Carolyn Gomes (centre), executive director of Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ), enjoys a laugh with Claudio Valle (left), Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, and Stephen Gibbons, head of aid at the Canadian High Commission, at its office in Kingston, on Tuesday. The occasion was the presentation of the first tranche of CDN$50,000 to the JFJ for the establishment of an 'Access to Information Help and Tracking Centre'.JUNIOR DOWIE/Staff Photographer FEW JAMAICANS are making use of the Access To Information (ATI) Act, which was implemented nine months ago in several Government ministries and agencies.
This is according to Carolyn Gomes, executive director of the Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ) and chairperson of the ATI Stakeholders Advisory Committee. "Part of the problem has been that there has not been a lot of requests, and because of the phased nature of the implementation, not all of the Government is yet under the Act, so some agencies that persons might want information from are not yet functioning under the Act," she explained.
She disclosed that since implementation in January, there have been between 130 and 140 requests. "So in terms of use as how it should be, no," she said.
LACK OF PUBLIC EDUCATION
Mrs. Gomes attributed the poor response to the Act to not enough public education about the Act. "We are quite clear that part of the problem has been a lack of resources put into public education. People just do not know that they have this right and do not know how to access it," she said while making an address at a cheque presentation at the Canadian High Commission yesterday, in Kingston.
Claudio Valle, Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, presented the JFJ with CDN$50,000 to establish an 'ATI Help and Tracking Centre'. The funding represents the first of two tranches of total disbursement of CDN$100,000 over a two-year period.
"Good governance and demo-cracy are vital components of Canada's programme of sustainable development assistance in Jamaica, and it is against this background that we are very happy to support the Jamaicans For Justice's initiative," said the Canadian High Commissioner.
Mr. Valle said that with the establishment of the help point on ATI, citizens would be able to obtain either in person or via the Internet, information request forms and guidance in making requests for information. The tracking system, he said, would allow for monitoring of implementation of the ATI Act and early detection of possible appeals against denial of information. The information generated by the help centre would be able to formulate recommendations and to lobby for changes to the ATI Act.
The funding will also help in the training of individuals and organisations on their right to information, and how to properly request information. Some of the activities of this project will be undertaken in conjunction with the Carter Centre.
MEDIA CAMPAIGN
In response to the contribution, Mrs. Gomes said "This grant funding a large part of it is meant to be a media campaign, to let people know their rights and to get the word out (which) hopefully will make a difference."
Additionally, she said the funding would also assist in building special websites and databases and the production of pamphlets, brochures and multimedia tasks.
Canadian High Commision presents the first of two CDN$50,000 tranches to establish
an 'ATI Help and Tracking Centre'.
