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JAMAICA: Educators hailed for commitment to nation’s children

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#Kingston, June 28, 2019 – Jamaica – Recipients of the 2019 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education are being hailed for their extraordinary commitment and dedication to shaping the lives and sharpening the minds of the nation’s children over many decades.

This praise comes from Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who presented the 40 outstanding educators with their awards during a ceremony on the lawns of Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26).

The recipients, with 1,250 years in combined contribution to Jamaica’s education system, have served from the early-childhood sector to the post-secondary level.

Mr. Holness noted that the awards ceremony shows appreciation “for their commitment and service and the difference that they have made and continue to make in the lives of our children and, ultimately, the future of Jamaica”.

“Each, no doubt, has a unique style that has allowed them to impart knowledge to their students in a manner that awakens their intellectual curiosity, stimulates their appetite for learning and fuels them to engage in nation-building across various sectors,” he said.

In his remarks, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, noted that educators, whether in the classroom or in administration, “have helped to shape the character of students through the values imparted and in helping them to awaken their dreams and aspirations”.

“Your work and sacrifices have enabled many students, who might have otherwise given up on themselves, to catch a vision of what they could achieve and to apply themselves to accomplishing these goals,” he said.

Permanent Secretary in the Education Ministry, Dr. Grace McLean, noted the value of the annual awards scheme in giving proper recognition and acknowledgement to a group of persons who “have devoted their lives and time in service to our country”.

“It is a selfless and often thankless task, without which this country would neither improve nor prosper… . It is [through education]… that we are able to have direct contact with our children, that we are able to mold them and train them to create a population and a workforce that is conscious, hard-working, honest and full of integrity,” she said.

The Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education is awarded to teachers with a minimum of 15 years’ service to education in Jamaica, whose contributions are deemed outstanding.

To be considered for the award, recipients must have shown evidence of community involvement, including participation in civic and club activities.

Contact: Alecia Smith

Release: JIS

Photographers: Donald De La Haye and Yhomo Hutchinson

Header: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (third right, front row),  with the 40 recipients of the 2019 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education, following the presentation ceremony on the lawns of Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26). Also pictured (in front row, from second left) are Permanent Secretary in the Education Ministry, Dr. Grace McLean; State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge; and Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda; Their Excellencies the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, and Lady Allen;  Rev. Ronald Thwaites representing Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Peter Phillips; and award recipient and Retired Principal of the Black River High School in St. Elizabeth, Barrington Buchanan. 

First Insert: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), presents an award to Director, School of Academics and Student Affairs, Caribbean Maritime University in Kingston, Professor Ibrahim Ajagunna. Occasion was the 2019 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education held on the lawns of Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26).

Photos by Donald De La Haye

Second Insert: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), presents an award to Retired Principal of the Black River High School in St. Elizabeth, Barrington Buchanan.  Occasion was the 2019 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education held on the lawns of Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26).

Third Insert: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), presents an award to Director at the eastern campus of the Northern Caribbean University in St. Andrew, Robert Miller.  Occasion was the 2019 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education held on the lawns of Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26).

Photographer: Yhomo Hutchinson

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Caribbean Surrounded by Water, But Still Critically Insecure — Experts Call for Urgent Action

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

July 19, 2025 – Despite being surrounded by oceans and known for lush, rain-fed landscapes, the Caribbean is among the most water-insecure regions in the world — a paradox that experts say cannot be ignored.

At a recent regional workshop hosted by the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C), water and climate professionals from across Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) issued a sobering call to action: our islands may be full of water, but our people are increasingly without it.

“Water security is not just a development issue—it’s the foundation of our resilience, health, economy, and environment,” said Professor Paulette Bynoe, Chair of GWP-C. “Caribbean SIDS face rising climate threats, aging infrastructure, and chronic underinvestment. The time to act is now.”

The region loses up to 60% of treated water before it reaches taps due to leaky systems and outdated infrastructure. Meanwhile, many households across the Caribbean still lack consistent access to clean, piped water, despite frequent rainfall.

The workshop, supported by the UN Environment Programme, focused on implementing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) — a holistic and participatory approach to managing water systems. According to Dr. Roxanne Graham-Victor, Regional Coordinator for GWP-C, the gathering provided a “space to bring your country’s story and real-world solutions to the table.”

UNEP Caribbean chief Vincent Sweeney praised the forum as a launchpad for peer learning and concrete planning. Facilitator Chris Corbin urged countries to shift from endless planning to “inclusive, realistic, short-term actions” — supported by longer-term strategies that attract funding.

The event ended with participating countries pledging to strengthen cooperation, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, and roll out mini action plans tailored to their national challenges.

The takeaway: in the Caribbean, water isn’t scarce — but security is. And the time to fix it is now.

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Five Years to Go, But World Is Falling Behind on Global Development Goals

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

July 19, 2025 – The world is officially off track in delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with just five years left until the 2030 deadline. That’s the sobering message from the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, as they launched the SDG Report 2025 on July 14.

“Only 35 percent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress. Nearly half are moving too slowly, and 18 percent are going in reverse,” Guterres stated. “We are in a global development emergency.”

The report outlines real, measurable wins: more than 110 million additional children are in school since 2015. New HIV infections are down 40 percent since 2010. Electricity access now reaches 92 percent of the global population, and 45 countries have achieved universal electricity. Internet use has soared by 70 percent in a decade, now reaching 68 percent of the world’s people. Child marriage is declining, and more girls are staying in school. Globally, renewable energy capacity is growing, especially in developing nations.

“These gains show that investments in development and inclusion yield results,” Guterres added.

But the challenges dwarf the progress.

Over 800 million people remain trapped in extreme poverty. Billions lack access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. Women continue to spend 2.5 times more hours than men doing unpaid care and domestic work. Climate change is accelerating, with 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record—1.55°C above pre-industrial levels. Meanwhile, debt burdens are worsening: in 2023, low- and middle-income countries paid $1.4 trillion in debt servicing—draining resources needed for development.

The Secretary-General pointed to one core issue: financing. The global SDG financing gap for developing nations now stands at $4 trillion annually. Worse still, Haiti is the least-funded of all humanitarian responses globally—an example of how international priorities are dangerously imbalanced.

“There is something fundamentally wrong in the structure of the global economic and financial system,” Guterres said. “We need reforms. Debt relief. Tripling development bank lending. Fairer trade and access to capital.”

The SDG report proposes a shift toward six “transformational pathways” in food systems, energy, digital access, education, jobs, and climate. These, it argues, will accelerate progress across all other goals—if funded properly and backed by political will.

Guterres urged global leaders to use upcoming moments, including the World Social Summit (November 4–6 in Doha, Qatar), the High-Level Political Forum, and the Food Systems Stocktake, to commit to urgent action.

“The Sustainable Development Goals are still within reach,” he concluded. “But only if we act—with urgency, unity, and unwavering resolve.”

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Haiti: Four Months from Elections, But Starving, Terrorized, and Teetering on Collapse

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

July 19, 2025 – Haiti is just four months away from general elections scheduled for November 15, yet the nation is paralyzed by hunger, violence, and despair. The country is facing a humanitarian disaster on nearly every front, while hopes for democratic renewal hang in the balance.

“We are on the brink of famine.” — CARICOM Communiqué, July 2025

According to the United Nations, over 5.7 million Haitians — nearly half the population — are starving. Children go days without food. Women and girls suffer horrific violence. Families are displaced. And an overwhelmed police force has all but collapsed.

Starvation and Desperation

Humanitarian agencies report families surviving on a single meal a day or none at all. In key farming regions like Kenscoff and Artibonite — once the breadbaskets of Haiti — food production has halted due to gang activity and conflict. The UN and CARICOM have both warned that parts of Haiti are “bordering on famine.”

While the UN World Food Programme has reached over 1.1 million people since January, aid workers say they’ve only been able to support 38% of those targeted for food assistance — due to underfunding, insecurity, and gang blockades.

Lawlessness and Fear

Gang violence has claimed over 5,000 lives in the past year alone. Women and girls are facing systematic abuse, from mass rapes to kidnappings. Children are being recruited into armed groups, and the elderly and disabled have been left with no protection.

UN reports show that nearly 90% of Port-au-Prince is controlled by armed groups. Less than a quarter of hospitals remain fully operational. The national police force has lost thousands of officers since 2021, and morale is at its lowest point in years.

Is the Security Mission Working?                                                                                                                                                                The Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, led by Kenya, was launched with global approval and promises of reinforcements. But nearly a year into the effort, only 991 personnel are deployed — less than 40% of what was pledged. Equipment and funding are dangerously low. Two bases have been established, yet gangs still rule the capital.                                                                                                                                                        CARICOM, the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Transitional Presidential Council continue to push for stability, but international response remains sluggish. Haiti’s 2025 humanitarian appeal is the least-funded in the world, with just 2% of the needed $425 million received.

Can Elections Even Happen?

Despite plans for elections in November and a new presidential transition by February 7, 2026, many Haitians are doubtful. With millions displaced, security in shambles, and widespread hunger, the feasibility of a free and fair vote is under serious question.

“We just need more money to do our work,” said a UN spokesperson this week. “The world cannot look away.”

At a Glance: Haiti in Crisis

  • 5.7M+ people starving
  • 5,000+ killed by gangs since 2024
  • 991 MSS troops deployed (of 2,500 planned)
  • 90% of Port-au-Prince under gang control
  • Less than 25% of hospitals fully functional
  • 2% of humanitarian food appeal funded

Sources:

UN Press Briefing, July 16, 2025
CARICOM Communiqué, July 8, 2025
Reuters, Associated Press, UN OCHA, Amnesty International

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