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

“COVID-19 will not be the last epidemic or pandemic humanity faces. As a global community, we must heed the harsh lessons of COVID-19 and make bold investments in pandemic preparedness, prevention and response. We need better surveillance to detect and monitor viruses with epidemic potential. We need more resilient health systems supported by universal health coverage. And we need a health workforce that is well-trained, well-equipped and well-paid. We also need equitable access to vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and life-saving technology for all countries.”- António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. The truth is many of us have let our guards down. While many are preparing to party in order to usher in 2023, in some parts of the world COVID-19 is still raging through the population like a wild fire. Just as life was becoming somewhat normal after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new variant of the coronavirus, named BF.7, has emerged in China. The

“For centuries, the Dutch state and its representatives facilitated, stimulated, preserved, and profited from slavery. For centuries, in the name of the Dutch State, human beings were made into commodities, exploited, and abused.”- Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. For over 400 years, more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims of the tragic Transatlantic Slave Trade, one of the darkest chapters in human history. The recent apology by the Dutch Prime Minister took most of us by surprise. Those of us who have been conscious of the work of the CARICOM Reparations Commission have welcomed guardedly the long awaited apology by this former colonial power in their involvement in chattel slavery. The Dutch government was particularly involved in slavery in the Dutch West Indies. Many of us are familiar with the ABC islands of the Dutch West Indies. These islands are Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. In addition to the ABC islands of the Dutch West Indies, there are other Dutch is

“Each year nearly 1.3 million people die as a result of a road traffic crash more than 3000 deaths each day and more than a half of these people are vulnerable road users; pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. More than 50 million are seriously injured. The cost to society and the suffering of individuals and families are staggering. Most road crashes affect young people and more than 90 per cent take place in developing countries.”- United Nations. Driving on the roads has become scary for most of us. Many of us have been victims of predatory driving practices whereby we have had to switch to defensive mood, pull over and allow those bad drivers to pass. Unfortunately, many of us have experienced situations where we have had to give up our road rights in order to prevent a collision. Driving on the Jamaican roadway is a matter of life and death. Many folks are literally afraid to use the roadways due to how crazy many motorists have become. Many are driving as if they are on a H

“Mental health is not a destination it is a process.”- Dr. Noam Shpancer, Ph.D. The issue of mental health is one of those topics which is always relevant regardless of the time of the year. For some, Christmas is that time of year where happiness is aplenty and nothing else matters. On the other hand, there are those who are depressed around this time of year. Many of us have experienced mood swings. Unfortunately, mental health care is expensive and without insurance many are placed in a dangerous situation regarding making that choice between putting food on the table or seeing a mental health care provider. In fact, for most folks the choice is automatic, food is a primary need. Sadly, when we sacrifice our mental health we live to regret that decision. It makes no sense to judge or second guess someone who has taken his or her life. In that moment of insanity, we do not know nor should we want to know what life is like. In my own family one of my dearest cousins died by suicide

“Climbing the Everest was certainly more difficult than I thought, but my willpower to prove that a tribal girl can do something kept me going.”- Poorna Malavath. The United Nations (UN) clearly makes the case regarding International Mountain Day which is observed on December 11 each year. The International Mountain Day has its roots in 1992, when the adoption of Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment and Development, puts a milestone in the history of mountain development. The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the UN General Assembly to declare 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. On this occasion, the UN General Assembly has designated 11 December, from 2003 onwards, as “International Mountain Day”. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the coordinating agency for the preparation and animation of this celebration (IM

“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.” – Nelson Mandela. Human Rights Day is observed by the international community every year on December 10th. It commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out a broad range of fundamental rights and freedoms to which all of us are entitled. It guarantees the rights of every individual everywhere, without distinction based on nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or any other status. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights empowers us all. The principles enshrined in the Declaration are as relevant today as they were in 1948. Human Rights Day is also significant in that it marks the end of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence which is an annual international campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Eliminatio

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”- Kahlil Gibran. Have you ever given of your time for a cause? The United Nations (UN) aptly describes the essence of volunteerism. The UN states volunteerism is one of the most vital delivery mechanisms for social, environmental and economic transformation, ensuring a lasting impact with its ability to change people’s mindsets, attitudes and behaviours. People become actors of change and equal partners in the attainment of local, national and international progress towards sustainable human development and global peace. The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme recognizes the shared universal values underpinning volunteerism, free will, commitment, equity, engagement, solidarity, compassion, empathy and respect for others. On December 5 each year the international community observes International Volunteer Day (IVD) . IVD is set aside to recognize and promote the tire

“The cornerstone of this cooperation must be the active participation of persons with disabilities in their full diversity, and their full inclusion in all decision-making processes.”- António Guterres- United Nations Secretary-General. We live in a world which is characterized by exclusion and discrimination. This double threat to humanity is felt moreso for those who live with a disability. Sadly, even in our own families those members who are deemed different are whispered about and are made to feel lesser than. The economic reality for many families coupled with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed immensely to a culture of disability exclusion. The United Nations (UN) states that disability inclusion is an essential condition to upholding human rights, sustainable development, and peace and security. It is also central to the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind. The commitment to realizing the rights of persons with dis

“The legacy of the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans reverberates to this day, scarring our societies and impeding equitable development." – United Nations- Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Those of us who are of African ancestry should be appalled and incensed that slavery in any form continues in this age of modernity. We should never forget the horrors of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade that our forefathers and mothers endured during almost four centuries of chattel slavery. The United Nations (UN) estimates that 50 million people are in modern slavery, including 28 million in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage. Each year The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed on December 2 . The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery focuses on eradicating modern forms of slavery like trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labor, forced marriage, and forced recruitment of children into armed conflict. The Day is observed on December 2, wh

“We can end AIDS if we end the inequalities which perpetuate it. This World AIDS Day we need everyone to get involved in sharing the message that we will all benefit when we tackle inequalities. To keep everyone safe, to protect everyone’s health, we need to Equalize.”- UNAIDS Executive Director- Winnie Byanyima. Globally, 38.4 million are living with HIV/AIDS. UNAIDS reports that one person dies from AIDS every minute; 1.5 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2021. The international community each year observes World AIDS Day on December 1 . Since its inception in 1988, the day has served as a platform to show solidarity with those individuals who are living with and are impacted by HIV. The day is also set aside to remember those who have died as a result of complications from AIDS. While great strides have been made over the four decades since the first known reported cases of AIDS, this disease remains a public health challenge. The day is also reserved as a day to br

"We cannot let our determination to keep “pushing forward” for gender equality waver. Our goal of a world where violence against women and girls is not just condemned but stopped is possible. By pushing forward together we can attain it.”- Sima Bahous- UN Under-Secretary-General. Undoubtedly, violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation in the world. The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” Importantly, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is being observed from November 25 to 10 December. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women