Corruption Perceptions Index 2018: Jamaica Standing Still Locally, Slipping...
There was another “heavy” topic that preoccupied us last year, which I barely addressed – again because of the holidays and my New Year of the Broken Wrist. This one is probably the most important of...
View ArticleJamaicans for Justice Welcomes Police Reforms and Awaits Further Details of...
A disturbing – almost surreal – incident took place recently that left us all shocked and deeply confused. Two civilians – including a man at a dance, whose murder apparently sparked the chain of...
View ArticleJamaica To Sign Important Regional Agreement on Access to Information and...
I did mention to a few online friends that there was some good news contained in Minister Daryl Vaz’s speech at the launch of the Green Expo on May 22 – International Biodiversity Day – which I...
View ArticleWorrying News from Cockpit Country: JET Says Bauxite Mining Remains a Threat
The issues and queries surrounding the Cockpit Country are so complex and numerous that I will definitely be writing about it again very soon. There are many aspects to it. It’s true to say, though,...
View ArticleEthics and Road Safety in Jamaica
I have attended two thought-provoking seminars this month, on the topic of road safety, in the Caribbean and Jamaican contexts. The first was a Caribbean Road Safety Workshop, hosted by the...
View ArticleIs This Really “Development”?
This letter to Prime Minister Andrew Holness from a group of Neighborhood Associations in Kingston (we are residents and members of one) outlines the dilemma of long-established residential areas such...
View ArticleSigning of the Escazú Agreement: a Big Step Forward for Environmental Justice...
Please note! As noted in my blog post of October 1, Jamaica signed, but did not ratify the Escazú Agreement, due to a “technical error” according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade....
View ArticleAn Important Correction to the News Regarding the Escazú Agreement
Two days ago I wrote about Jamaica’s signing (and, as we thought, ratification) of the Escazú agreement at the United Nations – such a welcome development. Both the World Resources Institute and...
View ArticleJET Disappointed at Reversal of Ratification of Environmental Treaty by...
I posted the press release earlier this week from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, correcting an announcement that Jamaica had both signed and ratified the Escazú Agreement. In fact,...
View ArticleMinister Daryl Vaz’s Remarks at the Pre-COP 25 Meeting and Launch of...
On October 23, I joined the annual meeting organized by the Climate Change Division ahead of the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP 25) in Santiago, Chile. Our meeting was titled:...
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Poor People Fed Up: UN Human Development Report 2019 Highlights Inequalities,...
In 1996, the dancehall DJ Bounty Killa (real name: Rodney Basil Price) had a popular song called Poor People Fed Up. It was an angry song. The Trench Town-born DJ pointed to poor people “surround by...
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Unfair and Unequal: New UNDP Report Sheds Light on Discontent in Latin...
Well, not so much the Caribbean, you might think. However, in case we had not noticed, there have been rumblings in Dominica of late (politics and then some), and Haiti has seen a year of protests. As...
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The Forest Factor: Millions of Trees Planted, Too Many Lost
You may have missed this (as I almost did in the horrendous month of January) – but the Forestry Department has been busy. You may recall that last October Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced a...
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#COVID19Chronicles-62: June 15, 2020: What they’re doing is criminal
During the COVID-19 pandemic, crime has reared its ugly head once again. I asked a question recently about getting a handle on extortion (fundraising for the gangs) but no one seemed to have a clear...
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Minister Vaz’s Bid for Land in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National...
Yesterday (June 16), a report by the excellent environmental reporter and Associate Editor of the Jamaica Observer Kimone Thompson appeared in the newspaper with the headline “Government wants to lease...
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JCDT Celebrates the Fifth Anniversary of the Blue and John Crow Mountains...
A small ceremony took place on Friday, July 3 at Holywell, in the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I am...
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ICYMI in Jamaica: Much Ado About Dreadlocks, INDECOM Chief Steps Down, and...
August 1 – Emancipation Day – is as good a day as any to restart writing my weekly news posts. I have missed doing them, actually. They help me (and hopefully you) keep a finger on the pulse of things....
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ICYMI: August 9, 2020: A Pair of Desert Boots, A SWAT Team, and More Weak Fences
Well, the past week has been pretty intense, with politics, crime and COVID-19 vying for the headlines (and sometimes getting mixed up together). Click on the highlights for links to the stories. Your...
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ICYMI in Jamaica, August 16, 2020: Andrew Says Let’s Go, el-Faisal Says...
This week was a momentous one for those who get excited about elections. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced the date in Parliament (not in front of a large crowd of frenzied supporters, as is...
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BirdsCaribbean Deeply Concerned Over Threats to Grenada’s Environment from...
This is not the first time I have pointed to the major threats to Caribbean coastlines (in particular, mangroves, swamp forest and wetlands in general) from developments, largely of the tourism...
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