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

Many classrooms in Jamaica are impacted by the lingering and life changing effects of trauma. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines trauma as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. According to the APA immediately after the event shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and even physical symptoms like headache and nausea.    Students in Jamaica for the most part have become collateral pawns in the almost daily incidents of domestic and intimate violence and abuse which many families experience. Recently, the all girls St. Hugh’s High School community suffered the loss of one of their brightest student when 15 year Tashi Munda died after her home was fire-bombed allegedly by her step father. Sadly, this type of trauma keeps repeating itself across the educational landscape affecting students in various school communities in both urban and r

“Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.”- Aristotle According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) youth is the period of transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence and awareness of our interdependence as members of a community. The United Nations defines youth as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years without prejudice to other definitions by Member States.    A number of activities are held yearly during youth month to help raise awareness and provide a platform for youths on issues, such as unemployment, credit financing, training, entrepreneurship, health and wellness, climate change and affordable housing. One such function was staged on Thursday, November 29 at the University of the West Indies, Regional Headquarters at Mona. This Youth Forum had as its theme Youth: Keeping Us More Accountable on the SDGs. The United Nations (UN) developed seventeen sustainable development goals whi

Prime Minister Andrew Holness recently stated that no decision has yet been made regarding possible compensation to business owners who have been affected and impacted by lost revenues due to the ongoing road improvement projects across the Corporate Area. As the conversation continues and expands regarding possible redress for lost business in light of the ongoing road enhancement projects across the Kingston Metropolitan Area, especially Hagley Park Road/Three Miles areas, it is very much timely to add to the discourse the possible redress to property owners for the temporary, suspended aesthetic appeal amidst the unusual volume of dirt and dust which have invaded homes as the government’s Legacy Programme moves ahead in earnest. The Prime Minister in the said interview commented that Cabinet would need to consider such a proposal surrounding compensation for property owners. Recently, the President of the Private Sector Organization (PSOJ) Howard Mitchell expressed that some busines

It is important that issues affecting men are not only highlighted but are discussed with the aim of finding solutions in order to achieve harmonious gender relations and sustainable development. Most societies operate on a patriarchal paradigm; however, there are those of us who fail to admit that not all men benefit from the male privilege afforded by being born male.   Each year International Men’s Day (IMD) is commemorated on November 19. Some might argue that the day is far from international since only approximately eighty (80) countries globally observe this very important day.   Unfortunately, International Men’s Day lacks the United Nations (UN) ‘international’ backing. The blessings of the UN would certainly go a far way in giving IMD more power.   Regardless, IMD has been around since the late 1960’S particularly with observances in the United States of America, parts of Europe and Australia. It was not until 1999 however that International Men’s Day was revamped when Dr.

“This is not about retribution and anger, it’s about atonement; it’s about the building of bridges across lines of moral justice.”- Sir Hilary Beckles There can be no middle ground regarding the issue of reparation. Once you have a drop of African blood running through your veins, once your DNA can be traced to the continent of Africa where our fore parents were rounded up like cattle and transported in inhumane conditions across the Atlantic, then you are obliged to be concerned about the topic of reparation. I strongly suspect that many in the society do not have an understanding of reparation and therefore this lack of basic understanding underpins the lack of interest in the matter. Historically, reparation was confined to the realm of war crimes and viewed solely through compensation through financial means, however, reparation as a movement has evolved, and indeed reparation is much more than financial compensation. Those of us who choose not to support the cause for reparatory

“Everyone is crying out for peace, Yes! None is crying out for justice Everyone is crying out for peace, Yes! None is crying out for justice I don’t want no peace. I need equal rights and justice                                   I need equal rights and justice. I need equal rights and justice Got to get it. Equal rights and justice.” I still remember that Friday night, September 11, 1987 when Radio Jamaica (RJR) interrupted their regular programming with breaking news. I was a teenager at the time. The announcer came on and within a few seconds the nation was plunged into grief upon hearing that internationally acclaimed Reggae superstar, Winston “Peter Tosh” McIntosh was murdered in his St. Andrew home. Immediately, Tosh’s music began to play on radio almost non-stop as the nation tried to come to grips with the fact that this musical genius, son of Westmoreland, had met an untimely death. The media landscape was not as diverse then as it is now. There was no social media a

"Drugs never cure disease. They merely hush the voice of nature's protest, and pull down the danger signals she erects. Any poison taken into the system has to be reckoned with later on even though it temporarily eliminates present symptoms. Pain may disappear; but the patient is left in a worse condition, though unconscious of it at the time.”- Daniel H Kress M.D. Pharmaceutical companies are not into business for the purpose of charity. Prescription drugs are a multi-billion industry. We have all been sick. We have all had to visit the doctor who after diagnosis usually sends us off to the pharmacy with a prescription. In fact some of us have had to make that painful decision to choose which medication to purchase in cases where multiple drugs are prescribed and our financial resources are limited to fill the entire prescription.   The economics of prescription drugs is real and serves as a clear and present danger to maintaining good health. Data provided by QuintilesIMS w