International Human Rights Day (December 10) always seems to take me by surprise every year. On that day, a whole range of issues for Jamaica and the region come crowding in. It’s hard to separate one issue from the next, as they often merge and overlap. This year, the theme was a powerful and simple one: “Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All.”

(Apologies for the rather odd formatting in this post, at times. Technical problems that will hopefully be resolved next time!)

I attended the launch of the art exhibition (and competition) “Artivism for Change,” organised by Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ). It took place at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston – the former Oceana, for those who remember. The Saturday evening atmosphere was so relaxing, we stopped at the bar on the way out. The hotel is really worth a visit.

The focus was on “Connecting Art and…