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On Saturday, March 25, 2023, the Jamaican Women of Florida (JWOF) elected its new Board of Directors with Janice McIntosh as the new head of the ten year organization. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) meeting was held at the Broward Library in Pembroke Pines with about 50 members in attendance. The voting, all done by electronic ballot started at midnight on March 23 and culminated at 1:30pm at the AGM.

President Janice McIntosh is the immediate past Vice President, and also a founding member of the organization which was started in 2013. She has a decorated list of leadership positions in South Florida as an active member of the community. Among them, she was the Chief Representative Officer for JN Bank, a position she held for 11 years in the Fort Lauderdale Office. During that time, she was a board member with the Jamaica USA Chamber of Commerce (JAUSACC), the Jamaica Legacy Foundation and the Lauderhill Regional Chamber of Commerce. She was also president of the Immaculate Conception High School South Florida Alumni chapter. A graduate of Florida International University (FIU), she is a past board member of the Alumni chapter, and continues to be active in many organizations and charities.

Her work in the community earned her the title of Woman of Distinction given by the Lauderhill Chamber of Commerce and even had a citation written naming March 13 2014, Janice McIntosh Day in the City of Lauderhill.

As the newly minted President succeeding outgoing President Dr. Monique Blake-Roswell, she will be supported by her new Board namely Vice President – Aisha King-Rainford; Secretary – Jasmine Barnes; Treasurer – Pauline Foster; Director-at -Large – Andrea Hall; Director – at – Large (legal) – Debbie Dickenson, Esq; and NexGen Director – Lori-Ann Barnett.

“I am honored to serve as the next President of the Jamaican Women of Florida. Over the past 10 years we have given back to the local community here in South Florida, and to Melody House, our primary charity in Jamaica. My hope is to expand our membership base here in Florida, and getting Jamaican women to join our organization so we can do more work across the State. Our organization embodies sisterhood & service and that’s what we are all about” stated Mrs. McIntosh.

To learn more about JWOF visit www.jamaicanwomenoffllorida.com and sign up to become a member.

JWOF also awards scholarships annually, to Jamaican-American female students entering a 4-year university. Two students will be awarded this year at the annual Women Empowerment Conference, to be held on Saturday, April 22nd at the Marriott Hotel in Coral Springs. Further details on the conference can be obtained on www.jamaicanwomenofflorida.com.

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The Jamaican Community in Australia was abuzz this week with various activities to mark the arrival of Jamaica’s non-resident High Commissioner designate to the Commonwealth of Australia, Her Excellency Shorna-Kay M. Richards.

On Monday, 27 March 2023, the High Commissioner designate presented her Letter of Introduction in Canberra to the Honourable Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, formally accrediting her as non-resident High Commissioner for Jamaica to Australia.

Speaking of her meeting with the Prime Minister Albanese, High Commissioner Richards said, “I am honoured to have presented my credentials to Australia’s Prime Minister this week and welcome our discussions on that occasion. Jamaica and Australia continue to enjoy a fruitful bilateral relationship and meaningful engagement at the multilateral level as member of the Commonwealth.”

“Our countries’ interests and priorities align in several areas including sports, climate change, oceans, development finance, trade, disarmament and international security. With those synergies, we look forward to partnership with Australia to upscale the relationship especially since 2024 will mark 50 years of diplomatic relations”, she continued.

During her visit to the Nation’s Capital, High Commissioner Richards participated in various high-level meetings arranged by the Latin American and Caribbean at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The engagements included a call on the Honourable Tim Watts, Assistant Minister for Foreigner Affairs. The High Commissioner also met with several senior officials at DFAT, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and the Department of Defence.

Diaspora Engagement

The Jamaican Diaspora in Australia was delighted to welcome the High Commissioner, whose official visit to Australia was delayed by the COVID-19 restrictions in place since 2020, when she took up office at the Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo. To celebrate her arrival, the Jamaican Association of Australia (JAA) collaborated with the Jamaica’s Honorary Consul in Sydney, Mr. Marco Breakenridge, to organise a series of events.

The main event was a welcome dinner and meet and greet held in Sydney at a local restaurant, with catering provided by a Jamaican-owned and operated company, Jamaican Delight!

Community members were excited to finally meet the High Commissioner, who used the occasion to update the community in developments in Jamaica and other Diaspora related matter. This included updates on the National Diaspora Policy, economic developments and news of the process underway to establish Jamaica as a republican state. The High Commissioner also had a similar opportunity to meet a small group of Jamaicans living in Canberra, the world’s southernmost capital after Wellington.

According to President of the Association, Dr. Stephanie Fletcher-Lartey, “The High Commissioner has been actively engaging with the Diaspora in Australia since her arrival in Tokyo. We appreciate the work of the Embassy in ensuring all Jamaicans in the region are aware of what is happening and ensuring no one is left behind. For our part, the JAA has been working closely with the High Commissioner and Honorary Consul to host various events, including several events to mark Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of independence in 2022.”

Honorary Consul for Jamaica to Australia, Mr Marco Breakenridge, expressed his delight that the High Commissioner’s visit allowed for meaningful engagement with the community. He added: “Throughout the pandemic, the Embassy connected with us online to host cultural events and information forums on consular affairs, trade and other topics. Her visit was a welcomed opportunity to bring the community together face-to-face.”

Jamaica and Australia established diplomatic relations on 06 January 1974. Jamaica provides representation to Australia from the Embassy of Jamaica in Tokyo. The Australian High Commission accredited to Jamaica is located in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica and Australia will commemorate 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2024.

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“Raw Materials,” a Jamaican film that has thus far won ten international film competitions, has qualified for a 2024 Academy Award Oscar nomination. The film was directed by Sosiessia Nixon, who expressed her surprise at the qualification by saying that the short film was made “to test the waters.” She thanked audiences for appreciating the film and said she was amazed at how well the film has been received on the global stage.

The team behind the film was overseas when they heard that “Raw Materials” had qualified for an Academy Award. Director Nixon announced the qualification on Instagram, and Jamaica’s Film Commission called it a historic achievement.

Sosiessia Nixon

Nixon said the cast of the short film is “in shock.” She went on to say that the film established a precedent as not many films have the opportunity to be seen on a big screen. After their efforts to make the film, the chance to win an Oscar is a big plus for the film’s cast and crew. Now that the film has been recognized at the Academy-Award level, it will facilitate the situation for other productions and help to develop and promote Jamaica’s local film industry. Nixon added that all it takes is something that “comes naturally to most Jamaicans.

“Raw Materials” is a short 33-minute film made in 2022 that stars John Chambers, Seikai Smart-Macaulay, and Shak-Quera South. It is a coming-of-age story that follows Malik, a 16-year-old fashion prodigy and his struggles to overcome abuse and negativity to embrace his identity and talent in spite of being automatically labeled as gay by his homophobic community. The theme of the film is love and self-acceptance.

Sosiessia Nixon and Danny Glover

Jamaican Sosiessia Nixon is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and film producer who currently leads film and television at iKon Media ad Films and is the driving force behind many music videos, serving as a treatment writer on products for Shaggy, Buju Banton, Sean Paul, Spice, Conkarah, and Dre Island.

“Raw Materials” was the winner of the Short Film Competition at the 2023 International Film Festival, where it had its New York City premiere. The festival is organized by a nonprofit established in 2011 in New York City by filmmakers and film lovers who focus on supporting women and underrepresented filmmakers to encourage diversity, promote emerging filmmakers in all genres around the world, and provide a platform for underrepresented artists to show their work.

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