At the PODIUM

WEEKLY SELECTION OF EXCERPTS AND QUOTES

New school for Accompong

1. The new school, which we are officially opening today, has three classrooms which can be subdivided into additional learning spaces; sick bay, teachers' office, kitchen and bathrooms. We have also furnished the school with beautiful, child-friendly furniture, which will enhance the creative, learning environment for the youngsters. The 37 students on roll are benefiting from the new facilities, but the school can now accommodate up to 100 students.

Our wish is for this school to be a hub of successful activities for the wider Accompong community. I encourage every adult citizen of Accompong to live service-oriented lives for the benefit of the children of this community and the nation in general. Remember, Jamaica is counting on you to be positive mentors for the children!

The construction of this school is another chapter in our long rapport with this community. Over the years, we have been building houses as well as distributing food and clothing to persons in need.

- Andrew Mahfood, chairman, Food For The Poor, speaking at the opening of Accompong Basic School on March 20.

Abuse robs children of childhood

2. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that "an estimated 300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse, including the worst forms of child labour in communities, schools and institutions; during armed conflict; and to harmful practice".

In relation to Jamaica, the UNICEF statistics show that six per cent of children between ages five and 14 are involved in child labour, while 89 per cent of children between the ages two and 14 years experience violent forms of discipline, including psychological aggression and/or physical punishment.

More of our children today have access to education and health care than 50 years ago, yet, many of them are being raised without the presence of their fathers, and are subject to parenting methods that include neglect and abuse.

Abuse has a lifelong effect on children. It robs children of their childhood, retards normal social and psychological development, and leads to low self-esteem.

- Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, opposition spokesperson on children & youth, sports, gender affairs, entertainment & culture, Child's Month message.

Role of JPs

3 Thanks for the cooperation in providing us with information regarding your areas of interest. We have advised you of the areas that are open for service. This is not an idle exercise. We are determined to move the role of the justice of the peace beyond that of a signer of documents. I firmly believe that we can assist in the transformation of the justice system if, for example:

We play our roles as mediators in the communities in which we live or work;

Volunteer in the courts that are crying out for help.

Assist in the critical area of visitation of lock-ups. One candidate remarked, "After that experience, I shall call my mother tonight, when I get home, and tell her 'thanks'". Even more recently, some of you had the opportunity of observing the processing of deported individuals.

Mentorship will be one of the areas of special focus for us this year.

Becoming one of the 'Friends of KPH'.

- Remarks by the Custos of Kingston Steadman Fuller at the commissioning of JPs for Kingston on April 30.

Good work ethics

4 Make Your Mark Consultants remains concerned about the quality of the Jamaican workforce. If Jamaica's debt was written off tomorrow and investment poured into our country, would we be ready? Who would be ready? Those who have secondary/tertiary/postgraduate certification or, those who understand the value of work, money, time and resources? Those who are trainable, reliable, consistent, possess a value system of honesty, integrity, love peace and humility? Are enough men entering the workforce?

We often speak of good work ethics. A few years ago, a discussion ensued on the inclusion of this phrase, "good work ethics" as a prerequisite for persons from the West, Africa and Europe. Someone from Japan enquired of the term and why it was necessary to be included in the new convention. After lengthy explanations, he simply said, "there is no such thing in Japan. What you are discussing is a way of life for us."

- Jacqueline Coke-Lloyd, director of Make Your Mark Consultants, opening remarks at the April 22 conference.

'Using Media to help Jamaicans remain Jamaicanly'

5 When we talk about media, we must realise the breadth and depth of what used to only stand for radio, television and newspapers. Online media have outpaced the traditional forms. They allow us to be far more interactive, spontaneous and timely. Importantly, they increase the number of media 'voices' and widen the base of opinion shapers.

Increasingly, we live our lives online. Increasingly, we live mobile lifestyles. These new ways of living, driven by new communication technologies, cause us to think of ourselves in new and different ways, to assume new identities and to have different expectations of family, friends, others, businesses and life in general.

Newspapers now post videos online, not just words and pictures. These newspapers have moving images as a regular part of their online offerings. TV, radio stations and newspapers now include Facebook comments and tweets in their programmes and stories. They are also tweeting, 'facebooking' and 'youtubing' in order to remain relevant/in touch.

It's an extraordinary time of Media MashUps! A convergence of different media forms which allows us to connect, collaborate and create.

- Dr Marcia Forbes, media consultant's keynote address at the annual Communication Symposium, Northern Caribbean University.

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