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

“Hate will not prevail. White supremacy will not have the last word.”- President Joe Biden. The recent mass killing of 10 individuals at the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue in East Buffalo, New York on May 14 has once again raised the matters of racism and gun control. According to officials the white teenage gunman, 18 year old Payton Gendron drove some three hours to commit this racially-motivated hate crime in the predominantly black neighbourhood. The news reported that eleven of the thirteen victims were black. As reported by authorities, the suspect who lives about 200 miles away in Conklin, N.Y. drove to the Tops store on May 14 and around 2:30 p.m. opened fire in the parking lot, killing three people and wounding a fourth. Armed with an assault-style rifle, he then entered the store and shot customers and workers before surrendering near the lobby, where he was met by law enforcement. One has to ask the question what if the Buffalo gunman was black, would law enfor

“The very act of preparing and serving tea encourages conversation. The little spaces in time created by teatime rituals call out to be filled with conversation.”- Emilie Barnes. What is your favourite tea? Peppermint ranks at the top as my favourite tea. As youngsters we had a huge mint tree at the front of the yard. It was common for passersby to stop and ask for some of the mint which was noticeable in the yard. It seems the more we gave away the mint the more the tree flourished. Tea preparation allows for some level of experiment and many of us are guilty of that. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic many of us have turned to turmeric and ginger as well as fever grass, ginger and garlic teas in order to boost the immune system. For many of us, myself included the day cannot begin without having a cup of tea. Perhaps this is tradition and largely based on how one is socialized. England is synonymous for tea. As a former colony of England, many Jamaicans also have developed a love f

"The bee is more honoured than other animals, not because she labours, but because she labours for others."- St. John Chrysostom. Did you know there is a link between bee pollination and the crops which are available for human consumption? World Bee Day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Slovenian beekeeper Anton Janša- the pioneer of modern beekeeping. Born on 20 May 1734, he came from a long line of beekeepers and was the first beekeeping teacher at the Viennese imperial court. The United Nations (UN) declares that bees are of the main pollinators in the ecosystem. Pollination is, however, a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. In addition to contributing directly to food security, bee pollinators are key to conserving biodiversity. In order to ra

"In a world in which we regularly witness tensions, acts of hatred, rejection of others and discrimination, the pursuit of peace and the will to live together harmoniously is more crucial than ever.”- Audrey Azoulay Director-General of UNESCO. As human beings it is inevitable that we will have differences. Given we are from different backgrounds our perceptions are shaped accordingly. However, this does not mean that we cannot live together in peace. The United Nations (UN) states that living together in peace is all about accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognize, respect and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way. According to the UN the day is meant to signify unity in difference and diversity. The UN reminds us that people around the world come from different races, genders, nationalities, classes, colours, disabilities and birth status. International Day of Living Together in Peace first came into being after the United

“Nurses have given their all in the fight against COVID-19, Ebola, in disaster areas and in war zones. Yet, they continue to face under-staffing, lack of protection, heavy workloads, and low wages. It is time now to take real action to address workplace safety, protect nurses and safeguard their physical and mental health.”- Dr Pamela Cipriano, President of the International Council of Nurses. Those of us who have been hospitalized for whatever reason will know how critical nurses are to the healthcare system. In a country such as Jamaica where there is a nursing shortage the worth and value of our nurses is incalculable. There can be no praises too great for our nurses. International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated globally on May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. International Nurses Day is observed to mark the monumental contributions nurses make to the society. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that nurses and midwives are central to Primary Health

The diagnosis of Lupus is life-altering. Each year on May 10th, World Lupus Day is commemorated. The day is set aside to raise awareness associated with lupus as well as to garner support in the fight against this unpredictable and commonly misunderstood disease. Many of us have heard of lupus, however, not many know of someone who is living with the disease. Lupus, known medically as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, is a disorder of the immune system. A few years ago I was tested at the University Hospital of the West Indies for lupus as well as other auto-immune diseases as the doctors could not understand why I kept having chronic urticaria. Thankfully, I do not have lupus. However, while lupus predominantly affects women males are also diagnosed with this dreadful disease. Living with lupus takes a financial toll as the medications are not inexpensive. Sadly, I have known at least one individual who died from complications from lupus. What is Lupus? The Mayo Clinic states that l

“The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.” - James E. Faust. Although Mothers Day is not one of those international days recognized by the United Nations, the day is celebrated globally. The impact of Mother’s Day is felt across all continents and in all spaces. We will all agree that Mother’s Day celebrations were rather low-keyed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic years. However, the activities this year surrounding mother’s day have turned up a notch or two and rightly so. In a matriarchal society such as Jamaica, mothers are special as they are the bedrock and guardians of most of our families. Mothers are protective and fearless concerning the welfare and well being of their children and grandchildren. There are no praises too great to bestow upon our mothers. It is interesting to reflect on Jesus’ relationship with his own mother Mary. Of particular interest are the words Jesus spoke to his mother while he was on the cross at Calvar

"We have to uphold a free press and freedom of speech- because, in the end, lies and misinformation are no match for the truth." - Barack Obama. Increasingly, journalists continue to risk their own lives in order to bring to us the news. Since February 24, the beginning of Russia's war on Ukraine, 18 journalists have been killed and 13 injured, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and Information Policy. The war’s first media fatality was Evgeny Sakun, a Ukrainian cameraman working for the local Kyiv Live TV channel, who was killed when Russian missiles hit the Kyiv television tower on 1 March. Globally, the media landscape has grown exponentially over the years. Journalism is the collection, preparation, and distribution of news and related commentary and feature materials through such print and electronic media as newspapers, magazines, books, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, social networking and social media sites, and e-mail as well as through radio, motion pictu

“There are incalculable resources in the human spirit, once it has been set free.”- Hubert Humphrey It is an unimaginable anguish to have your child diagnosed with a life ending illness. Yet for many families this news is part of their living. Undoubtedly, the health care struggles are magnified for many especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. People oftentimes move in and out of our lives for a reason. Life is a journey fraught with many obstacles; some of which leaves us gutted. However, there is always hope and we should never surrender to the pain and suffering which exist. Earlier this year a parent shared with me that her 5 year old daughter was diagnosed with Wilms’ Tumor. At first I was clueless what is Wilms’ Tumor so I decided to do some research and turned to two trusted online sources. The Mayo Clinic defines Wilms' tumor as a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children. Also known as nephroblastoma, it is the most common cancer of the kidneys in children.