Jamaica Gleaner
Pandemic
Published: Sunday May 17, 2009
Martin Henry, Contributor
It is only a matter of time. There is no if or but, but only when and what, that a pandemic will hit the globe. We have managed in recent times to stave off avian influenza from scaling up into a pandemic. AIDS is a behaviour and lifestyle infection, which, despite its pandemic spread, can be controlled by a change of behaviour. Not so infections spread from person to person by casual social contact.
Read the whole article here.
Showing posts with label Martin Henry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martin Henry. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
JG - Peace treaties, detention and human rights
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
Peace treaties, detention and human rights
published: Sunday June 29, 2008
Martin Henry, Contributor
Since the police cannot find the men on its most wanted list or among the leaders of the 150 gangs, which Kingfish ACP Glenmore Hinds estimates operate in the country, perhaps they should begin by detaining the organisers and participants in peace treaties.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"Peace treaties are wrong and dangerous - and they have never worked.
The pattern is clear: A pretence at peace until there is a reason for the war to resume.
The warriors of August Town, who signed last week, have insisted that they continue to bear arms as long as the weapons are not 'brandished'."
"The shameful failure of the Jamaican state to enforce law and order and to protect citizens from each other is lending legitimacy to militias and their peace treaties.
Dissing someone at a 'peace' dance, or chatting up the wrong girl, disagreement over spoils captured by the combined forces from the rest of society, or just sheer lust for blood influenced by drugs and jobless boredom will, in due course, terminate the peace."
&
"Peace treaties legitimate the state within the state.
They convert criminals into soldiers and gang leaders into statesmen.
But even more perniciously, peace treaties leave communities captive to criminal forces and deny justice.
Perhaps, the most important reason why peace treaties do not hold - and cannot hold - is the fact that unless justice is provided to the victims of crime and their families and friends, mere boys with guns at their disposal will continue to carry out reprisal killings, a leading motive for murder in Jamaica.
Violence is inter-generational and inter-tribal, and peace treaties haven't broken that cycle."
_____
Martin Henry is a communication consultant. Please send feedback to medhen@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.
Jamaica Gleaner
Peace treaties, detention and human rights
published: Sunday June 29, 2008
Martin Henry, Contributor
Since the police cannot find the men on its most wanted list or among the leaders of the 150 gangs, which Kingfish ACP Glenmore Hinds estimates operate in the country, perhaps they should begin by detaining the organisers and participants in peace treaties.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"Peace treaties are wrong and dangerous - and they have never worked.
The pattern is clear: A pretence at peace until there is a reason for the war to resume.
The warriors of August Town, who signed last week, have insisted that they continue to bear arms as long as the weapons are not 'brandished'."
"The shameful failure of the Jamaican state to enforce law and order and to protect citizens from each other is lending legitimacy to militias and their peace treaties.
Dissing someone at a 'peace' dance, or chatting up the wrong girl, disagreement over spoils captured by the combined forces from the rest of society, or just sheer lust for blood influenced by drugs and jobless boredom will, in due course, terminate the peace."
&
"Peace treaties legitimate the state within the state.
They convert criminals into soldiers and gang leaders into statesmen.
But even more perniciously, peace treaties leave communities captive to criminal forces and deny justice.
Perhaps, the most important reason why peace treaties do not hold - and cannot hold - is the fact that unless justice is provided to the victims of crime and their families and friends, mere boys with guns at their disposal will continue to carry out reprisal killings, a leading motive for murder in Jamaica.
Violence is inter-generational and inter-tribal, and peace treaties haven't broken that cycle."
_____
Martin Henry is a communication consultant. Please send feedback to medhen@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
JG - MPs and the public trust
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
MPs and the public trust
published: Sunday June 22, 2008
Martin Henry, Contributor
Poor Shahine Robinson has been saddled with the miracle-working task of turning members of Parliament into angels - or to at least getting the little 'devils' to behave. James Madison, second president of the United States, once famously remarked that "if men were angels, no government would be necessary".
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"And since the men [and women] in government are no angels either it has always being a fundamental problem of politics about how best to restrain the abuse of power without unduly hobbling the capacity to govern.
The answer of parliamentary democracy has been to devise a balancing of power and responsibilities among branches of government and to place checks and balances on the exercise of power."
Jamaica Gleaner
MPs and the public trust
published: Sunday June 22, 2008
Martin Henry, Contributor
Poor Shahine Robinson has been saddled with the miracle-working task of turning members of Parliament into angels - or to at least getting the little 'devils' to behave. James Madison, second president of the United States, once famously remarked that "if men were angels, no government would be necessary".
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"And since the men [and women] in government are no angels either it has always being a fundamental problem of politics about how best to restrain the abuse of power without unduly hobbling the capacity to govern.
The answer of parliamentary democracy has been to devise a balancing of power and responsibilities among branches of government and to place checks and balances on the exercise of power."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
JG - Hurricanes and biodiversity
From my archive of press clippings:
Jamaica Gleaner
Hurricanes and biodiversity
published: Sunday June 8, 2008
Martin Henry
I guess I should be writing about crime and the goings and comings of the police commissioner. But a couple of other things are happening in a big world out there.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"God bless America. Their hurricane monitoring and tracking system serves us and the region well."
Jamaica Gleaner
Hurricanes and biodiversity
published: Sunday June 8, 2008
Martin Henry
I guess I should be writing about crime and the goings and comings of the police commissioner. But a couple of other things are happening in a big world out there.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"God bless America. Their hurricane monitoring and tracking system serves us and the region well."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
JG - The GG, Church and State
Jamaica Gleaner
The GG, Church and State
Published: Sunday January 18, 2009
Martin Henry, Contributor
Constitutionally, the Jamaican state is a secular democratic state. The State, however, has a strong Christian cultural and legal foundation. And not just any version of Christianity. This is a Church of England-based secular democratic state. The Anglican Church was disestablished here in 1879.
The laws of the land privilege a Christian, Protestant, Anglican view. And nowhere more so than in the special privilege accorded one day of worship above others. Sunday is a weekly public holiday [holy day] by law.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"Under our secular democratic Constitution, any citizen could possibly be called upon to represent Her Majesty the Queen as head of state. Citizens include Jews and Seventh-day Adventists and others who regard Saturday/Sabbath as the weekly holy day, and Muslims whose weekly holy day is Friday."
""Every person in Jamaica, the Constitution says, "is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual ... whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest." And, "Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of conscience ... the said freedom includes freedom of thought and of religion."
The appointment of Seventh-day Adventist Dr Patrick Allen as the country's next governor general is, therefore, a test of religious diversity and equity.
He will represent the Queen, who is the head of the Jamaican state. "The executive authority of Jamaica is vested in Her Majesty. There shall be a Parliament of Jamaica which shall consist of Her Majesty, a Senate and a House of Representatives. There shall be a Governor-General of Jamaica who shall be appointed by Her Majesty and shall hold office during Her Majesty's pleasure and who shall be Her Majesty's representative in Jamaica."
But the Queen is not only head of state for Britain, Jamaica and several other Commonwealth states, she is the regal titular head of the Church of England. And "a person appointed to the office of Governor-General shall, before entering upon the duties of that office, take and subscribe to the oaths of allegiance and for the due execution of the office of Governor-General in the forms set out in the First Schedule to this Constitution"."
&
"One of the most important functions of the office of governor general, which, in practice, is largely ceremonial, is the signing of bills into law.
No governor general of Jamaica has yet refused to sign a bill into law."
The GG, Church and State
Published: Sunday January 18, 2009
Martin Henry, Contributor
Constitutionally, the Jamaican state is a secular democratic state. The State, however, has a strong Christian cultural and legal foundation. And not just any version of Christianity. This is a Church of England-based secular democratic state. The Anglican Church was disestablished here in 1879.
The laws of the land privilege a Christian, Protestant, Anglican view. And nowhere more so than in the special privilege accorded one day of worship above others. Sunday is a weekly public holiday [holy day] by law.
Read the whole article here.
Snippet(s):
"Under our secular democratic Constitution, any citizen could possibly be called upon to represent Her Majesty the Queen as head of state. Citizens include Jews and Seventh-day Adventists and others who regard Saturday/Sabbath as the weekly holy day, and Muslims whose weekly holy day is Friday."
""Every person in Jamaica, the Constitution says, "is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual ... whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest." And, "Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of conscience ... the said freedom includes freedom of thought and of religion."
The appointment of Seventh-day Adventist Dr Patrick Allen as the country's next governor general is, therefore, a test of religious diversity and equity.
He will represent the Queen, who is the head of the Jamaican state. "The executive authority of Jamaica is vested in Her Majesty. There shall be a Parliament of Jamaica which shall consist of Her Majesty, a Senate and a House of Representatives. There shall be a Governor-General of Jamaica who shall be appointed by Her Majesty and shall hold office during Her Majesty's pleasure and who shall be Her Majesty's representative in Jamaica."
But the Queen is not only head of state for Britain, Jamaica and several other Commonwealth states, she is the regal titular head of the Church of England. And "a person appointed to the office of Governor-General shall, before entering upon the duties of that office, take and subscribe to the oaths of allegiance and for the due execution of the office of Governor-General in the forms set out in the First Schedule to this Constitution"."
&
"One of the most important functions of the office of governor general, which, in practice, is largely ceremonial, is the signing of bills into law.
No governor general of Jamaica has yet refused to sign a bill into law."
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