Jamaica: Information on a community youth service group called The Future World Group, and on targeting of youth group organizers and workers by armed gangs
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | JAM22639.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Jamaica: Information on a community youth service group called The Future World Group, and on targeting of youth group organizers and workers by armed gangs, 1 December 1995, JAM22639.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac5c48.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on attacks against youth organizations, their leaders or their members in 1994 or 1995 could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.
A Catholic Church pastor who works with Kingston inner-city youth groups stated during a 29 December 1995 telephone interview that, to the best of his knowledge, youth leaders and organizers have not been the targets of violence as a result of their community work. The source added that violence affecting young people is an increasing problem in Kingston, particularly in what can be described as the inner city, but targeting of community leaders is not known to be taking place. The source was unsure about the existence of a group named Future World, and was unable to confirm its existence within the time constraints of this Response to your Information Request.
A reporter covering youth issues at the Daily Gleaner newspaper in Kingston stated during a 28 December 1995 telephone interview that cases of attacks against youth organizers or leaders "had not been heard of" at the newspaper. The source was also unfamiliar with a youth organization with the name Future World, stating that if it exists in Kingston, it is not a well-known group.
A reporter at the Daily Gleaner who has been covering crime issues in Kingston for more than 10 years stated during a 29 December 1995 telephone interview that during his years working the "crime beat" he has not known of any case in which community youth leaders or organizers have been attacked by armed gangs. The source added that very few political or community figures have been targeted over the last ten years in Jamaica, and then again, the authors and the motives were usually specific and clearly identifiable.
An information telephone operator in Kingston, Jamaica, was unable to locate a listed telephone number for an organization under the names Future World or The Future World (28 Dec. 1995).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below a list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
The Daily Gleaner, Kingston. 29 December 1995. Telephone interview with crime reporter.
_____. 28 December 1995. Telephone interview with youth and community issues reporter.
Kingston, Jamaica. 29 December 1995. Telephone interview with Catholic church official.
Telephone directory assistance, Kingston. 28 December 1995.
Additional Sources Consulted
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Reports. Daily.
Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America (ICCHRLA). Yearly. Annual Reports: General Concerns and Brief Country Reports.
Keesing's Record of World Events. Yearly. Edited by Roger East. London: Longman.
Latinamerica Press [Lima]. Weekly.
Latin American Regional Reports: Central America & the Caribbean [London]. Monthly.
News From Human Rights Watch/Americas [New York]. Monthly.
Material from the Indexed Media Review (IMR) or country files containing articles and reports from diverse sources (primarily dailies and periodicals) from the Weekly Media Review.
Newspapers and periodicals pertaining to the appropriate region.
On-line searches of news articles.
Note on oral sources:
Oral sources are usually contacted when documentary sources have been exhausted. However, oral sources must agree to be quoted in a publicly available Response to Information Request. If they refuse, the Response will read "no information currently available." Contacting oral sources is also subject to time constraints; for example, there are periods of the year when academics are unavailable.
Note:
This list is not exhaustive. Country-specific books available in the Resource Centre are not included.