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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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COURT ALLOWS BAIN TO CONTINUE AS DIRECTOR OF HIV/AIDS TRAINING NETWORK—06/14/14
A ruling from the Jamaica Supreme Court has returned Professor Brendan Bain of the University of the West Indies to his position as the director of the Regional Coordinating United of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART). He will be allowed to retain his job until the lawsuit he filed against the University has received a hearing. Bain was dismissed after providing an expert report in a case in Belize in which the constitutionality of a 19th-century law criminalizing gay sex was challenged.
HEALTH MINISTRY TO RECEIVE DONATION FROM FOOD FOR THE POOR—06/15/14
Andrew Mahfood, the chairman of Food for the Poor Jamaica, announced a donation to Jamaica’s Health Ministry from the organization of about 16,000 units of intravenous (IV) fluids. Mahfood said he made an appeal to the FPP headquarters in Florida after being informed about the shortage of IV fluids in Jamaica’ health care system.
YOUTH MINISTER DEMANDS EXPLANATION ABOUT SEX EDUCATION PROGRAM—06/16/14
Lisa Hanna, Jamaican Minister of Youth and Culture, is calling for the Child Development Agency (CDA) to explain a reported unauthorized sex education programs implemented by Jamaicans for Justice in six private children’s homes. She wants to know how the program has been in operation for several months without the CDA’s knowledge. She also questioned the suitability of the program’s materials for children.
JAMAICA COULD SEE MARIJUANA “RUSH” DUE TO DECRIMINALIZATION—06/17/14
While it is expected that the legal growing of marijuana for medical purposes will provide significant economic growth for Jamaica, some critics wonder whether strong competition in the market will lessen the projected economic benefit. They note that most Jamaicans do not use marijuana, and that the government has bowed to pressure from the United States federal authorities on the matter in the past.
OVER $500 MILLION MARKED TO IMPROVE AGRO-PARKS—06/17/14
Jamaica’s government has announced its plans to put over $500 million toward infrastructure improvements at four agro-parks on the island. The announcement of five contracts signed to implement the projects was made at an event marking the launch of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Export Market Platform. Funding will be provided by the Inter-American development Bank (DB) to organize the parks and encourage farmers to supply produce, with resumption of the banana trade specifically mentioned.
JAMAICANS FOR JUSTICE APOLOGIZES FOR SEX ED PROGRAM—06/18/14
Because of growing concerns about Jamaican’s for Justice (JFJ) involvement in a sex education program, Dr. Carolyn Gomes, former executive director of the organization, resigned as a board member. The human rights organization also apologized for including controversial materials in the sex education course provided to six private children’s homes.
CARICOM NATIONS CONCERNED ABOUT JAMAICA’S GANJA DECRIMINALIZATION—06/19/14
Concerns about the plans of the Jamaican government to decriminalize marijuana were issued by the Cannabis Movement of St. Lucia (CMSL). The group believes that Jamaica’s action is contrary to the position adopted by CARICOM to handle the marijuana matter on a regional basis. Andre Decaires, chairman of CMSL, expressed concern about Jamaica’s “unilateral” decision on the issue.
GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST JFJ—06/20/14
The Jamaican government is consulting with legal authorities to determine whether to bring action against Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) for implementing an unauthorized sex education program in six private children’s homes. Lisa Hanna, Youth Minister, has written to Patrick Atkinson, Attorney General, and Children’s Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison to obtain legal opinions on the JFJ actions. The legal consultations are the result of public outcry against the JFJ and its introduction of the questionable sex education materials.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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JAMAICA’S POET LAUREATE GIVES READING IN UK—06/14/14
Mervyn Morris, Emeritus Professor at the University of the West Indies and Jamaica’s Poet Laureate, will be in the United Kingdom to give the annual Bristol Poetry Institute reading for 2014. Morris is the author of “The Pond,” “Shadowboxing,” and “On Holy Week,” and has written many essays and stories as well. He is recognized for his major contributions to Caribbean literature in the fields of writing, editing, teaching, and scholarship. He received Jamaica’s Order of Merit in 2009.
JAMAICAN CULTURE EXHIBIT ON VIEW AT WASHINGTON EMBASSY—06/15/14
The Jamaican Embassy in Washington, D.C., is celebrating the diversity of the island’s culture with an exhibit entitled “Roots and Culture Jamaica.” The exhibit includes photographs by Andrea Cauthen, a member of the Jamaican Diaspora currently living in New York. Cauthen, who was born in the United States to a Jamaican mother, was given a “sense of pride and identity in Jamaica” by her mother. She plans to donate one-quarter of the sales proceeds from the exhibit to the Irish Penn Early Childhood Institution in St. Catherine, where she volunteers.
MISS JAMAICA FLORIDA PAGEANT CELEBRATES SILVER JUBILEE—06/16/14
In 2014, 20 contestants will vie for the chance to be ambassadors of the Miss Jamaica Florida Pageant, which is celebrating 25 years in operation. The Silver Jubilee Coronation will occur on June 28, 2014, at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts. Contestants between the ages of 5 and 21 will compete in their various age categories by displaying talents in dance, song, and drama. A live interview with each contestant is also featured.
MIAMI CONSULATE LAUNCHES ESSAY CONTEST—06/17/14
The annual Essay Competition organized by the Consulate General of Jamaica in Miami, Florida, will celebrate the anniversary of Jamaica’s independence in 2014. All Jamaican children who live in Florida may enter the competition. A number of essay topics are available, with the goal of the competition to further awareness of Jamaican Diaspora community in Florida and to expose young people to Jamaica’s heritage and culture. The deadline for submitting essays is July 15, 2014.
JAMAICAN TEENAGER RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIPS TO NINE U.S. UNIVERSITIES—06/18/14
Tchakamau Ra, a teenager from Kingston, Jamaica, has won scholarships to nine universities in the United States. The home-schooled student’s applications to Yale, Princeton, Duke Stanton, and the University of Chicago, among others were approved for the fall of 2014. Ra, 17, attributes her success to the home-schooling she received from her parents until seventh grade. She then attended Immaculate Conception High School and Hillel Academy. She plans to become an astrophysicist researcher.
BURRELL ROOTS FOR ENGLAND AT WORLD CUP—06/19/14
The president of Jamaica’s football association, Captain Horace Burrell, is rooting for England at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, despite the side’s loss to Italy. Burrell is an important figure in football in the Caribbean, and has been observed walking among the revelers in Rio de Janiero surrounded by bodyguards and other Jamaican football fans.
CANADIAN MINISTER MARKS JAMAICAN DIASPORA DAY—06/20/14
On June 16, 2014, Canada’s Minister for Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, released a statement in honor of Jamaican Diaspora Day. He noted that Canada has one of the three largest communities of Jamaicans in the world and that since 2005 Jamaican Diaspora Day has been celebrated to recognize the significant contributions to Canada’s social and economic development made by people of Jamaican heritage.
JAMAICAN AMERICANS HONORED IN FLORIDA—06/20/14
The Caribbean American Democratic Club of Palm Beach County in Florida has named ten individuals for special honors in view of their contributions to the county. Among those feted are Jamaican Americans Janice Cover, former assistant superintendent of Palm Beach County Schools; Gillian Eubanks-Knowles, vice president of Iberia Bank; Donald Smith, the owner of Caribbean Choice Restaurant and Bakery; and Grasford Smith, senior counsel at the law firm of Jones, Foster, Johnston and Stubbs. According to Sophia Nelson, the event organizer, it would be difficult to imagine South Florida without the presence and contributions of the approximately 400,000 people of Caribbean heritage who make their home there.
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CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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CARIBBEAN CORAL REEFS NEED REBUILDING—06/14/14
UK, CARIBBEAN MINISTERS MEET IN LONDON—06/15/14
CHINA INVESTING BILLIONS IN CARIBBEAN REGION—06/16/14
MARRIOTT HELPS BITCOIN INVESTORS SELL CHEAP CARIBBEAN CITIZENSHIPS—06/17/14
BARBADOS TO FINALLY PAY MYRIE—06/18/14
RULING PARTY IN ANTIGUA FACES BATTLE FOR THIRD TERM—06/19/14
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BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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EXPORT OF BANANAS TO RESUME, SAY CLARKE—06/14/14
Roger Clarke, Jamaica’s Minister of Agriculture, has announced that the nation’s banana sector is recovering and has just sent its first shipment of bananas to the United Kingdom in two years. The banana sector was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, but Clarke said he is happy with the progress that has been made to bring the sector back into play in the global market. The Ministry will continue to support banana farmers in ensure full production will be achieved in the near future.
ALCOA PLANS TO SELL MINING INTERESTS TO NOBLE—06/15/14
Alcoa Incorporate will end its Jamaican operations within two years and plans to sell its mining interests to Noble Group Ltd. Alcoa Minerals of Jamaica and Jamaica’s government are partners in Jamalco, an operation involved with bauxite mining and alumina refining. Alcoa will retain a minority interest in Jamalco and manage operations until 2016 at least. The company has been in Jamaica for 55 years.
PUBLIC, PRIVATE SECTORS PARTNER FOR WATER PARK—06/16/14
The government of Jamaica is partnering with Sagicor Group, a financial services firm, to mark the beginning of a $5 million water park at the Sagicor Jewel Runaway Bay Beach and Golf Resort in St. Ann. The park is expected to open in March 2015. It is one of several private-public tourism partnerships organized with support from Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism. Such partnerships represent $125 million in tourism infrastructure projects, said Minister Wykeham McNeill.
JAMAICA UNVEILS LARGEST SOLAR PLANT ON THE ISLAND—06/17/14
A 1.6-megawatt solar power plant has been introduced to Jamaica by SOFOS Jamaica Ltd., a premium partner of IBC SOLAR AGE, a German photovoltaic integrator. This is the largest solar plant on the island to date. The plant will provide the Grand Palladium Resort & Spa with solar energy. SOFOS Jamaica Ltd. wants to help businesses in Jamaica be less dependent on the national electric power grid. The solar plant is the first big project for SOFOS on the island.
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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
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GRANDDAUGHTER OF BOB MARLEY FIGHTS TO PROTECT HISTORY—06/15/14
Bob Marley’s granddaughter, Donisha Prendergast, is heading up a campaign to stop developers from constructing houses on the site of the Pinnacle. This is the site of the first free slave Rastafari community in the 1940s. Bob Marley, founder of reggae, developed a “soundtrack” for Rastafari culture, encouraging people to stand up for their rights. Now Prendergast, 36, is using the same rallying cry to stop the destruction of the historic location on which the culture that inspired Marley was started.
WARD THEATER OPENS—06/18/14
The Ward Theater has been closed to the public for many years, but it is now ready to reopen. According to Jonathan Greenland, executive member of the Ward Theater Foundation, the theater needs $10 million to become operational, but could reopen if it received a “facelift.” Volunteers from a number of Corporate Area communities got together and launched a clean-up operation at the theater after it was confirmed that the theater would be a venue of the Edge Urban Arts Festival. The clean-up was organized jointly by the Re-Ward Project, Music Unites Jamaica, and Musicians without Borders, Trench Town Music Project, and The Ward Theater Foundation. The Shirlhome Chemical Corporation and WISYNCO were also supportive of the activity.
JAMAICAN NOVEL ABOUT ANIMAL RIGHTS RAISES AWARENESS —06/19/14
The book “Turn Back Blow,” a first novel by Jamaican writer Roger Williams, has been listed in the catalogs at several universities, including Yale and Princeton in the United States, and at Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is now listed in the catalog of Harvard University as well. Williams is the first Jamaican writer to raise awareness of cruelty to animals and to advocate for animal rights. His novel was inspired by an event in real life in which a dog was used to lure a crocodile in a community in Jamaica. It features the story of stray animals who partner with a boy in a rural Jamaican community to fight the cruelty of humans.
BOGLE INSPIRES NEW ALBUM FROM TRIPLE L RECORDS—06/20/14
Bogle, also known as “Mr. Wacky,” a flamboyant dancer in the dancehall genre, has inspired a new album from Triple L Records called “Mr. Wacky RIP Riddim.” The album, which features 13 tracks, will be released in June 2014. Producer Orville Stoddart, owner of the Trenchtown record label, said he wanted to bring back “the real dancehall vibe” he believes are missing in current music. The album includes deejays Alozade, Shane-O, and Shaka Pow.
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SPORTS
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NADAL FALLS TO JAMAICAN OPPONENT—06/14/14
Four days after tennis champion Rafael Nadal won his record ninth French Open title, he lost to Dustin Brown, who is ranked 85th in the world. Brown was born in Germany but emigrated to Montego Bay in Jamaica in 1996. His mother is Jamaican and his father is German. Brown, who sports dreadlocks, was called a “very dangerous player” by Nadal, whose observation proved correct as he lost 6-4, 6-1 to Brown.
BLAKE PLANS TO BE AT THE TOP BY THE END OF THE SEASON—06/15/14
Yohan Blake, Jamaican sprinter, is planning to come back from hamstring injuries he suffered in 2013 and plans to be among the top runners in the world by the end of the 2014 season. His next step is to run in the IAAF Diamond League New York grand prix in Manhattan. Blake at 21 was the youngest 100-meter champion in 2011 after winning in Daegu.
POWELL, SIMPSON CLEARED TO COMPETE—06/18/14
Jamaican runners Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson are now able to compete in national championships following a stay of their suspension by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The 18-month suspensions could be reinstated if the athletes fail to succeed in their appeals, however.
FRASER-PRYCE MAY NOT PARTICIPATE IN COMMONWEALTH GAMES—06/19/14
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce may not be able to participate in he Commonwealth Games at the end of June 2014 if she fails to recover from an injury causing her pain in her left leg. The Jamaican trials are scheduled for June 25-29, and athletes must be in the top three to be selected for the July Glasgow Games. Bruce James, manager of Fraser-Pryce, believes she will be able to compete at the trials, but it is up to the medical team to have the final say.
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JAMAICAN JOBS
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- JOB TITLE: Administrative Assistant – Cane Expansion Fund – Details Here
- JOB TITLE: Information Technology Librarian/Documentalist – Details Here
- JOB TITLE: Credit Officer – Details Here
- JOB TITLE: Prior Learning Assessment Coordinator – Details Here
- JOB TITLE: Instructors – Agriculture: 2 Permanent Positions; 1 Part-Time Position (Ornamental Horticulture) Ebony Park Academy, Toll Gate, Clarendon – Details Here
Visit JAMAICAN JOBS.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Conformed to the Image of Christ
I can still hear it in my head, one of the choruses from my childhood: “To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus / All I ask is to be like Him / All through life’s journey / From earth to glory / All I ask, is to be like Him.” These words came to mind as I reflected on the words of Paul as recorded in perhaps one of the most well-known couple of verses in the Bible, Romans 8:28-29: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (KJV).
Of course, many are the souls that have taken and continue to take encouragement in verse 28; that incredible assurance that allows us to navigate the challenges, disappointments and tragedies we experience in our lives. In the midst of our confusion and pain, our hearts experience a lift when we remember that Christ came “to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:2b-3). Armed with such promises, some are able to stand tall in the face of adversities. We pick up the pieces, lean on God’s grace and we keep going.
However, if that is all we do we miss out on something that is even more significant in both portions of Scripture. From Paul we learn that God’s purpose in using “all things” for good in the lives of those who love Him and who are the called according to His purpose is so that we – our lives, our thoughts, our minds, our attitudes, our ways of being – be conformed to the image of Christ. In other words, so that everything about who we are reflect Christ. From Isaiah we learn that everything Christ does in our lives is not for us to claim spiritual brownie points or to show how spiritual we are, but that we “might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.” Taken together systematically, God is at work in our lives, using all things to shape/mould us to the image of Christ and for His glory.
At the heart of the Christian experience is transformation (Romans 12:2). Fruits of the flesh give way to fruits of the spirit in what is effectively a life-long process. Each day, as we surrender to Him, the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives moulding, shaping, recreating and comforting. The more we resist, the more we are broken and refashioned as God works to accomplish His purposes in and for our lives. James remind us “under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way” (James 1:3-4, The Message). Why? Just so you and I can become just like Jesus.
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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.
