Social Impact with Emma » Kingston : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

On the Joys of “Multi-Potentialism”

November 19th, 2015

I recently attended a training session for schools in the Kingston and St. Andrew region that are participating in Katalyxt Jamaica’s Youth Innovators Competition. Katalyxt is an inspired initiative, the brainchild of businesswoman Winsome Minott. She is an accountant by training, who runs her own company, Mint Management and Finance Services Limited. A woman with […]

“Not a Poppy Show”: Activism and the Politics of Personal Conviction

October 15th, 2015

National Heroes Day is coming up. Perhaps it’s time to reflect on the inspiration that our heroes can infuse into our lives. At a recent Induction Ceremony and training session organized by the anti-corruption group National Integrity Action (NIA), members had a special treat: a personal insight into a period of youth activism at the […]

Why Can’t We Have a Parliament Building To Be Proud Of?

September 23rd, 2015

I spent this morning at Gordon House. It’s a nondescript building that anyone passing down Duke Street would completely overlook, if they did not know Kingston. The thought crossed my mind: Why are we stuck with this sad little apology of a Parliament building? The downtown area has some perfectly splendid buildings, many of a […]

Learning for Sustainable Development: “Outsiders” and “Insiders”

July 21st, 2015

“Sustainable development” is such an over-worked phrase that it has almost no meaning, any more. Politicians love it. The problem is, though, that everyone has a different idea of what they are talking about when they say these words. The concept has become blurry and vague. As I noted in an earlier blog post, “development”– […]

Bringing Back the Humanity to Tourism

June 2nd, 2015

Tourism is Jamaica’s “bread and butter.” Right? At least as far as foreign exchange is concerned. It makes up roughly 30 per cent of our GDP, which is not to be sneezed at. Despite ongoing crime and violence (which would be a major turn-off for me, quite frankly, if I was a tourist) Jamaica is […]

Reshaping Our Corner of the World: Love and Sandwiches

April 21st, 2015

It’s easy to dismiss something that you know little or nothing about as irrelevant. Now, I am guilty of this myself (and probably not for the first time). I am about to make amends. While talking to young (frighteningly young) entrepreneur and founder of EduFocal Gordon Swaby online not long ago, I poured cold water […]

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