Since news broke last week about the termination of Professor Brendan Bain from the University of the West Indies, there's been a firestorm of controversy, with organizations in Belize and Jamaica coming out against the decision. Well tonight, we'll tell you a bit about those who support UWI.
The first comes from the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP). They maintain that Professor Bain's testimony in the Orozco UNIBAM challenge is not consistent with the goals of PANCAP in trying to reduce stigma and discrimination. They say that quote, "Professor Bain has undermined the public health and human rights goals of PANCAP."
Professor Rose Marie Antoine, a Commissioner on the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, says that the reason that it became important for Professor Bain to be terminated is because, quote "it is about a program leader publicly undermining the very program and principles he was mandated to support."
And, in Belize, former Chairlady of the National AIDS Commission Kathy Esquivel put it thusly – and we quote:
No-one is denying Professor Bain the right to express his opinions but his testimony on behalf of the Churches…illustrates his opposition to key CHART positions and thus his unsuitability to lead this organisation.
She used a religious example to illustrate the point, saying, quote,
"Consider a case whereby the Pope reveals that after much thought he has come to the conclusion that God does not exist. No-one would deny the Pope the right to express his opinion but it is obvious that he could no longer lead the Catholic Church."
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