Yesterday we went on a hike to Bull Bay, specifically Wickie Wackie Beach. It is located just outside of Kingston, to the East. It is popular with surfers, although the waves were small yesterday and nobody was out there. The hike itself was kind of underwhelming, just a short walk through a residential area. And then it poured rain, which was actually nice after a sweaty hike up some gigantic hills.

This hike, with the Jamaica Hash House Harriers, marked the 15th anniversary of this group. Organized by the German- Jamaican Society, the group plans hikes every two weeks. The hikes take place all over the island, so we have been some wonderful places with this group. To mark this anniversary, we spent about 15 minutes lining up a sizeable group for a portrait of everyone, the ocean in the background. Enjoy the pictures and your Monday.

Yesterday was the final day of UWI’s International Reggae Conference and I attended a talk about Rastafari. One of the panellists was fellow Cuso volunteer Erin, whose paper was on the Ethiopian perception of Rastafari. Her fellow presenters were Dr. Sonya Stanley St. Niaah, Ras Mark and another Rasta (I did not catch his name.)

Despite how Rastafari are commonly portrayed (ganja smoking, dreadlocked, peaceful music-lovers) there tends to be some controversy about the movements roots and culture. There are also a lot of misperceptions, and like many religious or spiritual movements, many different interpretations and manifestations in daily life. All this to say that the panel was lively, informative and at times, confusing.

Dr. Stanley St. Niaah’s talk characterized reggae artists such as Peter Tosh as “revolutionary pilgrims,” who took their cues from Pan-Africanism and Garveyism. This is despite the fact that Tosh never visited Africa, nor were he or Bob Marley well-informed about the political and social implications of being a colonized people in Africa.

Next up was Ras Mark, who left me utterly confused. He discussed the origins of the term “96 degrees in the shade (something about the North and South poles being the true first worlds); the “growth mood cycle (if you were born in an African village, all the other creatures born at the same time were “yours”) and nine stages of development (aura, aroma, sound, image, balance, chemicals, nutrition, lunar and solar). I would have to sit down with Ras Mark a little while longer to join him in the place his mind inhabits.

Then Erin discussed Ethiopian perceptions of Rastafari. In Jamaica, the Rastafari movement sees the former Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I as their king and Ethopia (or Africa in general) as their Zion. There are many variations of Rastafari, but most adhere to believing that ganja is sacred, they eat ital food (mostly fruits and vegetables) and generally  live a peaceful life. (Of course, this is an observer’s simplistic characterization, forgive me.)

In Ethiopia, reggae music is moderately popular. Some of the major artists include Teddy Afro Haile Roots and Johnny Ragga. The type of music they create is a fusion of the “one drop” reggae beat and the “chika chika” beat, called chiggae, Erin told us. Check out Haile Roots here. What I drew from Erin’s talk was a striking disconnect between the way Ethiopians and Jamaicans perceive one another’s identity as it relates to Rastafari.

Overall, the talk was a fascinating look at the way in which Rastafari has developed over the years. It also shed some light for me on the way in which Rastafari has developed from a spiritual movement to a worldwide pop culture influencer.

The third annual International Reggae Conference is being held from Feb. 14 to 16 here in Kingston, hosted by the University of West Indies’ Institute of Caribbean Studies. The topics are fascinating (check the listing here); everything from the role of women in dancehall music to Vybz Kartel’s book.

Today I attended the opening ceremony, for which Minister of Youth and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna spoke. (First, though, Informative Historyman performed. He did a brilliant dub poetry performance about the history of reggae music).

Hanna’s comments were mostly banal and lacking in substance, but she did say a couple of interesting things about preserving reggae and tackling some of Jamaica’s social ills. Hanna opened by characterizing reggae as a “culture of crossing rivers.” Nice turn of phrase, which she followed with the warning that Jamaica is at a critical crossing. A lot of people seem to be saying that lately, what with the financial malaise plaguing the country.

Hanna is also concerned by the emerging tone of reggae lyrics. A lot of people (elders, not surprisingly) also say this. Reggae has gone from Jimmy Cliff’s Harder They Come mentality to a yearning portrayed in Better Mus Come (a movie made several years ago about Jamaica’s youth). Nevertheless, Hanna insisted that “reggae music can help us to reach into our past and extract values and systems,” and that it remains a source of black philosophy and religion.  “The role of reggae is as a catalyst for change,” she stated. Hanna also lamented a loss of “African values”, which place a premium on the family and community.

Getting more technical, Hanna discussed the role of individual artists in the culture economy, which brings billions of Jamaican dollars in every year. The problem, however, is that these independent artists and their earnings are not enumerated. They will be now, Hanna said. In addition, a directive straight from the Prime Minister’s office has created a “one-stop-shop” policy to discuss all things reggae and its relation to culture and the economy. So in other words, a proposal or project will not have to meander through every relevant Ministry before it is approved. Hopefully, this will streamline the process for getting new projects underway and will help to capitalize on Jamaica’s rich cultural industry.

It is Valentine’s Day. Lots of people are talking about love, mostly of the commercial variety. Cards, candies and confusion as people try to navigate how to express themselves to a romantic partner. I am thinking of love in all its forms today, and the selflessness and acceptance that personify it.

This story has stayed with me since I read it last November. This gentleman works with the homeless population in Jamaica. Not only does he see the individuals that most of us ignore or cross the street to avoid, but he takes care of them when no one else will. Unconditionally. It seems to be second nature to him. Cyprian Lewis is his name. For me, this is love. Read the story, it is worth is to remember what human beings are capable of.

The media operates from a starting point of hyperbole here, so it is difficult to get a handle on how major events or decisions are perceived by the general public.

The other evening, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, alongside Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips, announced a plan to address Jamaica’s crippling debt. The next day, Dr. Phillips announced $40 billion in new taxes. The opposition was so incensed, it stormed out of Parliament in protest.

There is no doubt that these two events will shape Jamaica’s future for the next several years, at least. How they will impact the population is another matter. Commentators and observers seem to be saying that the burden will fall largely on the backs of the poor and disadvantaged, as is usually the case. This prediction relates to the new taxes. The other prediction, as it relates to the deal with the IMF, is less certain.

In essence, in order to tackle its debt (which is 140 per cent of GDP), Jamaica is going to engage in a “debt exchange.” It will trade one type of debt for another (here is a good explanation, and keep in mind that these are Jamaican dollars, so $1 trillion dollars is roughly $1 billion Canadian) in order to satisfy the IMF. A delegation is currently on the island, attempting to hammer out a deal so that Jamaica can access another round of loans.

The PM said that without the debt exchange plan and the IMF deal, Jamaica faces a “dismal future.” it is already quite dismal, in fact. Here are a couple of telling statistics: According to Statin (which tracks all statistics for Jamaica), the unemployment rate in October was 13.7 per cent (in the U.S., it is around eight per cent); and inflation sits at between 7 and 8 per cent.

So how will these scenarios unfold on the ground? How will they impact working and middle-class Jamaicans, and those too vulnerable to even participate in the economy? It is hard to say. I have seen commentary ranging from apocalyptic predictions of widespread crime as people try to survive, to a more nonchalant reaction, ie nothing new to see here, let’s move on.

The article I referred to above provides a more realistic scenario: inflation rates will shift and the public sector will take a wage freeze. So people in the middle class will have less money to spend than they do now. The working poor and people of lower socio-economic strata will probably see no change or a negative downturn in their wages or their level of subsistence. They will be affected most when they go to access social services and when they have to pay more tax.

I think the bottom line is that government (and therefore everybody else) will have to do more with less, which always hits those at the lowest rung of the social ladder the hardest. Social services will be cut and NGOs will have to serve an even larger population and seek funding from international sources, which are already strapped and tightening purse strings.

It does not look good for Jamaica right now. Kind of puts a new slant on the VW commercial, doesn’t it?

This morning, the monthly meeting of the Canadian Women’s Club was held, for which I am the secretary. This is a philanthropic club and it has been around for decades. The CWC has done a lot of good in Kingston, for example, it recently provided new computer monitors to Alpha Boys School.

We received a visit from the new High Commissioner, Mr. Robert Ready, who arrived in Jamaica last fall. The Canadian High Commission allows us to hold our meetings there and the High Commissioner’s spouse is usually the honourary vice-president.

Mr. Ready spoke with us briefly. He is a charming man and indicated a willingness to work with the CWC and Canadians in Kingston in general. He also remarked upon a situation that is on a lot of people’s minds today: the looming IMF deal. IMF officials are in Kingston right now, trying to hammer out the conditions Jamaica must meet to receive a new round of funding. Jamaica is in some dire financial straits: its debt is currently 140 per cent of its GDP, something like $1.7 trillion. The Prime Minister gave an unprecedented national address last night with Finance Minister Peter Paulwell, during which she admitted that Jamaica faces a “dismal future” if the debt situation is not resolved. Apparently, the police were on high alert last night as the nation watched the address.

In terms of Canada’s role , Mr. Ready said that it will continue to be a friend and partner to Jamaica as it faces this difficult situation. He also said that while it is a pretty serious situation, he expects a deal will be reached. “That’s when the hard work really begins,” he said, adding that Canada will provide technical, moral and financial support.

Last night was another evening spent at Red Bones. It was the perfect way to end a day spent at a workshop (organized by Erin!) on gender mainstreaming. We heard an informative presentation from a woman from the Bureau of Women’s Affairs (will post later on this). As Feb. 6 was Bob Marley’s birthday and it is Reggae Month, there is a plethora of concerts and celebrations all month. Last night, Red Bones hosted Bunny Rugs (the night was also a fund-raiser for Alpha Boys School (which I will also write about). It is a well-established school known for its band (members of Skatalites were original attendees) and its discipline.

Bunny Rugs is best known for being the lead singer of Third World. His voice and performance were beautiful last night, and he mostly did songs from his new album, Time. In addition to Rugs, we heard from several other bands, including Hempress Sativa. The night was dubbed as a Conscious Reggae Party, and indeed it was. It was a Rasta vibe with lots of conscious lyrics and acoustic performance. Famed poet and agitator Mutabaruka was spinning tunes in between performances (reggae version of Rihanna’s Diamonds anyone?). He never wears shoes and can always be counted on to provide incisive, inflammatory commentary on current events in Jamaica. Nataleah wanted a picture with him so we timed it right and he obliged.

On the way in, I talked to Ras I-Nation (Kirk Scarlett), a Rasta who travels about, selling books (conscious, Rasta-themed literature like Marcus Garvey’s writings). And then Sister Conscious, who wanted a picture with me. She sells jewelry and performs poetry. Another great night, although a little bit sad because of the fact that Brianna is going to Toronto for a month in preparation for a posting in Ghana.