Tag: homicide

It’s killing hope: Stand Up for Jamaica is alarmed at planned minimum mandatory sentence for minors

April 30, 2023

The political rhetoric on crime has “turned up” since the recent CARICOM meeting. The current administration seems to have found its “silver bullet” so to speak – mandatory minimum sentences. But for minors, also? Do we really believe that “the children are our future”? Stand Up for Jamaica is very concerned. … More It’s killing hope: Stand Up for Jamaica is alarmed at planned minimum mandatory sentence for minors

“Tek serious ting mek laugh”… a Jamaican habit that makes life bearable, and birds can join in

February 5, 2023

I have never understood why anyone would think Jamaica was a backwater, where nothing ever happens. The past week has been as full of dramatic news (59 guns found at Montego Bay seaport!), arguments, storms in teacups, and indeed sadness, as ever. When a huge debate about whether taxi drivers should put child seats in … More “Tek serious ting mek laugh”… a Jamaican habit that makes life bearable, and birds can join in

Happy New Year: Love, Peace, and a little bit of Hope

January 1, 2023

The evening leading up to midnight on New Year’s Eve always seems interminably long. New Year’s Eve is a time of what has been, what might be, and what is likely (or rather, not likely) to change. However, a lot of people are advising us and guiding us and urging us to “reflect and reset,” … More Happy New Year: Love, Peace, and a little bit of Hope

Sixteen days to put violence against women on the activist agenda in Jamaica

November 26, 2022

Today (November 26) is International Day Against Violence Against Women, which begins the Sixteen Days of Activism. As always, this issue will be high on the agenda among human rights activists across the island. Violence against women haunts us. In August, I wrote about the case of a young woman whose body has never been … More Sixteen days to put violence against women on the activist agenda in Jamaica

Human rights are for all (and human rights defenders are not the problem)

November 7, 2022

It bears repeating that human rights are for all. I quote from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, forged in 1948 in the wake of two terrible World Wars. Here are Articles 1 and 3, as a reminder. But it is worth taking a “refresher” read… All human beings are born free and … More Human rights are for all (and human rights defenders are not the problem)

Jamaicans for Justice condemns the murders of two policemen

October 24, 2022

Human rights groups are not popular in Jamaica. Many Jamaicans do not seem to understand what the philosophy behind their work is, and wrongly ascribe motives to them that are very far from the truth. Our leaders frequently make snide remarks about them, especially when they are talking to a supportive audience, perhaps the party … More Jamaicans for Justice condemns the murders of two policemen

Justice matters in Jamaica

September 9, 2022

One of our favourite American political podcasters, who focuses largely on the ex-President’s interminable legal manouevrings, intones at the end of each podcast: “Because Justice. Matters.” Emphasis on the final word. Well, so it does in Jamaica, too. Our Police Commissioner is looking increasingly haggard at each quarterly press conference, and our Prime Minister seemed … More Justice matters in Jamaica

Political will and maturity required for a consensus on crime in Jamaica

September 5, 2022

The number of murders in Jamaica passed the 1,000 mark for the year recently (can you imagine). It is always a grim milestone. We measure our “crime problem” by the number of lives lost – men, women and children – every year. They are not numbers. They are grandmothers. They are schoolchildren. They are abused … More Political will and maturity required for a consensus on crime in Jamaica

Cruelty to animals: when is Jamaica going to enact and implement stronger laws to protect them?

August 21, 2022

A kick, a blow, a “chop” with a machete. For some Jamaicans, these are commonplace ways of dealing with unwanted animals. It is not only painful and heartbreaking. Cruelty to animals is not something we should take lightly at all, as a society. It is a reflection of our humanity and our ability to deal … More Cruelty to animals: when is Jamaica going to enact and implement stronger laws to protect them?