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Cultural Extravagance To Mark Jamaica Day

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KINGSTON, Feb. 27 (JIS): It was a day of cultural extravagance and celebration at the Norman Manley High School in Kingston on February 27, as the institution hosted the official ceremony to mark Jamaica Day 2015.

The Maxfield Avenue School was alive with excitement, as ecstatic students and teachers showcased aspects of Jamaica’s rich and diverse cultural heritage through dance, music, drama and poetry.

Special emphasis was placed on the country’s friendship and historical bond with its Caribbean and Latin American neighbours, such as Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Cuba. This was highlighted in the theme – ‘Celebrating Jamaica: Celebrating Regional Friendships from Boukman to Bolivar’.

There were also booths mounted by several organisations, including the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); City of Kingston Credit Union; Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS); and the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).

Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, who brought greetings at the ceremony, told the students that Jamaica Day is an opportunity for students and the wider society to focus on what it means to be Jamaican and to promote those qualities.

“We have a lot to be proud of as Jamaicans. Jamaica has provided a home for many like Bolivar and an inspiration for many like Boukman. Our people have also contributed to the socio-political and economic development of other countries, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he said.

“We helped to build the Panama Canal, and we helped to broker development in Costa Rica. We have cut cane and built roads in Cuba, and we started the sugar industry in Colombia. We are a people who go many places and carry our distinctive strength,” the Minister added.

He said Jamaica Day is also an invitation for Jamaicans to look beyond the confines of their own island and to learn more about the friendship and similarities of “those who surround us in the Caribbean region.”
In his remarks, Minister of Finance and Planning and Member of Parliament for East Central St. Andrew, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips, told the students that they must remain mindful of the fact that they are a part of a regional community, and that they have a role to play in the upliftment of the entire human race.

“If there is anything that marks our history, it is that we are a people that have been conscious of our responsibilities to the rest of the world, and who have benefited from the support and assistance of other countries. As we have received, so have we tried to give,” he said.

For her part, Mayor of Kingston, Senator Angela Brown Burke, said that Kingston has played an important role in Jamaica’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, which can be traced as far back as 1923, when the council was first established.

“Kingston is known as the cradle of culture, not just in Jamaica, but across the entire Caribbean, and we have been home to many (renowned figures), including Simon Bolivar, liberator and national hero of Venezuela,” she noted.

Mrs. Brown Burke said she is eagerly looking forward to the redevelopment of downtown Kingston and the repositioning of Kingston as a cultural and creative city.

Meanwhile, Ambassador of Venezuela to Jamaica, Her Excellency Maria Ortega Mendoza, said she was honoured to celebrate with the students of Norman Manley High, not just Jamaica’s rich legacy, but also regional friendship and togetherness.

“It is also an honour to pay tribute to our heroes – Boukman, Bolivar, Marcus Garvey, and Norman Manley,” she said.
This year’s Jamaica Day activities at Norman Manley High also included the development of a peer mentorship programme, in which senior students of the school will mentor students from Maxfield Park and Rousseau Primary Schools.

Volunteers from the high school will also implement projects with the Maxfield Park Children’s Home.
Jamaica Day, which started in 2002, was celebrated in schools across the island.

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DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM REGULATIONS INTRODUCES “RATE YOUR RIDE” SYSTEM FOR TOURISTS VISITING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March, 2024 – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Department of Tourism Regulations is proud to unveil the “Rate Your Ride” system, a new initiative designed to enhance the vacation experience for tourists exploring our picturesque islands.

The “Rate Your Ride” system empowers tourists to provide valuable feedback on the quality of transportation services they receive while visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through an easy-to-use online form, tourists can rate factors such as cleanliness, comfort, safety, and professionalism of drivers, helping us to assure the highest quality of service standards across all modes of transportation.

By participating in the “Rate Your Ride” system, tourists play a crucial role in shaping the future of transportation services in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Their feedback will enable us to identify areas for improvement and ensure that every visitor enjoys safe, comfortable, and convenient travel throughout their stay in the Turks and Caicos.

The code will also be publicly accessible through the cooperation of volunteer drivers who will make the rating code available in their vehicles. Flyers and stickers displaying the code will be distributed at hotels, resorts and airports. The mandated display of these codes is expected to align with the rollout of our tourism regulations in 2025.

For more information about the “Rate Your Ride” system and other initiatives by the Department of Tourism Regulations, please visit gov.tc/tourismregulations/or contact us via telephone at 946-4970 and email at tourismregulations@gov.tc.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH SERVICES CONDEMNS RECORDING OF PERSONS WHO ARE IN CRISIS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March 2024– The Department of Behavioral Health Services is appealing to the general public to refrain from recording and circulating videos of persons who may appear to be experiencing a mental health crisis. Anyone can experience a mental health crisis at some point in their life. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Persons may struggle with very common conditions such as Anxiety and Depression or be diagnosed with more serious conditions like Bipolar Disorder or Psychosis.

“There are a lot of misunderstandings about various mental health conditions and how they may manifest. In addition, there are a number of negative perceptions and misconceptions that society exhibits towards people with mental health problems. However, just as we would show care and concern for someone diagnosed with Cancer, or any other physical illness, in the same way, we need to be as caring and helpful to persons with mental illnesses”– stated Director of the Department of Behavioral Health Services, Dr. Alicia Malcolm.

The Department is urging the public to call the following numbers if you see someone who appears to be experiencing a mental health crisis:

338-5473/338-3616: Providenciales, North or Middle Caicos

338-3614/338-3612: Grand Turk, South Caicos, Salt Cay

338-6301: Nights and Weekends

If someone is putting themselves or someone else in immediate, serious risk of harm, call 911.

The Department of Behavioral Health services is here to help and provides the following services which are free and confidential:

Location of above services:

o             Sam Harvey Building, Down Town, Providenciales,

o             Primary Health Care Department, Cheshire Hall Medical Center, Providenciales 

o             Department of Behavioural Health, Duncombe Alley, Grand Turk

 

Let’s all do our part in creating a community where people with mental health problems feel respected, supported and cared for. 

For additional information, please visit the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/ or the Department of Behavioral Health Services Faceebook on https://www.facebook.com/TCIDBHS/.

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Breaking Ground: TCI Could Lead in Regional Communication Standards

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Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 27th March 2024: The PR, marketing, and communications sector is poised for potential growth and could lead the Caribbean region in terms of industry standards says Damian Wilson. Wilson’s suggestion comes after the release of a new research report into the current trends and future direction of the sector as a possible emerging industry in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

Wilson is the report’s author, which conveys the findings of research which he initiated. “One of the key research results is the considerable optimism by industry practitioners and government alike, with persons seeing growth potential. I believe that we can become regional leaders in this field. I believe that one of the initiatives that could be used to do this is by establishing a ‘TCI Centre of Communications Excellence’ within the TCI Community College. Such an institute would be dedicated to communication and media innovation with a particular focus on digital communications and ICT,” says Wilson.

He further explained, “I believe that the PR, marketing, and communications sector, like much of the country, is at a crossroads and could have an even greater impact on our socio-economic fabric. Some may have concerns about our small size, but I believe this makes us far more agile than our neighbours. All in all, any potential growth must be underpinned by new investments, professional development, and a strategy to integrate the sector into the broader economy.”

Wilson also said that he sees his research as a first step in understanding our own industry sectors in the TCI and would love to see more profound research and analysis conducted. He’s hoping that the report will spark discussion along those lines. The report is entitled ‘Current Trends and Future Direction: A Preliminary Report on the PR, Marketing, and Communications Sector in the Turks & Caicos Islands’. Anyone wanting a copy of the report can contact Damian Wilson via his email, damian.wilson.pr@gmail.com.

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