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

We are not living in 1918; however, sometimes one gets the feeling that we are. It is really frustrating and unacceptable that in the year 2018 it takes ten (10) working days from the day one requests an official letter, such as a job letter, from one’s employers (government) to get same. We live in a digital age, where the technology exits for files to be retrieved with the click of a mouse. Therefore, it’s ridiculous that two weeks are needed for such information to be processed. This 10 working days policy runs counter to the country’s Vision2030 vision of making Jamaica the place to live, work, raise families and do business. This unreasonable time of 10 working days has no place in the twenty first century. In order to have a successful sustainable development agenda we need to create and maintain partnerships between the State and the citizenry. It bares thought that this can only be achieved when the citizens feel that their opinions are valued and are taken in consideration in

Oftentimes agents of the State in an attempt to improve systems for the collective good of the citizenry overlook best practices leaving citizens inconvenienced. In recent weeks the National Works Agency has been conducting Drainage Improvement Work on Clunies Avenue, which is located off Hagley Park Road. As a result of the on-going work by the National Works Agency an unusual amount of dust and dirt have accumulated in the work area, and this is expected.   However, what is unacceptable is the fact that very little attempt has been made to cushion the effect of this dust and dirt nuisance. The result is residents of the both Cluines and McArthur avenues have had to live with this annoyance for the past few weeks.   Additionally, as the Hagley Park Road Improvement Project continues more traffic is now using McArthur Avenue which has amplified the problem. Is it too much to ask the National Works Agency to ensure that at regular intervals a water truck sprinkles the affected and impac

It is rather a backward move for the society to be engaged in a discussion regarding access to public beaches in 2018.   Why would any society limit access to public beaches whether unintentionally or by choice? This narrative clearly needs a new direction. To say that Jamaica requires a comprehensive and inclusive public beach policy is an understatement. The absence of an up-dated public beach policy has led us down this slippery slope where more and more of our public beaches are being privatized. As a result of this process beach access all across the country is being severely restricted. It is obvious that governments due to budgetary constraints cannot by themselves operate all the social amenities in a country; however, we must work together, both public and private sectors in ensuring that the average Jamaican who is earning minimum wage is not priced out of enjoying the natural resources of the country. It is a dangerous move when only the privileged few in the society due t

On August 6, 1962 Jamaica gained political independence from her former colonial ruler England. It was a time of immense joy and celebration as a new nation raised its flag, green, black and gold for the very first time at the National Stadium. Like many others who were born in the Post- Independence era we depend mainly on the history books for an account of the events which took place. It bares thought that independence, Jamaica’s Independence means different things to different people. For those Jamaicans who became of age in Post Colonial Jamaica, independence undoubtedly has a different meaning. However, regardless of the era one was born in that sense of joy, nationhood and pride one experiences living in a free country is indescribable. It is the best feeling to live in a country in which government structures and laws are crafted by those who share the same struggles. The struggle for independence was not an overnight affair but instead was a gradual process which had its gen

“However long the night, the dawn will break.”- African Proverb August 1, is finally here! There is a sense of joy as well as sorrow as we commemorate this day. Some might ask why sorrow, however, when one reflects on the fact that many of our ancestors died before they saw this day clearly there must be a cloud of sadness hanging somewhere. Undoubtedly, August 1 is a time for reflection and celebration. Let us fast forward to 2018, and let us for a moment think about the joy, that unadulterated and comprehensive joy which must have swept over and across the various plantations in the Caribbean on that August 1 1838.   Emancipation Day ought not to be viewed as just another public holiday. It is the day which should be revered, not solely because of the value it brings to nationhood and personhood but because of our historical link to the motherland Africa. However, this linkage to which I speak is not given much importance in this Post-Slavery society. It is rather disturbing that Hi