We may not be there yet but well on the way. Autocracy and corruption feed on each other. Jamaica embarked on its independence journey as a nation embracing democracy and eschewing authoritarianism. Jamaica’s first prime minister and National Hero...
Government members on the Parliament’s Joint Select Committee reviewing the Integrity Commission Act have voted in favour of a recommendation to remove Jamaica’s Auditor General (AG) as a statutory member of the Integrity Commission (IC)....
The 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference, held in Nice, France, marked a pivotal moment in the global effort to conserve and sustainably use the ocean under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14. For Jamaica, a small island developing state (SIDS...
Today is as good a day as any to be reminded that you came from God and will return to God. There’s too much distraction available, often gleefully seized, regarding fatherhood (no, not that one; don’t be naughty). The latest discussion about...
As the last remaining days of 2024 slipped into the glory of the last few Negril sunsets left, so too did 2025 announce its presence with a hope we could bear. If the prime minister (PM), the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and its administration were...
The 2021 Patterson Report on education transformation, while sweeping in ambition, is strikingly silent on one of the most pernicious problems facing our secondary school system: the chronic inadequacy of Jamaican high-school transcripts. This...
Every June 16, on International Domestic Workers Day, we remember a fundamental truth: domestic work is care work. This is affirmed in the resolution concerning decent work and the care economy adopted by the International Labour Conference in June...
Jamaica stands at a critical crossroads. We are a nation blessed with extraordinary resilience and cultural brilliance yet gripped by persistent crime, economic inequality, and a creeping erosion of public trust in institutions. At the heart of...
Last June, Hurricane Beryl, a powerful Category 5 storm, left a trail of destruction in its wake, underscoring the extreme vulnerability of Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to climate change. Although these nations contribute little...
Too many Jamaicans may recall hearing the chilling phrase, “Always remember I have the handle, and you have the blade.” At first, it commands fear and obedience. But with age and reflection, one begins to question the message it gives. Why should a...
Mental health is one of the most important aspects of well-being. Yet this arena of safety and identity comfort is as fragile as it is maligned. The minute that someone is diagnosed as deficient in the arena of psychosocial health, the stigma of “...
I know it’s political silly season but the rabid counting of trees surrounding a recent Financial Investigations Division (FID) appointment whilst being blinded by the forest is just plain sad. It was announced recently that Dennis Chung, former...
The rule of law and human rights form the cornerstone of democratic governance. In Jamaica, persistent extrajudicial killings and the growing culture of impunity pose a serious threat to these democratic principles. We hold no briefs for criminals...
Last Sunday’s compelling Gleaner editorial reflecting on MAGA’s coercing impact on American academic freedom prompted me to revisit and refine my original plan. With A-QuEST having mentored/coached 11 Rhodes Scholars and over 1,300 PhDs and other...
In April, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) ministers Edmund Bartlett and Kamina Johnson Smith wrote to Integrity Commission (IC) chairman Carol Lawrence Beswick, expressing concern about the appointment of Roneiph Lawrence as acting director of...
There is a real opportunity for reparatory justice, which is being resisted by leaders of successive political administrations in the Caribbean. What will it take to decriminalise obia in Jamaica? Throwing off the mantle of colonial legacies such...
The recent announcement by the Government to review and potentially reduce duties on imported food raises significant concerns for our local farmers, particularly my farmers of South West St Ann. While the prime minister insists that these...
On Tuesday, May 20, during an historic sitting of Parliament, Peter David Phillips made his final contribution to that eminent institution. It was advertised as a Sectoral Debate contribution but, in reality, it became a rallying cry to Jamaicans...
The education system in Jamaica has long been a subject of scrutiny, particularly regarding the quality of its teachers. The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and various political figures often point to the recruitment of Jamaican educators by...
Judas used a kiss. Jamaica uses deportation. For 30 pieces of silver — filthy lucre in our time — we have betrayed Haitians seeking refuge, dignity, and kinship among us. We bave uncharacteristically turned them back into the hands of their...
“My friend Mark. Good morning. How are things on your end?” My friend was plainly in the mood to lay out a reality as he saw it. “Here in upside down America it is quite interesting and more than complex. As an attorney who practices immigration...
Once again, the Jamaican government — under the leadership of the Holness/Chang and Jamaica Labour Party — has turned away desperate Haitian refugees. This time, 42 souls: children, women, and men, including an expectant mother. Their sailboat...
To the short-sighted analysts among the political class, the media and the police service, I am very happy, and always will be, for any decline in the homicide rate in Jamaica. However, their myopic analysis of the homicide rate is bounded in the...
Prohibitions restricting citizens’ access to public spaces of leisure in Jamaica is a notorious violation of human rights. For several years, advocates have agitated against the shrinking access to public beaches as more and more tourist-serving...
It is more the norm than the unexceptional that words with depth come to us as bigger than what the moment demanded. Usually, those words are delivered to us via the wisdom of a veteran politician/statesman. In this instance, it is none other than...
