The 20-member Cabinet team appointed by President Donald Ramotar on Monday have all promised to make their respective ministries as efficient and effective as possible so that all Guyanese can benefit.

Speaking to Guyana Times International after the appointment, Natural Resources and the Environment Minister Robert Persaud said having a new ministry is a challenge, but his ministry will focus on coordinating all natural resources, taking into consideration the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). His primary objective is to “coordinate all activities within the natural resources sector, be it mining, forestry, land and environment activity…as you know, given our LCDS thrust and also the rich natural resources, the president has decided that we needed to have a more coordinated approach.”

The former agriculture minister said harmonisation is key to sustainable development of all natural resources.

“My priority is in terms of looking at harmonisation of activities and ensuring that we have proper coordination of the various strands of the natural resources sector. It is also ensuring that we have reduced conflict between different users…Harmonisation of policy, but also looking at the different activities ensuring that they do not conflict with the others — ensuring that our environment is properly managed,” Persaud stated. He said he is up to the challenge, noting that it will indeed prove difficult.

 

Award of contracts

Bishop Juan Edghill, who was appointed minister within the Finance Ministry, said his thrust is to focus on all dissatisfied citizens who have expressed concerns about not being awarded contracts and projects at varying levels, noting that justice and fairness are key.

“I think I bring to the table a level of fairness and justice and a willingness to work with all the people of Guyana,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, new Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall said he has to become acquainted with the office he now holds, noting that one of the first things he intends to do is get a “status update on the justice improvement programme”. He said he is interested in knowing at which stage it is currently and what else can be done to improve the programme.

“More importantly, my ministry would be engaged in a lot of consultations with the Bar Association; with the business community; with all the stakeholders, including, of course, the opposition members of parliament, especially those that are lawyers so that every decision I make I would try, as hard as possible, to be as consensual as possible, because we need the cooperation of all involved to take the legal system forward.”

He acknowledged that there are many problems affecting the justice system, noting that those problems must be resolved in a speedy manner.

“There are a lot of problems in the system that we have to work out and we have to get it done. That is the important thing right now. There is an agenda which I would have to look at – everything would centre on improving the quality of justice which we are dispensing to our people. That is the bottom line!”

Nandlall was asked about his succeeding Charles Ramson SC as attorney general and legal affairs minister despite the fact that he was a senior counsel. “I feel humbled that I hold such an important position not being senior counsel, but you know that that has happened all over the world…” he stated, pointing to Trinidad and Tobago as an example.

 

Workers’ rights

Another newcomer, Labour Minister Dr Nanda Kishore Gopaul said he will be working towards ensuring that the rights of all workers across the board are protected.

“I will look at laws and legislation which are existing; there are modern laws, modern legislation and we are hoping that we would be able to police these laws to ensure that workers’ rights are protected and safe guarded.”

He stated, however, that it is not a case where the rights of workers are not currently protected but more needs to be done.

“Workers’ rights are protected under the existing laws; it is just that we have to work feverishly to ensure that all the areas of concerns are addressed and that people are happy at their places of work, be it in the sugar, bauxite [industries], wherever, they must feel a sense of security and a sense of belonging. We will work towards that.” Gopaul noted that “all matters which are outstanding we would like to settle; we would have all grievances resolved and we are going to work feverishly to ensure that grievances are resolved.”

 

From health to agriculture

Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy has committed to transforming the agriculture sector, noting that improving drainage and irrigation is a must. He said he has set up a meeting with all senior departmental heads with the aim of being briefed and he will also be visiting many of the factories while meeting farmers over the next few days.

“Clearly, we have to look at drainage and irrigation; it is a major problem if we are going to address agriculture. We have to look at more modern production methods in the country. I would be looking at all those things; it is going to be an exciting next five years for agriculture. I spent more than 10 years transforming health, and I would like now to make sure that by the time I leave this portfolio that the transformation of agriculture would have been quite advanced,” the former health minister said.

New Education Minister Priya Manickchand told this publication that she is keen on having talks with stakeholders within the education system so as to grasp an understanding of areas that need to be examined. She said, “Of course, I would really like to hear from people, parents, students, teachers about some of the things they might want to see in my term.”

Inspiring teachers to give their best, along with understanding root problems in the education sector, Manickchand said, will be her initial focus. “…the Education Ministry would have a whole host of people there who have intense experience, if we would match and mix those experiences with new ideas, then we have places to go.”

When asked whether she will miss her post as human services and social security minister she said, “It is not difficult to let go. I think Minister Webster will do a fantastic job. She is very interested in women’s issues.”

 

Now in his role

The elevation from minister within the ministry is a dream come true for Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsarran. He told this publication that he is humbled by the fact the president has chosen him to be the new health minister after years of being a minister within that ministry.

“The Ministry of Health has done a lot of good things over the past few years; we have also invested heavily in infrastructure and training. One of my immediate tasks would be to see that the Guyanese people get more out of that investment, the return on the invested dollar. I am not always satisfied that we are getting the best out of that investment, so we need to tidy up on management of the massive investment in improved infrastructure and training.”

He stressed that having more trained personnel would ensure that a better quality of service is offered to the people of the country. “I am hoping to push the principle of equity of access. Principle of equity, value for dollar, quality services and, of course, we need to have clientele satisfaction. Not all the time do we deliver the services in the manner we should. This creates disgruntlement. This needs to change,” he stated. Ramsarran, who had been responsible for regional health services across the country, stated he hopes to improve health care across the board during his tenure as health minister.

 

Homeowner vision

Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali told this publication that he is pleased to be retained by President Ramotar, noting that his vision to have every Guyanese become the owner of a home is quickly becoming a reality.

Ali believes that focus needs to be placed on community planning and development so as to ensure that persons at the grassroots levels can become integrally involved, contributing to sustainable communities. Besides, Ali intends to expand his ministry’s public-private partnership while enhancing educational programmes aimed at sensitising first-time homeowners.

Meanwhile, Ali, who also has responsibility for the water sector, said improving the current billing system is critical in that area. “The billing system must be improved, we are also looking at ensuring more of the population has access to treated water and also work on integrated water resource management system and also expansion of water in the hinterland communities,” he stated.

All appointed ministers thanked President Ramotar for having confidence in their work and abilities to run effective and efficient ministries over the next five years.

 

 

Source: https://www.guyanatimesinternational.com/?p=12270

President Donald Ramotar on Monday swore in a 20-member Cabinet, more than half of whom are from the Bharrat Jagdeo administration, along with five new faces and a new ministry.

“I have every confidence that this team that I have just sworn in will work. Some of them who have been here before will continue the dedication that they have shown previously in their positions and in the new positions that they will now have; and those who are coming in for the first time, I want to say that you have a good team of people, experienced enough, who will help you along,” Ramotar told a State House gathering after the ministers took their oaths of office.

The new faces include former Region Two Chairman Ali Baksh who now holds the post of minister within the Agriculture Ministry; Bishop Juan Edghill, Minister within the Finance Ministry; Dr Nanda Kishore Gopaul, Minister of Labour; and Ganga Persaud, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, a position that was held previously by Norman Whittaker following Kellawan Lall taking up a posting as Guyana’s ambassador to Brazil in July.

The fifth new face is that of Attorney Anil Nandlall who has been appointed Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs. Nandlall replaces Senior Counsel Charles Ramson.

Noticeably missing from the Cabinet line-up was Shaik Baksh, who previously served as Minister of Housing and Water and also Education in the Jagdeo administration.

Also overlooked for Cabinet postings were: Manniram Prashad and Manzoor Nadir who served as Tourism and Labour Ministers respectively.

Meanwhile, former Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud will head the new Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which will operate out of the Office of the President, while former Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy has been appointed Minister of Agriculture.

Dr Bheri Ramsarran now holds the position of minister of health. Additionally, former Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand is now minister of education, and Jenifer Webster who was Minister within the Ministry of Finance now fills Manickchand’s previous post.

Those retaining their posts are: Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn; Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett; Minister of Housing, Irfaan Ali; Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport Dr Frank Anthony; Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai; and Minister of Public Service, Dr Jennifer Westford.

Whittaker, who served a five-month stint as Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, has been shifted to Minister within that Ministry. He has been replaced by PPP stalwart Ganga Persaud, who previously served in that ministry as a permanent secretary.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, the longest-serving prime minister in the hemisphere, retains his position as Minister of Energy along with parliamentary duties.

No minister of tourism has been appointed, an announcement which Ramotar said he will make shortly.

 

 

 

Source: https://www.guyanatimesinternational.com/?p=12218President 

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will continue to respect all women’s rights and issues, and will spare no effort in fighting against domestic violence and in ensuring that there is equality of opportunity for all. 

Party General Secretary and Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar made this assertion yesterday while addressing scores of women gathered to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
That event was organized by the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO), an arm of the ruling PPP/C, and it saw women of all walks of life and from all regions converging on the Umana Yana in Kingston, Georgetown to listen to the presidential candidate and other party members as they addressed issues on women’s rights and gender equality. Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Priya Manickchand, was among the speakers.

In his presentation on the PPP/C vision for the future of Guyanese women, Ramotar declared that Guyana has come a far way in fighting for the rights of women, and has travelled a significant distance in this regard due to the vision and advocacy of  founding members  like Comrade Janet Jagan.
He said, “We were fortunate to have as one of the leaders (of the party) Comrade Janet Jagan, who was a very progressive leader of her time. It was like a breath of fresh air. A new perspective was brought in front of our people, and from the impact of her political life, she was able to bring women together and to promote an agenda of struggle for women.”

The party’s presidential candidate also noted that an enormous amount of women have contributed in the fight for independence, and were   involved in the struggles for freedom during the movement started by the PPP/C in the early period.
Alluding to the initiatives implemented since 1992, Ramotar announced that a vast amount of measures have been taken by this current administration to remove  oppression, and to increase  the   conditions for women to be able to express themselves in every aspect of their lives, and to promote themselves economically and socially.

Success of programmes
“In a direct way, one of the important interventions is the Women of Worth (WoW) programme that was started to help women improve their economic conditions in life. This is very important because, when you look at social issues, you will always trace them back to some economic root in society,” Ramotar explained.
“Therefore, enhancing women’s economic condition is not merely giving them better economic circumstances, but also empowering them to deal with the many issues, and allowing them to reach the equalities sought by all,” he added.
As to additional programmes which have contributed to the promotion of gender equality and empowerment, Ramotar announced that the PPP/C’s investments in the water sector have also aided in this overall objective.
He said, “I remember how many times I have travelled up and down the coast for one reason or another; and, in the 70s and 80s, it was a pitiful sight to see women pushing go-carts with tanks of water, with children hanging on to their skirts… Through our water programme that the PPP/C government started the moment we got into office in 1992, this is no longer the situation in our country.”

Future Plans
He additionally highlighted that through the government’s efforts to provide cheap electricity by means of hydropower, and the advancement of information and communication technology (ICT), more opportunities for job creation will be available.
In this regard, he lauded the Labour Ministry for implementing various training programmes that targeted women across the country.

The gathering at the Yumana Yana yesterday
“Women are obtaining skills in non-traditional areas to be able to play a greater role in society. This is extremely important, and this, too, will have a major impact on the issue of women’s equality and respect for women,” the presidential candidate emphasised.
Despite the successes and great strides made over the years, he posited, there is yet a great amount of work left to be done, especially in relation to stemming the brutal attacks on women in society.
As to the urgent need for this to be done, he stated, “We still have a lot to do. Sometimes, when you read the newspapers and you see the brutality that has been meted out against some of our women, some shock our consciousness and tell us that we still have quite a lot of work to do. And we have to insist that we will carry out this. We have our manifesto and we will emphasise and continue to build on the work we have already done.”
The areas that need to be addressed include strengthening and enforcing existing laws that protect women, in order to send a strong message that the PPP/C is serious about “stamping out  the degrading behaviour”  of violence against women.
Immediately following his address, members of the audience were invited to participate in an interactive session with the presidential candidate, and to highlight issues they deemed important.

Testimonial
The planned interactive session, however, morphed into a period of testimonials, as several women approached the microphone to testify to the success of the policies of the PPP/C administration, which have changed their lives and the lives of women all across the country.
The representative from the PPP UK branch, Patsy Downey, acknowledged that there have been improvements in the overall condition of the country over the 40 years she has been coming here.
“I have been coming here for 41 years, and I know of the difficult years. It’s good that they are over and they can never return. That is why we need to return the PPP to another five years in government,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Joan-Ann Green from the Linden/Soesdyke Highway noted that the day was indeed a significant occasion in the lives of all Guyanese women, as they have all benefited from the policies and interventions of the PPP/C.
She said, “Today, I must say that I am not the most empowered, but I am an empowered woman. I want to show that I am not afraid to demonstrate, from the Linden Highway to Georgetown, the party I represent and love. I am so happy to be a part of the PPP, which is a mega-party. You are a part of something great, women; feel privileged!”
Immediately after that interactive session, Minister Manickchand took the opportunity to underscore the many achievements of women in Guyana under the PPP/C Administration, and to remind the nation’s women that Guyana is, in many regards, ahead of the race in promoting gender equality.

 

 

Source: http://guyanachronicle.com/2011/11/26/guyana-leads-in-promoting-gender-equality

Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand yesterday urged all women to protect themselves from violent partners and to utilize the various programmes formulated to help fight the scourge of domestic violence.

The minister touted all of the work that has been done over the years by the ministry to protect women from the various forms of violence and to empower them so they can be independent, during a ceremony held to observe International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,

Braving the rain in the compound of the ministry, Manickchand said the day was set aside for the world to denounce violence against women with specific reference to its harmful effects and the solutions that individual countries have put in place to fight violence against women.

She said that domestic violence and sexual violence against women arose from a prevailing gender inequality where men have the upper hand. She noted that women and girls make up more than half of the world’s population but own only 1% of the world’s property, earn less than men and continue to be treated unequally.

The minister told the gathering, which included school children and social workers, that the fact that women make up a larger percentage of the population, is not reflected economically, socially or in any other respect.

In Guyana, according to her, women are struggling to emerge from gender inequality that is also prevailing around the world. She said the authorities need to be very aggressive in this fight to ensure that women become equal to men and that steps are taken to enable women to become independent so that they can better take care of themselves and their children.

She said it is not just a struggle to address domestic violence here but “the struggle for the government is to ensure that there are programmes in place and that there are policies that we can implement to make sure that our women are empowered”. She stressed that the ministry believes that it is within this environment that issues such as domestic violence and sexual violence can be effectively tackled.

She noted that women have undergone skills training since the ministry strongly believes that women need to be independent and not dependent on abusive partners.

Manickchand noted too that the ministry has also provided hundreds of women with grants so that they can either establish a business or expand on one. She explained that if a woman is trained in catering, on completion of the course she is provided with a grant to start a business.

She said the commendable Women of Worth (WOW) programme allows single parents to access financial assistance to expand their businesses pointing out that an agreement was reached with banks to ensure this was possible.

She said more than 2,000 women have benefited from this service in less than a year and this created instant changes in the lives of these women and their dependants.

Addressing domestic violence

The minister told the gathering that quite a number of things have been done to specifically address domestic violence. In addition to the “very comprehensive Domestic Violence Act, we recognize that we needed to put together the kinds of services that would be needed,” she said, adding, “we published a national policy on domestic violence.”

Manickchand pointed to the Stamp it Out campaign during which officials went to 60 villages and communities across the country over a six-month period. Thousands were spoken to about the harm of sexual violence and what can be done to stamp it out.
She said legal aid services have been expanded. “Legal aid is a place where you can get justice, access the court,” she said adding that this service can be accessed for free or for a very small sum. Legal aid, she said, is available in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Seven and Ten and satellite services when needed in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine.
The minister stressed that concrete measures have been taken to tackle domestic violence.

She said that there are cases were women were urged not to leave relationship on the advice of religious leaders and therefore more than 800 religious leaders from six regions were trained in relation to the issue of domestic violence and how they could be part of the solution. “These are concrete measures taken, yet we see women being beaten,” she noted.

She said women are not responsible for the violence that is meted out to them. “While we have all these services and while we have trained the police force and our religious leaders, social workers, we still need women to take responsibility for their own lives and to accept these pieces of legislation and to accept these services when you find yourselves in a situation where you are being beaten; where your dignity is being taken away from you simply because you are a woman,” she said.

Manickchand appealed to women to access the many avenues where help can be sought, “so that you and your children can live a violence free life. No one else can do that for you.”

She urged all citizens during this elections period not to engage in any activities that can put women in harm’s way. She explained that whenever there is a protest or a riot, it is the women who suffer the most.
“We must commit today to ensuring that we are all standing together as one, denouncing violence against women in any form or fashion,” she stressed.

White zones
A positive Manickchand said that during the (government’s) next tern in office there would be the establishment of white zones across the country. She explained that a white zone is a place where help can be sought.

She said that before one is established, officials will go house to house in a community and educate residents about violence, its harmful nature and where you can get help. Later, she said, men will be approached with information as to how conflict can be solved without violence and the services that are available to them.

“We are not going around building buildings, it has to be where a place exists. We train the people there, how to address a women who comes in and complains about violence, how to accompany her to the police station, what are the things that can be done for her,” Manickchand said adding that it is following this process that a white zone will be established.

She said that two have already been set up and have been successful so far.  She said these zones can only be established in places where a stringent security spirit exists since it is “the community [that] has to run it and sustain it. I look forward to launching, like crazy, white zones across this country in the next five years so that we can better address and deal with domestic violence.”

She assured that the WOW and Single Parents’ Assistance programmes will be expanded and legislation that addresses women’s affairs will be reviewed.

In a short address Rev Patrick Findlay, Men Affairs director said, beating “our wives and girlfriends never make things better for either of the two parties involved.”  He said that from all appearances men are stuck in their ways because of their socialization. He said for the year, the organisation has spoken to over 12,000 young people in different parts of the country about gender based violence.

Rev Findlay said that youths need to be taught how to deal with conflict and anger. He opined that young leadership can end the violence against women and girls. He urged men not to hit women as they are loveable and delicate creatures.

Meanwhile Yvonne Stephenson, information resource manager, Ministry of Human Services said that in 2010, 35 women were murdered. She later listed a number of women who had been killed by their partners up to October this year, among them, nursery school teacher Natalie Loncke and Tessa Romacindo.  She stressed that too many women suffer at the hands of their partners before all stakeholders to come on board to help fight this growing issue.

Later Babsie Giddings representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said that women and girls are subjected to domestic violence on a daily basis.

She said her organisation is committed to actively engaging men and boys to bring an end to domestic violence. She stressed that this is an issue that “involves all of us”.

 

 

 

 

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/news/guyana/11/26/manickchand-urges-women-to-protect-themselves-from-violence/

THE goal of securing a better livelihood for vulnerable citizens in any country tells of not only a caring government, but of one that seeks to use national wealth for the betterment of all its citizens, regardless of race, ethnicity or gender.

These qualities have been made manifest in Guyana over the past many years and thousands of citizens can bear testimony to significant strides made by the PPP/C Government, to change the socio-economic landscape, to provide a better life for vulnerable sections of the society, particularly children and single parents.
For single parents, several programmes have been implemented, such as skills training and subsidies for day care expenses as support mechanism to alleviate the burdens of single parents who have to take care of their children.
Recipients receive monthly assistance towards the cost of day care expenses, while they work.
In 2010, a visionary plan under the stewardship of Minister Priya Manickchand became a reality, with the launching of the revolutionary single parents micro credit scheme, Women of Worth (WOW), that facilitates single parents accessing micro loans, without collateral, for business endeavours.
By the middle of November, the WOW department at the Ministry of Human Services had issued about 1,158 loans, valued in excess of $224M, to single parents.
The scheme, a collaborative initiative between the Ministry and the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), provides single women access to loans, ranging from $100,000 to $250,000, to establish and expand small businesses, with maximum of 24 months repayment.

GBTI has committed a total sum of $500M to the WOW loan plan so there is room for more eligible women to benefit.

The WOW programme has reached Linden (Region 10), Hampshire, (Region 6), Anna Regina, (Region 2), Buxton (Region 4), Fort Wellington (Region 5), Mahdia (Region 8) and recently, Lethem (Region 9). The initiative was launched in the latter region on November 6, with residents showing high interest.
Patrica Chandro, a single parent mother residing in La Penitence, Georgetown, accessed a loan for $250,000 in November, 2010, to assist with the establishment of the Precious Jewel Play Group.
The funds were expended towards the purchase of learning materials, stationery and furniture. The play school has an existing complement of 16 children, and is the only such group in the immediate location, thus giving her a competitive advantage.

Another mother, Ayesha Lamasion, who has one child, benefited from a loan of $100,000 in August, 2010, to purchase stocks for her salon business at 2 Middleton Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, named ‘Salon Sensational’.
The loan was used to purchase a nail buffing machine, an airbrush package, a wax pot and related supplies.
A 53-year old grandmother, Brenda Beckles, obtained a loan of $200,000, in October, 2010, to start a poultry business and purchase additional stock for her snackette.
To date, loan repayments have always been on schedule, and she has been able to expand her stock and offer a larger variety of beverages to customers.
Her increased stock of ice-cream and icicles are particularly preferred by children, and she has advised that the loan has been very beneficial to her as her customer base has grown and there is a better return.

 

 

 

Source: (GINA) https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/11/25/wow-facilitating-a-brighter-future-for-single-parents

-says region should imitate this

EXECUTIVE Secretary for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Barcena, has described the Government of Guyana’s Women of Worth (WOW) programme as a laudable model and said the region as a whole should follow suit. The ECLAC official, who was in Trinidad and Tobago for the Caribbean Development Round Table on Tuesday, organized by ECLAC in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance of Trinidad and Tobago, made the comment subsequent to the Round Table.
Barcena also met with President Bharrat Jagdeo who was in Trinidad and Tobago for the Third China Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum.
She stated that the initiative which enables single parent women with opportunities to develop themselves economically is a form of “Inclusive Financing” by government.
The WOW programme, which has cost government over $154M, has a loan span from $100,000 to $250,000, at a minimal interest rate of 6 percent and a maximum repayment period of 24 months.
The initiative, which saw over 1,000 single mothers already benefiting, is being initiated by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security through a collaborative effort with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry.
It was launched in June, 2010, and caters for applicants between the ages of 18 and 60 years, with an earning of up to $40,000 per month.

 

 

 

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/09/15/eclac-official-calls-guyanas-wow-programme-a-model

– rules Committee ‘sloth’ blamed

More than a year after construction of the family court was completed, government continues to express its disappointment with the pace at which the Rules Committee, headed by acting Chancellor Carl Singh, is working to have the court operational.

Speaking to the media on August 25, Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand said she was very disappointed with the delay, declaring the government has done its part in making the facility a reality.

According to her, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic government had constructed the building, as promised in its 2006 manifesto.

“Whatever could have been done by the executive arm to have brought this court into being has been done,” she insisted.

“If you look at the promises made by the PPP/C that were to be fulfilled by this ministry, you would see that every single other thing has been done except that. And so, of course, I’m personally disappointed that the failure of the Rules Committee to have these rules being made into law and adopted has really stalled my own progress.” Manickchand, a lawyer by training, said her understanding is that the non-approval of rules for the court is responsible for the delay. “Rules for the family court can only be laid by the Rules Committee; it’s a matter of law. The Rules Committee performs their functions. Under law, they are separate and apart from government. In fact, they fall under the judicial arm of government,” she explained.

The minister informed reporters that the rules in question were forwarded to the committee since November 2010. “Having indicated to us that they (Rules Committee) have no capacity to get those rules done, the government hired someone that they recommended and approved of to draft the rules. We submitted those rules to the chancellor, who is the head of the Rules Committee, and the rules are still not made into law,” Manickchand lamented.

Impatient

The minister suggested that a better answer on the status of the family court would come from either the chancellor or the Rules Committee.

Several months ago, Presidential Secretariat Head Dr Roger Luncheon said government was “impatient”, while explaining that “the Rules Committee adoption is necessary for the definitive parliamentary intervention that was needed for the court to be established”. When questioned about a likely opening date, Dr Luncheon responded: “Our frustration at Cabinet is precisely because we cannot answer that question.” He did suggest that there were other measures that the executive could pursue, but suggested that the executive preferred to let convention take precedence.

After clearance by the Rules Committee, the rules have to be returned to Parliament for adoption.

Once this is done, they would be enshrined in the High Court Rules, and the family court’s operation would be initiated.

It has been more than a year since contractors handed over the court to the Human Services and Social Security Ministry.

The court was established to address problems arising from the dysfunction of the family unit, and to give special attention to child rights issues. It will handle issues such as divorce, division of property, domestic matters, adoption, guardianship, and custody.

 

 

 

Source: https://www.guyanatimesinternational.com/?p=9808

…hosted by Human Services Ministry, Margaret Clemons Foundation

THE Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, in partnership with the Margaret Clemons Foundation (MCF), on August 11 last, hosted a photography workshop for 15 children, ages 11 to 17, and two artists, under the project theme name ‘WITNESS’. Attending the workshop at the Cara Lodge, also, was country coordinator from the Childcare and Protection Agency, Help and Shelter, Varqa Foundation and the Greater Georgetown community.  Also in attendance as observers were Karla Daniels, Vice Consul U.S. Embassy; Dhanmattie Sohai, USAID; Margaret Kertzious, Director, Help and Shelter; and Shirley Ferguson, Childcare and Protection Agency. MCF’s programming includes a train the trainer component.

The programme’s primary objective is to draw attention to and spark conversation about the effects of adult human behaviour, particularly gender-based, and child directed violence on society’s most vulnerable and impressionable witnesses, our children.  The project is part of the global photography project by the French artist JR, called “Inside Out”. MCF provided each of the 18 participants with point and shoot cameras, memory cards, journals and photography books.

The workshop included basic photography instruction by Alysia Christiani, the New York based Guyanese American and Studio Manager at Sesame Workshop. Christiani volunteered her time to travel to Guyana, on behalf of MCF, to deliver the workshop, and is the WITNESS Project Manager.
The children were separated into groups of three and presented with various logistical and mechanical obstacles to overcome. With only two weeks to take a number of very specific photographs, obtain signed releases from the model’s parent or guardian, and deliver the photographs to the Guyana based coordinator for delivery to MCF in New York, each group had to develop an efficient system which was presented to the larger group for discussion. Additionally, all participants were required to answer a questionnaire about the programme, and to make suggestions on what can be improved upon.

The two participating artists chronicled the workshop by photographing the participants as they worked through the process. They will continue to record the programme as it unfolds over the next two weeks, and again at the final roll out in late October, when representatives of MCF return to Guyana to post the children’s photographs, which would have been converted into huge-sized posters, in heavily trafficked areas of Georgetown.
After the posters are placed in and around Georgetown, they will be added to JR’s Inside Out site and viewed by people from across the globe. The children, artists and country coordinator are required to participate in this final aspect of the programme.  MCF’s commitment to the participants includes providing transportation to anyone who may have moved out of town at the time of the roll out.

In addressing the WITNESS Project participants, Minister Manickchand expressed the importance of utilizing all available resources, including arts-based programming to change violence directed against women and children.  She said that by participating in programmes such as Project WITNESS, young people could finally begin to speak out loudly against the violence that has infected the world.

 

 

 

 

Source: https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/08/25/15-children-in-witness-project-photography-workshop