Transformative justice after the deaths of the children in the Mahdia fire?

 

Some placards from residents of Chenapou Village, Region 8, Guyana as they protested on Monday 22 May, 2023 after the fire at the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory. Images taken from Facebook post shared by Michael McGarrell.

 

On the night between Sunday 21 May, 2023 and Monday 22 May, 2023, Mary and Martha Dandrade, Bibi Rita Jeffrey, Sabrina John, Loreen Evans, Belnisa Evans, Omefia Edwin, Natalie Bellarmine, Andrea Roberts, Lorita Williams, Nickleen Robinson, Sherena Daniels, Eulanda Carter, Lisa Roberts, Cleoma Simon, Tracil Thomas, and sisters Delecia Edwards and Arianna Edwards along with five- year-old Adonijah Jerome died in a fire which at the Mahdia Secondary School.

On 30 May, 2023 - Sherana Daniels died at GPHC.

The days since the fire had politicians spotlighting themselves as they exploited the grief of the survivors, the angry and sad reactions to the stories of the grilled windows and doors, the memories of other fires , the hosting of vigils and prayer services and the general return to normalcy as the PPP party promoters continued with their parties for Independence with promises to donate money to the families.

There is going to be a Commission of Inquiry, money given to families and most likely nothing will change about anything  - normalcy.

Normalcy though is what caused the deaths in the first place.

Transformative justice

Monday after the fire and residents of Chenapou in Region 8 share images of the protest they held. The placards include calls for 'our children to be home' and for a secondary school in the community. 

Other indigenous citizens shared about having to leave home to go to secondary school. Quality education was only available on the coast or in Georgetown. And Independent Guyana continues to ensure that injustice continues.

The imagination of boarding school away from homes is not a good one - Enid Blyton's Mallory Towers, Hogwarts (which I know excites some people so they want to go boarding school), and the stories of violence and abuse around the world. Choice though, determines when many families decide to use boarding schools.

The injustice in Guyana is that many indigenous families have no choice , if their children want to pursue secondary education, they have to leave. And not all the dormitories and experiences are like Mallory Towers or Hogwarts.

This fire then, did not start on Sunday night. It started a long time ago when the powers that be on Guyana's coastland resist the calls from indigenous citizens to have secondary schools close to home.

Transformative justice is a system which moves beyond 'punishment' ,  individual rehabilitation, 'restoration' , seeks to transform the societies which caused the harm and violence in the first place. 

The Government has committed to support, and money for medical attention and promises of 'compensation'.  There is no commitment to justice because there are different definitions and perceptions of justice. 

Transformative justice would mean listening to the residents of Chenapou and transforming the education system so that indigenous children do not have to leave home to find quality secondary education. Instead of building back the  burn down dormitories, the learning systems should be created so that children could be at home with families.

Community action

Many citizens have taken to social media to call for accountability and recognised that the deaths were solely the responsibility of the person who allegedly set the fire. 

People have recognised that there was poor security, that the supervision in the dorms was not the standard identified in the Commission of Inquiry for the 2016 Drop in Centre fire (1 adult to every 7 teenage children). 

Others have called for review of the design of dormitories and the supervision. Other people have questioned the sexism inherent in 'locking in the girls to protect them', and connected this fire to the historical injustices against Indigenous peoples .

Transformative justice requires action in the community to fix things. That the 'relevant authorities' are not just the 'higher ups' but the parents, teachers and children and other residents.

Transformative justice is a 2023 review of the Drop in Centre to see if the recommendations from 2017 have been adopted across all the State facilities serving children.

Transformative justice is the community being involved in the supervision and being allowed to ask questions, and to get answers.

 Transformative justice is also fixing the country so that there is no need for a Drop in Centre.

Transformative justice is recognising that 'professionals flown in from the coastland' are not the only experts in healing and resilience after the fire, that checklists /assessments do not tell the whole stories of wellness. Transformative justice is about giving space and time for healing in community, beyond the professional/client 10 minute interaction and prescription of medications. 

People shouted 'this is not the time for political talk' and we should 'join together in healing'.  

This post disaster time is the time for political talk. 

It is to keep calling for participatory and transparent management of all the aspects of our society. 

Transformative justice requires that there is no return to 'normalcy' .