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The Wholeness of Justice: Origins of the Programme

For decades, feminist organisations have been advocating for inclusive and responsive laws and services that make available, and accessible, protections and support for members of marginalised communities in Trinidad and Tobago. In more recent years, the voices of LGBTI+ communities have become prominent as advocacy has sought to reconstruct the human rights landscape in pursuit of equal rights and protections for queer folk. Out of this work, particularly that of the Alliance for Justice and Diversity (AJD) and given the lack of responsiveness from the State to protect the LGBTI+ community, CAISO: Sex and Gender Justice established the Wholeness and Justice programme. Funded by grants from the Arcus and Astrea Foundations, the Wholeness and Justice programme is the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago, offering a combination of legal, clinical, and wholeness services to members of the ITLGB+ community in the country. ITLGB+ is the acronym used by the programme as it places at the fore, symbolically and practically, members of the community who are intersex, transgender, and gender non-conforming; people and communities that have historically been side-lined in queer movements.

Initially launched in May 2020 with smaller scope, the Wholeness and Justice programme onboarded the services of its current Clinical Administrator, Akilah Riley-Richardson, and Caseworker, Rae Alibey, to respond to the community’s needs amid the rapidly changing environment of the COVID-19 pandemic. From then through October 2020, Wholeness and Justice aided over sixty-five clients. Critical in the programme’s service provision were psycho-social interventions. Several clients grappled with acute and rapid changes in their livelihoods, being confined to homes or spaces with family members who either were not accepting of or did not know about their identity or orientation, and of course the financial and social fallout from State measures towards preventing virus spread. An already vulnerable community, members of the ITLGB+ population in Trinidad and Tobago were left more disadvantaged, with many disproportionately affected. Members of the community who relied on sex work as a form of income, predominantly trans women, were greatly affected. The programmed quickly added to its mandate assistance with basic amenities and access to social services. Spearheaded by Rae and Chandelle O’Neil, a fierce and resilient CAISO community member, a drive to gather basic food items and clothing was established and supplies were provided to as many as possible. In addition, the programme assisted a number of clients with applications for social assistance (where available) and identity documents.

In December 2020, ushered in by Wholeness and Justice’s responsiveness and presence in the community, the full programme began operation. Rae Alibey continued as Community Caseworker, and the services of a Community Lawyer (Donielle Jones) and Programme Associate (Kellog Nkemakolam) were enlisted. From then to April 2021, Wholeness and Justice has engaged thirteen clients, providing legal, psycho-social, and wholeness support. The provision of wholeness support has been a significant part of our work. It encompasses assisting clients with accessing basic goods and services, as well as providing guidance on skills and tools to advance their personal, social, and financial realities.

Working alongside other Trinbagonian LGBTI+ organisation, Wholeness and Justice remains responsive to human rights violations against and challenges experienced by the ITLGB+ community in Trinidad and Tobago. The programme will also play a significant role in the continued advocacy for recognition, equality, and protection. We thus invite you to follow this blog as we share insight, experiences, and knowledge from our work. We hope that this information will not only be engaging and interesting, but be mobilised to inform the wider community’s advocacy, action, and responses as we collectively work towards our common goal. Wholeness and Justice also continues to remember its justice warrior, Colin Robinson, whose vision and work invaluably contributed to the programme.

- Elron Elahie, Programme Manager

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