Sunday, December 8, 2013

It’s a deliciously peaceful Sunday afternoon. This morning, two White Wing Doves huddled right down into the wet grass. They were enjoying the cool and damp, and pretending to be two rather attractive little toy birds.

The passing of Nelson Mandela has cast a shadow over the past few days. Now, Jamaica has a strong claim on Mr. Mandela, being one of the very first countries to condemn the apartheid system. It was always at the forefront of the international campaign against the racist regime in South Africa. Prime Minister Michael Manley was closely involved and received a gold medal from the United Nations in 1978 for his efforts. A Jamaican woman – the United Nations’ Angela King – headed the UN Observer Mission in South Africa from 1992 – 1994 as apartheid was being dismantled. Mr. Mandela visited Jamaica in 1991 and again in 1998 when he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the West Indies.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, signing the Condolence Book for the late former South African President Nelson Mandela, at the South African High Commission in St. Andrew yesterday (December 6). The Prime Minister is accompanied by Members of the Cabinet who took a break from their two day retreat and travelled to the High Commission where they also signed the Condolence Book. (Photo: Jamaica Information Service)

Five days of mourning: Our Prime Minister announced five days of mourning in Jamaica for Nelson Mandela, and then flew off to South Africa yesterday for his Memorial Service (three days ahead). And I may sound churlish (but I don’t care): How many “security and support staff” accompanied her this time? We never know, do we. But like the PM, they are certainly well traveled. (OK, I do realize that the trip is necessary but I would like some transparency: How many people, and how much?) The PM will be back on Friday for a joint sitting of Parliament, where much pontification will take place and the room will become so filled with hot air that it might well spontaneously combust… Watch out!  (I’m sorry to see the PM was wearing those awful dark glasses, indoors, again, when signing the condolence book. Can’t someone confiscate them?) And what do the five days consist of, apart from flags at half-mast?

I have to quote a tweep verbatim on the above: “Instead of declaring a week of mourning, our leaders should commit to values lived by #Mandela – integrity, honor.” And the emphasis is “lived” I think – put into practice those values that our political leaders just talk about. However hard it might be. But the word “sacrifice” isn’t popular these days…

A lovely photo of Jamaica’s Angela King, who was Assistant Secretary-General for Gender Issues from 1997 to 2004, at the observance of the International Women’s Day at the United Nations Headquarters in 2003. Ms. King, who died in 2007, headed the UN Observer Mission in South Africa (1992-94). (Photo: Olga Bobrova).t

The Trini affair: Minister Nicholson, for some reason best known to the Prime Minister, you are not going to South Africa. How rarely you travel, for a Foreign Minister. Well, this gives you some time to prepare for a press conference and discussion on this promised “full statement” on discussions with your Trinidadian counterpart, which took place a week ago. No more waffling, please. What actually went down? And in detail. But there has been a rather unpleasant twist to this tetchy affair: The Trinidadian Security Minister says his colleague had no right to trot over to Jamaica and make concessions. OH. What next? Read the Jamaica Observer‘s “T&T security minister angers Ja with scathing remarks.”

Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Minister Winston Dookeran addressing a news conference at the Jamaican foreign ministry last Monday before a meeting with his Jamaican counterpart, AJ Nicholson (4th left). (PHOTO: JIS)

With Transport Minister Omar Davies still on sick leave there has been a lot of fuss over the buses this week. Private franchise holders were on strike. And how is Minister Davies’ health, by the way? I am repeating my enquiry because I still have not heard a thing.

Cab drivers block the Ocho Rios bypass in protest at a shooting incident in the bus park. (Photo: Renae Dixon/Jamaica Observer)

There have also been reports about security issues at the Ocho Rios bus park before. Shots were fired on Friday afternoon and into the evening. Two men were injured, one seriously. Why can’t a police officer be posted there? It’s one of those cases where there were warnings, and it should have already happened.

“They shape the environment” for lawlessness: Although I have severe qualms about governments banning music, books or any form of creative expression, I feel that I am being swayed by Police Commissioner Owen Ellington’s arguments about dancehall lyrics. He has been listening to more of them than I have. Apart from the clear encouragement of the “Informa Fi Dead” culture in some of these songs, what really concerns me is the reinforcement of an atmosphere of intolerance, distrust, discrimination and – yes, anger. It frightens me. Commissioner Ellington seems ambivalent about this being dealt with through legislation, and I agree. But how can we turn things around? Read Jamaica Observer (Sunday)’s “State must deal with murder music, says Ellington” (a somewhat misleading headline, but that is pretty common in our print media unfortunately).

Are we teaching sex education in our schools? It seems there is a reluctance to implement Health & Family Life Education (HFLE) curricula in Caribbean schools; this certainly applies to Jamaica. First there was the fuss about the HFLE handbook including material considered unsuitable for schoolchildren. Now sex education in schools has apparently been put on the back-burner for the past year or so, condom machines in schools are a no-no, we have a Roman Catholic pastor for a Minister of Education, and we can expect much higher rates of teen pregnancy, STDs and HIV/AIDS, child rape, botched abortions and a host of other social ills. But let’s just fold our hands piously, pretend our children are not having sex, and let them suffer in ignorance. Read the Jamaica Observer: “High prevalence of adolescent pregnancy in the Caribbean.”  

But if you do want a dose of reality, go and talk to Pat Watson and Joy Crawford at Eve for Life. They work with teen and young mothers living with HIV/AIDS, and their children, and they see what is happening on the ground as a result of our inaction. And support their current campaign, “Nuh Guh Deh,” against harmful sexual relationships between older men and young girls.

Members of Eve for Life show their support for Jamaican children at a march organised by a youth activists for Child Month, 2012.

Let’s pretend people aren’t having sex at all shall we? So now the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (also headed by a Reverend) may withdraw its safe-sex ads from buses. Yes, they are a little raunchy. But the message is safe sex. What should be depicted – a picnic in the park? Read “Too hot for JUTC” in the Gleaner.

She fell through the floor: I have heard much about the dreadful conditions at many police stations. I saw a half-ruined house the other day in the country that was apparently still in use as a police station. Now a poor policewoman fell through the floor at Darliston Police Station in Westmoreland. I hope she has recovered and wish her well.

Dr. Carolyn Gomes is moving to the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

Thanks to the Jamaica Observer for its interesting and fairly in-depth interview with outgoing Executive Director and co-founder of Jamaicans for Justice, Dr. Carolyn Gomes. It’s a pity there are so many ignorant online comments underneath the articles, though. It amazes me that so many Jamaicans still don’t understand the concept of human rights. Why would JFJ be in the business of “defending criminals”? Was thirteen-year-old Janice Allen, shot in the head by the police, a criminal? What about JFJ’s campaign for the rights of children in state care? Lord help us. Read the Jamaica Observer (Sunday): “JFJ full of cash? Not so, says Carolyn Gomes” and “Gomes reflects on the worst of times.” Also “JFJ wary of Gov’t promise to amend Child Care Act.”

Blood donor Organiser, National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Igol Allen. (Photo: Jamaica Information Service)

Please support the National Blood Transfusion Service’s drive to get more young people to give blood. At present the Blood Bank only holds about half of the blood required on a regular basis, which is woeful. I used to give blood in the UK every six months, and believe me – it doesn’t hurt! Read JIS website: “NBTS targets youth in blood collection drive.”

Petchary recommends and commends the following:

• The team at the Ministry of National Security for a well-organized presentation on crime and for the effort to call Jamaicans to its “Unite for Change” initiative. Please see my earlier blog. I am hoping that we will get clear guidance and accurate, unvarnished statistics from the Ministry from here on in. Thank you, Minister Bunting!

Minister of National Security Peter Bunting in thoughtful mood at last week’s launch of “Unite for Change.” (My photo)

Two more Jamaican blogs that you might enjoy: attorney Kent Gammon’s blog is at kentgammon.wordpress.com. He asks in his latest post whether Jamaica is “the black sheep of the Caribbean family.” He is a G2K co-founder (a Jamaica Labour Party arm). Another good recent one is “Jamaica’s debt trap: How we painted ourselves into a corner.” Both worth a read. Also recommend a blog called jamaicanpoliticaleconomy.wordpress.com which includes succinct and pointed commentary on “The good, the bad and the ugly” in Jamaica, written by a retired economist who has lived abroad for many years.

Former Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields has written a very good piece in the In Focus section of today’s Sunday Gleaner: “Putting the cart before the horse.” I agree with it fully, and encourage you to read it. The Jamaica Constabulary Force needs to get its priorities right, although it is clearly under pressure from many quarters. There are many sensible proposals and ideas in this article.

Jamaican broadcast journalist Kaneal Gayle. Kudos to him for his documentary on CVM Television, “Battle Lines.”

Finally, huge kudos to CVM Television’s Kaneal Gayle, producer of an excellent documentary, “Battle Lines,” on the struggle for LGBT rights in Jamaica (with a focus on gay rights activist Javed Jaghai’s challenge of Jamaica’s anti-buggery laws). Despite the somewhat provocative title (isn’t it interesting that the anti-gay lobby, consisting mostly of fundamentalist Christians, are the ones who actually use these war-like terms?) the program was balanced. It presented all sides of the argument and was beautifully filmed. I expect the program will be repeated and posted on CVM’s website eventually, or YouTube. Congratulations, Kaneal! (He also gives credit to Dineiro Films for the editing).

The American author Joan Didion wrote following the death of her husband: “Grief turns out to be a place none of us know until we reach it.” In “The Year of Magical Thinking” she describes grief as “the unending absence…the void…the relentless succession of moments during which we will confront the experience of meaninglessness itself.” These words (taken from the marvelous website brainpickings.org) may well apply to the family and loved ones of the following Jamaicans who have been murdered in the past three days:

Unidentified man, Davis Town, St. Ann

Marlon Scarlett, 30, Alva, St. Ann

Unidentified teenage girl, Bushy Park, St. Catherine

Andrew Robinson, 26, Middleton District, St. Thomas

Yankeel Robinson, 22, Middleton District, St. Thomas