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

"Milima haikutani, lakini binadamu hukutana." Translation: Mountains do not meet, but humans do. Meaning: You never know who you will meet again in life. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are approximately 8,324 known languages globally, but only around 7,000 are still in use today. Kiswahili is more than a language; it is a vessel of African identity, unity, and culture. Kiswahili is one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa and the world, with over 200 million speakers. Kiswahili is a vital tool of communication and integration across East, Central, and Southern Africa, and serves as an official language of the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the East African Community (EAC). World Kiswahili Language Day is observed annually on July 7. This year’s theme is “Kiswahili for Peace, Solidarity and Global Economic Diplomacy. ” This theme focuses on how Kiswahili...

Graduation exercises are rooted in a culture where students become props in a performance meant to validate a flawed education system rather than to celebrate the achievements of students. Let us not fool ourselves; graduation exercises at both the primary and secondary levels of the education system are not about the graduates. Graduations are special events. What happens after the flash of the cameras go quiet, the balloons burst and the crowd disperses? In many instances, graduations are viewed as rites of passage. Rites of passage are important indicators of transition culminating in adulthood. Graduations are often grounded in great expectations not only for the graduates but also for their parents, guardians and well wishers. Many graduates over the years of formal schooling develop strong connections to both their educational institutions and friends. Formal schooling is much more than academics and scholarships. Life-long friendships are often cemented in the hallowed avenu...

Did you know that nearly half of the world’s forests are located in the tropics? The Tropics have just over half of the world’s renewable water resources (54%), yet almost half their population is considered vulnerable to water stress. The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. As of mid 2026, the global population living in the tropics is estimated at around 3.3–3.5 billion people, representing roughly 40% of the world’s total population of 8.3 billion. This share is expected to keep rising as demographic growth in tropical regions (Asia, Africa, Latin America) outpaces that of temperate zones. Although topography and other factors contribute to climatic variation, tropical locations are typically warm and experience little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature. An important feature of the Tropics is the prevalence of rain in the moist inner regions near the equator, and that the seasonality of ...

Disability inclusion for the disabled community is often a myth than reality. Persons with deafblindness face unique and often overlooked barriers that have rendered them largely invisible in data, policies and the public discourse. These barriers limit access to education, healthcare, employment, and social participation. On Monday, 16 June 2025, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution titled “International Day of Deafblindness” officially proclaiming 27 June as the International Day of Deafblindness . The date was chosen to honour the birthday of Helen Keller (1880–1968), the pioneering American author, educator, and activist who was deafblind a figure whose legacy continues to inspire millions around the world. The International Day of Deafblindness serves as a global movement to recognize deafblindness as a distinct, unique disability rather than a simple combination of vision and hearing loss. The theme for the International Day of Deafblindness is ...

Historically, women were largely excluded from formal diplomatic roles and international decision-making processes. However, the narrative has changed over time. Women have broken barriers and expanded their presence across diplomatic services, international organizations, peace processes, and multilateral negotiations. Their contributions have strengthened efforts to promote peace, security, development, and human rights around the world. Interestingly, women were key contributors who played essential parts in shaping the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) for the first time in human history spells out basic civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all human beings men and women alike should enjoy. Despite this progress, women remain underrepresented in many diplomatic and political leadership positions, highlighting the need for continued action to achieve equal participation and representation. The United Nations (UN) states that women remain underrep...

"Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity. They are children, women and men who leave or who are forced to leave their homes for various reasons."- Pope Francis. The world is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. At the end of 2018, an unprecedented 70.8 million people around the world were forced from their homes by conflict and persecution. Among them are nearly 30 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. There are also millions of stateless people, who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement. Refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol help protect them. They are the only global legal instruments explicitly covering the most important aspects of a refugee’s life. According to their provisions, refugees deserve, as a minimum, the same standards of treatment enjoy...

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder. That means it is passed down from a parent’s genes. It causes the body to make abnormal hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to all parts of your body. When you have SCD, your body’s tissues and organs do not get enough oxygen. Sickle cell disease is a lifelong condition. Healthy red blood cells are round and move easily all over the body. With SCD, the red blood cells are hard and sticky. They are shaped like the letter C (and like a farm tool called a sickle). These damaged red blood cells (sickle cells) clump together. Sickle Cell Traits versus Disease . People who have sickle cell trait inherited a hemoglobin S gene from only one parent. They inherited a normal gene from their other parent. People with sickle cell trait typically do not have any symptoms of sickle cell disease. However, ongoing research may show that these people may have symptoms. Importantly, they can pass on the ab...