Kingston, 22 February 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has released the following statement at the passing of Mrs Greta Bogues, member of the Gender Advisory Council.

Minister’s Statement:

“It is with the deepest sadness that we mourn the loss of this outstanding woman, Greta Bogues.

As a one of the leading Business Executives in this country, she made a sterling contribution to the private sector.

We are also grateful for Greta’s contribution to the public sector, where she brought a thoughtful, passionate, courageous and collaborative approach to the Gender Advisory Council, which I chair.

Greta was the consummate professional and staunch advocate for transformational and corporate governance.

We salute her outstanding contributions and will treasure the warm memories.

We extend deepest condolences to her family during this time.”

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Kingston, 12 February 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said that the contribution of women is vital to achieving sustainable development, peaceful and secure communities and poverty eradication.

The Minister declared that there is an “overwhelming body of evidence showing the undeniable connection between women’s economic participation and prosperity."

Minister Grange made the comments in her address at the Second Women of the Diaspora Summit on Thursday (yesterday).

The online Summit focused on economic equity for women and girls.

According to Minister Grange, “The entire society benefits when women can completely access their rights; have equal access to and control over productive resources, including land, labour and capital; and are able to shape digital, financial and property products, services and policies.”

The Minister reaffirmed Jamaica’s commitment to continue to “remove obstacles that prevent women from contributing to economic activity, especially as we begin the process of building back stronger from the effects of the covid-19 pandemic.”

Minister Grange said that the Government continues to “invest in education and training and providing grants and other types of funding to put women on the path to economic independence.”

The Gender Minister also spoke of efforts to: eliminate violence against women through the National Strategic Action Plan; provide greater protection for especially vulnerable women through the amendment of legislation; and ensure that women play a greater role in decision-making in keeping with National Policy for Gender Equality which requires a minimum of 30 per cent of either gender represented on Government of Jamaica boards of management.

The Second Women of the Diaspora Summit was organised by the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network, the Republic of Costa Rica, the United Nations Population Fund and UN Women.

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Kingston, 5 February 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has hailed the finalisation of arrangements for the safe re-opening of sport in Jamaica.

Minister Grange said the protocols were agreed in discussions involving herself; the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, the Honourable Desmond McKenzie; the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr the Honourable Christopher Tufton; and the technical teams of the three ministries and later finalised by the Cabinet.

“All three Ministries worked diligently on developing the arrangements for the resumption of sports and we continue to work on protocols for the safe reopening of the wider entertainment sector,” said Minister Grange.

According to Minister Grange, “we will closely observe how well the protocols for sports are working and will make changes where necessary.”

The Minister said “now that we have reopened sports for training, time trials and such types of events without spectators, we are in a position to expedite the arrangements for the safe resumption of the wider entertainment sector with the input of industry stakeholders.”

In the meantime, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport continues to provide special grants to the most vulnerable members of the culture and entertainment sector who have been unable to earn as a result of the necessary measures implemented to fight the spread of covid-19.

Recipients of the special grants will have to be registered on the e-Registry (entertainment registry) and must not have already received payments under the CARE programme.

Culture and entertainment practitioners may sign up to the e-Registry at
https://www.mcges.gov.jm/eregistry/registration.

Minister Grange said:
"I encourage our culture and entertainment practitioners to ensure that they are registered on the e-Registry to access the special grants which are to assist in alleviating the hardships that they have endured in this very tough year.”

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Kingston, 31 January 2021 – The woman who was featured on national television sleeping on the street with her young child is getting help.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says the woman has been taken from the street “and at this time she is in a facility with her son.”

According to Minister Grange, “provision has been made for [the accommodation and meals of the mother and child] for the next few days until I’m able to make permanent arrangements for [them].”

The Minister said she had to “personally deal with [the situation because] the system is not ready to deal with it immediately… and I’m going to kick in the system next week.”

Minister Grange said many Jamaicans had reached out to offer assistance to the mother and child.

“I’m happy that Jamaicans still care,” said Minister Grange.

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Kingston, 31 January 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed shock and outrage at the killing of a woman during a church service in Falmouth, Trelawny on Sunday.

The police report that Andrea Lowe-Garwood was in a worship session at her church on Sunday morning when a man posing as a member of the congregation walked over to her and shot her several times before escaping in a white motorcar.

The 51 year old bank manager was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Minister Grange said:
“The horrific circumstances of the killing of the woman in her church should serve as a wake up call for all Jamaicans. The entire country must now get involved in efforts to end crime and violence as it requires all of us to end the violence; and it will take all of us to defend Jamaica against the criminals.”

Minister Grange is urging anyone with information about the murder to report to the police.
 
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Kingston, 25 January 2021 (JIS): Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, the Honourable Olivia Grange, is calling for the urgent implementation of reparations for Africans and people of African descent affected by racial injustice.

She said that reparations should address the moral, economic, political and legal obligations of States in relation to past and present atrocities rooted in slavery and colonialism, such as racial discrimination, xenophobia and racial intolerance.

“Providing reparations for slavery and colonialism requires that States not only fulfil remedial obligations resulting from specific historical wrongful acts but also to transform contemporary structures of racial injustice, inequality, discrimination and subordination that are the product of the centuries of racial machinery built through slavery and colonialism,” she noted.

Minister Grange was addressing a webinar in commemoration of World Day for African and Afro-descendent Culture on Sunday (January 24) held under the theme ‘People of African Descent: Defamation, Race Relations, and Development Institutions’.

The webinar was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports and the Jamaica National Council on Reparation.

Minister Grange said that a structural approach to providing reparations for slavery and colonialism under public international law and international human rights law is necessary.

She encouraged UNESCO to work even more closely with the National Council on Reparation and similar entities “to promote measures to address inherent imbalances in our historic and current social and economic landscape”.

Participants in the virtual event included State Minister in the Ministry, the Honourable Alando Terrelonge; Chair of the National Council on Reparation, Laleta Davis Mattis; Director and Representative of UNESCO, Sadia Sanchez-Vegas, among others.

Observed annually on January 24, World Day for African and Afro-descendant Culture celebrates the many vibrant cultures of the African continent and African diaspora around the world and promotes them as agents for sustainable development, dialogue and peace.

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Kingston, 22 January 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed sadness at the death of the Jamaican music entrepreneur and impresario, Ronnie Nasralla.

Nasralla was an important figure in the export of Jamaican music in the 1960’s as a key player in the country’s participation in the World’s Fair.

Minister Grange said:
“Ronnie played a great role in the development of music in this country. He was one of the people behind the scenes who made things happen and changed the course of our culture. He will be missed.”

Through the former Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Edward Seaga, Nasralla was introduced to artist management in the early 1960s, going on to manage Byron Lee and the Dragonaires as well as The Blues Busters and The Maytals.

Nasralla produced tracks by The Blues Busters and The Maytals including "It's You" and “Daddy".

He also worked in the public relations and advertising industry, setting up Nasralla Promotions Ltd. and organised events such as the Negril Music Festival.

He was conferred with the Order of Distinction in 2013.

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Kingston, 22 January 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has expressed deep sadness at the passing of the Jamaican footballer Luton Shelton.

The 35 year old had been ill for some time.

“I am really saddened at Luton’s passing. I was hoping he would have made a turn around although his illness was one that was a great challenge. I continued to hope and pray for him,” said Minister Grange.

In October 2018, Minister Grange presented Shelton with a cheque for J$5million from the Sports Development Foundation towards his medical care after he was diagnosed with ALS.

“I will surely miss him,” said Minister Grange. “I know the entire sports fraternity will miss him and they are mourning as well. Let us remember his family in our prayers.”

Shelton who is the only person to score four goals on his International debut for Jamaica in 2004, went on to earn 75 caps while scoring a record 35 goals for his country.

Shelton who is one of Jamaica’s most successful footballers, represented Wolmer’s Boys High School before moving on to Harbour View and made his mark overseas playing for Sheffield United in England and other clubs in Sweden, Norway, Turkey and Russia.

Minister Grange said it was a difficult week as the nation also lost the football administrator Danny Lyn of Constant Spring fame and former Camperdown High and Harbour View player Andrew Williams.

“In this week we’ve lost three outstanding men who were dedicated to sports and have left indelible marks in football. Each of these men were role models who will continue to inspire the next generation of Jamaican achievers,” said Minister Grange.

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Kingston, 19 January 2021 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange has proposed an ambitious agenda to the new Board of the Creative Production and Training Centre.

At the first meeting of the new Board recently, Minister Grange challenged members to modernise and transform the CPTC to meet the demand for media training and cultural programming in this digital era.

“There is an appetite for Jamaican cultural programming and we must position the CPTC to meet that demand through authentic, high quality productions that reflect our rich culture and heritage,” said Minister Grange.

Minister Grange challenged the Board to improve the viability of the CPTC towards making it the production base of choice in Jamaica.

Minister Grange said:
“I must commend the previous Board which made good strides in retooling and transforming the CPTC for this new era. It is now your turn to take the baton and build on the successes as we work together to achieve new heights for this agency.”

The members of the Board of the CPTC are:

- Chairman Mr. Lenford Salmon (Cultural and Creative Industries Consultant)
- Deputy Chairman Mr. Delroy Morgan (Administrative Executive)
- Mr. Elon Parkinson (Marketing Executive)
- Mrs. Shirley McLean-Brown (Chartered Accountant)
- Dr. Livingston White (Director of Carimac)
- Mr. Oral McCook (Marketing Executive)
- Mr. Lennox Turner (Chartered Accountant)
- Mr. Alex Morrissey (IT Executive)
- Mr. Oliver Fagan (Media and Communications Specialist)
- Mrs. Yvonne Chin Irving (Media and Communications Lecturer)
- Ms. Belinda Williams (Banking Executive)
- Ms. Shaneek Clacken (Attorney-at-Law)
- Mr. Martin Lewis (Technical Production Consultant)
- Miss Lorna Napier, Acting Chief Executive Officer (ex officio)

Minister Grange said:
“Many of you are products of the CPTC. So you know on a personal level the impact that this agency has had on lives, especially for people who could not matriculate to university, but could get training at the CPTC to prepare them for rewarding careers. The CPTC must continue to improve lives and launch careers; and I am charging you with that responsibility.”

The members have been appointed to serve for three years. The new Board was constituted in keeping with the National Policy for Gender Equality to ensure that a minimum of 30 per cent of either sex makes up the composition of government boards.

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Kingston, 18 January 2021 - The Minister of Culture,Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said she is saddened by the passing of the Reverend Father Easton Lee.

The Reverend Father Lee, who was born in Wait-a-Bit, Trelawny, died in Florida in the United States this morning at age 89.

Minister Grange said, “Easton had to be specially blessed to have been able to contribute in the many ways that he did as a poet, actor, orator, playwright, award-winning television and radio producer and theatre director. All of this as he worked mostly as a broadcaster, communications consultant, and minister of religion in the Anglican faith.

“We are the grateful beneficiaries of what he did and what he said, not the least through his poems grouped under the title, From Behind the Counter. So thrilling it was to learn from him that his poetry was inspired by tales he was told by his mother and what he heard from customers who came to his parents’ grocery shop and spoke of many things unaware their young son was under the shop counter listening to everything.

“Easton Lee’s contribution has guaranteed him his niche in the annals of culture and arts in the Jamaican nation.

“I express my sincere condolences to his family, friends and associates.

“May his soul rest in peace.”

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