Our young people need to have a voice, and what could be more important than advocating for their rights? Here Shontol Harris writes about the need to protect our children, in families and communities. Founded in 2011, the I’m Glad I’m a Girl Foundation based at the University of the West Indies’ Mary Seacole Hall facilitates the development and empowerment of teen girls through mentorship and education. The annual I’m Glad I’m a Girl Summer Camp for girls age 13-19 in at-risk, depressed and/or marginalized urban and rural communities, focuses on Self Affirmation, Body Image and Identity, Sexual Reproductive Rights and Responsibilities, Health: Mental Wellness and Nutrition, Conflict Resolution and Career Planning. I spoke to a group from the Foundation recently about the power of blogging, and am so happy to see them putting it into practice! Please read and share…
Growing up in Jamaica I always heard that it takes a village to raise a child. The village was expected to provide the necessary care, protection and guidance to the child until he or she became an adult. That notion found support in the International Conventions that Jamaica adopted, notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention on the Rights of the Child was guided by the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the General Assembly in 1959. The Declaration stated that “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity needs special; safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.” Adults were thus given the duty and responsibility to care for children. But what happens when the persons who have been tasked with protecting them become the ones hurting them?
In May, four high school teachers in…
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