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

“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”- Toni Morrison. My introduction to poetry was in grade 4 at St. Jude’s Primary School located at Norwich Avenue off Waltham Park in Kingston. My teacher at the time was Miss Seivwright. As students we all had to recite Nature by H.D. Carberry at the end of lunchtime daily or else. Those who did not know the words would have an intimate encounter with the belt. Nature by Hugh Doston Carberry was drilled into our subconscious state of being. As students of 4B we had no choice but to know the words of what is an interesting account of our oral history. Back then we did not fully appreciate the power and impact that poetry has on the mind and one’s entire being. As I grew older so did my appreciation for poetry. Years later the joy of immersing one’s self in doing poetry becam

“The impact of ageism should not be underestimated. Ageism is the root of the marginalization, social exclusion and isolation of older persons. It is also intimately linked to violence and abuse against them in public and private spheres as scapegoating and stereotyping nourish subconscious motives.”- Rosa Kornfeld Matte. Older persons must feel a sense of belonging and worth. Our society like most societies tells us that the old and ageing are not as important as those in the category of youth. The voice of the older person and their opinions are oftentimes muted; unfortunately in many societies the older person is voiceless. Sadly, in some instances older persons are ridiculed. Regardless of our age we all should feel a sense of value. The beauty industry is a billion dollars business whereby many individuals seek the fountain of youth whether by dying our grey hair and or using hair replacement implants in order to blend in with the younger population. Growing old is a natural proc

“Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing issues facing our planet. Consumer awareness of the plastics crisis is growing around the world. Consumers have a critical role in shaping the marketplace, and we must support them to mobilize businesses and governments, to ensure sustainable consumption is accessible to all.”- Helena Leurent, Director General, Consumers International. We are all consumers. A consumer is anyone who uses goods and services to satisfy both their basic needs as well as their secondary needs. When was the last time you felt a sense of satisfaction after patronizing a business entity? Consumer advocacy is not that big a deal in some societies and this is quite unfortunate. As consumers many of us have become complacent with the poor service. Regrettably, poor customer service has been normalized in the society. Things have gotten so bad that when we experience good customer service we are sent into a state of shock and awe. As consumers we do not utilize

“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.”- Michelle Obama. International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 has taken on a different dimension. The international community is currently locked in the struggle associated with the COVID-19 pandemic; as a result most of the attention is on this pandemic. As our communities and nations emerge from the ravaging effects of this pandemic, now is the time to end the exclusion and marginalization of women and girls. However, mere words only will not usher in a culture of gender equality and inclusion for women and girls across the globe. In order to achieve an inclusive society action at the community, national and international level is needed. There must be a conversation with our Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and government using a bottom up approach to transact and enable real change. Unfortunately, in some societies, particularly Muslim count

“In a pandemic, we are only safe once everyone is safe.”- António Guterres. Jamaica recorded a record breaking 878 confirmed cases of coronavirus on March 7 with a positivity rate of 39%. It appears from all indicators that Jamaica is not at the place that the nation should be regarding its COVID-19 response. The country started out very well at the onset of the coronavirus, however, something happened along the journey and it seems only a full lockdown can recalibrate and stem the surge of confirmed coronavirus cases in this uphill fight against COVID19. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases have skyrocketed in the last few weeks to levels unimaginable. It has become commonplace for Jamaica to record triple digits on COVID-19 cases daily. Jamaica recorded a COVID-19 positivity rate of 40.1% on February 25. There are 366 people hospitalized, 27 of whom are critically ill and 66 are experiencing moderate symptoms. To date over 33,970 Jamaicans have tested positive for the novel cor