Social Impact with Emma » elections : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

2019: A Year of Internet Shutdowns, Disinformation, and Distrust

December 28th, 2019

2019 has been the year of “Internet shutdowns.” No, I am not talking about Jamaican companies that fail to deliver the services that we pay for. I am talking about shutdowns initiated by governments that are afraid of their own citizens. The Internet has become the lifeblood of many societies in almost every country you […]

How About An Interfaith Prayer Breakfast?

January 20th, 2018

I was present at this year’s 38th National Leadership Prayer Breakfast, the annual ritual at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. I was seeing it for the first time, and was struck by the huge room full of people. A few women were wearing hats and most people were in their “Sunday best.” It was dominated by […]

The Populist Or The Pragmatist: Which Do You Prefer?

January 15th, 2017

I have been thinking about the nature of leadership, recently. A few things have turned my thoughts in this direction: Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated as President of the United States of America in a few days’ time – a man who has been described by his predecessor (and more recently, by John Lewis, […]

There is No Perfect System, But I’m Going to Exercise My Democratic Right

November 16th, 2016

It’s been quite a year for elections. Speaking for myself, I will be glad when it’s all over and done with. Once our own General Elections were past, many Jamaicans (though not all) were already in the thrall of the exhausting slog of U.S. presidential elections. Jamaica’s campaign seemed like a quick sprint (or perhaps […]

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 […]