Good Friday is almost over. It has been blissfully quiet on our usually busy street. The only sounds have been the springtime wind in the trees, the song of the “nightingale” (our mockingbird) perched on the lamp post, and the occasional, obligatory bark from our dog, when she felt she really had to register her presence. You would never have thought you were in the city, at all.

The fantastic German tenor Jonas Kaufmann as Parsifal in the Metropolitan Opera of New York’s latest production. (Photo: Ken Howard/Met Opera)

At the end of the afternoon, we felt as if we were awakening from a very long meditation. We had played our entire four-CD set of Wagner’s “Parsifal.”  We often don’t get past the first CD, but when you listen to it in full, it slowly and steadily seeps into your soul and your heart. It is sublime. It is hypnotic. It requires focus.

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

OK, I know Richard Wagner doesn’t have a good “image.” Unfortunately, Adolf Hitler was a big fan; some of Wagner’s own views were controversial to say the least. Hitler thought Wagner’s epic operas fitted in beautifully with his concept of heroic Germany. And Wagner was not a particularly lovable person. But then, nor was Johannes Brahms, who wrote such fine music but was a miserable, bad-tempered man.

Flower maidens try to lead Parsifal (Jonas Kaufmann) astray. (Photo: Sara Krulwich/New York Times)

But if we can (please) put all of that on one side, “Parsifal,” Wagner’s last opera, is more than just an opera. At five and a half hours long, it is a journey. It took Wagner four years to compose. At its first performance at the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth in 1882, he was already ailing. It is based (loosely) on a thirteenth-century epic poem called “Parzival,” about one of the knights of King Arthur’s Round Table, but there is much more to it.

A scene from “Parsifal.” (Photo: Ken Howard/Met Opera)

A part of Act 3 is called “Good Friday Music.” It was actually prepared as a separate piece, and it’s the scene where Parsifal arrives at the Castle of the Grail (the Holy Grail or chalice) and rests in a meadow filled with flowers.“This is Good Friday’s magic spell” (Karfreitagszauber), says the knight Gurnemanz. In 1865, Wagner wrote to his friend and patron, King Ludwig II of Bavaria: “A warm and sunny Good Friday, with its mood of sacred solemnity, once inspired me with the idea of writing Parsifal; since then it has lived within me and prospered, like a child in its mother’s womb. With each Good Friday it grows a year older, and I then celebrate the day of its conception, knowing that its birthday will follow one day.” 

The final act is filled with hope, redemption, and a kind of emotional and spiritual cleansing, hard to describe. Here Parsifal holds the Holy Grail. (Photo: New York Times)

If you read the story of “Parsifal,” you might think to yourself: “What the heck?”  This opera may sound like a sort of religious hotchpotch, with maidens and knights thrown in; but it is not. The music transcends and blurs the lines. The final Act simply shimmers with emotion, with hope, redemption and all those wonderful words that give our lives meaning. And I don’t see it as a purely “Christian” work; Wagner was not particularly religious, but interested in spirituality in his later years. He was reading the work of Persian Sufi poet Hafez at the time, and was apparently planning to write an opera about the Buddha.

Evgeny Nikitin as the magician Klingsor in “Parsifal” at the Metropolitan Opera of New York. When we saw the opera at Covent Garden in London many years ago, the Jamaican-born Willard White played this role. He was very sinister, indeed. (Photo: Sara Krulwich/New York Times)

“Parsifal” is not easy to understand, and draws on many cultural references. There is magic. There is darkness and fear; there is passion, and even an (attempted) seduction scene. It could actually have a lot of appeal for younger audiences, given the enormous popularity of “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Game of Thrones” and other lengthy, vivid and powerful fantasy narratives. However, it requires huge amounts of patience, and the attention span of our young people does not extend to well over five hours. It unfolds slowly. Slowly, and beautifully.

The opening Vorspiel (Prelude) of the opera is calm and stately. “Parsifal” ends on lingering, peaceful notes. It is springtime, the weather is sweet, and all’s well with the world.

I hope you had a wonderful Good Friday.

P.S. To our great chagrin, the current Metropolitan Opera of New York production – with the stunningly charismatic and accomplished tenor, Jonas Kaufmann in the title role – was not among the operas chosen for the worldwide HD live broadcasts. I can understand why; its length is a major drawback for that kind of thing. But I am so sad that I will not be able to see the wonderful Mr. Kaufmann – whose performance in Massenet’s “Werther” was exquisite – as the wandering fool Parsifal in our local cinema. Never mind. 

Tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the latest production directed by Francois Girard at the Metropolitan Opera of New York. (Photo: Ken Howard/Met Opera)

Sitting here in limbo
Waiting for the tide to flow
Sitting here in limbo
Knowing that I have to go

One of Jimmy Cliff’s most wistful songs, this one written in 1971, came to mind as I was reading Esther Figueroa’s recently published novel – described as arguably Jamaica’s first “environmental novel.” 

Limbo is, of course, a state of not doing anything. You’re not heading in any direction. While Mr. Cliff sounded calm enough in his song, quietly contemplating his next move, the hero of Dr. Figueroa’s novel is far from satisfied with her situation – and that of Jamaica in general. Flora is a feisty Jamaican woman approaching middle age, who heads an environmental NGO. Her mood veers between nervous anxiety and restless frustration throughout much of the novel, and she curses regularly. She cannot sit quietly in limbo, at all. Waiting for something to happen does not suit her temperament.

“Limbo” by Esther Figueroa.

There are different kinds of limbo. The cover of the book depicts the “limbo” that was once an amusing attraction for the tourists (in the fifties and sixties) with “natives” bending over backwards under a pole, while others shake maracas playfully and beat drums. This reference to Jamaica’s tourism “product” is clever, and ironic. Flora’s expeditions around the island expose the negative impact of all-inclusive hotels on the environment and local people. She sees the monstrous Spanish hotels along the north coast, and in particular the cruise ship pier and the construction of a fake “Historic Falmouth” with oversized parking lots for buses. Of course, we know of the wholesale destruction of coastal mangrove forests that took place to create these tourist havens. Flora is also angry at a place called Sea Fun World, where the dolphins are “better off than when they’re living in the wild” (oh, sure…)

A part of Gustav Dore’s illustration of Dante’s “Limbo.” Nobody really knows what to do with themselves…

But let’s get to the real limbo, now. This is the limbo of Dante’s “Inferno,” between heaven and all those circles of hell. It’s a place where there are no struggles or torments; but those dwelling there are waiting for redemption, in the hope of reaching heaven. They just sit around there, powerless, waiting for their fate to be determined. Which will it be, heaven or hell? In the novel, the question is asked, “Which circle of hell is reserved for those who have done irreparable damage?” 

“Forget vision…It’s about money and power,” says Flora in one of her moments of deep cynicism; she is talking about the government’s vision, or rather lack of it. But she doesn’t have much time for philosophizing. She takes the reader along at a rollicking pace, moving through intrigues personal and political, complex deals and corrupt maneuverings, family entanglements, love affairs past and present – even a murder mystery. Flora may complain of exhaustion, but her life is never dull. We meet crusading journalists, shady businessmen, wise fishermen, unscrupulous developers and influential talk show hosts. It’s great fun.

Woven into the narrative is a moving and very personal tribute to one particular person: a journalist, a fierce environmental campaigner and a good and true soul – one who is no longer with us. He is a dear friend of Flora’s, and if we know Jamaica at all, we will quickly recognize him (as we may half-recognize some other characters in the novel). The book is dedicated to him, as well as to environmental activist Diana McCaulay – who also heads her own non-governmental organization, Jamaica Environment Trust.

Flora tackles all of Jamaica’s major environmental concerns head on. Apart from unsustainable tourism, these include the choking tide of plastic on our seashores, toxic waste, over-fishing, the devastating impact of bauxite mining on rural communities. She does not lecture the reader, however. She discusses, she argues, she seeks to persuade, she uses all her social skills to try to influence others. But the “everlasting arguments” exhaust her. She feels the burden of being an activist with little support. At one point, Flora realizes she is “absolutely sick of trying to save human beings from themselves and from destroying the planet.”

And as events unfold, Flora is increasingly seeking to bring balance into her life. There are interludes of rest, enjoyment, sheer pleasure. Her best friend Lilac cooks delicious meals for her; I enjoyed the mouth-watering descriptions of Jamaican food, in particular – cocoa tea, fish and bammy from Port Royal, fragrant cornmeal porridge and much more. One of my favorite chapters describes a visit to Kingston’s Coronation Market with Lilac, where an abundance of local fruits and vegetables is heaped into the van in preparation for an uptown party, complete with soca music. A fishing trip, an escape by boat to a small island, where she stays overnight, sleeping in a hammock with her lover. These are the kind of things one dreams about doing in Jamaica. I think the word I am searching for is idyllic.

These moments of respite, amidst Flora’s weariness and frustration, express her profound love for Jamaica (and one senses, the author’s, too). But the book does not portray a “Come to Jamaica and feel irie!” prettified Jamaica; far from it. There is nothing sentimental about Flora’s non-negotiable, unequivocal love for her home, Jamaica – the land, and the “real” people.  Flora simply cares, deeply, for her country, and she has fought for it. She travels, she has studied overseas. But we know she does not want to live anywhere else; why should she?

The message is clear: This island of Jamaica has riches, abundant. We don’t have to tear her apart and rob her of them. She can keep them, and we can nurture them, because they will benefit all of us, for generations to come.

As Bob Marley once sang (and I think he was talking about those “big men” Flora had to deal with):“Think you’re in heaven, but you’re living in hell.” Limbo is, perhaps, the worst option. But the novel ends hopefully, in a small quiet place by the sea, where the breeze blows and the light plays over land and water.

This book is not about Jamaica. It is, truly, Jamaica.

“Limbo” is published by Arcade in hardcover, and is available at Jamaican bookstores and on amazon.com.

Author Esther Figueroa is a Jamaican independent filmmaker who has produced several films on environmental issues, including “Jamaica For Sale,” a powerful documentary on the impact of tourism.

For those who celebrate it… Happy Easter, everyone. This blissfully quiet long weekend in town continues. It seems our entire neighborhood has migrated, except us. We are enjoying it.

Finance Minister Peter Phillips.

Budget anger: On Thursday, Finance Minister Peter Phillips told Jamaicans how he plans to finance the 2014/15 budget. His announcement of a “progressive” tax on bank transactions has gone down like a lead balloon among Jamaica’s middle classes (let’s just call them the “working poor.”) The levy on withdrawals from deposit-taking institution and encashment from securities dealers is expected to raise J$2.3 billion – about one third of the announced tax package. As I write, some are questioning economist Dr. Damien King’s interpretation of that word “progressive.” Attorney at law Marc Ramsay (now here’s another Jamaican blog you should follow – http://www.marcramsay.com) is encouraging Jamaicans to sign an online petition that is circulating protesting the taxes. Actually I believe there’s more than one. Dr. King says: “It’s progressive because the poorest hardly use banks so they will pay zero. Use of banks rises with income…”  Hmm.

Why the bitterness? It’s something called distrust. Young Member of Parliament and State Minister Damion Crawford tweeted that he didn’t know what all the fuss was about, adding fuel to the fire of discontent. But Jamaicans all know about two things: corruption, and tax dodgers. When are measures going to be taken to address these issues? I understand that would be difficult and costly, so let law-abiding Jamaicans suffer with new tax measures. One man said on television that he is going to start saving his money under his mattress. Jamaicans already pay very high bank charges (this is a government tax, of course).They are anxious about a pending large increase in electricity bills. The prevailing mood is a simmering anger. Meanwhile, at the end of 2013 the Gleaner reported from the Auditor General’s report: “Eleven importers who owed the Government some $1.2 billion in general consumption tax (GCT) and other taxes from 2011 were still able to get waivers valued at $4.2 billion in the last financial year.” It’s against this kind of background that Jamaicans feel they are being unfairly treated, again.

I am told a “phablet” is a medium sized tablet from which one can make phone calls. OK, then.

“Phablets,” Minister? Oh, there is no customs duty on “phablets.” This is the first time I have ever heard this word. Where did you get it from, Minister Phillips?

The inflation rate for the fiscal year ended up at 8.3 per cent, just below the target range of 8.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent. For this and more economic data, http://www.digjamaica.com is an excellent source, by the way.

Members of the Alpha Boys’ Band play for The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on their arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport a few years ago. (Photo: Winston Sill)

On a positive note: Good changes are taking place at Alpha Boys’ School, which was recently dragged into a completely unnecessary controversy. Apart from the Alpha Boys’ School Radio (which I recommend highly!) and a new music studio, a screen-printing training program will set up shop soon, with support from the Digicel Foundation and others. The football field is reportedly once again in very good shape. After all, “Onwards and Upwards” is their motto!

Fire and pollution… The Riverton dump again. (Photo: Twitter)

AGAIN? So soon? Yes, the Riverton City dump (and I wish the officials would stop calling it a “landfill”) starting burning again on Friday night – fifteen acres of it. This close-up photo was taken by a news team who visited there yesterday. Now, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) says the fire is “contained” (but not necessarily out) and I hear there was nasty smoke billowing out up to last night. How could this happen again?

The drought deepens: It is hot and it is windy in Kingston. We can literally feel the yard drying out, minute by minute. But we must – must – conserve water, as supplies are getting alarmingly low in both the reservoirs that serve the city. They contain about three to four weeks’ worth of water, we understand. This is frightening. Montego Bay got some rain yesterday, but the capital city desperately needs some really good, heavy showers.

Disturbing: I was surprised and disturbed by a full-page article by the Sunday Observer’s “Editor-at-Large,” an all-out ad hominem attack on former Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields. The editor did not like Mr. Shields’ concerns over a sensational, front-page report in the same newspaper last week, making certain allegations relating to the Vybz Kartel murder trial (I did not write about this as I considered it irresponsible journalism myself). Mr. Shields suggested the report was indeed irresponsible, in that it put peoples’ lives at risk. The editor’s vitriolic response was unnecessary and very unpleasant, indeed. Come on, Sunday Observer… As I have said in previous blog posts every week, you can rise above the gutter. Don’t dig yourselves in deeper.

Easter recommendations and kudos:

Alpha Boys’ School Radio

I’ve been listening to some great roots reggae, ska, dub, you name it today on http://www.alphaboysschoolradio.com. Yes, the Alpha Boys’ School Radio station is up and running online; you can even download the free mobile app for your android or iPhone. Find them on Twitter and Facebook. Tune in! According to the radio station, Alpha Boys’ Band started in 1892 with drum and fife; then got some brass instruments from the United States. The boys found out then that it was “a lot of hard work, a lot of practice.” 

Free at last! Superintendent Rudolf Edwards (right) of the Tamarind Farm Adult Correctional Centre seems quite pleased as he joins Gillette Ramsay (left), a volunteer with Food for the Poor Jamaica, in sharing the good news with one of the three inmates. Food for the Poor paid the fines of 21 prisoners to ensure their release for the Easter holiday.  (Photo: Gleaner)

Food for the Poor Jamaica has done its twice-a-year routine, ensuring the release of 21 prisoners who were unable to pay fines for minor offenses and ended up in jail. So they are enjoying the Easter weekend with family, now. Thank you!

Remember the Coptics? As the debate on ganja legalization/decriminalization continues, fellow blogger Barbara Blake Hannah reminds us of a piece of history: the emergence of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church in eastern Jamaica during the seventies, and the impact this had on Jamaican society and politics. Read more at http://barbarablakehannah.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/remember-the-coptics/ 

I love this photo of Antoinette Wemyss-Gordon, the first female Commanding Officer of the JDF Coast Guard. (Photo: Gladstone Taylor/Gleaner)

Many congratulations to Antoinette Wemyss-Gordon, who has become the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard’s first female Commanding Officer. What an achievement! Interestingly, she says women should not “rely on their femininity” when seeking to advance their military career. Male colleagues, she adds, “expect you to behave equally like them, like just another officer. That’s where you earn your respect.”

It’s very sad that four Jamaicans were murdered on Good Friday. Among them, a teenage boy and a friend who were reportedly targeted by robbers in Clarendon. Another teenager was injured. My condolences to the families who are mourning this weekend:

Phillip Douglas, 24, Farm/May Pen, Clarendon

Omar Joseph, 16, Farm/May Pen, Clarendon

Owayne Barrett, 33, Old Harbour, St. Catherine

Nigel Steele,Old Harbour, St. Catherine

Unidentified man, Nain, St. Elizabeth

On the road: A 69-year-old woman was killed in Chudleigh, Manchester on Thursday. The driver was apparently speeding, hit a wall, and the woman who was a passenger was flung out of the car. Was she wearing a seat belt? In any case, can we please just SLOW DOWN? And another young policeman was killed that day, while riding his motorcycle in Kingston. I hope everyone is taking care on the roads this holiday weekend.

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Although with the ever-present climate change issues weighing us down, and here in Jamaica the threat to our beautiful Portland Bight Protected Area still looming over us, it’s hard to feel very “happy”… But we live in hope and must keep on working for our precious Planet!

Today (Earth Day) is the fifteenth anniversary of the declaration of the Portland Bight Protected Area by the Jamaican Government on Earth Day, 1999. It is also the launch day of the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival. Read more on this below…

BirdsCaribbean’s logo depicts the Bananaquit, a colorful, friendly and easily-recognized songbird that is a common resident on most Caribbean islands.

Birds Caribbean (formerly the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds) is a major regional supporter of the campaign to save Goat Islands in the PBPA from a major port development and coal-fired power plant, which the Government of Jamaica aims to have built by China Harbour Engineering Company. Birds Caribbean is a non-profit organization committed to the conservation of wild birds and their habitats in the insular Caribbean. More than 80,000 local people participate in its programs each year, making BirdsCaribbean the most broad-based conservation organization in the region. Some of its international partners and supporters include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Royal Society for the Protection of Caribbean Birds, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Wetlands International, and BirdLife International.

The Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF), an annual BirdsCaribbean event, is a celebration of the region’s unique bird life: of 770 bird species in the region, 148 are endemic and 105 of these are confined to single islands, including colorful parrots, hummingbirds, todies and warblers. It is celebrated for one month in the spring, from Earth Day (April 22nd) to International Biodiversity Day (May 22nd). Local conservation organizations will be celebrating through an array of events, including bird and nature walks, presentations, art exhibitions and competitions, radio quizzes, bird calling contests, beach clean-ups, tree plantings, and more. 

To find out more about BirdsCaribbean and the CEBF, look them up on Facebook and follow BirdsCaribbean on Twitter @BirdsCaribbean. Here is their press release on “Why Caribbean Birds Matter,” the theme for the CEBF.

There’s no question that birds have a special place in the hearts of Caribbean people. The intimate cultural connection between people and birds is reflected in the local names for birds that vary from island to island. They are celebrated in art and literature from the region as well, receiving praise from Bob Marley for “singin’ sweet songs,” and representing the Caribbean spirit in the poems of Derek Walcott. The true importance of Caribbean birds, however, goes far beyond their beauty and power to inspire.

Although often unknown or unnoticed, birds play many critical roles that enrich the ecosystems and economies of the Caribbean. They act as garbage men, gardeners, fish-finders and tourist attractions. The Caribbean as we know it couldn’t exist without them. Best of all, they do all this work for free!

Birds eat pests. A single Barn Swallow can eat 60 insects in an hour, up to 850 per day! Photo by Ron LeValley.

1. Birds eat pests.

The early bird catches the worm, and many Caribbean birds eat insects of all kinds, like mosquitoes, cockroaches, flies and beetles. In the wild, insect-eating birds help ensure the proper balance between plants, insects and other animals. On farms, and in even in backyard gardens, they do much the same, controlling the population of pest insects for free, and reducing the need to use potentially harmful pesticides.

The coffee berry borer beetle, the world’s most serious coffee pest, is an excellent example of this. Research on Jamaican coffee farms has shown that migratory song birds, such as the American Redstart and Black-throated Blue Warbler, and resident birds, such as the Bananaquit and Jamaica Tody, feast on the berry borers during the critical period when the beetles are attempting to invade the maturing coffee berries. This research demonstrated that wild birds in the Caribbean increased the profits of coffee farmers by about 12 percent.

Birds also help control invasive species that are harmful to human health and ecosystems. Birds of prey such as the Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and owls eat rats and mice in addition to smaller birds, mammals, insects and reptiles. In St. Martin, the American Kestrel hunts immature green iguanas, which are an invasive species.

2. Birds bring birdwatchers.

Birdwatchers love birds. They are visiting the Caribbean to see our rare and beautiful endemic birds and unique habitats. The United States Fish & Wildlife Service has calculated that birding and other wildlife watching is worth $32 billion per year (U.S. dollars) in the United States alone. Birding tourism, a growing segment of the international tourism market, now makes the Caribbean an important area for sun, sand, sea – and bird-watching! Birding trails and hotspots are established on most Caribbean islands, attracting both casual cruise ship visitors and the more dedicated stop-over birders in significant numbers. Birding tourism generates jobs and revenues for national parks and preserves, and hotels, restaurants and other small businesses. Promoting birding tourism during the peak migratory periods in the fall and spring may even help boost tourism during months that are traditionally considered the low season for tourism.

3. Birds clean up.

One man’s trash can be a bird’s treasure. From carcasses to breadcrumbs, birds are the champions of removing dead animal and other organic remains. Vultures, egrets, herons, crows and several other species remove road-kill, farming and domestic refuse. This helps keep islands beautiful and also benefits public health by disposing of items that could cause pollution or even spread disease.

Birds spread seeds. Many birds like the White-crowned Pigeon, Scaly-naped Pigeon, grassquits, parrots, bullfinches, and mockingbirds spread seeds by eating and digesting. Photo by Lisa Sorenson.

4. Birds spread seeds.

None of our tropical hardwood forests would exist in their current state without wild birds. This is because for many tropical forest shrubs and trees, birds are the most important seed dispersers. The Caribbean is rich with seed-swallowing and fruit-pulp feeding birds, such as pigeons, doves, parrots, warblers and grassquits that spread forest seeds. By doing so, they protect valuable watersheds; produce vital water catchments; support important hardwood timber industries; help control floods; and buffer the effects of global climate change. Dominica’s large parrots, with their powerful thick beaks and feet, enhance seed dispersal by opening large hard fruits, making their seeds more available to smaller seed-dispersing songbirds.

Antillean Crested Hummingbird. Photo by Sean Modi.

5. Birds pollinate flowers.

Without birds, the region would lose some of its most beautiful treasures. In the Caribbean, bats, insects and birds, including hummingbirds, Bananaquits and many warblers overwhelmingly dominate pollination. A collection of studies has documented that the shape, nectar characteristics, and colors of several Caribbean flowers have evolved in response to hummingbird pollination. Thus plant diversity can be limited by a lack of hummingbird pollinators on some islands. Pollination is a key environmental service provided by birds—without birds, numerous plants could not produce seeds and fruits.

6. Birds enrich soils.

Guano, or seabird poop, contains concentrated sources of nitrogen and phosphates and is a valuable source of fertilizer. Although manure from commercially-produced chickens is now prevalent, seabird guano once formed the basis of entire industries. In the 1900s, before inorganic fertilizers became common, extensive guano deposits on Caribbean islands were harvested as guano prices skyrocketed in the Europe and in North America. Today, birds continue to provide this service in many habitats by enriching forest soils and recycling important nutrients for plant growth.

7. Birds are experts at finding fish.

Birds have been helping fishermen find fish since long before the invention of sonar and electronic fish finders. Seabirds like the Magnificent Frigatebird, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Sooty Tern and Brown Noddy have millions of years of experience spotting fish as they fly high above the sea. They are quick to the scene when schools of small fish are forced to the surface by larger, more desirable species. In the Caribbean, savvy fishermen have been using seabirds to help spot fish for generations, and refer to them as “fish finders.” They even know what type of fish they are likely to find in a given area based on the birds that are present!

A pair of binoculars and field guide is all you need to get started on a rewarding life long hobby. Photo by Lisa Sorenson.

8. Birds connect us to nature.

Birds are everywhere and are easy and fun to observe. In the Caribbean, where there are few native mammals, birds are often the most charismatic and familiar animals, making them the perfect ambassadors for appreciation of nature. A pair of binoculars and a field guide is enough to get anyone started on a rewarding lifelong hobby. A field trip to see birds can bring biology to life and inspire students to be our future scientists and conservationists.

Birds also have much to tell us about the world we live in. Our understanding of the natural world was and still is enriched through research on birds by numerous scientists. Charles Darwin, the famous naturalist and geologist who developed the theory of evolution by natural selection described in his book “The Origin of Species,” how his study of mockingbirds and finches in the Galapagos Islands contributed to his theory. In the Caribbean, bird research may bring new discoveries that help us better understand both the region and the world. Each island is, after all, a laboratory of sorts, running its own experiments in ecology and evolution.

9. Birds are our “canary in the coal mine.”

In the past, coal miners brought canaries and other small animals with them into mines because they would die when exposed to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, giving the miners a chance to escape. Even today, birds often signal when there are dangerous threats to the environment and people.

In the mid-20th Century, populations of birds of prey such as the Peregrine Falcon, Osprey and Bald Eagle declined. Scientists found that accumulations of the pesticide DDT made them produce thin, brittle eggshells that broke easily. This discovery warned of the dangers of DDT to the health of wildlife and humans. More recently, mercury has been found in the blood of forest birds such as Bicknell’s Thrush, even though the birds are living far from power plants, showing the far-reaching effects of human pollution.

Just the presence or absence of birds can tell us a lot. In some parts of the Caribbean, the Magnificent Frigatebird was known as the Hurricane Bird. Their arrival from far at sea was a sign of a coming storm. When there are fewer birds, due to human disturbance such as forest clearing it can mean a loss in biodiversity. This makes habitats less resilient to change and more prone to invasion of harmful species and agricultural pests.

10. Caribbean birds are UNIQUELY ours!

The Caribbean cannot claim many goods, products and services as unique to the Caribbean. Many things that we now celebrate have their roots in other cultures and are derived from influences outside the region. Caribbean birds are, however, a notable exception! Ranked among the top five areas of the planet to possess a unique (and threatened) bird community, the Caribbean boasts a diverse collection of bird species that have lived here for millons of year and are not found anywhere else! According to global experts, an astonishing 72% of the approximately 208 resident island bird species found on Caribbean islands are endemic—that is, found nowhere else on the plant. Sadly, threats and rates of extinction have been increasing, meriting international focus on the preservation of this unique natural heritage.

By Leo Douglas, Mark Yokoyama and Lisa Sorenson

This article was inspired by the Audubon magazine’s articles “Ten Reasons to be Thankful for Birds” and “Birds Matter Because They Do.”

Happy birthday, Portland Bight Protected Area!

We love you, Portland Bight! From C-CAM’s Facebook page…

Yes, the largest protected area in Jamaica – which includes the now-threatened Goat Islands – was declared a Protected Area on Earth Day, 1999 with much fanfare by then Environment Minister Easton Douglas. Here’s a report from Peter Espeut, who then headed the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation:

The following message was circulated on 11 June 1999 by Peter Espeut, Executive Director of the Caribbean Coastal Area Management (C-CAM) Foundation, Jamaica.

On Friday, June 4, 1999 as a prelude to Jamaica’s Environmental Awareness Week, the Honourable Easton Douglas, Jamaica’s Minister of the Environment and Housing, formally announced the declaration of Portland Bight as Jamaica’s newest Protected Area. He had previously signed the Declaration Order on April 22 — Earth Day 1999.

Chairman of the ceremony was Franklin McDonald, Executive Director of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), the government’s environmental agency. The ceremony was jointly sponsored by the NRCA and C-CAM. It was held within the Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA) in the fishing community of Old Harbour Bay, St. Catherine. The PBPA falls within two civil parishes — St. Catherine and Clarendon. Councillor Maureen Scott of the St. Catherine Parish Council welcomed the attendees to the parish.

Carla Gordon and Frances Blair of the NRCA explained the government’s Systems Plan for Parks and Protected Areas in Jamaica. Peter Espeut, Executive Director of

C-CAM, described the natural and human resources of the area, and outlined the management goals C-CAM would seek to achieve when it was delegated the management authority. He pointed out that about 50,000 persons lived within the boundaries of the PBPA, and that many industries were located there. He expressed his confidence that the co-management approach being pursued by C-CAM would lead to success in bringing sustainable development and sustainable prosperity to the area.

Minister Douglas then gave a stimulating address where he outlined the government’s record in protecting the environment, and committed the government to implementing the systems plan. He stated his confidence in C-CAM’s ability to manage the area, and promised that a location would be provided for the headquarters of the PBPA. He then signed copies of the Portland Bight Declaration Order in the official Jamaica Gazette, and presented copies to Councillor Maureen Scott representing the St. Catherine Parish Council, Councillor Winston Maragh representing the Clarendon Parish Council, St. Catherine Member of Parliament Jennifer Edwards, and C-CAM Chairman Tarn Peralto.

Following the ceremony was a boat tour of the northern reaches of the PBPA. The first stop was the beautiful Cockpit Salt Marsh on the Clarendon side of the Bight, where a fish (a mullet) conveniently jumped into the Minister’s boat. The tour then proceeded to Little Goat Island on the St. Catherine side, where the group had a look at the decommissioned US Naval Air Base (WWII vintage) and the tourism potential of the island. The party then returned to the mainland for refreshments.

Coming events

June 19 – Delegates from all the citizens’ associations in the St. Catherine and Clarendon parts of Portland Bight, meet to consider the Management Plan and regulations for the PBPA. Funded by the OAS-ISP.

June 29 – All Portland Bight fishers are invited to a Fisheries Management Symposium to discuss the Management Plan for the PBPA and the draft fisheries regulations drawn up by the Portland Bight Fisheries Management Council (PBFMC) for implementation within the PBPA. Funded from the Pew Fellowship to Peter Espeut, 1996 Pew Fellow.

Goat Islands and its surroundings are now seriously threatened by a planned shipping port, to be constructed by China Harbour Engineering Company. The current Environment Minister Robert Pickersgill has remained completely silent about the plans. If you search for “Portland Bight Protected Area” or “Goat Islands” on my blog you will find several articles with more information. Also DO look at savegoatislands.org which is regularly updated and very informative.

This year, the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation is celebrating the PBPA’s fifteenth anniversary with its first “Green Run.” If you are in Jamaica, do join us! The run/walk will begin at 7:00 a.m. sharp on Sunday, April 27, 2014 at Vere Technical High School in Clarendon and will end at Pawsey Park, Lionel Town. Registration fee (J$1,000 includes a Green Run T shirt, refreshments and prizes). All proceeds will go to C-CAM’s work in the PBPA. For more information call C-CAM at 289-8253 or email: ccamfngo@gmail.com. You can also leave a note on C-CAM’s Facebook page, and look at their website: http://www.ccam.org.jm

Today is St. George’s Day, a rather patriotic day in England. It’s also William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday; he’s getting quite old.  In Kingston, Jamaica, the city is finally coming back to life after the torpor of the Easter holiday.

Still simmering: Resentment over the bank withdrawal tax still simmers. The Jamaican Twittersphere got itself quite tied up in knots over it. Finance Minister Peter Phillips held a press briefing yesterday which was closely followed on the live stream. The Minister tried to explain his broader strategy to modernize the tax administration system; he is seeking overseas assistance to do so. He also tried to explain why he reportedly said there would be no new taxes in the upcoming budget, in January; he said he was referring to petroleum tax specifically and that headlines had been misleading. Those PAYE workers who receive their pay through the bank find the tax unfair. The kind of thing that bugs me, though, is stuff like this: The case against a firm owned  by a People’s National Party activist, which allegedly owes over J$100 millions in General Consumption Tax, is still dragging through the courts after six years.

We have suffered from so many bad taxes – what results have we seen from all the taxes we have paid over the past few decades? Opposition Finance Spokesman Audley Shaw did not offer much of an alternative in his Budget presentation, but did say the Simpson Miller administration needed to “cut the fat” by reducing the size of government, cutting back on large overseas delegations, etc.  President of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica Chris Zacca tweeted that the tax is “ill-advised” in his opinion (and yes, traditional media has to post screenshots of tweets to keep up with social media, now). And today the Bankers’ Association of Jamaica expressed concern over the impact of the tax on the formal banking system. As well they might. The Jamaica Teachers’s Association is not happy, either. Anyone in favor…?

The “most vulnerable”: This is the Finance Minister’s and the International Monetary Fund’s favorite catch-phrase. They want to protect the “m.v”s at all costs. Who comes into this category now? To my mind, the Jamaican middle class is more vulnerable than ever!

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

The Minister’s “thing”: A curious conversation between CVM Television reporter Garfield Burford and Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has left me wondering. Mr. Burford waylaid the PM outside Parliament to ask her to comment on the withdrawal tax. Mrs. Simpson Miller began, “Well, what I understand from the Minister’s thing today… (thing, Madam, PM?)” and ended up confusing herself and the viewer completely. She interrupted her non sequitur sentences to emphasize, “I think the Minister himself” will explain everything when he closes the debate. I don’t think she understands the tax at all; or, she was not possibly briefed; or, she disagrees and was hinting it would be pulled back? A puzzling interview, altogether.

Still smokin’ … A friend took this photo of the Riverton dump fire this afternoon, from Jacks Hill. Quite distant, but very much there.

NEPA getting tough: Smoke still wafts across parts of Kingston from the Riverton City dump, five days after another fire started there. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has served an enforcement notice on the National Solid Waste Management Agency (NSWMA), insisting that the operators of the dump strengthen security and that it provides full details of how the fire started. NEPA is threatening to withdraw the permit that it only just gave the NSWMA in March.

NEPA has also ordered Jamaica North South Highway Company Limited to stop the unauthorized clearing of land outside the highway in breach of its permit, which China Harbour Engineering Company is building. It seems they are over-zealous in their environmental destruction. No comment.

Police in discussion with civilians during the 1999 gas riots. The violent riots motivated the formation of human rights group Jamaicans for Justice. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

Kudos and commendations!

Fifteen years of remarkable work: Happy fifteenth birthday to Jamaicans for Justice, the human rights lobby group that was born in 1999 – at the foot of Jack’s Hill in Kingston, where a group gathered – during the April “gas riots” protesting then Finance Minister Omar Davies’ imposition of a tax on gasoline.

Dr. Andrew Wheatley, the Opposition’s Spokesman on the Environment.

Opposition Spokesman on the Environment Dr. Andrew Wheatley, who has asked the question,“My position is that we need to decide, what is the greater priority: The health of the nation or cheaper energy?” in relation to the question of coal (why are we even considering coal? The World Bank is no longer funding any projects involving coal). Oh yes, China Harbour Engineering Company want to use a coal-fired plant to provide electricity for their planned port on the beautiful Goat Islands in Jamaica’s largest Protected Area. What a travesty!

Directors and members of American Friends of Jamaica, including former U.S. Ambassadors Brenda LaGrange Johnson and J. Gary Cooper, with residents at the Rose Town Community Library in Kingston.

American Friends of Jamaica - led by former U.S. Ambassadors to Jamaica – recently gave J$14 million-plus in grants to community-based organizations. Every year they raise funds for grassroots Jamaican organizations with little fanfare. Thank you so much!

The “Gleaner” office building on North Street in downtown Kingston.

The “Old Lady of North Street”, our venerable newspaper the Gleaner, which is celebrating its 180th anniversary this year. It is in fact the oldest company in Jamaica. I hope it will seek to maintain and uphold journalistic standards for many more decades to come.

Two unidentified men were killed since Sunday: One in Waterford/Portmore, St. Catherine and the other on Woodlawn Road in Mandeville, Manchester.  I have not been able to find their names, but I have no doubt they are mourned.

ON THE ROAD: My friend and fellow blogger Dennis Jones does not believe that Jamaican drivers are generally indisciplined. I have to disagree. Speeding remains a huge problem, and the holiday weekend’s occurrences underline this. Four people died and many others were injured in crashes over Easter – including a minibus carrying twenty people to a beach outing on the north coast. The bus was apparently trying to overtake a car, which was turning right. 

One of the many people injured in a bus crash in St. Mary is placed in a wheelchair. (Photo: Garfield Robinson/Jamaica Observer)

I knew it wouldn’t be long before Mr. Tyrone Wilson came up with something creative and new. In fact, I fully expected it. The YUTE Lens Support Program at the University of Technology (UTech) is in many ways an extension of what the President and CEO of eMedia Interactive Limited has been doing for some time – empowering and motivating young people. Now, with the support of the Australian Government and the private sector, it has taken shape. The launch took place last Friday.

At Friday’s launch of the YUTE Lens Support Program: L-R – Mrs Marjory Kennedy, Honorary Consul of Australia to Jamaica, Mrs Sandra Glasgow, Deputy Chair of eMedia Interactive Ltd and Director YUTE Ltd, Mr Joseph Matalon, Chairman, YUTE Ltd, Ms Alicia Glasgow, Executive Director, YUTE Ltd, and Mr. Tyrone Wilson, President and CEO of eMedia Interactive Ltd, share lens time with some participants on the YUTE Lens Support Program. The project is a partnership between YUTE Ltd and eMedia Ltd and is funded in part through the Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid programme. (Photo: StuartImages)

In Jamaican patois, youth is pronounced “yute.” Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE) is a three-year-old private-public sector skills training initiative chaired by former head of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica Joseph M. Matalon. As we’re probably all aware (and Mr. Matalon reminded us), Jamaicans under thirty years old constitute three-quarters of the perpetrators of violence and crime in Jamaica; and our citizens aged 25 – 29 years old are at greatest risk of becoming homicide victims. High levels of youth unemployment in under-privileged areas such as our inner cities contribute to this tragic state of affairs, of course. The economic costs of violent crime are huge – equivalent to 3.2 per cent of Jamaica’s Gross Domestic Product. So the YUTE programme makes sense, focusing on relevant and useful training for young Jamaicans living in Kingston and St. Catherine’s inner-city communities. The ten-week YUTE Lens Support program will train 40 participants between April and June, and 40 more between July and September, running concurrently with the eMedia iVu tv’s 2014 production season.

Randy McLaren and Chris Hutchinson play rookie cops in the comedy series “Squaddie” – a product of Tyrone Wilson’s iVu tv.

Now, if you read my last article about Tyrone Wilson, you will recall that eMedia Interactive is a new media company, headed and staffed by young people and based at UTech’s Technology and Innovation Centre. iVu tv has already employed disadvantaged youths on both sides of the lens in its humorous series “Squaddy,” (that’s a nickname for a policeman). Now a much larger group of young people will learn the skills associated with video, camerawork and film and television production. I understand that the program will continue over the next few years. This will give a serious boost to Jamaica’s creative industries – and provide a good income-earning source for the trained youth.

Tyrone Wilson, President and CEO of eMedia Interactive and Ms Alicia Glasgow, Executive Director of YUTE Ltd, are all smiles at the launch of the YUTE Lens Support Program on Friday, April 25 at the UTECH’s Technology Innovation Centre. Through this partnership, 40 YUTE participants will be trained in all aspects of film production. YUTE Lens Support is funded in part by the Australian High Commission through its Direct Aid program and is the second initiative to be launched as part of phase II of the YUTE program. (Photo: StuartImages)

(L) Mrs Marjory Kennedy, Honorary Consul of Australia to Jamaica, Mr Joseph Matalon, Chairman of YUTE Ltd and Mr Tyrone Wilson, President and CEO of eMedia Interactive Ltd are impressed with the budding film skills of Terry-Ann Carnegie, participant in the YUTE Lens Support Program. The program is a joint partnership between Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE) Ltd and eMedia Interactive, through part sponsorship of the Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid program. It will facilitate the training of 40 young people in film production. The project was launched on Friday, April 25 at the Technology Innovation Centre, UTech. (Photo: StuartImages)

By the way, as Jamaica’s Honorary Consul for Australia Marjory Kennedy pointed out at the launch, this is not the first time the Australian Government has supported YUTE programs since November 2010. In particular, it has provided funding for YUTE’s Pre-Skills Learn and Earn program with a special focus on literacy. Importantly, that program created 850 job opportunities – long and short-term.

The horizons are narrow for many unemployed young people in neighborhoods, where resources are few and inspiration is lacking. These young Jamaicans never want pity or handouts; they have tremendous energy; they seek the opportunity to lift themselves up. YUTE Lens Support, with the support of Mr. Wilson and his young team, offers that opportunity. I am so looking forward to hearing more about how the program progresses, and to seeing the fruits of their labor in due course.

I wish the trainees all the best of luck.

Mr Tyrone Wilson, President and CEO of eMedia Interactive Ltd, (Centre) and YUTE Ltd participants join hands in support of the YUTE Lens Support Program which was launched on Friday, April 25 at the Technology Innovation Centre, UTECH. Through this program which is sponsored in part by the Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid program, 40 participants will be trained in film production. (Photo: StuartImages)

Carnival in Jamaica is a cultural import that is largely an uptown Kingston phenomenon, although versions of it occur elsewhere on the island. Weeks of frantic bacchanal sessions culminate on Sunday with the Road March. It’s not as large and inclusive as it was in the early days, largely because of economic decline. Nevertheless, the crazy noise of j’ouvert woke us at an unearthly hour on Saturday morning, as revelers leaped and “wined” their way energetically through the dark Kingston streets. Apologies for the delay in sending this (power cut was one reason) and also for the inability to post photos. WordPress is not allowing me to post more than two!

The tax still rankles… The media has been hearing from everybody and his aunt about Minister Peter Phillips’ proposed tax on bank withdrawals. Is there anyone who supports it? Financial analyst Dennis Chung was quite misrepresented in a Gleaner headline as “hailing” the tax. As the Gleaner noted in a later report, Mr. Chung actually said the government had made a “clever” move – which is not the same thing as saying you think it’s a good thing. In fact, Mr. Chung does not like it in principle, as it would move people towards cash – but pointed out that not a lot of money was involved. Some journalists need to listen more carefully when commentators are giving a nuanced response. It’s not always a question of simply “for” or “against” it.

Choking smoke from the dump has pervaded the area – and beyond – all week. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

…and the dump still smoulders: More than a week after it started, the fire at the Riverton City dump in Kingston is still smoking. Two government agencies (the National Solid Waste Management Agency (NSWMA) and the National Environment & Planning Agency) apparently don’t see eye to eye over it, while a third agency (the Office of Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management) dutifully puts out press releases about the status of the fire.  The NSWMA was told to put the fire out by Friday. NSWMA head Jennifer Edwards sounded rather defensive in a television interview, said it was well nigh impossible to secure the area properly, but made a good point: The entire dump needs to be covered and turned into a proper landfill. She knows this won’t happen any time soon, due to lack of resources.

Things fall apart: The Energy World International (EWI) situation appears to be unraveling this evening (it’s now Monday – yes, I am late again due to family commitments and a long power cut, ironically, over the weekend). Last Thursday, EWI failed to pay the required bond on time. Now, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says it will not provide funding for the major power project for which Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell signed the license, because the government broke its own procurement regulations as stipulated by the Office of the Contractor General. Oh, did I mention the Minister had actually amended the license and re-signed it so that it excluded the necessity to pay a bond? OH. Yes. The saga continues and the Office of Utilities Regulation is scheduled to make a full report tomorrow.

Waffling Opposition: By the way, I don’t believe the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party asked enough questions about the EWI issue from the start. They should have made a much greater fuss from the moment EWI was allowed in after the deadline; the moment when things started looking a little dodgy. They should be asking many questions about the planned Goat Islands project too, where there is an equal lack of transparency. But, they are not.

This cow does not look very thrilled at the prospect of being tagged when Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Roger Clarke and Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Noel Arscott visited it. (Photo: JIS)

Bovine passports: I don’t think I told you about the latest idea coming from the Minister of Agriculture to combat praedial larceny – that is, the theft of agricultural livestock and produce. Well, every darned cow in the country (there are at least 70,000) is going to get an electronic tag. This should take about a year to do, they say. Minister Roger Clarke said each cow will be “virtually issued a passport,” a comment that has spawned a number of jokes about visas, whether cows would be allowed to travel first class, etc. I think this sounds like a gimmick, and where will the money come from? Will this apply to sheep, pigs and goats too? However, the Ministry is seeking to make major amendments to the relevant legislation. For example, fines for praedial larceny are far too low. And Minister Clarke is paying attention to climate change: he is hoping to put much more money into rainwater harvesting projects for farmers, and into reducing waste in irrigation systems.

Talking of rain: Where is it? The drought is biting down hard on us, and many areas (rural and urban) are experiencing water restrictions. Although some areas had a little rain this week, Kingston is a virtual desert.

There is much more going on in Jamaica to tell you about. I will try to catch up properly (and provide an EWI update) on Wednesday.

Commendations and congrats to:

• Ms Fayval Williams, a company executive, who is the new Deputy Spokesperson on Finance for the Jamaica Labour Party. I have heard her on radio several times, and she seems competent and savvy. Wishing her good luck in her new position.
• Young entrepreneur Gordon Swaby, founder of the online social learning platform EduFocal, whom I see on Twitter quite a bit. The IDB has invited him to join their consultations on “Relentless Conversations for Relentless Innovations: The Private Sector and the New Education” in Washington, DC, this summer. Gordon is going from strength to strength!  Take a look at http://www.edufocal.com.

Two men (bread salesmen) were shot dead in Hanover, western Jamaica, and their cell phones stolen. These incidents baffle and sadden me. They leave families and loved ones in mourning, and I send my deepest condolences to them all.

Delmar Brissett, South Camp Road, Kingston

Dorraine Brown, 49, Waltham Park Road, Kingston

Ralston McLaughlin, 69, Copse, Hanover

Terrence Weston, 49, Copse, Hanover

Damion Shaw, 36, Providence Heights, St. James

Kemar Clarke, 22, Phillipsfield, St. Thomas

Ten days after it started, the fire at Kingston’s Riverton City dump continues to smoke, pouring pollution into the air and causing hardship for thousands of residents in surrounding areas. This is the second major fire at the dump (please folks, it is not a landfill) in the past two months. The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), the government agency with responsibility for the dump, has not complied with an order to have the fire out by last Friday. 

The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) and the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC) issued a joint statement on the matter today. Will it ever be resolved? And has anyone been measuring the air quality in our city?

April 28th, 2014
Kingston, Jamaica

WE CAN’T BREATHE! JAMAICANS STILL BEING HARMED BY RIVERTON DUMP FIRE, SAYS JET

More than a month after the Riverton City Dump combusted into flames on March 15, 2014, which was followed by a second fire started on April 18, 2014, the smouldering dump continues to pose a severe health hazard for citizens in the Kingston and St Andrew area and St Catherine. The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) reports that it is still receiving daily complaints from the general public and pleas for help. We have been told of an increased use of health facilities, people being unable to sleep or enjoy their property even while indoors, and complaints being received from ships coming into Kingston who are affected by poor visibility caused by the smoke.

JET is alarmed by the inability of the authorities to extinguish the fire swiftly, but also the unconscionable silence from the Minister of Health, the Chief Medical Officer and the Central Board of Health. We are concerned that there is no daily information being issued on air quality testing – the public does not know if testing is being done, and if it is being done, what the results are. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has allowed the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to continue to operate Riverton and other dumps in totally unsatisfactory conditions over decades. We know that NEPA issued an enforcement notice with regard to this latest fire, but the smoke continues to compromise the air for thousands of people. We know that millions of dollars have been spent on this latest fire; money that is not going to be available for proper waste management in future. It is an open secret that the fire is often set by people who have access to the unsecured dump and may well be some of the same people who benefit from the funds which then must be spent to extinguish it.

“I flew back into Kingston yesterday, April 27th, 2014 at about 1.30 pm,” says JET’s Chief Executive Officer, Diana McCaulay. “I saw a clear plume of smoke coming from Riverton, reaching as far as Red Hills. Yet later that same afternoon, I also saw a press release from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) that the dump fire was 95% put out. The responsible government agencies need to stop sugar coating the situation. It is a public health emergency,” said Ms McCaulay.

After the Riverton fire in 2012, JET and the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC) participated in an inter agency committee to deal with the situation at Riverton. After a few meetings over many months and no concrete action, the two civil society groups withdrew from the committee, which to the best of their knowledge, never met again.

JET and JCSC are calling on the three responsible Ministers – Health, Local Government, and Land, Water, Environment and Climate Change – to take urgent action not only to extinguish the fire, but to take long outstanding measures to improve solid waste handling in Jamaica and to hold government officials accountable for their portfolios.

“Riverton burns, people are sickened, no one is ever held responsible,” said JET’s CEO.

Contact:
Diana McCaulay, JET
469-1315

Danielle Andrade, JET
392-7341

Rev Dr Paul Gardener, Chairman, JCSC
341-0881

Carol Narcisse. JCSC
430-4705

I didn’t share this release from JET also, dated April 22. The legal struggles regarding the proposed shipping port in Jamaica’s Goat Islands continue.

JET ASKS COURT TO REVIEW GOJ’S DENIAL OF INFORMATION RE GOAT ISLANDS PROJECT

The Minister of Finance and Planning issued a Certificate of Exemption that prevented The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) from getting information regarding the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for plans to develop a port on the Goat Islands in the Portland Bight Protected Area.
JET has applied to the Supreme Court to start the process of judicial review of the Certificate of Exemption.
In October 2013, JET requested these documents from the Port Authority of Jamaica. Access was denied in November 2013. JET then filed an appeal to the Appeals Tribunal of the Access to Information Act and was awaiting a hearing date when the organization received notice that the Minister of Finance and Planning had granted the Certificate of Exemption.
“We believe the Minister erred in granting the Certificate of Exemption,” said Danielle Andrade, JET’s Legal Director, “and we are concerned that this act strikes at the letter and spirit of the Access to Information Act.”
JET has long objected to the lack of information reaching the public on the details of this important project. At a community meeting held on March 24th, 2014 in Old Harbour Bay, residents also expressed concern about the lack of public consultation.
JET will be represented by Hugh Small, QC, instructed by Danielle Andrade and Lisa Russell. “We are hoping for an early date for a hearing,” said JET’s Legal Director.
“Today is Earth Day,” said JET’s Chief Executive Officer, Diana McCaulay. “We regard openness and transparency as a critical foundation of good environmental stewardship. Natural resources, especially those in protected areas, belong to the people of Jamaica and projects which are very likely to harm those resources should be subject to thorough and early public consultation and disclosure of important documents,” said the JET CEO.

Contact:

Jamaica Environment Trust
11 Waterloo Road
Kingston 10

Diana McCaulay, Chief Executive Officer, 469-1315
Danielle Andrade, Legal Director, 392-7341

Greetings from the hot, furiously windy and utterly dry city of Kingston, Jamaica, which is beginning to feel like the Sahara desert with buildings.

My readers, I crave your indulgence once again…

Due to a major weekend power cut and a prolonged Internet outage (also, interestingly, due to “power problems” by the service provider) from yesterday into today, I am hopelessly disorganized.

Therefore, in an effort to balance myself, I will omit my regular Wednesday blog and will be back on stream by the weekend.

Meanwhile, please bear with me…

OK. Excuses done.

There was “so much things to say”, as the Bob Marley song goes. At a stakeholder consultation with health care workers and local groups working with the LGBT community, words flowed in torrents as the participants tackled difficult issues head on. The organizers, Panos Caribbean, expertly guided the discussion, which is part of a broader communication initiative against stigma and discrimination funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through World Learning.

The project has largely focused on MSM (men who have sex with men), which, by the way, is a public health term and not a term that actually denotes sexual orientation.

The theme for the consultations, held in Ocho Rios, St. Ann was “Targeting Zero Discrimination, Enhancing Care”. Panos’ Indi Mclymont Lafayette and Dr. Hamlet Nation kicked off the discussion. After that, representatives of the LGBT community and health care workers from the parishes of St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland (covered by the Ministry of Health’s North East Regional Health Authority) all had their say.

This meeting was prompted by a significant document published by Panos Caribbean and launched in Kingston last September called “Speaking Out: Voices of Jamaican MSM”. These oral testimonies from 32 men, including one teen, were a“first”, vivid, wide-ranging expressions of how gay Jamaican men see their lives and confront their challenges. Many described the negative experience of seeking treatment at some (but not all) public health institutions.

MSM patients are ill at ease in health settings; they worry greatly about the confidentiality of their medical information. But are health care workers themselves comfortable, especially when giving specific information to these patients? Do they always seek to be non-judgmental? Most of this stakeholders group said they attended church. So, do their religious and personal perspectives influence their work? Do they encourage health-seeking behavior, and do they maintain professional standards at all times?

Jermaine Burton, founder of the Color Pink Group working with LGBT commercial sex workers in particular, was himself homeless two years ago. When he went to the hospital, the security guards immediately turned him away, so he never even got inside the building. If he did manage to speak to a nurse, he was afraid to disclose details of his health status. He believed his docket would be passed around among various employees — everyone would know. Andrew Higgins, from the National Anti-Discrimination Alliance (NADA), also pointed to issues of trust, and not only in public health facilities. Especially in small communities, news and gossip travel fast. Guess who I saw going into the AIDS clinic today?

J-FLAG’s Jaevion Nelson noted his organization’s key mission: to increase levels of tolerance of LGBT Jamaicans from the current 17 per cent to 50 per cent of the population. J-FLAG also works for improved primary health care for MSM. Mr. Nelson noted there are specific issues unique to the MSM community. Having visited public hospitals across Jamaica, he singled out the “fascination with dress codes”. People dress in different ways; but don’t they still have a right to be treated?’ he asked. If they are homeless, they likely don’t have smart or clean clothes to wear. Does this mean we should turn away patients who are most at risk and possibly in urgent need of treatment?

Rights come with responsibilities, responded one contact investigator, who works closely with MSM. Patients must dress properly to avoid “conflict” with authority. They must behave properly; some are loud and aggressive. Mr. Nelson suggested a more tempered response; health care workers must help their clients understand good behavior and what is acceptable or unacceptable. Health care centers should create an inclusive, calm physical environment, making everyone feel at home and reducing stress levels among patients (by the time they arrive, many gay patients are already extremely stressed). When they walk in, do clients know that this is a non-discriminatory space? If they have a complaint, do they know how to seek redress?

Regional Epidemiologist and HIV/STI Coordinator Dr. Carla Hoo said the dress code (no slippers, no spaghetti straps, no bare midriffs, etc) is not going to change any time soon. “We are not trying to be autocratic,” she explained. “The dress code is for our own good.” It is there for health reasons, to prevent the spread of infection.

So, dress and behavior are clearly major factors – two social constructs that have great bearing on human relationships, especially in a professional setting. They may constitute a barrier to harmonious relations between an LGBT patient and a nurse — a very tangible barrier.

The discussion kept returning to two less tangible, essential elements for good relations between two human beings: trust, and respect. They work both ways, all agreed. Like all relationships, there must be “give and take”. 

A recent Panos-led consultation with the Ministry of Youth and Culture has, encouragingly, prompted a determination by the Ministry to reach out to homeless LGBT men living on Jamaica’s streets — many of them very young.

The Ocho Rios meeting concluded that specific training for health care workers on working with the community is essential: only about 15 per cent have received such training. J-FLAG has a manual for health care workers on treating MSM patients in the works. There is a need for the MSM community itself to understand the system, and what is expected of them as individual patients. The health sector must examine procedures and systems that may not foster confidentiality and efficiency. And non-governmental organizations should empower LGBT clients and not encourage “victimhood.”

In other words, as Dr. Nation commented, the response should be a “team effort.”

This is part of the way forward — because move forward we must. If we just take stigma and discrimination out of the situation, said one participant, there would be no problem.

See related blog at:

http://wordsfrompetre.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/42180413-call-for-more-inclusive-health-care-for-msm

The referee gives an extra little trill on his whistle and starts jogging gently towards the exit. It’s half time. He is the only one who doesn’t really care whether Manchester City – the “Blue Moon” boys – win or whether the Everton “Toffees” hold sway. The players who have much to ponder lower their heads as they trudge off the pitch. Those who are pleased with their performance so far have a spring in their step. The managers leave their marked-out zones and march purposefully off, lips pursed, mentally preparing for their half-time team talk.

As for the fans, they hang out, shoulders hunched, in their seats, or go off for a cuppa and a snack. Maybe a pie or a bag of crisps. I always wish I was there.

Read my lips… I rather miss the bad-tempered Rooney.

Oh, how I love the game of football. I love everything about it. There is nothing pretentious about football. It’s not always pretty. When a player makes a mistake and curses, you can read his lips quite clearly. Wayne Rooney was always good for this – it used to amuse me greatly. But since he grew back some hair on top and started his meds, he seems to have calmed down a lot and has become generally rather dull. I enjoy the little tantrums, though. I used to love the antics of the brilliant Mario Balotelli – his open rebelliousness, his angry glares – but now he’s back in Italy I don’t see him so often. Players also “dive,” of course. One of the best is the Dutchman Arjen Robben. I have already awarded him several Oscars for the agonized look on his face as he throws himself down and writhes in pain on the ground. Then gets up, hobbles for two seconds, and starts running again.

Aaaaaah, I’m in agony! The best diver in the business Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) feigns injury playing against Giroud in a Champions League match last month. That was one of his best dives, actually. The referee wasn’t impressed.

Mario Balotelli seeing red. But he looks innocent, right?

Equally, when a player is taking a corner close to fans of the opposing side, you can see the fans’ abusive gestures and their angry faces, especially if their team is losing. Football is tribal. Football fans don’t say nice things about other teams, or their fans. For example, Manchester United… and Tottenham Hotspur… Well, my comments would be unprintable, I’m afraid. I would be banned from WordPress.

Which brings me to a part of football that I would rather did not exist – the horrible racism that plagues the game, and never seems to go away. Football clubs around the world should just put their foot down and have a zero-tolerance policy. It must be literally stamped out. Racist fans should not be allowed anywhere near a football ground.

As my online friends know only too well, my heart belongs to Arsenal Football Club. We are The Pride of North London (perhaps not coincidentally, where I used to live). My family in England were rather snobbish and preferred the colonial throwback that is cricket; only my father used to take my young brother to Chelsea games sometimes (I grew up south of the river). Just to be different, I liked Fulham – because our milkman was a Fulham fan and in my childish view, a very cool person.

No, Olivier, don’t swap your jersey… Don’t…Oh, all right, then, if you must…

But what’s not to love about the Gunners? The current team is youthful and hard-working, and a veritable cast of characters. There is the “sexy Frenchman” and our top goal-scorer this season, Olivier Giroud (he has become even more sexy since a much-publicized frolic with a blonde model in a hotel room). We have two very cool Polish goalies with chubby faces and lightning-fast responses. One of them has too many consonants in his name. We have the gritty young Welshman Aaron “Rambo” Ramsey, who takes on every game as if his life depends on it. Pity he was injured at such a crucial time in the season for us, but that’s another story.

The battling Welshman, Aaron Ramsey.

The wide-eyed Bacary Sagna, who hasn’t changed his hairstyle in years.

There is dear Bacary Sagna (who may be leaving us) who has had the same odd plaited blond hairstyle for years now but is Mr. Reliable Right Back. And then there is a trio of lovely Germans: Per Mertesacker, who has a kind of tree-trunk physique and a humorous face; the intense, pale and light-footed Mesut Özil; and the gorgeous, Polish-born Lukas Podolski, who has smooth good looks, the best legs in the business and can fire the ball into the goal like a bullet. And the English lads, Wilshere, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain (the latter has Jamaican heritage).

Podolski doing what he does best…

And presiding over them all, a tall, stern uncle with wrinkled brow is Arsène Wenger, from Alsace, who has a degree in Economics and is nicknamed “the Professor.” The players just call him “The Boss.” After so many years in England he still has a thick French accent, a wry smile, and a propensity for fiddling with his water bottle during the game. When he gets really upset, he hurls it to the ground and it bounces. He also has great difficulty zipping up his jacket on chilly days. The nervous habits of our managers are fascinating to watch.

Of course, I could go on and on about the wonders of Arsenal Football Club; win or lose, they are just the best. But at the risk of boring you all, I will cut to the chase and nail this point, once and for all…

Isn’t this a boring way to spend your Saturday?

Men! Yes, I am talking to you! There are many women like me who love football too! Jamaican men seem to think football is their domain (like dominoes and drinking white rum) and post patronizing comments online like, “Sorry ladies, bear with us, it’s the end of the EPL season.” On Saturdays, they expect their womenfolk to do girly things like have their nails done, go to the hairdressers and have coffee with their girly friends, while they cheer on their team.

So, Jamaican men, why not introduce your girlfriend (or wife, it’s never too late) to the thrills and spills of the English Premier League (in my view still the best league in the world)? You never know, it might enhance your relationship considerably. She will catch the passion. My husband and I bounce up and down together on the couch most Saturday mornings (no, don’t take that the wrong way, please). We make a lot of noise, too. If friends call and Arsenal is playing, we tell them rather curtly we will call them back later.

I have many girl friends (mostly abroad, admittedly) who are avowed football fans. On line, there is Ms Highbury (the name of Arsenal’s old ground) and many others. My old schoolfriend from my teenage years is, thankfully, also an avid Arsenal fan, along with her entire family.

So women, don’t allow your men to keep you away from what could be a fulfilling and energizing weekend pastime. Let’s face it, it’s boring sitting in the hairdressers for hours and listening to recycled gossip. Me? You know I would rather watch Podolski’s lovely legs running up and down the pitch, any day.

If you are an Arsenal fan, you can look at my Pinterest board here:http://www.pinterest.com/petchary/arsenal-football-club/  And my board with all those other teams, here:http://www.pinterest.com/petchary/footballand-im-talking-soccer/

Famous Arsenal fans: Matt Damon, Idris Elba, Spike Lee, Prince Harry, Jay-Z, Mick Jagger, the Queen of England, Fidel Castro…and the Lewis family of Kingston, Jamaica. Aren’t you impressed?

Lukas’ legs on display. (Photo: Arsenal FC/Getty Images)

Disturbing news from our neighbors in Trinidad and Tobago this morning: Attorney-at-law, former Independent Senator and State Prosecutor Dana Seetahal was shot dead in the early hours of the morning in Port of Spain, in what appears to have been a targeted “hit.”  Any loss of life is tragic, but this murder has shocked Trinidadians. My condolences to Ms. Seetahal’s family.

Senior counsel Dana Seetahal.

Yesterday was World Press Freedom Day. On Friday UNESCO held its annual Caribbean forum, this year in Kingston. The journalists walked to Emancipation Park and read out their Declaration (from the Press Association of Jamaica, Association of Caribbean Media Workers and International Press Institute) calling, most importantly, for “Caribbean governments as a matter of urgency to abolish criminal defamation legislation and common law criminal defamation rules, as well as review civil defamation laws and all other laws that restrict media freedom.” Read the full Declaration on journalist Dionne Jackson Miller’s blog: http://newsandviewsbydjmillerja.wordpress.com.

The Gleaner’s Janet Silvera reads out the Declaration while members of the Press Association of Jamaica hold posters commemorating journalists in the region who have been killed in the past year, in Emancipation Park, Kingston last Friday. (Photo: Dionne Jackson Miller’s blog)

I don’t know where to start with the appalling débacle (perhaps implosion is a better word) of the Energy World International (EWI) bid to build a 381 megawatt power plant. Throughout the week there have been demands for Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell’s resignation (from the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition, among others) and for Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to intervene, or at least make a statement. Exercise some leadership! Her silence is deafening.

So what has been happening? EWI’s license was significantly amended at the behest of the Minister to comply with the firm’s wishes, it appears. The Energy Monitoring Committee, consisting of three private sector organizations, told the media they had decided to resign, and they want Minister Paulwell removed from the process. Yesterday Contractor General Dirk Harrison said he will not retract statements recommending that the license not be awarded to EWI, which influenced the Inter-American Development Bank’s decision not to fund it. The meddling Minister had asked him to do so, it appears, to convince the IDB that they should have no concerns, really. This is all so disturbing.

Contractor General Dirk Harrison (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

Not so very long ago, I named Mr. Paulwell my favorite minister; he seemed so upbeat, so focused, with such good ideas. I am sorely disappointed.  I am reminded of the Netserv fiasco, when I had the same uncomfortable feeling – like something was stuck to my skin and I couldn’t get it off. Ugh. This is just not right at all.

Minister Paulwell explains that he really has the interests of Jamaica at heart: he is eager to obtain the lowest-possible rates for our electricity, and EWI can ship the Liquefied Natural Gas over here, so they are his choice for those reasons. (What about the regasification plant and all of that?) Anyway, he is going for it. Exuberantly.

It’s not clear to me what happens next. All I do know is that, during an oddly informal, almost self-congratulatory Rotary Club speech I saw on television a few days ago, Minister Paulwell’s eyes lit up when someone mentioned what he called “the C-word,” - China. Are they going to come to the rescue?

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller receives a gift from the new president of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Lin Yichong during a courtesy call at the Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday. Dr Omar Davies (left), minister of transport, works and housing, and Dr Morais Guy, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, share in the occasion. The president updated Prime Minister Simpson Miller on the progress of the North/South Highway project and assured her that the company is working hard to meet the August 6 deadline for the opening of the first leg of the highway. The prime minister said she welcomed the news and looks forward to the opening as this particular project will be a major contribution to Government’s growth and development agenda. (JIS photo)

Meanwhile, the new President of the Almighty CHEC paid a visit to the Prime Minister, who simpered. Close at hand was a smug-looking Minister Davies. Cosy.

Amidst all of this, our Minister of Finance withdrew the controversial bank withdrawal tax. I am sure we will hear more at some point on this subject. After all, there’s still a hole in the budget to fill.

Paul Burke will replace Peter Bunting as General Secretary of the ruling People’s National Party.

Former firebrand to take over: Mr. Paul Burke, a political figure from the 1970s, is to take over as General Secretary of the People’s National Party. Mr. Burke’s wife Angela Brown Burke is Mayor of Kingston. Mr. Burke is renowned as a skillful political strategist and is expected to out-strategize the JLP, who I am told should be quaking in their boots. Whatever Mr. Burke’s past, present or future is, it’s a pity we can’t have some “fresh” political faces.

May is Child Month and UNICEF has put out its annual report on the state of Jamaica’s children. As usual, it makes for utterly depressing reading. Apart from the plight of children in state care, the almost universal abuse of children in the name of “discipline” still prevails. UNICEF declared, “To be a boy, poor and living in rural Jamaica is a guarantee to be violently punished.” Its Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey shows that 85 per cent of children aged 2 – 14 years have endured some kind of physical punishment – mostly boys. And we wonder why we have such a violent society? These parents who are only too willing to get their belt out and whip their child don’t seem to be seeing the connection. A common response is, “Well, my parents did it to me and it never did me any harm.” (Yes, it did – you are now brutalizing your own children).

A hefty pat on the back to…

• All those responsible for the creation of the Made in Jamaica Catalogue – the 2014 Go Global Issue. You can find it at http://www.jamaicacatalogue.com. It’s not so much a catalogue as a collection of feature articles (editor-in-chief is Deika Morrison) designed to support Expo Jamaica, highlighting Jamaican products (tangible and intangible) and their global reach.
• Panos Caribbean (based in Haiti and Jamaica) for their recent stakeholder meeting with health care workers to address issues relating to their interactions with gay men. Panos are not afraid to tackle areas that other organizations might shy away from. They deserve the utmost support for their ground-breaking work, as they seek to sensitize media and communications workers on these topics. An awesome team.

The Jamaica Bobsled team.

• The Jamaica Bobsled team recently won a prestigious Webby Award (Athlete of the Year) for its crowd-funding achievement that allowed it to travel to the Winter Olympics. The Webbys note: “When faced with the challenge of funding their trip to the Sochi Olympics, Winston Watts and his teammate Marvin Dixon sagely turned not to local committees or governments, but rather to the Internet.” See: http://webbyawards.com/winners/2014/special-achievement/webby-athlete-of-the-year/jamaican-bobsled-team.

A woman and her two children were found stabbed to death near their home in the rural district of Ramble, near Porus, last Wednesday. I extend my condolences to the family and to the loved ones of all those who lost their lives in the past week…

Wilford Williams, 34, Banana Ground, Manchester

Nadine Carridice, 42, Porus, Manchester

Jevaughn Thomas, 16, Porus, Manchester

Roshane Ellis, 11, Porus, Manchester

Simone Grossett, Cambridge, St. James

Howell Pommells, 51, Waterford/Portmore, St. Catherine

Keino Williams, 30, Caymanas Gardens/Portmore, St. Catherine

Unidentified man, St. John’s Road/Spanish Town, St. Catherine

Unidentified man, St. John’s Road/Spanish Town, St. Catherine

On the road: It was a very bad week. Eleven people died in road accidents. There are accident “hotspots” (one of them being the main road in Boscobel, St. Mary) that I am sure could be more tightly policed. When drivers see a nice smooth road they just start driving too fast. Another major issue is that motorbike riders do not wear helmets; this is against the law, and they know it, and the police must enforce it.

Aboutho Carridice grieves for his daughter and two grandchildren who were murdered in the rural district of Ramble, Manchester. (Photo: Gregory Bennett/Jamaica Observer)

I am putting in a “plug” this morning for my fabulous former employers, the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica. Did you know that the Embassy offers opportunities in grant funding, overseas exchanges, and more? Don’t forget also the Paul Robeson Information Resource Center, which has the definitive collection of Americana on the island, as well as rich electronic databases, reference materials, DVDs etc. Email them at: kingstonirc@state.gov and become a member today!

If you are Jamaican, you might like to tap into a couple of current programs, detailed below. You can find all this information, and more on the Embassy website at http://kingston.usembassy.gov. You can also “like” the U.S. Embassy Jamaica Facebook page and follow it on Twitter @USEmbassyJA.

I hope you will find this useful information. Please share with anyone you think may be interested!

U.S. Embassy, Kingston invites proposals for the 2014 U.S. Ambassador’s – President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Small Grants Program.

PEPFAR represents the largest effort by any nation to combat a single disease, and it forms part of the global PEPFAR initiative, launched in 2003 by U.S. President George W. Bush.

Jamaica is one of 65 bilateral partners receiving PEPFAR funding, which is managed by several agencies represented at the US Embassy. These include the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Defense’s Military Liaison Office (MLO) and the State Department’s Public Affairs Office, which administers the Small Grants Program.

Since 2003, the Public Affairs Office has funded the efforts of over 30 Jamaican entities, including Children First, Eve for Life, Flanker Resource Center, The Portland AIDS Committee, the Caribbean Community of Retired Persons (CCRP) and J-FLAG. These organizations have pursued and executed programs which have effectively increased awareness among susceptible populations and reduced stigma and discrimination against persons affected by HIV/AIDS.

The 2014 U.S. Ambassador’s PEPFAR Small Grants Program will fund effective community-based activities, combatting HIV/AIDS through increased awareness, and the reduction of stigma against persons living with or affected by the disease. Also, this year’s call will seek proposals on increased gender equity in HIV/AIDS activities and services, including maternal and reproductive health, and the prevention of and response to gender-based violence. In conjunction with these themes, projects should target vulnerable populations including, at-risk youth, men who have sex with men (MSMs), and male and female sex workers. Creative, original and innovative ideas are encouraged. Applicants with support from local governmental and private sector organizations will also be considered.

View links for details:

Guidelines for the 2014 U.S. Ambassador’s PEPFAR Small Grants Program: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/jamaica/231771/PDFs/2014%20PEPFAR%20_Proposal%20Guidelines.pdf

Application Form: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/jamaica/231771/PDFs/2014_%20PEPFAR%20Application%20Form.pdf

The submission deadline for proposals is May 16, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. 

The 2015/2016 Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program

The U.S. Embassy welcomes qualified persons to compete for participation in the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. This distinguished program brings accomplished mid-level professionals to the United States for a year of combined academic (non-degree) and professional work. Fellows are selected based on potential for leadership and commitment to public service.

Fellowships are granted competitively to both public and private sector candidates with strong leadership potential and a commitment to public service in the fields of:

Sustainable Development:
a. Agricultural and Rural Development
b. Economic Development/Finance and Banking
c. Natural Resources, Environmental Policy, and Climate Change
d. Urban and Regional Planning

Democratic Institution Building:
a. Communications/Journalism
b. Law and Human Rights
c. Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration
d. Trafficking in Persons Policy and Prevention
e. Technology Policy and Management
f. Human Resource Management

Education:
a. Educational Administration, Planning and Policy
b. Higher Education Administration
c. Teaching of English as a Foreign Language

Public Health:
a. Public Health Policy and Management
b. HIV/AIDS Policy and Prevention
c. Substance Abuse Education, Prevention, and Treatment

Appropriate candidates are mid-career professionals in leadership positions who have the required experience/ skills, commitment to public service, and potential for advancement in their professions. Prospective-fellows should have a minimum of five years professional experience and should be policy rather than research or technically oriented.

By providing future leaders and policy makers with experience in U. S. society, culture, and professional fields, the program provides a basis for lasting, productive ties between Americans and their professional counterparts overseas. Applications close on July 11, 2014. For further information on the Humphrey Fellowship program please see http://www.humphreyfellowship.org.

Interested persons may also visit http://kingston.usembassy.gov or email Kingstonexchanges@state.gov for further details on eligibility and other program requirements.

NOT ELIGIBLE: Recent graduates (even if they have significant positions); university teachers or researchers with no management responsibilities (except in the fields of drug abuse prevention); individuals with less than five years of work experience; individuals with recent academic or professional U.S. experience (more than 6 months within the last 5 years); individuals who have attended a graduate school in the U.S. for one academic year or more during the seven years prior to August 2015; and individuals with dual U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent resident status.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Jamaican citizenship; permanent employment in Jamaica; a university degree; English proficiency and prospective Fellows should be no older than 45 years old at the beginning of the program on August 1, 2014.

NIDA-FUNDED HUMPHREY FELLOWSHIPS (DRUG ABUSE): The drug abuse component of the field of public health policy and management emphasizes drug abuse education, treatment, and prevention. Fellowships funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) target more specialized candidates. Appropriate candidates for NIDA-funded Humphrey Fellowships include mid-level researchers, research managers and policy makers in universities, drug abuse prevention or treatment programs, health or social services industries or medical facilities. Candidates preferably should have a doctoral degree or equivalent in medicine, health, or behavioral or social science. Professionals employed by social welfare, education, or community-based organizations would be appropriate if they meet the general eligibility criteria. Law enforcement candidates are not eligible unless they have a public health focus on drug abuse epidemiology, education, treatment, or prevention, and meet the requirements to follow a program based in a school of public health.

NIDA question sheet: All candidates applying for fellowships in the field of drug abuse should fill out the NIDA form regardless of degree held, number of publications, or research experience. Candidates in other fields should omit the NIDA page.

NATURE OF THE PROGRAM: It is essential that candidates have a clear understanding of the professional development component of the program. If a candidate’s intent is to pursue an advanced academic degree, or to attend a specific university, he/she cannot be nominated for the program.

APPLICATIONS: The deadline for receipt of applications is JULY 11, 2014.

Access the on-line application at http://apply.embark.com/student/humphrey/fellowship

THE ON-LINE APPLICATION IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO JAMAICAN APPLICANTS UP TO MIDNIGHT (12:00 A.M.) JULY 11.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: Official sealed copies of university transcript(s), sealed reference letters and forms (typewritten) and curriculum vitae.

Supporting documents should be mailed to the following addresses:

Public Affairs Section
142 Old Hope Road
Kingston 6
Re: Hubert H. Humphrey Program

SELECTION: Selection for the Humphrey program is competitive. Review panels give special consideration to the candidates who meet all program requirements, including demonstrated leadership ability/ potential, a commitment to public service, and a well-developed program plan.

Following a technical review, shortlisted candidates will be advised and invited for an interview.

Local selections will be made, followed by final selections in the United States by independent review committees and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Awards will be announced by Spring 2015.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Academic placement in a non-degree program: The Humphrey program is not designed to lead to a degree. Rather, fellows pursue tailored study programs at participating host institutions. There is no provision for fellows to request a particular university for placement. A university is chosen based on the richness of its institutional resource base and level of support and guidance it offers to the participants. Each campus has a designated faculty coordinator for academic and administrative support. Faculty advisers also assist fellows in balancing academic and professional experience.
Professional development: this is one of the strongest features of the program. Each fellow’s professional plan may include professional visits, conferences, and a professional affiliation (work placement) of at least six weeks. Early in the academic year, each fellow develops, with assistance from the Institute of International Education (IIE), the campus – coordinator, and faculty advisers, a plan for professional activities carefully geared to the fellow’s need for relevant, practical professional experiences.

FINANCIAL PROVISIONS AND DEPENDENTS

The Humphrey Fellowship provides tuition and university fees, a monthly maintenance allowance, a book and supplies allowance, a computer subsidy, round-trip international travel to the host institution, and domestic travel to Washington, D.C. for a special seminar. Supplementary funds are available for professional activities such as field trips or attendance at conferences. Humphrey Fellowships are not renewable. Humphrey Fellows should plan to bring with them some personal funds to cover incidental expenses not covered in the grant. Humphrey Fellowships do not include funds for dependents (family members). Humphrey Fellows are responsible for providing travel, insurance, and financial support for any dependents accompanying them to the United States. Therefore, dependents should not arrive in the United States until the Fellows are settled in their academic year programs and have secured housing (at least 30 days after the Fellow’s arrival).

By providing future leaders and policy makers with experience in U. S. society, culture, and professional fields, the program provides a basis for lasting, productive ties between Americans and their professional counterparts overseas. Applications close on July 11, 2014. For more information on the Humphrey Fellowship program see http://www.humphreyfellowship.org. Please email Kingstonexchanges@state.gov for further details on eligibility other program requirements.

The 2015/2016 Fulbright Graduate Student Program

The Fulbright Graduate Student Program grants are awarded to qualified graduates, with a first- or upper second- class honors Bachelor’s degree, who wish to continue their studies for either a Master’s degree or a Ph.D. degree. Candidates in the humanities, natural sciences, mathematics/engineering, or social sciences who wish to continue their studies in the United States for either a Master’s or a Ph.D. degree in these fields are eligible to apply. This is a very competitive program, and consideration will only be given to Jamaican-citizen graduates of tertiary institutions. Persons with “green cards” (alien registration cards), already pursuing studies at a U.S. university, or are resident in the United States are NOT eligible to apply for these awards. Recipients should plan to return to Jamaica on completion of their studies in the U.S. and must spend at least two years in Jamaica before they would be eligible for consideration to emigrate to the U.S.

Applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), dependent on the field of study. Applicants must submit their GRE or GMAT scores along with their applications to be considered for interview. This requirement must be met even if the prospective university does not need these scores for matriculation. Please use the online Fulbright Student application available on this website. The applicant should create an account and electronically submit the application by the stated deadline. Applicants need to submit along with this application three letters of recommendation, electronically or hardcopy. Please note that electronic letter submission is convenient, and this process allows only program administrators to view such letters. The recommendation letter should be confidential and if submitted as a hardcopy, contact the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy, Kingston for instructions, questions or concerns.

Completed applications should be submitted no later than Friday, May 30, 2014. Interviews for short-listed candidates will take place in the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section in June 2014.

Application website: https://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/international
GRE website: http://www.ets.org/gre
GMAT website: http://mba.com/the-gmat.aspx

For instructions: KingstonExchanges@state.gov

The title of this piece is from a song by a North London band called The Kinks – and it’s way before your time, dear readers (1966, to be precise). ‘Twas a satirical little number about the fancy, peacock males of Carnaby Street, during the Swinging Sixties when British fashion was simply it. 

Carnaby Street, London W1, was a “fashion mecca” in the Swinging Sixties. (Photo: tumblr.com)

In the past few days I have been dabbling a little in the fashion scene. Last night was the sensational annual Met Gala in New York, where actors, singers and assorted celebrities sailed along the red carpet – some looking a little gawky in short skirts, others swish in yards of beautiful tulle and satin. The men looked simply dapper and delightful. My Facebook Fashion Police (male and female) sharpened their pencils (and their nails) as I posted two albums full of photos online. This is a regular ritual with me and a group of Facebook friends. We have fun. Sometimes our critiques are more devastating than Joan Rivers; at other times we are in raptures. And sometimes we just say “meh.”

Members of the Alpha Boys’ Band played sweetly.

The Canadian Women’s Club of Jamaica had a fashion show of its own on Sunday evening, as the sun went down on another warm and rainless day. All the Jamaican fashionistas were out, and the front rows was all taken by the time I arrived. Cocktails courtesy of J. Wray and his Nephew were flowing, and a group of musicians from Alpha Boys’ School played melodiously. The catwalk was laid out on the lawn of the Canadian High Commissioner’s Residence, and decorated with butterflies and flowers (the theme was “Spring Into Fashion.” Although in our part of the world it simply gets hotter in the spring, the thought was there and it was a pretty setting).

Canadian High Commissioner Robert Ready welcomed us, then allowed the ladies to take over…

After Canadian High Commissioner Robert Ready and his wife Joanne had welcomed us, the amusing compère, Joan McDonald (a former Miss World and international model herself), started proceedings. I cannot identify all the models in the photos, nor the designers, I am afraid. I am not such a hot fashion commentator as I thought I was, and was too busy snapping away to think. It was all moving rather fast, as daylight faded. But I do know that all the outfits (including hats and jewelry, too) were designed and made in Jamaica – by designers Symonne Natasha Gordon, Ayanna Dixon, Heather Laine for Elan, Courtney Washington, Cinderella Hats and Megan Allison Jewelry. I have all their contact numbers if you need them.

Pretty summer style (yes, you’ve guessed it – we don’t have winter styles…)

Not only were the designs vibrant (there were even one or two dresses I could have worn); the models (all women – and girls) were lovely. Blogger, journalist, CUSO volunteer and runner Kate Chappell was stately and tall. Ms. Barbara Grant was in perfect command of the catwalk.

Ms. Barbara Grant tips her (Cinderella) hat.

There was a lovely mother and daughter combo – Dominique and Abigail Coke – and two young girls drafted in at the last minute practiced that hand-on-hip move with the utmost cool. Joline Whiteman, the wife of a former Government minister, was most elegant.

The lovely Ms. Hargitay, Miss Jamaica World 2013. Yes, she turned heads.

We were all somewhat in awe of our current Miss Jamaica World, Gina Hargitay, who was tall, slender, beautiful and with an effortless smile. In a change of pace, the Honorary Consul of Ecuador to Jamaica, Clelia Barreto De Hunter, modeled (and danced in) the national costume of her country, while we clapped along to the warm Latin rhythm.

Mother and daughter, Abigail and Dominique Coke.

Yes, Jamaicans love what they used to call “style and fashion.” The good part was that, unlike the models on the catwalks of New York, London, Paris and Milan, our models actually smiled. No scowls for them.

Kate Chappell was a graceful model.

A note on the Canadian Women’s Club of Jamaica: Active for over sixty years, the Club is much more than a social organization. It  does a great deal of outreach - “a lot of little things,” as Mrs. Ready said – but little things add up to a lot, don’t they. Among other organizations, it has provided support and materials of various kinds to the Victim Support Unit, several children’s homes, the Trench Town Reading Centre, Children First, the Jamaica Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and many others. The Club also organized a Christmas party for children in the Burn Unit of the Bustamante Children’s Hospital.

Joline Whiteman modeling an outfit I would actually rather love to wear myself. Lovely jewel colors.

This event was a fund-raiser to send a group of 25 Jamaican schoolchildren from under-privileged backgrounds, all members of the National Youth Orchestra of Jamaica (NYOJ), for a “Dream Tour” in Canada this August. This will be an amazing and inspiring opportunity for them.  The NYOJ, a non-profit organization, is only five years old and seeks to empower youth and turn them away from anti-social behavior through music. If you would like to support this worthy venture, take a look at the crowd-funding website and contribute: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/canada-dream-tour-nyoj-2014. Or contact the Canadian High Commission in Jamaica directly…

So here’s to the followers of fashion – amateurs like me, and those who really take it seriously!

The lovely Ms. Hargitay.

Honorary Consul Clelia Barreto De Hunter expressing the culture of Ecuador.

A splendid Cinderella hat and lovely jewelry too.

“They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot…”

Chairman of Couples Resorts Mr. Lee Issa wryly quoted these lines from Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” at the opening of an urgent press briefing in Kingston last week. The matter at hand has major implications for the resort town of Negril; and also, it is clear, for the island of Jamaica on the whole.

Negril in 1972, with Negril Sands Club in the foreground. (Photo: Courtesy of Robin Farquharson)

Mr. Issa started with a “mea culpa” - and quite a major one, too. Over the last three or four decades, the town of Negril has grown up like an unruly child. Development has not had the proper controls. Mr. Issa said, “Today, I want to acknowledge these mistakes,” pointing out that when they first began to  build in Negril in the 1970s, hoteliers were not as enlightened as they are now about environmental issues. “Now we know – and there is no excuse for continuing the mistakes of the past,” said Mr. Issa. He went on to list the worst errors they made (are they irreversible, one wonders?) such as building too close to the sea, removing mangroves and seagrass, poor sewage treatment (which continues to this day) and draining the nearby Great Morass. Over the years, there has been talk of restoring the Morass, replanting coastal vegetation and so on – but it has just been talk.

And now – as  all of us who have visited Negril in the past few years have noted – there are buildings with steps in the sea. The once-famous “seven-mile beach” is not a continuous beach that you can walk along for seven miles; it is severely eroded. Last year’s hurricane season was uneventful; but what of future storms?

Erosion at the Tree House Hotel in Negril. (Photo: negril.com)

The press briefing once again brought Negril’s famous beach into sharp focus. Why? Because the Government plans to build two breakwaters 1,500 – 1,600 meters offshore in Long Bay. The aim is to prevent further erosion of the tourist town’s most important asset. The breakwaters will consist of huge stones, with some extra-heavy ones on top to anchor them (weighing around 30 tons). The work will be carried out by the National Works Agency under the supervision of the National Environment and Planning Agency, who have promised that the process will be closely monitored.

Where will these stones come from? They will be dug out of a hillside somewhere, causing more environmental destruction, and will then be transported through the town (22 truckloads daily) causing a great deal of noise, disruption, dust and so on. They will be dumped and stored on the banks of the South Negril River – which will be dredged, by the way. When they are put in place (construction period will be approximately eleven months, and this will involve 240 barge trips in total back and forth), the rocks will disturb and destroy a prime snorkeling site that visitors and locals enjoy. Remember, this is a very small town, a former fishing village, catering primarily to tourists. The actual construction process will be a nightmare. It will scare away the visitors, and disturb the residents greatly.

The eroded Negril beach. (Photo: Jamaica Observer)

Now, why is the Government rushing ahead with this project at this time? Because funds are available from the European Union (US$5.5 million) that must be used. Perhaps contracts for the work of mining and hauling and construction are already under consideration. Now, the full cost of the project is actually US$8 million. Last September, the Grizzles pointed out, Minister of Land, Water, Environment and Climate Change Robert Pickersgill met with hoteliers in Negril and challenged them, the stakeholders, to “put their money on the table” in support of efforts to resuscitate the beach. They subsequently sent letters by courier and emailed the Minister indicating the financial contribution that they could make. Until now there has been no response to their positive offers. Why?

Yes, Negril sunsets ARE this beautiful. A photograph taken from Couples Resort. (Photo: caldwelltravel.com)

Lee Issa and his colleagues suggest a “beach nourishment” project to arrest the problem. This would involve bringing sand from elsewhere, or blowing it in from a sand bank further out at sea; the sand would have to be matched to that already existing on the beach. Neither the hoteliers nor I have that kind of technical expertise; we are not engineers. But this seems to me an idea worth exploring. Mr. Issa observed, “Beach nourishment would buy us some time while we try to figure out how we can fix the damage we have done over many decades.”

Diana McCaulay of the Jamaica Environment Trust makes a point while Lee Issa listens.

Mr. Nehru Coalsingh, who owns a hotel called Crystal Waters, was passionate. He is distressed that the Government has apparently “put the cart before the horse,” approving the project before an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is done. Mr. Coalsingh’s voice became more urgent as he described how, during the energy crisis of the 1980s, peat was dug out of the Great Morass. Representatives of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sent an expert over, who convinced the Government of the day that the peat was not of good enough quality for fuel. The project ended, but this was a solution that could only have lasted ten years at most. Mr. Coalsingh described the Government’s monitoring of development in the area as “intermittent” at best. “We must tread carefully,” he stressed, because the tourism industry – which he sees as Negril’s and Jamaica’s long-term future – is fragile.

Sophie Grizzle-Roumel of Charela Inn read out a statement from her parents, who pointed out that Cuban experts had provided good advice on slowing beach erosion in the late 1980s – involving nourishing the beach with fresh sand from offshore.

Sophie Grizzle-Roumel, owner of the Charela Inn, read out a statement from her parents, Daniel and Sylvie Grizzle. The Grizzles pointed to various overseas and local experts who have lent advice on how to restore the beach since the late 1980s. One thing the experts all agreed on was “at no cost should we ever allow anyone to install any hard engineering solutions…they create far more problems and do not achieve their goal.” Sophie Grizzle said the Finance Minister should consider whether Jamaica can afford to lose millions of dollars’ worth of taxes from tourism – because if the project goes ahead, it will take years to recover.

At the westernmost tip of the island, Negril is famous for its beautiful sunsets. (Photo: Courtesy of Mary Veira)

Diana McCaulay, founder/CEO of the Jamaica Environment Trust, believes aesthetics are important. A huge construction of big ugly boulders stretching out into the sea would completely ruin the beauty of Negril’s beach. Tourists (and local people) settle down on the beach with their cameras to watch and photograph the sunset in the evenings; this view would be obstructed. “People don’t go to ugly places,” said Ms. McCaulay. If you go on holiday, do you plan to go to a country with a dirty and damaged environment? I certainly don’t. Beauty is not a meaningless concept. Look at the tremendous fame of the Grand Canyon National Park, for example; this protected area received close to five million visitors in 2012. Despite strong sea currents, eleven million visitors flock to the beaches of Maui in Hawaii every year.

Mark (left) and Ralph Williams are local hotel owners.

Ralph Williams and his brother Mark are locals; like Mr. Coalsingh, they are from Grange Hill, Westmoreland. They own the Kuyaba Resort on the beach. Ralph has two engineering degrees, and he knows what he is talking about. With the planned breakwater, he noted, some areas of the beach may benefit; in other areas, more beach will be lost. It will not work. He expressed concern over a pond behind the property, allegedly leased to a neighbor. The plan is to pave over the pond and build…Yes, you’ve guessed it. A parking lot, just like the Joni Mitchell song. Mr. Williams worries about the dehydration of the Great Morass, which cannot function as a natural filter for the agricultural runoff and other harmful chemicals that flow into the sea, and will be blocked off by concrete.

So, what happened to the Shorelock solution? This system, developed by the Florida-based Hydros Coastal, was tested at the community park on Negril beach (a non-tourist area) and at Font Hill in St. Elizabeth, where the beach has now been closed (Why?) NEPA replanted sea grass; 85 per cent of it has since died. The test results have been requested, but are “not available.”  Why not?

In the end, the best solution might be to just leave things alone. Yes, the beach is badly eroded, but “Sometimes you have to leave it up to nature,” the hoteliers agreed. Lee Issa said, “I have seen the beach come and go” around his Swept Away hotel. You win some, you lose some. Sands shift.

Concerned residents came along to express their views.

Finally, a group of concerned residents aired their views. They had traveled all the way from Negril for the press briefing. Mary Veira, who works at Couples, said that some of them were invited to a focus group meeting, during which most expressed opposition to the breakwaters. However, there were no public consultations on the matter (Diana McCaulay pointed out that public consultations and even an EIA are only guidelines – not the law). Elaine Allen Bradley, a “returning resident” who had settled in Negril after living abroad, said, “I always thought Negril was the most beautiful place – full stop.” Another resident, who had been living in Negril since 1970, urged, “Leave nature alone.” All of them said that they are sure that ninety per cent of Negril residents are completely unaware of the breakwater plans, and they would not be happy when they found out. “We will fight!” they declared.

Portland Bight, in southern Jamaica, was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance on World Wetland Day, February 2, 2006. The Jamaican Government is now seriously considering a demand from Chinese investors to build a transshipment port in the area close to Goat Islands, which is protected by law and includes recently established fish sanctuaries. (Photo: Gleaner)

Why does this situation seem familiar? It has echoes of the planned, environmentally destructive project on Goat Islands (where China Harbour Engineering Company intends to build a mega-port with a coal-fired power plant). There’s the lack of transparency, and the non-existent consultations with local residents, who are kept completely in the dark. The “no response” syndrome has been a part of the same Ministry’s modus operandi in the case of Goat Islands, too. It has not even responded to UN agencies and major international conservation groups. An Environmental Impact Assessment seems to be an afterthought. Is this all signed and sealed, without the consent or buy-in of residents, hoteliers and businessmen in the town? Will they have to suffer helplessly?

But the tourists will have a choice. They can (and will) take themselves elsewhere, if the beach is an eyesore, the clear waters muddied and marine life disappears. And whether we like it or not, tourism is a major earner of foreign exchange; more than anywhere else on the island, Negril is entirely dependent on it. As everyone pointed out, this is not just a tourist issue or just a Negril issue. It will affect every Jamaican.

One of those big crabs in Negril.

I remember the first time I visited Negril, in the early 1980s. There were huge land crabs that came out at night; local people used to hunt them with a bag over their shoulder and a flare torch, in the dark. Driving along, we were always careful not to crush the crabs. That first time, we stayed in a tent, on a beachfront piece of land owned by an amiable man named Sammy. He rented out tents and cabins. It was basic accommodation. I had probably never felt so close to nature before. I remember falling asleep to the sound of tree frogs chirping and the soft wave sounds on the beach.

And I remember thinking to myself, “Yes. This is Paradise.”

As Joni Mitchell sang,

“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…”  

There is an online petition. If you care about Negril and Jamaica’s environment, please consider signing, and please share: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Minister_of_Land_Water_Environment_and_Climate_Change_Robert_Pickersgill_Stop_the_Breakwater_Project_for_Negril/?cnyUFab 

Residents relax on Negril beach, 1975. (Photo: Courtesy of Robin Farquharson)

Katalyxt, a division of Mint Management & Financial Services Limited that supports the growth and development of small and medium enterprises in Jamaica, will hold its 2014 Business Development Conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on May 14 – 15. The broad theme is “Business Growth Through Increased Innovation and Efficiency,” and there is a strong focus on skills building and training. Among the highlights are the announcement of the Youth Innovators’ Competition Awards – their third incarnation. U.S. and Jamaican speakers, including State Minister Julian Robinson, will talk about two key ingredients in the growth recipe – ICT and energy. For more details on the conference, go to: http://www.katalyxt.info/conference-2014.html

The breakfast panel (l-r): Winsome Minott, Keiran King, Ralston Hyman and John Mahfood.

At a breakfast launch last week moderated by broadcaster Cliff Hughes (himself a media entrepreneur and businessman of no mean order) discussion swirled around the question: “Where would you invest your next J$50 million: technological modernization of agriculture, growth of a manufacturing enterprise, or delivery of services?” Financial analyst Ralston Hyman came down firmly with manufacturing, stressing that diversification is key. “The numbers tell us…” said Mr. Hyman (who often dazzles us with his command of numbers) “…our product base is too narrow.” Jamaica is under-producing, under-supplying its markets; the only thing it is doing too much of is consuming.

Moderator Cliff Hughes made sure the panelists didn’t ramble. The presentations were “short and sweet” – and to the point.

Winsome Minott is CEO of Mint Management & Finance Services Ltd, and she supports more training. “We are always saying we must get ready…” she said. She would not invest in agriculture, but believes the service industries are the potential engine of growth in Jamaica. Ms. Minott believes Jamaica is “behind the curve” in the growth of its cultural industries. “The arts and artists have value,” she insisted: “They are game changers.”

Winsome Minott: We do not recognize or appreciate our artistic wealth.

Katalyxt organized a Writers’ Forum just two years ago, when I had the particular thrill of hearing Nobel Prize-winning poet Dennis Walcott reading from “White Egrets,” and sitting in on a poetry workshop led by our new Poet Laureate Professor Mervyn Morris. (More please, Katalyxt!) You can read my article about this wonderful event here: http://http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/the-joy-and-the-business-of-writing/

John Mahfood believes there are opportunities now in real estate.

John Mahfood heads a manufacturing company called Jamaica Teas. However, he seemed somewhat disillusioned with manufacturing, citing the sliding Jamaican Dollar – which he believes will not encourage exports – and shrinking consumer confidence. He would invest his J$50 million in real estate; “There is huge demand for affordable housing,” noted Mr. Mahfood. Undeniably so. But real estate is burdened with high taxes, so Mr. Mahfood is looking at a low-cost housing development in St. Thomas.

Keiran King: Let’s tap into our minds.

Young writer and Gleaner columnist Keiran King pointed to the importance of The Idea. The Big Idea, perhaps. Let’s invest in our minds, was his suggestion. He pointed to the importance of the individual, the fire of creativity, the illumination of that proverbial light bulb. The co-founder of Whatsapp, the hugely successful social media platform purchased recently by Facebook, Jan Koum, was “not a regular guy,” he noted, but a poor immigrant born in a small village in Ukraine. The “idea incubators” of Silicon Valley are also examples of how putting our minds to work can reap rewards. So let us be leaders, not followers.

So far as I could see, no one went whole-heartedly for agriculture, although Ralston Hyman believes the sector needs a huge infusion of technology and investment.

One audience member made a really practical suggestion: draw up a list of key jobs – those that are really essential for growth – and start training people for each job category. I am also very supportive of Ms. Minott’s focus on youth and training; it’s an investment in the country’s future, and without an appropriately trained population we are not going to get very far. It ties in with Jamaica’s education philosophy: let’s start teaching children critical thinking, and with greater focus on science and technology, I would say.

Dennis Chung. (Gleaner file photo)

CEO of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica Dennis Chung was very clear about where he would invest his J$50 million. He was recently considering three start-ups for investment, and decided on a small manufacturing business. He said there is “too much risk” in agriculture – climate change and theft are two real negatives – and noted Government policy does not support the service industries. Moreover, it is much harder to export a service than a manufactured product. He would support manufacturing, with an emphasis on using local materials.

“What are we going to do differently?” asked a special guest at the launch, Dr. Maureen Denton, who is the Jamaican CEO of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Development Corporation Limited. That is the question we must all address. As Mr. King suggested, we might sit on the bank and watch the river of human endeavor and interaction flow by, while we contemplate this thought.

By the way, this year’s Youth Innovators’ Competition includes two new categories (The Big Idea Award and the Sustainability Award). Last year’s winners were Bridgeport High School, who produced a mosquito repellent; St. George’s College came second and Wolmer’s Boys’ High School tied with Bridgeport for third place with their products. 3rd to 6th formers from twelve schools are in the running in 2014. Who will it be? We will know on May 14…

Kudos to Katalyxt and the panel members for a tightly organized and timed event. This was refreshing!

Members of the Katalyxt team and others at the launch (l-r): Bruce Scott, Winsome Minott, Shelly-Ann Henry, Chief Marketing Officer at EXIM Bank of Jamaica, Dr. Maureen Denton, Cliff Hughes and Mariame McIntosh-Robinson.