Misinformation and misconceptions of Freddie Kissoon

Apr 30, 2017 Letters

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Dear Editor,
We would like to correct the misinformation and clarify misconceptions about the Guyana Equality Forum (GEF) published in Mr. Freddie Kissoon’s column on April 19, 2017, titled “Visible people, non-existent voices” in your newspaper.
The GEF was formed in May of 2011 under a European Union funded project implemented by the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in collaboration with the Equal Rights Trust, a London-based international organization.
The GEF is an independent, apolitical network of civil society groups working cohesively to achieve equal rights and justice for all Guyanese. To date, the almost six-year old GEF has twenty-two registered member organizations, and partners among the not-for-profit sector, private sector, trade unions, governmental and international partners. The diverse membership itself includes human rights organisations, trade unions and youth groups who meet ordinarily every two months to share information and experiences implementing programmes within our organizations, foster greater collaboration among Guyanese civil society, and strengthen our advocacy as a network, as well as coordinate group activities and multi-partner projects.
SASOD serves as the secretariat and fiscal sponsor of the GEF, with Red Thread as the chair. The GEF’s aims include addressing inequalities in Guyana and working cohesively to achieve equal rights and justice for all Guyanese. Beginning in 2013 and continuing every other year since, the GEF has organized a delegation of its partner organisations to present on cross-cutting human rights issues at the Ordinary Period of Sessions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) at its Organisation of American States (OAS) headquarters in Washington, DC.
The IACHR is a principal and autonomous organ of the OAS, whose mission is to promote and protect human rights in the American hemisphere. One of the mechanisms of the IACHR is hosting periods of sessions for thematic hearings, filings and presentations where individuals, organisations, and other non-state actors present human rights violations and issues against their governments to the commission. This mechanism encourages citizens and civil societies to be directly involved in providing reports and situational analysis of human rights within the states themselves instead of depending wholly on government sources which would often times be biased in favour of the government. Human rights reports would then go on record for review by the commission, a notice will be sent to the government to review and at a specific date both parties, petitioners (those who are presenting the report) and the state (represented by the government) will present in front of the commissioners.
The Government is tasked to provide a response on the issues raised. Commissioners take notes from both sides, review both parties’ responses and provide recommendations on settling disputes and addressing violations. All member states have permanent missions and representatives to the OAS. These diplomats are in constant communication with the IACHR and so dialogue in addressing these issues is always open. It is the responsibility of the government to not only respond, but update the IACHR on the human rights situation in the state and how they are addressing the issues raised.
In 2013, SASOD, Red Thread, Artistes In Direct Support (A.I.D.S.), and Family Awareness Consciousness Togetherness (FACT) presented on “Violence, Sexuality and Gender Issues Affecting Children in Guyana.” In 2015, the Sister of Support, Services and Sustainability (S4) Foundation, the Guyanese Organization of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP), the Deaf Association of Guyana (DAG), and SASOD presented on “Discrimination in the Enjoyment of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Guyana.”
This year, we as a youth delegation of the GEF, presented on the “Human Rights Situation affecting Young Persons in Guyana.” The GEF member organisations involved in the 2017 thematic hearing were SASOD, which is a fairly well- known group, leading change to end discrimination based on sexuality and gender in Guyana; Guyana Trans United (GTU), which is a transgender-led organization working to promote acceptance and equality for transgender Guyanese; Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association’s Youth Advocacy Movement (GRPA’s YAM) which is the youth-led advocacy arm of GRPA, a leading non-governmental sexual and reproductive health and rights entity; and the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC), which is an non-partisan network of youth and youth-led organizations committed to youth advocacy, well recognized for their “Vote Like a Boss” public education campaigns encouraging youth to vote at both General and Local Government elections in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
It is understandable that Mr. Kissoon may have never heard of the GEF even though there are many articles, statements and news reports on our activities and advocacy work and – the most recent protest being our picketing exercise in front of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on March 10, 2017, in support of transgender women who were being denied access to the courts and justice by being barred from their own court proceedings by Magistrate Dylon Bess. Two of the four delegates at this year’s March 22 IACHR thematic hearing were at that picketing exercise.
We invite Mr. Kissoon to support the work of the GEF by joining our public demonstrations and picketing exercises. Mr. Kissoon can also support us in our advocacy by writing columns which educate his readers on the human rights and equality issues our member organisations work on. For more information on the GEF, its members and the advocacy work we do, we encourage Mr. Kissoon and your readership to visit our website at www.equality.gy
Jairo Rodrigues
Social Change Coordinator, SASOD
Twinkle Bissoon
Communications Officer, GTU
Kendra Warner,
Member, GRPA’s YAM
Neketa Forde
Trustee, GNYC

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