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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Gender equality Yes Campaign launched on GB to large crowd of supporters - Strategies outlined
By David Mackey - The Bahamas Weekly News Team
Apr 23, 2016 - 8:43:49 AM
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A large crowd of supporters packed into the Grand Bahama of Chamber office holding placards in show of their support for Gender Equality. (Photos: David Mackey - TheBahamasWeekly.com/ Mackey Media Ltd)
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Freeport, Grand Bahama Island - It was a busy week for the newly formed
YES Bahamas Grand Bahama campaign team co-chaired by Constance McDonald
and Geneva Rutherford. On Tuesday this week before a packed crowd of
'Yes' supporters, national co-chair of the YES Bahamas Committee,
Senator Sharon Wilson flew to Grand Bahama for a press conference to
introduce the Grand Bahama team and clarify particulars of Bills number
two and number four which have lead to some religious leaders
misinterpreting the intent of
the bills. Lady Wilson said in part of amendment two; "This would enable
a Bahamian woman who marries a non-Bahamian man to secure for him the
same ability to apply for Bahamian citizenship while following the same
steps and, being subject to the same considerations currently afforded
to a Bahamian man married to a non- Bahamian woman." She went on further
to emphasize "that the second bill would not make citizenship automatic
for foreign husbands of Bahamian women, just as it is not currently
automatic for foreign wives." The senator said; "It merely grants those
spouses the same right to apply for citizenship following the same very
long process."
National co-chair of the YES Bahamas Committee, Senator Sharon Wilson. (Photos: David Mackey - TheBahamasWeekly.com/ Mackey Media Ltd)
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Constance McDonald, co-chair of the YES Bahamas Grand Bahama Campaign. (Photos: David Mackey - TheBahamasWeekly.com/ Mackey Media Ltd) Grand Bahama
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Geneva Rutherford co-chair of the YES Bahamas Grand Bahama Campaign Grand Bahama.(Photos: David Mackey - TheBahamasWeekly.com/ Mackey Media Ltd)
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Senator Wilson noted that amendment four would prohibit discrimination
on the basis of sex and emphasized the fact that in The Bahamas under
the Matrimonial Causes Act, marriage is defined as being between a man
and a woman and that amendment four would not change that. Lady Wilson
stated that; "The lawyers who drafted the language of the amendment
decided to protect traditional marriage by defining ‘sex’ as meaning
‘male or female’, so that no future judge could interpret ‘sex’ as
‘sexual orientation." With even greater emphasis, Senator Wilson
stressed to massive applause from the supportive audience that,
“Marriage in our country will continue to be legal only if it is between
a man and a woman" and that "male and female will be established by
one’s birth certificate."
Constance McDonald, co-chair of the YES Bahamas Grand Bahama Campaign; National co-chair of the YES Bahamas Committee, Senator Sharon Wilson and Geneva Rutherford co-chair of the YES Bahamas Grand Bahama Campaign Grand Bahama.(Photos: David Mackey - TheBahamasWeekly.com/ Mackey Media Ltd)
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On Friday April 22nd, 2016 the Grand Bahama Say Yes Campaign Co-Chairs
held another press conference. The purpose of this meeting was to
outline the strategies to be implemented in support of the Say Yes
Bahamas initiative, the following are the remarks presented to the media
by Say Yes Grand Bahama co-chair Constance McDonald;
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,
We are all excited after the Yes Campaign was launched on Grand Bahama on Tuesday.
We
have invited you here today to hear of the bold initiatives set by the
Yes Campaign Grand Bahama to share clear, precise information on each of
the four bills in order to give each adult Bahamian citizen of voting
age the correct information needed to VOTE YES on June 7th, 2016.
On
that date we urge every Bahamian 18 years and older to proudly use
their God-given right to vote in this Constitutional Referendum. We want
every citizen of voting age to take a stand for what is right, what is
just, what is fair for all. And, we want every citizen who votes to know
that their collective voice is final.
The YES Campaign Grand
Bahama will, over the next six weeks, endeavor to inform and encourage
the communities on Grand Bahama to get involved in understanding exactly
what is being put forth in each Bill, so that each person can make a
critical, informed decision when they vote in that booth on June 7th!
Our constitution is the heart of our nation, and any changes to it is a very serious matter.
We are now being asked to ensure that our sons and daughters have equal rights;
We are being asked to ensure that men and women have equal rights in passing on citizenship;
We are being asked to allow the Bahamian father to pass on his citizenship to his child born out of wedlock; AND
We are being asked to not allow discrimination based on sex, as the Constitution denies all other types of discrimination.
Constance McDonald and Geneva Rutherford co-chairs of the YES Bahamas Campaign Grand Bahama.(Photos: David Mackey - TheBahamasWeekly.com/ Mackey Media Ltd)
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The Yes Campaign Grand Bahama has several strategies to help everyone to VOTE YES. They are as follows:
1. We will have an aggressive Registration Drive for first time voters ages 18-23 years;
This
begins on Thursday, April 28th, when 65 persons from The Ministry of
Youth’s Fresh Start Program will begin the process at the Parliamentary
Registrar’s Department. We will then invite all Youth Groups registered
with the Ministry of Youth and others to participate in the Registration
Drive.
2. We will hold Town Meetings in East Grand Bahama and
West Grand Bahama where we will invite the Chief Councillors, who are
empowered to register voters, to assist with the first time voter
registration.
3. We will use Social Media: i.e. face book,
instagram, messenger, whats app, twitter and face time to communicate
the information on the Bills and invite commentary;
4. We will use Local Publications: Bahamas Weekly, Freeport News, Bahamas buy and Sell and Happenings Around Town;
5. We will also use the Air Waves: ZNS chit chats, KISS FM, Mix 102 Features, and Cable 12 to help get the message out;
6.
The Communication Briefing Book, provided by the National YES
Campaign, which clearly explains what the concerns and the responses are
for each Bill, will be sent electronically to churches companies,
schools, organizations and clubs. We shall request permission for these
organizations to disseminate the information to their members,
employees, teachers, students and parents so that as many persons as
possible can join the discussion as we try to get consensus on the
bills.
7. We are working with other organizations as we would
like to organize a VOTE YES MARCH and participate in the Labor Day
March.
8. We will also hold meetings with Churches, Service Clubs, and other organizations; and
9. We will host information sessions at the local food stores.
10 .We are inviting Volunteers from ALL political parties and non-aligned persons to assist in the VOTE YES Campaign.
© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com
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