Every so often, a newspaper prints a story to remind us of a situation that has existed for a very long time. The story is usually presented in such a manner that gets us agitated, shocked and upset. The result is that we flood the airwaves with our usual condemnation, vowing this must stop and should never happen again.
The vesting of the Government of Jamaica with Independence is perhaps known to very few people of the country given the 50-year passage of time since the great event.
I would have loved to continue the analysis of the shame in Parliament last week, but the despicable, recalcitrant and unexemplary behaviour of one particular parliamentarian doesn't deserve more of my intellectual attention.
Only prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and small-mindedness could make anyone question whether iconic cultural artiste and media practitioner Mutabaruka should be given national honours during this our 50th year of Independence. There is no voice in media today which has been more passionately engaged in cultural liberation and which has been more forceful for genuine political and economic Independence.
The number of Jamaicans who live below the poverty line is unacceptable for a country of this size and with people as proud as we are. From all indications, more than one million of our people struggle daily to provide the basic amenities of food, shelter, clothing and educational opportunities to satisfy immediate family and household needs.
"It is written" does not mean "so shall it be", and yet we repeatedly mistake intention for achievement. Socio-economic policy has been informed by the best of intentions, and yet we are still struggling with the same problems that confronted us in 1962.
Today, I do a double take, working on education and government consultants. The two news-making matters may not be as unrelated as it appears at first blush. The Ministry of Education, we have been advised, has the second-largest payout for advisers and consultants, after Finance and Planning.
In many countries around the globe, these industries are seen as important contributors to economic growth, accounting for more than seven per cent of the world's GDP, according to Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, former undersecretary general and high representative at the United Nations. This is expected to grow to at least 10 per cent annually.
Culture Minister Lisa Hanna's Budget presentation addressed many issues under her portfolio of responsibilities, but perhaps her maiden speech will be most remembered for her attempts at salvaging what many feel (real or perceived) have been missteps at planning the activities to mark Jamaica 50.
On to consultants: This newspaper has again mischievously sought, in a Sunday front-pager and follow-up editorial, to set the public against the Government for spending tiny 'big bucks' for services rendered to it, this time by consultants and assistants.
If my section editor or any young adult interested in Jamaican music doesn't know who Delroy Wilson is, or wonders why he would be important enough to command attention outside the Entertainment pages, ...
As Jamaica celebrates 50 years of political Independence, the question of the adequacy and appropriateness of its political-economic system is a moot one.
This series of articles comes out of work done for the Education Cluster of the 50/50 project spearheaded by the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies at University of the West Indies, Mona.
I was in the National Stadium 50 years ago as we lowered the Union Jack and raised our flag.It was a momentous occasion, even for a young boy not sure exactly what it all meant.
In reflecting on our 50 years of Independence, the Government of Jamaica and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should draw lessons from the 39 years of borrowing from the multilateral to help to frame...
Since the announcement of the most recent Budget presentation, much has been said about whether the Government should have done more to balance its austerity measures with more growth-facilitating programmes, to motivate...
Senior representatives of both UNFPA and UNICEF argued that Jamaican teachers and guidance counsellors are uncomfortable discussing human sexuality with the children in their classrooms and counselling centres, the Observer reported a little over a fortnight ago.
WHILE THE Government and Opposition wrangle over Jamaica adopting the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the country's final appellate court, the regional tribunal has been quietly impacting the lives of ordinary citizens across the Caribbean Community...
Thursday's decision by the United States Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of Barack Obama's reforms, availing health-care insurance to another 32 million Americans, has been hailed as a...
