Please check out my friend Emma’s blog on the National Reading Competition that just launched. This is close to my heart right now, as I’m hoping my daughter becomes an avid reader, as I am. We read a book every day and she seems to enjoy it immensely.

Corporate Jamaica (Fontana Pharmacy and the Sandals Foundation) appears to be taking notice of the competition, the theme of which this year is One Book at a Time Gets You To The Finish Line. However, Chair of the Book Industry Association of Jamaica, Latoya Black-Westwood (who I have worked with before on her wonderful publication Ecco Magazine), had some strong words about the lack of sponsorship. “You should not be struggling to get sponsorship,” she said, criticizing sponsors who seem to prefer funding parties and talent competition. In any case, check out the full blog post by Emma.

Hmmmm….Buzzfeed listsicles Jamaica. A twenty-something tourist’s view.

Check it out here.

The Kingston Book Festival is ongoing and tonight, Global Reporters (producers of 18 Degrees North) and my colleague Zahra Burton will participate in an event called Storytelling for Social Change. From the event page, where you can find more details and register:

The discussion will feature issues such as the prevention of gender based violence and child abuse, environmental preservation and social inclusion for special needs or marginalized groups; this event will highlight the power of storytelling to inspire positive changes in Jamaica and the world.

18 Degrees North has already earned two awards for its storytelling skills, so it is sure to be a powerful talk. Other presenters include WE Change, Jamaica Red Cross, Junior Achievement Jamaica and Tribe Sankofa.

Window view from a Florida hotel. And my girl hanging out.

The wonderful organization that is the Colour Pink Group needs your support. Please visit their Facebook page here and like it. You can also check out another episode of Just Jess, in which we hear from Jessica, a transgender female.

Check out this video called a Privilege Walk done by Respect Jamaica, a non-profit organization with this mandate:

We believe that everyone – no matter who they are or how they are – should be afforded the basic right of Respect.

The Privilege Walk is a social experiment aimed at illustrating how we are all afforded privileges, or not, that allow us to progress in life. It is an eye-opening experience.

There are several ways of gauging the health of a democracy. A free and safe voting process is one. Voter turnout is another. Judging by these criteria, Jamaica’s 2016 election had overall success with some areas of serious concern and room for improvement. We should also note that the media only covered the elections on a horse-race basis, meaning that they did not seem to be visiting polls to monitor the integrity of the process. (Or perhaps they did and I missed it. And this is not a judgment, merely an observation, as there are professional organizations charged with this task.)

While the Organization of American States says Jamaica is a “leader” in the region for the electoral process, a report indicates room for improvement. (The presence of international observers is common for federal elections, as are recommendations for better practices, even amongst mature democracies.) The following are issues to be considered in the election post-mortem:

• The OAS mission cited the use of “outdoor agents,” presumably party members who stand outside voting stations to monitor citizens, as an area of “concern“.
• Voter turnout was 47.7 per cent. Only one in two eligible voters cast their ballot.
• At least two polling stations were troubled with inaccurate or compromised counting of ballots and two others demanded recounts. The former two are St. Mary South East, which was actually called with a new winner, giving the PNP another seat, and St. Thomas West, which is still being recounted. (At the time of this writing, the JLP leads with 32 seats to the PNP’s 31 after a recount and has indicated it will ask for a magisterial recount. Only 40 of 63 polls are official, and one expert says the close margin could force early elections and cause general uncertainty. However, it should be noted that under the Westminster system of governance, as it stands, the JLP has been given the mandate to govern.)
• There appeared to be some confusion about how to mark ballots.While a seemingly easy exercise, any signs of confusion should be taken as a sign that a more clear process is required.

And now Portia Simpson Miller and Prime Minister-elect Andrew Holness has called on citizens to remain calm and the Jamaica Defense Force has called out its reserves for one week to help keep order. All in all, as far as the electoral process goes, it appears the health of Jamaica’s democracy could use some fortification. which is is the case with most democracies, although the degree is generally a measure of the maturity of the nation.

Voting day in Jamaica. Let’s hope the day ends peaceful as thus.

If you live in Kingston, you have surely seen this man before. He stands in the middle of the city’s main arteries, holding his pants up on his bony frame. I got a close look at his face the other day; he looks to be in his twenties. His eyes are vacant.

I always wonder whether anything can be done. Someone I know once tried to help him by giving him food and clothing. He did not want them. And there are countless other men like him on the streets of Kingston. The police don’t seem to do much of anything. Or maybe these men just go right back on the streets.