Aside from hammering and harming the ears of people who are exposed to it, loud music causes noise pollution throughout entire communities. Powerful speakers that pump out 5,000 peak and 600 RMS watts, can produce a frightening 130 decibels (dB) up...
Although Jamaica is globally celebrated for its culture and creative endeavours – from music and dance to food and more – the island has more to do to secure the intellectual property (IP) rights of its cultural output, putting creatives in...
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent Jamaica’s most pressing public health crisis, and addressing obesity is central to this challenge. Fiscal policy on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) must be firmly aligned with public health priorities to...
My Caribbean people are now increasingly ‘Baby Boomers’ and ‘Millennials’. It is important for all of us in this region to get these two groups at the forefront of our developing society. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has expressed a strong...
Since last October’s walk-out by the Opposition over Juliet Holness’ attempt to limit their questioning of environment minister Matthew Samuda about the government’s preparations for the imminent passage of Hurricane Melissa, House Speaker Juliet...
We often speak about saving our children. We speak about discipline, literacy, violence and values. We call for accountability in classrooms and homes. Yet beneath these conversations lies a more uncomfortable question: where, physically, are our...
Unsurprisingly, the broad mandate proposed for the agency that is to lead Jamaica’s post-hurricane reconstruction has raised questions about the role and future of the Urban Development Corporation (UDC). That question, unfortunately, has not been...
The recent developments in St Kitts and Nevis – where the Rastafari faith has been formally recognised in law – have sparked an important regional conversation. In Jamaica, the response has been swift, with officials asserting that Jamaica has long...
Congratulations to the organizers, sponsors, athletes and the vast array of supporters who made this recent event a huge success. Heartiest congratulations to champions, Jamaica College and Edwin Allen High School who emerged victorious in the boys...
On Tuesday afternoon, one of Jamaica’s major commercial banks notified customers that it will introduce a fee of $19.55, including GCT, for outgoing ACH transfers effective June 1, 2026, a service that had previously been a free service for many of...
As a linguistics professor, I'm often asked why English is decaying before our eyes, whether it's "like" being used promiscuously, t's being dropped deleteriously or "literally" being deployed nonliterally. While these common gripes point to...
Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s disclosure that he wants another leaders’ review of the reappointment of CARICOM Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett appears to send a clear signal that her continued leadership of the regional secretariat may no...
Successful outcomes for learners with disabilities almost always begin with early intervention. The “power” of early intervention lies not in a single strategy, but in a convergence of developmental science, timely action, family engagement, and...
Following on from last week’s article on war, it is quite evident that it does not aid development. War creates setbacks in economic growth and stifles development everywhere there are active conflicts and tensions. There are also all the spin off...
Today, April 21, 2026, the world will for the first time observe the International Day of Women in Industry (IDWI), recognising women’s contributions to industrial development, and showcasing how their leadership, innovation and resilience are...
Caribbean nations – burdened by colonial exploitation and slavery – have not been granted the dignity of equals by global powers; instead, we continue to languish in the shadow of United States dominance. The Monroe Doctrine (1823) cordoned off...
Sad news was abundant last week but, closest to my home, last Thursday night, another musical icon transitioned to the land of legends. Ernie Smith was among a select few (by “few” I mean a couple plus one) Jamaican songwriters who helped elevate...
In observance of Human Rights Week, I was invited to address a church congregation on the first Sunday of December 2023 about current human rights issues. The war in Gaza had erupted two months earlier following the horrific attack led by Hamas on...
The Gleaner remains concerned about the continued absence of a robust and independent legislated governance framework for the agency that will oversee Jamaica’s post-hurricane reconstruction. The proposed National Reconstruction and Resilience...
In the contemporary global landscape, a dangerous fog has descended upon the concepts of power, justice, and international order. For the Caribbean – a region whose stability is inextricably linked to the "rules-based international order" – the...
Jamaica’s crime numbers have finally started telling a new story, and we dare not waste the window it opens. Prime Minister Andrew Holness has framed the national stance succinctly: “We are being very intentional in the fight against crime. We are...
For the last 50 years, the National Housing Trust (NHT) has had one purpose: helping Jamaicans to acquire homes. Our partnerships, programmes and financial decisions service that purpose. It is from that vantage point that we respond to last Sunday...
Students of history might have thought that the tension between the followers of Jesus and the adherents of worldly empire had been overtaken by the tolerance of liberal doctrine, the increased secularisation of Western society and the retreat of...
Despite the lull after the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, the war in the Middle East continues to send economic shockwaves across an interconnected global system. Energy supplies are disrupted and financial markets have been...
