“The world is watching us. What we are doing is historic, unprecedented, and a major development in the reparatory justice movement,” declared Government Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange at last Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing. “…[T]he tide is changing, we are working to set things right and we have taken a major next level step in the reparatory justice journey.”

The minister urged that the matter of reparation not be politicised, noting, “The petition filing was completed smoothly and successfully. There were no missteps in the filing process, no diplomatic blunder…”

She noted that this was a legal petition, not an interstate negotiation, which noted three issues for determination by the Privy Council: The first question is whether the seizure of Africans, their forced transportation to Jamaica, and enslavement in Jamaica as chattel was ever lawful under English law; the second question is whether the seizure of Africans, their forced transportation to Jamaica and enslavement there as chattel was and is a breach of international law; and the third question is whether there is a legal obligation on the part of the United Kingdom to provide a reparatory remedy to the people of Jamaica.

Before the delegation left for the UK, Buckingham Palace had explained that the King was on vacation at Balmoral and it would pass the petition to him promptly. As we heard in Minister Grange’s address to Parliament, this was indeed done. She noted that Jamaica’s petition utilised Section 4 of England’s Judicial Committee Act of the 1800s. She credited legal luminary Frank Phipps for using this mechanism when acting on behalf of former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament (MP) Mike Henry who had first advocated reparation decades ago.

She explained that the first National Committee was chaired by the late Professor Barry Chevannes who had documented the crimes of enslavement and built the architecture for the cause with keen support from Ras Manning of Montego Bay. Jamaica’s Attorney General Dr Derrick McCoy is now leading the process as we await the decisions of the Privy Council.

It was emphasised that Jamaica’s petition has the full support of Caricom and we had contributed to the organisation’s 10-point plan. The petition includes letters of support from the heads of Caricom countries and Ghana’s head of State. The Repair Campaign has received funding from business leader Denis O’Brien, a long-standing supporter of Jamaica’s and Caricom’s reparation advocacy.

Regarding a comment from MP Everald Warmington on the betrayal of fellow Africans who participated in the transatlantic slave trade, in 2012, this column had described an emotional apology made by Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Palmer Buckle of Accra, Ghana. The archbishop, who preached at a Jamaica 50 service at the National Arena, confessed that his joy was mixed with sadness: “I apologise for the acts of my ancestors for selling your ancestors into slavery,” he said, and invited us to sing
Redemption Song together .

The power of Bob Marley to sing out our pain and healing was again present in Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s speech to the UN General Assembly last week as she quoted Emperor Haile Selassie’s speech made famous when Marley sang it as the resounding
War.

Spotlight on Seniors

Senior Citizens’ Month was also highlighted at the briefing with an enthusiastic Minister Pearnel Charles Jr noting his ministry’s efforts to make the Elderly Care & Protection Act a reality and commending the hard-working Senate committee — led by attorney-at-law Sherene Golding Campbell — which garnered information from stakeholders to create an extensive foundation for the legislation. We are also grateful to Senator Professor Floyd Morris for having moved the motion for this long-awaited law.

He noted the excellent work of the Mona Wellness & Ageing Centre founded by Professor Denise Eldemire Shearer and the 50 years of service to seniors by the National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC) led by the indefatigable Cassandra Morrison. Minister Charles reminded Jamaica’s seniors that there are extensive benefits for those who register with the NCSC, noting that of the 400,000 senior citizens in Jamaica, only 35,000 were registered.

He also kindly affirmed the benefits of joining CCRP (Caribbean Community of Retired Person). The minister reminded that the social pension was now in place for elders who had not been registered with the National Insurance Scheme. Eldemire Shearer noted to me that this had been initiated by former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

With benefits of the National Health Fund and a focus on wellness for seniors, Jamaicans are now living longer, with 522 centenarians on record, stated the Minister Charles Jr. He also said that for World Alzheimer’s Day last Monday, he engaged members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in a sensitisation session on people affected by the illness who may be found wandering. He urged Jamaicans to “reject isolation, engage your elders”. This scrolling habit can keep us from such engagement so we should be intentional in sharing happenings and board games. Poor interaction can affect the mental health of our elders.

The NCSC has been promoting digital literacy in collaboration with HEART/NSTA Trust, with 283 people certified so far and the target of 400 to be reached by the end of the year. We see companies showing more interest in hiring retirees for full or part-time positions, and CCRP has made several successful placements. Let us help our seniors to, in the words of our motto, live ‘Life to the Fullest’.

Yidan Prize to UWI Researchers

Our hearts swelled with pride when we learnt that two The University of the West Indies (The UWI) researchers have been awarded the 2026 Yidan Prize for Education Development. Regarded as the world’s highest education accolade, the award recognises more than three decades of work that has transformed understanding and support of early childhood development worldwide.

Professor Susan P Walker, emeritus professor of nutrition at The UWI’s Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR), and Dr Susan M Chang-Lopez, senior lecturer at CAIHR, share the award with long-time collaborator Sally Grantham-McGregor, emeritus professor at University College London.

Grantham-McGregor worked at the University Hospital of the West Indies and The UWI’s Tropical Metabolism Research Unit before leaving as professor in 1995. The trio created Reach Up, an evidence-based, scalable intervention that grew from a 1986 Jamaican study into a programme serving hundreds of thousands of children from vulnerable homes across 21 countries. It is now scaling to reach 1.5 million children in Brazil.

Dorothy K Gordon, head of the Yidan Prize Judging Panel for Education Development, said the laureates “have reshaped global education”. Their research supplied strong empirical evidence linking early stimulation and pre-formal learning with lifelong attainment. Addressing the limited learning opportunities experienced by many children growing up in poverty, the team openly shared its findings and intervention methods. Gordon praised Reach Up as a practical innovation sustained by evidence, partnership, local leadership, and a strong international network of institutions.

Reach Up offers low-cost, practical, and culturally adaptable ways to help caregivers stimulate children from birth to age four. Activities built around everyday routines strengthen caregivers’ knowledge, skills, and confidence to talk, play, and respond in ways that support cognitive development. The programme is delivered through existing health, social protection, education, and humanitarian systems. Its curriculum and resources are free, continuously evaluated, and adapted to local settings.

The laureates will receive HK$30 million (approximately US$3.8 million), half as an unrestricted project fund to advance future research. They will be honoured at the Yidan Prize Summit in Hong Kong, December 3-5, 2026.

The lesson from this brilliant research: Give your young children good nutrition and have fun with them, promoting coordination and confidence. Heartiest congratulations to these great ladies.

Deaf Awareness Expo

The Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD) is planning an exciting expo to wind up Deaf Awareness Month this Wednesday at the Jamaica Deaf Village, Knockpatrick, Mandeville, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The displays will feature deaf culture, deaf entrepreneurship, deaf education, deaf ministry, inclusion, and advocacy.

CCCD has campuses in Kingston at Cassia Park Road and in Granville, St James. The 100-acre Jamaica Deaf Village features a boarding school, farming, sports facilities, and relevant rentals. Jamaica Sign Language is becoming more popular and a godsend for deaf people who can have interpreters for emergencies and job interviews.

We are looking forward to a learning experience at the Deaf Awareness Expo.

Jean Lowrie-Chin is an author and executive chair of PROComm, PRODEV, and CCRP.