A scene from the three-day training on gender and cultural sensitivity held in Baramita
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, has urged the public to respect the Indigenous community. She called for this while leading a three-day training on gender and cultural sensitivity in Baramita, Region One (Barima-Waini).
In her opening remarks, the Senior Counsel besieged the participants to be respectful to residents of the Amerindian community since like all other Guyanese, the Amerindian people have rights under the supreme law, the Constitution of Guyana.
The DPP implored the Police ranks present to be respectful in dealing with matters involving trafficking in persons, sexual offences, domestic violence committed on both men and women, and the vexed issue of consumption of alcohol, especially High Wine, by teenagers and the smoking of marijuana by the young persons in the community.
Country Representative of the Justice Education Society (JES), Lisa Thompson echoed similar sentiments when she informed the participants, including Police ranks, Toshao, village councillors, and health workers that they are the frontline people who would first interact with Guyana’s Indigenous people when they need help.
Ali-Hack and Police Deputy Superintendent James Tappin have suggested to Toshao Onika Melbourne to set up a task force comprising representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, and other agencies to collaborate on dealing with issues affecting the Baramita residents.
These issues include the registration of births affecting school children, welfare officers to look into issues affecting schools and students/pupils, and a resident probation officer from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
Members of the Baramita community, especially the adults and members of the Police Force, thanked Ali-Hack for her presence, since it was the very first time a DPP has ever taken the time to visit and meet one-on-one with the residents of the community.
