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

“The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices.”- Jimmy Carter. We are on the cusp of a new year. For many of us 2024 was a challenging year. Our finances, health, personal, spiritual and work relationships were all impacted. For a significant number of us our 2024 resolutions remained unfulfilled yet for others we achieved all that we had set out to. In 2024, we had wars, rumours of war, earthquakes, homicides, presidential elections, local government election, the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral and numerous industrial actions especially in the hotel industry. Without a doubt the closing year has been hectic. Locally, we have had a reshuffle of some government ministers namely in the Education and Finance Ministries. In Jamaica, general elections will be held in 2025. In the region, Haiti continues to be engulfed in social and political unrest while in Trinidad and Tobago, the government of Dr. Keith Rowley had implanted a ...

“An equation means nothing to me unless it expresses a thought of God.”- Srinivasa Ramanujan. National Mathematics Day , on December 22, celebrates the birth anniversary of India’s famed mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. Ramanujan’s genius has been regarded by mathematicians to be on the same level as Euler and Jacobi from the 18th and 19th centuries. His work in the number theory is especially regarded and made advances in the partition function. Since 2012, India’s National Mathematics Day is recognized on December 22 annually with numerous educational events held at schools and universities throughout the country. In 2017, the day’s significance was enhanced by the opening of the Ramanujan Math Park in Kuppam, in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The day is set aside to honour the legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan. History of Mathematics Day . Ramanujan was born in 1887, in Erode Tamil Nadu to an Iyengar Brahmin family. At age 12, despite lacking a formal education, he excelled at trigonomet...

"It's not going to be business as usual. We must have radical shifts in addressing the plight of our people."- Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Namibia is one of 54 countries on the continent of Africa. Namibia is located on the southwestern coast of Africa. It is bordered by Angola to the north, Zambia to the northeast, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the southeast and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Namibia has enjoyed stability since gaining independence in 1990 after a long struggle against rule by South Africa. Of note, Germany took control of the area which it called South West Africa in the late 1800s. Interestingly, the discovery of diamonds in 1908 prompted an influx of Europeans. South Africa seized it during the First World War and administered it under a League of Nations mandate. The capital of Namibia is Windhoek and the country has a population of almost 3 million people. Who Is Nandi Ndaitwah? . Nicknamed NNN, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has made...

In this festive season our minds and thoughts are laser focused on the festivity that comes along with Christmas. However, in the midst of life the unexpected can occur and we must always be mindful of this. Undoubtedly, healthcare is expensive especially in those societies without Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The World Health Organization WHO states Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It covers the full continuum of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. Additionally, goal #3 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals addresses the issue of healthy lives and the promotion of the well-being for all at all ages. The well-being regarding health care can differ according to the individual’s specific needs and long term care. In some jurisdictions there are l...

“You become what you think. You are what you eat. “- Barbara Cartland. Choosing the right type of beef for your family is a personal choice. As we approach another Christmas many persons are undecided what they will prepare for their Christmas dinner. Christmas has a special flavor and for a significant number of individuals what goes on the dinner plate at Christmastime must also be special. Chicken tends to be a stable for many families. It has been this way due to the affordability and versatility of this protein. However, beef is also very popular; in fact roasted beef has been a favourite at Christmas for many. Cattle are ruminants which mean their diet must contain forages, like grass and hay. Food is always part of human activity and social gatherings; whether it is a funeral, baptism, wedding, birthday party, graduation ceremony or family reunion. Food can also be part of cultural identity. Some foods are eaten in some cultures; while in other cultures the same foods a...

“This year’s theme reminds us that human rights are about building the future right now. All human rights are indivisible. Whether economic, social, civic, cultural or political, when one right is undermined, all rights are undermined. We must stand up for all rights always.”- António Guterres- Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dehumanization is a lived reality for most of the world’s vulnerable and defenceless; as a result human rights continue to be an illusion for many. Human rights then become those rights which are not inherent but which must be fought for and safeguarded. There are many examples of human rights violations across the globe. Some of these are the on-going Russia Ukraine War, the Israel Hamas war in Gaza, the genocide in Darfur in Western Sudan and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti. Haiti’s government recently announced that the country’s gangs have crossed a “red line” after allegedly killing almost 200 people over the weekend. Haiti’s National ...

“Genocide is not just a murderous madness; it is, more deeply, a politics that promises a utopia beyond politics - one people, one land, one truth, the end of difference. Since genocide is a form of political utopia, it remains an enduring temptation in any multiethnic and multicultural society in crisis.”- Michael Ignatieff. Hatred is the dominant sentiment that drives genocide. Many are familiar with the word genocide. Our association with the word genocide perhaps is linked to war movies and documentaries of the Holocaust which occurred during World War 2. Unfortunately, there is also a tempting tendency to politicize the term genocide and in so doing we tend to lose an in depth understanding of the term and the lasting implications of the horrors associated with genocide. The Genocide Convention (article 2) defines genocide as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group … ", including: ...

“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect”. - Captain Alfred Gilmer Lamplugh. International Civil Aviation Day was established in 1994. The day is set aside to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of States, and of the unique role of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in helping States to cooperate and realize a truly global rapid transit network at the service of humanity. In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly officially recognized 7 December as International Civil Aviation Day. The theme this year is “Safe Skies. Sustainable Future: Together for the next 80 years.” Noteworthy, the ICAO which is a United Nations (UN) agency helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit. The UN and world nations have...

“Volunteers embody the best of humanity. On this important day, let’s draw inspiration from their example, and resolve to do our part to help shape a better world for all.”- António Guterres- Secretary-General of the United Nations. What is the state of volunteerism in your society? Undoubtedly, volunteerism must be actively encouraged or else that spirit of humanity will eventually die. The United Nations states that volunteerism is an enormous renewable resource for social, economic and environmental problem-solving throughout the world. Oftentimes the most visible aspects of volunteering are around service delivery in communities. Volunteerism should never be politicized. Humanity depends on the availability of volunteers to give of their time and resources. International Volunteer Day (IVD) is a global observance that celebrates the selfless contributions of volunteers who dedicate their time and efforts to making the world a better place. Volunteers are at the forefront of addr...

“Persons with disabilities already disproportionately bear the brunt of the crises scarring our world from conflicts and climate disasters, to poverty and inequalities because of persistent discrimination, stigma, and barriers to basic rights and services.”- António Guterres- Secretary-General of the United Nations. An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us. Unfortunately, persons with disabilities have twice the risk of developing conditions such as depression, asthma, diabetes, stroke, obesity or poor oral health. What is Disability? . The term persons with disabilities is used to apply to all persons with disabilities including those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various attitudinal and environmental barriers, hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. However, this minimum list of ...

“Slavery is not just a relic of the past. Forced labour, sexual exploitation & domestic servitude are only a few of the forms of slavery that persist today.”- United Nations. An estimated 50 million people are in modern slavery, including 28 million in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage. Almost one in eight of all those in forced labour are children. More than half of these children are in commercial sexual exploitation. Latest estimates by the International Labour Organization (ILO) show that forced labour and forced marriage have increased significantly in the last five years. Women and children remain disproportionately vulnerable. Although modern slavery is not defined in law, it is used as an umbrella term covering practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. Essentially, it refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power. M...

"This year’s World AIDS Day reminds us the fight against AIDS can be won if leaders take a rights-based approach to ensure that everyone especially the most vulnerable can get the services they need without fear.”- António Guterres- Secretary-General of the United Nations. Every 25 seconds, someone in the world is infected with HIV. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 42.3 million people have died from HIV since the beginning of the epidemic. Regrettably, many persons continue to behave as if HIV no longer exists. In fact, sexual education is not prioritized in the education system. As a result, many have turned to alternative sources in order to obtain information regarding their sexual health. The World Health Organization defines sexual health as “a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful ap...

“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. Every 10 minutes a woman is killed. Violence against women and girls remains one of the most prevalent and pervasive human rights violations in the world. Globally, almost one in three women has been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life. The United Nations (UN) adds that for at least 51,100 women in 2023, the cycle of gender-based violence ended with one final and brutal act their murder by partners and family members. That means a woman was killed every 10 minutes. In order to raise awareness and trigger action to end this global scourge, the UN observes International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November. The date marks the brutal assassination in 1960 of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in...

“On World Children’s Day, we celebrate the youngest members of our human family. But today is also a moment to recognize the enormous challenges children face in our deeply divided, tumultuous and often violent world.”- UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The state of our children needs much to be desired. All across the planet the welfare and security of children can be described as unsatisfactory. World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare. World Children’s Day is the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF’s) global day of action for children, by children, marking the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The theme this year is “Listen to the future, stand up for children’s rights. The World Health Organization (WHO) declares that the world has experienced dramatic prog...