Social Impact with Emma » University of the West Indies : A Jamaica Gleaner Blog

Brexit Bytes

June 27th, 2016

This morning I was a guest on Television Jamaica’s Smile Jamaica with Dr. Jermaine McCalpin of the University of the West Indies. We attempted to make some sense out of the conundrum that is “Brexit” – last week’s referendum on whether to leave the European Union – despite the early hour. I fell back on one […]

The Kingston Book Festival is On The Horizon: March 5 – 12, 2016

February 26th, 2016

Does your brain need refreshing after all the politics? I know mine does. I am feeling weary. What better way to indulge in mental relaxation and pleasure, then, than to participate in the Kingston Book Festival? The first public event, a “Love Affair With Literature,” will be on Sunday, March 6 (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 […]

The Courage to Lead: A Heartfelt Breakfast with UWI Students

January 31st, 2016

My father sometimes came out with this extraordinary expression: “Screw your courage to the sticking-place.” He was a man of great courage himself, and although I was always a little vague about where the sticking-place was, I think I got the gist of it. This is a quotation from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Of course, the courage I […]

Freedom is a Process, Says Farmer and Cafe Owner Anne Bailey

December 23rd, 2015

“I know it’s hard for Jamaicans to change their eating habits,” says Anne Bailey, smoothing down her apron. “It takes time.” Dr. Bailey has just opened a café in Kingston’s busy Half Way Tree area. It’s a café with a powerful message, as its name, Forever Free suggests. Tucked away upstairs in a small plaza, it offers a […]

Young Scientists in Jamaica Need “More Love”

November 26th, 2015

How can we nurture science and technology in Jamaica? How can we inject a new vigor and build genuine support for the sector? A couple of recent conversations gave me pause for thought. A few days ago I attended a discussion co-hosted by the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Biotechnology Centre and Katalyxt on […]

Rwandan Women: Peace Leaders, Advocates and Implementers

November 9th, 2015

“South-South” really does mean something, you know. To me, it means discovering links, parallels, connections you never guessed would have existed. You are not getting pre-packaged prescriptions from those countries to the North, while you make huge efforts to fit your own experience into the templates they offer, quite often finding them lacking. South-South is […]

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