Jamaica is having a 9-11 moment. Prime Minister Bruce Golding flying a plane of obfuscation into the Jamaican parliament, has brought a unity not often seen across classes and interests on the island. But calls for Golding’s resignation will not solve what is at the heart of the people’s disquiet: the seeming formalisation by the [...]
Twenty-ten is a landmark year. It’s the end of the first decade of the 21st Century if you’re one who counts from one to 10, and start of the second decade if you count from zero to nine. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Rastafari movement emerging in Jamaica, the 20th anniversary of [...]
At Abeng News Magazine we hate the culture of victimology. It’s where minority people spend much time lamenting the reasons for our oppression rather than being focused on the means of empowerment. But four news reports in Canada and the USA Tuesday – let’s call them two pairs – cause us to temper our position [...]
The existence of Caricom (the Caribbean Community), the only organisation dedicated to the economic interests of the Caribbean countries, is at risk, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding has cautioned. “There are a number of things that are happening now that are destabilising and threatening the existence of Caricom,” he declared at the launch of Export [...]
In reflecting on the magnitude of Jamaica’s present social and economic problems, one cannot help but reminisce about the historical context of the tragic economic, political and social path the country has taken. The results, we witnessed as our present political leaders struggled to justify the unpopular decision to tax salt, syrup, noodle soup mix, [...]
The economic policies of Jamaica have consistently undermined the ability of the working people. It has relegated the majority of the public to a life of merely existing with the very basic necessities. This situation is made clear each time the budget is read, which is a blueprint of the public expenditures for the upcoming [...]
This is an open letter to Jamaicans. Our beloved homeland and its bedraggled people are in need of many things at this moment in our long and tortuous history. And whilst our list is long … money and jobs are in short supply. Even rain and food are increasingly scarce. But like the Blue Lagoon [...]
From Michelle Obama’s sleeveless arms to Rihanna’s battered face, as the 98th anniversary of International Women’s Day arrives March 8, it is obvious that women do not yet occupy a space they can call their own in the definition of themselves. In Mrs Obama’s case, one could say it is a trite issue whether she [...]
The internet is all about interconnectivity and interconnectedness. Abeng News Magazine is positioned within this global community but with a distinctly Caribbean voice. The Net connects not just people but the media we use to communicate. Abeng News is offering you a new way to participate in our community. It’s called My Turn, a voice [...]
On January 20, on a crisp, cold winter day under clear skies and in the presence of innumerable witnesses at the US Capitol’s National Mall, Barack Obama with his family by his side, took the oath of office and became the 44th President of the United States of America. In completing the transfer of power, Obama broke a 220 year-old tradition of [...]