Well, it’s that time of year again. Email flyers are landing in my inbox, thick and fast! There is so much happening in and around Jamaica in this pre-Christmas season that I thought I would share some of this information with you. Then you can see what interests you. There is a mixture here of civil society organisations (there are several important days coming up), who are trying to get their planned events done before everyone goes into holiday mode…and the more arty and fun stuff as the festive season approaches. I will be posting more on my Facebook page in coming weeks… Enjoy! Participate!
OK – where shall we start? Well…
November is National Youth Month, organised by the Ministry of Education Youth and Information and the National Youth Service… with a whole slew of activities falling all over our social media timelines! The theme (and hashtag) is #substanceovahype
- WMW Jamaica (formerly Women’s Media Watch) has a calendar of events going into the New Year. To participate in any of these activities and to obtain more details, please call their office at (876) 881-5177 or email: hello@wmwja.org. They are on Facebook and on Twitter @WMWJamaica Website is www.wmwja.org OR www.womensmediawatch.org
Self Defense Classes – Dates: November 11 to December 9, Five (5) 90-minute sessions on Saturday afternoons…
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW): Saturday, November 25
Presentations on Media, Gender & Development by CARIMAC students – Tuesday, November 28, 10am -1pm. Open to the public. Caribbean School of Media and Communication, University of the West Indies, Mona.
The 16 Days of Activism: November 25 to December 10 – Tweet Campaign for IDEVAW awareness building
Schools Outreach – Violence Prevention messages to mark International Human Rights Day on Friday, December 8.
International Human Rights Day – Sunday, December 10; Official Opening of the Office – Saturday, December 16; Film Screening – January 2018
- Then, International Men’s Day is coming up! Here is a message from Jhanille Brooks, Associate Counselling Psychologist at the Jamaica Mental Health Advocacy Network. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and they have a blog.
November 19 is observed as International Men’s Day with this years theme being ” Celebrate Men and Boys”. This day is unknown to many and as such we would like to assist in bringing much needed awareness to this day. To this end, we invite your support in highlighting this day through social media and marketing platforms.
To commemorate this day, our organization will be visiting a few high schools to host rap sessions with selected male students.
You may also visit the International Men’s Day website at: http://www.internationalmensday.com/
Before I forget… the Art in the Blue Mountains event at the beautiful Heritage Gardens of Cold Spring, Newcastle has been rescheduled to Sunday, November 26. The weather forecast was grim last weekend, so it was postponed.
There are events for all ages. Senior citizens are invited to a Games Evening – a bit of a fundraiser for the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons (CCRP). If you are over 50, retired or thinking about retiring, this is a great organisation. There are amazing discounts for members on goods and services!
National Integrity Action continues its amazingly packed program of training, seminars and town hall meetings. And here is something very useful and practical for communities to get legal advice… Please do share with anyone in St. Mary. This is a fantastic idea!
International Proxy Parents are always quick off the mark with their Christmas Bazaar…
…and Grosvenor Galleries, a Kingston art gallery hosts one of the best art and craft fairs in town. Check them out on December 9 and 10.
The Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Children is putting on a Fundraising Dinner November 25, 2017 on the School’s Compound 57 Mannings Hill Road, Commencing at 7pm. Tickets are on sale at the School. The cost is J$2500. Funds are to upgrade the school library. Do support a great cause!
Meanwhile, if you would like to take a break from the rush of traffic madness in Kingston (it already seems to be building up), consider viewing two amazing exhibitions at the National Gallery of Jamaica – both of which have been extended to November 26, by popular demand. And our local bookstore has some nice offerings, too!
Last but not least, you could refresh yourself with a cup of delicious Chai Latte, made by the awesome Deaf Can! Coffee, at Café Nita!
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