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

Lord, why have thou forsaken me? My tormentors rejoice! Will they have the last laugh? My prayers have not found favour in your sight. Inflicted, both in mind and body. My shortcomings and failures are many, yet You continue to work within me Moments of joy have turned into a sea of grief seeking to drown my faith. Your awesomeness is boundless. My weakness is merely human. A being that you Lord wonderfully and purposefully made. To worship You in spirit and in truth. Forgive my transgressions Heavenly Father. Pour within me Your Spirit, until the old man is no more Your Spirit is what my soul craves. To fulfill my purpose. And to behold Your majesty. My intercessors make petitions, yet the answer is elusive. The evil ones continue to scoff and mock. My nakedness exposed. The enemy gathers strength, embolden. How long Lord, will thou turn thy face? Brokenness, before your throne of Cherubim’s and Seraphim’s. Penitent, prostrate at your altar. You are the King

“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”- Albert Einstein   Do you get the feeling that evil is always lurking; finding creative ways to attack hardworking people who are only trying to make ends meet?   Many of you would have seen the video on social media recently in which a Jamaican teacher was left disoriented after a stranger; a male approached her about a mosquito he killed on her person. According to the news the teacher had just left the supermarket when this man approached her and started a conversation. The incident took place in Lucea, in the parish of Hanover on the night of Saturday, February 15, 2020. According to the teacher she was slapped on her shoulder by a stranger, under the guise that he was killing a mosquito, however, the police have theorized that she might have been a victim of the popular South American drug the Devil’s Breath.   In recounting the incident,

“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.”- Marian Wright Edelman The increase in incidents of physical attacks on the nation’s teacher is appalling as it is problematic. As centres of learning our schools are supposed to be safe for both students and teachers alike. The classroom is no longer a safe space for teaching and learning; sadly, the classroom has become a battleground where the strongest willed individual is rewarded and moves on to another day. Regrettably, teaching and learning have become secondary features of our elitist education system where teachers have been forced to take on the additional roles of police, security guard, correctional officer, surrogate parent and probation officer. Unfortunately, in recent times we have seen the videos which have gone viral in which students have attacked or threatened to attack teachers. The principal at Homestead Primary was physically attacked by a student

Jamaica is widely regarded as the cultural Mecca of the Caribbean. Over the years Jamaica has positively and purposefully impacted the world in various creative and cultural endeavours. It is important that as a society we make certain that our rich cultural heritage is passed on to the next generation in order to secure our legacy as a cultural powerhouse. It is not surprising that this agent of socialization is the vehicle being used to guarantee that the norms, mores, values and attitudes of the society are passed on. Jamaica Day has been celebrated in the school system since 2002. The day is usually observed on the last Friday in February. Jamaica Day celebrations are spearheaded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information. The day was instituted to encourage an appreciation for the nation’s cultural heritage to celebrate the country’s contribution to the world.   The theme for Jamaica Day is Celebrating Jamaica: Highlighting our icons in the Arts, Agriculture and Technol

“Whose house is of glass, must not throw stones at another.” - George Herbert How would you describe the state of politics globally? There are many troubling signs on the political platforms of both developing and developed societies. There appears to be a vacuum of political leadership globally with regards to civility and decorum. It is a fair assumption that general elections will be held in Jamaica in 2020. As a result both the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition, People’s National Party (PNP) are both conducting what many term soft campaigning. The political climate is simmering; campaigning will turn up a notch or two when the elections are announced. Over the years the Jamaican electorate has not demanded much from the nation’s politicians. For the most part the voters are caught with the same bait over and over again. We have seen personal attacks on politicians from both sides of the political divide. It appears that serious issues, such as crime and viole

“Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny”. - Bob Marley The month of February is significant in numerous ways. Robert Nesta Marley, commonly referred to as Bob Marley was born in the month of February. Bob Marley would have been 75 years old had he lived. The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus has played host for the annual Bob Marley lecture for the last 23 years. The 23 rd renewal this year was held on Thursday, February 13 in the Neville Hall Lecture Theatre. The lecture was aptly delivered by recording female artiste Jah 9 under the theme, “Turn your lights down low” .   The Bob Marley Lecture is a collaborative effort of The Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) and the Reggae Studies Unit. The lecture was scheduled to begin at 6 pm, however, it started 18 minutes late. Prior to the commencement of the lecture the audience was treated to a selection of songs by Bob Marley and The Wailers. The opening remarks and welcome was done by Dr. Sonjah Stanley Niaah, Senior

“I asked questions: I wanted to know why. They got used to me asking questions and being the only woman there.” - Katherine Johnson The realities that most women face are similar globally regardless of their backgrounds, caste and or country of birth. For centuries women have been viewed as and are treated as second class citizens by a system of patriarchy in which men are in charge. It is this system in which patriarchal structures in place tend to put women "in their place" inevitably robs us gender equality in all facets of our lives. Unfortunately, women in most societies continue to be voiceless as they suffer from various forms of discrimination; women are often underrepresented especially in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics, less than 30% of the world's researchers are women. Additionally, studies have found that

The façade that all is well is just that; an illusion in a world of pretense and faked news. The hustle and bustle of our lives; Intersects with our mental and physical wellness. Each one of us has a breaking point, haste not to that point of no return. Life is too short to go over the edge. Few return from the brink to tell the tale. Even fewer will listen to those with that firsthand experience. A world of new and dangerous viruses, Emerging daily, medical sciences is at a loss. Where whistleblowers are red flagged for daring to speak the truth. Seen as heroes by the masses, worthy of emulation in the far corners of this world. Where wrong becomes right, casting a shadow on values and attitudes. Where bigotry, racism and anti-Semitism have once again reared their ugly heads, in a world of pain, hunger and suffering. Where most have not, and the few have plenty. A growing sense of hopelessness and despair, Lest we grow weary. Grounded in the fai

"Slavery was not born of racism, rather, racism was the consequence of slavery."- Eric Williams  How many of you are familiar with the term blackbirding? The term is largely forgotten and one has to do a bit of research in order to find out about its origin and usage. Blackbirding", is a racist expression for the forcible enslavement of Pacific islanders from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, to work as indentured labourers on the sugar cane fields in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia and the Samoan Islands. The people of the South Pacific Islanders were scammed through trickery to work on sugar plantations primarily in Australia. It is safe to say that while many of us are familiar with the TransAtlantic Slave Trade which took place in the Caribbean and the Americas, only few of us are aware of the Pacific Slave Trade which was responsible for the displacement of thousands of South Pacific Islanders. Unlike other areas, where sugar labourers came from Africa

“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.”- Kofi Annan As the world navigates the ins and out of The Fourth Industrial Revolution governments worldwide have a responsibility to ensure that their citizens are thoroughly engaged in decent work in order to have sustainable development. Unemployment among the youth population is most disturbing, especially for young females. As a result new career opportunities must be sought in order to provide employment for those seeking to join the labour force. There was a recent Washington Post article which was quite interesting. This particular news items was interesting for many reasons; one of which was the focus on gender and female empowerment, two issues which should be of concern to all of us. There are two national newspapers in Jamaica, The Gleaner and The Jamaica Observer. It is debatable that among the most popular sections of both newspapers are the cartoons. Our cartoonists are usually very in tu

The pain that’s buried deep down in your innermost being. That emptiness which lingers aimlessly, hovering over in a choke-like manner. Those sleepless nights, tossing and turning, sweating profusely, In and out of consciousness; almost in a daze.  A full heart   Immerse in sorrow, such grief is unheard of. The escaping tears cascading into a stream That elusive closure Those unanswered questions. Searching for that inner strength Only from God There is no shame in crying or asking for help The uncertainty of life. Cope we must, I thought we had more time, no good-byes. The pain is real and personal So too was the joy; such memories. Good times we had. Those were fun days. But, without notice, The journey ended. A light ousted. A voice silenced! A smile frozen! Can you imagine? - Wayne Campbell                                                                           ©