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Jamaicans no longer have to rely solely on government's decision to effect changes within their communities. Now they can plan and implement projects through their involvement in Community Development Committees (CDCs), which are to be found island wide. Simply put CDC's are federations or networks of individual community based organisations, such as neighbourhood watches, youth groups, citizens groups, and women's...

HIV/AIDS has become a generalised epidemic in Jamaica that affects the health and well-being of large numbers of people from all social strata and occupational groups. In response to this reality, the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) is gradually implementing the guidelines of a National HIV/AIDS Policy to help mitigate the socio-economic and health impacts of the disease on the society....

Jamaica's Consul General to New York, Dr. Basil K. Bryan and a number of high ranking New York City (NYC) lawmakers on Monday (August 8) joined forces to pay tribute to a cross-section of Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica whose resilience and determination have carried them to the top of their respective professions. The 14 upstanding "Jamericans" were the centre...

Every year I have the difficult task of deciding which of the many vibrant Jamaican communities in the Diaspora I should visit to join in the celebrations at this special time on our national calendar. BIG APPLE IS ALWAYS SPECIAL The historic ties between New York and Jamaica are strong and unbreakable. This city has long been the adopted home...

Director of Communications at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, Miss Dorrett Campbell, has announced that the textbooks for Primary Schools would be arriving on time, as scheduled, for the start of the new school year in September. The Government of Jamaica will be spending just under $300 million for these texts, and approximately $490 million on the provision...

The government of Jamaica has extended its secondary school textbook programme to junior high and all-age institutions. Communications Director in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, Dorrett Campbell told JIS News, that the move would take effect for the start of the new school year in September. "The government has announced that it will absorb 50 per cent of...

Jamaican born artist Patrick Raikes on Wednesday (Aug.9) presented one of his signature pieces of ceramic tile artwork to High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Gail Mathurin, at a short ceremony at her London-based office. The piece entitled 'Lovewelan' was done in honour of Jamaica's 43-year anniversary of Independence and depicts the Jamaican flag. He told JIS News, that the...

A contingent of seven participants of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs left for Michigan in the United States on Wednesday (August 10), to participate in a two-week Michigan International Exchange Programme. In an interview with JIS News, Lloyd Robinson, National Training Co-ordinator for the Jamaica 4-H Clubs said the Michigan Programme, which forms part of the overall International 4-H Exchange Programme...

Chairman of the Coconut Industry Board, Dr. Richard Jones, has pointed to a number of efforts and initiatives being undertaken by industry stakeholders to combat the Lethal Yellowing Disease. These initiatives have been made possible by way of the Sustainable Coconut Production Through Control of Coconut Lethal Yellowing Disease project, which is being funded through a US$2.4 million grant from...

Director General of the Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR), J. Paul Morgan, said that the regulatory body was unlikely to recommend the 100 per cent increase that the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) has said that it needs to keep its operations viable. The bus company is requesting that the fare for adults be increased to $60, with the concessionary...

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture will be carrying out repairs on a number of institutions to get them in good condition for the start of the school year. Lauriston Wilson, Acting Director of Project Management and Technical Services in the Ministry, said that focus would be placed on those schools "most at risk" and where the public health...

Twenty journalists representing all the Caribbean States participated in the first human rights seminar held for media practitioners of the region at the Jolly Beach Hotel Resort in Antigua and Barbuda. The two-day seminar, which ended on Thursday (August 11) was held under the theme "Freedom of expression in the Inter-American system of human rights" and was organised by the...