NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, DEC 21 – DEC 27, 2017 | VOL. 14 NO. 51
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The True Spirit
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Haitian Women Seek Child Support For 'Peacekeeper Babies' Haitian women who claim they were sexually exploited by UN soldiers want child support.
by Garth A. Rose
One of the primary characteristics of this holiday season is the spirit of giving, especially to the less fortunate among us. Within the Caribbean Diaspora in South Florida, several organizations and individuals have been busy over the past several weeks, ensuring that the less fortunate members of the community and people in their respective home countries, who are faced with adverse situations, are not ignored. One of these organizations is the Jamaican Women of Florida, (JWOF), founded by attorney Dahlia Walker-Huntington in 2012. Since its launch, the organization organizes an annual food and toy drive beginning from Thanksgiving through to Christmas. Under the leadership of current president, Camille Edwards, the
organization has continued its involvement to caring for the less fortunate in the community. Over the past Thanksgiving holidays JWOF conducted an aggressive drive through partnerships with Kiwanis Sawgrass/Sunrise and the Jerk Machine Restaurant, to obtain and donate turkeys to families, to enable them to have the traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner. Turkey gift packages were donated to needy families identified at several churches, including the Holy Family Episcopal and Parkway Baptist in Miami Gardens, Christway Baptist in Miramar and the Blessing & Power Healing Deliverance Int'l Ministries, Fort Lauderdale. This Christmas, the JWOF, according to Vice-President June Minto, “identified several locations in Broward and Miami-Dade for our annual Book & Toy Drive, and we are most grateful that the response was quite heartening from the community.” Large donations of books and toys were received from students and parents of Andover Academy in Plantation; the congregation of the Holy Family Episcopal Church, clients, staff of the local law firm, Robinson Law & Mediation, and the management and staff at all the locations of Broward Meats. continues on B8 – Christmas Spirit
Lawyers for 11 women have filed the first legal action against both the UN and individual peacekeeping soldiers in paternity and child support claims. The lawsuit has been brought by human rights group Bureau Des Avocats Internationaux, (BAI) and the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, (IJDH). One mother claims she was raped while another was aged 17 when she gave birth, which amounts to statutory rape under Haitian law. Lawyers allege that the women were sexually exploited in some form by the soldiers, and should therefore receive support. The alleged fathers are scattered around the globe, having returned to their homes in Uruguay, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Argentina, making it difficult to proceed with claims. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary general, told the Guardian, that the organization would liaise with the countries the alleged fathers come from, and request that paternity and support claims be addressed. But he stressed that responsibility rests with “individuals who have been established to have fathered children.”
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