Petchary's Blog

2 weeks ago | petchary.wordpress.com | Emma Lewis

We ought to be ashamed of ourselves. But, we are not. By “we” I mean the Jamaican Government. I believe many Jamaican citizens, when they think about it, must have at least a twinge of conscience. After all, Jamaicans have suffered persecution in the past, and many have migrated too, legally or illegally. However, we sent our “Caribbean brothers and sisters” back almost as soon as they arrived on these shores – desperate, hungry.

2 weeks ago | petchary.wordpress.com | Emma Lewis

Thursday, May 22 is International Biodiversity Day. The day after (Friday, May 23) is a Public Holiday – Labour Day. This year, the two are closely linked: Jamaica’s official Labour Day Project is at the fascinating Mason River Protected Area (a treasure trove of biodiversity itself). I would love to go but cannot manage the journey through the beautiful hills of Clarendon. However, I would highly recommend that Jamaicans make the effort to join the Labour Day celebrations there.

2 weeks ago | petchary.wordpress.com | Emma Lewis

I was just reading a Substack piece by Jamaican writer Diana McCaulay, – her thoughts as she prepares for the upcoming Calabash International Literary Festival in Treasure Beach, Jamaica next weekend (May 23 – 25). Diana’s sixth book, A House for Miss Pauline, was published in February; it is an energising read that I would strongly recommend. In fact, I would insist you read it! I interviewed the author for Global Voices here. If you are “Calabashing,” you will find Miss Pauline there.

2 weeks ago | petchary.wordpress.com | Emma Lewis

I read a newspaper report that a small boat (twenty feet long) with forty men, women, children, including a baby on board had arrived in eastern Jamaica early on Sunday morning. My first thought was: Well, they will get health checks, held by the police like criminals, no due process or opportunity to apply for asylum, then shipped back as soon as possible on a Jamaican coast guard ship (probably tonight, under cover of darkness) – to a country where gangs are terrorising the population.

2 weeks ago | petchary.wordpress.com | Emma Lewis

Last Tuesday, May 12, 2025, was a significant day for the Jamaican non-governmental organisation the Caribbean Community for Retired Persons (commonly known as CCRP). The organisation’s Founder and Executive Chair, Mrs. Jean Lowrie-Chin, made a quietly compelling presentation to a Select Committee of Senators of Parliament, during which she shared information and put forward proposals for consideration.