The Word “Discipline” Means Teaching and Learning, Not Violence and Sadism

October 7th, 2017

Yet another furore has occurred over a “viral” social media post of a woman beating her daughter in her yard. This is most likely an everyday occurrence around the island; but this time, a Jamaican with a smartphone was nearby to record the child abuse. So, Jamaicans were shocked, as if they did not know […]

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National Integrity Action Works With Communities Part 2: Youth Crime Watch of Jamaica

August 7th, 2017

National Integrity Action (NIA) always has a full plate of activities. Its small, young but closely-knit team, working from its New Kingston hub, reaches out to a wide cross-section of communities and age groups across the island – from uptown Kingston to rural St. Elizabeth. NIA believes in partnerships; and one of its current partners […]

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National Integrity Action Works With Communities: Part 1 – Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre

July 19th, 2017

“Corruption is basically about opportunity. And risk.” So said Professor Anthony Harriott of the University of the West Indies during a radio interview. Those who are considering getting involved in a corrupt act weigh things up: opportunities and risks. If the former outweighs the latter, then a wrong turn can be taken, so easily. It […]

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Since Everyone is Talking About Crime…

June 18th, 2017

It seems everyone and his grandmother is talking about crime, these days. Everyone, from the loquacious cab driver, to the politician putting his foot in his mouth, to the all-knowing esteemed columnist has something to say. They talk about the causes of our high crime rate: Bad parenting – absent fathers, struggling mothers Slavery – […]

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Twitter Thoughts, Part 1: The Generation Gap

April 24th, 2017

Twitter is an endless source of fascinating facts, observations and discussions for me. Because tweets have to be kept short, there is no propensity among my fellow tweeters for rambling and ranting. My experience with Facebook has been very different. I am always careful not to get involved in lengthy discussions on a) religion b) […]

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Women Who Inspire Us: An Inter-Generational Discussion

April 3rd, 2017

“Challenge yourself! Be bold. Challenge yourself! But you don’t have to win…” So said Shaquani McKenzie, the moderator of a discussion I participated in on the evening of International Women’s Day. Shaquani, a member of the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) – has a wide, sunny smile. She welcomed the group of young people – […]

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