Social Impact with Emma » Jamaica : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Women Who Inspire Us: An Inter-Generational Discussion

April 3rd, 2017

“Challenge yourself! Be bold. Challenge yourself! But you don’t have to win…” So said Shaquani McKenzie, the moderator of a discussion I participated in on the evening of International Women’s Day. Shaquani, a member of the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) – has a wide, sunny smile. She welcomed the group of young people – […]

RISE and the EU: A Partnership to Strengthen Civil Society

March 27th, 2017

On International Women’s Day, I was happy to see a lineup of four women at the head table for a workshop on the Civil Society Boost Initiative (Strategies and Tools for CSO Sustainability). At the opening ceremony, the partnership in this initiative was represented by Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation in Jamaica, Ambassador […]

No Man, Woman or Child Is an Island

March 12th, 2017

I was inspired to write this little piece by a Mark Twain quote that I posted on my Facebook page: Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime. Someone commented that people are still remarkably insular, despite being one big […]

Tackling Climate Change on Several Fronts

March 1st, 2017

Despite what the new President of the United States says, climate change is real. It is with us, here and now. I believe developing countries such as ours have fully acknowledged this fact (as well as ninety-something per cent of scientists). After all, we are already feeling the effects. Jamaicans may not look at regular […]

There Are Many Ways to Be an Activist

February 11th, 2017

Activism (and advocacy, its first cousin) is like a tree with several large branches. Like our guango tree. Each branch grows in a different direction, but each branch is strong. Or, to use another nature metaphor, it is like a plant bearing many seeds. Like our moringa tree. The seed pods fall, and break. Sometimes […]

Do Our Visitors Feel Safe and Comfortable? And Do We?

January 15th, 2017

Over the weekend, I read a story (reproduced in a number of overseas newspapers online) about a bus crash that occurred a year ago, which resulted in the death of a tourist and the injury of 18 others. The bus was reportedly overtaking at high speed along a stretch of road in Trelawny on its […]

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