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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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RIU HOTEL NOT MEETING REQUIREMENTS—05/03/08
Construction of the Riu Hotel in Montego Bay has been marred by the fact that contractors building the hotel did not follow established procedures to build on an unapproved fourth floor. The hotel is in the flight path of Sangster International Airport. The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) was clear in its requirement that the hotel’s three storeys would not interfere with air traffic. Anything higher than 14.89 meters above the ground and 16.89 meters above sea level would be a breach of the building agreement, according to Oscar Darby, deputy director of the JCAA.
SEX OUT OF CONTROL IN JAMAICAN SCHOOLS—05/04/08
School administrators have stated that sex is second only to the ever-growing number of violent incidents as a critical issue for Jamaica’s schools. The Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPSS) and other organizations say there must be more focus on values-based education. The sex issue is overshadowing the process of education in the schools, say administrators.
GOLDING TO SUPPORT JAMAICAN STUDENTS IN CUBA—05/05/08
Prime Minister Bruce Golding said that Jamaican students in Cuba would be provided scholarships covered under his government’s financial support program. Golding met with Jamaican students in Cuba during his three-day official visit to that country.
NURSES IN JAMAICA OPPOSE DECRIMINALIZATION OF ABORTION—05/06/08
The Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) has stated its objection to a plan by the government to decriminalize abortion. Edith Allwood-Anderson, president of the NAJ, said that any attempt by the government to make abortion available to more women would face “extensive agitation and opposition” from the members of the association. Instead of spending money on abortion, the government should dedicate itself to reproductive health services, according to the NAJ.
GOLDING SAYS CUBA, JAMAICA TO COLLABORATE ON TOURISM—05/07/08
Bruce Golding, Jamaican Prime Minister, believes there needs to be more collaboration and less competition between Cuba and Jamaica in regard to the tourist industry. Speaking in Havana, Golding said that the issue of tourism was raised in his meeting with Cuba’s leader, Raul Castro, because Cuba has much to offer for expanding tourism.
GOVERNMENT SIGNS GRANT AGREEMENT FOR AIR JAMAICA DIVESTMENT—05/07/08
The Jamaican government and the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) signed a grant agreement to help with technical services required during the divestment of Air Jamaica. A total of US$820,000 in funds was secured by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for the government of Jamaica to use in the divestment process.
OVER 700 CHILD ABUSE REPORTS MADE SINCE JANUARY—05/08/08
According to the Children’s Registry, there have been more than 700 reports of child abuse, including physical and sexual abuse, made to the agency since the beginning of 2008. Mary Clarke, Children’s Advocate, has demanded additional resources be allocated so that abused children can receive counseling. The Ministry of Health provides counseling via guidance clinics throughout Jamaica.
GREEN TO PROBE MURDER INVESTIGATIONS IN CORPORATE AREA—05/09/08
Les Green, assistant commissioner of police and head of the Major Investigation Task Force (MIT), will lead 120 police officers in a probe of murder investigations in St. Andrew and Kingston, focusing on those that are related to firearms. The team will try to find and arrest the individuals responsible for the killings in these areas. The Corporate Area had 81 murders in April 2008. This represents 68 percent of the total murders on the island
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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ACTIVIST BROOKS DIES IN TORONTO—05/03/08
The Jamaican-born community activist, Dr. Clovis John Brooks, has died at the age of 84. Dr. Brooks died in Toronto, Canada, after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for a number of years. He is best known for founding the John Brooks Community Foundation and Scholarship Fund, which was created to recognize high school students of African descent for their academic achievements. Dr. Brooks migrated to Canada in 1963.
18 JAMAICAN WOMEN TO WORK IN CANADA—05/04/08
Eighteen Jamaican women are slated to begin work as seafood packers in Canada. The women left Kingston as part of an initiative by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security to include more women in Canada’s labor market. The women were between 21 and 39 years of age.
CUBANS WELCOME JAMAICAN DELEGATION—05/05/08
A delegation of visitors from Jamaica was welcomed by Cuba’s air, ground, and marine troops, who paid the group military honors. The Jamaican contingent included First Lady Loma Golding, first Vice President and Foreign Minister Kenneth Baugh. Also visiting were Edmund Barler, Minister of Tourism; Christopher Tufton, Minister of Agriculture; Rudyard Spencer, Minister of Health; and Horace Chang, Minister of Water and Housing.
CUBA AND JAMAICA TO WORK TOGETHER IN FIVE AREAS—05/08/08
During an official visit to Cuba, Prime Minister Bruce Golding reported that Jamaica and Cuba have made an agreement to join forces and work together on issues relating to agriculture, health, tourism, water resources, and housing. The agreement will require additional follow-up work to define the details of the collaboration.
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SPORTS
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REGGAE BOYZ WILL NOT MEET HAITI—05/03/08
A proposed friendly match between the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica and Haiti in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will not occur. Captain Horace Burrell has confirmed speculation that the game will not happen as a result of the “failure” of Haitian promoters to honor their contractual obligations.
STEWART SIXTH-FASTEST JAMAICAN WOMAN IN HISTORY—05/05/08
Kerron Stewart, who won a silver medal in the World Championship sprint relay, is the sixth fastest Jamaican woman of all time, clocking a 10.96 seconds in the 200 meters at the Jamaica International Invitations Meet (JIIM) at the National Stadium.
BOLT WINS WITH SECOND FASTEST TIME IN HISTORY—05/06/08
Usain Bolt won the 100 meters at the Jamaica International Invitation athletics meet with a time of 9.76 seconds, the second fastest time ever. Bolt led the race from start to finish. Second place went to American Wallace Spearmon with 10.08 seconds.
MARLON SAMUELS TO ANSWER CHARGES—05/07/08
Marlon Samuels will face a West Indies ethics and disciplinary committee in regard to charges of inappropriate conduct and his alleged ties to a bookmaker in India in January and February of 2007 before the World Cup. An internal investigation, led by Jamaican attorney Derek Jones about the alleged bribery discovered sufficient information to charge Samuels with misconduct.
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DEVOTIONAL
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God’s Word, Our Response (Part 2)
The Israelites experienced forty years of wilderness wandering because of unbelief. They allowed themselves to be influenced not by the word of the LORD, but by what they heard from their peers. How many of us make that same mistake today? “Search the land of Canaan, which I [the LORD] give unto the children of Israel” (Numbers 13:2, KJV). The Word was not “which I *will* give”, but rather “which I give”. That they had the land was already a done deal, and basically all they had to from this point on was to follow the LORD’s instructions.
To walk in God’s promises and assurances requires us to see things and situations from His perspective. His track record is of such that nothing that He has ordained has failed to come to pass. Six times in Genesis 1 we read, “And God said … and it was so.” From our perspective, it does not always look like things make a lot of sense, and when we look around at what God says is ours, we are often filled with doubt. However, there are times when we receive a Word from the LORD that others do not always understand, but as long as that Word is consistent with what God has revealed of Himself, the child of God can stand with conviction on it. It is interesting to note that when some of the spies saw the land filled with giants, they immediately saw themselves not as the LORD’s children doing what He had instructed, but reported “we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (vv. Numbers 13:32b-33). Their inability to see themselves as the LORD saw them defined who they were, and they presumed others saw them as they saw themselves.
If God says you’re strong, then you are. If He declares you an overcomer, you are. If He says you can and that you will, you can and you will. Whatever He says of you, that is what and who you are. The issue is not so much what others say or believe about you, or even what you believe about yourself, or the different challenging situations you find yourself in. The challenge to every believer is this: what and whose report are you going to believe? The Israelites chose to believe the bad report, and by doing so, angered the LORD.
What does the LORD say of Himself? In Isaiah 55:8-11 we read, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (ESV).
If He says it, we can believe it. Anything else outside of that is irrelevant
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CREDITS/SOURCES
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The weekly news is compilation of new articles from top Caribbean and Jamaican news sources.
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