Midweek in Jamaica: May 22, 2013
Four years ago today, fire broke out at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre in St. Ann. Seven girls – wards of the state – died as a result of the fire, and eleven were injured. It was a real pleasure today to meet some of the girls who survived this horror, and who are doing their best to move out beyond that horror. I think their day was an emotional one but also filled with hope. I will write more about this.
Devaluation of dollar welcomed by IMF: Well, some of us might have figured this out already. The steady drop in the Jamaican Dollar seemed inexorable and there was really very little comment on it from the Simpson Miller administration at the time. It was just…happening. The rest of us were saying, “What is going on? Help!” as it steadily dropped, day after day. Then suddenly the battered J$ (often depicted in cartoons wrapped in bandages and sticking plaster and hobbling on crutches) pulled itself to a screeching halt at 99 or so to the U.S. Dollar. Well, well. Our friends at the Implacable Masters Fund (IMF) approve of this; and, in fact, say they would like to see our dollar plummet a little bit more, stopping at, let’s say… What do you think? Where should it stop? This, by the way, is the “flexible exchange-rate regime” mentioned by the Jamaican Government in its April 17 Letter of Intent to the IMF (the link is below). Flexible is such a nice…flexible word, isn’t it?
I wonder if the Jamaican public can be as flexible as the Jamaican Dollar has turned out to be?
Trinidad start up weekend: Good luck to Ms. Ingrid Riley, our tech entrepreneur and inspirer extraordinaire, who is in Trinidad now at her Silicon Caribe Startup Weekend. 57 pitches! I attended a Jamaica session; it was lively and abuzz with ideas. I love Ingrid’s regional (Caribbean) approach, and wish more of us were doing that…
Duppy story: According to CVM Television news, a certain house in rural St. James is giving some trouble. In case you haven’t been following it, all kinds of drama has been going on in this very ordinary-looking little house. It has created lots of excitement among the local residents, who can be seen hurrying down the path to the house to witness the latest phenomenon. My husband is almost convinced that there’s a real duppy (to my non-Jamaican readers, that is a ghost) – and so am I. A poltergeist, perhaps? A mysterious fire on top of a wardrobe (could be an electrical short circuit, but…) And objects thrown out of the house when it is empty? A local was hit in the head by one such “missile” and bled profusely. Once bandaged up, he felt pretty good, escorted down the road from the clinic like a real celebrity. What’s going to happen next? I hope it’s not all special effects…
Is the JEEP warming up its engine? Remember JEEP – the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme? We haven’t heard much of it lately, but the Government has now found a way to create jobs by employing people to build concrete walls instead of zinc fences in selected Kingston communities. I suppose the concrete will screen off the poverty better – it will be harder to glimpse the earth-bare yards. But, Mr. Housing Minister, you know it won’t make any real difference. It’s just cosmetic. The same poverty is just a stone’s throw away…
African : It was announced today that our Prime Minister had flown off to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, along with the Foreign Affairs Minister, four other government officials, plus her support team (I am not sure how many people that consists of – it is always reported in government press releases as a collective noun). They will be back next Tuesday. One of the radio stations this evening stated that the cost of the trip, in recognition of the African Union’s fiftieth anniversary, will be J$8.6 million. I wonder what the Ineffable Masters Fraternity (IMF) thinks of such expenditure. I can think of a thousand different ways in which that money could have been spent for the benefit of the Jamaican people (the Armadale survivors, for example).
Yay! That money could, perhaps, have been spent on a few more real toilets that flush in Jamaican schools. But sixteen schools in western Jamaica must be groveling with thanks that they do, in fact, have real toilets and not stinking, dangerous holes in the ground, any more. Thank God for Petro-Caribe, anyway. Last time I heard – about a year or two ago – around 200 schools still had pit latrines. Hopefully the number has dropped considerably. It is baffling to me that this can still be an issue in 21st century Jamaica. Perhaps this should come before tablets?
Some things bring out the Great Cynic in me: Recent comments by our Finance Minister Peter Phillips filled me with great weariness. Waxing philosophical and presumably not sticking to his notes, the goodly Minister started to wonder out loud why Jamaica is in its current economic state: “How did it get to this? At least part of the answer, I believe, has to do with the nature of our political processes and the absence, up until recently, of effective paradigm oversight and absence of transparency.” What does this mean? Can someone translate? OK, let me try. The politicians have done nothing to create an “effective nation” (the Minister’s words) since Independence (until the current administration came into power). That’s how it “got to this”. By actually not leading (that’s the oversight part) and by keeping the people ignorant (absence of transparency). Something like that, perhaps?
The young and the generous: In a Twitter exchange just last night, my friend Jean Lowrie-Chin reminded me (the Great Cynic that I am) that the younger generations of those “big” families that have chosen to stay in Jamaica have not only prospered, but are “giving back” to their country. She cited young Adam Stewart, who heads the Sandals Foundation. National Bakery has started its “Bold Ones” Project to encourage youth entrepreneurship. And the young Mahfoods have taken up the mantle of the amazing charity that does so much good work, Food for the Poor. Jean is right – I must try to curb my innate suspicion of the privileged and powerful. I wish all of them had such good intentions as these gentlemen, and that they could all give back…more.
Get well soon: I have no doubt that heading the Police Federation, a union that represents the rank-and-file police force, is a highly stressful occupation. The current chair, Raymond Wilson, has actually been a number of years in the post, off and on. Mr. Wilson has been in hospital for the past few days, after suffering a heart attack at a relatively young age. I wish him a speedy recovery.
By the way, I hope the Reggae Boyz thrash that English football team from north London, Tottenham Hotspur, when they play them tomorrow. Oh, how I would love to see that happen! As a dedicated Arsenal fan (in case you didn’t know) I was delighted that the Gunners denied Spurs a Champions League place again when the English Premier League season ended. And I’m quite satisfied with our team’s strong performance this year, after a lousy start to the season…
It is encouraging to learn that “major crimes,” including murders, have fallen. I hope that this trend will continue. But I am keeping in my thoughts the families of the following Jamaicans whose lives have been taken in the past three days.
Dwayne Brown, Ocho Rios, St. Ann
Selvin Hincklewood, Kingston
Killed by the police:
Noel Williams, 42, Rose Town, Kingston
Jerome Spence, George’s Plain, Westmoreland
Related links and articles:
http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2013/pr13186.htm IMF concludes staff visit to Jamaica: imf.org
http://www.imf.org/External/NP/LOI/2013/JAM/041713.pdf Letter of Intent to IMF from Jamaican Government, April 17, 2013: imf.org
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/IMF-gives-us-reality-check_14298943 IMF gives us reality check: Jean Lowrie-Chin column/Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130522/lead/lead7.html J$ depreciation an important correction, says Fund: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130522/business/business2.html Phillips, IMF defend “strenuous” fiscal target for Jamaica: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/CHASE-Fund–sports-continue-to-reap-big-benefits-from-SVL_14302742 CHASE Fund, sports continue to reap big benefits from SVL: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130521/lead/lead1.html Child extortionists: Judge, JPs step in as students make thousands of dollars a day: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130521/cleisure/cleisure3.html Tablets in schools, yes, but please…! Oniel Mantack/Op-ed: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/An-assault-against-human-dignity_14308320 An assault on human dignity: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130521/letters/letters4.html Normal school not for teen babymothers: Letter to the Editor/Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130522/cleisure/cleisure2.html Erase the stupid idea of giving students condoms: George Davis column/Gleaner
http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/fourth-anniversary-of-armadale-fire Fourth anniversary of Armadale fire: RJR News
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130520/cleisure/cleisure1.html Sounder logic from the other Mr. Thwaites: Gleaner editorial
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130520/cleisure/cleisure4.html Deal with bullies before… Robert Lalah column/Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130521/news/news8.html INDECOM concerned about police records: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Crime-now-at-uptown-doorsteps_14298922 Crime now at uptown doorsteps: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130522/lead/lead2.html More cops to be hauled before courts: Gleaner
http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/top-level-probe-into-reports-of-contract-on-lives-of-prosecutor-investigator Top-level probe into reports of contract on lives of prosecutor, investigator: RJR News
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/What-violence-torn-St-James–nay-all-Jamaica–can-learn-from-Flanker_14299652 What violence-torn St. James – nay all Jamaica – can learn from Flanker: Jamaica Observer editorial
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130522/news/news2.html U.S. to give special training to MoBay firefighters: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Political-parties-alone-can-t-do-it—Phillips_14299845 Political parties alone can’t do it – Phillips: Jamaica Observer
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Is-migrating-Senate-President-a-coward_14296192 Is migrating Senate President a coward? Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130520/news/news1.html G2K wants answers from Contractor General: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130522/lead/lead1.html Shady dealings: Public sector workers under scrutiny… Gleaner
http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33972 Prime Minister to attend African Union 50th Anniversary: Jamaica Information Service
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130522/letters/letters3.html Stop magnifying wasteful high-rollers: Letter to the Editor/Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130521/cleisure/cleisure2.html#.UZuRJBboiag.facebook Freudian slip or Gordian knot? Gordon Robinson column/Gleaner
The inside of the dormitory at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre after the fire in May, 2009, which caused the deaths of seven girls and injured 11 others. (Photo: Gleaner)
Pitchers line up on the first day of the Trinidad Startup Weekend. (Photo: Silicon Caribe)
The very youthful-looking CEO of Sandals Resorts International, Adam Stewart.
Chairman of the Police Federation Raymond Wilson.
From left: Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips, Jan Kees Martijn, head of the IMF delegation, and Bank of Jamaica Governor Brian Wynter at the press conference held at the Ministry of Finance yesterday afternoon. (Photo: Gladstone Taylor/Gleaner)
Sunday Thoughts: April 28, 2013
Dear and faithful readers: I hope you are finding the two-part review more convenient and timely. I certainly find it much more manageable, from the writing point of view! As you will see, I still add a lot of links at the end of the post, so that you can do further reading on the various topics. My two-part news reviews now appear on Wednesdays and Sundays.
The PM and the press: The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) met with Information Minister Sandrea Falconer on Thursday to discuss the issue of media access to the Prime Minister. How could this really be an issue? But there you go; it is. As the PAJ noted before, the Prime Minister has not done any “substantive” media interview since taking office fifteen months ago. Minister Falconer said this was not quite true. But sorry – I just don’t remember many “impromptu” interviews. The Prime Minister never does a press briefing alone. She is always flanked by several other protective ministers. I am also wondering about this “Support Unit” that the Prime Minister takes with her everywhere. How many are there and what do they do?
Blast from the past: The final sentence in the Jamaica Information Service press release (link below) caught my eye. “The (Information) Minister was accompanied by members of the Prime Minister’s Support Unit and Head of the Minister’s Taskforce [to keep press in line], Colin Campbell.” Slight raise of the eyebrows there. Mr. Campbell is a former Information Minister, People’s National Party general secretary and Member of Parliament, a man who is (or was) under a bit of a shadow in connection with the 2007 Trafigura scandal (alleged campaign donations to the party). He has been keeping a low profile for the past few years – apart from writing a newspaper article last December attacking the outgoing Contractor General (who, of course, investigates matters like Trafigura). Campbell called the CG “an abject failure.” Meanwhile, I understand the PAJ’s Vice President Arthur Hall says that the organization will not be part of any “protocol” to restrict access to Ms. Simpson Miller. This is, very definitely, the thin end of the wedge, and the PAJ recognizes it as such.
Paulwell announced some things: As I have noted before, I like Minister Phillip Paulwell because he seems to stay focused, generally restrains himself from scoring cheap political points, and actually seems to want to get things done. His contribution to the Budget Debate last week certainly contained much food to chew on. The government has decided not to sell its 45% stake in the hugely loss-making Clarendon Alumina Partners (the bauxite plant), Paulwell announced; although the Finance Minister had said something different. So this is a little confusing. The majority owners, Alcoa and Glencore, have written a report on the matter, that will be made public soon.
Venezuelan grey areas: The future of the long-delayed expansion of the Petrojam oil refinery now seems gravely in doubt, according to Minister Paulwell; the Venezuelan government has been a 49% shareholder since 2006. The death of Hugo Chavez and the election of the so far unimpressive Nicolas Maduro has also raised questions over the PetroCaribe agreement, on which Jamaica and other Caribbean nations are (too) heavily dependent. Minister Paulwell must be feeling very antsy about our socialist friends; Jamaica needs to know what’s happening, ASAP.
On and on and on: Opposition Leader Andrew Holness also made his contribution to the Budget Debate last week. It dragged on all afternoon (three hours). I would like to see all budget speeches shortened to twenty minutes or so. It’s more than possible – just boil down your announcements, package them neatly. There would be no more glazed eyes (and irritating side- conversations) in Parliament. Members would have to sit up and concentrate for a much shorter time. There would be no time for the heckling, aside jokes and guffaws from the other side of the room. Members of the public would be able to tune in and really listen, instead of just having the radio on as a kind of soporific background drawl. Generally, though, the Opposition Leader did quite well, by all accounts. His use of two baskets of groceries, to show how much less we can buy compared to December 2011, was effective and made for good television. He also made ten recommendations to the Government for digging itself out of the economic hole it finds itself in. The speech was remarkably lacking in rancor and political point-scoring. This must have surprised the Government side of the House, who were priming their weapons for battle. The usual insults and “banter” therefore stayed at a manageable level. Good, constructive stuff, Mr. Holness.
Yes, we have drugs: I’ve noticed a remarkable upsurge in major drug busts, lately. Two retirees from Florida have been arrested in connection with the discovery of 350 pounds of marijuana on Navy Island, a beautiful spot just off Port Antonio. 650 pounds of weed was found in West Kingston. 500 pounds of ganja was found in St. Elizabeth, always a productive area. On April 20, a security guard contractor was arrested with a huge amount of cocaine in Montego Bay. Hell, there was even a cocaine find on a Caribbean Airlines flight departing for Florida. Jamaicans are being arrested in the Bahamas and elsewhere on drug charges. One gets the feeling that the “war on drugs” has just been rekindled.
Water, water everywhere: The seaside resort of Negril is parched. During an edition of the call-in radio show “Justice” this week, there was a somewhat futile discussion on what happened to all the water in Negril, how it was being managed, etc. Local residents are upset that water is being diverted to the hotels, and the hotels are upset at having to give refunds to guests who leave because there is no water. Basically, there is not enough to go around. When Negril began developing rapidly some 15-20 years ago (and the Spanish have subsequently moved in with their monstrous hotels) there was concern among some that water, sewage systems etc. might be inadequate. The Powers that Were more or less dismissed these fears in the name of the mighty god of Investment, and we seem to have an insatiable appetite for more tourism rooms. Well, so it has come to pass: no water. Then, of course, there is the disappearing “world famous seven-mile beach” – which can no longer be called seven miles long by any stretch of the imagination. What is the Member of Parliament (also Tourism Minister) doing about all this? He seems to be preoccupied with arguing with his Opposition counterpart about tourism money, at the moment.
Could the Ministry of Foreign Affairs please tell me…? What does the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) do, apart from talk of course? What are its achievements? It has been meeting in Haiti this week. And why do we need to have an Embassy in Ecuador, as Minister of Foreign Affairs AJ Nicholson is suggesting? I thought that diplomatic missions abroad were very costly. What do Jamaica and Ecuador have to offer each other? Is Julian Assange going to be palmed off on us?
More details, please? Of the 4,000 online jobs that the World Bank says it has created for Jamaicans. Wasn’t aware…
Jamaica is slipping: And talking of IT, Jamaica has slipped down the rankings again in the World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report – for the seventh consecutive year. With all that Minister Paulwell and IT entrepreneurs are doing (Ingrid Riley is doing a superb job to stimulate start-ups with her Kingston Beta) we are steadily slipping behind – for example, in network readiness, broadband subscribers, e-commerce, venture capital availability, and (depressingly) math and science education. Can we have some more discussion on this? What has gone wrong? Are we just dragging our feet? What do we need to be doing that we are not doing now?
Maybe the Member of Parliament can pay a visit with her Support Team: I hear the deprived and desolate inner-city community of Majesty Gardens (such a tragic misnomer), in the Prime Minister’s constituency, is “tense.” Perhaps their Member of Parliament can pay them a visit soon, and re-ignite the love.
Tears for Dr. Lewin: I was moved by former Prime Minister Edward Seaga’s very emotional farewell to Dr. Olive Lewin at her funeral yesterday. Dr. Lewin was founder of the Jamaican Folk Singers, cultural explorer and invigorator. She was also, as Mr. Seaga pointed out, an incredibly kind and humanitarian woman who cared deeply about our marginalized and poor children and quietly did much good work on their behalf. Mr. Seaga said, in a voice thick with tears, “I wish I could feel it in my heart that she was fully recognized in her own land.” I agree with him – she was not. No pretty speech from the Culture Minister or hugs from the Prime Minister can make up for that.
Phrases I don’t want to hear for a while: “Divine intervention” and “The relevant authorities.”
Tweet-grabbing: The Jamaica Observer is now reprinting Jamaicans’ tweets, with names and Twitter handles – especially the political ones. I am just wondering what the purpose is. If you look at page 27 of today’s Sunday newspaper you will see tweeters clearly identified alongside their tweets on the issue of the Prime Minister and the press. I suppose the newspaper doesn’t have to ask permission, but… They also have an address where you can “email your views” but must include your Twitter handle. Why?
The Energy God doth protest: A dancehall figure called Elephant Man is protesting against wild rumors that he is gay. This is the worst thing you can say to a macho dancehall man, in a sphere where homophobia still reigns supreme. The orange-haired Elephant Man claims to have “thirty-five pickney” [children] so how could he be gay? The last figure bandied about was apparently 22 pickney. Well, he has lived up to his name of “Energy God” it seems, and got busy. Keeping the population levels up there. So long as none of the pickney have orange hair.
I am very sad to report that the following Jamaicans have lost their lives in the past three days, since my last bulletin. My deepest condolences to all their families. Ms. Ricketts’ other son is also hospitalized. I cannot imagine how the father is feeling. I have noticed how often the names of Jamaicans killed by the police are not reported – or, as below, their nicknames are given. I suppose they are not so important?
Richard Aiken, 19, Beckford Town, St. Mary
Shawn Magnus, 31, Parry Town/Ocho Rios, St. Ann
Patrick Shakes, 51, Catadupa, St. James
Kereisha Ricketts, 34, Newtown, Westmoreland
Jafe Francis, 9, Newtown, Westmoreland
Killed by police:
“Piggy Deer,” Gregory Park, St. Catherine
Related articles (local posts in purple):
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130425/cleisure/cleisure2.html Poverty has little bearing on students: Jaevion Nelson column/Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130425/lead/lead1.html Change a coming: Energy minister says positive move to reduce electricity rates on the horizon: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Four-bidders-for-power-plant_14144802 Four bidders for new power plant: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/business/business4.html Paulwell pins final hopes for Petrojam on Maduro: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/lead/lead6.html Bauxite revival: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/business/business2.html Jamalco to press ahead with coal plant: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/cleisure/cleisure1.html Will CAP decision undermine IMF deal? Gleaner editorial
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Phillips-says-public-sector-agencies-to-be-merged_14152187 Phillips says public sector agencies to be merged: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/news/news1.html Paulwell gives tablets to parliamentarians: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Students–teachers-at-30-schools-to-get-free-tablets_14151109 Students, teachers at 30 schools to get free tablets: Jamaica Observer
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Cost-of-living–tun-up-_14143444 Holness blames government for people’s hardships: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/lead/lead1.html ”We’ve been butchered”: Holness tells government to backtrack on taxes, pitches 10-point formula: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/lead/lead3.html Charting a different course: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/latest/article.php?id=44370 4,000 jobs created for young Jamaicans in virtual economy: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130424/business/business8.html Jamaica dips in new IT rankings: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/New-customs-tax-presents-nightmare-for-small-businesses_14137839 New customs tax presents nightmare for small businesses: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130425/cleisure/cleisure1.html Give details for the June IMF test: Gleaner editorial
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/in-caribbean-gridlocked-courts-hit-by-crime-wave-block-justice-and-stall-lives/2013/04/26/ff6984b0-ae9c-11e2-b240-9ef3a72c67cc_story.html In Caribbean, gridlocked courts hit by crime wave block justice and stall lives: AP/Washington Post
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Mayhem-on-Waltham-Avenue-in-Kingston_14152374 Mayhem on Waltham Avenue in Kingston: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130425/lead/lead2.html ”Let’s go get these bad guys”: U.S. sets eyes on scammers: Gleaner
http://ht.ly/kv5ld ”Dem call it scam, me call it a reparation”: Mark Wilson op-ed/Trinidad Guardian
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130427/lead/lead1.html Rolex probe widens: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121209/cleisure/cleisure3.html Greg Christie was an abject failure: Colin Campbell op-ed/Gleaner, December 2012
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Shock-arrest_14159903 JPS contractors accused of stealing utility wires, street lamps: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130425/lead/lead91.html American nabbed in Portland drug operation, another on the run: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Cops-keeping-an-eye-on-tense-Majesty-Gardens_14131169 Cops keeping an eye on tense Majesty Gardens: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130425/lead/lead3.html Tivoli residents call on PM to “have a heart”: Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130427/cleisure/cleisure1.html Tyranny in the ghetto: Gleaner editorial
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130425/news/news2.html UNICEF donates vehicle to Eve for Life: Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/-Show-love-to-our-children-in-entire-month-of-May-_14153267 ”Show love to our children in entire month of May”: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130425/lead/lead8.html Media Association joins PAJ’s call for greater access to public officials: Gleaner
http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads/33683 Minister Falconer and PAJ meet on proposed protocol: Jamaica Information Service
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/719-children-missing-since-the-start-of-the-year 719 children missing since the start of the year: Jamaica Observer
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/letters/letters1.html Gender-based quotas wrong: Letter of the Day/Gleaner
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Anglican-bishops-reject-same-sex-marriage_14150775 Anglican bishops reject same sex marriage: Jamaica Observer
http://jamlink.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=50:ghastly-pit-latrines-at-st-marys&Itemid=191 Ghastly pit latrines at St. Mary’s:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/CDA-head-says-child-care-facilities-audit-almost-complete_14152607 CDA head says child care facilities audit almost complete: Jamaica Observer
http://arcthemagazine.com/arc/2013/04/usain-bolt-foundation-announces-samsung-camera-workshop-in-jamaica/ Usain Bolt Foundation announces Samsung camera workshop in Jamaica: Arc Magazine
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130425/cleisure/cleisure3.html Divine intervention is the Church promoting peace in the society: Bernard Headley op-ed/Gleaner
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/news/news4.html Port Maria Hospital gets well-needed lifeline: Gleaner
The ruggedly handsome Elephant Man claims to have sired no less than 35 pickney. (Photo: RisingStarsTV.Net)
Former Prime Minister Edward Seaga and his wife Carla write in the tribute book for Olive Lewin at her funeral. (Photo: Karl McLarty/Sunday Observer)
A happy scene in Majesty Gardens, Kingston, in the Prime Minister’s constituency. (Photo: vimeo.com)
Jamaican IT entrepreneur par excellence Ingrid Riley. (Photo: Gleaner)
Caribbean groupings: I don’t know if this graphic enlightens you, at all.
Hoteliers in Negril, Westmoreland discuss issues affecting their business at an outside broadcast of Power 106 FM’s “Justice” at the Charela Inn, Negril last week. (Photo: Justice Facebook page)
The secluded (and pretty much deserted) Navy Island, in Port Antonio. (Photo: Oliver Wright/Roun’ Jamaica)
Opposition Leader Andrew Holness with his shopping basket in Parliament last week. (Photo: Gleaner)
Newly elected President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro. (Photo: AP/Fernando Llano)
Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell. (Photo: Gleaner)
Former information minister and PNP general secretary Colin Campbell now heads the “Taskforce” of the current minister that aims to develop a “protocol” for press engagement with the Prime Minister. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)
The Gleaner’s Senior Staff Reporter Arthur Hall (whom I remember as an enthusiastic young radio journalist on Nationwide News Network) is an infectiously happy and amiable person – but a serious journalist. Here he is receiving the 2009 PAJ Journalist of the Year award. (Photo: Norman Grindley/Gleaner)
P.S. Happy World Wetlands Day! February 2, 2013
Yes, today is World Wetlands Day. A very last-minute reminder!
The Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Anada Tiéga, reminds us this 2013:
Our focus this year is the chance for all of us working for wetlands to convince those who manage water that wetlands are not competitors for water but rather they are essential components of water infrastructure, providing a clean source and store of freshwater.
Please enjoy these photographs (mostly from my own archives taken by me over the past few years during our travels) and explore the links below for further information on World Wetlands Day…
Alligator Hole, on the south coast of Jamaica. (Photo courtesy of Odale Mulgrave)
A boat trip in Salt River, Clarendon for World Wetlands Day 2013 (Photo: Caribbean Coastal Area Foundation)
Mangroves at Waterloo, Trinidad (My Photo)
Wetlands near Robin’s Bay, St. Mary, Jamaica (My Photo)
Antigua coastline. from the air (My Photo)
Wetlands in Queensland, Australia (My Photo)
On our travels in Queensland, Australia. I am trying to remember the name of this magical place… an aboriginal name and part of a national park. (My Photo)
Wetlands near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. (My Photo)
Some articles and websites of interest:
The Wey and Arun Canal near Loxwood, Sussex, UK (My photo)
Mason River Protected Area, Clarendon, Jamaica (Photo: greenantilles.com)
http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-wwd13-home1index/main/ramsar/1^26035_4000_0__ Ramsar Convention website: World Wetlands Day 2013
http://www.nepa.gov.jm/newscenter/Press_releases/Archive/2011/PR20111214-mason-river-declared-ramsar-site.asp Mason River Protected Area declared World Ramsar Site: National Environment & Protection Agency
http://www.earthtimes.org/conservation/world-wetlands-day/2272/ World Wetlands Day: Earth Times
Bolivia Designates World’s Largest Protected Wetland (prweb.com)
World Wetlands Day: Wetlands and Water Management (ecopostblog.wordpress.com)
Caring for wetlands takes care of water (sciencelens.wordpress.com)
Celebrating wetlands across the world [Photos] (mnn.com)
Hunter estuary leads the way on World Wetlands Day (abc.net.au)
http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/protecting-our-fish-earth-day-part-1/ Protecting our Fish: Earth Day, Part 1 (petchary.wordpress.com)
A Softer Blue…the Caribbean Sea
My last blog post on the Caribbean environment – and in particular, its marine ecosystems – was, I confess, rather heavy going. So I decided to lighten it up. It’s not all gloom and despondency. Indeed, there are glimmers of light. Here are a few…
The Trinidad and Tobago government issued a statement deeply regretting the deaths of hundreds of Leatherback Turtle hatchlings and the crushing of their eggs by careless, clumsy bulldozers on Grand Rivere beach. And it seems that numerically things aren’t quite so bad after all, according to a comment by a World Wildlife Fund representative, who says that even if 2,000 eggs were lost during the period of destructive zeal that day, they would only represent one per cent of the beach’s total production. (See the Fund’s assessment of the highly endangered turtle’s global status in the link below – and it is good to know that South Africa is at the forefront of conservation efforts). But the fact remains, why did this orgy of destruction have to take place smack in the middle of the turtles’ nesting season, even if it was “crucial” work, as the Trinidad Government stated?
An endangered leatherback sea turtle crawls toward the sea at Playa Grande on the Northwest coast of Costa Rica. Leatherback hatchling survival is closely tied to temperatures within the nest and a new study indicates that rising average temperatures over the course of the century could reduce hatching success by as much as 60 percent.
Since we are talking turtle, the Bluefields Environmental Protection Association, on Jamaica’s beautiful south-west coast, is assisting with a Sea Turtle Monitoring Program. This is a tremendous community effort, supported by, among others, the U.S. Peace Corps (which does simply amazing work in Jamaica at the rural community level); the gorgeous, luxury and community-spirited Bluefields Bay Villas; the Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s Friendly Society; and the men and women of Bluefields – who are making it all happen.
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) has developed a plan for the sustainable harvesting of flying fish (which the Barbadians love to eat) and is currently evaluating the health of the Queen Conch (which frequents Jamaican waters) and the sea bob (shrimp) fisheries of Guyana and Suriname. Good. The population of Queen Conch in the Caribbean is declining quite rapidly, due to over-fishing – and from time to time, Honduran fishing boats poach large quantities of them in Jamaican waters. The CRFM also discussed the thorny problem of the predatory lion fish, which is busy gobbling up reef fish in the Caribbean at a terrifying rate; and the sargassum seaweed, which has swamped the beaches of the eastern Caribbean since last year, and appears to be a symptom of climate change. I do hope that urgent action will be taken in these matters. Meanwhile the Virgin Island Daily News reports that a Senate Committee is working on a plan to manage the lion fish (I used to find this creature fascinating and beautiful when watching nature programs, but now I hate the sight of it).
Flying fish
And speaking of Suriname… I am delighted with its government for deciding that, in fact, having tourists do whale-watching trips to see their large population of melon-headed whales, dolphins and other marine mammals is a profitable and far more sensible pursuit than hunting said whales to extinction. The Surinamese government has decided not to support Japan – which also seems to be wavering just slightly and has announced that it will cease its whale-hunting activities in Antarctica. Yes, Caribbean people – ecotourism makes sense, doesn’t it? Maybe some of us are finally “getting” it – although late in the day, very late.
One more somewhat obscure piece of possible good news for our Caribbean Sea. Have you ever heard of Navassa Island? Well, it is an uninhabited lump of coral and limestone between Jamaica and Haiti, only two square miles in size. Although administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Haiti has claimed sovereignty over it for the past two hundred years or so. It is one of those little pieces of land which seem to serve no purpose, if it ever did (it once had a working lighthouse and hundreds of people digging up guano – strictly speaking, phosphate). Navassa was made a National Wildlife Refuge in 1999 and is closed to the public… But earlier this year, scientists from the Global Reef Expedition (funded by the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, which also conducted research around Jamaica) made hundreds of dives around the island. The expedition found some surprisingly resilient growths of the highly endangered elk horn coral, which seems to have recovered somewhat from bleaching periods and even more remarkably, has adapted so that it clings to the almost vertical faces of the island’s rocks.
Well, that’s it for now. I hope that you have found these updates interesting, and do take a look at the links I have listed below – they will tell you so much more. I actually feel a whole lot better, having written this, than I did after my recent rant on our precious Caribbean Sea. Work is being done, and I like to think – and hope – that awareness is growing. But let us inform ourselves more; know that our actions on land as well as at sea impact the ocean directly; teach others; and take action, wherever and whenever we can. Ending with a beautiful quote from Christopher Paolini (author of “Eragon”) – which is how I think I feel:
“The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can’t.”
Scientists study elkhorn coral in the Bahamas (Photo: NASA Ames Research Center)
Navassa Island’s rugged shoreline.
Melon-headed whales are also called “blackfish” and are often found in large groups.
Bluefields, Jamaica…So blue…
Hawksbill turtle which had just laid its eggs in Bluefields recently.
http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/trinidad_tobago_news/595890.html#ixzz20Z3pvCHL
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/marine_turtles/leatherback_turtle/ (Endangered Species: Leatherback Turtle from the World Wildlife Fund)
http://www.ticotimes.net/Current-Edition/Top-Story/Losing-the-leatherback_Friday-June-29-2012 (Losing the Leatherback: from the Tico Times of Costa Rica)
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/world-view/2012/jun/11/tourism-peace-corp-working-together-make-differenc/ (Tourism and U.S. Peace Corps working together to make a difference in Bluefields Bay, Jamaica: from Washington Times)
http://www.bluefieldsvillas.com/ (Bluefields Bay Jamaican Seaside Villas)
http://www.devsur.com/suriname-no-longer-backs-whaling/2012/07/12/ (Suriname no longer backs whaling)
http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/596471.html?utm_source=Caribbean360+Newsletters&utm_campaign=fee95c98f0-Vol_7_Issue_77_News7_16_2012&utm_medium=email#axzz20oN5qgsB (Tourism trumps whaling in Suriname)
http://repeatingislands.com/2012/06/26/caribbean-regional-fisheries-mechanism-discusses-action-on-lionfish-and-sargassum-seaweed/ (Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism discusses action on Lionfish and Sargassum Seaweed)
http://www.globalreefexpedition.org/ (Global Reef Expedition, funded by the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation)
http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/02/caribbean-hit-hard-by-sargassum-seaweed-invasion-2/ (Caribbean hit hard by Sargassum Seaweed invasion)
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/invertebrates/queenconch.htm (Queen Conch: NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources)
http://www.caricom-fisheries.com/ (Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism website)
http://repeatingislands.com/2012/07/13/navassa-strangest-island-in-the-caribbean-may-be-a-sanctuary-for-critically-endangered-elkhorn-coral/ (Navassa Island may be a sanctuary for critically endangered elk horn coral)
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/livingthings/AGU_coral_reef_health.html (NASA to measure coral reef health with airplane sensors)
(Foot)ball
The ball is round.
The Petchary has caught that incurable disease that is gripping so many Jamaicans. It’s spreading like wildfire. Symptoms include a strange, incessant buzzing (or trumpeting) in the ears, and a strong desire to throw oneself down on the couch and watch…the World Cup.
Today’s hero was Diego Forlan of Uruguay, he of the piercing grey eyes and chiseled jaw. This must surely have delighted the Urugayan writer Eduardo Galeano, the journalist, novelist and left-wing activist, and author of the wonderful little book “El Futbol a Sol y Sombra” (Soccer in Sun and Shadow). I have posted my short review of the book in the Book Reviews pages of this blog.
Dashing Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan
Incidentally, it was Galeano’s book “Las Veinas Abiertas de America Latina” (The Open Veins of Latin America) that Venezuela’s flamboyant leader Hugo Chavez presented to President Barack Obama at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad last year. The President dutifully promised to read it, although he might have found it heavy going. Even in his football book, Galeano cannot resist making some heavy political points from time to time – but the elegant descriptions of the early days of the World Cup, and the great players of Uruguay and Hungary (yes, Hungary) are a delight.
The family Galeano was born into was essentially middle-class – and the writer himself can claim Welsh, German, Spanish and Italian ancestry. He was a Latin American hybrid with various European strains. I wonder how the Welsh and Italian sides of the family got on together.
Is this a good read? Mr. Chavez recommends it.
And it is interesting (and indeed, enjoyable) to note the delicious diversity of the World Cup – a contest which includes more countries than the United Nations. And not only amongst the sternly competing teams – but also within them. For example, one of today’s other heroes was Switzerland’s boyish midfielder Gelson Fernandes, whose simple, yet impudent goal stunned the favorites Spain. Fernandes is not Swiss by birth (not Brazilian either), but was born in the Cape Verde Islands – those rugged, windswept outposts off the coast of West Africa that feel the first breath of oncoming Atlantic hurricanes.
Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes
And what of Chile’s single goal against the rather woeful Honduran team? It was scored by Jean Beausejour, who hit a ricochet off a hapless Honduran into the net. Nothing Hispanic about that name. Indeed, he is the son of a Mapuche Chilean mother (the Mapuche are an indigenous people of Chile, making up a tiny proportion of the total population); and a Haitian father, who survived the January earthquake. And what a handsome mix he is, too.
Chilean striker/left-winger Jean Beausejour
The Olympics are often touted as the great coming-together of nations, and there is much wrapping around of flags. But in many ways, the World Cup offers even more dazzling combinations and contrasts: the gritty defensive play of the stubble-headed North Koreans against the silky skills of the bright Brazilians made excellent viewing, too.
Vive la difference! Let’s celebrate our differences, forever.
