Premium Essay

Jamaican Children Have Rights Too

In:

Submitted By nadinenyree
Words 1729
Pages 7
“Jamaican Children Have Rights Too”
The future of any nation is dependent on the nurturing, education, health care, guidance and proper treatment of its children and as Whitney Houston aptly puts it in her very popular song The Greatest Love of All, “I believe that children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way, show them all the beauty they possess inside, give them a sense of pride, to make it easier …” These words speaks about children and how we should treat them, but in our Jamaican society, who do we classify as children. According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary a child is a “young human being below the age of full physical development”, which in Jamaica is 18 years of age and who, incidentally, is protected by the rights contained in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child – adopted by the United Nations – basically protects the “best interests” of each child, recognizing the child as an individual with changing needs as he or she matures and therefore seeks to balance the rights of the child with the rights and duties of their parents. To simplify the rights, they are categorized into four different areas, namely: Survival Rights, Development Rights, Protection Rights and Participation Rights.

Here in our beautiful island of Jamaica, children are abandoned daily. Some are abused, whether physically, emotionally, mentally or sexually and worst yet, some are killed. Every Child in Jamaica has the right to survive. Parents should recognize that their child have the right to proper food, clothing and shelter as well as the right to be effectively cared for, loved and nurtured. Too many times, Jamaican children are left to survive on their own, as their so called parents neglect their responsibilities. These responsibilities include the child’s right to development. Each

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Reggae

...people converted. Famous groups like the Rudeboys and Maytals helped Reggae to become what it is today. Reggae music was not always the most popular form of music in Jamaica. Reggae was influenced by the music genre of Jazz that was sweeping the nation. A lot of Jamaicans used Jazz to entertain the tourists. In the 1950’s Jazz Bebop became the new fad music for the youth of Jamaica and Jazz orchestras weren’t as common as in years past. In the 1960’s Ska was introduced and was the first style of music created by Jamaicans, this gave them a sense of identity. Ska was created by working class Jamaicans and they used it to express themselves and tell their stories. It was important because R&B singles weren’t being released as often, and didn’t attract as many listeners as it once did. Ska music consisted of the combination of Caribbean mento, calypso, and Jazz. The main reason for Ska’s popularity was because the music fit the moods of the time. People had the mind state to accept anything unique to Jamaica especially because they just got their independence. The only downside of Ska music was that it was very fast and people exerted so much energy so they couldn’t stay on the dance floor for too long. This led to the popularity of the new musical genre Rocksteady. Its popularity can be contributed to a very hot summer where the people had to dance to a slower type of rock music instead of a more wild pace of...

Words: 3200 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Pride, Proud and Prejudice

...no such thing as white pride black pride etc. Pride is often confused with being proud of, and because of this extreme proudness in many cases it leads to prejudice. Today we’re going to briefly examine these words. PRIDE:PROUD:&PREJUDICE... Pride isn’t something you have for a group or even for someone else, you can only take pride in yourself, or have pride in your ability, accomplishment and or goals. I pride myself in the way I give presentations, this man right here pride himself in taking care of his two motorcycle, this young lady right here likes to shop, she pride herself in her appearance. Theses are examples of pride. Have a little self pride people. Now being Proud of. is the Lack of self Pride, Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying you can’t be proud of your children, or anyone for that matter. What I’m talking about, I think james Brown made a song about it, “Say it loud I’m black and i’m proud” Not only do we express it but all races expresses it . Proud of what? many would say that black america is very proud now that we have a pres, or let take the Jamaicans during the Olympic games were and still are very proud because the fastest man and woman are from Jamaica. many races have taken this to the...

Words: 564 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Rastafari

...Many people throughout the world have a hard time understanding what it means to be a Rasta. For some their troubles in understanding Rasta’s come because they look at Rastafari as only a religion. When one does this they run into many problems. This is because Rastafari is much more than a religion. It is a way of life, a social movement, as well as a mind set. Another reason why western people have a hard time understanding Rastafari is because the movement lacks the structure that the western world is use to. A lot of people’s understanding of Rasta’s only goes as far as to think that Rasta’s are people that live in Jamaica, smoke weed, and have Dreadlocks. These people do not begin to think what is behind the movement. The Development of Rastafari The Rastafari movement stems from the teachings of the great Jamaican leader and motivator of masses, Marces Garvey. Garvey told the African people of the world to unite and to return to African, the homeland. Garvey’s vision was for the “Blacks to overcome their feelings of inferiority and build upon their own unique and evolving culture, and ultimately return to Africa to redeem their homeland and to build a future”(Dubb. Pg2) Garvey’s vision and ability to unite people made the Jamaican people enlightened to what was going on in the world. Garvey created the U.N.I.A. and the Negro World newspaper, which helped to inform the Jamaicans of what was going on in the African world. Garvey told his followers, “Look towards...

Words: 6611 - Pages: 27

Premium Essay

Rastafarian

...furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi São Paulo Shanghai Taipei Tokyo Toronto Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Copyright © 2003 by Ennis Barrington Edmonds The moral rights of the authors have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Edmonds, Ennis Barrington. Rastafari : from outcasts to culture bearers / Ennis Barrington Edmonds. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-19-513376-5 1. Rastafari movement. 2. Jamaica—Religious life and customs. I. Title. BL2532.R37...

Words: 79520 - Pages: 319

Premium Essay

African Diaspora

...mid-eighteenth century; consolidation and growth of various European denominations in the region in uneasy tension with the proliferation of independent black Christian groups and African religions in the post-emancipation era from 1833; the contest for political, economic and religious independence after 1870, including the shift from British Imperial intervention and influence to those from North America, and national independence after 1962. Contemporary studies in anthropology and sociology of religion speak of 'religions on the move', or the process of transmigration and transculturation, as it refers to dynamic, reciprocal, transitory and multidimensional creations in shaping a 'poly-contextual world'. This implies that religions have to be regarded as cultural and spiritual phenomena whose 'taken-for granted' essence1 has resulted from transcultural and transnational processes of mutual 1 Klaus Hock, University of Rostock, abstract for an essay on the African Christian Diaspora in Europe, January 2002 (unpublished); R. Stephen Warner, and Judith G. Wittner (eds.), 1 influence, interaction and continuous adaptation to new environments, developments and encounters. The emphasis here is on 'a new model of understanding religion which emphasizes process and practitioners over form and content': Religions, including different forms of Christianity, respond to ever changing...

Words: 8882 - Pages: 36

Premium Essay

Sexist Language – How to Avoid Gender Inequality

...immediately want to shove our fist into our mouth. However, what if your person dictionary contained words or phrases that were sexist and extremely offensive, but you had no idea? There is such a thing called sexist language and there is a way to not use it. Our society has come a long way when it comes to women’s rights; however, the battle is far from over. There are still plenty of obvious obstacles to overcome in the battle of gender inequality, but one obstacle that a lot of people do not sit and think about is language inequality. I am not referring to derogatory comments or words such as the too popular insults such as, “bitch”, “hoe”, “slut”, etc., but words that Sherryl Kleinman refer to as “male (so-called) generics.” (Kleinman, 2007). She goes on to explain this coined term. Male (so-called) generics can be found everywhere such as job positions, general expressions, generic descriptions, and very popular adjectives that we all use every day. Some examples that Kleinman pointed out were: postman, chairman, freshman, congressman, fireman, mankind, he, manpower, manmade , "Oh, man, where did I leave my keys?" , There's "manning" the tables in a country where children learn that "all men are created equal,” and the most popular expression "you guys." (Kleinman, 2007). What is the reason for this imbalance? One logical reason could be in the study of language. If you were to look up the word “man” in the etymology dictionary, this would be one of your results: man (n.)...

Words: 1211 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Viol

...Essay on Power of the Media The media has impacted society for decades by selectively reporting what they feel the public needs to know. Therefore, reporters are able to brainwash their audience by offering numerous distractions including opinions. Opinions, true or false, often alter society's view. In the sniper case, as in many other cases, instead of informing the pubic, the media inundates the viewer with biased information. The sniper case of October 2002 is a prime example of the media controlling and manipulating public knowledge. The media frenzy hurts these cases more than it helps them. The media not only informed society about the sniper case but also included numerous distractions and irrelevant information and attracted unnecessary publicity. Although the media was able to help solve the sniper case, all the distraction and superfluous information was unnecessary. The lack of relevant information provided in the sniper case caused news producers to get creative by adding extraneous elements in their productions. For example, the media often showed reenactments. In the sniper case, manikins were used to demonstrate the positions of the bodies. They also used manikins to demonstrate the path of the bullet as it traveled through the body. Not only were the demonstrations harmful to the victims’ families, but they were also irrelevant. Reporters often overwhelm viewers with irrelevant information and useless opinions. Journalist, Mike Drew admits that in the...

Words: 1156 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Child Rearing

...parenting styles and practices, behavioral expectations, affection, education, and physical punishment in child rearing practices. In this paper I intend to discuss the differences and similarities between the Belizean culture of Central America and the Trinidadian culture of the West Indies ways of child rearing. The two cultures follow two separate ways of rearing children in a study done by Annette Lareau; concerted cultivation and natural growth. Each of the two cultures I have chosen rear children in one of the two rearing styles discussed by Lareau. To begin Lareau provides evidence that not only parents but the social class of parents play pivotal roles of childrearing; due to the cause that the social class of the parents assist in the manner in which a child is raises. In Lareau’s 2003 study she provided evidence and theories of two specific types of child rearing: concerted cultivation and natural growth. Lareau stated “Concerted cultivation is the child rearing method that middle class parents use focusing on not only caring for their child, but developing a personality by enrolling their children in many structured activities and developing language skills.” Whereas Lareau continues, “Natural growth is the child-rearing method that working class and poor...

Words: 1765 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Racism in Canada

...Running head: Racism and Caribbean Peoples in Canada The Synopsis of “Racism Revisited” by Dr. Althea Prince February 11, 2015 In “Racism Revisited,” author Althea Prince reminisces on her own experience as a new immigrant from the Caribbean upon her arrival in Canada. She arrives in Toronto in September 1965, at what is today, Pearson International Airport. A young and naïve 20-year-old Althea, arrives hopeful and full of life, ready to start her new life of opportunity. Her sister, a nurse who migrated from England to Toronto a year earlier greets her at the airport. They retreat to a coffee shop in the airport before heading off to her sister’s place in downtown Toronto. While at the coffee shop, Althea comes face to face with the issue of race and the gravity of it. White people were staring awkwardly at her, gawking as if there was something wrong and the negativity was very prominent. Confused, Althea wonders what is wrong, and it is then that her sister tells her that the ill-mannered stares are due to the small number of Black people in Toronto. Once considered her “land of milk and honey,” Althea’s perception of life in Toronto changes, as issues of race and discrimination become more and more prevalent. She starts to accept the harsh reality that her “land of milk and honey” is not as she thought when she states “it finally penetrated my conscious that I was being told that my skin color made me an undesirable person (p.29)” Later, she encounters more situations...

Words: 1026 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

...wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it's like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I've done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do: • attend a sleepover • have a playdate • be in a school play • complain about not being in a school play • watch TV or play computer games • choose their own extracurricular activities • get any grade less than an A • not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama • play any instrument other than the piano or violin • not play the piano or violin. I'm using the term "Chinese mother" loosely. I know some Korean, Indian, Jamaican, Irish and Ghanaian parents who qualify too. Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise. I'm also using the term "Western parents" loosely. Western parents come in all varieties. All the same, even when Western parents think they're being strict, they usually don't come close to being Chinese mothers. For example, my Western friends who consider themselves strict make their children practice their instruments 30 minutes every day. An hour at most. For a Chinese mother, the first hour is the easy part. It's hours two and three that get tough. Despite our squeamishness about cultural stereotypes...

Words: 2565 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

The Case of Jesus Gonzolez

...accounts of events that encourage them to reflect and explore critical issues and then develop meaningful responses. (Taylor, S. & Whittaker, C. 2009) Teachers can learn in a more thoughtful and reflecting manner when given the opportunity to analyze a case and evaluate what actions others have taken when faced with the issues these cases present. (p. 69) It allows teachers to put themselves in the classroom in a virtual sense and look beyond their own preconceptions and face issues that are occurring all over the country. In the teaching case of Jesus Gonzalez, there are several problems that present themselves between the teacher, student, parents and school. Analyzing this case allows me to grapple with issues that are occurring more and more in our communities of multi-cultural diversity. Jesus is the son of a migrant worker and comes from a proud Mexican family steeped in their culture’s traditions. He attends a predominantly white school that has few resources to help with bi-lingual children. The teacher has no experience in working with bilingual children from different cultures. Jesus’s parents don’t speak English well and only let Jesus socialize with other Mexicans or Jamaicans near where he lives. The town is small and there are few Mexicans in the community. Jesus feels stuck between two worlds, one with his family that only speak Spanish and are isolated, and the world of school surrounded by white classmates with which he has little in common. Jesus’s teacher...

Words: 1551 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Love Is in the Air

...A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it's like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I've done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do: Enlarge Image Erin Patrice O'Brien for The Wall Street Journal Amy Chua with her daughters, Louisa and Sophia, at their home in New Haven, Conn. • attend a sleepover • have a playdate • be in a school play • complain about not being in a school play • watch TV or play computer games • choose their own extracurricular activities • get any grade less than an A • not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama • play any instrument other than the piano or violin • not play the piano or violin. I'm using the term "Chinese mother" loosely. I know some Korean, Indian, Jamaican, Irish and Ghanaian parents who qualify too. Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise. I'm also using the term "Western parents" loosely. Western parents come in all varieties. Ideas Market The Tiger Mother Responds to Readers Chua's Daughter Sophia Explains What Life is Really With her 'Tiger Mom' An Asian Father's GIft: Permission to Fail Ms. Chua answers questions from Journal readers...

Words: 2780 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

...A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it's like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I've done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do: Amy Chua with her daughters, Louisa and Sophia, at their home in New Haven, Conn. ENLARGE Amy Chua with her daughters, Louisa and Sophia, at their home in New Haven, Conn. ERIN PATRICE O'BRIEN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL • attend a sleepover • have a playdate • be in a school play • complain about not being in a school play • watch TV or play computer games • choose their own extracurricular activities • get any grade less than an A • not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama • play any instrument other than the piano or violin • not play the piano or violin. I'm using the term "Chinese mother" loosely. I know some Korean, Indian, Jamaican, Irish and Ghanaian parents who qualify too. Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise. I'm also using the term "Western parents" loosely. Western parents come in all varieties. IDEAS MARKET The Tiger Mother Responds to Readers Chua's Daughter Sophia Explains What Life is Really With her 'Tiger Mom' An Asian Father's GIft:...

Words: 2754 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Short Story

...January 7, 2013 by Mosaic Magazine LORNA GOODISON: INTERVIEW by Clarence V. Reynolds Poet and author Lorna Goodison has a contagious laugh. Whether she is sharing a moment that enlightened her early in her literary career or retelling an incident that involved a family member or a neighbor while growing up in Jamaica, the richness and fullness of her joviality embraces whoever happens to be in her company. Goodison confessed that in Jamaica having a sense of humor helps many people cope with life’s difficulties. This past September, Goodison visited the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts in Brooklyn, NY, where she read from her latest book, By Love Possessed: Stories (Amistad/HarperCollins). The heartrending and oftentimes risible tales Goodison presents in By Love Possessed, including the Pushcart Prize-winning short story for which the book gets its title, explore the wide range of complex feelings that are kindled by love—its heartaches, its obsessions, and its passions. Many of the fables in the collection were inspired by people and instances in Jamaica, she said. Goodison is a detailed and thoughtful writer in every sense; and in these short stories she wields a cast of memorable characters, animated descriptions, and Caribbean patois to convey a truthfulness and a universality through her storytelling. Before she decided that writing was indeed her calling, Goodison’s creative spirit had been drawn to painting, and she studied at the Jamaica School of Art...

Words: 3533 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Evolution of Trade Unions

...Critically discuss the statement that “the emergence of the trade union movement in the Commonwealth Caribbean was inevitable in the face of prevailing social, economic and political conditions in the 1930s”. In the 1930’s slavery was abolished because of prevailing social, economic and political conditions. The great depression came in the 1929 and later the World War II was a period of external crisis for everyone especially the Caribbean. This period was marked by widespread outbreaks of revolts and disturbances such as in Trinidad, St Kitts, Jamaica, Guyana, St Vincent and in Barbados. The economic, social and political conditions were a major impact on the British West Indies economies. Were the construction of the US bases and other wartime faculties brought employment and income which also generated training for wider construction skills among the slaves, these skills were increased by the slaves, for a wide range of import-substituting activities such as domestic market and also exporting activities such as lime and limestone, matches, industrial gases and secondary industries, serving the local market such as food, drink, tobacco, clothing and household items and also local artisan and handicraft. Due to the war the trade was disrupted all the export industries were affected therefore, the colonial economy collapsed and undertook extreme vulnerability to metropolitan markets; grievances of the peasants against plantation interest; the growth of the working class...

Words: 2057 - Pages: 9