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

“School closures continue to disrupt the lives of over 31 million students, exacerbating a global learning crisis.”-UN Secretary- General António Guterres. According to the United Nations (UN), the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out 20 years of education gains. Alarmingly, the UN adds that an additional 101 million or 9% of children in grades 1 through 8 fell below minimum reading proficiency levels in 2020. Statistics from the United Nations paints a damming picture: 258 million children and youth still do not attend school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Our children's right to an education is being violated and this is unacceptable. Sustainable Development It appears that a growing number of countries will not be able to meet the targets of United Nations Sustainable Development Go

Admittedly, a conversation regarding the male urinal is not one that is discussed often. It is often said that men pee in silence. Ask most men and they will probably declare that they want to get in and out of the restroom as quickly as possible without any form of communication. Urinal etiquette is subtle and undefined, but also extremely important. It is not uncommon to see groups of women heading to the restroom together, perhaps using it as an opportunity to have girls chat. It is a rarity to see groups of men heading to the restroom together. Men are wired differently and the fear of being labeled is always present. The urinal usage can be viewed as a receptacle for hypermasculinity; for men parading their endowed phalluses. On the other hand it can also be viewed as a fear-provoking experience for mere mortals. It would be disingenuous not to mention that some men target urinals for autoeroticism practices. Unsurprisingly, masturbation remains a tabooed behaviour and is subject

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”- St. Matthew 6:9-10. Oftentimes our interpretations of heaven are juxtaposed with death. We are socialized to believe that we must first die before we can experience heaven. However, this belief system is a fallacy and the notion of heaven needs to be interrogated. We cannot fathom things of the spiritual realm with our naked human eyes. Our mental representation to identify matters of spirituality is finite; nevertheless, we serve an infinite God. In the book of Isaiah 55:8, it says, "for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” These two verses of Scripture in Isaiah are critical in providing answers to the physical presence of heaven. Where heaven is located has always baffled man since time immemori

"We're all imperfect, and life is simply a perpetual, unending struggle against those imperfections."- Sidney Poitier. The death of Sidney Poitier has reverberated beyond Hollywood. Poitier’s acting career spanned more than sixty decades. Sidney Poitier was a pioneering and exceptional actor. He had a spirit of sophistication and charm which is rarely seen today. Perhaps Poitier will be best remembered for being a trailblazer in the fight against racial discrimination and segregation; especially at a time where African Americans in the United States of America were not seen as equals to Whites. Sidney Poitier was born on February 20, 1924, in Miami, Florida, but raised in The Bahamas. Sidney Poitier was the son of Reginald and Evelyn Poitier. The family moved from the Village of Cat Island to Nassau, the Bahamian capital, when Poitier was eleven years old. Poitier returned to Miami in his teenage years to live with his older brother Cyril. The young Poitier worked menial

The subdued painter caresses his brush, as a well prepared canvas awaits patiently. An array of beautiful colours evenly spread on a palette. A thin stroke of bright colours darts across. An image begins to emerge; a window of great expectation for all humanity. Dreams and resolutions teasingly take shape. The bristles submerged in pastels kisses the landscape. It is dawn! Fireworks punctuate the night sky; shouts of jubilation; erasing the past. Pandemonium outbursts; a huge wave of expectation. An appreciated audience looks on. © 2022 Wayne Campbell