G20 – what number is Jamaica?

Probably very low down on the list of priorities (if indeed it is on the list at all) when it comes to the discussions between the 20 richest nations leaders, going on in London, is poor Jamaica.

It hasn’t stopped Jamaica’s Finance Minister Audley Shaw from trying. 

He’s been going cap in hand with his weak voice, asking for help from the inter American Development Bank. 

He has been saying that Jamaica needs more money “urgently” for investment in infrastructure and to replace all the jobs that have been lost recently in the bauxite industry and elsewhere.

He said it was essential “to put in place economic stimulus packages for small, heavily indebted, and highly vulnerable economies like Jamaica  “

I’ve been trying to blog about the vulnerability of JA’s economy here for some time, and this is the first time I’ve heard that a senior govt voice has spelled it out clearly like this.

Asking for loans on top of the debt already crippling Jamaica is probably the only thing that can be done right now.  So good luck to Mr Audley Shaw, but according to this article, he doesn’t instil much sense of hope. 

Rae Town’s Reggae Hits

Rae town in Kingston, Jamaica is not a happy place right now.

Someone is spoiling their fun, their vibes, their livelihoods.

A long standing reggae old hits night is the latest casualty in the clampdown on music events going on in Jamaica.   The Noise Abatement Act is a law from 1997 which prohibits loudspeakers after 11pm and at music events after 2am.  I mean come on – this is Jamaica where the dances go on until 6 in the morning standard time.   What is going on here? 

Well the residents of Rae Town are now losing their weekly Sunday night reggae old hits session which many of the people in this poor community based their livelihoods around – whether it was selling alittle fish to the crowds or just to spread some good vibes.

I have no idea why the government are deciding to enforce this law at this time, probably to distract people from the fact that the economy is in crisis.

Earth a run red

I watched the film Blood Diamond this weekend, about the bloody trade of diamonds from Sierra Leone.  Great it was, Leonardo di Caprio was fantastic in it.  Love him and this is the best way to show what is going on in with conflict diamonds. 

The fact that a rich natural resource can be a curse on a country has rung true everywhere – whether it’s oil in Nigeria, cobalt in Congo or in fact bauxite in Jamaica.

Came across this article in the Observer about what mining this aluminium ore, has cost Jamaica.  Bauxite – which makes the earth in some parts of Jamaica that distinctive red colour, has indeed cost Jamaica dearly.   The title of this blog post comes from the Richie Spice reggae track .

In terms of environmental degradation, the loss of villages and communities, health, the list goes on.

John Maxwell a dogged environmentalist campaigner, argues that bauxite mines need to be closed down with immediate effect,  as the situtation is reaching dangerous proportions, but perhaps the damage has already been done?

Jamaican Jerk Time

I went to a restaurant on Saturday and had some wonderful jerk chicken. So spicy and juicy. The best I had in Jamaica was early lunchtime from the oil drum sellers on the road out of Kingston when you head out over the old Indian bridge. And also on Friday nights on the Red Hills Road with some hard dough bread and plenty of ketchup. With some ice cold Ting to wash it all down.

Everyone in the world knows about jerk – but who knows the most and who cooks it the best? Why does it taste better out of an old oil drum?

In the West Midlands in the UK, (which is where I was born) there’s a place called Island Hut on the Lozells Road, which supposedly holds the crown for the best jerk, over here.

That seems to be what they are trying to find out the answer to at this Jerk Festival happening on Friday March 20th 2009 in Ocho Rios.

Even the old heavyweight Anthony Worrall Thompson is going to be there for a bit of a cook off. Other people there will be Rupert Bourne of “The Home of Jerk” Boston, and Ocho Rios’ Jerk Specialist, Mark “Max” Miller. There’ll be a blind tasting, before announcing the winner of the Jamaica Jerk Challenge.

Where are the women cooks?

Bold new world

Maldives and Jamaica are not dissimilar

Bold vision for the future, a responsible attitude, political will and consensus on the need for real action!

No – funnily enough, I’m not talking about Jamaican politicians.

It’s the President of the Maldives who’s said he’s going to make the islands carbon neutral in 10 years time.  He’s got a workable plan – he’s going to build wind turbines – and he’s done the maths  ; $110m a year over the next 10 years, but with savings from not having to import fuel means it will pay for itself within 11 years.

The Maldives, like Jamaica has a vested interest in taking drastic action on climate change.  The Maldives are set to lose their low lying islands.  Jamaica is being hit by frequent, massive hurricanes. 

So what is Jamaica doing about it?  What is the attitude of ordinary Jamaicans – is there any sense of urgency?  of responsibilty? of threat?  It’s true, there are a lot of things to worry about – money, stray bullets, but is that a valid excuse?

I’m looking around for environmental action in JA – there are plenty of grassroots initiatives – kids cleaning up the beaches,there’s an multi million dollar plan to collect rain water , planting  a few saplings , and the Caribbean Climate Change Centre is busy it seems, doing analyses.

Mavado in the US

Article in the LA Times on dancehall artist Mavado.

Here’s a version of Mavado’s ‘On the Rock’ – called We Need Barack !

and one of his latest tracks.. Inna Di Car Back

JA’s Political malaise?

I have to say I was quite surprised to read this in the Gleaner newspaper which is actually an on-point opinion piece.

It’s about the fact there were hardly any politicians – including leaders on both sides of the political divide – who bothered to turn up to Parliament – despite there being a huge raft of debates to go through and taking into account Jamaica’s pressing problems – both economic and social.

If Parliament is not taking Jamaica’s precarious situation seriously then what hope is there really?

Business leaders worries

Thought this was a good list of people who are seriously worried about JA’s economic downfall and who give an honest and grassroots perspective on what is going on.

Edwin Wint, president Realtors Association of Jamaica

Omar Azan, president Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association

Reynold Scott, chairman Jamaica Developers Association

Lloyd B Smith, president Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce

Chris Zacca, president Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica

Kenneth Shaw, president Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association

Michael Lumsden, president Jamaica Exporters Association

Dorothea Gordon-Smith, Women Business Owners Association;

Andrew Levy, president Insurance Association of Jamaica

Wayne Chen, president Jamaica Employers Association

Ghetto living – uptown

If you were a gangster, controlling a group of young shottas, dominating a community in the deprived ghetto areas of Kingston, Jamaica, if you were profiting from a nice income from extortion or drug running – where would you lay your sleepy head every night?

According to this report, the top men are residing, not under the zinc roof in seaview gardens or jungle where they rule the roost – oh no – they’re laying low uptown. Enjoying the cool breeze in the hills.   Hope Pastures, Jack’s Hill, Cherry Gardens.

I can’t say I blame them.  Escaping the likelihood of getting shot in a police raid.  Or from a rival gang’s bullets.  Not to mention the lack of adequate sanitation and room size.  If you could escape all that of course you would.  It’s just a shame that the ordinary people blighted by gang warfare can’t move themselves and their young children away from it.

It’s an inside job

In a recent post, I was talking about the growth in drugs going through the airports within a harsher economic climate, the drugs business is reported to be flourishing. Read that post here.

Now the US state department has released a report on how corruption is undermining efforts at drug control. Read the 2009 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report with regards to Jamaica here ….

What I was saying before was how at the airports, it’s because there’s somebody working there as to why the narcotics are getting through and this report not only confirms that, but that the corruption goes much further and efforts to tackle this are not going anywhere.

The Jamaican government could hurry up and set up a national corruption agency, but it’s stuck in the system – a bill to appoint a  Special Prosecutor to try these crimes remains a bill in Parliament despite the Government’s legislative majority.  Why is that?

Could it be that the government itself is paralysed by corruption perhaps?