Government of Jamaica
Kingston 4 June 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is encouraging Jamaicans to observe ‘nine night’ in honour of the late former Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Edward Seaga.
“Wednesday will be nine days since the transition of Mr Seaga and, as you all know, our tradition is to observe the ninth night,” said Minister Grange who announced that a traditional ‘nine night’ for Mr Seaga will be held in the Tivoli Gardens Square on Wednesday evening, beginning at 7:30.
Minister Grange said Mr Seaga “spent much of his life studying, understanding, appreciating, preserving and promoting Jamaican culture and it was important to him that we take pride in our culture and participate in the rituals that our people have created, and the ‘nine night’ is an important ritual in our culture.”
The ‘nine night’, based on African tradition, is a wake that takes place on the ninth night after a person’s death.
Minister Grange has encouraged Jamaicans who are unable to attend the ‘nine night’ in Tivoli Gardens to organise their own tributes to the former Prime Minister on Wednesday.
Remarks by the Minister of Culture, Gender,
Entertainment and Sport
the Honourable Olivia Grange, CD, MP
at News Conference announcing plans to honour
former Prime Minister Seaga
Jamaica House
3 June 2019
Salutations
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a difficult time for all of us as a nation.
The passing of one of our great sons, the Most Honourable Edward Seaga — who has served us so well — is a time of sadness. It is a moment for reflection which calls us as a national family to come together in celebration of a life that was devoted to outstanding service, for building Jamaica and enriching its people.
Edward Phillip George Seaga was elected Prime Minister of Jamaica on October 30, 1980 — he became the fifth person to hold that position.
He has also held the posts of:
- Minister of Finance and Planning (1967-1972)
- Minister of Development and Welfare (1962-1967)
During his service to our country, he was responsible for developing a comprehensive range of financial institutions to make Jamaica's Capital Market network a model for developing countries.
These include the:
- Jamaica Stock Exchange
- Introduction of merchant banking
- Jamaica Development Bank Jamaica Mortgage Bank
- Jamaica Unit Trust
Rural and urban planning and the environment have also been prime areas of focus for Mr Seaga. He spearheaded waterfront development in the main coastal towns and cities, rural and urban township development programmes, and the development of parks and markets.
Among his achievements are:
- Reclamation and development of Ocho Rios waterfront (Turtle Beach)
- transformation of ‘Back-o-Wall’ slum to develop Tivoli Garden, a modern, fully planned urban development; Hellshire Hills Development; Portmore Town Centre; Torrington Park Housing Scheme
- Reclamation of Montego Bay waterfront
Mr Seaga also led the creation of a wide range of social programmes which expanded training in human resources, aided small enterprises and protected the poor and vulnerable.
Achievements include:
- Introduction of the National School Feeding Programme
- Introduction of HEART (Human Employment & Resource Training)
- development of Residential halls for UWI, UTECH and Cultural Training Centre (Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts)
In the area of Culture, Mr Seaga’s achievements are well known. And he was the quintessential builder of institutions in this country — the majority of which still continue to serve us well today.
Edward Seaga's political career began in 1959, when the Founder of the Jamaica Labour Party, Sir Alexander Bustamante, invited him to serve in the Upper House of the Jamaican Legislature. The Legislative Council later became the Senate. His appointment at the age of 29 made him the youngest member in the history of the Legislative Council. He was also the youngest member among the architects of the 1962 Constitution which proclaimed Jamaica as an independent country.
In April 1962, Mr. Seaga was elected Member of Parliament for Western Kingston in the first Parliament of Jamaica — he went on to serve the constituency for more than 40 years. He was made a member of the first Cabinet, and appointed Minister of Development and Welfare.
The State Funeral accorded to the Most Honourable Edward Seaga continues the tradition of a grateful Nation bidding farewell to its leaders in a formal manner with appropriate dignity and ceremony.
In the prevailing policy directive, the Government of Jamaica, through its Cabinet accords Official and State Funerals to the following persons:
- Governors-General and Prime Ministers who die whilst in office
- National Heroes
- Members of Cabinet
- Such other persons, including former Governors-General, former Prime Ministers, and Members of Cabinet who the Cabinet may from time to time determine to be eligible for such consideration.
The Office of the Prime Minister convenes and chairs the Inter-Ministerial Planning Committee to co-ordinate the detailed planning and execution of the Funeral. The Committee is comprised of Government entities that typically plan and execute such State ceremonial events. The Committee may include inter alia the Office of the Governor-General, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, as well as the Military (Jamaica Defence Force) and Security (Jamaica Constabulary Force) Arms of Government.
The Chancery and Protocol Division of the Office of the Prime Minister is therefore responsible for the planning and coordination of State and Official funerals. But it discharges this responsibility with the collaboration of relevant government departments and agencies consequent on the formal Decision taken by the Government through the deliberations of the appointed Inter-Ministerial Planning Committee for State ceremonials.
The Key elements of the process would customarily encompass, the formal announcement by the Prime Minister of the passing of the official of State or Government, and of the decision to accord a State or Official Funeral; the establishment of an Official Period of Mourning (flags at half mast, signing of condolence books); the agreement of a Funeral date, the convening of the Planning Committee; the preparation, coordination and execution in accordance with plans of the State or Official Funeral Service activities and arrangements including formal interment elements such as laying of wreaths by high officials of State and Government.
Official Activities:
Monday, June 3, 2019
10am - 3pm: Opening of Condolence Books
Office of the Prime Minister (OPM)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT)
Jamaica’s Missions overseas
Condolence Books will be opened at each Municipality Office in all Parish Capitals
Tuesday, June 4, 2019 – Friday June 21, 2019
10am - 3pm: Opening of Condolence Books
Houses of Parliament (Gordon House)
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
11:00am - 2:00pm: Lying-In-State
Jamaica Labour Party Headquarters, Belmont Road
Friday, June 7, 2019
9:00am - 12:00pm: Lying-In-State
Civic Centre, Sam Sharpe Square, Montego Bay, St James
2:00pm - 5:00pm: Lying-In-State
St John’s Anglican Church, Ocho Rios, St Ann
7:00pm: Candlelight Vigil
Ocho Rios Pier, St Ann (members of Watt Town Revival Church will participate)
Monday, June 10, 2019
10:00am - 1:00pm: Lying-In-State
Tivoli Gardens Community Centre
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
10:00am - 1:00pm: Lying-In-State
Denham Town Community Centre
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
7:30pm: The Arts in Tribute to the Most Honourable Edward Seaga
Little Theatre, Kingston
(Featuring - NDTC, Jamaica Folk Singers, Tivoli Dance Troupe, et al, and Spoken Tributes from University of the West Indies and University of Technology)
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 to Saturday, June 22, 2019
Official Period of Mourning
11:00am - 2:00pm: Lying-In-State
National Arena
2:00pm: Special Sitting of Both Houses of Parliament in Tribute to the Most Honourable Edward Seaga
Gordon House
Thursday, June 20, 2019
11:00am - 2:00pm: Lying-In-State
National Arena
Sunday, June 23, 2019
12:00pm: State Funeral
Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity
INTERMENT
National Heroes Park (following Funeral Service)
Additionally, the West Kingston constituency will host a series of activities to celebrate the life of the late former Prime Minister as follows:
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
7:30pm: Nine Night
Tivoli Gardens Square
Sunday, June 16, 2019
TBC Football tribute: Tivoli Gardens Invitational vs Premier League All-Stars
Edward Seaga Sports Complex
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
7:30pm: Revival Table
Tivoli Gardens Community Centre
Saturday, June 22, 2019
7:30pm: Set Up
Tivoli Gardens Square
Please note:
Candlelight Vigils are being planned for areas across the constituency, including Fletcher’s Land, Mid-Town and Denham Town
Lying in state
As per Family’s wishes, the Casket will remain closed and draped with the National Flag. Those paying their respects will file past solemnly as directed within the ceremonial area.
Music Industry tribute
The Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport and its Agencies (JCDC, Jamaica Music Museum, etc) will use International Reggae Day – July 1, 2019, to highlight and celebrate the contribution of the late Most Honourable Edward Seaga to the birth and development of Reggae Music. The event will be called Music Industry Tribute to the Most Honourable Edward Seaga and will be staged at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.
Mr. Seaga’s pioneering recognition of the transformative power of the ARTS first came to international recognition when in the late 1960s, as Minister of Development and Welfare, he promoted the concept of an international “cultural bank” leading to the establishment of the International Fund for the promotion of Culture by UNESCO in the 1970s. This paved the way for intangible cultural patrimony like Reggae Music to gain a foothold in the international arena.
Recognition of regional and international communities
Notifications of the passing of the former Prime Minister are being issued by the Government through diplomatic channels as is customary.
Announcements will be made at a later date as to foreign personalities who will be in attendance at the funeral. But several tributes from regional and international Governments and Leaders have already been received by the Prime Minister.
Kingston 28 May 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has paid tribute to the former Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Edward Seaga, who passed away today.
Minister’s statement follows:
“Some people make such a telling impact on people, communities and countries — and Edward Seaga was one of them.
He was the kindest, most caring, most brilliant man I’ve ever known and I loved him dearly. It has been my greatest pleasure to learn from him and to work with him.
He taught me to dine with kings and walk with beggars and to give respect to receive respect.
Today on his 89th birthday, Jamaica and the world lost a great leader; and I have lost my teacher, my mentor and my friend.
I give credit to Mr Seaga for much that I have achieved in my professional life. He saw great potential in me and invested his time and effort into helping me to rise and to contribute to the country that we both love.
Mr Seaga loved Jamaica and our people. He understood the value of our culture and way of life in a way that few other people do. He dedicated his life to advancing Jamaica in every way; and we have become a cultural powerhouse because of Mr Seaga’s vision and service.
All of us — especially those of us from West Kingston — are heartbroken today — he was ‘closer than a brother.’ But in this moment, we are also proud to have benefitted from, be associated with, and counted as family by Edward Seaga. And to us, he was and will always be family.
Thank you for your service, Mr Eddie. Thank you for loving us and working so hard for each of us every day. Walk good. I will always love you.”
Kingston 21 May 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is this year’s recipient of the coveted DUSUSU Award in the Gender Minister category.
The awards are presented annually to a First Lady and a Gender Minister who have shown exemplary work in Gender Development issues.
The award was presented to Minister Grange at her offices in New Kingston by the founder of the DUSUSU Awards, the world renowned girls education advocate Zuriel Oduwole.
Zuriel said Minister Grange was selected because she is “doing a lot in the areas of and in issues surrounding girls education, gender development and teenage pregnancy.”
Zuriel started the awards in 2014 when she was 11 years old to recognise the work of First Ladies and Gender Ministers in Africa.
Minister Grange has created history by becoming the first person outside of the African continent to receive the DUSUSU Award.
The Minister said she was honoured to receive the award from young Zuriel. Minister Grange pledged to continue working towards the empowerment, protection and education of girls.
Previous recipients of DUSUSU Awards have included Ministers of Gender Affairs in Mauritius, Ghana and Rwanda.
Statement from the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport
the Honourable Olivia Grange, CD, MP
The Reggae Girlz will play their final home game against a strong Panama team on Sunday, May 19 before heading to the FIFA Women's World Cup in France.
It will be no ordinary match. It will be our official send off for the girls who’ve made us so proud.
Come out to the National Stadium on Sunday.
Let’s all wear GOLD. Let's show them love. And let's give full support to our girls.
See you there!
Kingston 11 May 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed deep concern about the reported maltreatment of Reggae artiste JahDore and his family by the police.
Minister Statement follows:
I am shocked and deeply concerned by the allegations against the police made by Rastafari Reggae artiste JahDore. The very serious allegations surround human rights abuses, including physical violence and the infringing of religious freedom involving the alleged feeding of meat which is forbidden by the family and the cutting of locks.
If these allegations are true, they are unacceptable and an affront to justice and the peaceful ‘livity’ that we all desire; they should be condemned in the strongest manner; and the perpetrators left to face the consequences.
Many Jamaicans, including members of the Ratafari community, share my concern about these allegations and are anxious for us to get to the bottom of what happened. I have been in touch with my colleague Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, on the matter and I welcome the quick intervention of the Commissioner of Police to order an immediate investigation.
I have also spoken with JahDore and assured him of the Government’s commitment to investigate and take appropriate action where necessary. I also assured him of my respect for and commitment to the Rastafari community and its beliefs and will fight any act to deprive Rastas of their rights.
Kingston 10 May 2019 – Lane two in the Class Three 100 metres for girls was supposed to be Chantea Skyers’ lane. The young Red Hills Primary School athlete had been preparing for months to compete in the Insports Championships when she went missing and was later found dead.
Today — the second of the three-day Championships — was to have been Chantea’s moment; the day she had been working towards.
Her coach, Phillip Anderson, said she was a “very promising” athlete. “She had the ability to reach just as far as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. She was there and somehow we lost her… I don’t know why they had to take her,” Mr Anderson continued.
At the request of the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, Chantea’s lane was not taken by another athlete. Instead, as the competitors faced the starter in the Class Three 100 metres for girls, a picture of the slain athlete and roses placed by her mother, Christal Service, and Minister Grange, occupied lane two.
Miss Service, overwhelmed, was unable to give a statement.
Minister Grange said it was “sad to recall that on her way from school, Chantea was taken, abused and tragically killed. We all feel the loss deeply, so you can imagine how her mother feels today… She’s here in spirit. She ran her race today.”
The decision to “keep her lane free” was intended to honour the young runner and to appeal to the nation for greater effort to protect children.
“As a government we will continue to do what we can to safeguard our children. This is Child Month and it is also the launch of Workers’ Week and Labour Day and our theme for Labour Day is safety of our children and it’s our responsibility, it’s your responsibility, it’s the responsibility of all of us and so we will continue to play our part and to do even more to secure our children.”
The Eastern Zone of the Insports Primary Schools’ Track and Field Championships concludes on Saturday.
The Central Zone Championships will take place at GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport from May 13-15; and the Western Championships will be held at St Elizabeth Technical High School from May 16-18.
Kingston 4 May 2019 – Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, and the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, have hosted the national Special Olympics team at a special reception at Jamaica House on Friday (3 May 2019).
Minister Grange said the reception “was about showing support, love and appreciation for our Special Olympics team that did so well at the World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi in March.”
The Jamaican team won 14 gold, 10 silver and 8 bronze medals in Abu Dhabi, which represents our nation’s best showing at the Special Olympics World Games.
Minister Grange said the team deserves special accolades for their performances.
According to the Minister, “I cannot think of another team that tries as hard, that overcomes as much, that inspires us as much as our Special Olympians do. They deserve all our praise and all our support.”
Minister Grange also used the opportunity to announce that a member of the team — Badminton player Travis Ebanks — had been awarded a scholarship to complete tertiary studies.
“Our special athletes are succeeding in every area of life — including academics. Tonight we especially celebrate Travis Ebanks. Travis is in his final year as a law student at the University of the West Indies, but it has been a challenge for Travis. When I heard that he was having financial difficulty and was in danger of dropping out of the programme, I made the decision that must never happen.
I’m proud to say that he has been awarded a full scholarship; he will continue his programme; he will overcome another challenge; and he will graduate from law school.”
Minister Grange thanked the Principal of the UWI, Mona Campus, Professor Dale Webber; Mrs. Arlene Supersad; and Dr. Denise Eldemire Shearer for helping to secure a scholarship for Travis Ebanks.
Each member of the Special Olympics team was presented with a certificate at the Jamaica House reception.
MESSAGE BY THE HONOURABLE OLIVIA GRANGE, CD, MP
MINISTER OF CULTURE, GENDER, ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORT
FOR INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY
30 April 2019
Today, we celebrate International Jazz Day and the power of the music to bring people together in love, peace and unity.
We also celebrate the influence of Jazz on Jamaican music and the contribution of Jamaican musicians to Jazz internationally.
Our musicians such as Bertie King, Dizzy Reece, Monty Alexander and Ernie Ranglin established themselves internationally — long before ska, rock steady and Reggae captivated the world.
Those early Jazz musicians set the foundation for Bob Marley and others to place Jamaica at the top of the international music scene.
Today the Reggae music of Jamaica is at the centre of brand Jamaica.
In celebration of International Jazz Day, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport joins the Edna Manley School of Visual and Performing Arts in staging a Concert at Devon House this evening.
We’re happy to have the acclaimed Trombonist Steve Turre join with our local Jazz musicians for what promises to be a great evening of music.
I hope you’ll join us.
Olivia Grange, CD, MP
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport
Kingston 12 April 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says a certain pervasive “idea of masculine identity” is at the root of the high levels of violence, including gender-based violence, in the country.
According to the Minister, “This idea of masculinity that we teach and enforce causes men to see themselves as strong and women as weak. It makes them feel that they are superior to women and that they can own, control and abuse women.”
Minister Grange says the problem begins early in the lives of our children and has to do with how we choose to raise our boys.
“We tell them that they must be masculine; and that masculinity is the opposite of femininity. So they grow up to reject feminine traits in favour of masculine ones. They must be tough. And we spend a lot of time training them to be tough. We punish them in certain ways to toughen them up. We drop lick pon dem — much more than we do girls.”
The Gender Minister says the effect of attempts to toughen up our boys is the “hardening of our society; not only men, but women who must assert themselves in the face of male aggression.”
She says a lasting and practical solution is to change the way we raise our children, especially boys, who are currently subject to violent beatings as part of their upbringing. “There is a saying, ‘don’t spare the rod and spoil the child,’ but, ladies and gentlemen, I believe we should in our new socialisation of our children, banish corporal punishment from our culture,” declared Minister Grange.
The Minister was addressing the Policy Meeting on Masculinity in the Caribbean at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters at Mona. She welcomed the idea of the policy meeting but cautioned the participant that it cannot be a talk shop.
Minister Grange said: “I know there is no quick fix. There is no silver bullet. There is no magic wand. But we are in a crisis; and our people are impatient for action. We can study all we want. We can research all we want. We can have policy documents all we want. But if we don’t ensure that we move it from there to the next stage we would be just spinning our wheels, speaking to ourselves and not being able to get to where we really can solve the problem.”
The meeting was organised with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank.