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

Every country must join together to overcome this transnational threat by supporting and protecting victims while pursuing and prosecuting the criminals- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Trafficking in persons is a significant crime and a grave violation of human rights. Trafficking is often overlooked by many countries since this scourge tend to happen to those who are defenceless and voiceless in the society. Each year human traffickers become more creative in luring men, women and children into this multi-billion industry. Disturbingly, the very young are at particular risk, especially our girls since it is estimated that twenty one per cent (21%) of all trafficked persons are girls. Most if not all of these trafficked girls often end up as sex slaves across all regions of the world.   The promise of a better life, low self-esteem and little or no family support is usually at the genesis explaining the relative ease our young and vulnerable people are caught up in a life...

It is rather sad and disappointing that as a society the Jamaican state is not united on any national issue. Successive governments over the years have failed the people miserably in providing adequate security and protection for its citizens. Regardless of the political party one supports, the effect and impact of crime is the same on all of us. Crime has a crippling effect on the psyche of a people and nation. In fact, crime and violence if not brought under control quickly will contribute greatly to the demise of this nation. Our economic success is intricately hinged on us having a manageable level of crime and violence. Recently, we were shocked out of our wits upon hearing that there were seven murders in St. James over a 24 hours period. On average the Jamaican state has over 1, 000 murders yearly.   For the period 2009 and 2014 more than 7,000 Jamaicans were murdered. This is unacceptable and a consensus involving both the government and the Opposition is required.   ...

LET'S MAGNIFY THE LORD Today's Scripture: “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” ... (Psalm 34:3, KJV) TODAY’S WORD "Come lets magnify the Lord for He's worthy to be praised." Something powerful happens inside when you magnify the Lord. When you magnify God, you aren’t changing Him; you are changing the way you see Him. You are making God the center of your life rather than your problems and circumstances. So many people today waste time and energy talking about their problems and feeling sorry for themselves. That’s because they are magnifying their circumstances in their own mind and heart. But when you start magnifying the Lord by talking about Him and worshiping Him, you are making Him the main priority in your life and opening the door for Him to move on your behalf. Today will you choose to magnify God regardless of what’s going on in your life or around you. Talk about His goodness. Talk about His faithfulness. "in e...

Black masculinity and identity are usually judged in terms of one's language and mannerism by those of your own race as well as by others. We should not treat people differently because of our own biases and insecurities. Instead, we need to take the time to get to know that individual whom we believe is strange and different. It is not our job to judge another. Be a friend to someone today.

The recent beating of a 13 year old schoolboy of Yallahs High School in St. Thomas by four girls has come and gone without much ire from civil society. We live in a society where double standards regarding how we treat the sexes are pervasive and oftentimes blurred. What if the opposite had happened where four boys had beaten a girl?   We can be sure that the society would have been outraged and demanding for some type of punishment for the culprits involved? We still hold unto our traditionally gender roles which says males should be tough and assertive and females should be passive and fragile. The perceived problem occurs when these gender roles are crossed and we become unsure how to treat the individual. Clearly this youngster did not fit into the hegemonic notion of masculinity hence he was targeted by these girls. ANTI-BULLYING POLICY School bullying in any form, and committed by any sex, is unacceptable and should be punished to the full extent of the law and the...

The time has come for Jamaican housing developers to include a police post as part of the basic amenities when constructing housing schemes of a particular size. Purchasing a home is arguably the single most expensive investment an individual will make during his/her lifetime. It is quite reasonable to expect some level of security and safety after such an investment.   The recent horror stories of rape and robbery at Longville Park Housing Scheme in Clarendon has once again highlighted how vulnerable and helpless we are as citizens against the scourge of crime and violence in the society. Additionally, the National Housing Trust (NHT) also has a part to play in ensuring the safety and security of the residents. Many residents of Longville Phase 3 have reported that the NHT constructed the windows of their homes with plastic. According to residents the plastic windows serves as an entry point for criminals to access their homes. We know the society we live in and to have made ...

The nation is now in a post Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) frame of mind. The results of the 2015 (GSAT) are now available and our students are about to embark on post primary studies. As expected, some students are happy to have been placed at their school of choice, while others who fall in the minority twenty five per cent are wondering what went wrong why they were zoned. We are very much aware that some of the high schools in Jamaica are more sought after than others. This is predominantly due to the public perception, effective management, as well as the schools track record. Regardless of which school you are placed at life goes on and you can bloom wherever you find yourself once you apply yourself and remain focused with the help of parents and guardians.   For the most part our schools have not done a very good job ats promoting their strengths to the general public especially during an era of social media. An added benefit of using social media is that s...