti arrested for allegedly sexually abusing kids (Observer)

Facebook algorithm to treat with Suicides & Cries for Help .............

This is good news on the suicide prevention front and indeed there may be just a dent in attempts made public or when they can be so identified via status messages and so on.

Building a Safer Community With New Suicide Prevention Tools

By Vanessa Callison-Burch, Product Manager, Jennifer Guadagno, Researcher, and Antigone Davis, Head of Global Safety

There is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15-29 year olds. Experts say that one of the best ways to prevent suicide is for those in distress to hear from people who care about them.

Facebook is in a unique position — through friendships on the site — to help connect a person in distress with people who can support them. It’s part of our ongoing effort to help build a safe community on and off Facebook.

Today we’re updating the tools and resources we offer to people who may be thinking of suicide, as well as the support we offer to their concerned friends and family members:

Integrated suicide prevention tools to help people in real time on Facebook Live

Live chat support from crisis support organizations through Messenger

Streamlined reporting for suicide, assisted by artificial intelligence

Already on Facebook if someone posts something that makes you concerned about their well-being, you can reach out to them directly or report the post to us. We have teams working around the world, 24/7, who review reports that come in and prioritize the most serious reports like suicide. We provide people who have expressed suicidal thoughts with a number of support options. For example, we prompt people to reach out to a friend and even offer pre-populated text to make it easier for people to start a conversation. We also suggest contacting a help line and offer other tips and resources for people to help themselves in that moment.

Suicide prevention tools have been available on Facebook for more than 10 years and were developed in collaboration with mental health organizations such as Save.org, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Forefront and Crisis Text Line, and with input from people who have personal experience thinking about or attempting suicide. In 2016 we expanded the availability of the latest tools globally — with the help of over 70 partners around the world — and improved how they work based on new technology and feedback from the community.

Supporting Someone on Facebook Live
Our suicide prevention tools for Facebook posts will now be integrated into Facebook Live. People watching a live video have the option to reach out to the person directly and to report the video to us. We will also provide resources to the person reporting the live video to assist them in helping their friend.

The person sharing a live video will see a set of resources on their screen. They can choose to reach out to a friend, contact a help line or see tips. If you or someone you know is in crisis, it is important to call local emergency services right away. You can also visit our Help Center for information about how to support yourself or a friend.

Empowering Crisis Support Partners

Partners are key to our work in suicide prevention and mental health support.
We recently added the ability for people to connect with our crisis support partners over Messenger. Now people will see the option to message with someone in real time directly from the organization’s Page or through our suicide prevention tools.

Participating organizations include Crisis Text Line, the National Eating Disorder Association and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

This test will expand over the next several months, ensuring the organizations can support any new volume of communication. Zendesk donated some of the company’s back end tools to make this integration possible.
Today, we are also launching a video campaign with partner organizations across the globe to raise awareness about ways to help a friend in need.

Making Reporting Easier

We work to address posts expressing thoughts of suicide as quickly and accurately as possible.
Based on feedback from experts, we are testing a streamlined reporting process using pattern recognition in posts previously reported for suicide. This artificial intelligence approach will make the option to report a post about “suicide or self injury” more prominent for potentially concerning posts like these.

We’re also testing pattern recognition to identify posts as very likely to include thoughts of suicide. Our Community Operations team will review these posts and, if appropriate, provide resources to the person who posted the content, even if someone on Facebook has not reported it yet.
We are starting this limited test in the US and will continue working closely with suicide prevention experts to understand other ways we can use technology to help provide support.

Suicide prevention is one way we’re working to build a safer community on Facebook. With the help of our partners and people’s friends and family members on Facebook, we’re hopeful we can support more people over time.

Buggery Referendum Still On The Cards says Holness ......

So here we are again this old familiar place with the political football of buggery referendum. The Gleaner in part carried the captioned statement and Prime Minister Holness in a prior interview with Nationwide's Cliff Hughes also hinted the same sentiments.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has vowed that the major legislative changes he proposed during the lead-up to the 2016 general election will be implemented, but he is just not prepared to give a commitment as to when.

Going in to the February 25, 2016, general election, Holness promised that within the first 100 days of a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government, he would start the legislative, process to set a fixed date for general elections in Jamaica.

The then opposition leader further promised that within the first 100 days, his Government would start the legislative process to institute impeachment proceedings in Parliament and the process to institute term limits on the Office of Prime Minister.

In addition, Holness told Jamaicans that at a convenient time, there would be a referendum on the Caribbean Court of Justice as the country's final appellate court and the removal of the buggery law, while the full legalisation of ganja could also be considered as questions for Jamaicans as part of a grand referendum.

"All of those legislative things are still on the agenda," Holness told The Gleaner during a recent interview to mark his government's first year in office.

"Governments have to take the right time to do things. Trying to address issues that you put through a referendum, that doesn't happen overnight, and if it is not properly planned, if the populace is not properly educated, and if the political climate is not right, then the outcome that you would want might not be the outcome that you would get," added Holness as he pointed to the vote to leave the European Union in Britain (Brexit), which was against the wishes of the British Government.

"Yes, we should move ahead with the referendum. It is very important, especially as it has to deal with what I call the architecture of the society. But you have to deal with an extended period of public education, and you really have to ensure that the stakeholders are properly informed and that there is a system where the question that is going to be put is properly worked out," said Holness.

"That is not something that you could do within a year," added Holness.

I am not surprised as while the referendum business is a ace boon coon playing in the back pocket of Holness to whip up support, the pending constitutional challenge and the Belizean judgement have in a way thrown a wrench in the mix of using that card. Holness is well aware of the antigay fanatical penny section who can easily whip up support in a heartbeat, case in point the Half Way Tree rallies which are well supported, groups such as JCHS have essentially threatened the government and with a slim one seat majority things have to be played rather carefully.

remember this one?:

We just have to wait and see I guess.

More anon

Peace & tolerance

H 

here are some previous entries on sister blog Gay Jamaica Watch on this matter:

On referenda, politicians, integrity & buggery 

Suggestions that court victory in Belize could set precedent for decriminalisation  

Justice Minister says Belizean buggery law ruling a possible game changer 

Gay rights through referendum ........... 2005

also see:

New opposition spokesman on Justice says referendum not needed to amend Buggery Law

Buggery law referendum baiting by JLP in #Javote2016 campaign

Minister Golding trying to manipulate anti-gay sentiments (Jamaica Observer Editorial) .....

Justice Minister (Golding) exploits homophobia to gain CCJ support

The line in the sand for the PNP part 10 : Buggery referendum & more CCJ

No Buggery Law Removal says Justice Minister, Gay Marriage parachuted in yet again

Justice Minister reiterates his personal position on the Buggery Law, Anal Intercourse and Opposition Leader sides with antigay groups on Referendum on The Buggery Law 2014

Protection LGBTI asylum seekers & refugees in the reform of the CEAS .............

On Tuesday 7 March 2017 from 14:00 – 16:00, the Intergroup on LGBTI Rights will host a roundtable on the rights of LGBTI Asylum seekers in the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).

At this round table, we will discuss how to guarantee that the proposals to reform the European asylum system will work to ensure the rights of LGBTI asylum seekers.

Speakers will include the main rapporteurs for the files, Tanja Fajon MEP (Qualification Regulation), Malin Bjork MEP (Resettlement Framework) and Sophie in ‘t Veld MEP (Reception Conditions Directive), as well as representatives of civil society.

The meeting will take place in Brussels, and is open to the public. Please register by Friday 3 March by sending an email to contact@lgbt-ep.eu with your first name, last name, date of birth, passport/id-number, nationality and place of residence.

Common European Asylum System

Asylum is granted to people fleeing persecution or serious harm in their own country and therefore in need of international protection. Asylum is a fundamental right; granting it is an international obligation, first recognised in the 1951 Geneva Convention on the protection of refugees. In the EU, an area of open borders and freedom of movement, countries share the same fundamental values and States need to have a joint approach to guarantee high standards of protection for refugees. Procedures must at the same time be fair and effective throughout the EU and impervious to abuse. With this in mind, the EU States have committed to establishing a Common European Asylum System.

Asylum flows are not constant, nor are they evenly distributed across the EU. They have, for example, varied from a peak of 425 000 applications for EU-27 States in 2001 down to under 200 000 in 2006. In 2012, there were 335,895.

Asylum must not be a lottery. EU Member States have a shared responsibility to welcome asylum seekers in a dignified manner, ensuring they are treated fairly and that their case is examined to uniform standards so that, no matter where an applicant applies, the outcome will be similar.

The EU as an area of protection

Since 1999, the EU has been working to create a Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and improve the current legislative framework.

Between 1999 and 2005, several legislative measures harmonising common minimum standards for asylum were adopted. Also important was the strengthening of financial solidarity with the creation of the European Refugee Fund. And in 2001, the Temporary Protection Directive allowed for a common EU response to a mass influx of displaced persons unable to return to their country of origin. The Family Reunification Directive also applies to refugees.

After the completion of the first phase, a period of reflection was necessary to determine the direction in which the CEAS should develop. A 2007 Green PaperSearch for available translations of the preceding linkEN••• was the basis for a large public consultation. The responses, together with the results of an evaluation of how existing instruments were implemented, were the basis for the European Commission’s Policy Plan on AsylumSearch for available translations of the preceding linkEN•••, presented in June 2008. As stated in the Policy Plan, three pillars underpin the development of the CEAS: bringing more harmonisation to standards of protection by further aligning the EU States' asylum legislation; effective and well-supported practical cooperation; increased solidarity and sense of responsibility among EU States, and between the EU and non-EU countries.

New EU rules have now been agreed, setting out common high standards and stronger co-operation to ensure that asylum seekers are treated equally in an open and fair system – wherever they apply. In short:
The revised Asylum Procedures Directive aims at fairer, quicker and better quality asylum decisions. Asylum seekers with special needs will receive the necessary support to explain their claim and in particular there will be greater protection of unaccompanied minors and victims of torture.
The revised Reception Conditions Directive ensures that there are humane material reception conditions (such as housing) for asylum seekers across the EU and that the fundamental rights of the concerned persons are fully respected. It also ensures that detention is only applied as a measure of last resort.

The revised Qualification Directive clarifies the grounds for granting international protection and therefore will make asylum decisions more robust. It will also improve the access to rights and integration measures for beneficiaries of international protection.

The revised Dublin Regulation enhances the protection of asylum seekers during the process of establishing the State responsible for examining the application, and clarifies the rules governing the relations between states. It creates a system to detect early problems in national asylum or reception systems, and address their root causes before they develop into fully fledged crises.

The revised EURODAC Regulation will allow law enforcement access to the EU database of the fingerprints of asylum seekers under strictly limited circumstances in order to prevent, detect or investigate the most serious crimes, such as murder, and terrorism.

Zero Discrimination Day 2017 ...... #zerodiscrimination

Zero Discrimination Day

1 March 2017

On 1 March, people around the world join together to celebrate Zero Discrimination Day.

The UN first celebrated Zero Discrimination Day on March 1, 2014, after UNAIDS, a UN program on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), launched its Zero Discrimination Campaign on World AIDS Day in December 2013.

Discrimination remains widespread—gender, nationality, age, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or religion can all unfortunately be the basis for some form of discrimination. In only four out of 10 countries worldwide do equal numbers of girls and boys attend secondary school and 75 countries have laws that criminalize same-sex sexual relations.

“When the most marginalized and vulnerable face discrimination and abuse, all of us are diminished,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “The United Nations is strongly committed to upholding human rights and dignity for all.”

Discrimination in health-care settings also continues to be widely reported. Imagine a young woman newly diagnosed with HIV being told by her doctor that she must be sterilized, a sex worker facing violence or abuse from a nurse, a disabled person denied access to proper advice about their sexual health, a gay man frightened of disclosing his sexuality to medical staff, a person who injects drugs dying after being refused treatment or a transgender person attempting suicide after being turned away from a clinic.

Health-care settings should be considered as safe and caring environments, however, such cases are happening too frequently throughout the world. Any obstacles that inhibit access to health-care facilities, including to testing, treatment and care services, must be removed. Access to health must be open to everyone.

also:

PRESS RELEASE

UNAIDS URGES EVERYONE TO MAKE SOME NOISE FOR ZERO DISCRIMINATION

GENEVA, 23 February 2017—Everyone will have experienced discrimination of some kind during their lives; however, non-discrimination is a human right. Equally, states and individuals have a legal obligation not to discriminate. This year, on 1 March, Zero Discrimination Day, UNAIDS is urging people to make some noise around zero discrimination, to speak up and prevent discrimination from standing in the way of achieving ambitions, goals and dreams.

Discrimination has many forms, from racial or religious discrimination to discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation or age, and to bullying at school or at work. In only three out of 10 countries worldwide do equal numbers of girls and boys attend upper secondary school, and people living with disabilities are nearly three times more likely to be denied health care than other people.

“Everyone has the right to be treated with respect, to live free from discrimination, coercion and abuse,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Discrimination doesn’t just hurt individuals, it hurts everyone, whereas welcoming and embracing diversity in all its forms brings benefits for all.”

Zero discrimination is an integral part of UNAIDS’ vision and for this year’s Zero Discrimination Day UNAIDS is calling for zero discrimination in health-care settings. The right to health is a fundamental human right that includes access to affordable, timely and quality health-care services for all, yet discrimination remains widespread in health-care settings, creating a serious barrier to access to HIV services.

“Health-care settings should be safe and supportive environments. It is unacceptable that discrimination is inhibiting access to care today,” said Mr Sidibé. “Eliminating discrimination in health-care settings is critical, and we must demand that it become a reality.”

Data from 50 countries from the People Living with HIV Stigma Index show that one in eight people living with HIV report being denied health care. Around 60% of European Union/European Economic Area countries report that stigma and discrimination among health-care professionals remains a barrier to the provision of adequate HIV prevention services for men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs.

This year, UNAIDS is calling on everyone to make some noise for #zerodiscrimination. Zero Discrimination Day is an opportunity to highlight how everyone can be part of the transformation and take a stand for a fair and just society.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

ENDS

Peace & tolerance

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