Politics

Jamaica’s Women’s Coalition marks 1st Anniversary

• Thu, 2013-01-03 11:58
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The 51% Coalition – One Year Later

About fifteen organizations representing a broad cross-section of Jamaican society, including NGOs, the Government and the private sector turned out to participate in a forum hosted to celebrate the first anniversary of the 51% Coalition: Women in Partnership for Development and Empowerment through Equity. This coalition, whose primary thrust is to increase women’s participation in decision-making at the highest levels, now boasts membership of eleven groups, including the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) and the University of the West Indies’ Institute for Gender and Development Studies.

Public Interest versus Economic Imperative: State-Owned versus Privately Owned Television in Jamaica

• Mon, 2012-09-17 10:47
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Jamaica Jubilee Conversations

To have participated in one of the five Jamaica Jubilee Conversations hosted as a part of this island’s celebration of its 50^th Anniversary as an Independent nation was an honour. ‘The Evolution of the Media Landscape in Jamaica’ triggered many memories and led to this article.

Sale of JBC TV (and most of JBC radio)

Media Matters, Jamaica 50 & London2012

• Mon, 2012-09-17 10:43
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The Vocal Minority & Jamaica50

There has been an outcry from those who perhaps represent the vocal minority that the Jamaica50 celebrations cannot only be about ‘jump-up’, ‘skin-out’, ‘wine up we body’. We argue that it must also showcase our capacity as a people to stop, reflect and strategize. After all, the past 50 years, while having achieved some successes, have also laid the foundation for numerous challenges in moving Jamaica forward on a growth path. A ‘freeness mentality’ pervades our society and productivity levels are dismal.

Jamaica’s Energy Insecurity

• Mon, 2012-09-17 10:38
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Heavy Burden of Imported Oil

The figures stunned me. Anthony Hylton, Minister of Industry, Investment & Commerce and Julian Robinson, State Minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy & Mining both spoke at a seminar recently hosted by the Jamaica Public Service, monopoly distributor of electricity in this island. Listening to them I realized that the country’s expenditure on petroleum imports represents close to 30 percent of this island’s gross domestic product (GDP). 

Trade Wars between Jamaica & Trinidad - Trade Facilitation Desk to Quell

• Mon, 2012-09-17 10:26
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The Patty War

Many in the Anglophone Caribbean would have heard of Jamaica’s Patty War with Trinidad. It came to a head in 2009. At its root was what some describe as non-tariff barriers imposed against Jamaica under the guise of the World Trade Organization’s sanitary and phytosanitary  (SPS) guidelines. These WTO guidelines concern food safety and came into effect in 1995. They allow countries to set their own standards so as to ensure that their citizens are not exposed to harmful products.

Women and Girls in ICT

• Mon, 2012-09-17 10:04
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ICT for Women & Girls – Why?

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day was May 17^th. This year’s theme focussed on Achieving Equality in ICT for Women and Girls. The State Minister in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining in Jamaica, Mr Julian Robinson, was honest when he admitted to being challenged to speak on this theme. After all, based on his knowledge, there are many females in ICT. So, why the need for this attention, he wondered aloud.

ICT Women as New Handmaidens?

Women in Jamaica

• Thu, 2012-03-22 21:21
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March 10, 2012
 

International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 8. Many will argue that every day is women’s day, especially in a country like Jamaica where women make up at least 70 per cent of university graduates and occupy many middle and top level jobs. Some, like The Independent, a UK newspaper, will even argue that a country like Jamaica is in one respect the ‘best place for women’ since, according to them; women occupy a very large percentage of ‘high-skilled jobs’ – 60%. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let us pause for a reality check.

Jamaica 'Best Place for Women Who Want High-Skilled Jobs'

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.

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.

Jamaica After Bruce Golding

• Mon, 2011-10-03 15:34
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October 2, 2011

Last week the Caribbean Journal invited me to submit my views regarding the future of politics in Jamaica after Bruce Golding. This request came on the heel of Golding's announced intention to step aside as Pime Minister of Jamaica and as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, the helm of which he took in 2004.

A Fractious Party

Seaga Leads Shaw - Changing Politics of the Jamaica Labour Party

• Sun, 2011-10-02 17:54
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October 2, 2011
Marcia Forbes PhD
 

A Day in Politics is a Long Time
They say a day in the life of politics is a long time. Who would have thought that on September 25, 2011, as many of us enjoyed some rest and relaxation in preparation for the new work-week, our sleepy Sunday would have been jolted into a state of wide-eyed alertness and shock as the reality of Prime Minister Golding’s announcement sunk in? He was going to resign. That’s not normal. No matter how tarred and feathered, Jamaican Prime Minister’s and politicians in general do not resign.

Social Media & Governance - Crowdsourcing Can Help

• Tue, 2011-09-20 13:18
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September 20, 2011

Written by Marcia Forbes, Ph.D.

When The University of the West Indies, Department of Government asked me to lecture technocrats on social media and governance I thought, “Hmmnnn, does it mean they’re getting it?  Do they now realize that social media isn’t about to disappear and can actually serve useful purposes?”  Technology take-up lags even when use of that technology has proven benefits. 

Generational & Gender War – Politics in Jamaica

• Mon, 2010-11-01 21:33
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Yes, we feeling HOT, HOT, HOT, and it’s not because of the soca beat!! The war to rid political parties in Jamaica of old and often ailing politicians is on. G2K, the youth arm of the JLP, fired the 1st salvo by describing the parties as, “jammed tight with the outdated past”, declaring in their press release that, “it is high time several of our older politicians seriously consider throwing in the towel”.

Looking Jolly with the Lolly—Adolescents & Oral Sex

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
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The mid 1990s ‘Lewinsky Scandal’ helped to redefine the meaning of sexual relations. This highly publicized expose was followed in the media by viewers, listeners and readers across the world. Although Monica Lewinsky admitting that she had performed oral sex on U.S. President Clinton, he nevertheless denied sexual relations with her, stating that he did nothing inappropriate. 

The Passing of a Gentle Giant

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
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I got to know him a little bit during my time as General Manager of Television Jamaica. He’d call requesting spot advertising for the NDTC or coverage of some sort. I could never say ‘No’. His manner was so gentle, his approach so humble that whenever he called it was always ‘Yes’. Trevor Johnson then Production Manager of TVJ knew him far better than I did and would move heaven and earth to ensure that Prof, as we both referred to him, was well taken care of.

Policy Formulation and a National Energy Policy for Jamaica

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
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Policy formulation takes time. It also takes focussed determination and a driver to stay with the process and follow it through to completion. My less than one year as Permanent Secretary in the service of the Government of Jamaica has allowed me the opportunity to actively participate in working toward the completion of four policies—the Draft Comprehensive National Minerals Policy, the Draft ICT Policy (formerly the Telecoms Policy), the Draft National Energy Policy 2009 -- 2030 (formerly the Energy Green Paper 2006) and the Draft Carbon Emissions Trading Policy.

Memories of Egypt—Cairo the City that Never Sleeps

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
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After a few false starts I finally arrived in Cairo, Egypt. As one photo exhibition pronounced, “Yes, Egypt is an African country”. It’s situated right up there to the north of the huge continent. Cairo is one of the largest cities in Egypt and boasts anywhere from 15 to 18 million people, depending on who you believe.

Memories of Egypt—Riding a Camel and Much More!

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
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I told him I had to ride a camel. I didn’t bargain for a horse as well—and for one full hour in the sands of the Sahara! An Egyptian man is hard pressed to take ‘No’ for an answer.

The Danger of a Single Story

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
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The first part of the title of this article was the topic of a presentation I watched on-line by a young, female Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Adichie. It fired my imagination to apply the essence of her thoughts to Jamaica and our present conditions. She made the point that by showing a people as one thing over and over again, that is what they become. Many of us in Jamaica can easily relate to this as we consume the all too frequent images of our country as a ‘murder capital’, rife with dons, drugs and dancehall.

Politicians v/s Media—Battle between Elephants

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
• 0 Comments

“If ‘the people’ are ill-informed, then the question has been asked, who is to
blame? The politicians for not disseminating their policies well enough or the media for not reporting them often enough?” (Ross & Nightingale 2003).

LNG, The Valley of the Shadow...

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
• 0 Comments

Trigger Topic

Talk is Cheap! Is LNG?

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
• 0 Comments

Questions
Following the most recent announcements and pronouncements about Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) has been an interesting experience for me. A ‘game changer’ is how it is being positioned. Changing the game for whom and when? There is much talk about the significant savings to come from the LNG project. Some US$1.2 billion savings in energy costs is how the argument is being presented. Question -- Over what period will these savings be realized and by whom? Government proposes to spend J$1 Billion of taxpayers money in the project. In what ways and over what time will this investment be recouped? Where is JPS Co. in all this cheap talk?

Tivoli via Twitter

• Thu, 2010-09-23 09:53
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Leaving Ja.

As we prepared to depart Norman Marley Airport I questioned the Immigration Officer about the plane parked close to the cargo area. Rumors were that it was American and there to help Jamaica with extradition matters. The Officer dispelled that by asserting that the plane was Russian and with supplies to Haiti. That piece of information got tweeted immediately. After all, it was from an authentic source and I was playing my part in quelling rumour-mongering tweets.