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

“Unlocking the full potential of younger generations requires massive investment in inclusive quality education and training. Closing the skills gap can help create decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods at scale. ”- UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Alarmingly, 273 million children and young people are out of school. In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared 15 July as World Youth Skills Day , to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. This year’s theme is "Skills for a Shared Future." The global observance focuses on empowering young people with the technical, AI, digital, green, and social-emotional skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing labor market and drive sustainable development. This global observance highlights the role of youth as change makers in building inclusive and resilient societies. The United Nations (UN) states, the world of work is changing rapidl...

Many demographers argue that the world is entering a global population crisis. The challenge is more complex because different regions face opposite problems at the same time. In 2025, falling fertility rates are making global headlines, with some governments warning of a “population collapse” and introducing drastic policies to boost births. Since 1990, World Population Day has been observed on July 11. This year's World Population Day theme is "Realizing the hopes and aspirations of young people today and for the future. " This year’s theme highlights how young people's decisions about education, employment, housing, relationships, and family life are increasingly influenced by the cities they inhabit. Two-thirds of the global population now lives in areas where fertility rates are below 2.1 children per woman the threshold needed to keep population size stable. In the early 1970s, women had on average 4.5 children each; by 2015, total fertility for the world h...

"Milima haikutani, lakini binadamu hukutana." Translation: Mountains do not meet, but humans do. Meaning: You never know who you will meet again in life. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are approximately 8,324 known languages globally, but only around 7,000 are still in use today. Kiswahili is more than a language; it is a vessel of African identity, unity, and culture. Kiswahili is one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa and the world, with over 200 million speakers. Kiswahili is a vital tool of communication and integration across East, Central, and Southern Africa, and serves as an official language of the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the East African Community (EAC). World Kiswahili Language Day is observed annually on July 7. This year’s theme is “Kiswahili for Peace, Solidarity and Global Economic Diplomacy. ” This theme focuses on how Kiswahili...

Graduation exercises are rooted in a culture where students become props in a performance meant to validate a flawed education system rather than to celebrate the achievements of students. Let us not fool ourselves; graduation exercises at both the primary and secondary levels of the education system are not about the graduates. Graduations are special events. What happens after the flash of the cameras go quiet, the balloons burst and the crowd disperses? In many instances, graduations are viewed as rites of passage. Rites of passage are important indicators of transition culminating in adulthood. Graduations are often grounded in great expectations not only for the graduates but also for their parents, guardians and well wishers. Many graduates over the years of formal schooling develop strong connections to both their educational institutions and friends. Formal schooling is much more than academics and scholarships. Life-long friendships are often cemented in the hallowed avenu...

Did you know that nearly half of the world’s forests are located in the tropics? The Tropics have just over half of the world’s renewable water resources (54%), yet almost half their population is considered vulnerable to water stress. The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. As of mid 2026, the global population living in the tropics is estimated at around 3.3–3.5 billion people, representing roughly 40% of the world’s total population of 8.3 billion. This share is expected to keep rising as demographic growth in tropical regions (Asia, Africa, Latin America) outpaces that of temperate zones. Although topography and other factors contribute to climatic variation, tropical locations are typically warm and experience little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature. An important feature of the Tropics is the prevalence of rain in the moist inner regions near the equator, and that the seasonality of ...

Disability inclusion for the disabled community is often a myth than reality. Persons with deafblindness face unique and often overlooked barriers that have rendered them largely invisible in data, policies and the public discourse. These barriers limit access to education, healthcare, employment, and social participation. On Monday, 16 June 2025, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution titled “International Day of Deafblindness” officially proclaiming 27 June as the International Day of Deafblindness . The date was chosen to honour the birthday of Helen Keller (1880–1968), the pioneering American author, educator, and activist who was deafblind a figure whose legacy continues to inspire millions around the world. The International Day of Deafblindness serves as a global movement to recognize deafblindness as a distinct, unique disability rather than a simple combination of vision and hearing loss. The theme for the International Day of Deafblindness is ...

Historically, women were largely excluded from formal diplomatic roles and international decision-making processes. However, the narrative has changed over time. Women have broken barriers and expanded their presence across diplomatic services, international organizations, peace processes, and multilateral negotiations. Their contributions have strengthened efforts to promote peace, security, development, and human rights around the world. Interestingly, women were key contributors who played essential parts in shaping the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) for the first time in human history spells out basic civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all human beings men and women alike should enjoy. Despite this progress, women remain underrepresented in many diplomatic and political leadership positions, highlighting the need for continued action to achieve equal participation and representation. The United Nations (UN) states that women remain underrep...