Books and Authors
Jamaica’s literary scene was vibrant throughout 2011, and authors are looking forward to 2012. Notably, there was a preview of the 2012 Kingston Book Festival held in March 2011 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston. Sponsored by the Book Industry Association of Jamaica, authors liek Diana McCaulay and Edward Seaga participated along with poets and illustrators, who took the opportunity to display their literary achievements and interests.

Author Jean Lowrie-Chin discussed her early life in Westmoreland and her real-life experiences growing up in Jamaica in her book of poems and prose called “Souldance.” She wrote about her mother’s religious devotion and her dedication in ensuring her children received a good education. Her writing resonates with readers who identify with the familiar issues of Jamaican society presented by Lowrie-Chin.

A new book, “In Praise of Jamaica,” presents a view of Jamaica’s ancestry and celebrates the achievements of individuals of Jamaican heritage during the 50 years since Independence. Written by George Meikle, the book features a mix of stories and photographss. It is targeted at the Jamaican Diaspora community as well as tourists who visit Jamaica. udge Patrick Robinson, president of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, wrote the book’s introduction.

Film and Theater
The Jamaican film industry move forward with strong support from a variety of agencies, and Jamaican filmmakers gained ground on the international scene. Paul Campbell, world-renown actor and artist introduced a new film “Out the Gate,” in 2011. It features the talents of Oliver Samuels, the “king of Jamaican comedy.”

Jamaican animators garnered considerable attention with their participation at the international Animae Caribe Film Festival held at JAMPRO. This event offered a forum for local producers to share with and learn from international professionals.

Music videos also had a place in Jamaica’s industry in 2011. Protoje, a musician who is gaining popularity in the local music scene, made a music video for his new single “No Lipstick,” which was filmed on location at Great Huts Resort in Portland by his sister LeAnn “Dream Seeker” Ollivierre.

In another theatrical development, the popular Russian play “The Inspector General” has been adapted for Jamaican audiences by William F. Lampert, lecturer at the Edna Manley College School of Drama (SODr). The original play tells the story of a small town that is to be inspected by a government official. The Jamaican adaptation follows an official in Montego Bay who realizes that his administration will be reviewed by a higher authority.

The story of Jamaican Maroons will be told in a  new film by Roy T. Anderson. The film, called “Akwantu,” was funded by Anderson who also provides the narration and direction. The film discusses Maroon, African, and Jamaican history. Vivian Crawford, executive director of the Institute of Jamaica, praised the film and its celebration of Jamaican ancestry. Colonel Frank Lunsden, speaking on behalf of the Maroon community, said there was “genuine passion” in Anderson’s work.

Music Business
The music business in Jamaica remains a strong influence worldwide. One of the most important Jamaican music producers, Sanjay “Freeze” Pennant, of Mandeville was showcased globally in 2011. He was was inspired by locals Don Corleon Christopher and Pharrell.

Jamaicanmusic.com, a Jamaican music website, expanded into digital distribution by leveraging the site’s popularity to increase sales of Jamaican music. It has partnered with Dubshot, which currently provide digital distribution for several different record labels.

In music publishing, Caribbean 2 World (C2W) is a startup firm that plans to raise $140 million  by offering one-quarter of the company to the public in an IPO on the Junior Stock Exchange.

Brother and sister Adrian and Amada Lopez are working to create their own niche in the expanding music video industry on the island with the founding of their Liquid Light production company. They are focusing on computer-generated imagery (CGI) and are moving into episodic television and continue to push the creative envelope to make their work stand out.

Music Events
The year 2011 saw many well-attended and significant music events that garnered popular and critical support, including Sumfest 2011, which featured a Dancehall night in Montego Baywith I-Octaine delivering an especially noted performance. Jamaica Jam Fest was held in Rufus King Park in Kingston in August. This family-friendly event honored 15 years of outdoor entertainment and attracted over 150,000 attendees to its showcase of 450 multicultural vendors, children’s rides, auto exhibit, and farmers’ market.

In addition, Jamaica Music 50 was launched during Sumfest in 2011. This review of the evolution of Jamaican music during the years since the country’s independence from Britain in 1962 includes Bunny Wailer, Junior Lincoln, and Wayne Chen among those involved with an in-depth study of reggae music in the review. Sumfest’s International Night was a success, despite the fact that R. Kelly, who had been the scheduled headliner, had to have emergency throat surgery and could not perform. Filling in for him were Coco Tea and Beres Hammond.

What was characterized as the “ultimate” album for 2011 became available in August, as Tad’s Records, a prominent recording and music publishing company based in Jamaica introduced a “major experience in Dancehall.” The album provides 25 of the top Dancehall tunes of the year and was made available over the Internet as well as in stores. The album features Vybz Kartel, Mavado, Buju Banton, I-Octane, Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, and Lady Saw.

The Smirnoff Nightlight Exchange Project (SNEP) searched for the best nightlife from around the globe as approximately 50 nations participated in the event at Hope Gardens in Kingston in November. Hope Gardens was established in the 1870s and 1880s by Major Richard Hope was the location for this cultural fusion event, which was designed to mix the features of “London rave” with “Kingston swag.”

Music Crime/Investigations 
Segments of Jamaica’s music industry and some artistes were the focus of criminal charges and/or investigations during 2011. In September, Cashflow Records denied its involvement in a scam that allegedly sold the promise of interactions with famous musicians for a price. The company said someone posing as representing Cashflow was responsible for this activity; only DJ Neil or Father P of Cashflow can conduct business on behalf of the company, said Buju Wayne, Cashflow’s publicist. Anyone else is conducting a scam, he said.

Buju Banton, a popular reggae musician convicted on drug-related charges, continued to fight this conviction, filing an appeal in the United States. He was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm to further a drug-trafficking offense, and use of a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking offense. While the gun charge was dropped, Banton faces 10 years in prison for the other charges. His defense claims the U.S. government sought to entrap him and that he did not conspire to commit these offenses.

Denroy Morgan, reggae singer, was arrested in September 2011 for marijuana possession in the Bronx, New York. He was found to be in possession of 25 pounds of the drug when he was stopped by police for a traffic violation. Morgan ultimately led police to a house in the Bronx where they found an additional 310 pounds of marijuana. Morgan, 66, is the creator of the group Morgan Heritage.

Dancehall artiste Elephant Man was sued by a Jamaican fashion designer for JA$1 million for nonpayment of bills for clothing. This is not the first time the musician has faced financial difficulties. In 2010, his automobile was seized by tax officials for failure to pay taxes. He was also charged with theft of electricity from the Jamaica Public Service agency.

Godfry Fogah, 38, a Jamaican music promoter who has organized concerts for major stars, was identified as an illegal immigrant living under the false identity of Errol Stone in the United Kingdom. Fogah, who entered the country illegally in 2997, had directed events with stars such as 50 Cent, Ice Cube, and The Game. He was sentenced to 11 months in prison but will not face automatic deportation because his sentence was less than 12 months.

In September 2011, Joel Chin, a top producer of reggae music, was shot and killed near his home in Kingston. Police reported that the attacked occurred as Chin got out of his car in the driveway of his home late at night. No motive was given for the crime. Chin, 35, was the grandson of Vincent “Randy” Chin, a pioneer reggae producer and founder of VP Records in New York.

In November, Winston Riley, veteran producer and creator of Stalag Riddim, was shot in the head and arm in Kingston. Riley, 65, has been the victim of several violent attacks in 2011, being shot in August and stabbed in September. Riley began his career as a singer in 1962, forming the vocal group The Techniques.

Vybz Kartel
The major crime story involving a music star in 2011 is that of popular deejay and dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel. He garnered a large number of headlines during the year, beginning with considerable criticism of his lyrics from a variety of sources. Authorities in Guyana banned his songs due to their “obscene lyrics” and said he brought “nothing positive” to the entertainment industry. This was the first time Guyana had taken such an action against a particular artist. He especially angered Guyana by not showing up at a government-sponsored concert in August 2011.

Kartel also faced questions about his line of skin bleaching products for men, which he introduced in October.Topping everything, however, are the charges relating to several murder cases.

Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was arrested by police in Jamaica on suspicion of murder in October 2011 in connection with the death of Barrington Burton, 27, a promoter shot and killed in the street earlier in the year. While Kartel is acknowledged as commercially popular, his success has been linked to Kingston’s underworld, and his feud with fellow artiste Mavado caused an escalation of violence in Jamaica’s inner cities. Following the initial charge, an additional murder charge was imposed on Kartel, linking him to the killing of a Jamaican man known as “Lizard” in August 2011.

In November, prosecutors said they had video evidence and taped telephone conversations that incriminate Kartel in connection with the original murder charge.  Also in November, Kartel was investigated for five additional murders as detectives continued to find evidence implicating the Dancehall star in other cases in the Corporate Area and St. Catherine.

Adding to Kartel’s notoriety, it was reported in early December that Kartel had broken out of prison after pulling a gun on a law enforcement officer and starting a riot when he and other prisoners took control of the prison facility. A Jamaican news organization found that this was only a rumor originating on a blog.

Later in December 2011, Kartel was charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and attempting to pervert the course of justice in connection with false testimony given by Vanessa Saddler, also known as Gaza Slim. Also in December, Kartel was ordered to pay $15 million in damages to Alton Salmon, a Jamaican promoter in an unrelated case for failing to perform at a concert in Turks and Caicos in August 2009.

Musicians’ Opinions 
Jamaican musicians were not shy about voicing their opinions about topics ranging from the state of the local music and media industry to their political views.

In a pioneering effort, Jamaican-born reggae singer Mista Mahaj P made an album in support of gay rights, breaking a taboo among reggae artistes. He says he made the album to address homophobia and the hypocritical attitude about the subject in his homeland and around the world.

Controversial Vybz Kartel, Jamaican Dancehall artiste and deejay, answered critics who said his lyric damage Jamaica’s image. Kartel, 35, was originally a ghostwriter for Bounty Killer. He says the way he delivers his lyrics compensates for their “rawness.” He has dominated Jamaican radio with songs about X-rated activities and ghetto politics. His fued with Mavado, another Dancehall deejay, was discussed in a meeting in the Office of the Prime Minister as well.

L.A. Lewis, Jamaican entertainer, feels strongly enough about politics to run for the position of Member of Parliament for West Kingston, but he said he has been offered money to withdraw his name from the race. An anonymous person put J$100,000 on Lewis’s doorstep to encourage him not to run and not to mock the election. Lewis remained firm in his intention to run for office, however.

Duane Stephenson, world-renown reggae artiste, has enhanced his reputation for philanthropy by continuing to use his music to spread awareness about world hunger and support of the United Nations World Food Program. He has been focusing on conditions in the Horn of Africa where a long-term drought has caused major famine conditions.

Some musicians leveled criticism at the local music industry in 2011. According to Clifford “I-Wayne” Taylor, reggae star, the music industry in the country is lacking in purity and substance. He believes that the scene is not authentic and is overly focused on “nastiness” and “filth.” Taylor voiced his concern about the example such music sets for younger generations.

Ziggy Marley, reggae superstar and son of Bob Marley, said the music industry suffers from a lack of spirituality. Musicians are focused on making beats and rhythms, but they are not paying enough attention to the spirit of the music, which is what makes reggae popular throughout the world. Marley also noted the differences between his approach and that of his father Bob Marley. Marley could not eliminate “yes men” from his life, which had an impact on his career choices, according to Ziggy, and his womanizing made life difficult for his mother.

Andrew Tosh, son of 1960s reggae icon Peter Tosh, has decided to promote his father’s political recordings, which have been reissued by Columbia/Legacy complete with outtakes, alternate versions, and unreleased material. Tosh, who was one of the “founders” of reggae music along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, was given less attention than Marley when he went out on his own, but he continued to play and record his political brand of music.

Controversy also attended the exhibition of the fine arts when Archbishop Emeritus Donald Reece criticized an Observer newspaper photo showing a “blasphemous scupture” of Jesus in its Easter Sunday edition. Laura Facey, the artist who created the sculpture of Jesus naked, defended her work and said she was glad it had sparked discussion.

Jamaica’s Cabinet approved the acquisition of the birthplace of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, the first national hero of the country. The property in St. Ann’s Bay is scheduled for rehabilitation, said Laleta Davis Mattis, executive director of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust.The 124th anniversary of Garvey’s birth was celebrated at the site on August 17, 2011.

The Right Reverends E. Don Taylor and Alfred Reid both celebrated 50 years of service in the priesthood in 2011. The men received praise from leaders in religious, political, and business sectors at a banquet held in St. Andrew. The two priests have been close friends for 50 years and both held a variety of position within the Anglican Church.

Jamaican veterans of World Wars I and II were honored at National Heroes Park on the National Day of Remembrance on November 13, 2011. The nation also acknowledged their sacrifice with church services and parades throughout the country.

Jamaica’s new international airport in Ocho Rios was named for author Ian Fleming, who wrote the James Bond series of novels while living on the island. Prime Minister Bruce Golding officially opened the airport, which is designed to serve high-end tourists.

Headley Jones, head of the Jamaica Federation of Musicians, was honored with the Musgrave Gold Medal for his eminence in the field of music. Jones, 94, is also known for his work in astronomy and for making the first solid-body electric guitar. Jones was born in St. Catherine in 1917 and service with the Royal Air Force in World War II.

Dennis Brown, known as the “Crown Prince of Reggae,” was posthumously honored at the yearly National Awards ceremoney on Heroes Day, receiving the Order of Distinction and rank of Commander for the contributions he has made to the local music industry. Brown died in 1999 at the age of 42. He released over 50 albums during his career.

The 127th anniversary of the birth of Sir William Alexander Bustamante was celebrated in Blenheim, Hanover. Bustamante was the first Prime Minister of Jamaica after its independence. Born in 1884, he founded the Jamaica Labor Party in 1943 and became Prime Minister in 1962. He also founded the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union in 1938. He died in 1977.

A Wall of Honor was constructed at National Heroes Park in Kingston in June 2011 to commemorate the police officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. Minister of National Security Dwight Nelson had announced the building of the wall at the 68th Annual Joint Central Conference of the Jamaica Police Federation.

Dr. Neil Gardner received the Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence, only the seventh individual to win this honor. Gardner represented one of the best 400-meter hurdlers in Jamaica and reached the semi-finals at the Atlanta, Georgia, Olympic Games in 1996.

Lawrence Rowe, the former batsman for the West Indies, was honored by the Jamaican Cricket Association with a dedicated stand in his name at Sabina Park in Kingston. Rowe is best known for  his triple hundred and world record of a century and double century in his debut Test.

The Engineering Project of the Year Award sponsored by the Jamaica Institution of Engineers (JIE) has been given to Wigton Windfarm Ltd. The company won the award for its 18-megawatt windfarm expansion project, which represents US$47.5 million in investments. The project involved installing nine 2-megawatt wind turbines, upgrading an existing 69-kilovolt transmission line, constructing a new substation, building two kilometers of a new access road, and creating a resource center focused on renewable energy training and technology transfer.

Jamaica was recognized during the World Travel Awards program in October. The island led the recovery of the tourism industry in the Caribbean. These awards are known as “Oscars of the travel industry,”

Cassandra Whyte won the Miss Deaf International 2011 competition, the first Jamaican to win this honor. Whyte was selected from a field of over 20 young women and will act as an ambassador for deaf women around the globe.

Lois Samuels became the first cover girl on Vogue Magazine from the Caribbean. She was discovered at Hampton High School for Girls in St. Elizabeth during a visit by Kingsley Cooper, chief executive officer of Pulse. Samuels has been compared to Grace Jones and is paving the way for other models from the island.

Nandi Chin Fernandez won the 2011 Brides Magazine Operation Dream Dress competition. The contest gives emerging designers a chance to create the ultimate wedding dress. Fernandez, who graduated Immaculate Conception High School and the Fashion Institute of Technology, designed a dress with draping and pleating inspired by the “Birth of Venus” painting by Sandro Botticelli.

At the beginning of 2011, Jamaican businesses had an optimistic view of the nation’s economic growth, but consumers were more pessimistic about the state of the economy. In the business sector, optimism rose to its highest level since the third quarter of 2007, when the current government took office. During the last quarter of 2010, however, Jamaican consumers were more pessimistic than they were in the third quarter of the year. However, less than one in 20 citizens blamed the government for the poor state of the economy. In contrast, many business leaders felt the government was the reason for the economic downturn.

Entrepreneurship 
Several entrepreneurial programs were made available to women in 2011. Jamaica’s National Commercial Bank made $113 million in sponsorship funding to support women-owned and operated developing businesses, with an additional $100 million provided to support loans. This arrangement represents a partnership with the Women Business Owners of Jamaica Ltd. for a three-year period to provide training opportunities for women entrepreneurs Many women in Jamaica are likely to benefit from the “Way Out” program sponsored by the government. Beginning in March, the program will focus on training and education that will lead to better jobs for women. The former executive director of Jamaica’s Bureau of Women’s Affairs, Glenda Simms, held a recruitment drive in June to find new members for St. Elizabeth Women Ltd., which is dedicated to the creation of sustainable development in rural communities by giving aid to women at the grass-roots level with a focus on  horticulture, farming, and crafts.

Olivia Grange, Jamaican Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, took special note of the importance of entrepreneurial activities for youth and announced the commitment of the government to developing the entrepreneurial spirit in young people through organizations like the Jamaica Youth Business Trust and the Young Entrepreneurs’ Association. Because young people represent the largest segment of the population, they are critical to the economic well-being of country in the future. Another government program that focuses on long-term development is Vision 2030, which was designed to encourage Jamaica to recognize its potential over the next 20 years through infrastructure building and economic growth.

Sir Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Enterprises, launched the Branson Center of Entrepreneurship in September 2011 in Montego Bay. The center is designed to help entrepreneurs succeed in creating responsible businesses. Branson said entrepreneurship is crucial to the creation of a strong, sustainable economy in the region. Michael Stern, Minister for Industry, Investment and Commerce, urged business support organizations to help local firms succeed, noting that these organizations allow small businesses to development the technical capabilities they need to take advantage of existing and emerging trade opportunities.

Bauxite
Jamaica’s bauxite industry saw several significant developments in 2011. Industry observers said there were indications that the aluminum industry is recovering from the economic downturn. Alumina Company Jamalco reported its best company performance for a six-month period in 52 years. The increased production was attributed to the replacement of old equipment and efficiencies gained by using caustic soda to extract alumina from bauxite. Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners estimated that it would reach record levels of production by 2012. Company president Pansy Johnson said that while 2011 would likely be “challenging” for the St.Ann-based firm, production of bauxite would increase by about 20 percent to an estimated minimum of 5.1 million tons during 2012.

Solamon Energy met with the Jamaican government to discuss solar solutions to be developed on sites that were previously the locations of bauxite mines. Jamaica has thousands of unused bauxite mines, and research funding and development are available to use some of these mine sites as solar farms. Solamon will devote its resources to supplying a number of solar farms on the abandoned mine sites.

Infrastructure
After much delay, the new cruise ship port at Falmouth was ready to welcome its first visitors. Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas had the honor of being the first ship to dock at the new facility, which opened months behind schedule due to construction difficulties. Work on the port terminal was also delayed by a strike held by 450 construction workers protesting the taxes imposed on their year-end bonuses. Also of benefit to cruise passengers was a new system of transportation announced by Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett. While the current system separates responsibilities for transferring passengers of cruise ships among several entities, the new system uses a single firm, which is responsible for handling ground transportation for all passengers.

Mike Henry, Jamaican Minister of Transportation, announced a search for some $300 million in private investments to revive an island-wide train system that was discontinued in the 1980s. He cited the success of a month-long trial run of a temporary train system installed between Spanish Town and Linstead, which saw more than 2,000 passengers every day.

Rose Hall Developments, which owns 7,000 acres of the Rose Hall Plantation and Cinnamon Hill Golf Course, developed and launched Founders Village in Montego Bay. The new community features luxury residences on lots of three to four acres. The gated community provides ocean views of the Caribbean and easy access to beaches, shopping, and golf.

The new Harbor View Sewage Treatment Plant was finally commissioned after 30 years of non-operation.

The National Water Commission and other government agencies were taken to court by area residents who wanted something done about the non-functioning plant. The lawsuit claimed that the absence of the plant caused environmental degradation and presented a significant health risk. In July 2010, an out-of-court settlement was reached, and the NWC promised to build an interim sewage treatment facility within six months. The agency also promised to revamp the Harbor View Sewage plant within 18 months.

Lloyd Cole, a Jamaican physician, proposed the construction of a dry dock facility in Clarendon at Jackson Bay 20 years ago, but the project, totaling US$3 billion, remains dormant even after gaining the support of government officials in several successive administrations. Cole, who has become frustrated with the delay, made a second appeal for his project, noting that it could create employment for up to 5,000 Jamaicans.

Energy
The Jamaican government is looking for alternative sources of energy to counter the rising costs of oil. It is investigating a variety of energy sources, including wind, solar, tides, and geothermal heat. The government stated its intention to incorporate alternative sources into its overall energy policy and has created the first national energy policy designed to develop a modern energy infrastructure, with energy management a key feature of the policy. In the area of conservation, the Jamaica Productivity Center noted that individual and business consumers could realize savings to J$15.4 billion on power bills if two critical measures of fuel and system losses correlate with regional and sector averages. This was the conclusion reached in a study by the agency showing that savings would represent about 20 percent of the average power bill. Damian Obiglio, the president and CEO of the Jamaica Public Service Company, asked consumers to take steps to conserve energy in response to rising oil prices. Oil prices in December 2010 increased by more than US$91 per barrel, and in 2011, the increase was estimated at US$100 per barrel. EX-IM Bank said that energy producers in Jamaica should retrofit their operations to make them more efficient and to control costs. Additionally, the bank urged producers to access energy loans designed to support the development of renewable energy systems.

In an effort to give some relief to electricity consumers, the Jamaica Public Service Company provided a reduction of some five percent in the total electric bill for August. The decrease was attributed to a lowering in fuel and IPP charges applied to the August bills. Petrojam, the state-owned oil refinery, announced reductions in gasoline prices for a time due to changes in U.S. Gulf Reference prices. It was expected that there would be some lowering of prices for diesel, propane, kerosene, and butane as well.

According to a survey from the Consumer Affairs Commission, residents of rural areas pay more for gasoline than do people who live in cities.  The Jamaica Gasoline Retailers Association alleged that these higher costs are not related to transportation expenses, but to pricing policies used by marketing firms. The survey found a price gap of as much as $22 between the prices paid by rural residents for regular gas and those paid by city dwellers. The rural gas gap did increase in 2011, said the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC), but not by much.

The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica Center for Excellence for Renewable Energy and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute will invest $10.3 million into determining the feasibility of a biodiesel project based on Jamaica’s oil-seed-bearing plants. The plants, including local castor beans and the seeds of the jatrophe tree, could be used to produce fuel for the automotive industry. The On the other hand, the Canadian oil exploration firm Sagres Energy will invest J$250 million to search for oil in Jamaica. This is the company’s largest outlay of capital to date. The Canadian oil exploration firm said it would start drilling by the end of 2011.

Engineers at the Annual Conference of the Jamaica Institute of Engineers discussed the future of the island’s energy sector and proposed using more green technology to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Electricity in Jamaica costs just under US$0.40 per kilowatt hour – four times what the average U.S. consumer pays. The high cost is due to the Jamaica’s reliance on old-fashioned generators that use oil, much of which must be imported. More than 90 percent of Jamaica’s electricity is generated with heavy fuel oil and diesel fuel, both very expensive and inefficient sources of energy.

Paul Chong of St. Mary invested over $5 million in a system to power his house over the past five years. He decided to take charge and generate his own energy after Hurricane Dean, which left him without power for weeks. When the Jamaica Public Service Company recently charged him for 222 kilowatts of power usage over three months when he actually used only 71 kilowatts – a difference in charges of $5,000 – Chong decided to leave the electric grid altogether. He now uses his own wind-driven power system at his residence.

Jamaica’s government approved the transfer of 40 percent of the shares of the Jamaica Public Service Company to Korea East West Power Company. The shares were sold by Marubeni, a Japanese firm that held 80 percent of the JPS stock. After the sale, Marubeni and Korea East West both own 40 percent of JPS. Minister of Energy Clive Mullings stated that the Korean company will improve the operations of JPS significantly. He also said that Jamaican consumers remain the ultimate shareholders of the firm.

Israel offered to help Jamaica with its energy crisis.1Israel’s ambassador to Jamaica, Moshe Sermoneta, also noted that agriculture and tourism in Jamaica could benefit from a closer relationship with Israel. Because Israel has few natural resources, it has been forced to develop alternative energy sources, and Jamaica could reap the benefits of its experience, said Sermoneta.

Product Promotion
Jamaican-based chef and singer Keith “Levi Roots” Graham appeared on a television program in the United Kingdom in 2007 that showcased Jamaican entrepreneurs. The program, called “Dragon’s Den,” gave individuals the chance to pitch business ideas to five investors. Graham brought his Jamaican jerk sauce, which he represented with a reggae song about his business. Now, four years later, he remains the chief marketing feature for the company, and his Levi Roots brand is now the main Caribbean brand in the UK.

The Culinary Federation of Jamaica (CFJ) showcased some of the foods featured in competition at the International Culinary contest in Miami, Florida. Executive chefs on the island used local produce to highlight regional foods. The participating chefs embraced the “Eat What You Grow-From Farm to the Table” campaign sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture in their contest submissions.

The Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) designated the month of February as a time to celebrate reggae music. The annual Dennis Brown concert will be held during Reggae Month, and other activities, including Save the Music also occur. The Save the Music initiative provides weekly concerts at the Edna Manley College. The JaRIA Honor Awards are presented at the time as well. Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Jamaica’s culture minister, encouraged local music industry representatives to adapt to the global economy and participate in similar marketing efforts.

In a blow to the Jamaican brand, the island’s signature beer, Red Stripe, decided to move its production facilities for the United States to a North American location, causing significant job losses for Jamaica. However, the company believes that overall returns from the U.S. penetration of the product will make the company stronger in the long run

Technology Sector
The Jamaican government approved a merger between Digicel Jamaica and Claro. The merger joins the largest and smallest telecommunications firms on the island. The new combined firm will represent over 75 percent of the wireless market in Jamaica, and government immediately faced criticism for its decision to approve the merger.

The telecommunications company LIME introduced a new plan designed to enhance Internet penetration across Jamaica. It offers customers an inexpensive laptop computer with a two-year residential service package. Known as the “FLIPtop” plan, LIME implemented the new offering after examining survey results showing how the high cost of computers and other devices kept many people from accessing the Internet. LIME also signed an agreement with the secretariat of CARICOM to provide video-conferencing services and equipment to Jamaica and seven other member nations. CARICOM appointed the firm after issuing a request for proposal to provide and install the equipment. LIME will work on this project with Polycom, a leader in unified communications solutions.

Marc Canter, founder of Macromedia, will invest in a local start-up firm. Canter, who founded the American software firm that introduced Flash technology, said that opportunities are “ripe” for tech start-ups in Jamaica.  In fact, he said Jamaica may even have a better investment environment than the U.S. at present. According to Canter, the tourism and cultural sectors in Jamaica also represent major investment opportunities.

Paul Lennox Buchanan, parliamentary candidate for West Rural St. Andrew, said that the area’s unemployment can be addressed by turning to information technology. His opinion created a stir in the constituency because the area has historically been focused on farming. West Rural St. Andrew comprises rural living areas and upper middle class settlements, struggles economically and needs to find real solutions. Buchanan said that all modern nations promote information technology, and this area offers considerable human potential that only needs technical training to create stable jobs in computer programming and software.

Tourism
The deal between Air Jamaica and Caribbean Airlines was “up in the air” for some time during 2011, causing uncertainties in the marketplace. Ultimately, it was finalized and agreements were signed by Audley Shaw, Jamaican Minister of Finance, and Winston Dookeran, finance minister of Trinidad & Tobago, in the presence of T&T Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Under the agreement, Jamaica’s government has a 16-percent stake in shares of Caribbean Airlines and makes the airline the national carrier of Jamaica. In May, many flights to and from Jamaica were delayed or cancelled as air traffic controllers went on strike, leaving passengers stranded in airport lobbies.

Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, encouraged the island to promote its facilities in the faith-based tourist market. The inaugural stop of the ship Carnival Destiny’s “Cruise with a Cause” in Montego Bay brought more than 4,000 passengers and crew members to the port.  Passengers included religious leaders and music ministers who accounted for almost J$1 billion in expenditures, plus the passengers participated in a number of community outreach projects on the island. Dr. Paul Rhodes, hotelier and medical practitioner, proposed transforming downtown Kingston into a destination for religious tourists. He noted that the several churches located in the area make Kingston an under-utilized “cultural gem” of the Caribbean region. Christian heritage tourism could bring a boost to downtown Kingston. The Great Huts Hotel partnered with Olde Jamaica Tours to offer visitors an eight-night tour of the church treasures of Jamaica.Bartlett also announced making aggressive marketing approaches to China to enhance trade and tourism between the two nations. More tourists from China have been coming to Jamaica in recent years.

Jamaica hosted a two-day regional meeting focused on the economic potential of sports. The Business of Sport conference attracted presenters from the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Caribbean. Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Jamaican Minister of Sport, and her counterpart Anil Roberts of Trinidad and Tobago, presented the government perspective on the issue and looked at how governments can support making sport a viable industry in the Caribbean.

Agriculture/Farming
Crop production in Jamaica rose by 24 percent in the first quarter of 2011 compared to production in 2010, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. A total of 147,378 tons of produce was grown in the first quarter of 2011, the highest amount recorded for a single quarter period since 1999.

Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners (NJBP) partnered with small farmers and schools in St. Ann to encourage the use of greenhouses to improve production. A program developed together with USAID allowed the Greenhouse Association, Rural Agricultural Development Authority, and the Bauxite Institute, to build four greenhouses to augment three experimental greenhouses built in 2009 on rehabilitated mine lands in Burnt Ground.

The Coffee Industry Board received an emergency loan totaling J$310.5 million via the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in an attempt to save the coffee industry. The money comes from the EX-IM Bank and the Development Bank of Jamaica and will purchase coffee in the High and Blue Mountains for coffee dealers.

A cassava processing plant was opened by Tropical Foods Ltd. in March 2011. It is expected to produce as many as five tons of bammies and other cassava products each week.

Poultry producers in Jamaica presented a petition designed to pressure the Ministry of Agriculture to join with them in fighting a plan to reduce the taxation of chicken imports. The proposed cuts from the Ministry of Finance, which are meant to reform the Common External Tariff structure, would lower the duty on chicken to 20 percent from 100 percent.

Jamaica’s sugar industry saw a ray of hope in the daily factory operations report presented in June. It showed a total of 134,507 tons of sugar produced among five of seven estates, and three factories reported surpassing their projected totals for the year.

More than 40 shrimp vendors in Middle Quarters, St. Elizabeth, participated in Team Jamaica training as part of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s Rural Economic Initiative program. The program provided $3 million in funding for training that covers self-esteem, customer service, cultural awareness, and history. The vendors were also trained in business development and food handling.

Dr. Christopher Tufton, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, called for more agricultural sector investments, noting the opportunities available in the growing of local produce. Tufton said now is a good time to use entrepreneurial methods and creativity to improve systems for production. He stated his position at the launch of the “Eat Jamaican Campaign,” as $17.2 million project of the Food and Agricultural Organization, the European Union, and the Agriculture Ministry meant to encourage the consumption of locally produced food.

Workforce Issues
The Land Administration and Management Program allowed more Jamaicans to become landowners during its 11th year of operation. The program seeks to end poverty and facilitate economic growth and create efficient markets for real estate in urban and rural areas. The most recent part of the program focused on St. Elizabeth, Manchester, and Clarendon. In commenting on land ownership among workers, Ronald Thwaites, a deacon and member of the Opposition People’s National Party, noted that Jamaican laws and high costs linked to regularizing tenure denied the working class the right to own property and keeps these workers from participating fully in the national economy.

The year 2011 saw reports of color prejudice among Jamaican employers in their hiring practices. Labor and Social Security Minister, Pearnel Charles, compared discrimination on the basis of skin tone to apartheid in South Africa and promised to bring bigoted employers to court. Portia Simpson Miller, Opposition leader, suggested boycotting businesses that appeared to hire only light-skinned individuals.

Companies that refuse to pay their workers the lowest wage named under the National Minimum Wage Act will be assessed a fine of $1 million, up from the previous amount of $1,000. The law also imposed a one-year prison sentence on employers who do not comply with its provisions. Both a fine and prison could be imposed. The National Minimum Wage rose from $4,070 per 40-hour week to $4,500 per 40-hour week as of February 28, 2011.

Tang Jianguo, the chief executive officer of the COMPLANT Group of Companies, the Chinese organization that bought Jamaica’s sugar factories, said most of the managers and workers at the factories will be Jamaicans, and not foreign workers. He made his assurances in the light of criticism of the company’s policies. Day-to-day operations will be handled chiefly by local Jamaican workers, Tang said.

A key incident from 2010 continued to make its impact felt diplomatically in 2011. The attempt of Jamaican soldiers to capture Christopher “Dudus” Coke, local gang leader wanted by the United States as he had been indicted on charges of operating an international drug ring, caused the deaths of 73 individuals in Tivoli Gardens on May 24, 2010. The incident resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister Bruce Golding and his replacement with Minister of Education Andrew Holness. It was also discovered later in the year that the United States’ Department of Homeland Security possesses a videotape taken by a secret spy plane during the battle of Tivoli Gardens. The tape is likely to provide more information about the actions of security forces during the incident and whether they killed members of a crime syndicate or innocent residents who were victims of house-to-house fighting. More than 500 Jamaican soldiers went into the neighborhood. The contents of the video have never been revealed to the public. In spite of earlier denials by Jamaica’s National Security Minister Dwight Nelson, Holness admitted that Jamaica made an agreement with the U.S. government to perform surveillance during security operations in Tivoli Gardens during Coke extradition process. In 2010, Daryl Vaz, who was the Information Minister at the time, also denied that Jamaica received any external help during the mission.

Jamaica was involved with many countries around the world during 2011, creating policies and making international agreements with local implications.

Canada
The Canadian military entered into negotiations with Jamaican authorities to create an arrangement by which the island would become a staging area for responses to natural disasters or other troubles in the Caribbean. This was another in a series of agreements between the two countries to create closer ties. The closer relationship was illustrated in the deployment of three CH-146 Griffon helicopters as back-ups for the Jamaica Defense Force.

During an incident of racism perpetrated by students at a business school in Montreal, Anthony Morgan, a law student of Jamaican descent, filmed white students at the school wearing blackface and Jamaican colors and chanting in fake Jamaican accents about using marijuana. According to Morgan, students at Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) took part in these activities during an annual sporting event traditionally held during freshmen week. School authorities issued a formal apology and initiated an investigation and sensitivity trainings to ensure that similar incidents or behavior do not occur in the future.

Asia
China’s Vice Premier Hui Liangyu and Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding met and held discussions in Kingston. Hui noted that Jamaica was the first country in the Caribbean to establish diplomatic relations with China about 30 years ago and introduced a five-point plan to further enhance the relations between two countries. Hui and Golding emphasized the need to develop stronger economic and trade links between their nations.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding expressed his concern about Jamaicans who live in Japan and was awaiting word about them after the major earthquake and tsunami that occurred there. Golding contacted Claudia Barnes, Jamaica’s ambassador in Japan, to find out about her situation and the safety of other Jamaicans living there. He was assured that all Jamaicans had been accounted for after the disaster.

Caribbean Neighbors
Dwight Nelson, National Security Minister, expressed the government’s position that Jamaica’s border controls are too lax and announced its plans to address the issue. Nelson noted that some areas of the nation are primed for smuggling and cause concern because they allow guns and ammunition to come into the country. The government will call upon the police and the army to help control the borders.

In March, the Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) said that the Treaty of Chaquaramas is not applied evenly by the members of CARICOM. Omar Azan, president of the JMA, said the treatment of Shanique Myrie at the Guntley Adams airport in Barbados was particularly alarming. Myrie claimed she was abused by immigration officials at the airport because she is Jamaican. Azan said the incident indicated that the provisions of the Treaty are applied differently to citizens of different member states.

Maria Angela Holguin, foreign minister of Colombia, and Jamaican foreign minister Kenneth Baugh, examined the possibility of conducting joint offshore oil explorations in the maritime area shared by the two countries. The Hydrocarbons Agency of Colombia and the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica began to perform environmental impact studies as part of the investigation.

Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett called for a common Caribbean travel visa, which would make it easier for the region to market itself as a single tourist destination. Under Bartlett’s plan, visitors coming to Jamaica would automatically be able to move on to other Caribbean countries without having to apply for additional travel documents. Bartlett also stated his support for electronic visas, noting that the technology could make international entry arrangements safer and easier.

The Complete Snapshot study conducted in April 2011 by Dr. Herbert Gayle discovered that Jamaicans have little or no interest in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) regional union. Only 24 percent of 200 individuals surveyed believe that Jamaica benefits from CARICOM, which has been in existence since 1973. Sixteen percent of Jamaicans surveyed believe that Jamaica loses in being part of CARICOM.

Barbados
A case of alleged mistreatment of a Jamaican woman by authorities at the Barbados airport caused significant repercussions. Jamaica asked the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to consider the case, the first time the CCJ was asked to rule in a dispute between the two countries. The Foreign Ministry of Jamaica received hundreds of complaints from citizens reporting mistreatment at the hands of immigration officials in Barbados. A number of Jamaicans living in Barbados reported “inappropriate” actions taken against them at Brantley Adams International Airport. A five-member team of Jamaican officials traveled to Barbados to discuss the incident involving the Jamaican woman who claimed she was mistreated by immigration workers at the Barbados airport. Authorities in Barbados denied any wrongdoing, but Bruce Golding, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, said he was not satisfied with the explanations. Golding noted the treatment of Caribbean visitors by officials in Barbados has long been a problem.

Haiti
The Foreign Minister of Jamaica and the Head of Public Health listened to explanations from Haiti’s Charge d’Affaires about an isolation measure imposed on a Jamaican national team player after discovering malaria among the players in 2007 during an epidemic on the island. The isolation measure remained in effect in 2011. Haitian officials cited lack of respect and hospitality toward its delegation, but Jamaican authorities rejected any thought of diplomatic conflict with Haiti because of what they call an “unfortunate incident.”

A group of People’s National Party members known as “the Patriots” issued a condemnation of actions by several Haitians protestors who burned the Jamaican flag. The Patriots said the desecration of the flag is an insult to the country. The protestors were angry about what they perceived to be the poor treatment of team members who were withdrawn from the CONCACAF U17 tournament without reason.

Honduras
Jamaica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the government of Honduras confirmed the captain of a fishing vessel involved in a confrontation with Jamaican coast guards was killed. Dr. Kenneth Baugh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, spoke via telephone with Mario Canahuati, Foreign Minister of Honduras to discuss the incident. Baugh expressed his regret for the death, which he noted was the result of illegal activities by the Hondurans who were illegally fishing in Jamaican waters. Discussions were held between Jamaica and Honduras at the end of January on a variety of consular issues. The constructive discussions addressed the two vessels from Honduras that remain in Jamaican custody and updated the situation of the 30 crew members from those vessels who were detained in Kingston. Ambassador Jorge Alberto Milla Reyes, Honduran ambassador, and David Alfonso Hernandez Caballero, consul general of Honduras in Houston, Texas, took part in the talks.

Jamaica lost over US$130 million due to illegal fishing in its territorial waters. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries turned its attention to the issue after a Honduran vessel was seen near the Pedro Cays. Minister of Agriculture Dr. Christopher Tufton expressed concern about poaching and the exploitation of Jamaican resources by foreign vessels. In 2011, 42 foreign vessels were seen fishing illegally on the Pedro bank, and only three were apprehended.
Caymans
The Cabinet considered easing visa requirements for Jamaican nationals in order to facilitate entry to the Cayman Islands and to encourage visits by business travelers. If the current regulations were removed, travel would be easier for some Jamaicans who visit the Caymans. Removal of the regulation would chiefly affect individuals under the age of 15 and older than 70. Ultimately, the Cayman Islands decided that children under age 15 and elderly Jamaicans over age 70 would be allowed to travel to the country without visas. This decision was reached after the governor refused to permit the premier to eliminate a visa requirement for all Jamaicans who already had United Kingdom or United State visas.
Trinidad and Tobago
Representatives of state and private sector interests in Jamaica met with their counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago to discuss a potential collaboration in regard to London’s 2012 Olympic Games. Officials included Mark Thomas, the manager of corporate communications at Jamaica Trade and Invest, and Stanley Beard, the chairman of T&T Tourism Development Company.

The Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) in Trinidad and Tobago are concerned about the lack of security in Jamaica’s Port of Kingston. Inadequate port security represents a threat to local importers and customs brokers, who may be used without their knowledge to ship illegal substances throughout the Caribbean region. DOMA’s concerns were emphasized by the discovery of a shipping container full of marijuana valued at $30 million at the Pt. Lisas Port.

St. Maarten
The government of St. Maarten decided that Jamaican travelers will need visas to visit the country. Roland Duncan, Minister of Justice in St. Maarten, confirmed the visa requirement, but gave no reason for his decision. Private sources indicated that the new requirement is based on statistics showing that Jamaican and Guyanese visitors overstay their entry time in St. Maarten. The new visas will be granted only for a period of three months.

Israel
The Israel Project found that 42 percent of Jamaicans want their government to provide support to Israel, while just nine percent favored support for Palestinian interests. In October, Jamaica voted on a unilateral Palestinian effort for state recognition without the need for negotiations with Israel. A large majority of Jamaicans believe that this effort by the Palestinians only hardened the positions of extremists on both sides of the issue, making peace in the region even more difficult to obtain.

United Kingdom
The United Kingdom announced it was ready to create over 10,000 jobs in Jamaica and enhance the island’s ability to fight crime and handle natural disasters. The UK made a stronger commitment to provide support to the Caribbean. Andrew Mitchell, secretary of state for the UK, announced a four-year plan worth 75 million pounds to help Jamaica’s 50 most volatile urban communities.

United States
Dr. Adrian Stokes, vice president of Scotiabank’s product development and a financial analyst, stated that if there is a financial default in the United States, Jamaicans living in both countries would-be affected by the economic downturn that could occur.

Pamela Bridgewater, United States Ambassador to Jamaica, said steps should be taken immediately to control the crime rate in the country and to eliminate obstacles to direct investment. The faster such steps are taken, the faster Jamaica can reap the rewards of greater investment. Money likes to go where there is stability, said Bridgewater.

A diplomatic cable sent to the United States in March 2007 said that officials at the local U.S. embassy in Kingston claimed that Portia Simpson-Miller’s lack of leadership had left the People’s National Party (PNP) “in shambles.” The cable also claimed that the party appeared to be “lost at sea” and unable to accept its defeat.

The United States Embassy in Jamaica revoked the visitor visa of Justin O’Gilvie, a former associate of Christopher “Dudus” Coke. O’Gilvie had a visitor’s visa but was not able to cancel this visa physically. Therefore, the Embassy issued a letter requesting airlines to prohibit him from boarding any flights bound for the U.S. on the basis of that visa. O’Gilvie was a partner of Coke in Incomparable Enterprises Limited.

The United States Department of State said that Jamaica’s government is not imposing strong enough penalties on those found guilty of human trafficking. Research findings published in the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report showed the island still at the Tier-2 level it attained in 2010. Tier-2 denotes nations with governments that do not completely comply with minimum standards imposed by the U.S. Trafficking Victims Prevention Act, but that have made progress in attempting to meet those standards. Jamaica’s punishment of up to ten years in prison for human trafficking is insufficient in comparison to punishments for other serious crimes, said the report.

James Robertson, Jamaica’s Minister of Energy and Mining, left his cabinet position after the United States government revoked his visa. The visa revocation was imposed by what Robertson characterized as unproven allegations of wrongdoing. No comment was forthcoming from the U.S. State Department on the matter. Robertson sent a letter to Prime Minister Bruce Golding stating that Robertson would leave his office immediately. He plans to keep his seat in Parliament, however, and his position as one of four deputy heads of the Jamaica Labor Party.

The battle is on to save the seasonal United States-Jamaica Farm Work Program, which has been in operation for 66 years. The fight arose after new regulations governing the hiring of Jamaica’s migrant workers by the United States were imposed. The new rules delay the workers’ admission to the U.S. and deny them comprehensive benefits. This seriously undermined the future of the program, since all future costs must then be paid only by growers and employers in the U.S.

Schools
Dr. Christopher Tufton, Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, supports providing subsidies for vocational and tertiary education to areas with the greatest need. Government-subsidized education and training programs should be focused on the challenges facing the nation as a whole, rather than being perceived as a means for taxpayers to fund all areas of study, said Tufton.

Minister of Education Andrew Holness is urging Jamaica to include the subject of civics to the school curriculum again. According to Holness, teaching civics helps children develop into active citizens with good character. Teaching civics will improve students’ behavior, he said, and teaching about the rights and duties of citizenship will allow schools to make a significant contribution to improving the country as a whole.

The Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) implemented a program designed to help Jamaican children living in Port Antonio. The nonprofit organization, which is based in the United States, presented educational supplies to the Good Hope School in Portland parish. CMEx plans to make both financial and in-kind contributions to other communities that demonstrate a need in the region.

Jamaica’s Ministry of Education created and imposed a dress code that teachers must follow while they are in class. The dress code is meant to highlight the importance for all school staff and teachers to be well-groomed and dressed appropriately for their jobs.  Failure to follow the dress code could result in disciplinary actions for teachers.

Corporeal punishment will no longer be imposed in Jamaican public schools. Officials took action on the matter after discovering that a student in a fifth grade class lost most of the vision in one eye after being struck by a teacher. However, Minister of Education Andrew Holness said that “moderate and reasonable” punishment would remain legal at all educational institutions other than those handling early childhood populations.

Several schools were singled out by Andrew Holness in his position as Minister of Education for their poor performance, teaching standards, or morale. Marcus Garvey Technical High School in St. Ann’s Bay was one of those targeted for its infighting at all organizational levels. Math teachers are six high schools were singled out for their approach to the subject, which was found to be “didactic and expository” and targeted for improvement. Holness also turned his attention to six primary schools that continued to perform poorly on the Grade Fourth Literacy Test, noting that some of them had shown mastery on the 2011 exam of zero percent. These results will no longer be tolerated, according to Holness.

School principals were advised to be better leaders in order to improve student performance in schools across the country. Improved leadership by principals could lead to better quality of students at all levels, according to Elaine Foster-Allen, principal of Shortwood Teachers’ College, and Dr. Tamika Benjamin, lecturer at Mico University College. School performance and leadership from principals have been directly correlated, they said.

HEART College of Innovation and Technology was granted university status by the government of Jamaica. This is only one of several educational institutions slated to receive the upgrade in status over the next ten years, said Andrew Holness, Minister of Education. The school was formerly known as the Caribbean Institute of Technology (CIT). It will now represent one part of the government’s investment in technical education, which is a common practice in countries like Germany, Austria, and Japan.

Early education efforts in Jamaica received a boost from business leaders as they announced their intent to support the government’s focus in this area. Glen Christian, executive chairman of Cari-Med Ltd., and other business representatives were in agreement that Jamaica requires greater investment in education, which represents a strategic development tool. Business leaders are supporting the efforts of Andrew Holness, Minister of Education, as he moves the focus of aid to early childhood programs in rural areas where many schools are currently providing inadequate education.

The United States Embassy in Kingston provided $10 million to nine organizations and programs designed to fund a wide range of educational and training initiatives. The funds were given to Children First, Clarendon Association for Street People Benevolent Society, Operation Friendship, Jamaica Basketball Association, Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Jamaica Fulbright Association, Jamaica Theological Seminary, University of the West Indies, and Northern Caribbean University.

Literacy
Discussions about literacy in Jamaica frequently turn to the consideration of Patois and whether or not it is a “real” language. The children’s television program “Rastamouse” uses a mouse and his band of reggae musicians to teach viewers how to speak the Jamaican dialect they hear on the show. The Bible Society of the West Indies stated that Jamaican Patois is indeed a valid language and translating the Bible into Patois is a worthwhile effort. On the other hand, some like Dr. Franklin Johnston, believes such a translation to be a waste of time.

In other literacy efforts, the Jamaica Partnership for Education  and the Jamaica National Building Society partnered to provide tools to the schools for improving the rate of literacy. The Society began raising funds to eliminate illiteracy from Jamaica’s schools in 2009, and since then, it has provided computer-based tools and interactive software to eight primary schools in rural areas to further its efforts. Jamaica’s government called upon the private sector for help in promoting literacy among young people on the island as well. The Read Across Jamaica Day is an initiative sponsored by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, which the government hopes will help to create a literacy rate among Jamaicans of 100 percent by 2016. And a literacy monitoring program received the support of Minister of Education Andrew Holness, who called it a program of major importance for the island. The development of a national plan to achieve universal literacy in Jamaica represents the first time a Caribbean nation has attempted to make an accurate measurement of its literacy levels.

Preserving History
Efforts to preserve the history of Jamaica experienced ups and downs in 2011. Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen urged Jamaicans to keep the country’s national heritage relevant by educating young people about the island’s culture. If children are taught to value their heritage, the future of the culture is ensured. Allen also recognized the contributions of the Jamaica Information Service in preserving island history and culture. The head of the Institute of Jamaica, Vivian Crawford, has worked to preserve and promote the nation’s history for more than 11 years. As a leading authority on the island’s arts and culture, Crawford attributed his appreciation of history and culture to his childhood in Moore Town, Portland, and the many stories he heard there. He has been instrumental in promoting Jamaica culture and history, particularly through a fund-raising effort to commemorate the place where the Proclamation of Emancipation of Slaves was read in 1838. A memorial plaque was installed to mark that location through Crawford’s efforts.

The fate of the historic building that housed the first offices of the first university in Jamaica is still up in the air after two years of negotiations between a government agency and a nonprofit. The building on Lady Musgrave Road was home to the University of the West Indies in 1947 and also served as the base of Jamaica’s first parliamentary ombudsman and as part of the police force. The building has recently fallen victim to scrap metal thieves and looters.

Phillip Martin, an American engineer, historian, and horologist, indicated his interest in preserving the historic “heritage clocks” in Jamaica. He believes the nation needs to take immediate action to preserve about 30 clocks on the island, some of which are 150 years old. They represent important elements in the history of Jamaica, Martin said, and as such, should be saved.

The economy took center stage for much of 2011 as the entire world faced difficult economic conditions.

In January, the Jamaica Stock Exchange was ready to introduce an electronic trading system that allows real-time simultaneous tracking of stocks on the exchanges of Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago. Investors in these regions will now be able to buy and sell equities directly, rather going through a settlement bank.

A number of financial experts recommended more financial education for Jamaicans. The Financial Services Commission urged people to become educated in financial matters and introduced a program of lessons designed for implementation in the schools. These lessons cover the rights and responsibilities involved with being knowledgeable consumers of financial services. Joseph M. Matalon, president of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ), also stated that the government should create a public education program designed to inform citizens about the importance of paying their taxes. Matalon said that many Jamaicans are unaware of the critical nature of tax-related issues. In another tax-related matter, tax consultant and head of the Taxation Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica (ICAJ), Ethlyn Norton-Coke, encouraged the government’s tax reform committee to enlarge the tax base by including people who work in the informal economy in any reforms. Taxi drivers were cited as a good example of workers who make money, but do not pay their fair share of tax.
Poverty
Poverty remains a significant concern for Jamaica’s government and financial observers. According to the Planning Institute of Jamaica, the nation’s poverty level rose from 16.5 percent in 2009 to over 20 percent in 2010. In 2007, 9.9 percent of the population lived in poverty. A report from the Institute attributes the causes of poverty in Jamaica to fiscal stabilization measures, extreme weather conditions that existed in 2010, and civil unrest occurring in May 2011. Dr. Omar Davies, the Opposition spokesman on finance, said that the government did not include adequate measures to aid the poor and other vulnerable groups in its 2011-2012 budget. Current economic conditions require the government to provide a “reprieve” for Jamaicans, but there has been no move toward mitigating citizens’ financial burdens in the new budget.

And as if to concur with expert opinion and studies, the annual World Economic Forum Global Competitive Index for 2011 indicated that Jamaica had dropped 12 places in the ranking of 142 regional economies. Jamaica had a ranking of 107 among the142 nations included in the 2011 Index. The change in status was attributed to lack of physical security, poor infrastructure development, inefficient allocation of resources, and lagging innovation.

Growth
Once he took office, Jamaica’s new Prime Minister Andrew Holness established a government plan designed to emphasize public-private ventures that will drive economic expansion. Holness is not depending on public spending for growth, he said, but instead will work with companies in China, the United States, and Europe to increase investments in the island’s housing, roads, and water facilities sectors. Jamaica appears ready for growth, having shown an increase in the Gross Domestic Product of 1.5 percent over 2011, according to Michael Stern, Minister of State for Industry, Investment and Commerce. Douglas Orane, CEO of GraceKennedy, supported Stern’s optimistic view of the economy, citing the vibrant and growing nature of Jamaican entrepreneurship. Karl Samuda, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, assured potential Canadian investors about the many opportunities for wealth creation in Jamaica at the JAMPRO “Invest in Jamaica” forum in Toronto. Samuda particularly cited Jamaica’s potential in trading and investment sectors like health and sports tourism, information technology, agriculture, and energy. Also touting Jamaica’s potential was Minister of Finance

Audley Shaw, who invited the Chinese to increase their stake in the nation during a visit to China for meetings with government ministers there. Shaw affirmed his belief that Jamaica’s commitments to the International Monetary Fund would be met, noting that this was critical for the country’s continuing economic stability.

Audley Shaw, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance, was optimistic about the economic growth of the country, which he believed could exceed the targeted 2.5 percent estimate for 2011. Shaw said he is “optimistic”  because Jamaica continues to try to attract new investments in tourism and in information and communications technology. The government approved a law permitting the expansion of casinos in Jamaica as well, which he expects will give a boost to the economy.

However, Jamaica’s large amount of debt has a negative impact on local hospitals and schools. Both organizations have learned to make do with less because paying off the national debt remains a top priority for the government. Jamaica’s debt to creditors totals $18.2 billion, more than the entire production of the nation’s domestic economy for one year. This represents 132 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Cricket
Jamaican, the three-time champion of the WICB Regionals, struggled with its batting in a match versus Windward Islands. The Jamaicans achieved 177 for six in the first innings in the second round match at Queen’s Park stadium. Marlon Samuels led the visitors with 40, while Tamar Lambert, Jamaican captain, had 35. Later, the Jamaicans have been victorious in three of four regional first-class matches with the Windwards.

Jamaica kept its position at the top of the rankings of the Caribbean Football Union with its highest FIFA ranking in the past six years. The Reggae Boyz rose 11 spots in the rankings to the 48th level. Cuba, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti round out the region’s top five.

Jamaica obtained a third-place finish at the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament, due in part to the batting efforts of Danza Hyatt. Also, Dave Bernard had three wickets for 25 runs in four overs, while Odean Brown had three for 34 from his four overs. The third place ranking was an improvement over the team’s performance in 2010, when it finished in fourth place.

Nikita Miller joined the members of Jamaica’s senior cricket team at the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) final in Barbados. Miller was a member of the West Indies team that left the ICC World Cup at the quarter final. Miller will replace Akeem Dewar, 19, as a member of the 13-man team.

Football

Reggae Boyz  – Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz were ready to face their opponents from Venezuela in a friendly international game at the end of March in Montego Bay’s Catherine Hall stadium. However, higher-than-usual ticket prices for fans were possible, since the stadium seats only 7,000. Limited gate receipts could mean a price hike to obtain future revenues.

The Reggae Boyz managed a win against El Salvador in March despite questionable decisions by the referees and the expulsion of one of their players in a hostile game environment. The Boyz obtained a victory of 3 to 2 in what might have been the first friendly international victory in Central America. Theodore Whitmore, the head coach, said the team was organized and in control and gave an overall good performance.

The Reggae Boyz, the Under-20 team, showed how impressive they can be when they defeated the Brazilian counterparts, the Sociedad Esportive Palmeirihna, at the Traffic Football Academy in March. The Jamaicans began the scoring with an effort by Marvin Morgan after 35 minutes. The Boyz won the match with a score of 2-0.

Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture, issued her congratulations to the Young Reggae Boyz, the nation’s youth football team. The team qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup with a victory over Honduras at CONCACAF in Montego Bay. Grange said the team showed how Jamaica’s youth can accomplish any goal as long as they receive appropriate guidance.
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has the right to raise its allotment of slots in the World Cup competition from 3.5, according to its executive committee. CONCACAF wanted a guaranteed fourth spot in the World Cup match to be held in Brazil in 2014. A decision on the matter will be forthcoming from the FIFA executive committee in March 2011.

After months of anticipation, the CONCACAF Under-17 Finals, the last before the FIFA World Cup in Mexico, finally began in February with a double-header at Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall. Two favored teams, Costa Rica and the United States, participated in the games. Four of the 12 teams in the two-week tournament will join Mexico as CONCACAF representatives in the World Cup.

The Under-23 football team from Jamaica began their efforts to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London with a match against St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the first round of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) phase in Suriname. According to head coach Alfredo Montesso, the team had very productive training sessions and expected to perform well.

JeVaughn Watson, a member of the Reggae Boyz, said that the Premier League clubs in Jamaica should target United States Major League Soccer (MLS) as a transitional market for players, rather than sending them to Europe. Some 14 Jamaicans currently play in the MLS, and three of them are involved in this season’s championship game. Watson believes the U.S. developing status makes it a better fit for Jamaican players than Europe.
Women’s Football
FIFA and the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) were co-hosts of the Women’s Football Com-Unity Seminar in Kingston. The meeting was held to develop girls’ and women’s football across the island. Horace Burrell, JFF president, said he had listened to the participants at the seminar and the coaches and decided that the development of women’s football would be a good thing for Jamaica.

Organizations like the Jamaica Football Federation provide a lesser degree of support for female football players than for their male counterparts. Female football teams continue to struggle with lack of support and lack of funding. However, Jamaican women in football have a high level of enthusiasm and commitment, reflecting the fact that the sport is the fastest growing female sport in the world. Some 26 million females play the sport worldwide. Sherwin Williams West Indies Ltd. has been the only firm in Jamaica for the past ten years to make a tangible investment in women’s football programs.
Track and Field
Although American Tyson Gay won the men’s 100-meters in Clermont, running the fastest time in the world thus far in 2011, Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade ran a personal best time of 9.96 seconds, compared to Gay, who ran the distance in 9.79.

Nickel Ashmeade won the men’s sprint championship at the Ponce Grand Prix in Puerto Rico. He is the first man to break the 20-second barrier in the 200-meter event this season. Ashmeade ran the 200 meters in 10.05 seconds.

Yohan Blake was named as the top male athlete of 2011 by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA). Bolt was named the World Male Athlete of the Year, but the JAAA felt that Bolt did not do enough to best Blake in this competition. Blake won the World 100 title in South Korea after Bolt’s false start disqualified him from the race. Blake also had the second-fastest 200-meter performance of all time at 19:26 seconds.

Yohan Blake, Jamaica’s IAAF World Championships 100-meter gold medal winner, became the second Jamaican nominated for the Laureus Sports Award in the category of World Breakthrough of the Year. Blake took advantage of Usain Bolt’s disqualification in the finals of the Daegu, South Korea, competition to become the youngest winner in history.

Yohan Blake achieved a personal best in the 100-meters to clock 9.82 seconds in Berlin. Blake, 21, easily defeated Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis. Blake took the world title in Daegu after Usain Bolt, his training partner, was disqualified.

Yohan Blake upstaged Usain Bolt at the Van Damme Memorial competition. Bolt ran the 100-meters with the season’s fastest time, but Blake, his training partner, ran his race with a time that was just .07 seconds off of Bolt’s world record. Blake surprised many at the meet by winning the 100-meter world title in Daegu after Bolt was disqualified for a false start. Blake himself was surprised by his time of 19.26 seconds.

Usain Bolt ran the 100-meters at a track-record speed of 9.85 seconds in Zagreb. With this time, Bolt smashed the recording of his rival, the American Tyson Gay, who had set the bar at 9.92 seconds in 2010.

Usain Bolt was disqualified from running the 100 meters due to a false start at the world championships race at Daegu, Korea. He was disappointed, but told reporters that there would be no tears. However, the disqualification means Bolt will not be able to win the “golden triple,” a gold medal in each of the 100, 200, and 4×100 relay competitions, which he had wanted to accomplish. Alan Bell, the starter who is responsible for disqualifying Jamaican champion sprinter Usain Bolt in the 100-meter race at the World Championships in South Korea, has been forgiven by Bolt’s mother, Jennifer. She told Bell that she and Wellesley, her husband, understood his decision.  Bell, 60, said the decision was the easiest one he had ever made; the hard thing was dealing with the media.

Jamaica’s sprint champion Usain Bolt easily won the 200-meter race in Daegu. Bolt was disqualified from running in his signature 100 meter competition when he produced a false start in the race. Bolt redeemed himself by winning the 200-meter race with a time of 19.40 seconds.

Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter and world record holder decided to run in the 100-meter race in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia at the Golden Spike meet in May. Bolt holds the world record in the 200-meters says he will compete in the 50th edition of the event, but only recently announced the distance he would run. This will be Bolt’s fifth time at the meet.

Usain Bolt decided to miss the Jamaican National Track and Field Championships, according to Ludlow Watts, treasurer and chairman of the competition’s organizing committee. Bolt is not entered in the meet, and his manager issued a statement announcing that Bolt’s next competition will be in Paris in July.

Usain Bolt announced his plans to retire in 2016. Bolt, who holds the world record in the 100-meter and 200-meter distances, said he wants to use his time well and would like to end his career in 2016 before it becomes “tedious to do the same thing and win.”

Usain Bolt decided to run the 100 meters at Louis II Stadium in Monaco on July 22. According to Bolt, he looked forward to running in that nation for the first time. Bolt accepted a personal invitation from Monaco’s Prince Albert II, who is president of the Monaco Athletics Federation.

Jamaican sprint champion Usain Bolt wants the false-start rule to be changed. He believes that the authorities should reconsider the decision to disqualify an athlete for making a false start in a race. Bolt himself fell victim to the rule in the 100-meter race at the World Athletics Championships in Daegu and was disqualified.

Jamaica’s Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt was named World Athlete of the Year for the third time by the International Athletics Foundation. The award was made in Monaco. Bolt is now the second man in history to have won this major award three times.

According to Christian Maximilian Voigt, the head of global sports marketing and sports law for PUMA, Jamaican Usain Bolt represents a perfect partner for the company. Voigt believes that PUMA is very lucky to have the talented Olympic champion sprinter as a representative of the global shoe firm. Bolt is one of many internationally recognized sports legends that represent the 87-year-old firm.

Veronica Campbell-Brown received the 100-meter women’s championship at the Jamaican Nationals. Campbell-Brown achieved her victory in the 100 meters with a time of 10.84 seconds to defeat Kerron Stewart, Olympic 100-meter silver medalist.

Veronica Campbell-Brown, defending Olympic champion in the 200-meters, continued to perfect her performance to get ready for the Jamaica National Championships. She hoped for a season’s best of under 10.92 seconds in her final race at the Ostrava Golden Spike competition in the Czech Republic.

Sykes Facey and Kishka Kay O’Connor Anderson, two Jamaicans at the Chicago Marathon, turned in an impressive performance.  Both runners finished the race with a high placement among the 15,500 female runners participating. Sykes Facey was injured at the start of the 26.2-mile race but finished in three hours, 30 minutes and ten seconds. O’Connor Anderson finished in three hours, 30 minutes, and 16 seconds. The marathon was run in temperature that reached the mid 80s, a factor for both runners. Sykes Facey placed 491st in the field of 15,500 females runners, while O’Connor Anderson place 494th. Both were in the top nine percent.

Usain Bolt took a first place finish in the men’s 200 meter race at the Diamond League in Stockholm, Sweden. His time was 20.03 seconds. Ainsley Waugh, another Jamaican team member took third place in the 200 meters with 20.56 seconds. Jamaica’s Kaliese Spencer, Melaine Walker, and Nickiesha Wilson took first, second, and third places, respectively in the women’s 400 meter hurdles.

Fedrick Dacres was the first Jamaican to win a gold medal in the discus event at an IAAF athletics championship. He threw the discus 67/05 meters for a world record at the IAAF World Youth Championships in France. Dacres is coached at Calabar High School by Julian Robinson.

Vonette Dixon had one of her best performances of the 2011 season on the final day of the Senior Central America and Caribbean Championships in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Dixon took the gold medal in the women’s 100-meter hurdles final, clocking 12.77 seconds. Her win opened the way to a Jamaican sweep of medals in the sprint hurdles.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce brought up the last position in a field of seven runners in the 200 meters at the Adidas Grand Prix Diamond League competition in New York. She ran the race with a time of 23.52 seconds, over half a second behind the winner, Allyson Felix, who clocked 22.92 seconds.

Jamaican Korene Hinds became the second winner from her country at the Bermuda International Race Weekend 2011. She ran the women’s 10-kilometer race in 33 minutes and 56 seconds to take the title. Hinds, who is 34 years old, took second place in the 10K in 2010. Kenia Sinclair from Jamaica won the women’s mile competition.

The Jamaican team participated in the 2011 World Masters Championships in Sacramento, California, and hoped to win medals after reaching two finals. Benson Ford was in fourth place in the Men’s 80-84 100 meters with a time of 17.66 seconds. Karl Smith withdrew from the men’s 50-54 100 meters when he suffered a possible hamstring injury.

Jamaica was officially named the host of the Carifta Games in 2011. The games were held in Montego Bay at Catherine Hall Stadium. The North America, Central America and Caribbean organizations (NACAC) announced the choice of Catherine Hal and said the 40th annual games would be held from April 23 to April 25, 2011. The arrangements were approved by the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA).

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce completed a six-month ban for using a prohibited drug as treatment for a toothache. She is the current 100-meter Olympic and world champion and returned to competition after her ordeal. She was concerned about the reception she would receive running in the Penn Relays, but has decided to focus on running as fast as she can.

Rosemarie Whyte, Davita Predergast, Novlene Williams-Mills, and Shericka Williams achieved a new national record in the women’s 4×400 meter race at the IAAF World competition in Daegu, South Korea. They clocked 3:18:71 and obtained the silver trophy.

The 117th Penn Relays represent one of the largest and most important sporting events for Jamaicans. Jamaicans have always had a major role in the success of the event, and Grace Foods, top food producer and distributor in the Caribbean, will continue its proud sponsorship of the 2011 games. Jamaican athletes compete with those from U.S. high schools and colleges, and yearly, many Jamaicans travel to the games to support the island’s high school track heroes.

Carrie Russell of the University of Technology led three Jamaicans who were victorious in individual college events at the 117th Penn Relays Carnival at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Four Jamaicans won the college women’s 100m championships, and Leaford Green won the men’s 400 m hurdles. Former St. Jago High School star Melissa Ogbourne won the college women’s triple jump.

Jamaica’s Asafa Powell has announced that he is withdrawing from competition in the 100 meter race. He suffered a groin injury in Budapest and had hoped it would improve enough to allow him to compete in the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace. However, he decided to withdraw from this meet in order to concentrate on preparations for the World Championships in Korea in three weeks. Asafa Powell said that a recent groin injury prevented the “break through” he had hoped for at the World Athletics Championship. Powell had to forego running at Daegu in South Korea, but will run in the Diamond League Competition, held in Zurich, Switzerland.

Asafa Powell sent a warning to his competition, notably Usain Bolt and other rivals for the world title, with the fourth-fastest 100-meter run in the history of the Diamond League. Powell ran 9.72 seconds on the same track in 2008, but achieved a world-leading time of 9.78 seconds at the meet. Powell, 29, was in excellent physical condition and says his goal is to maintain his training and to run faster.

Asafa Powell won an easy victory in the 100 meters at the Diamond League event held in Birmingham, England. The wet conditions at the race caused Powell to turn in a time of 9.91 seconds. He had reached a world-record time for 2011 with 9.78 in Switzerland ten days before. Powell said he only ran hard enough in Birmingham to win that particular event because of the damp, cold weather.

Kenia Sinclair ran three 800-meter races in under two minutes each, including her win at the Prefontaine Classic. She clocked 1:58:29 in that competition. The Jamaican focused on running more 1500-meter races in order to make her 800-meter performances stronger. As a side result, Sinclair is finding that she is a formidable mile runner. She also won the Grete Waitz 1500-meter in 4:08:06 at the Adidas Grand Prix Diamond League competition.

Jamaican Kaliese Spencer ran a personal best in the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the Samsung Diamond Meet at Crystal Palace in London with a time of 52.79 seconds. This run put Spencer in ninth place on the all-time list and ranks her as the second-fastest Jamaican in history. Spencer is now favored to win a gold medal at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The win by Kaliese Spencer in the 400-meter hurdles, eclipsed victories for Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell-Brown at the International Association of Athletics Association (IAAF) Diamond League meet. Spencer, the defending champion, ran the race in 54.20 seconds. Campbell-Brown, 29, won the women’s 100 meters, on her birthday, with a time of 10.92 seconds.

The USA vs. Jamaica Challenge will see the repeat of one of the great women’s sprint rivalries of the first decade of the 21st century. The meet will pit three Americans against three Jamaicans in both men’s and women’s 60-meter sprints. Lauryn Williams, the 2005 World 100-meter champion will return in 2011 to face her rival, Jamaican sprint champion Veronica Campbell-Brown. Brown beat Williams in 2007 in a photo finish for the 100-meter world title. The men in the USA vs. Jamaica Challenge will feature Mike Rodgers, 60-meter silver medalist, Trell Kimmons, and Ivory Williams Jamaican Nesta Carter will also compete in the Challenge.

Jamaican sprint champion Usain Bolt took a break from his running schedule to help young runners in southern California. Bolt says he always has fun with kids and enjoys teaching them and inspiring them. Bolt is also making additional appearances in Los Angeles before returning to Jamaica.

Melaine Walker won a silver medal for Jamaica in the women’s 400-meter hurdles in Daegu. She ran a personal best of 52.73 seconds. Walker was the defending champion going into the competition, but finished second behind Lashinda Demus of the United States, who clocked a world-leading time of 52.47 seconds.

Other Sports
Jamaica could be the host of the 2012 Scottish Highland Games. A feasibility study conducted by Lord Jamie Sempill of Edinburgh said it would provide an opportunity for Scots to visit Jamaica and for Jamaicans to reconnect with their Scottish heritage. The historical relationship between the island and Scotland goes back some 400 years, and evidence of it is found in place names and surnames throughout Jamaica. The games would coincide with the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence.

Deaf athletes from all over Jamaica met at Manchester High School to participate in National Sports Day. This was the second year of the event, which was organized by Deaf Sports Jamaica (DSJ). The event included netball, basketball, recreational table tennis, six-a-side football, and athletics, and all competitions were conducted fairly and with fun. Some 350 athletes participated in the event, most coming from Kingston, Brown’s Town, May Pen, and Mandeville.

Damion Robb, Jamaican musher, finished the six-mile and four-mile sprint races in first place at the yearly Marmor SnoFest. Robb, who lives in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, enjoys the “absurdity” of being a dogsled racer from Jamaica. Robb, 24, is a full-time musher and receives lots of support when he races in Canada and the United States. He has been racing for five years.

Olivia Grange, Jamaican Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, praised the performance of the Jamaican team at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece, as “inspirational.” The team came away with 31 medals, 12 of which were gold, 14 silver, and 5 bronze. At a luncheon to celebrate the victories in St. Andrew, Grange said everyone on the team was a winner, since they overcame a variety of challenges to achieve their victories.

Jamaican gymnast won a Level 8 team trophy at the Whitlow International Invitational competition in Orlando, Florida, achieving a score of 218,400 points. Locally based Nishida’s Gymnastics and Fitness Center in Cross Road was represented by Daniel Williams, Jiovanna Jackson, and Jamin Melbourne. The Jamaican team won four of six events to win the team trophy. They won the floor exercise, vault, parallel bars, and high bars. A second place was achieved in the pommel horse, and a third on still rings.

Shane Hudson received a silver medal for his 49.43 second performance at the Parapan American Games in Mexico. This is the first medal for a Jamaican Paralympian in an international track competition. Sylvia Grant, also a Jamaica, earned a silver medal in the women’s javelin with a throw of 20.36 meters.

Carl Whyte, Jamaican golfer, is one of the participants in the reality series “Big Break” on the Golf Channel. The series plays golf professionals against each other for the ultimate prize: playing in the PGA tour, plus over US$50,000. Whyte, who is from Green Mount in Manchester, now lives in Salisbury, Maryland. He attended Knox College.

Jaida Lawrence and Toni-Ann Williams placed 152nd and 167th, respectively, during the individual all-around qualification at the 43rd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Lawrence finished 30th overall in the vault, 185th in the uneven bars and balance beam, and 181st in floor exercise. Toni-Ann had her best performance ever on the balance beam despite tearing out the middle of the palm of her right hand during the competition. She placed 86th in the competition. Physicians taped up her hand and she went on to compete in all four events.

The ten members of the “Y” Speedos Swim Club in Jamaica came in third at the Mike Lockwood Memorial Invitational Swim Meet in Grand Cayman. The club received three individual age-group championship trophies as well. Angara Sinclair won in the girls’ 11-12 age group, Michael Bradshaw won the girls’ 9-10 age group, and Cameron Brown won the boys’ 9-10 group trophy. The team as a whole received over 35 medals.

Shacquille Sinclair and Oshana Williams, professional cyclists participating in the Tour de l’Abitibi in Canada in July, performed well, according to Iona Wynter Parks, first vice president of the Jamaica Cycling Federation. The two riders were the only ones in the race from a Caribbean island. For five of the seven stages, Sinclair was in the main field, 3.33 minutes behind the leader on General Classification.

Five Jamaicans are ready to represent the homeland in the two-day Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships in Puerto Rico. Shacquille Sinclair and Oshane Williams will lead the Jamaican contingent in the time trials and 17-to-18 road race age category. Also racing will be Dervin Myers, Jermar Brissett, and Owen Cardoza Jr. All are competing in the championships for the first time.

Jamaican Newton Marshall rose to prominence in 2009 when he entered the Yukon Quest dogsled race in that year. He finished in 13th place, a respectable showing for a rookie racer, and fans acknowledged that the Jamaican was a real competitor. He is a favorite with the media and with fans, but he has come up from extreme poverty, bad education, and overcome personal obstacles to get to where he is. His story is told in a new book by John Firth called “One Mush,” which examines the events that brought Marshall to international fame.

Jamaica handed Zimbabwe a defeat at the second Tri-Nation Ladies Polo Tournament at the Kingston Polo Club in St. Catherine. Jamaica won 4 goals to 3.5 goals. A star of the match was Jamaica’s Rachel Turner, who scored two goals from 40-yard penalties. She then scored a full field goal, which gave Jamaica its first international victory.

The Jamaica Surfing Association’s National Governing Body is partnering with the Jamnesia Surf Club to look for sponsors for the first professional surf contest in Jamaica. The contest will highlight the top surfers in Jamaica in multiple events. The series will take place at the island’s prime surfing locations. The top six Jamaican surfers chosen for the series are Icah Wilmot, Inilek Wilmot, Ackearn Phillips, Shane Simmonds, Luke Williams, and Jason Pusey.
Controversies/Penalties
Victor Conte, founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), says that the record-breaking performances of Jamaican athletes during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were the result of doping. He believes that Usain Bolt and other Jamaicans may have utilized illegal methods to obtain their gold medals. Conte says that he was told Jamaicans were using testosterone and other substances he used during his tenure at BALCO to achieve their wins. Conte says he does not have proof to back up his suspicions, but believes Bolt’s record-breaking results and those of others prove his point.

An up-and-coming sprinter who was expected to represent Jamaica in Daegu, South Korea, at the IAAF World Championships in three weeks has had a positive drug test. The test was administered at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships at the end of June 2011.The test revealed the presence of a masking agent, generally used to prevent the detection of banned or illegal substances like anabolic steroids or stimulants. The athlete in question has been notified and must face a disciplinary hearing, ruling him out of the championship competition.

Max Alce, Haiti’s Charge d’Affairs, was recalled for consultations following the expulsion of Haiti’s national football team under 17 (U-17) by authorities in Jamaica. The decision was made after several Haitian team members were hospitalized with fever and suspected of suffering from malaria. Authorities from Haiti sent protest notes to Jamaica about the discrimination faced by its U-17 members. The Haitian Chancery plans to bring the matter before CARICOM, informing the organization that this behavior could harm relations between the two nations.

Football players who do not inform the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) when they decline national call-ups will find themselves sanctioned by the government entity in the future. The JFF and the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) confirmed a meeting in which they decided to make the technical infrastructure of football much stronger. The agencies also want to improve the coordination between them. Unless they have a good reason, players must respond “favorably” to the national call-ups.

Executives from the Bahamas 2011 Carifta team claimed that Jamaican representatives have challenged the field, suggesting that no other nation will be winning gold medals at the junior track and field meet. According to Harrison Petty, BAAA sponsor and president of the BAAA Parents Association, Jamaica has “dared” the Bahamas to win gold and noted that this “trash talk” will be used as a catalyst to motivate the Bahamian team.

Directors of the WICB met to decide whether or not Chris Gayle will be featuring in the Test series against India. The Jamaican batsman has caused some controversy with comments he made during an interview with an island radio station. Gayle’s future is uncertain, and he is not scheduled to play in the first Test against India at Sabina Park on June 20. The WICB said his comments created “ill will” with the team’s management.

1Chris Gayle could take the position of captain of Jamaica’s national team for the WICB Regional Super50 Championship tournament in Guyana. He has been recommended for the post and is waiting for ratification from the Jamaica Cricket Association. He has not led the team for the past three years, but would still offer considerable experience to the role after acting as a former West Indies captain. His presences on the team would be a major batting boost and could help Jamaica’s chances to win.

American Chris Gayle defeated his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders and achieved a nine-wicket win with his new team Royal Challengers Bangalore. Gayle took some time to gauge conditions and bowlers, but ultimately unleashed an excellent performance that appeared to have a note of revenge in it, according to some observers.

According to Fritz Harris, secretary of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), the request from Chris Gayle for clarification from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is reasonable. Gayle has asked what comments of his offended the board and prompted a request to withdraw them. The WICB asked for the retraction of comments Gayle made in regard to the board and its officers.

Steve Mullings, Jamaican runner, tested positive for drugs ahead of the world championship meet in Daegu, South Korea. Mullings was rated as the third-fastest man and could face a lifetime ban from the sport as a result of testing positive for the masking agent furosemide. This drug is generally used to hide the presence of banned substances. This was Mullings’ second drug offense. He was sentenced to a lifetime ban from athletics for his second doping offense. A three-man disciplinary panel of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission found him guilty of using a banned substance.

Lawrence Rowe, legendary batting star for the West Indies, started a legal action against the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA). He is fighting the organization’s decision to withdraw his name from the Players’ Pavilion in Sabina Park. Rowe’s name was withdrawn after he made remarks during an interview that were seen as controversial by the JCA. He was one of several players to defy international sanction and played in South Africa during its years of apartheid; he was subsequently banned from cricket, and his international career ended.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of cricket, has cleared Marlon Samuels, the West Indies batsman, to play again in international matches. It has been over three years since Samuels was banned from competition for an illegal bowling action. Samuels, 30, said it felt good to be able to bowl again in international competition.

In a year when a survey by Johnson Survey Research found that 60 percent of Jamaicans believed the nation would be in better shape today if it had remained under British rule, the resignation of Bruce Golding from his post as Prime Minister and the ascension of Andrew Holness, Minister of Education, to that position was the top story. And capping the story was the victory of the People’s National Party (PNP) over the ruling Jamaica Labor Party in December, ousting Holness who had been considered a “shoo-in” and replacing him with Portia Simpson Miller.

In the run-up to the General Election, Jamaica’s government officials, political parties, and other representatives addressed a number of issues. The Organization of American States (OAS) sent an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to observe Jamaica’s General Parliamentary Elections held on December 29, 2011. The OAS was invited to participate by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica. Lisa Shoman of Belize was designated by OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza to act as Chief of Mission.

General Election/Electoral Issues
Representatives of the University of the West Indies Guild of Students, the National Youth Parliamentary Watch Committee, the National Youth Council, the National Youth Parliament, and the Portmore Youth Council called for the youth portfolio to be removed from the responsibility of Olivia “Babsy” Grange, the current minister, saying that she was not a good manager, lacked leadership, and developed policies irrelevant to Jamaican youth.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s part retained its majority in parliament with a win in the by-election in April. The election was called after a governing party legislator acknowledged that he had U.S. citizenship in violation constitutional rules. Everald Warmington, the Jamaica Labor Party candidate, won his election with 64 percent of the vote in St. Catherine parish. Warmington was born in Jamaica and only acknowledged his U.S. citizenship in March 2011. He resigned his post and gave up his American passport and dual citizenship at that time.

The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) received new powers to establish the boundaries of electoral divisions. The Cabinet approved legislative amendments giving this power to the ECJ. According to Daryl Vaz, the Minister with the responsibility for information, the decision was made in response to recommendations from the ECJ.

In June it was reveals that a secret diplomatic cable between the United States and Jamaica stated that leaders in Jamaica’s private sector had lost confidence in Prime Minister Bruce Golding. The cable was sent just two years after Golding took office and expressed business sector concerns about Golding’s delayed in reaching a deal with the International Monetary Fund.

A  June survey by Bill Johnson found that 42 percent of Jamaicans thought that Prime Minister Bruce Golding received the treatment he deserved from attorneys during his testimony in the Manatt-Dudus enquiry. Thirty-five percent believed Golding had been treated rudely by the lawyers.

Sharon Hay-Webster, Member of Parliament, resigned from the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) in June, stating that she could no longer tolerate the abuse and lack of party support regarding her dual-citizenship case. Critics in and out of the PNP pressured her to relinquish her United States citizenship.

The Senate expressed outrage at the Jamaica Public Service Company because of the extremely high bills it imposed on electricity consumers, who included a government senator, Hyacinth Bennett. The senator’s home charges for May and June of 2011 totaled more than $163,000. Senator Bennett and several other senators decided to issue a “call for justice” at the utility.

In September, the People’s National Party (PNP) supported hiring an auditing company, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), to review the meter replacement program of the Jamaica Public Service Company. The PNP recommended that JPS operations be overseen by the Jamaican Parliament.

Robert Pickersgill, the chairman of the People’s National Party (PNP), encouraged his party supporters to work for the end of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) government. Pickersgill’s remarks signaled the beginning of the party’s active campaigning for the general election in 2012.

Attorney-at-law Tom Tavares-Finson expressed his interest in representing the constituency of West Kingston in the government upon the resignation of Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Some members of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) believed he was responsible for undermining Golding’s efforts, Tavares-Finson denied the allegations, stating that he had long had a desire to represent the people of the West Kingston district.

The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) invited Jamaicans United for Sustainable Development make proposals for enhancing the country’s democracy and avoiding problems presented by unfair and corrupt election campaigns. The proposals seed to prevent governments from being beholden to financial backers, using political office to obtain financial benefits, being obligated to foreign financial donors, and being linked to donors from illegal narco-trafficking and/or money-laundering activities.

The People’s National Party (PNP) stated in October that it was not worried about recent polls indicating that the general public has a more favorable opinion of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) since the resignation of Bruce Golding as Prime Minister. Portia Simpson Miller, PNP president, said the only so-called “bounce” the JLP will experience in the future is when the people “will be bouncing them out of power.”

The Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) will hold at least three national debates featuring the representatives of the two major political parties in the country before the general election. The Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) both agreed in principle, to participate in these debates.

Danville Walker decided to be the candidate for the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) from Central Manchester. According to Walker, the JLP is “the party of performance.” He stated that he wants to help transform Jamaica into a better place to live.

The Jamaica Civil Society Coalition supported an action of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) that required both major political parties to observe certain campaign finance rules, even though there are no laws mandating that they do so. Professor Errol Miller, chairman of the ECJ, said that both parties voluntarily agreed to comply with some of the reform rules.

Jamaicans were informed of laws governing public processions and marches. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) particularly targeted representatives of the country’s political parties with the information project. Under the Public Order Act, it is illegal for a public march to occur at night or to take place in daylight without a permit issued by the police.

Don Robotham, professor of anthropology and former dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies, stated that the current political process in Jamaica cannot resolve the nation’s problems because it cannot institute the kinds of policies and programs required. For this to occur, a broad range of Jamaicans must participate in finding solutions.

Audley Shaw, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance, criticized attacks from the People’s National Party (PNP) against the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Program. Shaw, deputy leader of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), called on the PNP to apologize.

Official discussions between the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) were threatened by Portia Simpson Miller, president of the PNP. Simpson Miller refused to conduct business with the government until it removed itself from issues relating to the National Youth Council of Jamaica (NYCJ). She described the cancellation of a forum at NYCJ by the government as representative of its dictatorial and censoring activities.

Brian Pengelley, president of the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, supported a call for a defined job description and list of qualifications for individuals who want to be elected as members of Parliament. Pengelley stated that those who aspire to be MPs should receive clearly defined job descriptions and present quality profiles when they want to be elected representatives and legislators.

Herro Blair, political ombudsman, received at least 30 complaints involving shootings, bribes, injury, intimidation, and other violent acts during just one week of political campaigning across Jamaica. His office also received reports of party buses being stoned, damaged vehicles, and defaced candidate billboards. He noted that the office of ombudsman actively investigates such reported incidents.

In mid December, the Jamaica Labor Party was on track to win the General Election on December 29. It had gained six percentage points in a month to take the lead over the Opposition. According to a recent poll, 31 percent of voters said they would vote for the JLP, and another five percent said they probably would do so. Twenty-nine percent said they would vote for the People’s National Party (PNP). This was the first time the PNP trailed the JLP since 2007. While nearly 50 percent of Jamaicans said they were worse off in 2011 than they were in 2007 when the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) took power, most viewed the JLP as more capable of managing the country successfully. Fifty-five percent believe that Andrew Holness deserved to be returned to his post as Prime Minister.
Bruce Golding
The resignation of Bruce Golding as Jamaica’s Prime Minister was the most critical political happening of 2011 Golding was an integral part of the case involving crime lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke, and his participation ultimately led to his leaving office.

In March, Golding prepared to testify at a commission of enquiry investigating the Dudus-Manatt charges. Golding expressed his eagerness to be a witness for the commission and warned that his testimony would be “explosive.” Observers believed he would target the Opposition People’s National Party with particular focus on its lead attorney K.D. Knight. Golding stated that he believed the extradition treaty that existed between Jamaica and the United States favored the U.S.’s ability to compromise the sovereignty of Jamaica and that this imbalance must be corrected. He also stated that officials at the U.S. Embassy were “belligerent” against his government, putting pressure on the country’s Minister of Justice to hand over Christopher “Dudus” Coke in telephone calls made only days after the extradition request was received by Golding’s government in 2009. When asked about the Jamaica Labor Party’s hiring of the law firm of Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips by People’s National Party attorney K.D. Knight during the enquiry, Golding answered that a political party was not required to reveal every detail of its internal operations.

Finally, in April, after months of denying a request from the U.S. for the extradition of Coke, Golding admitted he had a face-to-face meeting with the alleged drug lord. Golding denied wanting the endorsement of Coke for his political candidacy in 2006, however.

In June, Golding reported being satisfied with the findings of the investigating commission about the Coke extradition. According to those findings, a panel of three judges agreed that the request violated Jamaica’s constitution, but that Golding acted inappropriately by delaying the request for nine months. The commission recommended that the attorney-general’s office in Jamaica be separated from the Justice Ministry to avoid future conflicts of interest.

Also in June, Golding prepared for the 2012 General Election by replacing the top justice officials in his Cabinet in a restructuring move. Justice Minister and Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne was dropped because of her testimony during the extradition hearings of Christopher “Dudus” Coke. Golding also changed the leaders of the industry, energy, and agriculture ministries in his restructuring.

Bruce Golding resigned from his position as Prime Minister of Jamaica at the end of September in response to a potential rebellion of members of the ruling Jamaica Labor Party that could have removed him from office. Trevor Munroe, director of the National Integrity Action Forum (NIAF), believed the resignation of Golding provided an opportunity for Jamaicans to demand more transparency in their government. Golding stated that public perception about how he handled the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke influenced his decision to resign. Golding said his opposition to the U.S. request for extradition was based on the fact that the indictment rested on illegal wiretap evidence; he maintained that the U.S. request for the extradition of Coke was in breach of Jamaica’s Constitution.

Andrew Holness
Andrew Holness, Minister of Education, became the front-runner for the job of ninth Prime Minister of the country when four of his chief rivals gave him their full support. By mid October, Holness was described as a “shoo-in” for the position, with officials of the Jamaica Labor Party saying it was a “foregone conclusion” that Holness would be chosen as the next Prime Minister at the party’s convention.

When Holness took office as the new Prime Minister upon Golding’s resignation, he left nearly all the ministries the same as they were under former Golding. Holness made only minor changes, but planned to enhance economic and administrative reforms. Upon taking office, Holness took a number of significant actions.

Holness met with Greg Christie, Contractor General, to discuss concerns about public contracting after Christie wrote him asking to discuss problems of corruption in that sector. Holness also responded to pressure from Britain to repeal its anti-gay legislation by stating that it would be up to Jamaicans to make any decision on the matter. Holness characterized himself as liberal in many ways, but said the government recognizes that homosexuality is offensive to many Jamaicans. Holness said that democracy will ultimately settle the issue, regardless of Britain’s threats to withhold aid if laws that criminalize homosexuality are not repealed. In November, Holness targeted slum politics, stating that it was time to eliminate the connections between the legal and illegal power brokers in the country. Holness was focused on “cutting the ties” between top politicians and leaders of criminal organizations.

In November, Holness began to give hints that there would be an early general election and agreed with the People’s National Party that election facilities had to be in place before voting could take place. In early December, after being in office less than two months, Holness announced the date of General Elections would be December 29. The two main parties in Jamaica fielded more than 120 candidates for Parliament in total.

Government Corruption
Jamaican citizens indicated their desire for a truth commission charged with handling past violations of human rights, according to a survey by the Truth and Justice Action Group of the Jamaica Council of Churches. Sixty-five percent of 20 experts and eight focus groups across the country supported the creation of a commission. Over 40 percent believed a truth commission would have a positive effect, strengthen democracy and improve the accountability of leaders. Additionally, as a result of the Manatt-Dudus scandal, the public’s attention was focused on finding a way of effectively dispensing justice in the country. The ties between politics, politicians and criminals gave rise to calls for a truth commission to be created and given the responsibility for remedying the corruption found in many parts of Jamaican society.

Dr. Peter Phillips faced a censure motion from Gregory Mair, North East St. Catherine Member of Parliament. The motion involved the way in which Phillips signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of the government of Jamaica. Phillips signed these memoranda in 2004 with representatives from the United Kingdom and United States when he was the Minister of National Security. The MOUs allow information to be shared among these countries in order to combat international crime. The issue has been an important part of the Dudus/Manatt investigation.

Patrick Cole, Lieutenant Colonel in the Jamaica Defense Force, denied claims of Dorothy Lightbourne, Minister of Justice, about a phone conversation he allegedly had with her. Lightbourne claimed that he spoke to her while visiting Lisa Palmer Hamilton, Acting Director of Public Prosecution, about the extradition to the United States of alleged drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke. Cole says he never spoke to Lightbourne.

Dorothy Lightbourne testified in the Dudus/Manatt enquiry that she knew nothing about issues related to the hiring of a law firm to fight the extradition of Coke to the United States. Lightbourne said she did not know about the authorization received by a Los Angeles law firm to fight the Coke extradition. Coke had been linked to the Jamaica Labor Party.

An independent investigator working for the Jamaican Parliament recommended that a special agency be created to fight corruption in government institutions. Greg Christie, Contractor General, said there was evidence that law enforcement and anti-corruption institutions in Jamaica are not effective in finding the major players linked to corrupt practices. Christie said official graft was at “systemic” levels in Jamaica.

The Jamaican government denied there was a political bias in the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Program (JDIP). The program totals US$400 million and seeks to improve roads and other infrastructure on the island. Mike Henry, Jamaica’s Minister of Transport and Works, said roads are chosen for the program on the basis of economic importance, and not because of political connections. Opposition party members had suggested that politics rules the use of JDIP funds.

The Office of the Contractor-General called for the government to abandon the tender process for a scheduled PNG project because there was evidence of unfairness in the process. The anti-corruption authority wants the government to implement a new tender process under its supervision. After a year of investigation, the commission found the selection of a group led by Exmar of Belgium to be rife with conflicts of interest, documented bias, and preferential handling.

Delroy Chuck, Justice Minister, expressed concern about what he believed to be a proliferation of corruption in the legal system of the country. Chuck said the legal system needed immediate attention. He said police are paid to say they cannot find witnesses, people are paid to destroy critical documents, and cases languish for years without making any progress through the court system.

The issue of dual citizenship was studied by a Joint Select Committee of Parliament. The committee was formed after a recommendation from Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Reverend Ronald Thwaites, Member of Parliament, requested that every member declare their citizenship or permanent residency in any nation other than Jamaica. A debate ensued after his motion, focusing on the patriotism of those with other than Jamaican citizenship.

Mike Henry
Mike Henry Minister of Transport and Works and chairman of the ruling party resigned after allegations that his Ministry mismanaged a road program funded by China. In his resignation, Henry cited “ongoing attacks” on the management of the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Program. The program involved $400 million in loans from China for road upgrades, which was to be paid over a five-year period.

Pearnel Charles, Minister of Labor, stated that his ministry did not issue any work permits to unskilled expatriates to work for China Harbor Engineering Ltd. on the Palisadoes Shoreline Project. Phillip Paulwell, People’s National Party Member of Parliament for East Kingston and Port Royal, said problems occurred because of an imbalance in the number of Chinese workers on the project compared to Jamaican workers. Paulwell says he had pictures of Chinese individuals performing manual labor at the Palisadoes site. Charles claimed that only 24 work permits were issued for that project, and these were for professional engineers from China. Work permits were not granted to unskilled expatriates, he said.

The Jamaican government said that all 32 Members of Parliament members are “one hundred percent Jamaican.” The government the Opposition party to expose any “aliens” in office. The invitation was prompted by negative public opinion following an announcement in 2011 by Prime Minister Bruce Golding that five of his MPs were not eligible to be seated in the House.

Dr. Horace Chang, Minister of Housing, Environment, Water and Local Government, suggested that the destruction of documents at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) was suspicious wanted to know why the documents were destroyed. Mystery surrounded the NSWMA just a day after gunmen entered its offices, tied up a security guard, stole computers, and then set fire to files. Chang suggested that it was strange for someone to want to damage the documents and he needed to know the reason.
Human Rights
The passage of the Charter of Rights Bill passed Jamaica’s Senate on April 1, 2011. After the passage, the Constitutional Amendment Act, an accompanying bill, also passed. This bill amended Sections 90 and 91 of the nation’s Constitution, while the Charter of Rights Bill replaced Chapter III of the Constitution. The amendment bill provided additional protections for individuals who receive the death penalty and offered more complete and effective protections of the basic rights of all Jamaican citizens.

A public service announcement (PSA) produced by the Jamaican gay rights group J-FLAG, which starred Christine Straw, former Miss World and Miss Jamaica pageant queen, and Matthew Straw, her gay brother, will not be aired on Jamaica television. Sources indicated that Christian organizations pressured the leading TV network in Jamaica not to air the ad because it was “too controversial.”

Taxpayers in Jamaica pay a high price for abuse by police officers, negligence from medical personnel, and other kinds of recklessness among civil servants. Supreme Court judgments and settlements out of court cost the government $365 million in damages since 2006. According to Delroy Chuck, Minister of Justice, the government currently owes nearly $400 million in civil judgments for harm caused by government authorities.

None of the governments that have come to power in Jamaica have promoted human rights policies as effectively as they might have, according to critics. Jamaica’s legislative system does not guarantee that the country’s laws will “engender a sense of belonging” or “ensure equal rights for all,” including the most marginal and vulnerable groups. Counselors and educators do not receive adequate training to deal with issues of sexuality, and too many appear incapable of removing their personal religious beliefs from their professional duties.

Jamaican Maroons renewed their call for autonomy and recognition under the nation’s Constitution. Colonel Fearon Williams said that the greatest challenge to their autonomy resulted from Jamaica’s independence in 1962. He made his remarks during a celebration of the 273rd anniversary marking a peace treaty signed between the Maroons and British colonists. The 1962 Constitution failed to address the status of Maroon communities after the nation’s independence, and while relations are good between the government and the Maroons, they want formal recognition under the Constitution.

Bungo Isaacs, a Rastafarian elder, urged the government to show more respect and recognition of the Rastafarian faith. Isaacs made his plea during a lecture at the University of the West Indies attended by many Rastafarians, attorneys, and students. The lecture discussed the so-called Coral Gardens Incident, in which two days of violence involved Rastafarians in 1963. The incident resulted in a crackdown on Rastas by government agents, and some were killed, imprisoned or targets of serious harassment.

Government Actions/Policies
The National Water Commission (NWC) turned its attention to handling the water shortage occurring in many communities in St. Mary. According to Anthony Cornwall, area manager for St. Mary-Portland, the inadequate water supply will be addressed with a master plan for the parish that will ensure the provision of water on a regular basis in the area. Most communities currently receive water only two or three days per week.

Robert Montague, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, introduced a program designed to provide landowners with more titles. He noted that land tenure had not been settled in the country, as about 52 percent of all land in Jamaica is untitled. This represents more than 480,000 parcels. Project Land was designed to ensure that landowners acquire title to their properties without having to wait for as long as 30 years to do so.

Jamaica’s Cabinet banned trade in scrap metal indefinitely because scrap metal theft was rampant throughout the country. While it was not an easy decision for the Cabinet, the decision reflected the desire of the government to protect the national interest. An estimated $1 billion in equipment and infrastructure has been stolen to date. Christopher Tufton, Minister of Industry, received stepped-up security after being threatened by those who opposed his ban on the scrap metal industry. The government was more closely scrutinized after it decided to enact a complete shutdown of trade in scrap metal due to the high theft levels in that sector.

The administration of Prime Minister Bruce Golding reduced the ad valorem fuel tax to 10 percent, down from the previous 15 percent. The action was taken to prevent protests at the national level and will lower the price of gas by four to five dollars per liter. Before the announcement of the reduction, the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) indicated it would protest the tax in the streets.

Christopher Tufton, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, told the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) to enhance its protections of brand Jamaica in regard to rum via Geographical Indication (GI) registration. GI refers to a name or sign used on products that specifies a specific geographical location and represents a certification that these products have certain features, are made according to traditional methods, or have a certain reputation because of their geographical origins.

The government decided to match the 650,000 euros to be provided by the European Union to help the Jamaican banana industry address market changes arising from globalization. Banana Board General Manager Janet Conie announced that the Board will spearhead the changes over a period of 18 months. The grant funding from the EU will allow the industry to access new markets.

The Cabinet approved tabling a bill designed to change the Interception of Communications Act. Daryl Vaz, Minister with responsibility for information, said the changes would permit sharing information collected via interception and the use of that information in criminal prosecutions. Under certain guidelines, the bill will allow disclosure of interceptions to foreign governments or agencies of such governments. Senator Dwight Nelson, Minister of National Security and sponsor of the Interception of Communications Act, noted that his bill would be amended to address its lack of extraterritorial application, which would make it easier to share information with agents of foreign states.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) will merge as Jamaica’s government implements a major recommendation resulting from a review of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). The merger is designed to provide more effective civilian oversight.

The Road Safety Unit of Jamaica’s Ministry of Transport and Works introduced changes to the Road Traffic Act designed to regulate the use of cell phones and similar devices in cars. These devices have been shown to contribute to a high accident rate. Also proposed was the implementation of tire standards to reduce the number of road accidents.

Audley Shaw, Minister of Finance and Public Service, said the government would not impose new taxes on citizens to fund a budget gap of $140.8 billion for 2011-2012. Instead, the deficit will be covered using the domestic market to raise $97 billion and external sources for the remaining $43.8 billion.

The Tobacco Bill finally made its way to Parliament after more than ten years in existence. The legislation is designed to control tobacco use on the island. The bill included a total ban on advertising for tobacco products, a ban on sale of tobacco to minors, and a crack-down on the illegal trading of tobacco products.

Jamaica’s Inland Revenue, Taxpayer Audit and Assessment and Tax Administration Services Departments merged into a single department on May 1. The new department is called Tax Administration Jamaica. The unification is expected to simplify the tax system and improve its efficiency with better administration and business processes. Finance Minister Audley Shaw said Jamaicans will experience service improvements, and the nation will enjoy enhanced compliance with tax requirements as a result of the merger.

Children’s Health
The health and welfare of children in Jamaica was the focus of considerable concern in 2011. According to a 2011 survey from the National Health Council on Drug Abuse, high school students on the island are subject to suicidal thoughts, stress, and risk of being bullied. They drink alcohol and smoke tobacco and report feeling lonely. Many are overweight and unhealthy and do not feel that their parents understand their problems.

Betty Ann Blaine, child advocate and founder of Hear the Children’s Cry, said that cases of child rape are increasing in number in Jamaica, but many perpetrators go unpunished. Blaine attributed the lack of prosecutions to cultural attitudes that promote sex with young girls, plus the fact that families are frequently paid by gang members to have sex with their female children. Families may hide sexual abuse to avoid bringing shame upon their members as well. Child advocates and social workers noted that children in Jamaica often lived in poverty, were poorly educated, and were especially vulnerable to the risk of rape, violence, unwanted pregnancy, or human trafficking. Efforts to help children facing these conditions included those by Claudette Pious, the founder of Children First, who attempts to reform street children through the dramatic arts. The deaths of children due to AIDS/HIV in Jamaica have been reduced by early planning efforts that provide necessary treatment and medications. Since the 1990s when these efforts began, there has been a 31 percent reduction in the number of children’s death due to the disease.

Some particularly vulnerable inner-city youths were given the chance to better their lives by entering the job market through a program sponsored by the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica Inter-American Development Bank. The program allowed 100 young people aged 16 to 29 to use “microfranchises” to enter the market and create sustainable work opportunities for youth in eight communities in the Corporate Area.
Birth Control 
The National Family Planning Board countered the perception that Jamaican women have more children than they can adequately care for. Dianne Thomas, director of the agency’s outreach programs, reported a downward trend in the childbirth rate per woman in Jamaica between the 1970s and 2011. At that time, the average Jamaican woman had six or seven children. And while birth control may be the reason for the reduction in birthrate, many women must resort to illegal means to obtain it. Jamaica’s Ministry of Health discovered that some Jamaican women use the drug Cytotec in order to abort unwanted pregnancies. The drug was developed to prevent stomach ulcers, but is widely used to induce labor in pregnant women and to terminate unwanted pregnancies. The Ministry intends to impose a policy that will limit access to this drug to physicians and hospital consultants.
Psychological Health
Jamaica’s health authorities expressed concern about the growing number of suicides on the island during the first five months of the year. There were 24 cases of suicide during this period, compared to 12 in the first five months of 2010. Over 90 percent of the cases involved individuals with serious mental health issues, and authorities urged anyone with significant symptoms of depression or another mental disorder to seek medical aid as soon as possible.

Psychological research by Jamaican psychiatrist Frederick Hickling and clinical psychologist Vanessa Paisley resulted in some criticism and even outrage. Hickling and Paisley found that 40 percent of the population in Jamaica suffers from some type of personality disorder. This represents over 1 million adults and could be the reason for the high crime rate in Jamaica. Anthony Johnson, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, took issue with the study, noting that Jamaicans are among the happiest people in the world.

Community Health Issues 
Local medical professionals at the University of the West Indies became concerned about several types of free-living amoebae (FLA), which can infect the central nervous systems of humans and other animals with deadly consequences. FLAs were first discovered in Australia in the 1960s and have spread to 15 other countries since then, with cases of infection increasing yearly.

While Jamaicans know that skin-bleaching may lead to skin cancer, they continue doing it. Many use over-the-counter products in hopes of lightening their skin tone, which they believe will lead to a better life. Poorer individuals often turn to the less expensive, and more dangerous, products available on the black market. Many of these products are imported from West Africa. The long-term use of skin-bleaching products has been linked to ochronosis, a condition that causes dark blotches to appear on the skin.

Professor Rainford Wilks of the University of the West Indies (UWI) is concerned about the large amount of salt used by Jamaicans. According to Wilks, this is an important health issue that must be addressed because the country faces a major epidemic of cardiovascular disease. Reducing salt intake could have a beneficial impact on the spread of the disease.

Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management warned that more than 300 communities on the island are highly vulnerable to damage from natural disasters. Fifty-six of these communities are participating in a project that will aid in improving the ability of these communities to mitigate and/or manage a natural disaster should one occur.