Social Impact with Emma » social media : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Living Online with Humans and Birds: NAOC 2020

August 12th, 2020

In this COVID-19 life (yes, we’re “living with COVID,” aren’t we?) I, for one, am mostly living online. Whether it’s writing blog posts, posting on social media, or attending Zoom meetings, I spend a lot of time in front of a screen. It is actually quite tiring, sometimes. But I am staying home. This is […]

Human Trafficking and the Problem of Public Education

August 3rd, 2020

The issue of human trafficking in Jamaica appears shrouded in mystery. Why is this? I have not really grasped the dimensions of the issue on our island, to be honest with you. I have to dig around, consciously, to find out the extent of the problem, and what is being done to combat human trafficking. […]

Down Memory Lane

July 25th, 2020

I have been reading quite a lot about our state of mind during COVID-19. Indeed, mental health remains a major concern as the pandemic continues to bite in some parts of the world. Now that the initial panic and confusion is over, here in Jamaica we are panicking less, but still confused and muddled, not […]

The Vulnerable Senior Citizens, Private Care Homes and COVID-19

June 18th, 2020

I attended a press briefing by the Ministry of Health and Wellness this evening. The theme was “Protecting the Vulnerable,” a topic I have been addressing in recent posts. So, what does vulnerable mean in the Ministry’s view? Basically, older people (although the age limit varies from “over 60″ to “over 70,” etc. However, the critical […]

Here is Something Life-Saving You Can Do: Give Blood!

May 31st, 2020

We are thinking a lot about health, about life and death, these days in the time of COVID-19. But, as the German writer Goethe said, Blut ist ein ganz besondrer Saft. [Blood is a very special juice]. It is remarkable in many ways. Jamaicans are, in general, very squeamish about giving blood. Many are afraid […]

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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