There are few things that Jamaica’s Government and Opposition agree on. One of them is that they are regularly victimised by social media falsehoods and negative tropes. Which, to a significant extent, is true. But the issue is greater than the...
Over four decades ago, I got a heartfelt letter from my father which I’ve kept all these years. It’s a personal testimony of his love for his children. The letter is also an eloquent sermon delivered by a devout elder in the Seventh-Day Adventist...
Later today we will know whether or not it is D-Day or Q-Day. A very unusual position for Jamaica to be in, outside of qualification for the final 16 spots in the men’s 4x400 relay. In a strange alphabetical twist, Jamaica is right behind Zambia, a...
On Sunday, June 9, Kay Osborne opined in the In Focus section of The Sunday Gleaner, “Andrew Holness and Mark Golding: Time to choose Jamaica”. On May 26, 2021, the appointment of the Prime Minister as a member of the Privy Council became...
Vision 2030 expects to strengthen the role of sports in national development by broadening opportunities for old and young to participate in recreation and competitive sport, on the way to creating a healthy and vibrant society. It is generally...
On Friday, June 14, Antigua and Barbuda and the State of Palestine established diplomatic relations, advancing the step taken in 2011 when Antigua and Barbuda declared its recognition of Palestine as a state. The agreement, signed in New York by...
I went to a seafood disco last week – I pulled a mussel! I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon - I’ll let you know which one arrives first. Every time I take my dog to the park, the ducks try to bite him – that’s what I get for buying a pure-...
One of the huge disadvantages of an absolute monarchy is that the sovereign appoints whoever he wishes to any post in his government, producing what is effectively a crony government. The monarch is thus able to effectively impose his will: he...
The Opposition leader’s recent confirmation that he holds British citizenship has opened up an important conversation on dual citizenship in parliament. At face value, the conversation seems to surround two of the questions posed to 1,020 Jamaicans...
The Gleaner welcomes the announcement that not only have private sector and civil society groups recommitted themselves to an updated national consensus on crime, but that more of them have joined the initiative. But given that the NGOs can...
SOME OF us are in the age group where we attend more funerals than parties. I can identify with that. Since the beginning of this year, I have been averaging two per month and in May there are three! There are several things about funerals today...
As we observed 19 months ago when they went on strike to pressure the Government into providing an amnesty for their outstanding traffic tickets, Jamaica’s bus and taxi operators have a habit of barking up the wrong tree. Or, they do not focus on...
TWO SCARY incidents involving commercial aircraft over the last two weeks have served as a reminder of just how aircraft incidents remain some of the most terrible human tragedies. On May 28, frightened passengers on Spirit Airlines flight 270...
Africa is emerging as a powerhouse in the global confrontation between Russia and China, on the one hand, versus America and her European partners. Several African countries are set to join the BRICS bloc. BRICS membership by these African nations...
Jamaica will be convening its 10th Biennial Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay, June 16-19, under the theme ‘United for Jamaica’s Transformation: Fostering Peace, Productivity and Youth Empowerment’. This is the first in-person diaspora conference...
The Government is acting sensibly in banning the use of plastic containers in domestic food packaging. But the administration will have to display greater creativity and sharper vigilance in ensuring that the loopholes are closed, than when it...
In a matter of weeks, come June 30, 2024, an important provision of the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act, 2021 will come into effect. That provision, set out in Section 4(1)(a) and (b) of the act, mandates every employer to...
In recent months, two scenarios have arisen in which one political party raised concerns over a situation in the other. In March, during his Budget Debate presentation, Opposition Leader Mark Golding voiced concerns about the House Speaker being...
This newspaper supports the principle that the owners of badly managed financial institutions should not be bailed out by taxpayers when their businesses go bust. However, in formulating policies, no government, including Jamaica’s, can be so rigid...
The my article published in The Gleaner of Monday, June 3 titled, “Whither small islands: the ship has sailed”, posited that climate change is the existential issue for small island developing states (SIDS). The impending danger can be recognised...
She was beautiful and so bright. Coming from Jamaica to a strange university in the United States, the eyes of every male on campus would follow her. We were freshers together in 1963. She received many marriage proposals and declined them all....
In his contribution to the Sectoral Debate last week, Daryl Vaz talked a lot about public transportation, which is one of his responsibilities as a Cabinet minister. There was, for instance, his order to Jamaica’s telecoms providers to yank ride-...
Jamaica has made significant strides in improving its procurement and public investment systems. That progress can be tracked, among other ways, from the establishment of the Contracts Commission, the build out of a significant bureaucracy in the...
I would like to begin by a question posed by A.J. Nicholson (A.J.): According to Lord Hoffman, for the citizens of the region, a final local court is necessary, in collaboration with the other arms of government, to drive the sustainable...
When John Golding came in 1953 to teach orthopaedic surgery at the University College of the West Indies, he could not possibly have anticipated that, one day, his son, Mark, would become a candidate for prime minister of Jamaica. Truth is stranger...
