January 2012
The 51% Coalition – Development & Empowerment Through Equity
- Thu, 2012-01-19 15:53
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‘The 51% Coalition – Development and Empowerment through Equity’, a campaign to increase the participation of women in politics and on boards through a 60/40 quota system, was launched on Tuesday, November 22nd. The organizers were interviewed on several radio programmes in Jamaica the day before the launch and on the actual launch day. Listeners wanted to know what it was all about. Why 51%? Did it mean women now wanted more than a half of everything. At the launch the room was full, mostly women but a few vocal men. The men were concerned, as too were some women. Why quotas? Why not just wait for things to happen naturally?
Women & Politics in Jamaica
- Thu, 2012-01-19 15:51
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Patriarchy in Place
The debate rages on around the world and is about to get really hot in Jamaica. Why do so few women enter politics? With women and men almost equally represented in global population statistics and in Jamaica as well, why does gender imbalance at the level of political representation continue to be such an issue? Patriarchy, the globally entrenched system of male dominance, is deeply rooted and strong. There is no evidence to suggest that it will be uprooted any time soon. While men are not about to cede political power, many want to appear more balanced and forward-thinking since based on studies, it is clear that the participation of women at all productive levels of society bodes well for the greater good.
Social Media & Politics in Jamaica
- Thu, 2012-01-19 15:47
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Barack Obama did it. He used social media to great advantage in his Presidential bid. They almost had to pry his Blackberry from his fingers prior to and into the election year 2008 when he swept to power. President Obama became the virtual embodiment of successful use of social networks like YouTube, Twitter and the then still alive, My Space, by a politician. Today every politician dreams of millions of Facebook friends and hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers, a committed base to proselytize on their behalf and eventually to vote for them.
Traditional Media Embraces Social Media – Election 2011 in Jamaica
- Thu, 2012-01-19 15:41
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The 2011 general elections in Jamaica saw use of traditional and social media in ways never before experienced in that island. This was the first such elections in that country since the coming of age of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, three of the most popular social networks. In September 2007 when Jamaica voted in this manner, Facebook was just three and a half, YouTube approximately two and a half and Twitter about one and a half years old – all in their infancy. Given Jamaican’s love of music videos, however, YouTube did play a role in the 2007 elections. Not the other two networks, though. It was different in 2011. All three were used by the two leading parties, the PNP and the JLP, with a view to gaining political mileage.
Social Media – Much More Than a Joke!
- Thu, 2012-01-19 15:37
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It’s important to make the deadline for my book but I’m constantly being distracted. This time it’s by the very subject on which I’m writing, social media. Very early in the morning of Nov. 30, I noticed the back and forth tweets. There was nothing on the radio news though. That’s odd, I thought, that this could have happened and no one knew. Could that story have been overtaken by the growing quagmire of the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP) which raged the night before with the resignation of the Minister of Transportation and which drove CVM TV into a live news broadcast at about 11:30 PM? I thought no, since this DJ is always controversial and Jamaicans take dancehall matters very seriously.
Jamaican Diaspora, Social Media & Strengthening Ties that Bind
- Thu, 2012-01-19 15:32
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Value of the Diaspora
Women Performed Well in Jamaica’s 2011 Elections
- Thu, 2012-01-19 15:26
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In the recently concluded elections the two major political parties in Jamaica, the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), fielded a total of 19 women, six by the PNP and 13 by the JLP. At the end of vote-counting five of the PNP’s six have been victorious. This includes the party leader Mrs Portia Simpson Miller. Only three of the JLP’s 13 will take a seat in Parliament. Interestingly these three, all very close to or over 60 years of age, are seasoned politicians. They’ve won their seats before. None of the new ‘young’ women in the JLP made it through.
In the recently concluded elections the two major political parties in Jamaica, the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), fielded a total of 19 women, six by the PNP and 13 by the JLP. At the end of vote-counting five of the PNP’s six have been victorious. This includes the party leader Mrs Portia Simpson Miller. Only three of the JLP’s 13 will take a seat in Parliament. Interestingly these three, all very close to or over 60 years of age, are seasoned politicians. They’ve won their seats before. None of the new ‘young’ women in the JLP made it through.
Union of Jamaican Organizations in Atlanta & DeKalb County Honour Dr. Marcia Forbes
- Thu, 2012-01-19 15:23
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August 2011
