A Muddle Over Masks

June 10th, 2020

Well, life is confusing these days. And, it seems, there is nothing more confusing and mysterious than the coronavirus. As we are on the verge of opening our borders to non-Jamaicans and tourists, we have finally received and hopefully perused the incredibly detailed document issued by the Ministry of Tourism. A relatively short first phase […]

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COVID-19 and Our Most Vulnerable – Part 2

May 22nd, 2020

“A population that is left behind.” In the first part I wrote about our most vulnerable citizens, whose immune systems are compromised during this pandemic. People living with HIV/AIDS have more to deal with than physical illness. It’s about how other people regard them, and treat them. Unfortunately, this is also true of all our […]

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COVID-19 and Our Most Vulnerable – Part 1

May 15th, 2020

The ongoing pandemic, and our response to it, continues to raise many questions, and fewer answers than I would like. With the slight “loosening” of social restrictions and the pending opening of our borders, how are those who already face so many everyday challenges faring? And one wonders, how do they face up to the […]

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Civil Society Collaborates to Influence Health Policy for Mothers and Infants

November 10th, 2019

As I entered the quiet, cozy Alhambra Inn recently, I stopped to look at the beautiful koi carp swirling in the water near the entrance. I was prepared to be inspired, not only by these majestic fish. Why? Because I was attending a meeting organized by the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC). I know […]

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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 […]

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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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