Caribbean News
JAMAICA: First-Time Father Uses Own Manifesto To Raise His Son
#Jamaica, June 19, 2021 – As a first-time father, entrepreneur Kristofferson Nunes decided to write a Parental Manifesto that guides how he creates an environment for his son’s upbringing.
According to Mr. Nunes, his Manifesto sits in the notepad of his cellphone and is updated daily by inspiration from his past and current life experiences that he believes can transition into principles that will aid his 10-month-old son’s development.
“It’s like my anchor. We all have it, whether it’s religion or not, everybody entwines their own beliefs in their own complex ways, but for me, my written thoughts pull from different philosophical principles and different experiences,” he tells JIS News.
He adds that his Manifesto is not used primarily as a ‘check-off list’ but is rather a tool that keeps him balanced with his approach as a father.
Mr. Nunes says he wants his son, whom he affectionately calls “the Lavender Calf”, to grow in an environment that allows him to inherit the art of creativity, independence, a drive for knowledge, self-discipline and knowing how to balance his approach to life.
“I want him to know you can learn from everyone, that you’re not above or beyond others,” he adds.
Mr. Nunes says that even with those attributes in mind, he believes it is important to give his son the freedom to discover his interests and support him in whatever way he can.
“How we fathered then is different than how we father now [and] I think growing up, I learned it was unfair to expect the father figure to be one person,” he tells JIS News.
Mr. Nunes adds that children can learn from several individuals who take on the fatherly role, and from a personal standpoint, his personal development has benefited from this.
“We all learn from different eras, and for me it’s still a learning experience,” he notes. The 27-year-old entrepreneur says becoming a father also exposed his insecurities.
“I feel like from the standpoint of a male, many of us have egos as an insecurity. Thinking that we may know everything, and following our instincts and dominant male energy can blind us from what’s important,” he adds.
Mr. Nunes says even though becoming a father exposed his insecurity, it also made him become a better listener to his son, his family and his environment.
“It [also] allowed me to be more responsible, more self-aware and more empathetic to the things around me,” he notes.
Mr. Nunes says his son has also taught him to be patient and what it means to slow down and enjoy the simple moments in life.
“[He] gave me a better sense of direction of what is important and what is not,” he shares.
Meanwhile, he says the father-figure role is a necessary instrument to the foundation and preservation of Jamaica’s society, “not necessarily with just money but with the foundation of principles, and if [the right father figure] isn’t there, someone else will play the role”.
Mr. Nunes emphasises that it is important for fathers to be open in asking for advice and support if they need it.
“If you don’t ask for help, you will never get it [and] if you don’t share where you are, people will never see you,” he argues.
Mr. Nunes says that if there are more community-level highlights of fathers active in their roles, then a domino effect of support and more appreciation will occur in the society.
“What do you share with them? How do you encourage them? It comes with momentum and starts with one person,” he says.
Mr. Nunes tells JIS News that he enjoys watching the world through his son’s eyes, observing how he responds to what is happening around him, and his relatives, as they all play a part in his personal development. He intends to continually add to his Manifesto, in the hope that one day his son will not only inherit the principles from it, but will also see the heart of his father.
By: Chanel Spence
Release: JIS
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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