The Intersection of Gender, Culture and Education: Jamaica: The Next 50 Years!

“An equation means nothing to me unless it expresses a thought of God.”- Srinivasa Ramanujan. National Mathematics Day , on December 22, celebrates the birth anniversary of India’s famed mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. Ramanujan’s genius has been regarded by mathematicians to be on the same level as Euler and Jacobi from the 18th and 19th centuries. His work in the number theory is especially regarded and made advances in the partition function. Since 2012, India’s National Mathematics Day is recognized on December 22 annually with numerous educational events held at schools and universities throughout the country. In 2017, the day’s significance was enhanced by the opening of the Ramanujan Math Park in Kuppam, in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The day is set aside to honours the legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan. History of Mathematics Day . Ramanujan was born in 1887, in Erode Tamil Nadu to an Iyengar Brahmin family. At age 12, despite lacking a formal education, he excelled at trigono...

"It's not going to be business as usual. We must have radical shifts in addressing the plight of our people."- Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Namibia is one of 54 countries on the continent of Africa. Namibia is located on the southwestern coast of Africa. It is bordered by Angola to the north, Zambia to the northeast, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the southeast and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Namibia has enjoyed stability since gaining independence in 1990 after a long struggle against rule by South Africa. Of note, Germany took control of the area which it called South West Africa in the late 1800s. Interestingly, the discovery of diamonds in 1908 prompted an influx of Europeans. South Africa seized it during the First World War and administered it under a League of Nations mandate. The capital of Namibia is Windhoek and the country has a population of almost 3 million people. Who Is Nandi Ndaitwah? . Nicknamed NNN, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has made...

In this festive season our minds and thoughts are laser focused on the festivity that comes along with Christmas. However, in the midst of life the unexpected can occur and we must always be mindful of this. Undoubtedly, healthcare is expensive especially in those societies without Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The World Health Organization WHO states Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It covers the full continuum of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. Additionally, goal #3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals addresses the issue of healthy lives and the promotion of the well-being for all at all ages. The well-being regarding health care can differ according to the individual’s specific needs and long term care. In some jurisdictions there are l...

“You become what you think. You are what you eat. “- Barbara Cartland. Choosing the right type of beef for your family is a personal choice. As we approach another Christmas many persons are undecided what they will prepare for their Christmas dinner. Christmas has a special flavor and for a significant number of individuals what goes on the dinner plate at Christmastime must also be special. Chicken tends to be a stable for many families. It has been this way due to the affordability and versatility of this protein. However, beef is also very popular; in fact roasted beef has been a favourite at Christmas for many. Cattle are ruminants which mean their diet must contain forages, like grass and hay. Food is always part of human activity and social gatherings; whether it is a funeral, baptism, wedding, birthday party, graduation ceremony or family reunion. Food can also be part of cultural identity. Some foods are eaten in some cultures; while in other cultures the same foods a...

“This year’s theme reminds us that human rights are about building the future right now. All human rights are indivisible. Whether economic, social, civic, cultural or political, when one right is undermined, all rights are undermined. We must stand up for all rights always.”- António Guterres- Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dehumanization is a lived reality for most of the world’s vulnerable and defenceless; as a result human rights continue to be an illusion for many. Human rights then become those rights which are not inherent but which must be fought for and safeguarded. There are many examples of human rights violations across the globe. Some of these are the on-going Russia Ukraine War, the Israel Hamas war in Gaza, the genocide in Darfur in Western Sudan and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti. Haiti’s government recently announced that the country’s gangs have crossed a “red line” after allegedly killing almost 200 people over the weekend. Haiti’s National ...

“Genocide is not just a murderous madness; it is, more deeply, a politics that promises a utopia beyond politics - one people, one land, one truth, the end of difference. Since genocide is a form of political utopia, it remains an enduring temptation in any multiethnic and multicultural society in crisis.”- Michael Ignatieff. Hatred is the dominant sentiment that drives genocide. Many are familiar with the word genocide. Our association with the word genocide perhaps is linked to war movies and documentaries of the Holocaust which occurred during World War 2. Unfortunately, there is also a tempting tendency to politicize the term genocide and in so doing we tend to lose an in depth understanding of the term and the lasting implications of the horrors associated with genocide. The Genocide Convention (article 2) defines genocide as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group … ", including: ...

“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect”. - Captain Alfred Gilmer Lamplugh. International Civil Aviation Day was established in 1994. The day is set aside to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of States, and of the unique role of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in helping States to cooperate and realize a truly global rapid transit network at the service of humanity. In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly officially recognized 7 December as International Civil Aviation Day. The theme this year is “Safe Skies. Sustainable Future: Together for the next 80 years.” Noteworthy, the ICAO which is a United Nations (UN) agency helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit. The UN and world nations have...