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

Maggotty High: Promoting Health in School and Community

October 27th, 2015

“I’ve been here since six this morning,” one senior citizen told us with a cheerful smile, as he waited for a health check in the Ministry bus. The bus was parked next to Maggotty High School in St. Elizabeth, for a “Build Integrity” Community Health and Information Fair co-sponsored by National Integrity Action (NIA) and the […]

#KickOutGBV: More Than Just a Hashtag

October 22nd, 2015

Where is Jamaica going in the campaign against gender-based violence? Are we getting anywhere? I asked myself this question repeatedly at a recent public forum on “Gender-Based Violence in the Caribbean,” ably organized by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Model United Nations and the Department of Government in collaboration with Respect Jamaica. The […]

“Not a Poppy Show”: Activism and the Politics of Personal Conviction

October 15th, 2015

National Heroes Day is coming up. Perhaps it’s time to reflect on the inspiration that our heroes can infuse into our lives. At a recent Induction Ceremony and training session organized by the anti-corruption group National Integrity Action (NIA), members had a special treat: a personal insight into a period of youth activism at the […]

Listen to the Voice!

September 6th, 2015

Democracy is a very fluid thing, isn’t it. It is sometimes a difficult environment in which to find the right place – that niche where you feel you can operate as an effective human being. There are, actually, so many options – sometimes almost too many. But democracy gives you that freedom. The lead singer […]

Down With Slacktivism! UWI Leads Seeks an Activist Voice

August 18th, 2015

A few days ago, I spoke to a group of University of the West Indies students about “Finding My Activist Voice Through Social Media: Activism vs. Slacktivism.” That last word was a new one for me, but I was honored to be invited to talk to such a bright group of young people, and it was […]

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”– […]

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