Stories about Jamaica from December, 2011
Jamaica: why they lost the election
Active Voice analyses yesterday's general election in Jamaica, explaining how Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the Jamaica Labour Party — who looked, a month ago, set to be returned to office — lost in a landslide to Portia Simpson-Miller and the People's National Party. “Let’s see if the PNP having...
Jamaica: a new prime minister
As Girl with a Purpose reports, the governing Jamaica Labour Party was defeated in yesterday's general election, and People's National Party head Portia Simpson-Miller is Jamaica's new prime minister — “a leader whose educational background is not as brilliant as her competitors,” observes Abeni from St. Vincent and the Grenadines,...
Jamaica: missing children
Where are the more than 500 children reported missing in Jamaica this year, asks Petchary — and why are more people not paying attention to “a serious issue which, at the best of times, is brushed aside as if it is nothing of great importance”? “How many are alone, hopeless,...
Jamaica: politician too loud?
Yvette J. Rowe contemplates a Jamaican election campaign advertisement that portrays opposition leader Portia Simpson-Miller as “too loud”: “These ads about attitude and posture are scoring dubious points rather than talking about the policies or the future of the country.”
Jamaica: support for LGBT rights?
In a televised election debate, Jamaica's opposition leader Portia Simpson-Miller expressed cautious support for LGBT rights and for repealing the country's buggery laws. Ross Sheil gives a summary of the public reaction, “which shows the country softening or becoming more pragmatic on the issue.”
Jamaica: out of context
In the run-up to a general election in Jamaica, is a political advertisement misrepresenting opposition leader Portia Simpson-Miller by taking her comments out of context? Active Voice asks: “is it accurate and ethical to splice disparate bits of video and audio together like this?”
Jamaica: election language
With a general election swiftly approaching in Jamaica, OwenSoft shares an online tool for comparing the frequency of words and phrases in the official election manifestos of the country's main political parties.
Jamaica: debating Caribbean art publishing
The ARC magazine blog reports on a recent panel on art publishing in the Caribbean, hosted by the National Gallery of Jamaica, with video clips of the discussion.
Jamaica: when poets join academia
UK-based Jamaican writer Kei Miller muses on the consequences of poets joining the academic world. “Poetry is certainly not known for its plain-spoken-ness and in fact is accused, just as much as the academy, for its obscurity and its pretensions. And this is as it should be!”
Jamaica: vote or not?
Idle Yout Speeks asks if he should bother to vote in Jamaica's upcoming general election. “I blame my reluctance … on a deep rooted fear that stemmed from the more violent days of Jamaica's more violent election campaigns,” he writes. “I see some subtle differences in the parties but ultimately...
Jamaica: So What About the Spy Plane?
After reading a newspaper editorial which was nonchalant over the presence of a spy plane during the country's state of emergency, Active Voice says: “The big deal…is that 73 people were killed under unexplained circumstances during that Tivoli Gardens operation. This spy plane has video footage of what happened…and the...
Jamaica: Politics or Party?
Jamaica Woman Tongue says of the new Prime Minister's choice of a December 29 election date: “If our PM/minister of education knew his history, he would never have dared to ‘mash up’ the holidays with politics. But ‘im young; im wi learn.’”
Jamaica: Spy Games
Active Voice blogs about “the spy plane the government didn’t see” and the effect that the admission of its existence is having on the ruling Jamaica Labour Party.
Jamaica: Feeling the “Vybz”
Under the Saltire Flag posts a must-read analysis about “the rise and fall” of dancehall artist Vybz Kartel.
Jamaica: Blue Lagoon
Labrish reports that “Jamaica's precious Blue Lagoon won a significant victory this week when a Preservation Notice was signed by the Government.”
Africa/Caribbean: Vote for the YoBloCo Awards
Public evaluation is now open for the “Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition” (YoBloCo) : “We received more than 90 entries for the competition, among which we shortlisted a total of 36 blogs for the Individual Category and 16 blogs for the Institutional Category.”
Jamaica: Election Date Set
The Jamaican Prime Minister has announced the date of the country's next general elections; Girl With a Purpose comments: “Interesting days are ahead!” and encourages her compatriots to vote.
Jamaica: Political Futures
Girl With a Purpose makes a few political predictions, here.
Caribbean: Thoughts on World AIDS Day
December 1, was World AIDS Day. Bloggers from the Caribbean have weighed in with their own thoughts about and support for the ongoing battle against HIV and AIDS.
