Black Immigrant Daily News

The Ministry of National Security is collaborating with the Ministry of Education and Youth to inform children about human trafficking.

Director of Children and Family Programmes at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Warren Thompson, said the initiative was necessary, as children are vulnerable to human trafficking.

“There is the inclusion of the trafficking in persons content in the Home Family Life Education curriculum in schools, where we want children and teachers to be sensitive and have an awareness to the issue,” Thompson said.

He continued, “they have an internal committee and a plan of action, aimed at basically doing some preventative work in schools across the island, so a number of things are happening in the education sector”.

Manager of the Trafficking in Persons Secretariat in the Ministry of National Security, Audrey Budhi, said following the creation of Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) clubs in schools in 2019, the National Taskforce Against Trafficking in Persons had further dialogue on engagement.

“What the team did, coming out of the intentional work from the task force, they have…[from] grades seven to nine…developed the curriculum and that curriculum is used at that level outside of what we were talking about with the clubs.” Ms. Budhi said.

She noted that school guidance counsellors were trained on how to spot trafficking victims. “They (Education Ministry) used the time wisely during the pandemic, where you couldn’t go out, and what they have done creatively, as well, is whilst we were teaching the youngsters on television, we inserted those lessons [about trafficking] so that they were still learning and hearing about trafficking in persons.” Ms. Budhi noted.

She noted that the Ministry plans to re-engage the ATIP clubs.

“Those are what we’re seeing now as leadership, and that they can hand off and you can have that rippling effect. Their grouping has come up with their own subcommittee to deal with prevention and terms of reference in terms of how they’re going to deal with prevention issues, to meet the needs of their public.” Ms. Budhi said.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

El Ejército Popular de Liberación de China anunció este lunes que continuará los ejercicios en aguas cercanas a la isla de Taiwán, centrándose en los ataques antisubmarinos y aire-barco.

Pekín ha decidido cerrar parte de la bahía del golfo de Bohai y el mar Amarillo para realizar los ejercicios militares, según manifestó la Administración de Seguridad Marítima del país asiático en un comunicado citado por Bloomberg.

Las tareas militares en el golfo de Bohai se llevarán a cabo del 8 de agosto al 8 de septiembre dentro de la zona de puntos designada y la entrada en esta zona está prohibida, indicaron las autoridades. De igual forma, una parte del mar Amarillo fue cerrada para realizar disparos con fuego real del 6 al 15 de agosto.

Watch a 3D-like video of the unprecedented PLA military drills around the island of Taiwan. “Take actions upon orders, combat decisively, and bury all intrusive enemies.” The PLA are prepared to safeguard China’s territorial integrity. pic.twitter.com/kSECGqhtfo

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) August 8, 2022

Asimismo, el Ejército chino ha enviado lo que parecen ser bombarderos estratégicos H-6 para realizar ejercicios alrededor de Taiwán, según se observa en un video publicado este lunes por el Mando de Combate de la Zona Oriental del Ejército.

El ministro de Exteriores de China, Wang Yi, aseguró el sábado pasado que los ejercicios militares iniciados por Pekín tras la visita de la presidenta de la Cámara de Representantes de EE.UU., Nancy Pelosi, a Taiwán “son abiertos, transparentes y profesionales, están conforme al derecho nacional e internacional” y están “diseñados para advertir a los perpetradores y castigar a las fuerzas independentistas de Taiwán”, aseguró.

Noticia original de RT en Español.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The Jamaican Government spent a combined $43 million on the failed campaign by Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, to wrest the Commonwealth Secretary General position away from Baroness Patricia Scotland, and for its delegation that attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Kigali, Rwanda in June.

A total of $18.2 million was spent on the Johnson Smith campaign that started with the surprise announcement of her candidature by Jamaica House in April. Approximately $25 million was spent on the delegation, which included Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his wife Juliet, that attended the week-long Summit at which the incumbent, the Dominica-born Scotland, narrowly defeated Johnson Smith to retain her position as Commonwealth Secretary General.

The cost of the campaign and the trip to the east-central African nation was revealed in a statement on Sunday by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

According to the statement, the $18.2 million that was expended on the Johnson Smith campaign covered air and ground transportation, COVID-19 tests, meals and accommodation, public relations/communications support activities for staging of events such as the launch and engagements with delegations as well as IT support, printing of documents, photography, food, and beverages.

Regarding the $25 million that was spent by the government for its delegation to attend the Summit, OPM explained that the cost was absorbed by three participating ministries, with the OPM being responsible for $12.8 million of the amount. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade forked up $7.7 million, while the Ministry of Tourism contributed $5.1 million.

The statement also confirmed that global marketing agency, FINN Partners provided public relations, media relations and thought leadership services for Johnson Smith.

“The government of Jamaica was not a party to this arrangement, which was secured by corporate Jamaica,” the statement added.

The Prime Minister was expected to answer questions in the Parliament related to the cost of the campaign, including whether a foreign-based public relations entity was involved and the source of the funding.

In providing the answers Sunday night, the OPM said it was “fulfilling its public commitment to transparency and accountability”.

The OPM asserted that Johnson Smith’s campaign was efficiently conducted and utilised the existing channels and resources, including already established travel plans and engagements.

“This significantly minimised additional and direct expenditure from the budget for the campaign,” it insisted.

The prime minister’s office highlighted that Johnson Smith’s candidature was announced in April and launched that same month in London, with some assistance for this event from corporate Jamaica.

Said the OPM: “The Minister made strategic use of the opportunities offered by impending official engagements, to carry out lobbying activities. In that regard, in her capacity as Foreign Minister, Minister Johnson Smith attended meetings of the Economic and Social Council (United Nations, New York, April 2022); the CARICOM Agri-Investment Forum & Expo (Guyana, May 2022); the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (United Nations, Geneva, June 2022); and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Rwanda, June 2022)”.

It also noted that Johnson Smith met with Heads of Government and counterpart Ministers on the margins of these programmed activities, to conduct the work of the Jamaican delegation, and simultaneously, to promote the candidature.

“This is standard operation in international organisations, particularly by small states like Jamaica, which are conscious of the need to capitalise on these avenues to conduct international relations, in order to minimise costs,” said the OPM.

It disclosed that the foreign affairs minister’s travel schedule took her to seven African countries in 10 days as she sought their votes for the secretary general post.

However, all of that would come to naught as, at the end of a divisive campaign, Scotland prevailed by a 27-24 margin and will serve out her remaining two years as secretary general.

The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, had stated that Jamaica was making a “monumental mistake” in challenging a Scotland for the post. He said the decision threatened to divide the 15-member Caricom bloc.

The OPM said the Jamaican government ran a clean, transparent, principled campaign that met the standards of accountability.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

A 66-year-old man, who allegedly collected money from another man’s tenants on his behalf but failed to hand it over, has been arrested..

Charged with embezzlement is Winston McLean, a salesman of Dunrobin district in Manchester.

Reports from the Hunts Bay police are that McLean was “granted responsibility by the complainant” to collect money from his tenants on his behalf.

McLean reportedly collected $850,000 over a period of time, in the absence of the complainant, however, it is alleged that he failed to lodge the money to the complainant’s account.

The police said an investigation was launched following the incident on Daytona Drive, Kingston 20 on May 1, 2022, and on August 1, McLean was apprehended in Manchester. He was charged on August 6 and his court date is being finalised, the police said.

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