THE EDITOR, Sir:Once more, so many of us have taken to this boorish impulsiveness of shooting the messenger rather than engaging with the substance of the message. Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna has caused quite a furore this week with her announcement of the reasons for the pending closure of the Alpha Boys' Home. The details were submitted to her ministry by the administrators of the home, and as her ministerial duty mandates, she disclosed them to the public, which has a vested interest in the home, given its investment by way of tax dollars. Elements within the CatholicChurch have upbraided the minister in this manufactured controversy and are demanding an apology for reasons still unclear.
In my mind, an apology would only be appropriate had the minister spoken off the cuff, using hearsay and gossip to explain the situation the home currently faces. Since, however, her comments were informed by official reports submitted by the administrators of the home to her ministry, what is there for her to apologise for?
Are the critics accusing the minister of a lack of tact? Surely, they cannot expect a public servant to sugar-coat matters of concern to the public to whom she has a responsibility for full disclosure. Quite obviously, the loudest critics, being members of the CatholicChurch who continue to be responsible for the care of many youngsters in other facilities, have a discomfort with the minister revealing that inappropriate sexual behaviour and general indiscipline were among the litany of reasons cited by the administrators for their unwillingness to sustain their involvement with the operation of the home. This push to silence the minister is clearly part of the well-established international conspiracy to withhold or otherwise obfuscate the details of allegations of sexual impropriety involving the Church and vulnerable youth. The detractors are misrepresenting the announcement in an effort to create the impression that the minister recklessly endangered the youth in order to score political points. If, indeed, a bus operated by the home was stoned by misguided zealots, that is a matter for the police to address, not the minister of youth and culture.
The crassness and insensitivity that was illustrated by Clovis in his depiction of the home, though not uncharacteristic of this particular journalist, is a matter for the Jamaica Observer's editorial team to address, not the minister of youth and culture.
However, what is squarely within the remit of Minister Hanna is the responsibility to facilitate sober discussions on the matter of our cultural antipathy towards sexual and gender diversity and our consequent penchant for violence. Similarly, she has a responsibility to address the injustice facing the nation's youth despite significant cultural (and institutional) hostility.
The minister must be free to exercise her duty to protect the vulnerable from abuse, no matter who will take offence. That is a key characteristic of a leader, and I sincerely hope she continues to develop her leadership skills by bravely confronting controversial issues as we push for the further development of our country. Faux gentility and self-interested piety are characteristic behaviours of the non-progressive.
However, what is squarely within the remit of Minister Hanna is the responsibility to facilitate sober discussions on the matter of our cultural antipathy towards sexual and gender diversity and our consequent penchant for violence. Similarly, she has a responsibility to address the injustice facing the nation's youth despite significant cultural (and institutional) hostility.
The penchant for mass hysteria accompanied by violence is very palpable in Jamaica today.
However, what is squarely within the remit of Minister Hanna is the responsibility to facilitate sober discussions on the matter of our cultural antipathy towards sexual and gender diversity and our consequent penchant for violence.
BS she has no such duty. Her duty was to use her overstanding of our homophobia, to guide her in any statement she made on the closing of Alpha residential care services. She elevated the problem of boy on boy sex over the major problem of the GOJ's in ability to fund programmes that help at risk youths, a constituency which is her full responsibility.
When I saw the first report on TVJ, in my opinion Hanna did not elevate the problem on boy-on-boy sex over the other problems facing Alpha Residential Facility. Nevertheless, I agree she was reckless in making that statement in a homophobic society such as Jamaica. I agree with that point you made.
My point in this discussion is that the crowd of people reacted to the less-than-obvious issue. The major issue is the apparent lack of discipline of school pickney and disrespect for their teachers, etc. But what examples do they have from the community? From those who stone the buses and even good old Fr. HoLung?? Certainly not.
When I saw the first report on TVJ, in my opinion Hanna did not elevate the problem on boy-on-boy sex over the other problems facing Alpha Residential Facility. Nevertheless, I agree she was reckless in making that statement in a homophobic society such as Jamaica. I agree with that point you made.
My point in this discussion is that the crowd of people reacted to the less-than-obvious issue. The major issue is the apparent lack of discipline of school pickney and disrespect for their teachers, etc. But what examples do they have from the community? From those who stone the buses and even good old Fr. HoLung?? Certainly not.
Ministry of Youth and Culture4-6 Trafalgar RoadKingston 5Jamaica, West IndiesTel: (876) 978-7654Fax: (876) 927-8380 16 April 2014’Sr. Marie Chin, RSMArea AdministratorSisters of Mercy of JamaicaP.O. Box 8072, C.S.O.26 South Camp RoadKingston 5Dear Sr. Marie: Subject: Alpha Boys’ Residential Care Facility I have just received a statement sent to the media in your name on 14 April 2014. The statement was the basis forthe front page story in today’s Jamaica Observer newspaper titled “Untruths hurt Alpha: Nuns say boys damaged by‘unfortunate statements’.”The statement in your name said you had been “forced” to make the release because of “unfortunate statements onthe Alpha Boys’ School and resulting media commentaries, including a shocking cartoon, which have beendisrespectful and have caused great stress to our students.”
I share your concern regarding the distress that the reportage has caused students of Alpha Boys’ School and Icondemn, without reservation, all acts of disrespect, in the media or otherwise, directed at the students, wards andmanagement of the facilities. I wish to place on record that I specifically voiced my concern at our recent pressconference that the issues surrounding children must be treated with care and sensitivity by our national media. Assuch, I found the cartoon in the Jamaica Observer on April 15, 2014 completely reprehensible and utterlyirresponsible. Please allow me to, once again, place on the record, my deep appreciation for the tremendous andinvaluable work done by the Sisters of Mercy over the many years, to improve the lot of our children in need of careand protection.
As the person who first brought to the attention of the nation the fact that the Alpha Boys’ School would bereorganised while the dormitories would be closed, I must bring to your attention the implication of wrongdoing onmy part, which is given by your the statement. Whether or not, this was your intention, it is an unfair implicationwhich needs to be addressed with the facts.
Please recall, in one of your several meetings with us on February 26, 2014, there was much discussion on theunprecedented challenges being faced at Alpha Boys Home and St John Bosco. In that meeting, you shared detailsof the serious behavioural issues being experienced with children in your homes, gave some examples, and indicatedthe vision of the Sisters of Mercy on the way forward. This included the decision to close the residential programmeat Alpha Boys’ Home.Hon. Lisa Hanna, Minister: Mrs. Sherrill O’Reggio Angus , Permanent Secretary (Acting) REPLY OR SUBSEQUENTREFERENCE TO THISCOMMUNICATION SHOULD BEMADE TO THE PERMANENTSECRETARY AND THEFOLLOWING REFERENCEQUOTED: No
Other points raised in our meeting included the human resource capacity issues faced by the Sisters of Mercy, seenin the fewer number of Sisters joining the Order, as well as inadequate financial resources. A point made that stoodout for the Ministry’s team in the discussions was that made by Sr. Susan Frazer, essentially stating firmly that noamount of money would cause them to rethink the decision to close the residential care facility at Alpha. A decisionarising from our meeting was that a Position Paper would be submitted by the Sisters of Mercy to this Ministry,outlining the various challenges of operating a residential care facility and the reasons for the decision to close theresidential programme at Alpha Boys’ Home. See enclosed report submitted by Sr. Susan Frazer.
We subsequently received the requested Position Paper on March 3, 2014, which is enclosed. The paper describedthe current issues being faced and how they have changed over the years; issues included anger problems and predatory sexual behaviour of the wards. I was so moved by its contents and your decision to close the residentialcare facility, that the Position Paper was submitted as part of a Cabinet Note on the critical situation regardingchildren in residential care. The undertaking was given to Cabinet to develop a National Plan of Action for thesector, with funding requirements. The Ministry and its relevant agencies are currently working on this.Recent media reports, as well as statements issued on your behalf, have however stated that by citing deviant behaviour of the wards, I may have misunderstood the reasons for closure of the residential care facility at AlphaBoys Home. On the contrary, in all our meetings, all parties were clear from both verbal and written communicationon the reasons behind closure. Furthermore, the cost to run both homes was discussed, in light of ensuring that bothAlpha and St. John Bosco could be kept open. During my tenure, I ensured that increases were given to yoursubvention, which was approved by Cabinet, effective September 1, 2012. I still want to urge the Sisters of Mercy tokeep the residential care facility at Alpha Boys’ Home open.
In the interest of protecting my Ministry’s credibility, and the integrity of the Government of Jamaica, I will bereleasing this letter with relevant attachments to the Press, so that all ambiguities will be cleared by factualinformation.
I remain as always, committed to working with you and all persons who serve Jamaica’s children. Please know that Iam always available to meet with you.
Sincerely,
Honourable Lisa Hanna, M.P.
Minister
cc: Most Reverend Charles H. Dufour, S.J. D.D – Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kingston
Hon. Reverend Ronald Thwaites – Minister of Education
Mrs. Diahann Gordon Harrison – Children’s Advocate
Mrs. Maxine Henry-Wilson – Chairman, Child Development Agency Advisory Board
Mrs. Rosalee Gage Grey – CEO, Child Development Agency
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