Social Impact with Emma » Barbados : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Celebration Time at IDB Caribbean

December 7th, 2019

Jamaicans know how to put on a great show – and how to do it right. When I arrived at the headquarters of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) (actually in my neighbourhood), I imagined that the 50th anniversary of the bank’s presence in Jamaica would be – well, a bit stiff. How wrong I was. […]

Her Majesty Still Has the Final Say, and the Man From Hanover is Not Happy

December 1st, 2018

I have always felt that there was much more to the small parish of Hanover than meets the eye. I went along to the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) recently for an event named Salute to the Parish of Hanover, and I discovered that I was right. We in the audience (I wish the beautiful IOJ Lecture Hall […]

Communicating the Weather and Climate Change: How Can We Bridge the Gap?

August 31st, 2018

It’s not easy, we know. Getting the word out, keeping the public informed about the latest developments in weather is a challenge, to say the least. Therefore, it was good to see the Meteorological Service of Jamaica make the effort to invite Jamaican journalists to a 2018 Weather and Climate Media Workshop recently. The turnout […]

CARICOM, The Patriarchy and Plastic Bottles

July 7th, 2018

Over the past few days, Jamaica, as incoming Chair, has been proudly hosting the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 39th annual Conference of Heads of Government in Montego Bay for approximately 200 foreign officials. We have been regaled with numerous social media posts, video clips with cameras panning across sunlit views of the coastline and happy, smiling […]

Lighting the Darkness Together: #FaceDepression

August 2nd, 2016

Smiling faces are pinned on the walls: brightly colored memes. The photographs are of mostly young people, and we may even recognize one or two. In the white room people stand and talk, sip cups of soup, pick up information leaflets and look at the artistic displays. A small tree stands decorated with headlines cut […]

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 […]

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