By Juan Diego
Nusa Peñalver:
JULY 31, 2012 will be recalled in the history of Latin America and the
Caribbean as a landmark, a giant step, with Venezuela’s full entry into the
Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR), in the first extension of this customs
association in the 21 years of its existence.
It will also be recalled as a resounding failure of the imperial policy of
the United States in relation to a region which it can no longer dominate at its
whim.
For Argentine political economist Atilio A. Borón, from the geopolitical
point of view, Venezuela’s inclusion in MERCOSUR after a six-year wait
constitutes the greatest U.S. diplomatic defeat since the disastrous Free Trade
Area of the Americas (FTAA).
Beatriz Miranda, columnist in the Colombian El Espectador, defines it
as a strategic accomplishment, given that the new entrant concedes the bloc a
greater economic and commercial weight. Analysts consider that in geopolitical
terms, Caracas’ arrival represents the possibility of increased Brazilian
insertion in the Andes and Caribbean and Venezuelan access to the South
Atlantic. Thus MERCOSUR is facilitating strategic integration, giving the group
an Amazonian, Atlantic, Caribbean and Andean identity, and a strong energy
component.
Doubtless, this bold step will affect U.S. interests in the region in the
long term, given that it prevents Venezuela from signing a free trade treaty
with this country, still set on re-conquering the Bolivarian Republic’s oil
wealth.
It is no secret that with Venezuela‘s energy potential – according to the
Organization of Oil Producing Countries (OPEC) it has the largest certified oil
reserves in the world: 297,570 million barrels – the industrial vigor of Brazil
(the sixth largest world economy), and the agricultural potential of Argentina
and Uruguay, this regional bloc will acquire a strategic role. Created March 25,
1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, it promotes the free circulation of goods and
services, common external tariffs and trade policy, as well as coordinated
macroeconomic policies among member states and compatible legislation.
In effect, the United States was unable to prevent MERCOSUR, now including
Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela (Paraguay’s membership is suspended due
to the parliamentary coup d’état against President Fernando Lugo), from growing
in strength and promoting sovereign economic and social policies in accordance
with national interests, far removed from the dictates of the discredited
financial institution of Bretton Woods and the anti-democratic Washington
consensus.
The U.S. maneuver to utilize the Paraguayan oligarchy, entrenched in the
country’s Senate, to block Venezuela’s entry backfired. In fact Paraguay’s
suspension and Venezuela’s participation could make MERCOSUR more attractive to
Bolivia, Ecuador and other nations in the region.
From the Planalto Palace, headquarters of the Brazilian government,
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez emphasized the historic importance of the unity
of Latin American countries in terms of promoting their independent development,
within which MERCOSUR represents a platform for the changes needed.
"We are exactly in our historic position, our North is our South, we are
where we always should have been, we are where Bolívar left it to us to arrive,"
the Bolivarian leader affirmed during the extraordinary session of the bloc in
Brasilia.
What is being reconfigured is a balance which will allow South America to
address, on more equal footing, other centers of power such as the United States
and the European Union, which have demanded subordination and an anti-national
submission to their transnationals.
BUILDING THE PATRIA GRANDE
According to analysts, Venezuela‘s incorporation into MERCOSUR makes the bloc
the world’s fifth largest economic power, extending from Patagonia to the
Caribbean over an area of close to 13 million square kilometers, linking more
than 270 million inhabitants (70% of the population of South America) to form an
impressive and gigantic bloc with the largest oil reserves, booming
industrialization and excellent potential for food production.
It will have a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $3.3 trillion at current
prices, equivalent to 83.2% of the Southern Cone GDP, and the largest global
biodiversity and fresh water reserves, a reality very much to be borne in mind
in terms of world geopolitics by the select club of the G-8 and emerging giants
such as China and India, two nations which have a more constructive position in
international economic relations.
In the internal context, Venezuelan José Gregorio Piña emphasizes that while,
initially, the country was only offering MERCOSUR oil and hard currency, "the
panorama has changed, given that it can develop its productive potential through
a more complete relationship with bloc members, which includes complementary
trade, a innovative financial architecture, internal regional investment and the
free circulation of persons and jobs, among others."
Caracas has already invited MERCOSUR enterprises to participate in housing
provision for the Venezuelan people, with a target of three million family
units, as well as conjoint work with the state to promote other social,
industrial and agricultural development projects. The new Venezuela wishes to
leave behind the private model to which it was subjected by the United States,
the only legacy of which was enormous social inequality and widespread
poverty.
This effort will benefit from the bloc’s creation of a Structural Convergence
Fund to reduce imbalances among its members, in a necessary spirit of solidarity
with the less developed nations. "This is an experiment to reduce the imbalances
of our countries and promote equitable regional development," stated Brazilian
President Dilma Rousseff during the extraordinary summit. She also noted that 40
regional projects have been approved, with an initial start-up fund of $1.1
trillion, good news further boosted by MERCOSUR’s announced expansion of credit
to promote the economy of this part of the world.
PROTECTING MERCOSUR
Given the blows the United States delivered to progressive processes in
Honduras and Paraguay, a reaction to Venezuela’s inclusion in MERCOSUR is also
anticipated. The country will use any possible means to prevent a united,
prosperous and strong South America capable of defying its political hegemony
and global economy.
This warning was given by Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner,
who urged the member countries present at the summit "to create, sooner rather
than later, the instruments and institutions which will make this new pole of
power indestructible and indivisible." The Argentine leader strongly attacked
attempts by imperialist nations to weaken South America.
MERCOSUR is thus moving ahead to create the Patria Grande to which
Latin American and Caribbean nations rightly aspire.
August 16, 2012
Granma.cu
An International Caribbean Online Log about the news and opinions in the Americas and World. This Caribbean Blog of global reach and appeal is maintained by Bahamian Blogger - Dennis Dames with all readers and subscribers in mind.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
...the Government of The Bahamas is considering proposals for solar energy, waste-to-energy, ocean thermal energy plants and wind... ...The geographic and physical setting of The Islands lends itself to a myriad of alternative energy possibilities
Renewable energy in The Bahamas
Nassau, The Bahamas
The Minister of Environment and Housing Kenred Dorsett addressed the House of Assembly on “Planning Our Electric Future”, on Wednesday, August 14.
Wednesday marked the PLP’s 100th day in office, so we were not surprised to hear of a plan to combat high electricity costs and promises of alternative energy production.
But The Bahamas does not need and does not have the time for any more plans; the PLP had five years to devise a plan. We need action.
Integrating alternative and preferably renewable energy production into our power generation portfolio is certainly the way of the future, but was it not the way of the future years ago? Diversified energy production — coal, diesel, nuclear, etc. — is not a radically new idea and is practiced in many jurisdictions around the world.
The dramatic rise in fuel prices is no excuse. Fuel prices have consistently been on the rise for the past 10 years, at least, and we see no indication that OPEC intends to diminish rising profits any time soon. Blaming high energy costs on the high cost of fuel is a dated argument, for which the past and present governments have only reinforced by building and upgrading power production with additional heavy fuel oil generators.
Any additional investment in heavy fuel generation should not be considered as part of reducing the cost of electricity, unless BEC enters a public-private partnership in which maintenance becomes a priority. Abaco still suffers inconsistent electricity and it was the recipient of the $105 million new 48MW Wilson City plant.
Bahamians are left to bear the brunt of high costs and low reliability brought on by poor planning and management of operations and maintenance.
The minister went on to indicate that the Government of The Bahamas is considering proposals for solar energy, waste-to-energy, ocean thermal energy plants and wind. The geographic and physical setting of The Bahamas lends itself to a myriad of alternative energy possibilities.
So why hasn’t The Bahamas invested or been the recipient of private investment in alternative energy? In an ironic twist of fate, Bahamian legislation is our biggest obstacle. The government must relinquish absolute control over the national grid to allow for some friendly competition to BEC.
As if amending our existing legislation was not difficult enough, pursuing diversification of energy production in The Bahamas will be encumbered by the announcement of a new sustainable energy unit, new renewable energy legislation, new electricity sector regulation and a new national review plan for cross-island sharing.
The government must be transparent and honest with the Bahamian people. When will we see public or private investment in alternative energy? Private industry does not have years to twiddle its thumbs while we form new committees.
Should a renewable project be approved tomorrow, it would take years for such projects to ultimately be built and for new electricity to be put into the grid for consumption. Action must be taken and quickly. The time for action is not now, it was yesterday.
It is encouraging that the government has received proposals that intend on saving BEC $100 million annually, though such enormous sums of monetary savings leave us intrigued. The government need not only approve a single entity for alternative power production but an array of alternatives, as some are bound to fail.
It would be a remarkable feat of the PLP’s tenure if alternative power production from a private entity was to enter the grid and coexist with BEC. It is possible, but only if the government acts as a facilitator rather than a hindrance.
August 17, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Although abortion is currently illegal in The Islands ...the Bahamian government stated that abortions are performed in The Bahamas on “grounds of foetal deformity and rape or incest ...as well as on health grounds
Bahamas Called Out On Abortions
By NOELLE NICOLLS
Tribune Features Write
nnicolls@tribunemedia.net
Nassau, The Bahamas
Although abortion is currently illegal in the Bahamas, the government revealed that it is aware of cases where licensed physicians perform abortions in private and public hospitals for justifiable reasons.
Such abortions are made possible because “the law is interpreted very liberally”, according to a report submitted by the government last month to the international committee of the United Nations governing discrimination against women.
During
its fifth periodic report to the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the government stated
that abortions are performed in the Bahamas on “grounds of foetal
deformity and rape or incest, as well as on health grounds”. CEDAW is an
international human rights treaty that focuses on women’s rights and
women’s issues worldwide, ratified by the Bahamas in 1993.
“Abortions
are usually performed within the first trimester, although they are
often allowed up to 20 weeks of gestation. The abortion must be
performed in a hospital by a licensed physician. Government hospitals
bear the cost for non-paying patients,” states the government’s CEDAW
report, which is available online.
Despite
the report’s detailed account of the practice as it occurs in the
Bahamas, the Bahamian government “avoided answering specific questions”
posed by the experts on the CEDAW committee about the availability of
statistics regarding state-sanctioned abortions, according to observers.
“Their
fall-back position that abortions are illegal was inadequate, because
the committee was not asking about illegal abortions. The committee was
asking for statistics on state-sanctioned abortions, which the
government, in its written report, suggested occurs,” said Donna
Nicolls, civil society representative for the Bahamas, and presenter of
the Bahamas Crisis Centre’s shadow report.
“The
Cuban representative on the committee said she was not convinced by the
government’s response. She said that normally statistics on illegal
abortions are not shown; however, if the state says that abortion can be
practised in a safe space, she questioned why the state doesn’t have
statistics. If it is being done, certainly a register would be
maintained,” said Ms Nicolls, who participated in the forum through the
assistance of the International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW),
Asian Pacific.
Former
Minister of Health Dr Hubert Minnis said he had “no comment” on the
abortion issue, because he was in “Abaco campaigning.” When asked if he
was aware of any state-sanctioned abortions from his five years in
government, he replied: “No comment.”
A
respected medical doctor, who works in the public system, told The
Tribune, there are no statistics on abortion because the market for
abortions in the Bahamas is underground. The physician said the practice
is governed by a “nod and a wink” culture, quietly supported by some
licensed physicians.
“Don’t
ask, don’t tell,” said the physician, but you can obtain an abortion in
the Bahamas for around $750, although the price varies above and below
depending on the physician or the location. Access to abortions, he
said, is rife with class discrimination.”
“If
you have the means to an abortion, it is not a big deal. You can
travel, or you can have it done here safely, but if you are a poor
woman, then dog eat your lunch. This becomes a massive issue, but how do
you deal with this issue, when it is taboo. It is absolutely taboo,”
said the physician.
“You
have such a strong pseudo-Christian movement that is so hypocritical.
Many people are just not prepared to deal with the backlash, despite the
fact that quietly they will either perform abortions or see to it that
they get done. Some of the most active abortionists who have moved away
from it in the later years, you wouldn’t think they have ever performed
an abortion,” the physician said.
“Ethical and less than ethical means of abortion exist in the Bahamas. The challenge is that it is not codified.”
Abortion
is criminalised in the Bahamas through the Penal Code of 1924. In its
“very limited” references to abortion, it allows “for abortions to be
lawfully permitted under specific circumstances relating explicitly to
the preservation of the mental and physical health of the woman and to
save the life of the woman.”
However,
the law also states that acts that lead to an abortion or are intended
to cause an abortion that done “in good faith and without negligence for
the purposes of medical or surgical treatment” are justifiable.
According to the government report, the code does not define what
constitutes medical or surgical treatment, and in practice, the law is
interpreted very liberally.
The
CEDAW committee reiterated its “concern” in its concluding
observations, and called on the government to “broaden the conditions
under which abortions can be legally available.”
Ms Nicolls said she concurred with the committee’s recommendations.
“Women
should be able to access legal abortions without question in cases of
rape and incest and in other circumstances where a woman’s health is at
risk. The law should explicitly provide exceptions in those cases. It
should not be ad hoc, or based on a ‘liberal interpretation’. Everyone
should have equal access,” said Ms Nicolls.
Melanie
Griffin, Minister of Social Services, could not be reached for comment
and did not return calls. Barbara Burrows, Permanent Secretary in the
Ministry of Social Services, who was a member of the Bahamas’
delegation, said she would seek answers to written questions provided by
The Tribune.
August 14, 2012
Tribune242
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Venezuela leads the world in increasing internet usage ...according to a study by internet marketing research firm Comscore
New Study Claims Venezuela a World Leader in Increasing Internet Usage
By
Mérida, 13th August 2012 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela leads the world in increasing internet usage, according to a study by internet marketing research firm Comscore.
The study revealed that between April 2011 and April 2012 the number of people using the internet in Venezuela increased by 62%, ahead of India (34%) and Indonesia (29%).
The findings contrast with Venezuela’s own national telecommunications body CONATEL, which reports that internet access here has increased by 7% in the past year.
According to CONATEL 40.27% of Venezuelan’s have access to the internet, up from only 3.4% in 2000, and there is a higher level of access than all countries in South America apart from Chile (58%), Argentina (57%) and Colombia (50%).
However, by using a new methodology focused on measuring the number of internet users rather than the number of connections, for example in households with a wireless router, Comscore claims that the increase in internet usage in Venezuela is actually much greater.
“Our sources are experts in Venezuela who tell us how internet use is evolving. We also take a census measurement, we take the CONATEL measurements into account, and other media contribute their [internet] traffic data to us,” Comscore director for Venezuela and Colombia, Alex Castro, explained to BBC World recently.
Factors
According to digital market research firms Comscore and Digital Trends (TD), increased access to previously marginalised communities has been an important factor in explaining the sharp rise of internet usage in Venezuela.
“What has grown most in [internet] penetration is access by poor; you don’t even need to get the exact number. The poor are connecting to the internet more,” claimed Carlos Jimenez, president of TD.
The government of President Hugo Chavez has introduced a number of policies over the previous twelve years aimed at increasing internet access in Venezuela.
A key initiative has been the Infocentros; free to use internet cafes that now boast a network of 700 centres in low income and rural communities throughout the country. In January the Infocentro Foundation was awarded a prize by UNESCO in recognition for their role in providing access to information technology for traditionally excluded sectors of the population.
Since 2009, the government has also provided almost 2 million Canaima laptops to primary school children in order to incorporate technology use in the education system.
The public telecommunications company CANTV, nationalised in 2007, offers credits and loans to allow lower-income users who solicit an internet connection to buy computers, an initiative that has “born fruit” in increasing internet access, according to Jimenez.
Private television companies offering combined internet and television packages, and a sharp rise in the number of users of cell phones with internet capabilities have also contributed.
Alex Castro further commented that Venezuela’s index of a more equal distribution of wealth has likely been a factor in increasing internet usage among Venezuela’s poorer communities. “When I passed through the poor neighbourhoods of Caracas, it really surprised me that many had Direct TV, and I asked myself “What’s this?” In Colombia for example, we see that the marginal sectors really are just that”.
Challenges
However, Venezuela is also considered to have one of the slowest internet connections in the world, and is currently ranked on speedtest.net as 157 (at 1,7Mbph) of 176 countries measured by internet speed. Internet connectivity is also still largely limited to cities.
The government is currently constructing 5.796 km of fibre optic cable, with continuing to increase internet access part of Chavez’s Socialist Plan of the Nation 2013 – 2019.
Venezuelanalysis
Sunday, August 12, 2012
The 1911 'battle' for Islam in British Guiana
By Raymond Chickrie and Shabnam Alli:
And yes, we won the “battle,” more than 174 years ago when British missionaries in then British Guiana tried their hardest to convert as many East Indian-Muslims to Christianity in the colony, despite the fact that they failed to do so during their reign in Hindustan.
Had it not been for the adherence to the five pillars of Islam -- Tawheed (belief in one god), Namaz (prayers), Zakat (charity), Rozah (fasting during Ramadhan) and the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), Islam may have also suffered a slow ‘death’ in the same manner it was systematically eradicated amongst the enslaved African Muslims during the period of slavery.
The Second Missionary Conference, “On Behalf of the Mohammedan World,” was held on January 23- 28, 1911 in Lucknow, India. The Conference was called for two main reasons to: (a) address the growing fear of the colonialists that the total Muslim population had surpassed the Christians by more than 5 million in the British Empire; and (b) review the progress made, if any, and if not why not, to convert the East Indians to Christianity by the missionaries in the various colonies of the Empire. Among the reports presented during the Conference was a section on British Guiana, Dutch Guiana and the West Indies, detailing (i) the ‘rebirth’ of Islam in the region with the introduction of East Indian indentured servants following the abolition of slavery; and (ii) the impact Islam had on the freed Africans in the region, but especially in British Guiana.
At the Conference, evangelists expressed their deep concern regarding the spread of Islam, claiming that a century’s worth of missionary work in British Guiana will be wasted if drastic steps were not taken to stop the East Indian Muslims in their conversion of the Africans. They recognized the fact that the learned Muslims (like Gool Mohammed Khan) in British Guiana were “skillful debaters” who were well-versed in the Bible and were able to “shake the faith of the uneducated Christians.”
The Conference concluded that the struggle for the future in British Guiana will be a “battle between Christ and Mohammed.” The evangelists regarded the Muslims as a threat and a bad influence on “their people,” in referring to the freed Africans. They noted that in several cases African Christians had “forsaken Christ for the prophet of Mecca”, without any pressure from the East Indians, as the Africans felt a greater affinity to Islam as many of them realized it was once their religion as well.
The evangelists ‘discovered’ that Muslims on the whole resisted conversion to Christianity. Hence, in their annual assessment of Muslims in British Guiana, they labeled them as aggressive, stubborn and organized and that they were a hindrance in their (evangelical) crusade to change the religious demographic of the West Indies.
The greatest shock for the missionaries in British Guiana was the realization, as expressed by Rev. J. B. Hill, of the aggressiveness of the “docile coolie Mohammedans” in their new ‘homeland.’ Case in point, two Muslim jahagis from Bihar who came on the Hesperus in 1838 -- Jumun (age 27) and Phultun (age 28) -- were the first to rebel against the ‘slave-like’ conditions and ran away from Gladstone Estate just days after they were transplanted on the plantation.
While there were other instances of rebellion amongst the Indians, the one that many historians failed to acknowledge was the 1872 Devonshire Castle riots, where about 300 sugar workers (Muslims and Hindus alike) downed tools and confronted their white masters demanding better working conditions and wages. In the ensuing ‘battle,’ five workers were gunned down by the colonial police – two of them were Muslims – Ackloo and Maxid Ally. Then in 1913, there was the Rosehall uprising, where most of the protestors in the forefront ‘battling’ imperialism were Muslims -- Moula Bux, Jahangir Khan, Dildar Khan, Chotey Khan, Aladi, and Amirbaksh – they all stood up against the injustices they were subjected to on the plantation.
Fast forward to the 1940s, when there was an increased demand by the Muslim leadership in British Guiana for funding of Islamic and Urdu Schools. These propositions and requests were articulated in several correspondences by the president of the Sadr Anjuman, Mr R. B. Gajraj and Moulvi M. A Nasir to the British government but with little or no success, they were basically ignored. Christian schools, on the other hand, were heavily funded by the British, whereas the British government consistently “paid” only lip service to the concerns of the Muslims in British Guiana.
On August 21, 1941, the British Guiana Islamic Association (BGIA) called a Special Conference on Education to discuss a uniform system of Muslim religious education in accordance with the requirements of the Education Code of British Guiana. The main speakers on the subject were: Messrs M. A. Nasir (president) and Ayube M. Edun; also, present were K. Ali, S. Shabratee, M.L.R Naboo, and S. M. Shakoor, the Urdu secretary.
Sadly, the recommendations and resolutions that emanated from that conference and subsequent conferences fell on deaf ears – it was the British way of getting back at the “aggressive” Muslims – which ultimately contributed to the demise of the Urdu language, as the Muslims did not have the human or financial resources to fund the teaching of the language.
Muslims ‘fought’ hard to hold on to their religion and culture, despite the fact that a number of them converted to Christianity (including many Hindus). Those who converted were regarded as ‘civilized’ and rewarded with better and higher paying jobs in the public service. Many of them were also given scholarships to study in England as a bonus, while their children were admitted to the Christian schools.
The ‘battle’, however, has not ended; much of the region still needs to embrace this multicultural history. Muslims must not be seen as alien to the West Indies, nor should they be ashamed of their Islamic heritage given present day hysteria towards followers of the religion. More can be done to educate and accept the long presence of the Muslims and their role in helping to shape the socio-economic and political policies affecting the work/lives of the peoples in the region.
Today, the younger generation needs to be educated on our history in Guyana, and appreciate the [righteous] path that their ancestors blazed for them to follow. We share an Islamic history that is rich in many spheres of math, astronomy, physics, literature, architecture and culinary. In fact, many scholars agree that Islamic science and reason led to the revival of the European Renaissance, following the decline of the Roman Empire.
A blessed Eid Mubarak to all our Muslim brothers and sisters in Islam.
August 09, 2012
Caribbeannewsnow.com
Saturday, August 11, 2012
The next 50 years of Jamaica Independence
The next 50 years of Independence
By Michael Burke
SO Jamaica's 50th anniversary celebrations are now behind us. We now journey as a nation towards the 100th anniversary milestone via the 60th, 70th, 75th, 80th and 90th anniversary milestones. The joy and happiness at our 50th anniversary celebrations were great. Of course, the naysayers were there but such people exist in every country.
I would have liked to have had even more historical reflections. It is my hope that at future anniversaries there should be more such reflections. I would like to commend the planners of the Jubilee Village and those of the Grand Gala, which were really as next to perfect as possible where only the directors would see the mistakes, if any.
But had I been in the planning committee of the Jubilee Village, I would have suggested an imposing sign that stated that 90 per cent of the displays were showing things that did not exist at the time of political Independence in 1962.
It is also a pity that we have not been able to shake some of the indiscipline that we have inherited. As the crowds filtered out of the stadium after such a wonderful Grand Gala on Independence Day, some technician or other decided that after all the recorded festival music developed since 1962, it was time to play lewd music. They could not even endure 24 hours without slackness!
It should be noted that the joy and happiness is due to the fact that most people like a party, even if they do not exactly understand what is being celebrated or even believe that there should be a celebration. As I mentioned last week, I hope that the older ones will get over their unwarranted shame so that they can truly educate the youth into an appreciation of what life was like in Jamaica in 1962.
But perhaps at the 75th or 100th anniversary, fewer of us will be alive to feel ashamed and the history can be looked at in a more dispassionate manner. Students of history will dig more into the material that exists and will be able to draw their own conclusions. I probably will not live to see the 100th anniversary of Independence (unless I live to at least 108).
But it is still my hope that by then Jamaica will be a republic based on co-operatives that spring from a nation of family units that we are yet to have. And I hope it happens before our 60th anniversary in 10 years' time. After all, we have been talking about this for decades.
Two things I have suggested before, and I suggest again. First, there should be an emancipendence meal similar to the Jewish Agape meal at their annual Passover celebration. Second, churches should have an Octave of Emancipendence or eight days of reflective prayer on Emancipation and Independence, as I have been privately doing for the last three years.
The octave that I developed runs the eight days from July 31 to August 7. It is my hope that others will join me next year. I hope that the octave will become a tradition by the time we reach our 60th anniversary in 10 years' time.
I have also suggested in the past that Jamaica should have an international negotiations conference as part of Independence celebrations. I envisioned having a major conference and staging it somewhere like the various conference centres, auditoriums and conference halls at hotels. We would also go through the negotiations from the days of self-government (half-Independence) to after political Independence when we did several negotiations. This should be not only about borrowing but also about trade.
It seems that if this is to take place it will have to be organised by a few people with vision. Indeed, if I could have done it by myself it would have been done already. I would include all former ambassadors and politicians involved in such negotiations. It would also include those who represented agricultural organisations on negotiation teams in the days when agricultural trade was the economic mainstay of Jamaica. While we should plan for a day when we stop borrowing, negotiation is a skill that we can make money from by teaching it to others.
I also hope that educational programmes will be in place to stop mental slavery. It takes many forms; one is the belittling of the self, especially the black skin of the majority of Jamaicans. It also takes the form of belittling all things Jamaican, although that is not so much a problem as our athletes currently win gold medals. But it also takes the form of erroneously believing that we would be better off as a Bristish colony and that our gains would have come anyway. We need as a nation to unlearn that.
We need to invite nationalistic Caymanians here to express their anger when hearing Jamaicans say that Cayman's economic success is due to their colonial status. The Cayman Islands have had self-government (half-Independence) for more than two decades. Some Caymanians say that the only thing Britain does for them is to pay the governor's salary.
ekrubm765@yahoo.com
August 09, 2012
Jamaica Observer
By Michael Burke
SO Jamaica's 50th anniversary celebrations are now behind us. We now journey as a nation towards the 100th anniversary milestone via the 60th, 70th, 75th, 80th and 90th anniversary milestones. The joy and happiness at our 50th anniversary celebrations were great. Of course, the naysayers were there but such people exist in every country.
I would have liked to have had even more historical reflections. It is my hope that at future anniversaries there should be more such reflections. I would like to commend the planners of the Jubilee Village and those of the Grand Gala, which were really as next to perfect as possible where only the directors would see the mistakes, if any.
But had I been in the planning committee of the Jubilee Village, I would have suggested an imposing sign that stated that 90 per cent of the displays were showing things that did not exist at the time of political Independence in 1962.
It is also a pity that we have not been able to shake some of the indiscipline that we have inherited. As the crowds filtered out of the stadium after such a wonderful Grand Gala on Independence Day, some technician or other decided that after all the recorded festival music developed since 1962, it was time to play lewd music. They could not even endure 24 hours without slackness!
It should be noted that the joy and happiness is due to the fact that most people like a party, even if they do not exactly understand what is being celebrated or even believe that there should be a celebration. As I mentioned last week, I hope that the older ones will get over their unwarranted shame so that they can truly educate the youth into an appreciation of what life was like in Jamaica in 1962.
But perhaps at the 75th or 100th anniversary, fewer of us will be alive to feel ashamed and the history can be looked at in a more dispassionate manner. Students of history will dig more into the material that exists and will be able to draw their own conclusions. I probably will not live to see the 100th anniversary of Independence (unless I live to at least 108).
But it is still my hope that by then Jamaica will be a republic based on co-operatives that spring from a nation of family units that we are yet to have. And I hope it happens before our 60th anniversary in 10 years' time. After all, we have been talking about this for decades.
Two things I have suggested before, and I suggest again. First, there should be an emancipendence meal similar to the Jewish Agape meal at their annual Passover celebration. Second, churches should have an Octave of Emancipendence or eight days of reflective prayer on Emancipation and Independence, as I have been privately doing for the last three years.
The octave that I developed runs the eight days from July 31 to August 7. It is my hope that others will join me next year. I hope that the octave will become a tradition by the time we reach our 60th anniversary in 10 years' time.
I have also suggested in the past that Jamaica should have an international negotiations conference as part of Independence celebrations. I envisioned having a major conference and staging it somewhere like the various conference centres, auditoriums and conference halls at hotels. We would also go through the negotiations from the days of self-government (half-Independence) to after political Independence when we did several negotiations. This should be not only about borrowing but also about trade.
It seems that if this is to take place it will have to be organised by a few people with vision. Indeed, if I could have done it by myself it would have been done already. I would include all former ambassadors and politicians involved in such negotiations. It would also include those who represented agricultural organisations on negotiation teams in the days when agricultural trade was the economic mainstay of Jamaica. While we should plan for a day when we stop borrowing, negotiation is a skill that we can make money from by teaching it to others.
I also hope that educational programmes will be in place to stop mental slavery. It takes many forms; one is the belittling of the self, especially the black skin of the majority of Jamaicans. It also takes the form of belittling all things Jamaican, although that is not so much a problem as our athletes currently win gold medals. But it also takes the form of erroneously believing that we would be better off as a Bristish colony and that our gains would have come anyway. We need as a nation to unlearn that.
We need to invite nationalistic Caymanians here to express their anger when hearing Jamaicans say that Cayman's economic success is due to their colonial status. The Cayman Islands have had self-government (half-Independence) for more than two decades. Some Caymanians say that the only thing Britain does for them is to pay the governor's salary.
ekrubm765@yahoo.com
August 09, 2012
Jamaica Observer
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Jamaica, our identity
By Richard Ho Lung, diary of a ghetto priest
We already have an identity, but we do not know it. We're like a wild orchid with graceful lengths of flowers in the rainforest that simply are what we are: beautiful, but without self-consciousness.
What we don't know is easily lost or given away cheaply because we take it for granted. Jamaica and the pearl of great price; Jamaica and its exotic flowers in the mountains, Jamaica, our music and drumming; Jamaica and its strange orchid people - growing naturally, freely, beautifully - only to be seized by strangers.
We don't know who we are; we don't know what's inside of ourselves. We will lose our souls - if we do not grasp our own inner riches and own up to our God-given inner being.
I was curious as a boy born in the countryside of Richmond, St Mary. Who are these lovely people swathed in smiles, chatty and friendly, on the move but never in a hurry. What are those bamboo trees doing gently waving in the sky and wind? Why are the African tulips just blossoming - for what purpose? And the mango trees full of fruit in the wild with no one to eat them?
Rivers, rain and sea - everything glistering gleaming studded with diamonds from the sunlight.
Everybody, everything in the Jamaican countryside pronouncing, 'God! God! God!'
At age 12, I discerned Christ. Everybody was talking about Christ - the higglers, the farmers, the teachers, the children, the mamas and the papas.
When we bathed in the aluminium pan, our nannies were humming softly, "What a friend we have in Jesus." When we misbehaved, we were chastised in Jesus' name. When we skipped rope, it was done to rhymes about the Lord.
Then the telling of the stories of the feeding of the 5,000, the walking on the water, the miracles of Christ's love for the sick and the poor, then His terrible crucifixion, and His forbearance.
I was hurt deeply by His pain and suffering, this Son of the Creator, this Jesus who loves me so deeply and gave me everything.
Christ's value
My inner soul responded to Christ, and now I seek only to serve Him. He is the depth of Jamaica's music and kindness. He is the foundation of our identity, our humour, our optimism and our dynamic drive for meaning, purpose and evangelisation. He is our gentleness, our sternness, our confidence, our strength in suffering, our struggles on our way to grace and dignity as a people.
We must not lose Him. Not for the highways, foreign clothes, foreign music and technology, and advanced but godless education and values.
We don't know it. But the dynamic element in the Jamaican personality - in our athletes, our music and culture, in the best of our political leaders and intellectuals - are rooted in Christ.
Our self-assertion and confidence come from Him. Our God and Saviour who has given us so much has also sustained us all these years.
I have one fear: That we will sell out to foreign gods. I pray that we will know who we are, where we come from, and where we are going, carrying at all times Jesus at the depth of our souls.
Father Richard Ho Lung is founder and superior general of the Missionaries of the Poor. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mopfathergeneral@missionariesofthepoor.org.
August 08, 2012
Jamaica Gleaner
We already have an identity, but we do not know it. We're like a wild orchid with graceful lengths of flowers in the rainforest that simply are what we are: beautiful, but without self-consciousness.
What we don't know is easily lost or given away cheaply because we take it for granted. Jamaica and the pearl of great price; Jamaica and its exotic flowers in the mountains, Jamaica, our music and drumming; Jamaica and its strange orchid people - growing naturally, freely, beautifully - only to be seized by strangers.
We don't know who we are; we don't know what's inside of ourselves. We will lose our souls - if we do not grasp our own inner riches and own up to our God-given inner being.
I was curious as a boy born in the countryside of Richmond, St Mary. Who are these lovely people swathed in smiles, chatty and friendly, on the move but never in a hurry. What are those bamboo trees doing gently waving in the sky and wind? Why are the African tulips just blossoming - for what purpose? And the mango trees full of fruit in the wild with no one to eat them?
Rivers, rain and sea - everything glistering gleaming studded with diamonds from the sunlight.
Everybody, everything in the Jamaican countryside pronouncing, 'God! God! God!'
At age 12, I discerned Christ. Everybody was talking about Christ - the higglers, the farmers, the teachers, the children, the mamas and the papas.
When we bathed in the aluminium pan, our nannies were humming softly, "What a friend we have in Jesus." When we misbehaved, we were chastised in Jesus' name. When we skipped rope, it was done to rhymes about the Lord.
Then the telling of the stories of the feeding of the 5,000, the walking on the water, the miracles of Christ's love for the sick and the poor, then His terrible crucifixion, and His forbearance.
I was hurt deeply by His pain and suffering, this Son of the Creator, this Jesus who loves me so deeply and gave me everything.
Christ's value
My inner soul responded to Christ, and now I seek only to serve Him. He is the depth of Jamaica's music and kindness. He is the foundation of our identity, our humour, our optimism and our dynamic drive for meaning, purpose and evangelisation. He is our gentleness, our sternness, our confidence, our strength in suffering, our struggles on our way to grace and dignity as a people.
We must not lose Him. Not for the highways, foreign clothes, foreign music and technology, and advanced but godless education and values.
We don't know it. But the dynamic element in the Jamaican personality - in our athletes, our music and culture, in the best of our political leaders and intellectuals - are rooted in Christ.
Our self-assertion and confidence come from Him. Our God and Saviour who has given us so much has also sustained us all these years.
I have one fear: That we will sell out to foreign gods. I pray that we will know who we are, where we come from, and where we are going, carrying at all times Jesus at the depth of our souls.
Father Richard Ho Lung is founder and superior general of the Missionaries of the Poor. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mopfathergeneral@missionariesofthepoor.org.
August 08, 2012
Jamaica Gleaner
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