Social Impact with Emma » Sustainable Development Goals : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Feeding Ourselves: Healthy Diets for a Zero Hunger World

October 19th, 2019

Are Jamaicans overfed and under-nourished? In Jamaica, World Food Day (October 16) was a rather low key affair. Agriculture Minister Audley Shaw attended an event in his own constituency of Christiana, Manchester, co-sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Jamaica, and there were photo-ops. According to the FAO, poor nutrition causes nearly half […]

The Nature of Violence, Youth and Broken Windows

December 27th, 2018

I was astounded to read in the New York Daily News that for five days over Christmas, there were no murders at all in that city of 8.6 million. Zero. Now, New York is a deep, dark, gritty city – everyone who has been there will agree. It is bursting with energy, day and night. It […]

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. […]

Health Care Reform: Promoting Wellness and a Healthy Environment

June 9th, 2016

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton has been doing a good job so far at keeping the Jamaican public informed on the strange complexities of the Zika virus. My husband and I recently had a bout of it; the only good thing about it is that it doesn’t last long. His huge portfolio, however, extends well […]

Literacy: More Than A Simple Sentence

September 11th, 2015

“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope,” said Kofi Annan. Mr. Annan is Chair of The Elders, a group of thoughtful statesmen and women who have had much to contribute to the global dialogue on key issues affecting the world. I recommend you listen to what they have to say. For many Jamaicans, learning […]

Learning for Sustainable Development: “Outsiders” and “Insiders”

July 21st, 2015

“Sustainable development” is such an over-worked phrase that it has almost no meaning, any more. Politicians love it. The problem is, though, that everyone has a different idea of what they are talking about when they say these words. The concept has become blurry and vague. As I noted in an earlier blog post, “development”– […]