#national security counsil

[corujalesbica]

Reblogging this again because we need to say it. Brown and black people. We need to stand for our colors, to stand for our stories, our people, our nations. To say no when white people try to make us go to war against each other and then go "Oh their war is so sad, they're so savage"

No

Also worth mentioning: Brazil is a mostly poc country, and we do have our fair share of Muslim people living here. Brazil is also the country that is the current president of the United Nations Security Counsil. We made a document to cease fire in Palestine, adapting it multiple times to fit the interests of big nations (read: Russia and the US, plus sometimes England). The document didn't take part against or for anyone. It was specifically to cease fire, saving innocents in both parts of the conflict (though one is being way more affected)

The US voted against it. And, because for some shit reason some nations have WAY more power than the rest of us peasants, that alone stopped the cease fire. Is this democracy? Is this in any way fair or reasonable ?

[iwriteaboutfeminism]

Trump vs. The Resistance: : Week 2

January 28- February 4

Challenges to Muslim Ban

President trump’s announcement of the Muslim travel ban on the 27th set off wide-spread protests at airports over the weekend all across the country. Taxi drivers in New York City, organized by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance staged a one-hour strike on fares heading to and from JFK Airport in a show of solidarity. Uber faced harsh criticism over the next week - and thousands of people deleting their app and vowing to boycott the ride service- for choosing to accept the fares. There was also an organized effort which succeeded on Thursday of getting Uber CEO Travis Kalanick to quit trump’s economic advisory council.

Lawyers of various specialties were also grouping in airports over the weekend, offering their services for free to the immigrants and refugees caught in the tangle. The ACLU worked quickly to win a temporary stay on the order within 24-hours of it going into effect. The ruling by Judge Ann Donnelly of the federal district court in Brooklyn protected the travelers already in the country from being deported, but couldn’t release them from being detained at airports.

In support of their efforts, the ACLU brought in over $24 million in online donations in two days.

Finally, on Friday, US District Judge James Robart of Seattle issued a temporary restraining order on the ban, pending full review. This ruling means that anyone with a valid green card or visa must be allowed entry into the country, and anyone traveling from the seven countries included in the ban cannot be denied passage based on their country of origin.  "The constitution prevailed today," Washington’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson said of the ruling. "No one is above the law, not even the president.”

One of the youngest victims of the ban was four month old Fatemah of Iran. She was scheduled to have heart surgery in Oregon on February 5th, but her family was denied entry into the country. Thankfully, New York Governor Cuomo issued them a waiver and arranged for doctors at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City to perform her critical surgery for free.

Seeing the horrible mess of trump’s Islamophobic policy, Republican Senators John McCain (who ran against Obama in 2008) and Lindsey Graham, issued a joint statement criticizing the ban and saying that it would ultimately cause more harm than good.

“Such a hasty process risks harmful results. We should not stop green-card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help. And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation, and who have suffered unspeakable horrors, most of them women and children. Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism.” 

While I wouldn’t say that this indicates any feeling of solidarity between the Senators and Muslim immigrants and refugees (Graham called for a “time out” on accepting Syrian refuges after a 2015 terrorist attack in Paris) it may suggest that trump cannot proceed on all fronts completely unchecked by the legislative branch of our government. Maybe. We’ll see.

Steve Bannon and the National Security Council

One move trump is absolutely seeing bipartisan opposition to is his executive order, signed on Saturday, to reshape the National Security Council (NSC) to include his chief advisor Steve Bannon, a known white supremacist. His order also limited the role and influence within the NSC of the Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This makes no sense to anyone, as these positions (historically) help shape a president’s military and intelligence policy, which you’d think would be relevant to national security.

A former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2007-2011) retired Admiral Michael G. Mullen, described the function of the NSC this way, in a New York Times op-ed: “At N.S.C. meetings, representatives from the State Department, the Pentagon, the Treasury Department, the intelligence community and other agencies speak freely and critically about the full breadth of options available to the United States.” Senator John McCain, for one, has called trump’s changes a “radical departure” from precedent.

 And the controversy doesn’t end there. Reporting was leaked that trump was not fully briefed on what was included in the executive order. Whether that would have made any difference is debatable, but we know that Bannon and Stephen Miller, the White House Policy Director, had him sign it without telling him what it was. The New York Times reports that, once he found out, it turned into “a greater source of frustration to the president than the fallout from the travel ban.”

The Firing of Attorney General Sally Yates

Speaking of the ban, on Monday, interim Attorney General Sally Yates announced in a memo to the Justice Department that she would not be defending legal challenges to trump’s Muslim ban in court.

“My responsibility,” she explained, “is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts. In addition, I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution’s solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right. At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the Executive Order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the Executive Order is lawful.”

Within hours, she was delivered a one-line note from the White House saying she had been fired. In a quickly issued press release, the White House accused Yates of betrayal and appointed Dana Boente to take her place until Jeff Sessions could be confirmed by the Senate. It is, needless to say, extremely unsettling to watch a president so quickly get rid of the people who question the legality of his actions.

Announcement of Neil Gorsuch as SCOTUS Nominee

The following evening, on live prime-time TV, trump announced his nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.  “Was that a surprise? Was it?” he asked the press gathered. Neil Gorsuch, currently serving on the Federal Appeals Court in Denver, is what is referred to as an “originalist” or “textualist,” when it comes to interpreting the Constitution, meaning that instead of interpreting the Constitution within a modern context, he prefers to interpret our laws within a late-18th century context. This makes women, people of color, and LGBT folks, among others, understandably concerned. Ms. Magazine summarized his opposition to abortion and birth control.

“In a 1996 amicus brief, Gorsuch declared that public hospitals and individual health care providers should be free to deny women abortion care based on their personal beliefs. While serving on the 10th Circuit, he repeatedly ruled against the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit and in favor instead of so-called “religious liberty,” falsely framing coverage for critical reproductive health services as an infringement on the “conscience” of health care providers. Gorsuch ruled twice in favor of challenges to the ACA’s mandate, including the now-infamous challenge to the law brought by the craft store chain Hobby Lobby. He has multiple times relied on falsehoods spread by anti-abortion and anti-reproductive rights extremists…”

Black History Month Breakfast

To kick off Black History Month, trump hosted a breakfast on Wednesday, ostensibly as a listening session with black leaders. Who were those leaders? Not anyone from the NAACP, the National Urban League, or the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Guests did include, however, Ben Carson (trump’s nominee for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), Omarosa Manigault (former Apprentice candidate and current Director of Communications for the White House Office of Public Liason), and Pastor Darrell Scott of Chicago (who campaigned for trump and, as he put it, recently met with “top gang thugs” to address gun violence in the “inner city”).

The president also received flack for his comment on Frederick Douglass, which made some question if trump knew Douglas had died over 120 years ago, or had any knowledge of black leadership outside of names commonly taught in elementary schools. "Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I noticed. Harriett Tubman, Rosa Parks and millions more black Americans that made America what it is today. Big impact.” In parody, one blogger put together a list of satirical tweets, as though written by Frederick Douglas, such as “@realFrederickDouglass: Appreciate @realDonaldDrumpf congrats on AMAZING job I did to secretly educate myself and other slaves while still living under slavery in Maryland. My work is finally being recognized!”  and “@realFrederickDouglass: My keynote speech at Emancipation Memorial was highest rated speech with biggest crowd ever! DISHONEST CNN chose not to cover it. TERRIBLE!”

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Another commemorative date trump drew broad criticism over was his statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which made no mention of Jewish people. The White House stood by the statement, pointing out that people of Jewish faith were not the only minority targeted by the Nazis, which, while true, does nothing to amend the clear erasure of the genocide they faced in the name of anti-Semitism.

It’s especially concerning, considering the powerful (and some would say manipulative) influence that trump’s chief advisor, Steve Bannon (who formerly ran the anti-Semitic, conservative propaganda website Breitbart) has over the president. A “Saturday Night Live” skit on the 4th ended with Bannon, dressed as the Grim Reaper, taking over trump’s desk in the Oval Office, relegating the president to a child-size table covered in toys to distract him.

Phone Call with Australian Prime Minister Turnbull

The skit was based on calls to leaders of various countries that trump had made this week, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia. A few months ago, President Obama promised to welcome in 1,250 refugees currently being detained in Australia, but in speaking with Prime Minister Turnbull, trump reneged on the deal, saying it was “the worst deal ever,” and that accepting the refugees would kill him politically. He even had the audacity to accuse Australia of trying to send us “the next Boston bomber.” (Who was an American citizen, by the way.) Before ending the call, he described the conversation, (which was scheduled to last an hour, but ended with trump hanging up on Turnbull after 25 minutes) as “the worst call by far.”

Final Thoughts

If trump has learned anything from his second week as President, it’s that nothing will come easily. He has faced incredible resistance at every turn, and the cracks in his administration are becoming more apparent. For someone who loves to be on the attack, he has incredibly thin skin; a fact which is being taken full advantage of. Whether it’s through mass protests, creative acts of resistance, sharp satire, or legal challenges, the message is clear. This is not “trump’s America.” It’s still ours.

[khaos520-blog]

The inquiry, birth of the NWO in America

The inquiry

Woodrow wilson was a globalist who created wilsonianism which is liberal internationalism. The inquiry was the team col.house and woodrow wilson formed to create wilsons 14 points and to be delegates at the treaty of Versailles which called for the platform of a global government the league of nations covenant. They chopped up europe, imposed penalties including reparations on germany that was unsustainable and tons of other stipulations that hindered germany which lead to ww2 and destroyed the league of nations. The inquiry today is known as the infamous Council on Foreign Relations. The CFR is the promotional arm of the Ruling Elite in the United States of America. Most influential politicians, academics and media personalities are members, and it uses its influence to infiltrate the New World Order into American life. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is also known as Pratt House. Created and funded by the richest and most powerful people in the United States and is more powerful than the federal government itself. jp Morgan, paul warburg, jacob schiff, otto kahn, allen dulles, david rockefeller, walter lippman, Herbert hoover, and many other notable figures created the CFR. The wealthist globalist internationalist bankers in the world created the council on foreign relations, they created the federal reserve, federal income tax, IRS, and controls the state department, CIA and much more, nearly everything, not to mention their media empire. The CFR dominates all media. Only 6 corporations owns over 90% of all media outlets and all are controlled by the CFR. Since 1966 every CIA Director has belonged to the Council on Foreign Relations. The CFR even controls the National Security Counsil.

Today the CFR is considered americas ruling establishment, they are the deep state that has been pushing marxist global governance since its inception. They have entire committes that makes propaganda . Sigmund freuds nephew edward barnays is known as the father of consumerism and public relations who worked on americas first propaganda campaign, the committee on public information, pioneer in the field of public relations and propaganda, and was a founding CFR member. Another propagandist and founding member of the CFR was Walter lippman. He wrote books on propaganda and coined the term "manufacturing consent," and was also instrumental in the committe on public information which was created to make americans more pro war and anti german, and it worked. Paul warburg of the Warburg banking dynasty is considered the father of the federal reserve, our economy and was a founding member of the globalist CFR, his brother in law jacob schiff was one of the richest people in america and his family has been partners with the rothchild banking dynasty since the 19th century, his father was a broker and the family shared a house with them. Schiff was a Rothschild agent.

Another founding influential member of the CFR is nelson aldrich who proposed the original name of the federal reserve, the aldrich plan but warburg came up with an ingenius name, the federal reserve which isnt federal and has no reserves. Nelson aldrich married into the rockefeller family and the culmination of power lead to nelson aldrich rockefeller as vice president of the united states. Both schiff and warburg married into the kuhn and loeb banking empire. Biden is CFR, bush jr is CFR, clinton is CFR, and bush sr was CFR, every administration has been filled with at least 100 globalist CFR members since woodrow wilson. The CFR is america, they dominate everything including the pentagon and homeland security, they are considered the secret government. The CFR utilizes the Tavistock institute for behavioral analysis for the social engineering of the population through mass media. The Tavistock institute was created for brainwashing techniques and psychological warfare with great success.

The CFR and its members have control of 2/3rds of americas wealth. Their goal has been to destroy america to be a subservient member of their marxist globalist government at the united nations. They have influential members and powerful corporate organizations throughout america, and like ive said they control the media, they teach our children in school, who do you think created the department of education and its curriculum? John Dewey is considered the father of progressive education was also a radical socialist and internationalist who worked closely with the globalist to indoctrinate children to their agenda with funding from the Rockefeller, Ford, and Carnegie foundations who created modern school curriculum and funded eugenics. They have the tools to indoctrinate every one. Jacob schiff gave millions to support communism in russia with the agreement that the bankers are in control over russia. These elitist bankers wish for global communism where only they have freedom. Its been going on for a century and has gained massively. The United Nations headquarters in New York City sits on 16 acres of land purchased with an $8 million donation made in 1946 by John D. Rockefeller Jr. Woodrow wilsons 2 closest friends were marxist and white supremacists, wilson watched the birth of a nation with best friend and director of the movie thomas dixon which is pro KKK and wilsons closest advisor col. house gave him a copy of his book "phillip dru administrator", which described a marxist takeover of america with government controlling and owning everything advocated for many marxist ideas, a private central bank, and for a federal income tax, and several more. col. House was also a marxist. So woodrow wilsons friends were marxist and klansmen, both bigots

Its clear these elitist are planning a new world order, CFR member, ex president, and ex CIA director bush sr said in a speech that the globalist will be successful in creating this NWO which he admits is the united nations. Hes a member of the deep state, and is a globalist. Theyve worked 24/7 for 100 years and probably spend a few hundred billion to complete their agenda of enslaving the rest of mankind under agenda 21/2030 system. The clintons are hardcore globalist and they are democrats, the bushes support globalism and they are republicans so its clear they have control over our political systems too. These are the people who fund and profit from war, they have enough money to end world poverty but instead spend it on trying to enslave us all under their tyrannical oligarchy. These same banks who have been sucking us dry for a century has plans for us, which is a life i want no part of. The banks were the first institutions to be internationalistic and they want control over the entire planet and its resources, with everyone and everything in it. 70 years ago all this was in the realm of conspiracy theory but today they dont deny it, global government is now legit conspiracy fact. They create policy in favor of globalism, not american interest which they wish to destroy so we're subservient to their tyrannical world government.

CFR member and bill clintons buddy strobe talbott who clinton chose to be deputy secretary of state under his administration. Talbott was founding director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. Talbott was named by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as chair of the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board. He also worked for time magazine where he published an article called, “birth of a global nation” which you can find it online where he goes into detail on how nations arent so great and globalization is better. He won the Global Impact Award signed by his buddy bill clinton who is a CFR member and a trilatteral commission member and Chelsea is CFR too. If you read the article he states america will cease to exist and the nation’s of the world will submit to a single global authority. Right out of mainstream Times magazine from a globalist and council on foreign relations leader. Strobe talbott was president of the brookings institute for 15 years. Cant get much more clear than this.

The bilderberg group, committee of 300, club of rome, trilateral commission, Rand corporation, and brookings institute are all globalist organization think tanks headed by CFR members, along with financial institutions like the IMF, Bank of international settlements, and the world bank. The Royal institute of International Affairs also called Chatham House is the CFR's sister organization in London. According to the grace commission report every nickel of our federal income tax goes directly to the shareholders of the federal reserve for printing money out of thin air and loaning to our government at interest. The fed is not part of the government its a private central bank which is directly from marxs 10 planks of the communist manifesto, which we have all 10 planks in place today here in america. With the help of the CFR, col. Houses book became reality a few years after the CFR was formed.

Professor Carrol Quigley was bill clintons mentor at Georgetown university and he was allowed by the CFR to research their secret archives. Clinton even acknowledged quigley at his presidential inauguration speech which you can find on YouTube . He wrote the book, "Tragedy and Hope", in favor of the globalist which he details the scope of the agenda of the CFR.

“The powers of financial capitalism had another far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalist fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent meetings and conferences. The apex of the systems was to be the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, a private bank owned and controlled by the world’s central banks which were themselves private corporations. Each central bank…sought to dominate its government by its ability to control Treasury loans, to manipulate foreign exchanges, to influence the level of economic activity in the country, and to influence cooperative politicians by subsequent economic rewards in the business world.” (Georgetown University Professor Carroll Quigley,

“It is this power structure which the Radical Right in the United States has been attacking for years in the belief that they are attacking the Communists” - quigley

"The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies… is a foolish idea. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can throw the rascals out at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy. Then it should be possible to replace it, every four years if necessary, by the other party which will be none of these things but will still pursue, with new vigor, approximately the same basic policies." -quigley

“There does exist, and has existed for a generation, an international Anglophile network which operates, to some extent, in the way the radical Right believes the Communists act. In fact, this network, which we may identify as the Round Table Groups, has no aversion to cooperating with the Communists, or any other groups, and frequently does so. I know of the operations of this network because I have studied it for twenty years and was permitted for two years, in the early 1960’s, to examine its papers and secret records. I have no aversion to it or to most of its instruments. I have objected, both in the past and recently, to a few of its policies…but in general my chief difference of opinion is that it wishes to remain unknown, and I believe its role in history is significant enough to be known.” (Georgetown University Professor Carroll Quigley,

Going through the historical and modern member roster which is full of asses like cheney and Kissinger among 100s of other corrupt elitist, you can see they're very powerful and influential people, its like looking at a list of the ruling class of America.

The fathers of modern democratic party was woodrow wilson and his protege FDR who were both globalist, FDR was a communist sympathizer, and both were known to be major bigots, the CFR was the evolution of wilsonianism which the main liberal internationalist organization is the CFR. These people rule america. George soros is a CFR member who has spent well over a billion in his lifetime to destroy america, our heritage and culture which stands in the way of their globalist plans. Soros is the democratic party, so for democrats to be marxist and globalist makes sense since the founders of modern democratic party were marxist, globalist and bigots. The CFR is powerful and they are the deep state which has killed to silence those who oppose their agenda. Wilson helped create the league of nations and FDR helped create the united nations. Both were globalist which makes them anti-American. FDR affectionately referred to the paranoid mass murderer maniac joseph stalin as, “ uncle joseph.” It’s sad when acting president supported communism which has killed over 100 million people throughout its attempts in China and russia alone. He was also the first president to be bugged by the communist, according to the CIA.

The federal reserve has been connected to the CFR since their inceptions and nearly all chairman of the federal reserve has been CFR members, alan greenspan for example and chairman of FED now is a CFR member, Jerome powell. Both organizations were made by the same people. FDRs uncle was vice governor of the federal reserve board. He was one of the five members appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to the first Board. Kinda funny wilson appointed FDRs uncle to this position. Total corruption. There has been several presidents who are CFR members, which barely has 5,000 members, even less back then. What are the odds right? Theres no getting around the fact the wealthiest people in the world are pushing global government under their control and they are definitley doing slimey things to achieve this goal theyve been working on for a century. Nothing but total control over the entire world.

FDR unconstitutionally seized all of american citizens gold, about 20,000 tons with executive order 6102. But of course you were able to trade in actual valued precious metals for worthless paper fiat money. Do you know why they did that? To bail out the federal reserve which drove our economy into the ground in less than 20 years, but dont worry about that just give us your valuables and we wont arrest you. The federal reserve destroyed our economy on purpose than america had to give up all its gold to the rich criminals who orchestrated the depression to begin with. We have been bankrupt and in debt to the fed since its creation, we do nothing. FDR was a hardcore globalist freemason who put the illuminati symbology with the pyramid with 13 steps and the all seeing eye above it on the dollar bill, which is secret society symbolism. Novus ordo seclorum translates to “A new order of the ages." Considering FDR helped create the united nations, this must be the new order as other globalist like bush has spoken about.

Again i reiterate we have ex president, CFR member and ex director of globalist CIA, George bush sr gave a speech speaking of the NWO and how they Will be successful which shows me this is a calculated agenda, he goes onto say the united nations is this new world order, you cant be any clearer on this, from an elitist himself which was a giant in the deep state . The evidence is here if you dont believe in the NWO than you need to wake up or else before you know it youll be living under their system, the same people who fund and profit from war. The united nations has called for a global government built on international socialism, which is communism.

"Some even believe we [Rockefeller family] are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure - One World, if you will.If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.” -David Rockefeller pg 405 of his memoirs.

With executive order 11110 Kennedy planned to end the federal reserve, he also was working on dismantling the CIA, “splinter the C.I.A. in a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds.” the CIA and FED both internationalist organizations that was created and dominated by globalist. So these attacks on the CIA and FED would have affected the globalist agenda deeply. After his assassination both objectives were swept under the rug and forgot about entirely, which is highly suspicious and we still have the CIA and FED today as powerful as ever. LbJ worked with the CFR and had globalis throughout his administration that immedietly undid JFKs efforts to eliminating their power structure. Kennedy was the first to challenge the globalist power structure, and he was assassinated for it. From his speech there is only one organization thats fits the description and its the council on foreign relations which controls the CIA, which assassinated JFK. The CFR back in Kennedy's day was a secret organization, a secret government, and as professor quigley stated they wished to remain anonymous at that time . He speaks of the media which is also controlled by globalist. Here is a speech given by JFK who warned us of a vast conspiracy to overthrow the United states and our values which stands in the way of the internationalist taking over the United States.

"The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know.

For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. It conducts the Cold War, in short, with a war-time discipline no democracy would ever hope or wish to match." - john f kennedy.

[goodnewsjamaica]

Celebrating our Senior Citizens this Season

New Post has been published on http://goodnewsjamaica.com/culture/celebrating-senior-citizens-season/

Celebrating our Senior Citizens this Season

Mr. Orville Hill, Interim Executive Director of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission

On Tuesday December 12, the National Council for Senior Citizens which is a subsidiary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security put on a celebration for their members. The event was titled Jamaica 55 Christmas and it was geared to bring fun, laughter and pampering to our nations seniors.  Refreshingly, the moto for the council is “Seniors Promoting Inter-generational Solidarity.”  Every aspect of the event was a blessing to the patrons.  Correspondingly,  the first male and female to reach the venue were given gift certificates from Chocolate Dreams.  Find out more about the winners of the day as you read along.

Opening the day in prayer was Mrs Esther Jackson-Brown of the Counsil who thanked the All Mighty for being our provider and reminding the audience that this gathering is not only about the joy of the event but to remember that the season is about the birth of Jesus Christ.  Next  up was Nigerian Reverent Dave Okpe.  He highlighted the splendor of the aged, which is their grey hair. Rev. Okpe also demonstrated how blessed by God the audience was.  He celebrated life bringing them this far.

Okpe, a man of 42 years old, also made a point to remind the audience the real reason of Christmas and the gift of life.  At the same time, he cautioned the audience to not think of alcohol, or partying when thinking about Christmas.  The reverent stated that each senior should be excited that their own gray hair is their strength.  With a short prayer of blessing the reverent left the celebration to head to the airport for a flight to Nigeria.

A Senior Set of Exciting times

Michael “Stringbeans” Nicholson bantering with the audience

The event was MC’ed by Stephen Davidson, Director, Marketing and Public Relations Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). He eloquently transitioned through the official speeches of the morning before handing over duties for the days games.

Mrs. Kasandra Morrison, Acting Executive Director of the Counsel, made the official welcome.  She made a point to thank the JCDC team for coming on board to partner with the Counsel in making the event an important calendar activity.  She got great responses from the audience when going over the different events that happened for the year.  The arts and craft competition and Sports days were well supported special activities.  Mrs. Morrison also singled out Ruth Stennett, Programme Organizer, Income Security, for leading in the organization of these events which celebrate Jamaica’s diamond group.

Mr. Orville Hill, Interim Executive Director  of the JCDC expressed how important a role our seniors play in keeping our cultural heritage alive.  With this intention, he went on to use the example of Mento, (an indigenous form or Jamaican music).  He stated that Mento is a dying form of music today but the JCDC partnered with UNESCO on an initiative to keep the form alive by teaming young enthusiastic instrumentalists with Mento mentors.  The initiative goes into select high schools with equipment to teach students how to create and play Mento music. Mr. Hill then especially thanked the seniors for being the “backbone of our country”.  As an illustration, he expressed his gratitude for “The excellent service that [the seniors] have given to our country over the years.”

On to the Senior Games

Jamaica’s own Michael Nicholson, otherwise known as “Stringbeans” lead the games section of the celebration.  Mr. Nicholson immediately pointed out that he no longer answers to “Stringbeans” as his new weight more more aptly resembles “Broadbeans.” This statement started a morning of continuous banter between the audience and the M.C. followed by laughter and joy.

The games section of the celebration started out with the word puzzle race.  The competition for first place was between 5 tables.  The antics of the competition was exciting by itself but the icing was the ‘trouble’ of Broadbeans.  The winning table consisted of  Winnifred Jones, Sybil Walker, Ivy Cyrus and Dotlyn Walters who were given baskets from Shoppers Fair Boulevard to share.  The next game was musical chairs.  Talk about excitement.  The competition was so rough that one senior was bumped out of a chair by “a bigger behind” and landed softly on the ground.  As karma would have it, the bumper and the bumpee were the final to in the event with the bumpee, Ms. Diana Llewellyn seated in victory. The victor received a token from Cari-Med.

The excitement got to fever pitch with the next event, the hula hoop contest.   The last person to drop the hula hoop wins. This was the only rule.  The styles used to keep the hoop active mesmerized the audience.  It was like watching preteens at play.  The winner of the competition was Ms. Jamaica herself, Mrs. Pamela Francis who clearly transported back to her childhood days as she demonstrated her skill with the instrument.  For her victory, Mrs. Francis also received a token from Cari-Med.

There was also a birthday celebration for Mr George Williams and received a bottle of non-alchoholic wine from Shopper’s Fair Boulevard.

The patrons were being treated to the musical genius of Dr. Bob deMarcado who is best known as Jamaica’s Elvis when Good News Jamaica was leaving the venue. The audience love Elvis so much, they asked for an encore. Other performers were members of the Recycled Teenagers Dance Group and the activity center attendees. Ruth Stennet gave the vote of thanks before bidding the audience goodbye.

The event was sponsored by the following:

Attention Tents,& Rentals, Brooklyn Supermarket. The Best Dressed Chicken, CPJ Limited, Cari-Med, Chocolate Dreams, Good News Jamaica Communications Limited, HEART Trust NTA(College of Beauty Services , Boy’s Town, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, JMMB, Perishables Jamaica Limited, Shopper’s Fair Supermarket, Boulevard, Virginia Dare, Rev. Dave Okpe, of Nigeria . Ms. Youlanda Nunes, Morningside Retirement Resort,  Mr. Samuel Vernon (Trelawny) , and Ms. Marie Brown.

Diana Llewellyn and second place contestant

Pamela Francis

Mrs. Kasandra Morrison, Acting Executive Director of the Counsel

An involved crossword puzzle race.

Pamela Francis and other Hula Hoop contestants

An exciting battle during Musical Chairs

Pamela Francis

Pamela Francis

Ruth Stennett

Dr. Bob deMercado Jamaica’s Elvis Presley

Pamela Francis

Michael "Stringbeans" Nicholson

Michael "Stringbeans" Nicholson bantering with the audience

Pamela Francis and Michael Nicolson

Diana Llewellyn winner of Musical Chairs

Diana Llewellyn and Michael Nicolson

Pamela Francis showing off her Hula Hoop skills

Mr. Orville Hill, Interim Executive Director of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission

Pamela Francis

Audience loving the day of festivities.

Pamela Francis and other Hula Hoop contestants

Dr. Bob deMercado Jamaica’s Elvis Presley

Ruth Stennett Programme Organizer Income Security National Council for Senior Citizens

Pampering the seniors was a must.

Pamela Francis

Nigerian Reverent Dave Okpe

[riyadhvision]

Egypt tells UN Security Council: Qatar is involved in financing terrorism

Egypt tells UN Security Council: Qatar is involved in financing terrorism

The Egyptian mission to UN Security Counsil accused Qatar of adopting a policy focused on supporting terrorism.

:: Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Amr Abul Atta responded to Qatar’s statement in which it accused Cairo of misusing its chairmanship of the Counter-Terrorism Committee for political purposes and settling old feuds.

Egypt responded with an official…