The Subtle Art of Being Subtle

December 23rd, 2016

At yoga class the other evening, the teacher of my teacher (he spoke to us via her laptop) talked about “being subtle.” This is what we should aim for, said the teacher of my teacher. I was surprised that he used this word in the context of meditation and yoga. What was that, again? I looked […]

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Downtown Kingston: Has Its Revival Time Finally Come?

December 7th, 2016

Last week, I was at the official opening of UN House (where all the UN offices in Jamaica will shortly be residing, under one roof) at the International Seabed Authority Building. A sight glimpsed through an empty office window really moved me. Beyond rows of corrugated roofs, barbed wire and satellite dishes and flanked by […]

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Jamaica AIDS Support for Life: Celebrating Its 25th Birthday in Style, and Despite Challenges

November 29th, 2016

Thursday, December 1 is World AIDS Day. This piece is my personal, small (and probably very inadequate) tribute to all the men and women who have worked so hard to establish, build and maintain a non-governmental organization that has had more than its fair share of trials and challenges: Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL). […]

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iCreate Institute: Looking Towards the “Orange Economy”

October 17th, 2016

It all makes perfect sense. iCreate Institute, launched last week at the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) in Kingston, has the potential to take entrepreneurship and education in a direction . Through this partnership, practical steps are being taken to equip young Jamaicans with the tools to turn their creative dreams into something solid, […]

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Debating in Jamaica: Style Over Substance?

October 11th, 2016

OK, so there are two sides to a debate. Can you really set down rules for an argument between two people? What, really is a “win”? Don’t we each decide who won for ourselves? I pondered over this while sitting on the rooftop of Phoenix Central – the smart, angular building on Phoenix Avenue that […]

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Human Rights Begin At Home

September 27th, 2016

It was a busy evening in Half Way Tree. A huge thunderstorm descended on the area, just as rush hour started. Rain fell in bucketfuls, and traffic slowed and started to pile up outside the Webster Memorial Church Hall. Yet, a group of women fought their way through the puddles, arriving on the doorstep somewhat […]

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