The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) is encouraging talented Jamaicans to submit entries for the 2018 Performing Arts Competition and traditional folk forms by the deadline of Friday, December 1, 2017. Entry forms and rules and guidelines are available on the JCDC website, www.jcdc.gov.jm, its head office at 3-5 Phoenix Avenue, Kingston 10; and all JCDC parish offices islandwide. Director...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says there will be a strong focus on community, as the Ministry celebrates Local Government and Community Month in November. “We have stressed the importance of community development because it is important that people understand that the Ministry is not just about cleaning drains. It is not just about providing...

Residents of Portland were given the opportunity to highlight concerns and make recommendations towards Jamaica’s progress in attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs), at the recent staging of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Dialogue for Development Lecture Series. The event, was held at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education in Port Antonio on October 31. It was the...

The National Youth Service (NYS) has launched a volunteer project competition geared towards engaging young people in assisting early-childhood institutions to meet the Early Childhood Commission’s (ECC) 12 standards for certification. The National Youth Month activity is being sponsored by the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), with support from the One Jamaica Foundation, and is open to young people aged...

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Deputy Resident Representative in Jamaica, Dr. Elsie Laurence-Chounoune, says the organisation remains committed to supporting the country’s quest to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by the General Assembly in September 2015. It emphasises a holistic approach to achieving...

The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has launched the second cycle of its Alternative Livelihood Skills Development Programme. The $69-million initiative is a component of the World Bank-funded US$42-million Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP). Cycle two seeks to increase the probability of employment and improved livelihood of skilled trainees under the ICDP programme through the acquisition of advanced and introductory...

Mayor of May Pen, Councillor Winston Maragh, is calling for citizens of Clarendon to form themselves into groups in order to tap into resources that have been provided by international entities for development projects. He said communities need to follow the example of the Peckham Community Development Committee, which was able to secure US$130,000 from the Organization of American States...