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Tag: Caribbean & Americas


Jamaica is in a race against the effects of climate change, writes Advira Shand, 25, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Manchester in Jamaica, with impact already evident in health, agriculture and the economy. Jamaica is still awash with national pride and celebration following the 2015 IAAF World Championships where its athletes, led by the famous Usain Bolt, dominated …

“Jamaica’s battle with climate change” Read More »

As Jamaica feels the impact of climate change, Tamara McKayle, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Jamaica, urges partnerships that will support programmes and changes to benefit the environment. “You know from I was a young girl, I never see the beach like this, I never see it really stay like this. We all hear inna wi …

“Partnerships are a solution to climate change” Read More »

Health impacts of climate change now being felt in the Caribbean, writes Advira Shand, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Manchester in Jamaica, underline the need for policies and public education to protect the environment and fight outbreaks. I still cringe when I remember the agony of being brought down on my knees by the chikungunya virus in …

“Is climate change creating a health crisis?” Read More »

Climate change affects entire populations, but Renice Bostic, 24, a Correspondent from Christ Church in Barbados, says that addressing the impact on women must be part of the conversation. Mary Robinson said that “climate change is the greatest human rights issue of the 21st century”. Indeed, the manifestations of climate change are likely to threaten the human …

“Gender equality and climate change” Read More »

Young people play an integral role in advancing development, democracy and peace. At the 10th Commonwealth Youth Forum in Malta, 21-25 November, over 400 youth leaders will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing young people, and devise relevant policy solutions through four main agendas – economic, environmental, social and political. The theme of the Forum is ‘Adding …

“Rising sea levels, temperatures and tensions” Read More »

Street harassment can take different forms in different places, writes Alicia Wallace, 29, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Nassau, Bahamas, but the impact on victims and responsibility of by-standers remains unchanged. It can be tough to explain to people that street harassment, though normalized, is not normal, and the practice is not linked to the culture of …

“I was harassed here. No one helped me” Read More »

A beauty competition set the stage for one contestant to challenge preconceptions and empower others to be agents of positive change, writes Rashaun Watson, 23, a Correspondent from Portmore, Jamaica. On December 19, 2015, all eyes were fixed on the grand coronation show for the 65th Miss World Competition in Sanya, China. The competition attracted beautiful women …

“Jamaica’s Miss World contest creates history” Read More »

Climate-smart agricultural practices are meeting resistance from some of the farmers most at risk to the negative impact of climate change, writes Jhannel Tomlinson, 24, a Correspondent from Kingston, Jamaica. Mr Jones, a vegetable farmer in the hills of Clarendon, Jamaica, is renowned for his succulent tomatoes, crispy lettuce and large peppers. A farmer of …

“Resisting the adaptations for climate change” Read More »

Promoting the rights of one gender above the other is divisive and counter-productive, writes Lyn-Marie Blackman, 29, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Barbados, who advocates the goal of universal rights. Many of us living on this earth have heard about feminism. We know about its goals, its successes and its failures. We have also heard about …

“What a tangled web we weave with division” Read More »