Make cadet training mandatory
Published: Monday September 14, 2009
The Editor, Sir:
The cadet force is a disciplined organisation that takes on both military and community activities. Participation in cadet activities changes the lives of many individuals and it is a deterrent to indiscipline in our schools.
It has been established that some high schools across the country are experiencing problems with students' behaviour. In an effort to instil discipline and positive attitude in our youths, thus enabling them to become focus and responsible citizens, the Government should mandate that every public high school should have a cadet unit. I believe that there should be a partnership between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF) where principals of the participating schools provide a designated teacher (male or female) to supervise or be placed in charge of the unit.
Drawback
The JCCF could provide the appropriate training and equipment, whereby the schools provide the space or storage facility for equipment, that is, uniforms, training manuals, etc. In the event there is a lack of space at the schools, then the MOE could provide a container for the purpose. A drawback to the effort is that many teachers might not see the cadet force as an option because service in such an organisation is voluntary. However, there are privileges that are associated with being a member of the JCCF.
With reference to St Thomas, most high schools are in need of active cadet units at those institutions. I strongly believe that if the Government embark on such an effort, then we will see some productive students growing up to become responsible adults.
I am, etc.,
CHARLIE BROWN
charliebrown1004@hotmail.com
St Thomas
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090914/letters/letters6.html
Monday, September 14, 2009
EDITORIAL - The Dickensian shame of Armadale
EDITORIAL - The Dickensian shame of Armadale
Published: Monday September 14, 2009
In a sense, the Armadale enquiry wasn't really necessary. It wasn't going to tell us anything that we didn't know. Most Jamaicans know about the horrible conditions at the so-called correctional centres and places of safety.
Sadie Keating's committee earlier this decade, for instance, documented rampant sexual and physical abuse at both government and privately run homes where children ought to believe they have bankable guarantees of refuge and well-being.
We are aware, too, of the beatings and torture in 2000 at the prison in St Catherine, and the findings of the sole commissioner who probed that atrocity. Before these, there was the report on the riots at the Tower Street Correctional Centre that highlighted the overcrowding at the prison, the ill-treatment of prisoners, and the general corruption of the system.
But even though there would be no grand revelations from Justice Harrison's probe of the events in May at Armadale, St Ann, where seven of the inmates of this facility for girls were burnt to death, we knew that it was important that we hear what happened and the circumstances in which it happened. For it is important, we feel, continuously to confront ourselves and to test our tolerance for indecency until, perhaps, we are at a point where we can no longer endure and, therefore, shame ourselves into action - to a behaviour for the better.
A degrading Dickensian hellhole
In the first regard, the enquiry did not disappoint, confirming Armadale as a degrading Dickensian hellhole for which no one, from top to bottom and in-between, assumes any responsibility and has no expectation of being held to account. Unless, perhaps, Justice Harrison deems someone criminally liable for starting the fire that caused the deaths and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions prefers charges against that individual.
But igniting the fire that caused the deaths and injuries was not the worse thing that happened at Armadale. The fire, the raw truth be acknowledged, was mere symptomatic of something far nastier and more corrosive than what is likely to have been a case of bad judgement: it is a toxic cocktail of abrogation of responsibility and indecent disrespect. So people who find themselves in a particular circumstance or are hemmed into a certain stratum are worthy, it appears, of not more than a Dickensian workhouse.
Psychotic behaviour
Should such an assertion be deemed unfair, how else then is the evidence of Dr Micas Campbell, who attended to the Armadale girls, explained?
Several of the 61 wards, she said, displayed various forms of psychotic behaviour, including hallucination and suicidal and homicidal tendencies. Some were particularly aggressive. Some suffered from depression and anxiety. But the State, in whose care they were placed, which had responsibility for their welfare, could not find it possible to ensure that teenage girls with deep psychological problems receive prescribed medication on a regular basis. Nor could Dr Campbell get two girls, with deeper problems, complicated by diagnosis of HIV, removed from Armadale. They died in the fire.
That attitude is symptomatic of a culture in which what happened at Armadale in May was entirely possible. What is worse, no one at any level of the system seems to feel responsible, which makes them irresponsible, and should go, starting at the top of the correctional system.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090914/cleisure/cleisure1.html
Published: Monday September 14, 2009
In a sense, the Armadale enquiry wasn't really necessary. It wasn't going to tell us anything that we didn't know. Most Jamaicans know about the horrible conditions at the so-called correctional centres and places of safety.
Sadie Keating's committee earlier this decade, for instance, documented rampant sexual and physical abuse at both government and privately run homes where children ought to believe they have bankable guarantees of refuge and well-being.
We are aware, too, of the beatings and torture in 2000 at the prison in St Catherine, and the findings of the sole commissioner who probed that atrocity. Before these, there was the report on the riots at the Tower Street Correctional Centre that highlighted the overcrowding at the prison, the ill-treatment of prisoners, and the general corruption of the system.
But even though there would be no grand revelations from Justice Harrison's probe of the events in May at Armadale, St Ann, where seven of the inmates of this facility for girls were burnt to death, we knew that it was important that we hear what happened and the circumstances in which it happened. For it is important, we feel, continuously to confront ourselves and to test our tolerance for indecency until, perhaps, we are at a point where we can no longer endure and, therefore, shame ourselves into action - to a behaviour for the better.
A degrading Dickensian hellhole
In the first regard, the enquiry did not disappoint, confirming Armadale as a degrading Dickensian hellhole for which no one, from top to bottom and in-between, assumes any responsibility and has no expectation of being held to account. Unless, perhaps, Justice Harrison deems someone criminally liable for starting the fire that caused the deaths and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions prefers charges against that individual.
But igniting the fire that caused the deaths and injuries was not the worse thing that happened at Armadale. The fire, the raw truth be acknowledged, was mere symptomatic of something far nastier and more corrosive than what is likely to have been a case of bad judgement: it is a toxic cocktail of abrogation of responsibility and indecent disrespect. So people who find themselves in a particular circumstance or are hemmed into a certain stratum are worthy, it appears, of not more than a Dickensian workhouse.
Psychotic behaviour
Should such an assertion be deemed unfair, how else then is the evidence of Dr Micas Campbell, who attended to the Armadale girls, explained?
Several of the 61 wards, she said, displayed various forms of psychotic behaviour, including hallucination and suicidal and homicidal tendencies. Some were particularly aggressive. Some suffered from depression and anxiety. But the State, in whose care they were placed, which had responsibility for their welfare, could not find it possible to ensure that teenage girls with deep psychological problems receive prescribed medication on a regular basis. Nor could Dr Campbell get two girls, with deeper problems, complicated by diagnosis of HIV, removed from Armadale. They died in the fire.
That attitude is symptomatic of a culture in which what happened at Armadale in May was entirely possible. What is worse, no one at any level of the system seems to feel responsible, which makes them irresponsible, and should go, starting at the top of the correctional system.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090914/cleisure/cleisure1.html
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Managing in times of recession: success through partnership and collaboration
Managing in times of recession: success through partnership and collaboration
Published: Tuesday September 1, 2009
Ibrahim Ajagunna, Director, Academic Studies, Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI)and Fritz Pinnock,Executive Director (CMI), Contributors
The impact of the recent recession has had a tremendous effect on the shipping industry and Maritime Education in Jamaica.
Both are now downsizing in all aspects of their operations simply because of recession. It is important to recognise that the roots of a recession and its true starting point rest in several quarters of positive but slowing growth before the actual recession.
While this is so, it is also important to recognise other economic change variables such as national unemployment rates or consumer confidence and spending levels, which are all a part of the economic system and which must be taken into consideration when considering a recession.
In an economic environment where inflation is prevalent, people tend to cut out things like leisure spending and spend less on things they usually indulge in.
People will attempt to save more money than they usually do and sometimes they do so through wrong investments that yield super profit in a short time period. As a result of this people and businesses start finding ways to cut costs and avoid unneeded expenditures which will eventually lead to decline in the Gross Domestic Product.
As experienced recently in the shipping industry and other businesses in Jamaica, unemployment rates continue to rise because these companies start to lay off workers to cut more costs.
This however occurs because consumers are not spending like they use to do. These combined factors according to experts help to drive an economy into a state of recession. Economists also believe that this set of circumstances, coupled with the ability of people to get access to greater amounts of loan money, creates a cycle of unsustainable economic activity which may eventually grind an economy to a near halt existence.
Rough tide
These views are not different from experiences in Jamaica over the last few years.
The Hellenic Shipping News recently revealed the rough tide for shipping lines globally for which there has been sharp reduction in cargo volumes worldwide. The last six months for example have seen a huge amount of capacity changes in the container industry, including the lay up of vessels.
According to Hellenic Shipping News, many shipping lines have responded to this tide with job cuts, and increases in freight rates have sharply plummeted in the last few months since the meltdown started.
The chief executive officer of Maersk Line, Eivind Kolding, in an interview with Hellenic Shipping News said that more job losses are likely at Maersk Line in 2010. Also, as part of the economic recession fallout, the AP Moller-Maersk subsidiary has indicated it will charge $300 more per 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) on its Far East to Mediterranean and Northern Europe lanes with effect from 1 July 2009.
There is no doubt that this will extend to the Caribbean making the cost of goods to the consumer skyrocket. The question is, could this be an opportunity for shipping lines to cut costs and increase their revenue using the recession as a yardstick? Can partnership and collaboration help resolve the present bottleneck? The answer to the last question may probably be yes based on the following.
Partnerships and collaborative arrangements amongst all stakeholders in the shipping industry is one effective way of achieving success in the industry. Partnership and collaboration is a process of joint decision making among autonomous and key stakeholders of an inter-organisational domain to resolve problems of the domain and/or to manage issues related to the domain. It occurs when a group of autonomous stakeholders of a problem domain engage in an interactive process, using shared rules, norms, and structures, to act or decide on issues related to that domain.
Future challenges
It can lead to better decisions that are more likely to be implemented and, at the same time, better prepare agencies and communities for future challenges. Partnerships and collaborative ventures can help to unite the multiplicity of interests throughout all sectors of the diverse shipping industry.
To realise the growth potential of the industry, it is important to develop a high-quality, profitable and sustainable activity, through a partnership of industry, government and other stakeholders. Such a common arrangement will allow the private sector to work in conjunction with the public sector on a wide range of issues, for example, policy formulation, infrastructure development and provision, the development of maritime facilities and amenities, marketing and promotion and the development of skilled personnel for the industry.
By developing interpersonal and inter-organisational linkages, managers can be better informed and make choices about future directions that are more likely to solve the problems at hand. Collaborative decision-making and on-the-ground partnerships can enhance the capacity of agencies and communities to deal with problems in the future.
Published: Tuesday September 1, 2009
Ibrahim Ajagunna, Director, Academic Studies, Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI)and Fritz Pinnock,Executive Director (CMI), Contributors
The impact of the recent recession has had a tremendous effect on the shipping industry and Maritime Education in Jamaica.
Both are now downsizing in all aspects of their operations simply because of recession. It is important to recognise that the roots of a recession and its true starting point rest in several quarters of positive but slowing growth before the actual recession.
While this is so, it is also important to recognise other economic change variables such as national unemployment rates or consumer confidence and spending levels, which are all a part of the economic system and which must be taken into consideration when considering a recession.
In an economic environment where inflation is prevalent, people tend to cut out things like leisure spending and spend less on things they usually indulge in.
People will attempt to save more money than they usually do and sometimes they do so through wrong investments that yield super profit in a short time period. As a result of this people and businesses start finding ways to cut costs and avoid unneeded expenditures which will eventually lead to decline in the Gross Domestic Product.
As experienced recently in the shipping industry and other businesses in Jamaica, unemployment rates continue to rise because these companies start to lay off workers to cut more costs.
This however occurs because consumers are not spending like they use to do. These combined factors according to experts help to drive an economy into a state of recession. Economists also believe that this set of circumstances, coupled with the ability of people to get access to greater amounts of loan money, creates a cycle of unsustainable economic activity which may eventually grind an economy to a near halt existence.
Rough tide
These views are not different from experiences in Jamaica over the last few years.
The Hellenic Shipping News recently revealed the rough tide for shipping lines globally for which there has been sharp reduction in cargo volumes worldwide. The last six months for example have seen a huge amount of capacity changes in the container industry, including the lay up of vessels.
According to Hellenic Shipping News, many shipping lines have responded to this tide with job cuts, and increases in freight rates have sharply plummeted in the last few months since the meltdown started.
The chief executive officer of Maersk Line, Eivind Kolding, in an interview with Hellenic Shipping News said that more job losses are likely at Maersk Line in 2010. Also, as part of the economic recession fallout, the AP Moller-Maersk subsidiary has indicated it will charge $300 more per 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) on its Far East to Mediterranean and Northern Europe lanes with effect from 1 July 2009.
There is no doubt that this will extend to the Caribbean making the cost of goods to the consumer skyrocket. The question is, could this be an opportunity for shipping lines to cut costs and increase their revenue using the recession as a yardstick? Can partnership and collaboration help resolve the present bottleneck? The answer to the last question may probably be yes based on the following.
Partnerships and collaborative arrangements amongst all stakeholders in the shipping industry is one effective way of achieving success in the industry. Partnership and collaboration is a process of joint decision making among autonomous and key stakeholders of an inter-organisational domain to resolve problems of the domain and/or to manage issues related to the domain. It occurs when a group of autonomous stakeholders of a problem domain engage in an interactive process, using shared rules, norms, and structures, to act or decide on issues related to that domain.
Future challenges
It can lead to better decisions that are more likely to be implemented and, at the same time, better prepare agencies and communities for future challenges. Partnerships and collaborative ventures can help to unite the multiplicity of interests throughout all sectors of the diverse shipping industry.
To realise the growth potential of the industry, it is important to develop a high-quality, profitable and sustainable activity, through a partnership of industry, government and other stakeholders. Such a common arrangement will allow the private sector to work in conjunction with the public sector on a wide range of issues, for example, policy formulation, infrastructure development and provision, the development of maritime facilities and amenities, marketing and promotion and the development of skilled personnel for the industry.
By developing interpersonal and inter-organisational linkages, managers can be better informed and make choices about future directions that are more likely to solve the problems at hand. Collaborative decision-making and on-the-ground partnerships can enhance the capacity of agencies and communities to deal with problems in the future.
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