Tag Archives: Government

Midweek Special: A Jamaican News Update for April 17, 2013

By petchary on April 18, 2013 | 4 Comments

This is the first of my twice-weekly bulletins. I am attempting to break down my focus on Jamaican happenings into more digestible chunks… Let me know what you think.

The Azan mess: On Monday, the Office of the Prime Minister issued a press release on the matter of the construction of allegedly illegal shops on government-owned land near the Spaldings Market in Clarendon, allegedly under the aegis of Member of Parliament Richard Azan. I use the word “allegedly” because the Simpson Miller administration appears to be retreating behind the quasi-legal argument of “It’s under investigation,” and “He’s innocent until proven guilty.” It’s not the first time the Government has used fake legality to wriggle out of a tight spot. Oh, sorry. The press release said that Minister Azan would remain a minister, pending an investigation by the Office of the Contractor General into the matter; I believe the Local Government Ministry and someone else are also investigating. The press release drew a distinction between Azan’s position as MP and as a Junior Minister in the Ministry of Transport and Works to justify this. This went down like a lead balloon. Disgust, resignation, cynical laughter were among the reactions on social media. The media and public have not stopped discussing it since.

…but no tissue to clean it up: The Bureau of Standards (BSJ) flatly refuses to disclose the names of the four brands (according to their latest release it is now three?) of toilet tissue that are reportedly contaminated with bacterial matter. The Bureau has posted a list of “OK” brands but are still testing. This is just a disgrace. Our tissue at home is not on the list. Is it contaminated? Well, sorry, you can’t have that information…

Corruption is only part of the story: The Prime Minister, in her inauguration speech of January, 2012, pledged a “zero tolerance” approach to corruption. But is the Azan affair simply a corruption issue? Mr. Azan said he had not benefited personally in any way from the Spaldings shops; but that is not the whole issue. This is poor judgment at best; and also a breach of regulations and possibly of the Parish Councils Act. Aren’t our elected public servants to abide by laws and regulations? After all, we ordinary citizens have to obey those laws. We don’t have the luxury of going back afterwards and say, “Oh, sorry, my bad…” Mr. Azan has admitted he made an “error”; therefore, why not at least step aside until the investigation is complete?

“He’s only human”: Yes, Minister Peter Bunting’s tears continue to resonate with some. He lost his mother, yes; he has so much to deal with, poor man. Yes, we are all human. But we elected him to lead, not to cry on our shoulder. Hard-hearted I may be. But if one can’t stand the heat… I would suggest that a man who has had a comfortable middle-class life, with a highly successful investment firm that basically took margins on government paper (nothing too tricky there), is bound to feel out of his depth tackling the complexities of Jamaica’s myriad crime issues. Yes, I do feel sorry for you, Mr. Bunting, because you have admitted failure. I think the Prime Minister should consider finding a new National Security Minister, who is not going to throw up his hands in despair and invoke divine intervention, in public. We need leadership and direction; not a public confessional.

The churches love it: Minister Bunting has certainly got the powerful and influential “Church” on his side. Of course, they agree on the Divine Intervention part. Another Member of Parliament, Mikael Phillips, dropped in a comment in a television interview on the importance of D.I., also scoring brownie points with the evangelicals. Now the Church is going to sit down and meet with Minister Bunting; and they are even considering the novel idea of mediation, according to a church leader. Never heard of mediation before, Reverend?

The journalistic tag team: The Minister of Information conducted the post-Cabinet press briefing today. Our elusive Prime Minister was absent. It was quite a departure from the usual briefing, during which journalists sit quietly and write down, word for word, the pronouncements of the Information Minister and others. I used to think, why not just hand out a sheet of paper to them all and have them duplicate it in the office? But our journalists are getting braver. Minister Falconer’s schoolmistressy voice and stern gaze did not deter a trio of intrepid broadcast journalists (the print media seems a little quiet these days) from besieging her with questions on the Azan issue. It was a little tag team of young men – Abka Fitz-Henley of Nationwide News Network, Andrew Cannon of CVM Television and Archibald Gordon of TVJ. Ms. Falconer remained fairly calm, and tried very hard to shut them down (“I am not going to say any more on this matter…I don’t want to comment further”) but started wading into deep water. It was not pretty, but she struggled through.

The Silent One: One would have thought that the Prime Minister would have spoken on the Azan issue. But no word directly from her. It appears that the Cabinet made a collective decision. Should she not have exercised some leadership here? But no. Silence.

Patriarchy rules OK: At the same press briefing, BSJ Chairman and Professor of Public Health Winston Davidson did not endear himself. He said there was “no need for mass hysteria” (yes, those silly hysterical women worried about vaginal infections) over the #TissueIssue. He stressed his decades of experience in such matters, describing the whole matter as of “minuscule” importance in the scheme of things – like most issues affecting women, perhaps. He said because it is so unimportant, no one should bother trying to file a lawsuit on the matter, or they will lose a lot of money. Meanwhile, the Bureau is hiding behind the “legality” of the matter and apparently fears a lawsuit itself – hence the non-disclosure.

The Silent One again: Could she, as a woman and responsible minister for women’s affairs, have put out a reassuring comment re: the #TissueIssue? No. Silence.

The last word: Thank God for Simon Crosskill, my new feminist hero! He really laid into the bureaucrats on the #Tissue#Issue. “How dare you” exercise this blatant discrimination against women, he said. He suggested that if a product affected men’s testicles (!) the matter would have been addressed very quickly indeed. Marvelously trenchant remarks. But although toilet tissue may have sparked hundreds of witty tweets, the issue of accountability, transparency and serving the public health interest is a very serious one indeed. How can they keep this information from us?

Ganja is not a seaweed: This comment by a Resident Magistrate made me laugh. She was listening to the pleas of a group of accused drug dealers, who allegedly threw their load of marijuana (ganja) overboard. I guess it didn’t sink.

A pat on the back: Last week in Miami, businesswoman and philanthropist Thalia Lyn received the Humanitarian Award from the American Friends of Jamaica, which is headed by the indefatigable former Ambassador to Jamaica Sue Cobb.

In the past three days, more Jamaicans have died, including a senior citizen in Kingston. What a sad world we live in.

Paul Brown, 55, Cabbage Hill/Cumberland, Clarendon

Lauriston McLarty, 93, Gilmore Drive, Kingston

Bundin Roper, 67, Tower Street, Kingston

Unidentified man, Harbour View, Kingston

Rosemarie Taylor, 44, Shanty Town/Bath, St. Thomas

Killed by police

Barrington McAnuff, 20, Lilliput, St. James

Related links: Local contributions in purple! If you pick out the links of interest to you, you will find much more detail on the above riveting stories!

Parched Earth Sunday: April 14, 2013 petchary.wordpress.com

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/OCG-probing-construction-of-shops-at-Spalding-market OCG probing construction of shops at Spalding Market: Jamaica Observer

http://thecrooksofit.livejournal.com/2338.html Probe of Clarendon market – official statement: thecrooksofit live journal

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/list/33576 Cabinet welcomes OCG probe into Spaldings Market shops issue: Jamaica Information Service

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130415/cleisure/cleisure1.html Callow Barnswell, shameless Azan: Gleaner editorial

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=44128 I had no corrupt intentions, says Richard Azan: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/letters/letters1.html Will Azan prove himself to be an honorable man? Letter of the Day/Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130416/cleisure/cleisure4.html Mayor Barnswell, you just don’t get it! Letter to the Editor/Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/Of-a-PM-s-persistent-silence_14077733 Of a PM’s persistent silence: Letter to the Editor/Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/cleisure/cleisure1.html The PM’s divestment of leadership: Gleaner editorial

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/letters/letters1.htmlhttp://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Harrison-hits-out-at-corruption_14067493 Harrison hits out at corruption: Jamaica Observer

http://www.og.nr/rbt/13479-indecom-15-increase-in-fatal-shootings-by-the-police.html 15 per cent increase in fatal shootings by the police: On The Ground News Report

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130415/lead/lead1.html ”We feel like targets”: Clarendon business circle wary after murders: Gleaner

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/farm-supervisor-gunned-down-in-st-thomas Farm supervisor gunned down in St. Thomas: RJR News

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/A-dark-night-of-the-soul_14082950 ”A dark night of the soul”: Full text of Minister Bunting’s remarks: Jamaica Observer

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/bunting-reaffirms-his-commitment-to-crime-fighting Bunting reaffirms his commitment to crime fighting: RJR News

http://lowrie-chin.blogspot.com/2013/04/un-must-act-now-for-safer-world.html UN must act now for safer world: lowrie-chin.blogspot.com

http://go-jamaica.com/news/read_article.php?id=44105 Swap the Peters: Gleaner/Power 106 FM

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Clampdown-_14068063 Over 20 government employees arrested in motor vehicle license racket: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Bunting-faces-contempt-of-court-action_14053699 Bunting faces contempt of court action: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20130415/news/news8.html Jamaicans held for allegedly trafficking ganja: Jamaica Star

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JLP-dismay-_14069932 JLP dismay! Party officials unhappy with latest Holness move: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130416/lead/lead7.html Shaw upset at being left out of party meeting: Gleaner

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/bureau-of-standards-defends-decision-to-withhold-names-of-tissue-brands Bureau of Standards defends decision to withhold names of tissue brands: RJR News

http://cucumberjuice.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/toilet-paper-governance/ Toilet paper governance: cucumberjuice.wordpress.com

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/lead/lead7.html ”Women can take tissue issue to court”: Gleaner

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33583 Statement from Ministry of Health on contaminated tissue: Jamaica Information Service

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130416/cleisure/cleisure5.html NAJ President has a sick sense of logic: Letter to the Editor from a General Practitioner: Gleaner

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/apr/16/jamaica-decades-debt-damaging-future Jamaica’s decades of debt are damaging its future: Guardian UK blog

http://digjamaica.com/blog/2013/04/15/further-slippage-bauxite-alumina-industry/ Further slippage: bauxite and alumina industry: diGJamaica.com

http://digjamaica.com/blog/2013/04/17/3688/ Inflation for March soars: diGJamaica.com

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33580 International investors very keen on logistics hub initiative: Jamaica Information Service

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/business/business1.html Demystifying the logistics hub: Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130417/ent/ent1.html Unlikely stars: Jamaicans become hugely popular on YouTube: Gleaner (re: fellow blogger/vlogger Carla Moore)

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130416/lead/lead3.html ”We want no condoms in schools”: JTA President says distribution would be unethical, illegal: Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Gov-t-optimistic-about-new-funding-for-HIV-programmes_14083660 Government optimistic about new funding for HIV programs: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130415/news/news5.html 18 children benefit from heart surgery: Gleaner

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-100/33570 Help for boys of Goodwin Park Hostel: Jamaica Information Service

Minister of National Security Peter Bunting (right) receiving an award for “Outstanding contribution to nation-building, community development and the educational advancement of young people” from Senior Pastor Michael Harvey of the Seventh-day Adventist Church at Northern Caribbean University (NCU). Occasion was the 13th Annual Prayer and thanksgiving service for the Security Forces of Jamaica held at the NCU Gymnatorium in Mandeville on April 13, 2013.

Who is building Richard Azan’s home ? (commonsenseja.wordpress.com)

Onlookers gather after the shooting death of a businessman involved in the fishing industry in downtown Kingston this week. (Photo: Norman Grindley/Jamaica Star)

Jamaican businesswoman Thalia Lyn with her American Friends of Jamaica Humanitarian Award. (Photo: Twitter)

Posted in: Americas, Human rights, Money, Society | Tagged: American Friends of Jamaica, Bureau of Standards Jamaica, contamination, Gleaner, Government, homicide, Information Minister, Jamaica, Jamaica Observer, Kingston, Member of parliament, murders, Office of the Prime Minister, police killings, Portia Simpson Miller, Prime minister, public health, Richard Azan, Sandrea Falconer, Simon Crosskill, Spaldings, Thalia Lyn, toilet tissue, Winston Davidson

Pollution Flowing from Land to Sea: The UN Caribbean Environment Programme, Part 1

By petchary on February 2, 2013 | 4 Comments

I recently attended an absorbing and incredibly informative meeting with the United Nations Environment Programme. The Kingston office is situated in a building alongside the downtown Conference Centre that also houses the International Law of the Sea Convention offices.

Here’s some background: This office administers the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP), which was launched in 1976… Such a long time ago, it seems. The CEP has been the Secretariat for the Cartagena Convention since 1983. According to UNEP’s Media Brief (a very useful document which their office would be happy to provide), the Convention “is designed to protect the Caribbean Sea – a recognized important natural resource which affects almost every aspect of life – recreation, fisheries, transport and the tourism sector, upon which millions of Caribbean livelihoods depend as well as being a primary foreign exchange earner for many countries of the Wider Caribbean Region.”

Stick a pin. What is the Wider Caribbean Region? The Programme Coordinator, Nelson Andrade Commenares, pointed out to us on the map that this area is much larger than we might think. In this corner of the Western Hemisphere we are all, indeed, connected by tides, currents, ocean streams. So the Wider Caribbean includes the adjoining Gulf of Mexico and all countries with coastlines thereon.

The Wider Caribbean Region. (Image: UNEP)

The Caribbean Environment Programme Coordinator Nelson Andrade Colmenares makes a point at the briefing. (My photo)

Let’s remind ourselves that the Cartagena Convention covers the marine environment. But of course, land and sea impact each other enormously – I will get onto that in a minute. The Convention was signed on March 24 (my birthday) 1983 in Cartagena, Colombia and came into force on October 11, 1986. Three countries have not, for some reason, signed or ratified the Convention, nor its accompanying Oil Spills Protocol: Haiti, Honduras and Suriname. But there are two other important protocols to the Convention: The Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution Protocol (LBS) and the Specially Protected Areas of Wildlife Protocol (SPAW).

Yes, a bunch of acronyms. There is always the danger of plunging into an “alphabet soup” when you work for governments and multilateral organizations like the United Nations. But these conventions and protocols are much more than pieces of paper with signatures on. You will see how, and why, I hope… Let’s look at the LBS Protocol first. Christopher Corbin, the Programme Officer for the Assessment and Management of Environment Pollution, told us that Jamaica has not yet ratified or acceded to the Protocol, which came into force in 2010. So far ten countries have ratified and acceded to it: Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Grenada, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Belize, the United States and France (the latter two countries obviously covering the U.S. Virgin Islands and those islands that are French Departments). This means that the protocol has “entered into force” (as of August 2010) and become legally binding for these ten countries. It is international law.

Christopher Corbin bries us on land-based sources of pollution in Jamaica and the Wider Caribbean. (My photo)

Christopher Corbin briefs us on land-based sources of pollution in Jamaica and the Wider Caribbean. (My photo)

A garbage-strewn beach in Jamaica. (Photo: UN Environment Programme)

What is land based pollution in Jamaica? We are talking about the filth from domestic sewage, oil refineries, sugar factories and distilleries, food processing and other manufacturing activities, chemical industries. There is also agricultural run-off – you know, those pesticides and fertilizers and other chemicals that we regularly spray on our crops. We are also talking about bags of garbage dumped into the gullies in urban areas: we have all seen scandal bags sometimes containing human waste, old fridges and plastics of every kind in gullies, waiting for the next heavy rains that will carry it into Kingston Harbour and the sea. Take a look at parts of the harbor after heavy rains, and you will see what I mean. The waters are festooned with plastic bottles.

Oil pollution in Kingston Harbour in December, 2010. (Photo: National Environment & Planning Agency)

If you go downtown, you will see boys diving into Kingston Harbour, as they have done for decades. They have so much fun. But the waters are polluted… (Photo: Ricardo Makyn/Jamaica Gleaner)

And there is the pollution of our rivers. “Fish kills” are a regular occurrence. Fingers are pointed in all directions, but rarely is anyone held accountable, even when local residents have a good idea where the pollution is coming from. There is an urgent need for environmental law reform in these areas.

And yes, rivers flow into the sea.

Dead fish in the Rio Minho, Clarendon (Photo: Rasbert Turner/Jamaica Star)

In case we don’t realize it – and I think most of us do, by now – this affects the livelihoods of many Jamaicans on a daily basis. Pollution flowing from land to sea – whether it is untreated sewage or chemicals from a banana plantation – kills fish along the coast and even further out, severely damages coral reefs and thus immediately damages two core industries – fisheries and tourism. Our Caribbean Sea is not only a beautiful place to enjoy – it brings us prosperity. Like a beautiful gem, it has value, real and tangible.

Something we did not discuss, but which is quite obvious, is that pollution impacts our health, too. Garbage is a breeding ground for rats and mosquitoes that bring disease. The water we use to drink and bathe in may be polluted. Seafood may be contaminated.

Did you know that 80 per cent of marine pollution comes from the land? And that 75 per cent of sewage that flows into the sea is untreated?

Of course, there are benefits to be had for those countries that do ratify the Protocol, as well as obligations to control effluents and land-based pollution of various kinds. Jamaica would benefit from improved access to funding and technical support (both greatly needed, one would assume, in our current economic environment); stronger partnerships, both national and international; and much closer monitoring of the condition of our environment (and this is a core function of the CEP). You may ask why Jamaica has not yet acceded to the LBS Protocol? According to Christopher Corbin, many of our regulations on reducing pollution – for example, effluent from various industries – are out of date or inadequate, so changes must be made before Jamaica is ready. However, a proposal has been made for the ratification of the Protocol, he understands; this is now awaiting Cabinet review and approval. I hope our local environmentalists and journalists will monitor this and find out when this is actually going to happen.

But, let’s face it. As someone commented during our discussion, among all the issues that governments are grappling with in this region, “environmental issues are somewhere in there.” Not at the top of the list. Not a great political priority. It seems sad, though, that when there is so much to be gained from added support from the United Nations and other multilateral organizations and governments, our own government is hardly prepared to meet them even half-way. Cooperation is, after all, not a one-way street. There is so much that can be done, when the will is there.

The Assessment and Management of Environmental Pollution program includes land-based pollution (My photo)

Meanwhile, Mr. Corbin continues to press on with the work of data-gathering and working with governments to reduce environmental pollution (the UN Environment Programme is not a donor agency, dispensing funds for various programs; it works with governments at the policy level). The CEP office shares information and research and is a huge and valuable resource for governmental and non-governmental agencies, educational institutions, journalists and the like. Recently, it has partnered with the European Union and the Planning Institute of Jamaica in a Climate Change/Disaster Risk Management Project, among others. It conducts training, and has a range of great public education materials and an information-rich website. Raising public awareness, and encouraging “behavior change” - always a tough challenge – are priorities.Now, this is just my sense of things. But during the meeting I had the impression that despite the United Nations’ encouragement of Jamaica and other Caribbean governments to sign onto, commit to and implement protocols, agreements and regional cooperation to protect their environment, progress has been halting and results patchy. Regulations need to be re-examined, legislation amended, approvals given, we know. But why is progress so slow? Is it a lack of political will? A simple lack of interest? Misplaced priorities? Or just bureaucratic delays? Surely not a lack of understanding of the issues involved – the inestimable economic and social importance of a healthy environment. And yet it seems to be, at times, like pulling teeth.

It simply makes sense to protect our fragile and increasingly threatened environment. Why are Caribbean governments so half-hearted about it?

Please let me know, Ministry of Water, Environment, Climate Change etc. and the many and various government agencies responsible for our island environment. Let me know when to exhale. Can we just get on with it and do the necessary? Let’s do this for the sake of our precious and beautiful Caribbean Sea, and for generations of Caribbean citizens to come.

For more information on the Caribbean Environment Program and the Land Based Pollution Protocol, contact:

Chris Corbin, AMEP Programme Officer Email: cjc@cep.unep.org

Pietra Brown, Communications Officer/United Nations Volunteer Email: pb@cep.unep.org

UNEP CEP, 14-20 Port Royal Street Kingston, Jamaica.

Tel. # 876 922 9267 Fax # 876 922 9292

Related articles:

http://www.cep.unep.org/cartagena-convention About the Cartagena Convention

http://www.cep.unep.org Caribbean Environment Programme website

http://www.nepa.gov.jm/default.asp National Environment & Planning Agency

http://www.mwh.gov.jm Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change

http://www.jamentrust.org Jamaica Environment Trust website

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (petchary.wordpress.com)

http://eco-friendlylife.tumblr.com/pollution Ec0-Friendly Life: Jamaican blog

Two New Environmental Films by Jamaican Independent Film Maker Esther Figueroa (vagabond Media) (petchary.wordpress.com)

New evidence highlights threat to Caribbean coral reef growth (phys.org)

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/environment/Gov-t-losing-billion-_13431006 Government losing billions: Jamaica delays action on environment protocol to its detriment: Jamaica Observer

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/our-beautiful-caribbean-sea/ Our beautiful Caribbean Sea: petchary.wordpress.com

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/a-softer-blue-the-caribbean-sea/ A softer blue: the Caribbean Sea: petchary.wordpress.com

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121116/lead/lead3.html Clean up Kingston Harbour! Jamaica Gleaner editorial

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121209/news/news95.html Cutting out contamination in Kingston Harbour: Peter Espeut op-ed/Jamaica Gleaner

Flowing to the sea: the White River, near Ocho Rios, St. Ann (My photo)

Ocean pollution: Addressing root causes of nutrient over-enrichment (unesco.org)

Posted in: Americas, Environment | Tagged: Caribbean, Caribbean Environment Programme, Caribbean Sea, Government, Gulf of Mexico, Jamaica, Kingston, Kingston Jamaica, land-based pollution, ocean, pollution, rivers, United Nations, United Nations Environment Programme, Western Hemisphere, Wider Caribbean Region

A Great “Dig” for Jamaican Bloggers

By petchary on December 15, 2012 | 14 Comments

Well, the Jamaica Blog Awards are nearly upon us, and the “hype” is building! (Jamaicans love the word “hype” - it has become a slang word meaning “cool.”)

Jamaican bloggers unite! The happy group poses in the lobby of the Knutsford Court Hotel.

As a blogger with over 350 blog posts under my belt – it’s amazing how they add up – I have recognized the importance of research. Blogging is not about writing off the top of your head – unless you just want to vent. If you are going to write on a topic, for heaven’s sake make sure you get your facts right. Check, and double-check if need be. Make your blog readable and credible. As one radio station declares itself, “consistently credible.”

Now, sometimes it’s not as easy as you expect to find the information you need to enhance the quality of your blog. You Google back and forth, looking for the right information that will support your argument or add meat and substance to your article. You browse websites that are distressingly inadequate, out of date and user-unfriendly. It can be frustrating. But I recently came across one amazing online resource – mainly, but not entirely, for Jamaicans - managed by Deika Morrison under the aegis of the Gleaner. It is called DiGJamaica, and it replaces the print version “Handbook of Jamaica” formerly published by the Gleaner.

Even the mighty Google can lead you into a dead end when searching for Jamaican information. Why not find it all on one website?

Fellow-bloggers, indulge me please. Take my hand, and let us stroll through this marvelous little website: http://digjamaica.com. Right at the top, there is the all-important search box. That’s a good start. Let the discovery begin…

I typed in “children’s homes” in the search box. A page similar to a Google results page came up, with links to DiGJamaica’s directory. Clicking on Mustard Seed Communities, for example, I found all their contact information clearly at the top of the page, followed by a description of the organization and listing of the services they offer. If you click on other buttons below, you will find the name of a contact person there (how useful is that! Having a name), opening hours, and “other useful information” – in this case, a note that Mustard Seed accepts donations and volunteers. Everything you need to know, concisely.

Mustard Seed Communities are one of the amazing non-governmental, faith-based and community-based organizations in Jamaica.

The directories are great, actually. You can search alphabetically for government entities, publicly traded companies, civil society organizations and international organizations in Jamaica. The civil society directory is beautifully laid out, with the logos for each organization. So nice to use. Sample page: http://www.digjamaica.com/directories/view/civil_society/kevoy_community_development_institute.

OK, let me backtrack a little… we should really have started with the Overview tab, which covers the broad categories: Land, People and Culture; Government and Economy; Parish Profiles; and a number of lovely slideshows on various topics. Here is a sample from the Arts and Culture page, a vibrant slideshow with good quality photos: http://digjamaica.com/dance. And here is a beautiful slideshow of Jamaican Herbs: http://digjamaica.com/jamaican_herbs. There is also a lovely slideshow on our formerly-little-known-surprise-100 meters-bronze-medal-winner-in-the-London-Olympics, Warren Weir.

Warren Weir checking out his bronze medal. (Photo: Reuters)

There is a tab for events. You can add your own event using a simple form – whether it’s a fund-raiser, a party or a seminar. If you click on one, all the contact information, a flyer and a map are all there. Very neat indeed. Free advertising. You can just direct persons to the entry for your event, and you can save it on your iCalendar. Take a look at http://www.digjamaica.com/calendar.

Then there is the data section, divided into categories. DiGJamaica is gradually building these sections, but already you can track murders and major crimes per calendar year since 2009; access 30 different charts on budget issues – Gross Domestic Product, inflation rate, remittances and many others; and browse 40 charts showing aspects of government projects and a breakdown of Jamaica’s domestic and external debt; the 2011 Census results broken down into separate charts; and much more useful information. There is a wealth of economic data here to be explored (pardon the pun)… and of course, politics too!

Resources: well, all of this is one huge resource, but this section includes all kinds of useful stuff – lists of emergency services, the Ministry of Education’s approved textbooks, Justices of the Peace in each parish, and so on. There is a “how to” section… apply for a visa, clear a barrel, address a dignitary…

DiGJamaica is a Gleaner project that really fills a great need for reliable and relevant information.

Now to perhaps my favorite section of the website, “Our Past.” As the oldest company in Jamaica, the Gleaner has a reputation for its meticulous archives, chronicling the history of Jamaica pre- and post-Independence. There is “This Day in our Past” across the years, with several entries for today from the sixties, seventies and eighties. Did you know that on December 15, 1975 trading in the Jamaica Telephone Company’s shares was suspended in the Jamaica Stock Exchange? The government was moving towards nationalizing the company. See here: http://digjamaica.com/this_day_in_our_past/december_this_day_in_our_past/december_15. If you don’t have the book or want to look up one of Dr. Rebecca Tortello’s marvelous “Pieces of the Past,” you can find her beautifully detailed historical articles here. These were serialized in the Gleaner in 2003. There is also a fascinating timeline of key events from 1494 to the present.

The Festival Dance Competition, back in the day. (Photo: Pieces of the Past/Gleaner)

And this is just the basic stuff. Click on “New DiGs” and you will find the latest information on HIV in Jamaica, and Transparency International‘s Global Corruption Perception Index. There is an excellent page on Children’s Rights in Jamaica at http://digjamaica.com/childrens_rights. There is a detailed Job Seekers’ Guide with lots of practical advice.

The “Top DiGs” is a very useful little sidebar, which will take you to all kinds of places – an important article on how to protect yourself from identity theft, for example; and – a most invaluable resource for journalists and bloggers alike – a link to various Government papers recently tabled in Parliament, in a flip magazine format. For example, here’s the Public Debt Management Bill tabled on November 30: http://digjamaica.com/public_debt_management_bill.

And hey! DiGJamaica now has a blog. This includes “6 Things You Need to Know Today” – a daily review of the local news. For the season, there are items on “Three Places to buy ‘Made in Jamaica’ Christmas Gifts this Weekend” – see http://digjamaica.com/blog/2012/12/14/3-places-to-buy-made-in-jamaica-christmas-gifts-this-weekend/; and “64 Easy Delicious Jamaican Christmas Recipes.” There is also a new Christmas series, starting with the article “Jonkunnu a Come!” (Do you know all the characters?) There is a new feature, “Five Facts Friday.” The first of the blog’s “Monday Musings” this week was on Human Rights Day and what it means for Jamaica.

Can you identify these scary Jonkunnu characters?

A couple of other nice things: The moving charts are cool. Check them out for yourself. And the DiGTrivia online quiz is fun and not as easy as it looks (embarrassingly, I got the first question I tried wrong, at the “easy” level). How much do you know, or think you know, about Jamaica?

OK, who is this handsome gentleman, for example? (No, I am not going to tell you…)

DiGJamaica is, of course, properly plugged in to social media. You can find it on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and you can subscribe to its email newsletter. And they are open to suggestions. If there is information you would like to see included, just drop DiGJamaica a line on their website.

Like all such websites, DiGJamaica is a work in progress, and a project that requires a high degree of maintenance and very detailed work. I applaud Deika and her team for an astonishingly good product; the design and layout is clear, bright and attractive – not too many visuals on the home page, but plenty when you start to explore. The charts and graphs are well laid out and “at a glance.” I can see all the new improvements and additions, and I can see that it will go far.

So bloggers, students, journalists, information junkies all… take a look at DiGJamaica’s website, and arm yourself with all the right information. It’s there at your fingertips!

Posted in: Art, Books, Human rights, Money, Music, Society, Sport | Tagged: archives, Blog, blogging, Christmas, Deika Morrison, diGJamaica, economics, Gleaner, Gleaner Company, Government, human rights, Jamaica, Jamaica Blog Awards, London, Mustard Seed Communities, Olympic Games, Transparency International, Warren Weir

Sunday Scribble: October 21, 2012

By petchary on October 22, 2012 | 6 Comments

It’s hard to know where to start, on this humid weekend in Kingston town. Heavy rains are forecast this week. I will be up in the Blue Mountains and was hoping for fine weather, with the hurricane season now, and thankfully, in decline… But the light is low, and the air heavy – reflecting, perhaps, the sense of gloom and discouragement in this week’s media.

So let’s deal with that. “Jamaica on the Brink!” is the headline for an opinion piece by Jamaican sociologist Don Robotham, who departed these shores for New York University some ten years ago or more. It is often a little wearying to read and hear Jamaicans living overseas prescribe the solutions for Jamaica’s socio-economic problems from afar. But there is at least one important point in this piece: “We are truly on our own, economically and politically.” The rest of the world has problems of its own. It is not concerned with our predicament, much of it of our own making. I also get a little tired of the much-declared “We little, but we tallawah” (we are small, but strong/tough). Have we really proved how “tallawah” we are – economically, socially? (Putting aside sportsmen/women, etc). Are we tough enough to face up to reality? Or are we more interested in getting our picture on page two of the Jamaica Observer - the social page? I wrote a blog post on social cohesion and unity - “The Power of ‘we’” - last week. Have we released that power – and if so, is it real or is it just fluff and rhetoric?

It’s probably related to this, but there has also been ongoing commentary in the print media on the perceived lack of direction of the current political administration. Is this a fair criticism, I wonder? Admittedly, since I returned from my travels ten days ago I have not seen or heard our Minister of Finance in the media at all. Perhaps he is away. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller seems to be as much the target of criticism now as in early September, when I went away for several weeks. Not much seems to have changed in that respect. To be fair, the Prime Minister did hold the first of her parish forums (fora?) a few days ago, in the troubled city of Spanish Town (always troubled, it seems, and riven by gang warfare and sheer poverty). It’s a pity that the audience (which looked fairly large on television) had to wait two hours before the Prime Minister actually spoke to them. I watched some of it on the Jamaica Information Service’s live stream. It was basically a written speech, making announcements and promises of jobs and development for the town. I am not sure how much dialogue there was with the audience afterwards. A forum must include Q&A, one supposes. It might have helped if the Prime Minister had herself arrived on time; she was late. And one has not heard much feedback from the citizens of Spanish Town. Perhaps they just came to hear promises.

The Prime Minister speaks in Spanish Town. Did her words enlighten the citizens of that beleaguered town, the former capital of Jamaica? I do hope so. (Photo: JIS)

Meanwhile, the Sunday Gleaner today (among other commentators) is still claiming that the Prime Minister has “gone AWOL” and that her ministers are off on their own projects, left to their own devices. Jamaica needs a firm hand at the wheel, the critics suggest. Jamaica cannot drift along on the tides of global fortune (and misfortune). It seems to me that the Opposition pipes up about crime and the economy every now and then; but there is no real indication that they would have any stronger leadership to offer to the poor, confused people of Jamaica. Opposition Justice Spokesman Delroy Chuck is by far the most vocal.

This week, the Prime Minister will pay an official visit to Canada this week to discuss matters of interest to both Jamaica and Canada. Of course, there is quite a large Jamaican diaspora in Canada, whom I assume she will also meet during the five days she will be there. That’s basically the whole week, right?

The Ministry of Finance has, this evening, broken its silence on the International Monetary Fund issue. It will not be able to finalize an agreement by the end of this year, it noted in a press release Sunday evening; but it remains confident that the negotiation will go forward. We had already guessed that. The IMF team visited Jamaica in September. When I hear Minister Phillips’ voice, though (and yes, we did hear from him this evening), he sounds tired. I feel tired, too (and somewhat anxious). One of the IMF’s conditions is that the Government should cut the public sector wage bill. The Government says it intends to do so, but was pretty vague about it recently. Oh… I do recall that the Prime Minister promised, on the campaign trail at the end of last year, that her administration would “renegotiate” the IMF agreement within a couple of weeks of taking up office. No comment needed. The local financial analysts remain “cautiously optimistic,” to coin a phrase – with emphasis on the “cautious.”

But before we all sink into the slough of despair…Some people have been celebrating this week. It was National Honors time again (and how quickly these occasions seem to come round!) and 124 smiling Jamaicans proudly received their honors in a long ceremony which was not apparently open to the public. Like the Gleaner editorial, I wonder if there are just too many of these awards. It is not that the awardees aren’t deserving – although it does seem that if you are a reggae musician of a certain age, you do have a very good chance of getting one. But we are a small country. The Gleaner also pointed out that only a handful of those 124 were members of the business community – many of whom do get involved in supporting their communities and make a contribution to society, while also making a profit (and nothing wrong with making a profit of course). I don’t know. I do think, though, that a man who carried a guitar shaped like an M-16; spewed “bad words” continuously at the public and at his long-suffering audiences; and smoked so much weed that he set off smoke alarms in hotels; meanwhile fathering many children with several women, may not qualify for a posthumous Order of Merit (his former fellow band member, Bob Marley, has one, but his “image” was more savory than that of Mr. Peter Tosh). But it appears that some members of the current administration have a huge admiration for Tosh, and so it happened. Not that I don’t love his music, and enjoyed his rebelliousness. But an O.M.? No.

Peter Tosh and his M-16 guitar; it was auctioned off for charity a few years ago, I believe.

PM Portia Simpson Miller greets awardees on National Heroes Day

The Prime Minister, sporting her customary sunglasses (please, find a new design – perhaps those of “Posh Spice”? for a change) greets awardees on National Heroes Day – including another Wailer, “Bunny,” at left. Photo: Jamaica Observer

Not to sound churlish, however… Many congratulations to all those who received awards this week.

There will be more pomp and speechifying soon, as the House of Representatives will pay tribute to former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson. The House already spent hours lauding another former Prime Minister, Edward Seaga. Now P.J.’s turn. Forgive me for asking, but isn’t the purpose of the Lower House to conduct the people’s business? What is the purpose of these tributes, these endless speeches, thumping on desks, etc.? Regardless of one’s political persuasion, what is the actual purpose of this? Is it something to do with Jamaica 50?

And isn’t the debate and motion calling for the lifting of the U.S. embargo on Cuba a huge waste of time, too? For heaven’s sake, aren’t there more urgent and pressing Jamaican issues to attend to? I know I sound somewhat insular, but I believe this comes up every year, and the same platitudes are trotted out. It is a feel-good issue on which politicians on both sides can agree and present a united front, I suppose. They can summon up a good bit of righteous indignation, and hot air. And the Cuban Ambassador must be happy for the support.

Moving on… to the Jamaica Public Service Company, everyone’s favorite whipping boy. Having endured a six-and-a-half hour power cut last weekend (to be told after two hours of darkness that the company had not yet dispatched anyone to deal with it) I found it ironic that the recent census concluded that a mere 200,000 Jamaicans are actually consuming electricity without being JPS customers. How does that work? Could we try it, I wonder? The article below on JPS’ customer service (or lack of it) exactly reflects our situation. On the telephone, JPS refers you to bill payment as the first option… emergency comes second on the list. My, oh my.

As for the census, there were numerous media reports this week, which led me to the conclusion that a) taking the census had been a tremendous struggle and a challenge for the poor people visiting door to door, many of whom got a hostile reception; b) the results of the census were therefore incomplete and inaccurate; and c) most Jamaicans who are Christian are Seventh Day Adventist. I needed to know that last fact, although I don’t see the relevance to Jamaica’s development. The Sunday Gleaner really went overboard dissecting the figures on religious beliefs. It failed to explain why Rastafarianism had become quite popular among men, for example, but is embraced by far fewer women. And is this such an important aspect of the census that it merited several pages and yards of column space? But hey, maybe it is all of enormous importance; one letter-writer this week was very concerned about Buddha statues in Hope Gardens. So much for religious tolerance.

Well, I think I will hand out some Petchary Awards, now. They are not worth much, I’m afraid; I don’t have any ribbons or medals to hand out. But top of my list this week must be Digicel, who pulled off a fantastic event last night – a 5K Walk and 5K Run in support of several charities supporting Jamaican children and adults with special needs. The Gleaner, JPS, the Jamaica Constabulary Force and all the other partners and private sector sponsors are to be congratulated. The theme, “Take Back the Night,” sounds familiar as I feel it has been used before in a different context. But the purpose was to put downtown Kingston back on the map – to show that it is a real place, with real people. And that it is safe – not scary. Digicel, Jamaica’s largest cellular phone provider, has invested hugely in downtown; its global headquarters is under construction there. So, this is something significant and meaningful. Thousands of people turned out (not the couple of hundred I was expecting), the atmosphere was upbeat and the event extremely well organized – and fun, as well as making a serious point.

Also… let’s hear it for the female entrepreneurs. There is a group of small businesses, all female-owned, in a charming and discreet complex in my Kingston neighborhood. They all support each other, and they are worth supporting in return. Pay them a visit at 8 Hillcrest Avenue, Kingston 6. You will find it most enjoyable, I promise.

One of our National Heroes is Sam Sharpe, who was also called “Daddy.” Sharpe, who was actually a deacon in the Baptist Church although a slave all his life, was born on an estate called Croydon, in Catadupa, near Montego Bay. Congratulations to all those with the vision to create a heritage park – including a monument to “Daddy” Sharpe, who led Jamaica’s largest slave rebellion. The heritage tour will open on December 15; make a note to visit next time you are in western Jamaica.

P.S. I know I have been very upset with the company she heads, but I must say that the relatively new President/CEO of the Jamaica Public Service Company, Ms. Kelly Tomblin, does seem like an awfully nice woman. She is the daughter of a West Virginia coal miner, and her children are called George and Harrison. My favorite Beatle!

Ms. KellyTomblin, President/CEO of Jamaica Public Service Company.

You have noticed that I have not mentioned crime once. But now to the saddest part of my weekly blog, which is the unending stream of murders. I wasn’t able to get the names of several unidentified murder victims, although their names may have been released by now. My sincere condolences to all those who have lost loved ones violently this week; and also I am keeping the family and friends of Tandy Lewis, a Post Office employee who has been missing for some time, in my thoughts. As you may recall, another Post Office employee who went missing recently was found murdered with his girlfriend, last month. Here is the list of names, and it concerns me that the parish of St. Catherine (of which Spanish Town is the capital, of course) seems to have recorded quite a few homicides, this week.

And where did 300 rounds of ammunition, found in Westmoreland this week, come from? All for high-powered rifles. It frightens me terribly.

A very disturbing sight. Where did all this ammunition come from?

Adrian Bayley-Hay, one of the operators of the Sam Sharpe Heritage Tour in Catadupa, St. James. Photo: Jamaica Observer

Laura McDonald of Production Box – one of the small businesses at 8 Hillcrest which include a tea room, gourmet deli – and a small school. Pay them a visit! Photo: Jamaica Observer

Walkers (I was one of them) waiting their turn at the new Digicel headquarters in downtown Kingston last night. Taken with my android phone.

Two unidentified bodies, Clark’s Town, Trelawny

Unidentified man, Old Harbour, St. Catherine

Ryan Richards, 28, Decoy, St. Mary

Shawn Anthony Thompson, 19, Thompson Pen, St. Catherine

Richard Whyte, 25, Gregory Park, St. Catherine

Steve Dobson, Thompson Pen, St. Catherine

Unidentified man, Port Esquivel, St. Catherine

Unidentified woman, 18-20, Port Royal, Kingston

Unidentified man, Red Hills, St. Andrew

Daniel Stone, 18, Montego Bay, St. James

Trevor Wright, Spanish Town Road, Kingston

Morris Williams, Spanish Town, St. Catherine

Jermain Lawrence, 34, Angels, St. Catherine

Barrington Robinson, 25, Angels, St. Catherine

Andrew Blair, 27, Silver Spring, Westmoreland

Dwight Lester, 29, Greater Portmore, St. Catherine (mob killing)

Richard Grant, 29, St. Ann’s Bay, St. Ann

Unidentified man, Salem/Runaway Bay, St. Ann

Nicole Byles, 26, Barbary Hall, St. Elizabeth

George Channer, 63, Claremont, St. Catherine

Related articles:

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121021/focus/focus1.html Jamaica on the brink: Don Robotham column, Sunday Gleaner

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/anybody-out-there/ Anybody out there? Petchary’s Blog

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/we-are-family-on-blog-action-day-2012/ We are family: Blog Action Day 2012

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Holness-slams-Govt-on-crime-plan_12749425 Holness slams Government on crime plan: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=40644 Still no leads on Tandy Lewis’ disappearance: Sunday Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=40594 Census: Majority of homes still without computer, Internet access: Jamaica Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/PJ-Patterson-to-be-honoured-by-Parliament P.J. Patterson to be honored by Parliament: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121021/news/news4.html Murdered woman was pregnant: Sunday Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121018/lead/lead7.html Trio sentenced in Montego Bay kidnapping case: Jamaica Gleaner

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-117/32040 Statement by Prime Minister Simpson Miller following the Cabinet retreat: Jamaica Information Service

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Some–missing–girls-really-hiding-from-dons–says-cop_12736983 Some “missing” girls really hiding from dons, says cop: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121018/news/news4.html Develop downtown, create more jobs – economic expert: Jamaica Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/News/International-conference-to-examine-life-and-culture-of-Maroons International conference to examine life and culture of Maroons: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121017/letters/letters1.html Un-Konshen-able! Select more tasteful performers for national events: Jamaica Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/-Poor-governance-hampering-environmental-progress-in-region-_12773814 Poor governance hampering environmental progress in region: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121017/letters/letters3.html Why so many Buddha statues at Hope Zoo? Jamaica Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Police-net-ammo-in-Westmoreland-raid_12804686 Police net ammo in Westmoreland raid: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Mob-killings-are-murder–Commish-warns Mob killings are murder, Commish warns: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121018/cleisure/cleisure1.html Where is the Government? Jamaica Gleaner editorial

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Awardees-express-gratitude-for-national-honours–awards_12773876 Awardees express gratitude for national honors, awards: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121017/cleisure/cleisure1.html Time to review National Honors? Jamaica Gleaner editorial

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-117/32028 Government approaching IMF discussions seriously, says Prime Minister: Jamaica Information Service

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121020/letters/letters2.html ”Amusing” speech from PM: Jamaica Gleaner letter to the editor

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Chavez-gives-Petrojam-priority Chavez gives Petrojam priority: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-107/32021 House supports motion for lifting of Cuban embargo: Jamaica Information Service

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121021/business/business1.html Census highlights power gap: Consumers outnumber JPS customers base by more than 200,000: Sunday Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121021/out/out2.html Ten things you didn’t know about Kelly Tomblin: Sunday Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Professor-says-Jamaica-needs-strong-planning-agency_12772458 Professor says Jamaica needs strong planning agency: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121021/cleisure/cleisure1.html Where is the Government? Simpson Miller administration AWOL: Sunday Gleaner editorial

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/JPS-s-response-to-power-outages_12743896 JPS’s response to power outages: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121017/cleisure/cleisure3.html Sex-offender registry an overreach: Jamaica Gleaner op-ed

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/INDECOM-to-establish-own-crime-lab INDECOM to establish own crime lab: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/westernnews/MORE-FM-strengthening-community-energy_12787164 MORE FM strengthening community energy: Jamaica Observer

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121014/focus/focus3.html Were all our heroes really heroes? Busta, Manley don’t qualify: Jamaica Gleaner op-ed

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/MoH-says-over-1500-premises-inspected–122-communities-fogged-in-Corporate-Area MoH says over 1,500 premises inspected, 122 communities fogged in Corporate Area

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/-A-new-dawn-in-heritage-tourism-_12778886 ”A new dawn in heritage tourism”: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/PM-promises-facelift-for-Spanish-Town_12795720 PM promises facelift for Spanish Town: Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Out-of-many–one-people_12732617 Out of many one people: Jamaica Observer op-ed

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/A-card-pack-of-jokers-on-Seaga A card pack of jokers on Seaga: Jamaica Observer column

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Three-charged-with-murder-of-attorney-Clover-Graham_12807126 Three charged with murder of attorney Clover Graham: Sunday Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Jamaica-in-deep-foreign-exchange-problem_12771188 Jamaica in deep foreign exchange problem: Jamaica Observer column

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Kingston-s-best-kept-retail-secret_12805015 Kingston’s best-kept retail secret: Jamaica Observer

Posted in: Money, Music, Society, Spirit, Weather | Tagged: Bob Marley, Catadupa, Delroy Chuck, Digicel, downtown, Edward Seaga, Gleaner Company, Government, Jamaica, Jamaica Public Service Company, Jamaican, Jamaican National Hero, Kelly Tomblin, Kingston, Kingston Jamaica, Montego Bay, National Heroes Day, National Honors, Peter Tosh, Portia Simpson Miller, Prime minister, rain, Sam Sharpe, Spanish Town

Sunday Selection: July 15, 2012

By petchary on July 16, 2012 | 8 Comments

Good morning, all. This week’s news was a little lighter, apart from the usual killings (see my “In Memoriam” section). Some things even made me laugh (hollow laughter sometimes, admittedly…)

Firstly, the political representatives who made fools of themselves in the Lower House recently were told to apologize, like naughty boys. The word “sorry” got stuck in some throats and the apologies were a little half-hearted; but one of the new Members of Parliament prepared a speech, waxing quite lyrical on the subject of fish. Yes, fish. This word was thrown about during the fracas in Parliament and seems to have been interpreted (or misinterpreted) as a derogatory word for homosexual (which many of us were not aware of – but it seems that some of our politicians are quite knowledgeable on such matters). Anyway, the promising young politician decided to equate the fish reference with Christianity. His speech was remarkable for its piety. Some journalists were seemingly awestruck by this oratorical flourish. Others were skeptical, like columnist Mark Wignall, who commented, ”Because we have had so few real successes in public life in this country, our media has adopted the style of going gaga over speeches as if we have conveniently forgotten that a speech is just words written on paper and skilfully (sometimes) read or presented.”

The Christian fish symbol

The best part of this – and here is the first chuckle of the week – were the skillful Observer cartoonist Clovis’ depictions of a fishy Member of Parliament. Hilarious.

Talking of religion, our favorite home-grown radical priest and missionary Father Richard Ho Lung – founder of the awesome Missionaries of the Poor – seems to have ruffled some feathers with his recent Gleaner columns. Firstly, he took aim at atheists, describing them as selfish, materialistic and responsible for all the world’s ills. (Well, I don’t think atheists bombed those churches in Nigeria, did they? Nor did they commit reprisal killings, there?) An atheist protested in rather a good column – linked below. Let’s have more tolerance of all beliefs, including atheists and agnostics, perhaps? Secondly, the goodly Father reprimanded our two sprinting heroes, Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. He remonstrated with Blake thus:“Why call yourself a ‘beast’? Read the Book of Revelation.” Columnist Mark Wignall feels he has “gone overboard” this time. I found it all rather funny.

There were a couple of highly confusing items last week, too. Firstly, Mining & Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell announced that the Russian firm UC Rusal planned to close the last of its operational bauxite plants in Jamaica in October with the loss of 600 jobs – in Ewarton, St. Catherine. A wire story report appeared a day or two later in which the firm said they had not yet made a decision on the matter. Things seem to be hanging in the balance; but one feels confident that Minister Paulwell will be able to sort things out with the Russians. He has made the point that two other plants owned by Rusal have been closed now for more than three years. This seems an unacceptable situation to me.

Minister of Mining, Energy & Technology Phillip Paulwell

I am finding Minister Paulwell a calm, composed figure, who seems entirely focused on his goals as head of an important ministry that also includes technology. He seems to do his homework properly, updates the media regularly and what is more, he does not waste time trying to score political points. He is getting on with the job, and for that I once again give him kudos. He sets a good example.

Then there was a bit of a fiasco with the so-called amnesty for traffic offenders, which began on July 1 and is set to continue for the rest of the year. It turned out to be quite a muddle. Well, Jamaicans owe their Government an astounding, estimated J$2.5 billion in unpaid traffic tickets. So if they go to the tax office and pay what they owe during this period, they will not be taken to court. It seems, however, that Government records are not in order; motorists are protesting that they are wildly inaccurate and the website has been put on hold for a little while, I understand, while they sort it out. Unfortunately, neither of the links in the Gleaner article below works. Oh Lordy.

I have been venting quite a bit on the environment in a recent blog post – but hold on, here’s more. I mentioned the “mystery fumes” in a recent review. On June 28 (when we were, thankfully, out of town) a number of highway workers and others fell sick after the air was filled with an unbearable smell in the Portmore area. The National Environment & Planning Agency conducted a thorough and detailed investigation, and last week we were informed that the smell was from kerosene being offloaded at Kingston’s seaport. Now the police have been called in to investigate possible illegal activities there. Which is obviously bad, but what worries me is how would we have coped if the incident had been much more serious? Executive director of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management Ronald Jackson said on television recently that Jamaica really was not prepared for a major chemical leak. The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica is investigating…

As a cab driver said on television this week, “It’s our right to have clean air.” The man, an asthma sufferer, was complaining about a huge dust nuisance in Cornwall Courts, Montego Bay. Let us be more careful about these things, and try to prevent them from happening in the first place, please. And what was going on at the port that day? I am not making light of the Cornwall Courts issue. Almost nightly on television residents are protesting the huge discomforts of their lives – dust from incomplete roadworks; roads that look more like obstacle courses filled with rocks and huge potholes; raw sewage trickling in the gutters; a bridge that has not been repaired since Hurricane Whoever; no water in the pipes, although they pay water bills. I often feel the residents could do more to help themselves; but I fear that there is simply no money to fix these things.

Now – unless you have been living in a hole in the ground for at least the past year – we all know the Olympics is nigh. In fact, they begin on July 27, just twelve days away. I just have two questions: Why can’t we watch the Olympics on the channel of our choice? And why do Jamaican athletes have to parade around in semi-military uniforms at the opening ceremony?

On the first issue, a regional sports broadcasting firm has “exclusive rights across all platforms” to coverage of the games, and has sold these rights to one television station in Jamaica. Which means that those of us who pay for various sports channels on our cable network will be confronted with a message informing us that the channel is “blacked out” (even if the local TV station is not showing Olympic action). Is this lawful, asks one letter-writer? And why are we deprived of choice (especially when that’s exactly what we pay the cable company for?) Does this mean the promised “Caribbean flavor” of the coverage will exclude events in which there are no Caribbean competitors (and there are many of those?) Some of us want to watch events like diving, decathlon, rowing, etc. Why can’t we watch what we want?

Jamaican athletes designs by Cedella Marley

Poor Mr. Bolt looks like he has seen a ghost; and the girl looks somewhat threatening.

And I know it’s not a Caribbean issue – but the Olympics 2012 logo – what’s with that? Ugh.

Secondly, Cedella Marley (one of Bob’s numerous children) who is now a fashion designer has produced a range of costumes (approved by sponsors Puma) for the Jamaican athletic team to wear at the Olympics. The reaction among Jamaicans has been mixed, to say the least. When I first saw the photos, I had another good laugh. Ms. Marley has clearly gone back to the seventies and decided to resurrect the styles worn by her father when he was about her age… A kind of “Buffalo Soldier” throwback, complete with military-style khaki and high collars. Are our athletes going to war? There is also a skirt with what looks rather like a ganja-leaf design. Our dear Usain Bolt “looks like a security guard,” a friend commented on Facebook. What do you think, dear readers? There is more on YouTube if you want to see all the designs, and see how you feel. (Meanwhile, Americans are upset at their Ralph Lauren-designed kit, complete with beret - “too European” - and worse still, made in China!)

Talking of Bob Marley, there was another wave of protest after an unsuspecting American scientist (and a huge fan of Bob) enthusiastically named a marine creature after the “reggae icon” (to coin a cliché). What’s wrong with that, you may ask? Well, the creature in question, now named Gnathia marly, is a blood-sucking parasite that infests Caribbean fish and makes them extremely ill. “It’s a diss!” cried fans, who also point out that Bob Marley strongly disliked parasites (of the human kind), as well as hypocrites, bald heads and others. The poor scientist however, thinks this marine version of a tick (ugh!) is a wonderful little creature that contributes much to the Caribbean eco-system. He thinks he is honoring Marley, but the local jury is still out on this one, too.

And talking of reggae music, Opposition Tourism Spokesman Ed Bartlett says he wants Jamaica to have more reggae festivals. Do we really, Mr. Bartlett? We are scraping the barrel trying to find decent reggae acts – the quality and quantity has fallen – unless we recruited some of the excellent African musicians that play reggae. As it is, Reggae Sumfest, which took place this weekend, featured among other acts an American singer called Trey Songzz (not a reggae act), whose latest song “Dive In” extols the joys of oral sex. Yes, I guess we need more of that, don’t we?

Putting aside the trivia for a moment, there were several much more serious stories – quite small and unobtrusive – that popped up in the media and that I found very disturbing, although they seemed not to warrant any widespread discussion in the media.

In anticipation of a lifting of the ban on scrap metal imports, our rampant thievery continues at local cellular phone sites – J$300 million worth. One “businessman” was found to be powering his in-car stereo system with batteries stolen from one site. How can we move forward with creeps like this in our midst?
One million Jamaicans live below the poverty line. Yes. One million. What is our population again? 2.7 million?
A well-known doctor and the mother of a twelve-year-old have been charged with procuring an abortion. When is Jamaica going to review its absurd abortion laws? As noted last week, Jamaica has a very high maternal death rate, and illegal botched abortions have certainly contributed to this. Let us follow the example of Barbados, Cuba and other enlightened Caribbean nations. But I guess the discussion will be hijacked once again by fundamentalist Christians, who do shout very loud…
The Statistical Institute of Jamaica notes this week that the Jamaican economy registered negative GDP growth (0.1% decline) in the first six months of this year.
Can the Jamaica Observer and some of its columnists stop trying to stir up sensation and ill-informed debate on the homosexual issue? Let’s cool it. The flood of comments on its website has been removed, probably because many of them were unfit for airplay. Why this semi-hysteria from people who swear that they are “not homophobes” but Christians, with a capital “C”? Where is the Observer going with this?
The police are still busy killing. See two stories below on the recent death of a 17-year-old high school graduate, and a woman who fears for her son whom the police allegedly pushed into a gully.
The report of a teenage girl who had a complete meltdown in a small rural court when she was ordered to be kept in a “place of safety” was painful to hear. The close-up footage of the girl’s ankles as she shuffled, barefoot in shackles to a waiting police van was deeply disturbing – reminiscent of slavery. It worried radio talk show host Barbara Gloudon for an entire program on Friday. I shared her emotion. The girl, who reportedly slapped the magistrate (it was a small room) was clearly in trouble and in urgent need of psychiatric help. The fact was, nobody wanted her. She had run away from her father’s house, and her mother could not/would not keep her. One doesn’t know the details of the case, but is locking the fifteen-year-old up in the Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre going to help? What was her crime? I hear she is now to get counseling – while in prison (and how long for?)

Let’s end on a happy note. A round of applause, high fives and back-slapping for…

Fredrick Dacres, who won a gold medal in men’s discus at the IAAF World Junior Athletics Championships in Barcelona, Spain……and to all those young athletes who did their best and competed at the Championships, whether they won a medal or not.

United Hands Inc., of Ocala, Florida, who recently provided free medical treatment to 1,500 residents in Jamaica. Almost every week a philanthropic group either from the Jamaican diaspora, a church or simply kind-hearted citizens come from overseas (mostly the United States) to help Jamaica, asking for nothing in return. “Big ups” to them all. Your kindness is appreciated so deeply.

Ian Randle Publishers, who have produced a lovely book “50 Golden Moments” for Jamaica 50. It’s available from info@ianrandlepublishers.com or from the Gleaner library.

Ms. Krystal Johnson of rural Retreat, St. Thomas, who has won a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She got up at 4:00 a.m. every day to go to high school in Kingston. Grit, determination and sheer hard work go a long way – not just brilliance.

Fredrick Dacres of Calabar High School throwing his discus as only he knows how.

Krystal Johnson of Wolmer’s Girls’ School, who’s MIT-bound.

The JNBS Foundation, which is helping the equally awesome Stella Maris Foundation to expand its outreach in teaching Information Technology to at-risk youth in Kingston’s inner city. Such important work.

The Rotary Club of Kingston, which is partnering with Children First and others on a program to help juvenile offenders.

St. Catherine Preparatory School student Catherine Douse, who is the daughter of my son’s former beloved teacher Hugh Douse, who was top girl in the recent Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) with 100 per cent in all subjects.

Ms. Fae Ellington for her outspoken reprimand to our politicians not to politicize the cultural event that is our National Festival. Bible quotes aside, I love this comment: “I will not tolerate this foolishness and let this movement and this period go down in stupidity and ignorance. It is time to stop allowing our two political tribes to pull us down into a hole of darkness from which we don’t seem to be able to pull ourselves.” Well said, Ms. Fae!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Gnathia marleyi (insert) and a Caribbean fish feeling a bit the worse for wear after being infested. Ugh.

The devout fish departs Parliament (an earlier Clovis cartoon showed the fish entering, to the police guard’s surprise, minus the halo)

MP Raymond Pryce makes his religiously-flavored apology in Parliament last week on the topic of fish. (Gleaner photo)

In Memoriam

Condolences and sympathies go out to the family and friends of the following Jamaicans, who were murdered in the past week. I am also concerned for the father of Davian Davis, a sweet child whose body was found in an abandoned car. His father suspects foul play. I could see the grief in his face on television this evening. What really happened?

Shango Jackson, 39, in Beverley Hills, Kingston
Dr. Phillip Chamberlain, in Mandeville, Manchester
Dwayne Rodman, in Grants Pen, Kingston
Sonia Martin, 47, in Potsdam, St. Elizabeth

Killed by the police:

Unidentified man, Freetown, Clarendon
Unidentified man, Freetown, Clarendon
Unidentified man, Malvern, St. Elizabeth
Barrington Christie,41, Ashkenish, Hanover

Sunday Shenanigans: July 8, 2012 (petchary.wordpress.com)
Sunday Sunshine: July 1, 2012 (petchary.wordpress.com)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120713/cleisure/cleisure2.html (Apologies welcome, but… jamaica-gleaner.com)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120715/cleisure/cleisure1.html (No order in Parliament)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/I-don-t-buy-the-parliamentary-apology_11936727 (I don’t buy the parliamentary apology)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Jackasses-are-aplenty-and-a-pig-in-a-tie-is-still-a-pig_11902491 (Jackasses are aplenty and a pig in a tie is still a pig)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Paulwell-s-mining-lease-signal-likely-game-changer-in-UC-Rusal-controversy_11952611 (Paulwell’s mining lease signal likely game changer in UC Rusal controversy)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Bauxite-surprise—Paulwell-says-he-ll-summon-UC-Rusal-rep-after-plant-closure-denial_11945442 (Bauxite surprise)
600 to lose jobs with closure of RUSAL plant in Jamaica (bis.gy)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=38457 (Ticket amnesty bungling)
Jamaica considers renewable energy – UPI.com (upi.com)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Kerosene-identified-as-mystery-fume_11945588 (Kerosene identified as mystery fumes)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=38504 (Police called in to probe fume emission)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120714/cleisure/cleisure5.html (Restart Cornwall Court road work)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120710/cleisure/cleisure3.html (Goodness, I am an atheist!)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120712/letters/letters4.html (Why can’t cable channels air Olympics too?)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120126/sports/sports7.html (IMC promises record Caribbean coverage of London 2012)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Jamaica-50-Jubilee-plans_11952612?fb_ref=storypage (Jamaica 50 Jubilee plans)
50-50 Reflections (petchary.wordpress.com)
The Jamaican Olympic Team Outfits – “Ugly – Horrible” (newsandviewsbydjmillerja.wordpress.com)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/14/cedella-marley-jamaica-olympic-uniforms_n_1597152.html
http://www.jamolympic.org/Home.aspx (Jamaica Olympic Association website)
Puma pins Olympic hopes on Bolt to speed sport sales (telegraph.co.uk)
Jamaica and The London 2012 Olympics: Jamaican Athletes representing, Jamaica (theislandjournal.wordpress.com)
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-marley-parasite-20120711,0,5467109.story (Ocean parasite named after Bob Marley)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/BOB-MARLEY-DISSED-_11938598 (Bob Marley dissed! jamaicaobserver.com)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/The-big-gay-lie_11923183 (The big gay lie: Column by Betty-Ann Blaine)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120710/lead/lead2.html (Father struggles to come to grips with son’s killing)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120710/lead/lead4.html (Clarendon woman’s fear: cops after my son)
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120713/lead/lead6.html (Teen assaults RM in courtroom attack)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Brilliant-Krystal–St-Thomas-teen-goes-to-MIT-on-scholarship_11881838 (Brilliant Krystal! St. Thomas teen goes to MIT on scholarship)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Don-t-politicise-Festival_11925601 (Don’t politicize Festival! Says Fae Ellington)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Rotary-Club-launches-programme-to-help-juvenile-offenders_11924826 (Rotary Club launches program to help juvenile offenders)

Posted in: Americas, Environment, Human rights, Money, Music, Society, Spirit, Sport | Tagged: abortion, Barbara Gloudon, bauxite mining, Bob Marley, Caribbean, Catherine Douse, Cedella Marley, clean air, Ewarton, Fae Ellington, Gleaner Company, gnathia marleyi, Government, In Memoriam, Jamaica, JNBS Foundation, Kingston, London Olympics, Lower House, Malvern, Manchester, Mandeville, marine ecosystem, Member of parliament, National Environment and Planning Agency, Olympic, Olympic Games, Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, Portmore, poverty, Puma, Reggae Sumfest, Rotary Club of Kingston, St. Catherine Preparatory School, Stella Maris Foundation, Trey Songzz, United Company RUSAL, Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake

Madam Director, Madam Chair

By petchary on June 22, 2012 | 5 Comments

“Let’s find a ‘win-win’ solution to the issue of diversity on public sector boards,” urged Judith Wedderburn, Director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), at the cozy Alhambra Inn in Kingston on Wednesday night (June 20, 2012).

I had the honor of joining a high-powered group of Jamaican women for a “Conversation,” a sharing of views and experiences on good governance and women on public sector boards. The meeting was organized by the 51% Coalition: Women in Partnership for Development and Empowerment through Equity, a recently formed alliance of women, women’s organizations and partners with the aim of “Promoting Gender Diversity in Leadership.” The Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC) and the FES collaborated with the Coalition for the three-hour discussion. (Oh yes, why 51%, you may ask? Because statistically women make up 51% of the Jamaican population).

The gathering of about fifty women had one thing in common: They are all directors of various Jamaican government agencies – the Child Development Agency, the Housing Agency of Jamaica, the Rural Electrification Program, school boards, health boards, local government entities and so on. There were also two or three board chairs. One group from Mandeville was headed by Mayor Brenda Ramsay; another had traveled from Montego Bay. Some had only recently joined boards; others were more seasoned. There was “diversity and power in the room,” Ms. Wedderburn noted. They were at the Alhambra Inn not only to share and learn from each other, but also to discuss the benefits of, and guiding principles for women serving on public sector boards. They were also meeting to discuss the issue of good governance. For example, what is expected of board members in general; and how should women in particular use board membership to their advantage, and to the advantage of other Jamaican women who are seeking leadership?

Sharing views: (l-r) Ms. Lisa Harrison, attorney and board member; Ms. Nadeen Spence, Young Women’s Leadership Initiative; Dr. Marcia Forbes, businesswoman, author and coalition member; and Dr. Rose Davies, senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies and board member in discussion.

Executive Director of the influential Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) and the 51% Coalition Sandra Glasgow started us all thinking with her presentation on “Why Jamaican Public Sector Boards Need More Women.” A remarkable amount of research has been done on this topic already, she noted – including a revealing 2009 Ernst & Young report, “Groundbreakers,” and research by University of Michigan Professor Scott Page, Catalyst and others. In 2010 the global median of women on private sector boards was a mere 12 per cent; in 2007 in Jamaica it was 16 per cent on private sector and 33 per cent on public sector boards. Since then the percentage on public boards has slipped to 31 per cent; but the process of appointments is still ongoing. And yes, politics is a factor; WROC’s Linnette Vassell asserted unequivocally that the method of selection of board members is “still too closely linked to the political process.” Of 91 boards polled by the PSOJ, 70 were chaired by men.

These researchers – and many others – have determined that “a diverse group almost always outperforms homogenous boards” by a substantial margin. Michigan’s Professor Page adds,“Diversity IS strategy.” Boards with female members have a strategic advantage. There is a major push in Europe for more women on public and private boards, and some countries already use legislation to reinforce this – or are considering that option. But how and why does a gender-balanced board do better than one dominated by men, for example? “Female directors behave differently,” said Ms. Glasgow. Their behavior affects how the men behave; they set an example of conscientiousness. Women’s attendance records are better, and they prepare better for meetings (one should spend two to three hours studying board papers before a meeting). This keeps the men on their toes. As it stands now, women represent a vast, untapped resource; in these days of economic crisis, we should take the opportunity for a “rethink” - women will help to strengthen the private or public sector body’s performance, and this has been proved time and again. Including women is simply good for business.

What else can women bring to the boardroom table? Women are instinctively more concerned for the interests of the under-privileged, as well as for other women and children. This is a part of the balance; don’t leave them out.

But what is the ideal gender balance? Some experts say the “critical mass, or tipping point” is three women on a board (but of course this depends on the size of the board). What the 51% Coalition is aiming for (and this is a generally accepted standard) is a 40%-60% balance on either side. A board comprising entirely of women (there is one in Jamaica, the National Council on Education) is not ideal. However, none of the women in the room served on a board with the 40- 60 balance. Some were the only woman on the board; most were in groups of two or three, but with some boards numbering up to nineteen. So, the balance was tipped heavily in favor of men. Besides, women only get appointed to “certain types” of committees; many other committees are the preserve of the men.

Many women want to become directors, said Ms. Glasgow. She admitted, however, that she was “a little pessimistic” that more would be appointed – unless positive, concrete action is taken. A woman can become a change agent within the board, pushing for more women to join you; and women can – and should – publicly promote the principle of gender diversity on boards.

The PSOJ’s Sandra Glasgow makes a point.

Former Senator and a stalwart of Jamaica’s women’s movement and the Jamaica Women’s Political Caucus, Ms. Donna Scott-Mottley, opened up the floor for our illustrious group to share their experiences. Ms. Enith Williams, who had served on several boards in New York before returning to her native Jamaica, said that in her experience, male board members “always had an agenda, and used the board to achieve it.” Women, she suggested, must “be clear about working collaboratively” as a board, not just in support of an individual’s personal projects and goals. This is another strength of a woman board member; they are often more inclusive and more concerned with the welfare and the contribution of the whole to the organization. After all, we were reminded, the shareholders in public sector entities are the Jamaican people. “We may have different views,” observed civil society activist and board member Yvonne McCalla Sobers, “but we should not have differing agendas.” Public sector boards should always keep in mind that they exist to serve the people. One woman complained of what she saw as the selfish and unethical behavior of her chairman. When she protested and refused to be one of his “yes men” (or woman, in this case) the chairman lectured her, both publicly and privately, for her impertinence. Financier Ms. Megan Deane advised her to make sure that board meeting records reflected her objections; she should also register her concerns with the Permanent Secretary or other superiors. On private sector boards, it was noted, men have used sexist comments and bad language. This is unacceptable; a protest should be recorded – and if the worst comes to the worst, the woman should consider her resignation. “Don’t be afraid to be a whistleblower” if necessary, commented one of our presenters.

Ms. Enith Williams makes her point.

51% Coalition member Carol Narcisse reminded us, “How do we ensure that the public interest is served?” How can we achieve this? We must keep in mind, as the PSOJ’s Greta Bogues stressed in her presentation, that “the whole is far greater than the individuals” on any board. Ms. Bogues, who chairs the PSOJ’s Corporate Governance Committee, gave us a remarkably detailed and useful overview of “Core Tenets of Good Corporate Governance.” This should be available on WROC’s website shortly; or if you ask me, I can email you a copy. It is invaluable.

And yet, when all is said and done, “Corporate governance is not a destination, it’s a journey,” in Ms. Bogues’ words. It is an imperfect process and needs to be worked on – a bit like democracy. As Carol Archer of the South East Regional Health Authority observed, “You can’t always achieve consensus,” but the men and women on public sector boards must always ask themselves how the public benefits from any decisions they make.

Bearing all of the above in mind, how can women support an increase in the number of women on public sector boards? Well, the 51% Coalition has made progress in this regard; it has sent a list of 54 women it recommends for boards to selected ministers. The Jamaica Stock Exchange has supported its work with training and this list will be posted on the JSE’s website, as well as on the PSOJ and WROC websites. A meeting with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has been requested.

“I am not a feminist,” one young board member confided in me at the end of this highly stimulating event. “But I do believe in fairness and equity, we should all work towards that.” Nuff said.

Personal note to self: I have the greatest admiration for all the women who were our guides through this conversation. They are not only dedicated, focused and highly intelligent – but they are all-embracing, inclusive, progressive, fair. I am truly proud of the contribution these women have made over many years (and they don’t look a day older, by the way!) and it was an enormous pleasure to be in their presence and to interact with them.

Another note on the 51% Coalition: WROC chair Lorna Lee noted that it is “getting stronger and stronger every day,” and this meeting was strong evidence of this. I will write more on this important group – a natural progression from years of dynamic partnerships among Jamaican women – in a later blog post. Meanwhile, if you would like to contact the Coalition, you may call (876) 929-8873 or email 51percentcoalitionjm@gmail.com.

Related articles

http://www.marciaforbes.com/content/51-coalition-–-development-empowerment-through-equity: 51% Coalition: Development and Empowerment Through Equity (marciaforbes.com)
http://www.dogoodjamaica.org/organizations/freidrich_ebert_stiftung_jamaica_the_eastern_caribbean: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Jamaica
http://www.psoj.org/: Private Sector Organization of Jamaica
http://wrocjamaica.org/: Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre
http://www.caribjournal.com/2012/06/20/haitis-martelly-authorizes-official-publication-of-amended-1987-constitution/: Haiti’s Martelly Authorizes Official Publication of Amended Constitution (Caribbean Journal.com)
NGO applauds government effort to appoint more women to assemblies (ghananewsagency.org)
Sunday Swirl: June 3, 2012 (petchary.wordpress.com)
Sunday Simmer (petchary.wordpress.com)
Changing the face of boards (business.financialpost.com)
Tories to create advisory council to promote women as corporate directors (theglobeandmail.com)
ION President Meyerrose Joins “Moving the Needle” Task Force for Corporate Board Member Event at NYSE Connecting Qualified Women with Public Company Boards (prweb.com)
Do TriMet’s board members ride their buses and trains? Yes, no comment and sometimes (if Portland Streetcar counts) (oregonlive.com)
Why We Need More Women on Corporate Boards (bigthink.com)

Ms. Greta Bogues gave us a detailed account of the do’s and don’ts of corporate governance.

Posted in: Human rights, Money, Society | Tagged: 51% Coalition, Board of directors, Board of education, Conversation, corporate governance, Donna Scott-Mottley, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, gender balance, Government, Greta Bogues, Jamaica, Jamaica Stock Exchange, Jamaica Women's Political Caucus, Judith Wedderburn, Kingston, Kingston Jamaica, Montego Bay, Portia Simpson Miller, Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, Public sector, Sandra Glasgow, University of Michigan, Women, women's issues, Women's Resource and Outreach Centre

Celebrating Jamaica's 50th Year of Independence

By petchary on June 16, 2012 | 9 Comments

Reblogged from CucumberJuice:

Yesterday I sat down to share my thoughts about the celebrations for Jamaica’s 50th year of independence. Despite saving throughout, Word crashed as I was about to print for a final edit. When I restarted Word and opened the file the ready-for-editing version wasn’t there and Auto Recovery couldn’t open its last saved version. So I was annoyed and decided to step away from the computer and restart today; I still had my notes and the framework in mind.

African Postman: Concern, Protests over South African “Secrecy Bill”

By petchary on June 7, 2012 | 3 Comments

“National Security” has always been a hot-button issue globally, especially in the past decade or so since 9/11. Now, the issue has surfaced in South Africa – which since the fall of apartheid has been seen as a beacon of democracy on the African continent. The new Protection of State Information Bill is the source of great controversy, with two Nobel Prize-winning authors, journalists, human rights and civil society activists joining in protest. Is this the thin end of the wedge, the beginning of the whittling-away of civil rights, access to information and freedom of expression? South Africa’s Constitution is considered one of the most enlightened and progressive in the world. Does this law threaten some aspects of it, and encourage corruption?

These are serious issues that are – or should be – also of concern to Jamaican civil society. So far as I know, the Official Secrets Act is still firmly in place on our island.

Today’s article is reprinted from the Guardian UK website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/06/south-african-campaigners-secrecy-bill

Secrecy laws planned for South Africa fundamentally threaten free speech and investigative journalism, and could have a chilling effect on the rest of Africa, a united front of human rights lawyers, newspaper editors and Nobel prize-winning writers have warned in interviews with the Guardian.

Nobel-Prize winning author and anti-apartheid campaigner Nadine Gordimer

The protection of state information bill – dubbed the “secrecy bill” – envisages draconian penalties of up to 25 years in prison for whistleblowers and journalists who possess, leak or publish state secrets. It has been described as the first piece of legislation since the end of apartheid in 1994 to undermine South Africa’s democracy.

Opponents of the bill fear that, with South Africa often regarded as a beacon of democracy and freedom on the continent, it could be used as an excuse by repressive African regimes for renewed crackdowns on journalists and activists.

Among those to attack the proposed legislation is JM Coetzee, the Nobel laureate and double Booker prize winner, making a rare public intervention.

“The legislation is transparently intended to make life difficult for pesky investigative journalists, and generally to save incompetent or corrupt bureaucrats from being embarrassed,” Coetzee, born in Cape Town but now resident in Australia, said in an email. “Its sponsors have very likely been emboldened by the push that has taken place all over the western world since 2001 to erect a wall of secrecy around the more dubious actions of the state, and to make it a crime to breach that wall.”

Coetzee joins fellow Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer in calling global attention to measures they believe are calculated to help the government conceal evidence of corruption. Gordimer, whose books were banned under white minority rule, said: “It is quite obvious why this bill has come about – the government is making no attempt to hide the truth that its intention is to aid the cover-up of corruption.

JM Coetzee, Nobel Prize-winning writer

“I wrote during the apartheid regime and I fought against the apartheid regime. Three of my books were banned. What we are doing now is going back to apartheid censorship under a new guise.”

Today, South Africa boasts arguably the freest press in Africa, with no shortage of revelations about shady deals or satirical cartoons lampooning politicians’ foibles. Freedom of expression, including freedom of the press and other media, has been protected under the constitution. But opponents of the bill believe the gains of the past 18 years are under threat and warn that the rest of the continent is watching. In neighbouring Zimbabwe, journalists continue to be harassed and arrested, while state broadcasters remain firmly under President Robert Mugabe’s control.

Andrew Feinstein, a former African National Congress (ANC) MP whose exposure of a corrupt multibillion-pound arms deal might have resulted in his prosecution under the new laws, said: “I think that if this democracy continues to weaken – and I believe it has over the past few years – there is no doubt that that has a knock-on effect, because I think for many countries in Africa the comparison is always made with South Africa as this bright shining star of democracy. If that comparison no longer holds, it lets a lot of other countries off the hook in many ways.”

Nic Dawes, editor of South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper, said: “We’re already hearing from people elsewhere on the continent that their politicians and government officials are saying to them: ‘You see, they’re even doing this in South Africa, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be doing it here.’

“That’s one of the most dangerous things about the bill: the excuse it will give to other countries elsewhere in the region, that had been opening up, to begin to tip in the other direction. It’s really very disturbing.”

South Africa, in turn, is feeling the repercussions of the phone hacking saga and debate over press regulation in Britain, Dawes added. “Almost every time that I have a discussion with someone about either the protection of state information bill or the ANC’s proposals for statutory media regulation, the British phone hacking scandal is brought up as an example of why these kinds of moves are necessary.”

The Mail and Guardian newspaper in South Africa

The governing ANC defends the bill as a necessary update to laws made 30 year ago during apartheid. The party claims it will tighten national security and is not aimed at the media. The bill is under review by South Africa’s parliament and, following pressure from activists, has already been subject to many revisions.

But hopes of a climbdown on the bill were dashed on Wednesday when the state security department rejected amendments proposed by the ANC. Dennis Dlomo, the department’s acting director general, rejected calls to limit the power of the ministry to delegate classification powers, reduce penalties and limit the heavy onus placed on the accused.

Dlomo also shrugged off pressure from campaigners to include a public interest defence clause, saying: “They want a post-disclosure test of public interest. We want a pre-disclosure test. The last point on this is really simple. What if a whistleblower gives away top secret, legitimately classified information?”

In response Alf Lees, an MP for the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, asked: “The department surely does not want to create the impression that it wishes to protect alleged criminals or punish those who earnestly expose corrupt and criminal behaviour?”

Keeping up pressure for reform is vital, according to the civil society alliance Right2Know, which has organised protests against the bill. Murray Hunter, one of its coordinators, said: “The secrecy bill has united people across the boundaries of space, race, class and ideology – from leafy suburbs to townships and informal settlements, shop floors and office blocks, university campuses and old-age homes. We can’t stop pushing now; in fact, now’s the time to start.”

We must be vigilant and defend our democracy, if we happen to be living in one. It can be eroded so very easily.

http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/: The South African Constitution online
http://africasacountry.com/2012/02/16/praising-the-south-african-constitution/: In Praise of the South African Constitution
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/d-za/dv/draft_final_bill_voted/draft_final_bill_voteden.pdf: Protection of State Information Bill: Final Draft
http://www.theroot.com/views/south-africa-putting-gag-its-people: Is South Africa Putting a Gag on its People? (op-ed by Charlayne Hunter-Gault)
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Repeal-Official-Secrets-Act-: Repeal Official Secrets Act! (Jamaica Observer)
http://www.jamaicansforjustice.org/nmcms.php?snippets=news&p=news_details&id=2433: The Protected Disclosures (whistleblower) Act – Jamaicans for Justice
http://www.r2k.org.za/: Right2Know Campaign/South Africa
New South African press law ‘more harmful than apartheid-era censorship’ (guardian.co.uk)
http://www.anc.org.za/: African National Congress home page
http://www.mg.co.za/: Mail & Guardian South Africa
http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22205&catid=74&Itemid=30: Trusted Cwele advisor to lead “spooks”

Dennis Dlomo took over the powerful State Security Agency earlier this year.

Posted in: Books, Human rights, Society | Tagged: Africa, African National Congress, ANC, Andrew Feinstein, censorship, constitution, corruption, democracy, Dennis Dlomo, Donald Woods, freedom of expression, Government, Jamaica, JM Coetzee, Nadine Gordimer, National security, Nobel Prize, Official Secrets Act, Protection of State Information Bill, Robert Mugabe, South Africa, South Africa under apartheid, Zimbabwe

Summer Sunday turns to Monday

By petchary on May 28, 2012 | 15 Comments

Yes, summer is definitely here. Gusty winds, the sun burning grass, and the birds are frequent visitors to our bird bath. And a huge cloud of Saharan dust blowing across the Atlantic from West Africa… The Petchary – my namesake, and a summer visitor – is snapping at the other birds on the telephone wire. And my weekly news review nearly got blown away with the wind and sun and dust.

Eccentric and odd-looking, here are my beloved Smooth-Billed Anis keeping cool in our yard.

LAST WEEK, AS ANTICIPATED, WAS LARGELY A MONEY WEEK. THE BUDGET, THE DETAILS OF WHICH FINANCE MINISTER PETER PHILLIPS BATTLED THROUGH LAST TUESDAY, DOMINATED THE NEWS. THE JAMAICAN PUBLIC HAD BARELY DIGESTED THE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS BEFORE THE REACTIONS STARTED COMING IN, DRIP BY DRIP. THIS WEEK, ONE CAN EXPECT A FLOOD OF RECRIMINATIONS, COMMENTARY FROM FINANCIAL ANALYSTS, QUERIES AND COMPLAINTS. TODAY’S OBSERVER, FOR EXAMPLE, INCLUDES A FRONT-PAGE EDITORIAL ON WHAT IT SEES AS A SEVERE IMPACT ON THE ALREADY AILING TOURISM SECTOR, HEADLINED, “THE TOURISM GOOSE IS COOKED.” THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG, THAT IS. I GUESS THE GOLDEN EGG HAS BEEN SCRAMBLED, TOO.

But let’s start with sports, for a change. And it’s all been a struggle, too. Yesterday, Panama beat the Jamaican “Reggae Boyz” (1-0) at the National Stadium in what was supposed to be a good preparation match for World Cup qualifiers (I’m talking football/soccer, of course). It was not so much the scoreline, but the lackluster effort of the Jamaican players that disappointed the fans, who uncharitably booed their performance, at the end of the game. And just as the Finance Minister exhausted himself during his budget presentation, our superstar sprinter Usain Bolt struggled hard to win a race with a slower-than-usual speed at the Golden Spike athletics meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic. He is very busy with all kinds of marketing and promotions and has a new music track (his husky voice repeats, “I need to go faster.”) Poor Mr. Bolt is under serious pressure. And now, for those who follow cricket, the West Indies team was “crushed” during their tour of England, losing the Test series. All pretty woeful. But one brushes the Sahara dust off oneself and tries again, eh? Better luck next time, I’m sure.

Bolt and fans (one day he’s going to get stuck in that pose).

Back to the Budget (and don’t ask me why the font has changed – I know, it’s annoying but I can’t seem to fix it). I felt a certain sympathy for Minister Phillips, who did not sound as if he was enjoying himself as he presented his first Budget as Finance Minister. I could see him mentally mopping his brow. The presentation actually offered us some of the “bitter medicine” that former Prime Minister Andrew Holness had (rather unwisely for him) foretold during the election campaign. We, the long-suffering and over-taxed Jamaican public, did not enjoy listening to it, either. The two items that jumped out at me with alarm bells ringing furiously were the imposition of General Consumption Tax on books, and the heavy taxation of the tourism industry. Yes, we know that Minister Phillips has to plug the gap – which is now 19 billion Jamaican Dollars within the 612 billion. Eighty per cent of the budget will go to debt payments and public sector salaries, by the way.

What it boils down to, Dr. Phillips suggests (and I believe he is right) is that, although it would be lovely to go for the stimulus approach, as Eurozone leaders are now leaning towards, little Jamaica just can’t afford it. Dr. Phillips called a stimulus package a “mirage” that would not quench our thirst. Our debt burden (at 128 per cent of GDP) is one of the highest in the world, and is crippling us. Economist Wilberne Persaud called the debt crisis a “modern-day tragedy” last week. We have no choice but to “bang our bellies” and tighten our belts. Sacrifices will have to be made – but no one wants to make sacrifices. Many of us – in particular the hard-pressed “middle class,” or what is left of it – have already sacrificed so much. Ms. Maxine Walters eloquently pointed this out in a Letter to the Editor, bemoaning the plight of the “educated poor.” The less educated poor, of course, will continue to get poorer (despite the Prime Minister’s professed love for them) – and the rich will get richer (especially those who avoid paying their taxes).

Keith Collister, the Observer’s financial analyst, had two very useful articles last week. In one, he calls the tax package in the budget “very severe.” In the other, he points to several “signs of distress” in the local and regional tourism sector. The Observer (owned by tourism mogul Gordon “Butch” Stewart) has not minced its words on the subject. I can’t help but agree. I thought tourism was our precious foreign exchange earner?

As for the tax on books, a Facebook correspondent reminded me this morning that Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller herself vehemently opposed such an imposition, just two years ago in Parliament. Ms. Simpson Miller, then the Opposition Leader, called a proposed tax on books a “huge mistake.” This is recorded in Hansard, if you don’t believe me. But then, haven’t we come to expect such changes of heart? (I am being kind; others might call it hypocrisy). Anyway, we are choking down that bitter medicine now. And we still have the IMF to deal with. Five months after the triumphant General Election, things are starting to look a little wobbly, a little off-key.

My friend and a great columnist, Jean Lowrie-Chin, has as usual sought to put a positive spin on things today. What’s the point of hand-wringing? We just have to deal with it. Jean’s column last week was equally hard-hitting in that “gentle but firm” style of hers, which I greatly admire. She touched on another tricky topic: the unedifying and downright depressing saga of the lotto scammers. Last week, to our great shame, some local residents (their faces hidden from the camera) expressed support for the scammers (many of whom have been rounded up in recent weeks) and went so far as to say that cheating elderly, lonely and often helpless Americans out of their life-savings was “pay back” for slavery. Another shameful incident that the television stations highlighted last week: demonstrations by parents and students outside a primary school, where a teacher had been arrested on suspicion of sexually molesting a twelve-year-old student (who is now doubly traumatized by the school community’s response). Nothing good is going to come out of any of this – but I hope, at least, that we can move on and do better next time. Ignorance is a terrible thing.

After the fire at the Armadale child care facility

Seven children died here – locked in.

Unhappy anniversaries: There were two anniversaries last week which were dealt with, if somewhat superficially, in the local media. It was as if the budget news was bad enough, and we couldn’t take the reminders of two painful episodes that took place in May, all in the same week. On May 22, 2009 seven girls who were wards of the State died in a fire at the Armadale child facility in St. Ann. The painful details still burn in our heads – the burnt mattresses, the scorched windows, the anxious relatives clustered at the gate in the night. As youth activist Jaevion Nelson noted in his excellent op-ed piece in the Gleaner last week, the Government’s initial response was appropriate, but in general the issue of child protection remains sorely neglected. Jamaicans for Justice made a number of recommendations to the Government; a Commission of Enquiry followed the fire and highlighted many severe deficiencies in the system – but I saw JFJ’s Susan Goffe on television recently asking for at least fire extinguishers to be placed in children’s homes. Are we serious?

We also remembered, with a sense of dread as well as deep sadness, what is now euphemistically called the “incursion” by the police and military into Tivoli Gardens on May 23, 2010. Tivoli was then the West Kingston stronghold of Christopher “Dudus” Coke, the don who was called by residents “Prezi.” They were searching for the chubby-faced Coke, who was led away in handcuffs by Drug Enforcement Administration agents not long afterwards. Meanwhile, 73 residents of Tivoli Gardens (the official number), mostly young men, were dead. An agonizing television report last week recalled the grief of a mother whose son went missing during the attack; she discovered that he had been lying in the street, grievously wounded, for six hours. He died as she eventually got him to the hospital. Human rights activist Yvonne McCalla Sobers noted in the Gleaner last weekend that there has simply been no closure. The Public Defender’s report on the issue has not yet materialized. The Director of Public Prosecutions is not ready to rule on the shocking death of accountant Keith Clarke, whose house was attacked by the military in the middle of the night and who died in a hail of bullets. There will be no Commission of Enquiry, which Amnesty International has been calling for. Questions and more questions remain unanswered, piling on top of each other.

Christopher "Dudus" Coke being led away by DEA agents

Christopher “Dudus” Coke’s curious half-smile as he is led away by DEA agents in May, 2010.

Meanwhile in New York, the long-drawn-out drama of Mr. Coke’s sentencing hearing created some dramatic headlines, with witnesses giving what appeared to be damning, and certainly detailed evidence. There was excellent reporting from the Gleaner’s Fern Whyte (also on Power 106 FM) and from CVM Television’s Andrew Cannon – who is on the ball, as usual. Congratulations to my former colleague, Fern! Meanwhile, Mr. Coke (and the rest of us wait until June 8 for the final episode to unfold in court.

Not the cheeriest of weeks, I suppose… And the Jamaica Observer continues its unrelenting anti-gay stance – it seems to be a mouthpiece for the fundamentalists, such as Reverend Peter Garth. Today they have wheeled out a “reformed” gay American, imported by Reverend Garth & Co. Columnist Betty Ann Blaine (the one who declared Jamaicans to be “Christians, not homophobes”) fights a strong and passionate rearguard action. Thank God (I have probably blasphemed here) for columnist Tamara Scott-Williams, who pointed out in the Sunday Observer that the so-called “Gay Manifesto” that Reverend Garth and others arm themselves with is in fact a satire.

But hey… There is a glimmer of light somewhere, isn’t there? The TeenAge section of the Jamaica Observer continues to keep its standards up, and I especially like the Teen History feature for Jamaica 50 (don’t get me started on that topic, though; I would still like to know what will actually be happening at our Independence celebrations this year, but cannot penetrate Mr. Robert Bryan’s slick marketing jargon. Don’t use the word “legacy” Mr. Bryan – oh, what was the legacy of the Cricket World Cup, again?) Can someone please tell me what the Jamaica 50 celebrations will consist of?

The confident Robert Bryan, Project Director of Jamaica 50

I was delighted that the wonderful charity Food for the Poor provided a new home for the tragic little rural family in Stepney, St. Ann, who were living in a ruin. Congratulations, too, to the Geology Department of the University of the West Indies, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last week. Appropriately enough, the original Professor of Geology unveiled a huge boulder (what type of rock was not specified) on the campus grounds. I’ve always been fascinated by those people who go around with a small hammer, tapping on rock faces. I rather think it must be fun to be a scientist.

Talking of science and so on, may I commend the Caribbean Maritime Institute for their forward thinking. They are engaged in a project to turn seawater into drinking water,using clean energy. Big ups to the CMI, as well as to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the local Solar and Fire Protection Services Limited, who are also partnering with it on an excellent project that trains inner-city students to make LED lights. Marvelous!

Thanks also to the World Bank’s Giorgio Valantini. He believes in young people, and asserts that “an engaged, employed youth” with IT expertise can move Jamaica forward. Jamaica, do we believe in our youth? As I asked in an earlier post, are we listening to them?

Mr. Omar Robinson is not only charming and hospitable, but also a true professional who fully deserves the award of Hotelier of the Year from the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association. Congratulations! We met him quite a few years ago at a Sandals/Beaches resort in Negril. He is now General Manager of the beautiful Round Hill resort in Montego Bay. They are lucky to have him!

And the Jamaica Cancer Society’s Relay for Life celebrates ten years this year. The event will take place on June 9-10 (overnight, that is) at the Police Officers Club on Hope Road, Kingston. Check for enrollment details at http://www.jamaicacancersociety.org/relayforlife.htm. And you can also donate online.

I am proud of the efforts of the Jamaican diaspora to support Jamaicans at home. Last week, Children of Jamaica Outreach Inc (COJO), a U.S.-based organization headed by Gary Williams, presented scholarships to three wards of state who had no funds to pursue further education after leaving state homes. Grace Kennedy Group CEO Don Wehby had some important things to say about the plight of our children at the ceremony, too. Well done and thank you, COJO!

COJO Chairman/Founder Gary Williams (r), GraceKennedy’s Don Wehby (l) and the three scholarship recipients.

Last but not least… The past week or so has been a wonderful one for culture! You will read more from me on this, but I would like to congratulate rising poetry star Ann-Margaret Lim on the launch of her first volume, “The Festival of Wild Orchid” (available at all good Kingston bookstores, Bookophilia, Bookland etc). It was good also to have the Calabash International Literary Festival back under the theme Jubilation! 50 - a happy reunion in hot and humid Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth. I ventured to the Open Mic for the first time, and the audience were kind to me! On the same weekend were two other great events: Performances by the Dance Theater of Harlem organized by the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section (so appreciated by Jamaican “culture vultures” who stayed in town specially); and yesterday’s Festival of the Dancing Child, organized by the effervescent, dedicated dancer Kofi Walker and attended by hundreds of eager participants. Kofi, your dedication and love knows no bounds!

The arts uplift, when the news does not!

Professor Kevin Burke unveils the Liguanea Boulder at UWI's Geology Department

The Professor leans on the Boulder.

An alleged "lotto scammer"s car seized in Montego Bay

A big shiny Lexus SUV was among those “high end” vehicles (as the media likes to call them) seized recently in Montego Bay, owned by an alleged “lotto scammer.”

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/videos/video.php?id=433 Usain Bolt runs a music track

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120526/sports/sports1.html ”I just never got going”

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120525/lead/lead91.html Budget in brief

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120525/business/business8.html Jamaica’s debt crisis a modern-day tragedy

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/How-was-the-budget-tax-burden-shared-_11552765

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/The-tourism-goose-is-cooked-_11557233

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Taxing-the-life-out-of-tourism_11555680

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Fast-fall-in-a-slow-system_11512572: Jean Lowrie-Chin

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Let-s-make-the-best-of-it: Jean Lowrie-Chin

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/Equity-lacking-in-Jamaica_11525491: Letter from Maxine Walters

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/listen-to-the-youth-no-stop-really-listen-please/: Listen to the Youth

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120527/lead/lead6.html: Lotto scam: A Tale of Glamor, Death and a Free Ticket to a U.S. Jail

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120522/cleisure/cleisure5.html: Armadale Still Burning: Jaevion Nelson

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120520/letters/letters2.html: Tivoli Gardens – No Closure After Two Years: Yvonne McCalla Sobers

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120523/lead/lead9.html: Amnesty International calls for Tivoli Incursion Probe

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120523/lead/lead1.html: Deadly “Dudus” tales

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120524/lead/lead1.html: ”Dudus” eyes June 8

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Gay-Manifesto-the-rantings-and-ravings-of-a-revolutionary_11543999: Tamara Scott-Williams column

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Blockbuster-summer—Jamaica-50-parties-set-to-bump-up-tourism

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/For-sale–potable-seawater_11517739

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Let-there-be-LEDs_11525345

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120523/lead/lead4.html: COJO presents scholarships to three wards of state

Sunday Simmer (petchary.wordpress.com)

Sunday Stunner – Early Edition (petchary.wordpress.com)

Gold, Silver and Bronze (petchary.wordpress.com)

Posted in: Americas, Books, Environment, Human rights, Money, Society, Sport, Weather | Tagged: Africa, Andrew Holness, bird, Bird bath, budget, Calabash International Literary Festival, Caribbean Maritime Institute, Czech Republic, Dance Theater of Harlem, debt, Finance minister, General Consumption Tax, Golden Spike, Government, Jamaica, Jamaica Cancer Society, Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association, Jamaicans for Justice, Kingston Jamaica, Kofi Walker, LED lights, Montego Bay, Ostrava, Peter Phillips, Portia Simpson Miller, potable seawater, Reggae Boyz, Relay for Life Jamaica 2012, Round Hill Hotel, Saharan dust, Smooth-Billed Ani, Test cricket, Usain Bolt, West Africa, West Indies cricket team

Sunday Simmer

By petchary on May 21, 2012 | 9 Comments

There are lots of stories simmering on the stove this week. They haven’t quite come to the boil. Here goes…

Tax reform is not a particularly sexy subject, but this has been on the back burner (occasionally moved to the front) for quite some time. There has been much media focus on one aspect of it – the application of General Consumption Tax (GCT) to basic food and other items essential to keep Jamaica’s growing population of paupers afloat (I know, that sounds cynical, but…it is a growing population – this includes things like cornmeal, etc). The Gleaner, to its credit, has sought to shed light on the proposals put forward by the Private Sector Working Group (PSWG) headed by influential businessman Joseph M. Matalon – and to share the varying views on the topic. The proposals have been tagged “anti-poor,” but the PSWG says it is current GCT arrangements that are anti-poor. But interestingly, Mr. Matalon has suggested that there is a mindset at work in those opposing the group’s plan (which will undoubtedly be watered down before it is ever adopted, for various reasons). He finally came out with his personal feelings about it last week: “When you have a public policy issue like this one, which challenges the status quo, but further is mixed in now with an environment that is lacking in trust, those two things really combine into what I would describe as an almost unstoppable force…It’s a force for inertia and inaction and I think, way beyond tax reform, that it’s a feature of our public life that we somehow have to come to grips with.” I tend to agree that there is an element of this (and Mr. Matalon’s private sector colleagues agree, too). I would suggest that successive Jamaican political administrations have leaned more towards “inertia and inaction.” What do you think, dear readers? Have the proposals been properly explained – do you understand them? (You can actually find details here and a link to the PSWG website below).

Joseph M. Matalon, who heads the Private Sector Working Group on Tax Reform.

The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce had something interesting to say on the subject of governance and public life, too. Mr. Milton Samuda (who always makes perfect sense to me) and his colleague Mr. Warren McDonald are sensing the current administration’s ambivalence and lack of clarity on economic issues. They also think the Simpson Miller administration would prefer to pick and choose what aspects of tax reform (for example) that it likes – those that are politically digestible and popular, perhaps? There is no coherent, unified Government position, they suggest. I agree that this is concerning. Mr. Samuda says that Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller would be the best person to articulate this common vision and economic plan, “not only because she is the leader, but also she is the best person to take the message of believable form to the mass of the populace who already feel that they constantly make sacrifices and others don’t.” I personally don’t think the Prime Minister is able (or willing) to do this. Let us see what Finance Minister Peter Phillips has to say during the upcoming Budget debate…

As columnist Chris Burns noted last week, “courageous leadership” is definitely needed on the socio-economic front. Personally, I am not holding my breath.

Speaking of ambivalence, last Thursday was International Day Against Homophobia (the acronym is the name of a U.S. state…) and the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) was happy to have Education Minister Ronald Thwaites address an important meeting on homophobic bullying. The theme was “Right the Wrong: Encouraging Respect for Safer Schools and Better Learning Environments.” The heads of the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition, UNICEF and UNESCO made telling contributions immediately following Minister Thwaites’ speech, but unfortunately he did not stay to hear them. Diplomats representing the British (who sponsored the event – good for them) and several other countries attended. I will write more on this event in a blog post later on, but meanwhile Ms. Donna Hussey-White gave an accurate description of the discussion in the Jamaica Observer this week. Meanwhile, the Reverend Peter Garth, who heads the evangelistic church in Jamaica, along with colleague Dr. Wayne West, raged on about the gay marriage issue on CVM Television. Reverend Garth declared at a forum last week, “Monogamous heterosexual marriage is the ONLY form of partnership approved by God for full sexual relations in our and every generation.” Well, before you consider anything else, please make sure that you have God’s approval. “I’m God, and I approve this message,” kind of thing, I suppose.

The J-FLAG logo includes the colors of the Jamaican flag.

The Jamaica Observer’s Ms. Ingrid Brown and colleague reporter Ms. Alicia Dunkley, have not taken their feet off the pedal as they continue to give us examples of the prevalence of sexual abuse of all kinds. The focus is still on our children, but the reporting has moved on to investigate and uncover sex abuse in schools. Like bullying – homophobic and otherwise – it has been going on for quite a while. The waters have been muddied somewhat, however, by apparently contradictory comments from the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) on the subject. Meanwhile, the head of the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offenses and Child Abuse (CISOCA) – which used to be called, more briefly but bluntly, the Rape Unit – has come out with all guns blasting in the press as she threatens to expose the so-called “big men” in society who sexually abuse young girls. Sexual abuse is far from being simply a “lower-class” phenomenon – another fact that has been hitherto well-known, but little discussed. More light is being shed. But is there much more to be said?

Meanwhile, much drama: The lotto scammers – the curse of Jamaica and a source of much shame and embarrassment to Jamaicans – are on the run, according to the police. Kudos to Superintendent Leon Clunis and members of the Lottery Scam Task Force for their tremendous successes in recent weeks. These zealous men and women have arrested many people in gated communities in Montego Bay, and confiscated big fancy cars and big screen TVs in big, lavishly appointed houses. What concerns me, though, is that the legislation is still not in place to deal effectively with these vampires (yes, blood-suckers, leeches), who swindle vulnerable, often elderly Americans out of their life savings over the phone. The frustration of Police Commissioner Owen Ellington was evident in his remarks last week, as he noted that all those arrested so far are out on bail and still continuing their activities. When they are taken to court, Mr. Ellington says, it is easy for them to exploit the several weaknesses in Jamaican laws. He would like the Jamaican system to be strengthened, adding,“whenever they are arrested for these kinds of offenses, countries that are serious about this type of crime will immediately imprison them, give them fast trials and once they are convicted they go to prison for a long time.” In other words, the Jamaica Government is not serious about introducing amendments to the Evidence Act that would help the scammers’ victims (who are understandably afraid to go to Jamaica to testify) give video evidence. I would love someone to tell me otherwise… Why the talk, and no action? The police need are doing their part, and need support. Where is what we call the “political will”?

Why bother: I don’t care about visiting beauty queens. Although I admit I liked Gleaner social writer Chester Francis-Jackson in a rather fetching see-through top…

CFJ in a sheer top is on the left hand side of the Jamaica Observer’s Page Two, which displays photos of the young, the rich, the famous and the wannabes daily.

I am worried about… Our rising unemployment rate. One media house reported that over one third of our young people (not sure of the age group) is now unemployed, but I would suggest that in many impoverished communities the general unemployment rate is probably fifty to sixty per cent…

I agonize too, like Ms. Barbara Gloudon this week on her “Hot Line” talk show, about the “slum and chaka-chaka” growing all around us, on hillsides, roadsides and every last little bit of green space. Our watersheds are under serious threat. Barbara, please keep the pressure on, and continue to “rant” on these environmental/developmental issues. It is worrying, troublesome, and I don’t hear anyone else talking about it much. A telling example was the sudden invasion of baby crabs on the famous Negril beach (or what’s left of it, thanks to erosion) recently. It’s apparently caused by the crabs, who are hatched in the sea, not being able to reach the Morass. This wetland area is beyond a mass of concrete hotels and of course the main road, where many are crushed. Thanks to Janet Silvera for this significant story.

Nowhere to go..The stranded baby crabs on Negril beach.

Our persistently rising murder rate. Last week, the body of a Jamaica Defence Force major was found at his Kingston home. He is a middle-class victim, a former President of the Kiwanis Club of Liguanea (the area where I live) and President of the Jamaica Association of Quantity Surveyors. But oh, there were other victims across the length and breadth of the island. Two bodies were found yesterday in St. Ann – that of a farmer and an unidentified man (unidentified because he was headless). A thirteen-year-old stabbed another thirteen-year-old to death. And the grief-stricken faces of relatives, streaked with tears and sweat, appear on television every night…

Major Graham was cruelly murdered this week.

Jamaica’s missing children: I wrote about this several weeks ago, and the Gleaner has reminded us that hundreds are still missing. On this small island of ours, a child goes missing every four hours. Almost three quarters of these children are teenage girls; we see their faces after the TVJ news every night. The girls are reportedly running away from their broken, fractious and conflict-filled homes; but I suspect that there is more to the story than this. Why can they not be found? Where are they?

But… “All is not lost”… As my father always used to say. There are definitely some little bright spots…

Firstly, congratulations are due to the new Anglican Bishop of Jamaica Howard Gregory, a man of insight and with a strong focus on corruption and “doing the right thing.” I wish him well. At his enthronement (consecration? Not sure of the word) he warned that Church members were also caught up in corruption, which permeates our society; and that they are not there to “just to parade up and down as persons who are holier than thou, but to be a people committed to love and unity…” If I were a “religious” person, I would say “Amen” to that. OK, then… “Amen, and you hit the nail on the head, Bishop Gregory.”

I don’t care much about deejays, but they are always big news. And this time I must pat Beenie Man on the back for the video he posted on YouTube, in which he “asks gays for forgiveness” for his past homophobic lyrics. This received a cynical, mostly negative response from the Jamaican public; but he sounded quite sincere to me – and talking is much better than a written press release crafted by his PR firm. I hope it was sincere, although I hear that his career is suffering from a loss of revenue (partly as a result of this issue) and he’s a little desperate? We shall see. If no more anti-gay lyrics slip out in Beenie Man’s performances, it will be a positive move – whatever his motives.

On the same topic, I must salute U.S. Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater and her diplomatic colleagues for their statement on IDAHO (that’s right…International Day Against Homophobia), which only the Gleaner printed (the Observer’s cartoonist, meanwhile, still produces horribly distorted caricatures of homosexuals, as it did again this week). The headline was simply “Human Rights for All.” The op-ed calls for an “inclusive and open dialogue” on gay rights. The online reactions were predictably dismissive and negative. There is a long way to go…

My favorite government minister is still… Minister Phillip Paulwell, who is fighting back against the Jamaica Public Service Company and speaking out about that company’s “monopolistic arrogance.” It’s going to be a tough battle if you take on JPS, Minister Paulwell… I will hold your sword for you, while you get your armor on!

Good for CaPRI for seeking to offer practical solutions to the long-standing issue of the scrap metal industry, which remains on hold while the Government considers reinstating exports of scrap metal. CaPRI is a think tank (the Caribbean Policy Research Institute), which held a forum on the topic last week. It’s a pity there was not more publicity on the forum’s findings.

Big ups to the Women in ICT: Yes, besides being IDAHO, last Thursday was World Telecommunications and Information Society Day and this year the focus was on women and girls in ICT. Jamaican women like Ingrid Riley, Lorna Green and other pioneers are definitely doing their part. A non-Jamaican fellow blogger reposted an article on the dynamic women of LIME! See the link below. Please also see the great Facebook group Caribbean Women in Technology, which I belong to.

I love Robert Lalah’s new weekly column in the Gleaner. Mr. Lalah is known for his gentle/sharp humor and he adds a little touch of it to his discussion of serious issues. A must-read for me on Mondays, now – along with Jean Lowrie-Chin’s column in the Jamaica Observer.

Well done to the St. Ann’s Bay Improvement Committee, parish council, JNBS Foundation and supporting private sector donors for getting the fingers on the town’s clock moving again, after they had remained still for eight years. It is a splendid clock, built in 1814 – older than London’s “Big Ben.” I hope that the citizens of other parish capitals will be inspired by these efforts, as there are many splendid clocks that need renovation.

Mr. Kirk Wright’s reporting on the issue of asbestos was excellent on TV Jamaica this week. I hope that the fire stations and other buildings that still have asbestos roofing will take action.

And cheers! To Jamaica’s new ice hockey team… following in the footsteps of the “Cool Runnings” bobsled team of some years ago. The International Ice Hockey Federation has just added Jamaica as a member, along with Qatar (which seems an even more unlikely country to pursue this sport). The more the merrier…and good luck! (Couldn’t find a picture of the team, but hope to share one another time).

Footnote: One of the highlights of my week was listening to Barbara Gloudon’s interview with the Head Boy and Head Girl of Half Way Tree Primary School in the middle of Kingston. They were confident, articulate and aware. I felt proud of these two eleven-year-olds and wish them all the best of luck as they go out into this confusing, complicated and challenging world…

Have a wonderful week!

Members of the JNBS Foundation and the St. Ann's Bay Improvement Committee discuss the renovation of the town's historic clock.

A group of stalwart women from the JNBS Foundation and the St. Ann’s Bay Improvement Committee discuss the renovation of the town’s historic clock.

Bishop Howard Gregory arrives at the Spanish Town Cathedral of St. Jago De La Vega for his consecration.

Related links and websites:

http://www.psoj.org/?q=news/private-sector-working-group-pswg-tax-reform Private Sector Working Group on Tax Reform home page

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120515/lead/lead3.html Incoherent governance stifling Jamaica – JCC

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120517/lead/lead5.html Jamaica’s fear of change hampering tax reform, says Matalon

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Forum-focuses-on-homophobic-bullying-in-schools Forum focuses on homophobic bullying in schools

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/J-can-youth-tells-of-struggles-with-homosexuality_11494417 Jamaican youth tells of struggles with homosexuality

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Courageous-leadership-an-absolute-imperative_11452656 Courageous leadership an absolute imperative

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120520/cleisure/cleisure5.html Balancing the gay rights debate

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JTA-defends-sex-offender-teacher_11503192 JTA defends sex offender teacher

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/CISOCA-to–unmask–influential-persons-who-sexually-abuse-children_11464436 CISOCA to “unmask” influential persons who sexually abuse children

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JFLAG–JFJ-condemn-sexual-abuse-of-children J-FLAG, JFJ condemn sexual abuse of children

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/westernnews/Ellington-bats-for-amendment-to-Evidence-Act_11490194 Ellington bats for amendment to Evidence Act

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120518/business/business5.html 23,0oo jobs lost, unemployment spikes to 14.1 per cent

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120517/lead/lead8.html Negril developments lead to crab invasion

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120517/lead/lead3.html Unlocking a mystery: Hundreds of missing children unaccounted for

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/where-are-they-now/ Where are they now?

http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/innocence-and-loss/ Innocence and loss

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Church–beware- Church, beware!

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120517/lead/lead7.html Human rights for all

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120518/business/business1.html Paulwell accuses JPS of “monopolistic arrogance”

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120518/lead/lead94.html CaPRI offers scrap metal solutions

http://ladyromp.com/2012/05/18/women-in-the-news-61/ Women in the News: LIME women making a difference

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120514/news/news6.html St. Ann’s Bay clock ticks again

World hockey adds members: Jamaica, Qatar (espn.go.com)

Posted in: Americas, Environment, Human rights, Money, Society | Tagged: bullying, Caribbean, Chamber of commerce, child sexual abuse, Commerce, Gleaner, Gleaner Company, Government, Homophobia, Homosexuality, Jamaica, Peter Phillips, Politics, Portia Simpson Miller, Private Sector Working Group, Sexual abuse, Tax, Tax reform, Taxation, UNESCO, UNICEF

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