Opinion

Op-Ed: Political Suspense in Jamaica

Commentary: Why Grenada Should Establish a National Sports Hall of Fame

By Michael Bascombe CJ Sport Contributor One of the biggest lessons learnt from Grenada’s campaign at last weekend’s IAAF World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey is to prepare for disappointments during the careers of our top-flight competitors – Kirani James and …

Op-Ed: Haiti: Impunity or Justice?

By Irwin P Stotzky Op-Ed Contributor Two years and two months after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti killing approximately 350,000 people, leaving several million homeless and destroying thousands of buildings, including most of the landmark buildings in Port-Au- Prince, Haiti …

Forbes: Women in Jamaica

By Marcia Forbes, PhD CJ Contributor 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 percent of university graduates …

Durandis: On Citizenship, Nationality and Haiti’s 1987 Constitution

Above: Jean-Jacques Dessalines By Ilio Durandis CJ Contributor After more than two centuries of suffering, humiliation and inhuman conditions, brave slaves and free people of colour revolted against their French masters to proclaim their freedom and the independence of their …

Op-Ed: Why the Economy Is the Biggest Issue in Belize’s Elections

By Kay Menzies Op-Ed Contributor The voters of Belize will go to the polls next week to decide which party will form the next Government of Belize. Without a doubt, most voters will make their decisions based on, among other …

Durandis: As Garry Conille Exits, Haiti Heads Toward a Fish-Tail Ending

Above: Garry Conille at the installation of his cabinet (Photo: OP) By Ilio Durandis CJ Contributor Early on in life, I was taught one thing about fish: don’t mess with the tail. In Haiti, the saying of “queue poisson” is …

Forbes: Adele, Celine, Whitney and Why Their Melodies Make Us Cry

Above: Adele (Photo: Jelmer de Haas) By Marcia Forbes, PhD CJ Contributor After Celine Dion’s outstanding performance in Jamaica, I wanted to write something profound to explain why this almost-diminutive Canadian singer has won the hearts of so many Jamaicans, …

Op-Ed: Economic Sanctions and United States-Cuba Relations

By José Azel Op-Ed Contributor US economic sanctions against Cuba were first authorized in 1961 when President John F Kennedy issued an executive order in response to the Cuban government’s expropriation without compensation of American assets. Five decades later, the …

Op-Ed: Saving Jamaica’s Youth

By Kent Gammon Op-Ed Contributor There is far too much of a large proportion of youth in Jamaica that is being reared destructively. At midday on any day of the working week one only need to go to Portia Simpson …

Forbes: Living a Mobile Lifestyle

By Marcia Forbes, PhD CJ Contributor We’ve Come a Long Way! For one thing, mobile technology has moved way beyond the days of cumbersome, dumb mobile phones to small, sleek, savvy, smart phones with increasingly multi-functional capabilities, made possible by …

Op-Ed: Why the Caribbean Matters

By Michael W Edghill Op-Ed Contributor When it comes to US foreign policy, most of the focus tends to be on the Middle East and, increasingly, China. There is rarely a cursory glance offered in the direction of Latin America …

Op-Ed: 50 Years and Sovereignty

Above: the Middlesex Guildhall in London By Jeffrey Foreman Op-Ed Contributor This year is a historic one in the region. In August, Jamaica, then Trinidad and Tobago will mark 50 years as independent nations. These two countries were the first …

Op-Ed: Changing Jamaica’s Constitution

By Garnett Ankle Op-Ed Contributor At this point in her political career, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller may be thinking of her legacy. How will history judge her? She has an opportunity to make an indelible mark on the political …

The Search for Aid Money in Haiti

By Ilio Durandis CJ Contributor Money is not real. It is only used as a reference to the worth of goods or services in society. Its worth is printed on the currency that we carry in our pocket or wallet. …

Marcia Forbes: The Digicel-LIME Battle Continues in Jamaica

By Marcia Forbes PhD CJ Contributor Last week saw sparks flying between Digicel and LIME, Jamaica’s two telecom providers. There is nothing unusual about this. Over Christmas 2008, a full three years ago, as then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry …

Op-Ed: Challenges Ahead for Jamaica

Above: Jamaica House By Garnett Ankle Op-Ed Contributor In Jamaica, whenever a new prime minister is inaugurated, it always gives me a sense of hope for the future of the island nation. The return to office of Portia Simpson Miller …

Op-Ed: Kingston, Washington and the Way Forward for Jamaica

By David P Rowe Op-Ed Contributor The first priority for Jamaica’s Portia Simpson-Miller administration should be to consolidate and improve its bilateral relationship with the United States. It should be made clear at the highest levels that Jamaica intends to …

How the Press (and Politicians) Embraced Social Media in Jamaica’s Election

By Marcia Forbes, PhD CJ Contributor The 2011 general election in Jamaica saw the use of traditional and social media in ways never before experienced on that island. This was the first such election in that country since the coming …