On Thursday 30th December 2021, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Port of Spain Office distributed 200 electronic tablets to selected schools, Government Agencies and non-governmental organsations, who have been working diligently to narrow the digital divide for students. The IOM expects that the devices would benefit youth from local at-risk communities and within the Venezuelan migrant community by facilitating and enhancing virtual educational opportunities. Representatives from the Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ), the Office of Law Enforcement Policy (OLEP) of the Ministry of National Security, and the TTV Solidarity Network (TTVSOLNET) were present at the UN House, Port of Spain to receive the devices. Five identified schools and two homes would also benefit from this donation. The initiative was funded by the US Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).   Speaking at the distribution ceremony, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Port of Spain, Shante Moore, pointed out that education, like so many other aspects of life under COVID19, has changed dramatically and said it is important that all children, whether local or a Venezuelan migrant, have access to remote education. Moore indicated that local and migrant children having access to education is a priority for the US Government. He added that, “…it’s important that all of our children, whether they are Venezuelan refugees or Trinbagonian children, have the opportunity to study, to make sure they have all access to educational tools”. “Today’s donation just reiterates our commitment to Trinidad and Tobago, the Venezuelan refugee community, and to the United Nations, the IOM in particular, to do all that we can to help in this area.” Moore thanked the Embassy’s partners at UNHCR, UNICEF, Living Water Community and TTVSOLNET for providing “this invaluable service”. IOM Port of Spain Head of Office, Jewel Ali recalled in March 2021, there was a round of consultations with Government, NGOs and other local partners on what they saw as priorities for the next three years. “When we discussed education, it came up there is still quite a digital divide and students are still not accessing virtual learning platforms.” She recalled the initiative began earlier this year with the distribution of 160 tablets. “We certainly hope to continue investing not just in tablets but any other supporting devices, possibly internet access, and even things beyond education but that supports it such as mental health and psychosocial support.”   Ali said the initiative also responds to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 which speaks of equality in education and responds to the Global Compact on Migration (GCM) Objective 15 which seeks to provide inclusive and equitable quality education to migrant children and youth. The Head of Office added that “it is quite important for IOM with the assistance of the US State Department, to provide tablets, not just to migrant children but to Trinidad and Tobago children as well, or what we call our ‘host community’.” OLEP Director Gale Charles described the donation as a “godsend” for the organisation’s work to assist the vulnerable in the East Port of Spain community. “We would have done programmes face-to-face prior, and were wondering how we were going to get to those persons. This was sent by God. Everything just fell into place. And so we are indeed thankful for this gift.” Darrion Narine, programme manager at the Archdiocesan Ministry for Migrants and Refugees (AMMR) under the CCSJ, said they do a lot of work with children in the areas of education and psychosocial aid and development. “This now offers an opportunity for those who don’t have access to educational material… and is going to be a big help for us in reaching that vulnerable community and ensuring that our next generation is fully prepped and ready.” Founder and director of TTVSOLNET Lorennys Mendoza said TTVSOLNET has been working with many organisations over the years, but IOM has been the key one. “They were very quick to understand the needs and the actions they had to take in that moment and over these years. So we work very closely with them not only with our educational programme but also empowerment trainings for Venezuelan women and other aid programmes in Trinidad.”

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Port of Spain Office hosted the Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF) on December 11 in recognition of International Migrants Day, which is celebrated globally on December 18. The film festival was held at Estate 101, Maraval and IOM Port of Spain Head of Office Jewel Ali brought opening remarks. “For decades, the IOM has been working with migrants and host communities to reduce prejudice and prevent xenophobia through the facilitation of positive interaction between the two groups, as well as working on targeted campaigns to promote a more balanced narrative on migration,” said Ali. “As such, IOM strives to create safe spaces for discussion to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in an accessible way through storytelling; and to reinforce the positive impact that film institutions can make. It is hoped that through this screening here in Trinidad and Tobago we collectively continue to positively shape the perception of migrants, promote diversity and deeper and wider policy integration as well as address and counter misinformation, xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance towards migrants.” Also bringing remarks on the evening was US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago Political Officer John Miller. “The history of the world includes stories of migration in every era. Our collective history is one of migration and of change. As the world has grown more sophisticated, migration patterns have changed. We find ourselves at a crossroads here with the Venezuelan crisis. The United States remains committed to improving the respect for human rights in Trinidad and Tobago and will continue focusing attention on refugees, vulnerable migrants, people with disabilities, people living with HIV, the LGBTQI + community and other marginalised groups,” said Miller. IOM, having recognised the vital role that films play in highlighting relevant issues within our international and national landscapes, launched the first GMFF in 2016. Since then, the festival has been held annually in 100 countries, to showcase the promise and challenges of migration through films and documentaries. The film selected for the local edition was 2019 Trinidad and Tobago documentary Nearest Neighbours. The short film tells the story of Venezuelan migrants who are forced from their homeland to TT, with hopes of bettering their own lives and that of their families, while confronting various hurdles. Following the screening a panel discussion was moderated by Institute of International Relations, at The UWI lecturer Dr. Michal Pawinski and the panelists were Archbishop of Port of Spain Dr. Charles Jason Gordon, Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews, Co-Chair of the R4V Platform Miriam Aertker, and Nearest Neighbours director Rhonda Chan Soo. Archbishop Gordon in his opening statement said a touchpoint of the movie for him is the “lost opportunity”. “We’ve been talking about a pivot to the South. I really believe if we brought migrant children speaking Spanish into our English classrooms, we would have a bilingual nation in the next ten years. We’ve been talking about Spanish, we’ve put the names on the streets and the single, easiest way to move Spanish through the next generation – we don’t want to do it.” Gandhi-Andrews in her opening statement said the influx of migrants and in particular Venezuelan migrants was something unique to Trinidad and Tobago.

“It was unprecedented. The 2019 registration exercise was a recognition that we needed to do something to assist Venezuelan nationals – to help them to work legally so that fear of being jailed would be eliminated. We registered over 16,000 people in two weeks. The registration exercise conducted this year was also meant to keep those persons in a legal state.” Among those in attendance at the Festival were Minister in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Laventille East/Morvant MP Adrian Leonce, senior technocrats from the government, members of the diplomatic community, representatives of UN Agencies, members of the Gender-Based Violence Unit of TT Police Service, members of the TT Coast Guard, members of the Scout Association of TT, civil society representatives, and representatives of the migrant community including students. The Festival was made possible through the continued support of the U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. The GMFF is being hosted by IOM Offices in various countries from November 28th to December 18th, when it culminates on International Migrants Day. On December 4, 2020 the United Nations General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed 18 December International Migrants Day. On that day, in 1990, the Assembly also adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families. This year’s theme for International Migrants Day is “Harnessing the Potential for Human Mobility”.  

The journey from Venezuela had been dangerous, but it was one she felt she had to make. For years, the economic situation in her homeland made it difficult for Manuela to earn a living. That task became impossible in 2019 when her children’s father abandoned them. Living in Trinidad had never been Manuela’s dream. Now, the island offered the chance of a new beginning. However, the mother of three was unaware that the hope for a better life for her family would be short-lived. Minutes after her arrival in T&T, her freedom was taken away. Manuela, who was promised a decent job, was forced into a van by Trinidadian men and driven to a secret location. “Some people kept us in captivity for about a month. They forced us into prostitution,” Manuela recalls. “In trying to escape, I ended up getting arrested. I was in prison.” Manuela is a survivor of human trafficking, a crime that consists in people being tricked and exploited for profit. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), an organization affiliated to the United Nations, advocated on Manuela’s behalf to get her out of prison. Even after Manuela regained her freedom, she struggled to escape the trauma. “This experience has been the worst of my life,” Manuela says softly, “I got help to see a psychologist through IOM. I had to focus on what was important because I have to provide for my children. I don’t want my children to have to take the same risks and end up in a similar situation as I did.” Human trafficking disproportionately affects women and girls. The 2020 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons stated that 72 per cent of the globally-detected trafficking victims are girls under the age of 18 and that 50 per cent of victims are trafficked for sexual exploitation. In humanitarian settings, the risks of experiencing gender-based violence are higher for migrant women, and trafficking for sexual exploitation is a major form of gender-based violence that migrant women face. Many of the factors that increase women’s vulnerability to gender-based violence – poverty, gender discrimination, inadequate access to education, conflict and natural disasters – are also push factors for women leaving home in search of opportunities. This puts them at risk of falling prey to traffickers who often use violence and false information – such as fake offers for jobs and educational opportunities – to deceive victims. Migrant women, trafficked from neighboring South American countries, have found themselves in Trinidad and Tobago being sexually, physically, and mentally abused, and in some cases imprisoned. According to the IOM office in Port of Spain, trafficking in persons and gender-based violence are both serious violations of human rights which affect the wellbeing of people and require commitment by all to help prevent and respond to the two phenomena. “While the government has demonstrated its commitment to address the issue, there should be an increase in its efforts to investigate, prosecute, and importantly convict traffickers,” says Jewel Ali, Head of the IOM Office in Trinidad and Tobago. “IOM will continue to cooperate with its partners, learn, apply and share best practices, as well as be innovative in its solutions to provide protection and assistance to victims of trafficking.” From November 25th to December 10th, the UN commemorates the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence - under the 2021 theme, “Orange the World: End Violence Against Women Now!” IOM is renewing the appeal to people who are aware of incidents of gender-based violence to report them to the authorities. IOM is also encouraging victims to reach out for help. The UN Migration agency says many victims of trafficking suffer in silence because they have not been formally identified. “Most of the victims are foreigners and because of that, they face language and cultural barriers, as well as other issues, such as lack of documentation that becomes an obstacle to access psychological services,” Ali explains. The Covid-19 pandemic has introduced new layers of vulnerability, according to Manuela. “There’s a need for more work opportunities and more access to psychological support because a lot of women are in the same situation and need help psychologically to work through all these difficulties in order to survive,” she says. She believes agencies like IOM play a crucial role in helping migrants in need get by. The IOM offers a variety of support to victims of trafficking, including accommodation, emergency assistance, medical health services, vocational training and psychosocial support. “The salaries we earn as migrants are often less than minimum wage, so the cost of living is difficult to meet. The support makes a difference because if I get rent or food support, I can use the remaining money to take care of another need for my children,” she says. The traffickers, who subjected Manuela to exploitation, physical and mental abuse, remain free. Manuela wants them to know that she survived. “How could you feel good in your heart, knowing you are living life off of the suffering of others?” she asks them. “I want to be able to study and do more with my life. To have real possibilities. For my children, I want them to become good people and to have a better life.” *To protect her identity, the survivor’s name was changed, and certain details of her story were omitted.

Through carefully examining each submitted piece and a thorough judging panel, winners have been chosen for the five categories. Rights of children: 1st Place: Irshaad Ali Irshaad's piece depicts the desire that a child has, filled with dreams, imagination, full of wonder and hope. A child should be free to have choices, a voice to be heard and the right to enjoy the best quality of life 2nd Place: Christine Mahabir Christine's painting is about a woman (Charlotte), now successful, telling her adoption story. Originally, Charlotte came from an abusive birth family but was soon adopted by her foster parents who changed her life for the better. In the artwork, her parents watering and maintaining the delicate flowers of the garden symbolizes the nurturing and protection of her innocence. It also highlights the importance of creating a healthy, loving environment and support system for your child to grow and reach their full potential represented by the little girl lying on the flower. The book she reads also emphasises the right to proper education as it plays a key role to her brighter future at the end. 3rd Place: Sarah Persad Sarah's piece shows children of many different races and ages standing up to show off their rights, which can be seen on either side of the picture.This depicts the reality that no matter age, no matter race, no matter whatever differences, all children are human, equal and are deserving of these rights.    Rights of persons with disabilities 1st Place: Jabari Hutchinson Jabari's art work illustrates two differently-abled persons: a wheelchair-bound female and a blind man. He chose to include a background and fonts exploding with colour in order to highlight the range of individuality disabled people possess. In the depiction, the shadow of the amputee shows her to be a graduate whilst the shadow of the blind man shows him to be a talented pianist. The shadows are symbolic; he used them as extensions of the theme (The Rights of People With Disabilities) that demonstrate how disabled persons are no different to persons without disabilities and they are capable of performing the same or similar activities/skills. The bold titles reinforce that we are "All Human, All Equal."  2nd Place: Jernice Downes Jernice portrays a few visible and learning disabilities (and some of its affects); deafness, blindness. Mutism or aphasia- can't speak yet forcing the boy to), ADHD- difficulty to focus and just like dylexia it's harder to do well in school like manage their grades- the words, letters the brain mixes up, he cries them out because of in adequacy, autism. Dyscalculia- (Maths. Numbers, shapes difficult to follow.)  But Despite these things that makes one "different"—seeing their disability and not the ability...is the reason why disabled people will feel as though they're missing a piece to them—like puzzels. 
One ability they resonated with to show is being creative. The ability to come up with bizarre, cool ideas, being able to create, etc. even with attached challenges, that's a gift!
  3rd Place: Anya Ammon Anya describes the path that a disabled person has to take is very different from everyone else. A path that when their rights are not respected, can be impossible and depicts this in their artwork Right to a healthy environment  1st Place: Daniella Mahabir Our world is in danger and we should help save our world. People litter  and pollute our waters everyday and don't think about the consequences that we may face if that continues. My art piece shows the healthy and the unhealthy environments and what it might become if we keep on polluting the environment. 2nd Place: Liezel Parris We should be able to appreciate what mother nature have in store for us! 3rd Place: Donnell Boodoo We humans deserve to be treated equally wherever we live in the world. We have a right to live in a clean, green, healthy environment. A world where everyone has access to clean drinking water; a world free from pollution, utilizing natural resources (solar, wind, hydropower) to generate energy for everyday life; a world free from garbage/waste; reusing, reducing and recycling,  making our world a happier place to live with cleaner, healthier air and landscape; a world for a healthier mind to function and appreciate all that God has given to us to live comfortably as humans. Gender equality  1st Place: Iyana Sorzano Iyana's piece depicts both a man and woman reaching for eachothers' "masks". These masks represent the way they see the world. In order to comprehend their struggles as the opposite sex in society, they must take a look at eachothers' hardship caused my discrimination and prejudice. To truly create change we must first understand and empathize with both parties. This is important to establish gender equality in today's society to secure a safer future for the generations to come. 2nd Place: Ambay Abhiraj Ambay's artwork depicts a reflection of society and treatment that women can be faced with and chose to display a woman being burnt at the stake 3rd Place: Adrienne Bonair This piece shows the struggle amongst the genders as they seek equal spaces for their voices and expressions. Nevertheless as the battle rages there are often hurts endured by all involved. Additionally, the chess symbols represent gender strengths whilst the scales are a reminder of the evident weaknesses. Hence it is necessary to advance equality through enlightenment and empowerment. 
  Rights of migrants and refugees  1st Place: Chelsea Darbasie Chelsea uses their artwork to depict stormy clouds and sea showing unsafety and anxiety contrasted to the sunny beaming sky which shows safety and light. The sun rises at the point where a helping hand is lent to the refugee while other citizens are also pulling their weight to help. There is an incoming boat filled with humans attempting to escape the storm and seeking asylum.    2nd Place: Anaya Felix Anaya's piece illustrates how different people of various backgrounds may look on the outside. but how similar we all truly are. 3rd Place: Azizah Mohammed Azizah's  painting depicts the current state of refugees i.e. camps and high-risk boat trips across the vast oceans. At the top, different symbols are used to represent the rights and needs of migrants. For example, freedom of expression, right to live without fear of persecution, safety and rights of children, labor rights, action against gender-based violence and last but not least the right to a safe home. The  flags represent some countries where migrants and refugees fled from to escape political conflicts, war and impovrished conditions as a result of natural disaster.