Money Can’t Buy Forgiveness

The settlement was simultaneously large and miniscule, heralding a pivotal point in international human rights. His Excellency Ambassador Peter Oyedele of Nigeria recounted the tragic story of the Ogani 9 led by Ken Saro-Wiwa. The environmental activists were mercilessly cut down at the hand of the Nigerian military, arguably for speaking out against the land devastation caused by Royal Dutch Shell.

Dr. Lloyd Barnett explained that the settlement of US$15.5 million nearly 15 years after the incident will prompt other companies to seriously consider the social and environmental impact of the their operations.

Completely changing gears, we had a chat with Professor Hubert Devonish. The professor took a few minutes to shatter my lifelong perception that patois is more than a dialect, but a language. To support that assertion, he introduced the book Writing Jamaica the Jamaican Way/Ou fi Rait Jamiekan from the Language Unit at the University of the West Indies. He noted the book was necessary because “we speak a language we can’t write and write a language we can’t speak”.

During our Pet Tales feature, pet care professional, vet technician and entrepreneur Jennifer Mahfood showcased her locally formulated and manufactured line of pet care products while giving us valuable grooming tips.

Incidents of violence with mentally ill patients have been on the rise and a point of concern. Psychiatrist Dr. Earl Wright addressed the issue by breaking down different state of mental health, rather than mental illness. The most important lesson I took from the interview: parents must watch TV with their children.

We had an interested collection of interviews framed by the wonderful music of Danglin. Soulful and insightful, melodic and moving; rarely has an artiste impressed me as he did. Check the website and become a fan. www.myspace.con/danglinonline