Commentary

For the powerful, sovereignty is a sword; for the small, it must remain a shield Sovereignty is supposedly the cornerstone of international order: the formal declaration that every state has the right to govern itself, protect its territory, and...

Two days ago (last Wednesday) my wife and I accompanied a few friends on a journey to the isolated community of Seaford Town in deep rural Westmoreland on a mission of mercy. Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Westmoreland, and barrelled across the...

The Gleaner notes, and supports, Damion Crawford’s renewed proposal that Jamaica establishes a department of voluntarism to register – and align skills to needs – people who want to volunteer their services to Jamaica. When Mr Crawford, then a...

IT PAINS me, no, shames me to say this, but prior to the events of October 28, I had never heard of the Council of Volunteer and Support Services (CVSS). I know. I’m utterly embarrassed to admit this. It’s even more shameful when you realise that...

LAST WEEK in this column, we were anticipating the arrival of the unknown quantity for Jamaica, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, and lamenting our national disregard for consistent, proper maintenance of buildings/infrastructure in the public and...

Melissa, one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record, struck the island as a Category 5 hurricane, causing widespread devastation in Western Jamaica. In the island’s record-keeping history, Jamaica had never before taken a direct hit from a...

It would be understandable if Prime Minister Andrew Holness wants to remain at home, to directly oversee his government’s response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa a week ago. Not only were dozens of people killed, but much of the...

Trees are absolutely vital to all life on Earth. To be blunt, humans cannot survive without them: they are nature’s air purifiers, constantly cleaning our atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing the oxygen that sustains us. They cool...

In the previous article of this series, I dealt with the merits of the Jamaicanisation of our Constitution by removing its monarchical labels and form. One result of this is that Jamaica will become a republic. There are some who argue that these...

When nature tests a country, its schools reveal the depth of its social fabric. Jamaica’s classrooms, time and again, have proven to be more than spaces for lessons; they are sanctuaries of hope, safety and continuity. Yet, as we move from response...

Hurricane Melissa passed Jamaica by arguably the shortest and least expensive route. Yet, the destruction and deaths must be seen to be believed. It boggles the mind to think of Melissa tracking down the middle of the island, as many of the early...

I am penning this piece on Saturday, October 25. Currently, Hurricane Melissa is creeping its way towards us with malevolent intent. Almost all the weather experts have predicted that Melissa will deliver a catastrophic mid-section blow to Jamaica...