BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Oct. 4, 2018– On Tuesday, October 2, the University of the West Indies (UWI) signed an agreement with the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM) to start implementing a course to explore different topics regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. The course is titled “Citizen Rights and State Responsibilities for the Sexually Vulnerable and Victimized in Belize” and will commence sometime this month.

According to the head of UWI’s Open Campus in Belize, Jane Bennett, UNIBAM had approached them with the idea of this new course. Caleb Orozco, executive director of UNIBAM, worked alongside UWI Belize’s program officer, Sharmayne Saunders, for a few months developing the course.

Saunders told us that the course contains 2 modules. The first module addresses law and society, and the second module addresses exposure to criminal liability and protection from criminal acts.

“In general, it focuses on equipping LGBT persons in identifying their role in advancing human rights in Belize and addressing civil law deficiencies in Belize for LGBT persons,” Saunders said.

Bennett also told us that the course will be a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course. CPD courses are usually taken to maintain knowledge and skills, and the participants will receive certificates upon completion of the course.

According to Saunders, “The course is a certificate course which forms part of our local ‘face to face’ course offerings. In the first offering persons working with non-government organizations (NGO’s) and community-based organizations (CBO’s) with specific focus on LGBT will form the first cohort.”

Saunders said that persons in the legal field and human rights advocates would be the primary facilitators of the course.