NEW GLASGOW – A New Glasgow native says a year spent volunteering in Jamaica has permanently changed her outlook on human rights.
Kimberley Byers recently returned from a one-year volunteer contract in Jamaica with Cuso International, where she worked with Jamaicans for Justice as a human rights adviser – work that culminated with a presentation of a report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva last fall.
Byers, who pursued post-secondary education in international relations and development following her graduation from New Glasgow High School, said she’s always had an interest in international affairs. She says her time in Jamaica really opened her mind to what life is like in other parts of the world.
“Here, in Canada, we have a lot of human rights. We’re lucky, but some areas aren’t, and it makes you realize just how fortunate we are,” she said.
The organization she worked for, Jamaicans For Justice, works towards change in the country’s judicial, economic, social and political system and aims to teach residents their rights.
With the third-highest per capita murder rate in the world – 58 per 100,000 people – Jamaica faces serious justice issues. The number killed by police is at an all-time high – one in five of those killed in 2010 were killed by members of the police force.
“I did a lot of advocacy and worked as a liaison and representative in talking to regional and international organizations, including the United Nations and the Organization of American States,” she explained, which eventually brought her to Geneva in October, where she was able to help present the work JFJ had done.
Byers said she felt honoured by the opportunity to present these issues to the United Nations.
“These are major international human rights issues. The committee quoted word for word our issues and told us they’d be saying it to the Jamaican government. It’s fantastic for them to take the government to task.”
The focus of the discussion with the UN, she said, assessed Jamaica’s compliance with human rights.
As part of her contract, Byers also guest-hosted a radio show in Jamaica.
Byers returned home to Canada a few weeks ago and is taking some time to reconnect with her family, now living in Tatamagouche, but says she may consider another placement in the future. She’d love to see more people from Pictou County consider international volunteer work.
“Growing up, I don’t think many people thought about the international world, they were just thinking about hanging around in Pictou County,” she said. “It would be awesome to have more exchanges – Cuso is open to people in their 20s, even up to their 70s or 80s, depending on how spry you are. They recruit in a lot of different fields as well, ranging from medicine to people like me who are interested in human rights.”
Byers is also in the midst of forming her own non-governmental organization and is working on some ongoing human rights projects as a consultant, but hopes to go abroad again in the near future.