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THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES
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JAMAICAN FILMMAKER HAS MARCUS GARVEY FILM IN DEVELOPMEMT—09/14/16
Jamaican filmmaker Roy Anderson has partnered with the younger son of Marcus Garvey, Dr. Julius Garvey, to lead the effort to get the documentary made. Anderson has already produced and directed two films (“Akwantu” and “Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess”) and wants to do the film on Garvey because he likes to tell stories with themes of resistance. Garvey represents that “quintessentially,” said Anderson. His documentary will be made with the goal of “humanizing” Garvey and viewing him as something more than “just a historical figure.” Anderson recently won the award for Best Documentary at the 2016 Newark International Film Festival for “Queen Nanny.”
PRIME MINISTER TO APOLOGIZE FOR DEADLY SECURITY OPERATION OF MAY 2010—09/15/16
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness plans to issue an apology to the nation’s residents in Parliament for the deadly operation undertaken by security forces in May 2010 in which dozens of people were killed and injured and which caused millions of dollars in damage to property in Tivoli Gardens. The apology is “being crafted,” said Delroy Chuck, Justice Minister, and is scheduled to be presented to Parliament within weeks. The government commission of inquiry into the event included the apology as one of its 15 recommendations resulting from its investigation. The commission noted that the deaths of 73 civilians and a soldier made the apology necessary to assuage the bitterness and resentment of West Kingston residents.
EMPLOYERS OWE NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST $59 BILLION—09/16/16
Jamaican employers owe $59 billion to the National Housing Trust (NHT). This amount includes interest and represents the sum collected from employees for NHT contributions that have not been turned over to the state-operated agency. According to the NHT, an estimated $20 billion of the amount is principal arrears, while about $39 billion represents interest accrued. Some employers collect money from their workers’ salaries, but have kept it rather than paying it to the NHT; other employers may only pay part of the collected funds to the agency. Still other employers may not even take out the contribution from employees’ salaries although it is compulsory to do so. Some 1,483 delinquent companies are involved. .
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THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA MEMBERS IN UK WANT TO DISCUSS DEPORTATIONS—09/12/16
Member of the United Kingdom’s Jamaican Diaspora community want to discuss the deportation of 42 Jamaicans from the UK with Jamaica’s government. These individuals believe that the circumstances surrounding the deportations were questionable. According to Fitzroy Grant, advisory board member the Jamaican Diaspora UK- London and The South, a meeting request was submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, stating that due process was not followed with the deportations and that Diaspora members are worried about a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Jamaica and the UK in 2007 with the intention to facilitate deportations.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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JAMAICAN CASTOR OIL MARKET EXPECTED TO RISE IN VALUE BY 2020—09/13/16
According to Shirley Lindo of the New Lodge Sugar Estate in St. Catherine, there is enormous potential for Jamaican black castor oil (JBCO), but it the industry needs more support from the government. Lindo and Ricardo Thompson are the top Jamaican exporters of JBCO, and she projects that the industry’s worth will grow to US$4 billion in the global marketplace by 2020. The growth is likely to come from small business operations as well as large enterprises, if they are given adequate support. A study released by JAMPRO in August 2016 noted that JBCO is in the perfect position to fight against rural unemployment and poverty, and could be instrumental in promoting economic growth in Jamaica. According to estimates, it is possible for a 50-acre farm to yield some 1,200 pounds of the product, which would bring in total revenues of between $125,000 and $225,000.
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THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
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CECIL HARVEY COOPER, JAMAICAN EDUCATOR AND PAINTER, DIES—09/15/16
The Jamaican realist painter Cecil Harvey Cooper has died just one week after he was honored with the nations Order of Distinction (Commander Class) at a special ceremony at King’s House. He was one of the first individuals to graduate from the Jamaica School of Arts in 1966. At the school, he was taught by Barrington Watson, Karl Parboosingh, Milton Harley, and Albert Huie. Cooper had interests beyond the visual arts as well, being a talented classical musician who received a scholarship fro the Jamaican government to pursue musical studies in New York. He attended the Arts Students League there and then the School of Visual Arts, receiving a BFA in 1976. He returned to Jamaica in 1980 and began teaching at Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. In June 2016, he unveiled his final exhibit that featured works done between 1948 and 2016. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness paid homage to Cooper as a pioneer in his field, noting that the “abstracted lyricism of his paintings suggests that there is no contradiction between Cecil Cooper the musician and Cecil Cooper the artist.”
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THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS
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USAIN BOLT ANNOUNCES PLANS TO LAUNCH SPORTS CLINIC—09/15/16
Jamaica’s Olympic superstar champion Usain Bolt is planning to open a sports clinic in Jamaica after his retirement from track and field competition. After ending his Olympic career by winning his third straight sprint titles at the Rio Games, Bolt states that he wants to address concerns about injuries among young athletes. He wants to focus on injuries among young track and field athletes because he believes this has been a problem for many of them as they pursue their careers. He want them to receive better care than is currently available to them.
