Social Impact with Emma » civil society : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

The Young Politicos: I Want Something New

March 27th, 2018

I have been thinking quite a bit about youth and politics, lately. As a former member of a youth arm in the UK (the Young Liberals) while I was at high school, I am uninspired by our young politicos. They are all lovely, bright people, but they are hardly thinking “outside the box.” In fact, […]

Opening the Corruption Can of Worms

May 31st, 2017

The “C-word” is back in the news again this week, after the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) and National Integrity Action (NIA) held a Monday evening forum, highlighting the results of CaPRI’s latest research and hammering on about the same old issues that never seem to go away. Where are the solutions? There we are. […]

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 […]

Building Blocks and Technology: The Social Good Summit in Jamaica

September 20th, 2016

#2030Now – the hashtag for the Sustainable Good Summits taking place around the world – has a sense of urgency about it, doesn’t it. So it should; the long-term has become short term, when we think about major issues such as climate change. 2030 is just around the corner. All our concerns are “now” concerns. […]

The Cliffhanger of Climate Change: Where Are the Citizens’ Voices?

June 10th, 2015

The French do love the word “citizen” (“citoyen” in French) and I like it, too. It signifies strength and purpose; someone who has a positive role to play in their nation. So on Monday morning, I was pleased to attend a “citizens’ debate” organized by the French Embassy in Jamaica, to discuss the broad issue of […]

Making The Case, Over and Over: On The Pathway to a Green Economy

February 24th, 2015

It was Kermit the Frog who sang, in that lugubrious voice of his: “It’s not easy being green…” For the Caribbean, it appears, it has not been easy so far to persuade regional governments and private sectors that greening our economies is the way to go. Speaking at the Caribbean Green Economy Conference 2015 in Kingston […]