Male jogger gang-raped

The front page of the Jamaica Observer yesterday alerted people to this horrific incident. What can you say? Thoughts and prayers are with this man and his family, as well as the countless other victims of violence who suffer daily, regardless of gender, and regardless of whether it is reported or not, to the police or not and picked up by the media or not.

After the Observer’s “Homo thugs” front page last Sunday, I have been compiling a critical analysis in my head of the ethical violations in the way these stories are written. Hopefully, I can clear my head enough to write something coherent.

In any case, the story of the male jogger being raped has prompted much discussion on social media, including warnings from the running groups in which I participate to be careful. No more running alone, no more running with headphones on, etc. 

As I stated before, my thoughts and prayers today remain with all victims of violence, regardless of gender and the circumstance. 

19-year-old shot in Mountain View

Thoughts and prayers are with the people of Mountain View today. Nineteen-year-old Romarco Wilson was shot by police in his home. Residents burned tires and blocked roads in protest. Hope things settle down soon. 

US issues travel warning for Mountain View/Rockfort

Over the past several weeks, we have been hearing reports of “increased gang activity” and a shooting in Mountain View. YOU is working in both of these areas right now. The warnings are confusing. Community leaders in Mountain View do not seem concerned and attribute the last shooting to one individual who was “terrorizing” the community. They indicated relief that he was no longer around. Police, however, seem to be relaying a growing wariness of the latest criminal activity in Mountain View. The last few times we were down there, they had a heavy presence and show of weaponry. 

I have also heard that people from outside of the community have been hanging out at traffic lights and robbing people who stop for the red light, with a gun. This has not been confirmed, however, until this latest travel warning from the U.S. This is, obviously, not good. Mountain View Road is a major thoroughfare and most people take it to get to the airport. 

I am not sure what is going on in Rockfort, a nearby community, as I have not asked YOU’s staff member, who is currently working there, what is going on. I do know that he goes down there regularly and does not seem worried. 

In any case, a travel warning from the U.S. is a big deal. I am not sure if it is warranted, however, but the damage is done. It is always difficult to determine what is actually happening on the ground. There are conflicting reports from community leaders, residents, police and international officials. We do know two things, however: safety is paramount and perception is everything.

From handcarts to prosperity?

I have a new piece up on http://www.policyplay.com today, click the link above to read. It is about a new multilateral economic development initiative here in the Caribbean. There is never a shortage of such projects, however, I was prompted to write about it after hearing the reaction of a Jamaican who could be a beneficiary of the project. I thought the reaction was interesting because it illustrates the sometimes divergent approaches that donor and beneficiaries take to these kinds of initiatives. On the ground and policy creation sometimes align, sometimes they do not, even if intentions are good. It will be instructive to see how this program rolls out. Take a read and enjoy your Wednesday. 

Heartbreak can bring hope

My first “real” job, at the age of 21, was with the Ottawa Business Journal. Fresh out of school, I was immediately launched into the serious world of reporting on business and politics. The weekly paper had been around for a few years and the staff were young and innovative.

It was an exciting time. I was learning on the job, pumping out several stories a week for the print edition. We were also just getting started with that whole Internet thing. In fact, Google was still a curiosity, and had yet to become an involuntary impulse, a verb. So in addition to putting out a print newspaper, this young team and I embarked on putting the OBJ on the Web, under the capable supervision of Mark Sutcliffe and Michael Curran. 

We broke stories and won awards and capitalized on Ottawa’s status as Canada’s tech capital and Silicon Valley North. It was a good time. I will remain forever touched and shaped by both Mark and Michael’s kindness and patience with me as I gained experience as a young reporter. 

I write about this because I have been reminded of this time by tragic, horrific circumstances. 

OBJ Publisher Michael Curran’s 20-year-old son Emerson was recently killed while working in the Yukon for the summer. The philosophy student was at a party and a confrontation turned deadly. At the link above, you can read Michael’s heart-wrenching account of losing his first-born son (there are three other siblings) and making the decision to donate his organs. 

It is a simple, beautiful piece that must have taken so much courage to write. I commend the Curran family for their bravery and willingness to set an example during a time when they could have retreated from the world. The pain they must feel is unimaginable and must be unbearable, yet they chose to speak to their community. This is leadership and love in action. 

Give Children Positive Guidance

Last week, Mrs. Scott (the Executive Director of Youth Opportunities Unlimited) and I quickly whipped up an op-ed piece and submitted it to the Jamaica Gleaner. You never know with these things, whether they will run or not. To my surprise, it appeared a couple of days later on the editorial page.

Please give it a read. It is a good summation (if I do say so myself) of what YOU does and its guiding principles. (You can also click on the link above to see it in its online form.) Have a good Monday!

By Georgia Lewis Scott

Our most precious commodities, our children, have now returned to school and are re-establishing themselves in a routine and readjusting to homework and increased responsibility after a summer off. It is an opportune time to reflect on what we want for our children.

Of course, we want them to achieve good grades and learn to the best of their abilities. Of course, we want them to secure placement at a respected school and earn as many subjects in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations as possible. But, let us look beyond the numbers and on-paper achievements.

Beyond math, beyond language skills and Jamaica’s history, we want our children and youth to build character and become robust citizens. We want to encourage children to develop critical thinking and the backbone to stand up for what they believe in. We want our children to question authority, not just for the sake of doing so, but to challenge our nation to be better.

In recent years, society’s standards have slipped in terms of what is permissible. When they are off the schoolyard, children forget their manners. They wear their pants below their waist and reveal much more skin than they should. In the grand scheme of things, amid high murder rates and instances of crime, are these truly offences we must pay attention to?

Absolutely, because the prevention of crime and violence and an overall disrespect for our fellow human beings starts when we are children. We must teach our children the basics when it comes to respect – respect for themselves and also their peers and elders. Proper comport and dress are included in this behaviour.

Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU) subscribes to these views and demands that the youth that we work with meet these high standards. In order to enter our doors, they must be properly dressed. They must be on time and they must greet one another and YOU staff with respect, warmth, and decorum.

SHAPING LIVES

YOU is the largest mentoring agency in the region and we have affected the lives of tens of thousands of youth since our inception in 1991. We know what works and what does not when it comes to shaping the lives of troubled youth and fighting the negative influences they face in their communities. We know that our youth need positive guidance, strong role models, and someone to tell them how to behave in order to engender self-respect.

With self-respect comes respect for one’s peers, one’s leaders and one’s fellow citizens. And it is only through this avenue that we can continue on a path to a better Jamaica. There is no doubt that we can get there. Vision 2030 lays out our future to make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, do business and raise families.

But we must start by encouraging the continued creation of a strong foundation, a nation in which children know how to behave and know how to treat their fellow citizens. A nation in which our children are so valued that they value themselves and grow up to be healthy, contributing citizens who believe in our nation and its future.

Georgia Lewis Scott is executive director of Youth Opportunities Unlimited. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com. 

Premiere of 18 Degrees North

The premiere episode of 18 Degrees North aired last night on TVJ. It will be online on Thursday at 9pm. The first episode featured a compelling interview with Lee Boyd Malvo, who was born in Jamaica. He was convicted of murder in the D.C. sniper killings, along with John Allan Muhammad. The pair were deemed serial killers and Malvo is now serving life a sentence, while Muhammad was executed.

Last night’s interview was conducted by host Zahra Burton and was particularly revealing when Malvo discussed the lack of attention paid to him by his father. The story also featured an interview with University of West Indies Professor Herbert Gayle, who spoke about the lack of father figure role models for Jamaican boys. As well, Burton talked to Malvo’s father, who disputed his son’s claim that he was not a good father.

Of course, it is impossible to prove causality for such a case as this, but there is no doubt that generations of boys suffer from a lack of parenting, and not only by their fathers.

Keep an eye out for the story online, it is worth watching. Also keep an eye out for my piece on children in the adult prison system, airing in the next few weeks.

‘Nothing stops these pilgrims’

As I write this, an entire city is locked down. Boston residents are being told not to leave their homes, the metro and cab services are not in service and businesses and schools are being told not to open. It is surreal. The manhunt is taking place right near the area I used to live in. I drove through it frequently and recognize it in the footage being shown. Earlier this week, I was going to ask a dear friend who lives in Boston and teaches at Boston University, to write a guest blog post for me because I wanted to know what it is like to be in Boston right now. She did so on her own blog, it is worth a read, check it out here. Have a good Friday, and Bostonians, stay safe.

Update: Here is my friend Victoria on what it is like to be in the Boston area right now.

Words from Roger Ebert

It is Friday and content on the blog has been heavy this week. So read these beautiful words Roger Ebert, who passed away last week. Have a good weekend!