Traditional Maroon culture was, however, determined to be in need of safeguarding and protection because of several factors. Chief among these was the fact that transmission of traditional knowledge from elders to younger generations was not taking place on the scale it was used to and the fact that migration patterns saw large numbers of Maroon youth leaving the traditional sites of settlements. In response, UNESCO was petitioned to assist in safeguarding traditional Maroon culture in Jamaica, in particular, that of the Maroons of Moore Town, who were deemed to be the most remote. In November 2003, UNESCO declared the Maroon Heritage of Moore Town as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. This action facilitated the implementation of measures geared toward documenting, for posterity, traditional Maroon cuisine, language, the Kromanti play and the craftsmanship associated with the creation of tools and implements such as their unique Prentin drum, fishpots, spears and the abeng.
Three local non-profit groups, the African Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO), the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP), and Women's Health in Women's Hands Community Health Centre (WHIWH) hosted an event called Black Queer Resistance: "Are We Unified in the Fight Against Homophobia?" during Pride Week in Toronto, Canada.
The most obvious and immediate conclusion from this state of affairs - highlighted by The Weekly Gleaner in the September 11 edition - is that, 177 years after the abolition of slavery, Jamaicans still struggle with questions of race and identity. Self-esteem and status, to a large measure, hinge on the colour of a person's skin. Indeed, the Jamaica conundrum over a complexion-coded approach to status and sense of belonging can be observed daily in the young women and men who bleach their skins in ineffectual searches for resolutions in their favour. They are, of course, spurred on by a popular culture that declares its love for 'mi browning' - brown or lightskinned Jamaicans. 'In this societal arrangement, black or dark-skinned Jamaicans, who are the vast majority, are broadly at the bottom of the social ladder. They are, concomitantly, also at the bottom of the economic ladder.'
-, Continued PM Simpson Miller, "As we celebrate 'triumphant, proud and free,' - the theme of this year's Independence celebration - let us not forget the road we travelled to create a more prosperous, productive and peaceful Jamaica. Let us draw on the history of our ancestors, a history of triumph over adversity." Noting that Jamaica is on a journey with one, urgent mission, PM Simpson Miller said that the mission must take us briskly along the path of economic growth and national development. 'Let us reconstruct our society so that all Jamaicans can meaningfully participate in the economic life of the nation. Let us remember that Jamaica is more than a brand, more than a name, it is the pride of a people."
Leith earned inclusions in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who in America, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in the East, Who's Who in Universal Publication, Who's Who of the Year, (American Biographical Institute), International Woman of the Year (International Biographical Center), and received the Outstanding Achievement Award at Baruch College Alumni Association. From a very early age, Leith had vowed that she must be "a shining star." She wanted to make a difference in society by being a friend and help to mankind. Her childhood dream has metamorphosed into a successful business enterprise. As the Prime Minister of Jamaica extends this latest award, Leith Yetman's star is shining even brighter.
Cases brought by the Jamaica AntiDoping Commission (JADCo) Disciplinary Panel against track athletes [Dominique Blake] Blake and Ricardo Cunningham have been adjourned until December 3-5 and November 1, respectively, because of the absence of adequate documentation and witnesses. Blake and Dixon were clearly not in favour of an adjournment at the outset, with Dixon pointing out·' "My client is here now, she does not reside in Jamaica and we are here now and believe we can present a good rebuttal. We are prepared to present a case to you." Blake in turn is to file with the JADCo Secretariat a comprehensive brief no later than November 7, 2012.
Among the highlights of the day will be an exposition on Jamaican culture - culinary arts, entertainment and music, featuring too the iconic Jamaica handcart laden with Jamaican goodies.
"I don't know, Tve been having a bad season and coming back late from stress fracture so I'm just grateful to be here in the first place," Phillips said. "I'm just going through with faith and wherever that leaves me, then so be it." "I'm just grateful to be running ... I don't care about that controversy, that's their business, I pay attention to my business," Phillips stated.
[Nicole Brooks] says part of her mission as an artist, whether in film or theatre, is to really uphold looking at stories about her roots. "And so when I discovered that the catalyst of the witch trials was because a slave named Tituba from Barbados was accused of teaching obeah to young white women in the town, I sat back and reflected on how did these Puritans knew the word 'obeah'," says Brooks. Brooks says she is not breaking any rules or being untraditional because the definition of an opera is "a play that's sung." 'It doesn't have any attachment to say it has to be in classical form or that a particular genre of music makes it an opera," says Brooks who is giving a voice to these women. When she held a workshop of Obeah Opera she had to deal with some people who thought she was critical of the Puritan's Christianity and others, including her mother, who were concerned about her exploration of obeah. She answered them by noting that in the contact between captured Africans and white Puritans, there was a connotation that everything African was bad.
'The plan is to run the Stawell Gift meet, it's something that we have been trying to get done for years," said [Paul Doyle] during a telephone interview Thursday. "It's a pretty awesome meet ... Asafa is excited to get over there and compete. "I've been ready to come down a couple of times over the past few years but I'm happy to say that this year will be the year," [Asafa Powell] said. "This year being the World Championships, there will be a lot of focus on that, it's not as if the competition in Jamaica has got any easier, but then again, he is well, he is more mature and focused in what he is doing," Doyle continued.
