Category: Americas

Caribbean people, pay attention please – and push hard together for a fossil-free future

May 2, 2026

The Caribbean media and general public are, I suspect, not paying enough attention to what happened at a just-concluded meeting in Santa Marta, Colombia. The focus there was on a critical – one might say, fundamental – issue: a peaceful, equitable, community-led, just transition away from fossil fuels. Our future lives and livelihoods. What topic … More Caribbean people, pay attention please – and push hard together for a fossil-free future

“Blood money,” Cuba and Marco, and remembering Black Angel: Jamaican News, February 19 – 25, 2026

March 1, 2026

It’s been a strange week in the media, with a lot of distractions from overseas of course. How are the unpredictable antics of That Man Up North going to affect US – the Caribbean, so very small? Time will tell… Agriculture: We need more of this… Over 200 young people were certified under the Food … More “Blood money,” Cuba and Marco, and remembering Black Angel: Jamaican News, February 19 – 25, 2026

Jamaican women in STEM are holding their own, but need more role models and opportunities

February 12, 2026

I always feel that there should not be a “special day” for women who are working in various fields of “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” (which is what STEM stands for). They should be recognised and their work highlighted throughout the year. Nevertheless, today (February 11) is the International Day of Women and Girls in … More Jamaican women in STEM are holding their own, but need more role models and opportunities

The right to know: an upcoming forum on Access to Information in Kingston on January 21, 2026

January 19, 2026

If you don’t know, you are ignorant. And the darkness, or the twilight, of not knowing (or half-knowing) is not a good place to be. That is when we complain about “lack of transparency” – and next week, a Public Forum in Kingston, Jamaica, will be addressing this very issue. How can we clear away … More The right to know: an upcoming forum on Access to Information in Kingston on January 21, 2026

A day of hope for the Ocean as Global Ocean Treaty takes effect, but there’s a long “to-do” list

January 18, 2026

Today (Saturday, January 17, 2026) a critical agreement for the protection of our high seas takes effect: the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) – yes, it’s a mouthful! Known for short as … More A day of hope for the Ocean as Global Ocean Treaty takes effect, but there’s a long “to-do” list

“Cockroach nuh business,” the thrill of a new KFC, congrats Gavin, and the cameras are here: Jamaican News, January 8 – 14, 2026

January 16, 2026

Sorry, this is a little late – but I hope this news will enlighten you! Before I start I must share with you a thoughtful and moving article by a young Jamaican, Candice Stewart, now a Global Voices colleague. It’s an article that she should be very proud of. It’s partly an account of her … More “Cockroach nuh business,” the thrill of a new KFC, congrats Gavin, and the cameras are here: Jamaican News, January 8 – 14, 2026

We need to find the final resting place of Amy Ashwood Garvey (1897 – 1969)

January 11, 2026

Liberty Hall: The Legacy of Marcus Garvey is part museum, part library, and an essential focus point for discussion and learning centred around the life and work of Jamaica’s National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey. It is a rather plain, solid concrete building standing at 76 King Street in downtown Kingston. It is a branch of … More We need to find the final resting place of Amy Ashwood Garvey (1897 – 1969)

A Wild West start to the year: Jamaican News, January 1 – 8, 2026

January 9, 2026

It’s a New Year. Let me know what you think of my reporting on this first week of the year, dear readers. There is still a lot of huffing and puffing over various aspects of hurricane relief – or can we call it recovery now? Our political leaders issued New Year messages that no one … More A Wild West start to the year: Jamaican News, January 1 – 8, 2026

A “Love Island” for endangered Caribbean iguanas, and the matchmaking is working out

December 31, 2025

Here’s another story about a Critically Endangered species – but perhaps more hopeful than the last one I posted here, as it appears to have a happy ending, while the story of the Grenada Dove still has a question mark at the end. I am a big fan of Re:wild, Leo DiCaprio’s environmental organisation which … More A “Love Island” for endangered Caribbean iguanas, and the matchmaking is working out

New Report Finds U.S. Foreign Service at a Breaking Point After Historic Loss of Capacity

December 24, 2025

It is most distressing, and sad, to have to share this press release – dated December 3, 2025 (I am a little late, but nothing has changed since it was published). In quite an unusual move, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the professional association and labour union representing the men and women of the … More New Report Finds U.S. Foreign Service at a Breaking Point After Historic Loss of Capacity