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ACTIVITIES OF CURB
OUR WORK
In order to attain our Key Objectives, CURB engages in the following Activities:-1. Restorative Justice Week - We observe International Restorative Justice Week each November with themes relevant to our local and regional development of restorative justice. These have focused on such important themes as providing support for relatives of homicide victims, eliminating prison sexual assault, eradicating domestic violence and ending human trafficking. For more information about Restorative Justice Week activities please Click Here.
2. Eliminating Human Trafficking - CURB is working with the International Organization for Migration and the Ministry of National Security to host workshops for key stakeholders on human trafficking and to implement a comprehensive response to the problem by faith-based organisations and non-governmental organisations.
3. Support for Migrants - CURB has been granted approval to conduct programmes to support foreigners who are imprisoned or detained in Trinidad and Tobago. Our holistic programmes are designed to educate, empower, encourage and enlighten incarcerated and detained migrants.
4. Offender Aftercare - CURB is also involved in bringing to fruition the Turning of the Hearts (TOTH) Programme. This is a restorative model of aftercare which has been developed to provide more effective support for crime survivors, prisoners and ex-prisoners and their families. A pilot mentoring programme called Boys On The Way / Being Somebody has commenced at the Youth Training Centre involving CURB, Dadi Consulting and The Mentoring Centre of Trinidad and Tobago.
5. Educating the Public - We utilise the media, organise Restorative Justice Exhibitions and participate in Volunteer Fairs and similar events to educate the public about the benefits of restorative justice and restorative behaviour. Aware of the criticism from victim support agencies that restorative justice practitioners have become offender-focused, CURB seeks to promote what we call Balanced Restorative Justice.
For further information about this strategy, please Download our Balanced Restorative Justice brochure from our Brochure Archives We also conduct awareness campaigns to mobilise citizens of the region to effectively combat human trafficking.
6. Restorative Justice Fund - Since November, 2005 we have operated the RJ Fund which provides mentoring, clothing, food, school items, Christmas and birthday presents, an outing/excursion and other provision for children of crime survivors, prisoners and ex-prisoners.
7. Restorative Justice Training - We conduct or facilitate seminars, workshops and lectures to empower school administrators, community-based and faith-based organisations to develop restorative justice structures. In 2006, several such sessions were conducted by our Board member, Adrian N. Alexander, with staff from primary and secondary schools from Laventille, La Romaine and San Fernando.
8. Stop Prison Abuse Project - In 2007 CURB launched the Stop Prison Abuse project to assist in transforming the inmate sub-culture in Trinidad and Tobago. For Restorative Justice Week that year we secured training for several volunteers in providing counselling support to victims of sexual assault and abuse. We aim to eradicate homosexuality as an accepted part of prison life and to provide support systems for persons sexually violated in custody.
9. Institutional Strengthening - We offer and source training for NGOs in areas which will assist them to perform their functions more effectively. Thus far, CURB has offered several seminars and workshops in Counselling, Networking of NGOs, Government Funding Opportunities, Internet Use, Webpage Creation and Caring for Ex-Offenders. See here for photos of some of these activities.
Future training programmes will include Restorative Justice, Victim Offender Mediation, Community Chaplaincies, Legal Issues Surrounding NGOs, Government Partnership Opportunities and Caring for Victims of Human Trafficking.
10. Caribbean Restorative Justice News - Since May 2006, we have published the only Caribbean restorative justice blog. We also post news on criminal justice reform and prison reform. Ours is one of the few consistently maintained Blogs on restorative justice on the Internet. We encourage you to Subscribe to the CURB Restorative Justice Blog to keep up-to-date on the development of restorative justice, criminal justice reform and penal transformation in the Caribbean region.
11. The Restorative Review - We publish a regular eNewsletter on restorative justice, criminal justice reform, and penal transformation developments in the Caribbean region and feature successful restorative practitioners and programmes.
12. Online Resources - We maintain a variety of Online Resources in restorative justice, prison ministry and victim support, as well as a Restorative Justice Survey and a Caribbean Restorative Justice Directory.
13. RJ Events Calendar - CURB provides a Caribbean RJ Events Calendar for NGOs to locate RJ related events to attend. Members can Add their own RJ events for FREE. (Subscribe to the Event Calendar to be notified of any new events added or amended.)
14. Networking of NGOs - We provide a means for various NGOs in the restorative justice sector to network as affiliates and to draw from one another's strengths for the overall benefit of the community. In November, 2006 and May, 2007 CURB hosted Consultations of key stakeholders on transitional accommodation for ex-prisoners (see photos here). In May 2007 CURB prepared a draft of Standards for such facilities, a copy of which has been circulated to stakeholders as well as to the Ministry of Social Development for comment.
DONATIONS
The extensive work of CURB requires assistance from members of the general public, the private sector and the public sector. We welcome your DONATIONS of School Supplies, Food Hampers, Toys, Toiletries and other supplies for crime victims and for children of crime victims and of prisoners.We encourage you to Contact Us with your financial or in-kind donations as we co-operate to restore persons whose lives have been adversely affected by crime. If you would like to provide donations of money, please send cheques or postal orders in the name of CURB RJ Fund to CURB, P.O. Box 4945, Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago.
PHOTOS
Before you leave our website, we encourage you to take the time to peruse our Photo Album to view pictures from some of our past activities.