Fall 2021

J AMAICAN A MERICAN CLUB N EWSLET TER C HALLENGING M ENTAL H EALTH P REJUDICES T OGETHER

Mental health problems affect one in four of us, yet despite this stigma and discrimination, is still debilitating the lives of many people and preventing them speaking out and seeking the support they need.

Time to Change is England’s biggest programme to tackle this stigma and discrimination, and is run

by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and funded by the Department of Health and Comic Relief. The programme aims to change attitudes so that everyone can speak openly about their experiences and lead discrimination free lives. People in all communities report stigma and discrimination and Time to Change works to create safe spaces to enable people with and without mental health problems to get together and start new conversations about the issue. Evidence suggests that this kind of ‘social contact’ is one of the most effective ways of breaking down stigma and improving attitudes. Recently Time to

Change worked with the east London mental health group Mellow, on a fun and engaging festival, ‘StereoHype’, which aimed specifically to get people from the African and Caribbean community talking about mental health. This year’s festival attracted over 500 visitors.

The two day festival of music, film, drama, comedy and wellbeing workshops celebrated the strengths and achievements of African and Caribbean people living with mental health problems. As part of the event volunteers who have experience of a mental illness engaged visitors in conversations about mental health by sharing their stories,

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C HALLENGING M ENTAL H EALTH P REJUDICES T OGETHER

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M OTIVATION C REATES 5 G REATNESS

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VILLAGES AS A BUSINESSES

Despite being predominantly Christian, Jamaica’s Jewish residents are among the oldest on the island.

C HANGE A GENTS C AN 10 S IGNIFICANTLY I MPACT G ENDER B ASED V IOLENCE B OOK CLUB

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J AMAICAN A MERICAN

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CLUB

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C ONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 they also informed people about Time to Change, and talked about why the festival was focusing on African and Caribbean communities.

Time to Change hopes the event will encourage more people from this community to get more actively involved with the campaign. www.time-to-change.org.uk

Among the many people who turned up to enjoy the festival were Chelsea's first black footballer Paul Canoville and acclaimed boxer Herol ‘Bomber' Graham. Both featured in ‘Black Men on the Couch’ workshops to talk powerfully to the audience about their experiences of mental health problems. Nine out of 10 people with mental health problems face stigma and discrimination as a result, and this can manifest itself in different ways in different communities. Stereo-Hype encouraged African and Caribbean communities to talk openly about mental health with the conversation led by the community itself, and challenge prejudices that surround the issue. Time to Change hopes the event will encourage more people from this community to get more actively involved with the campaign. Festival Coordinator Sandra Griffiths said: "Many Black people with mental health problems live in the community. The current debate needs to go beyond the question of why there are so many Black people in the system and address the support systems for those who already live in the community or who are released from hospital without a safety net. We also want to encourage Black communities to

start talking about what they can do to support black people with mental health problems and not just rely on mental health services to fill the gap." Time to Change has also just launched its latest national marketing campaign – ‘It’s time to talk. It’s time to change’. The campaign encourages everyone, regardless of their background, to start a conversation around mental health. It also aims to remove the awkwardness around mental health by focusing on the small steps we can all take to support someone who’s going through a difficult time. The campaign is inspired by stories of real people who have been there for someone experiencing a mental illness. A new advert featuring these ‘everyday heroes’ was aired on TV screens throughout January and February to highlight the importance of staying in contact and being supportive of friends and family members.

As part of the campaign, Time to Change found that three quarters of people (75%) who have experienced a mental health problem say they have lost friendships as a result of their illness. Furthermore, the survey found that 40%2 of British adults would feel awkward talking to a friend who was experiencing a mental health problem. And, only around a quarter (27%)2 feel it would be their responsibility to bring the subject up if they knew a friend was going through a tough time with

their mental health. Sadly, these findings show that despite many people knowing someone with a mental health problem, they still don’t feel equipped with enough knowledge to be a supportive friend. The misconceptions that still surround people with a mental health problem make others worry about offending or embarrassing someone, or saying or doing the wrong thing. So people avoid seeing their friends or speaking to them, when in fact these are the very things that can be helpful. However, as part of the campaign, Time to Change shows people that you don’t have to be an expert to start a conversation about mental health. Being a supportive friend can include small gestures like sending a quick text or email, or an invitation to meet up. Since Time to Change began in 2007 there has been great progress in challenging the negative attitudes and behaviours around mental health problems. Last year in particular was a landmark year with many events and discussions that have really help to challenge some common misconceptions about people with mental health problems. Now this momentum has been achieved we need to grab it with both hands. There is a long way to go but if we all do our bit we can reach the tipping point where the topic of mental health isn’t something we shy away from.

Written by Hayley Richardson

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B LACK H ISTORY M ONTH

Getting caught up in a situation he found hard to resist.

Regretting his choices and the opportunities he’s missed.

Displaying a front that says I’m the big ‘I am’ So that his ‘brothers’ will think that he is ‘The Man’...

But he’s been found out, and is feeling ostracized, because as a result of his stupidity, someone has died. He tried to contain the evidence of his

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Written by Myrna Loy

Seeing how easy it is for his son to die. When trying desperately to preserve what’s left of his life; His relationships breakdown and so does his wife. Constantly robbed of his self-esteem...

Lack of an achievable vision destroys his dream.

What makes a Black man cry?

Getting caught up in a situation he found hard to resist. Regretting his choices and the opportunities he’s missed. Displaying a front that says I’m the big ‘I am’ So that his ‘brothers’ will think that he is ‘The Man’...

But he’s been found out, and is feeling ostracized, because as a result of his stupidity, someone has died. He tried to contain the evidence of his woe because he didn’t want his loved ones to know It’s hard playing tough and living lie, And that’s what makes a black man cry.

Why Do Black Men Cry..?

He is crying for the men who feel they have to pretend; He is allowing his tears to symbolize their anguish and pain: The disappointment and disempowerment is seen on their face, while mothers and fathers hold their heads down in disgrace. When you taste the salt tears on your lips Remember the new moon always precedes an eclipse; Trauma and regret will say its goodbye...

So my vulnerable Black man - It’s ok to cry!

M OTIVATION C REATES G REATNESS Motivation is central to creativity, productivity and happiness. Motivation is what causes us to act, and when we act, we create movement, growth and change, we feel involved, masterful and significant, we feel powerful through experiencing how we can change the world, and we create more of what we love in our lives. And all of this gives our

lives purpose and happiness, so why do so many of us not feel this zealousness and passion for life? Most of us have just one distinction for demotivation, which means that you’re likely to assume that you’re struggling with the same problem whenever you’re motivated, when in fact demotivation is a category of problems that has many

different distinctions within it.

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VILLAGES AS BUSINESSES PROGRAMME (VAB) ACADEMY FOR COMMUNITY TOURISM (ACT) TRAVELJAMII MARKETING APP

Tourism Entrepreneurship – Sustaining and Transforming Communities

www.visitcommunities.com/jamaica

www.villagesasbusinesses.com

www.peacetourism.org

P.O. Box 78 : Mandeville : Manchester : Jamaica : W.I. Marguerite Diana McIntyre-Pike O.D ,BSc President/Founder

876-507-6326

iiptcaribbean@yahoo.com

VILLAGES AS BUSINESSES PAVING THE WAY FORWARD FOR CARIBBEAN COMMUNITIES.

Jamaica has been branded the HOME OF COMMUNITY TOURISM by the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) as this is where it was pioneered 45 years ago by Diana McIntyre-Pike owner/operator of The Astra Country Inn Mandeville then and the late Desmond Henry a past Director of Tourism. Together they created the Countrystyle Community Tourism Network (CCTN) to develop community tourism mainly on the south coast of Jamaica.

In more recent years, CCTN developed a non-profit membership organization called VILLAGES AS BUSINESSES which has received local and international recognition. Diana McIntyre-Pike has received several awards for this initiative the most recent being in 2020 from the newly formed World Tourism Network (WTN) as one of 17 Tourism professionals to be awarded an international Tourism Heroes Award.

The Villages as Businesses (VAB) programme has been implementing a five-day Entrepreneurship Hospitality Training in several communities in Jamaica and the Caribbean region which is now certified by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus. The training covers personal development, research of existing and potential assets, environmental awareness, business development, security and COVID protocols. One of the Jamaican Diaspora organizations Making Connections Work UK has endorsed the VAB and marketing COMMUNITY ECONOMIC TOURISM as the umbrella approach.

The Countrystyle Community Tourism Network (CCTN) has recently decided to have the Jamaican and Caribbean Diaspora as their investment and marketing partners and created a special community tourism fund called COMFUND with an interim Diaspora Board. It is now registered in the USA and presently working on being finalized with a financial institution to facilitate the potential investment where the interest will be available for low interest loans and grant funding. All future Community lifestyle vacations and tours will include a contribution to COMFUND. A partnership has just been finalized with a Caribbean Diaspora organization mobile application platform called TravelJamii which will enable the Global Community to experience everything Caribbean to promote community tourism, major brands, attractions, events, cuisine etc. and will roll out its new design in September. CCTN looks forward to the Diaspora support for COMMUNITY ECONOMIC TOURISM. www.visitcommunities.com/jamaica

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Change Agents Can Significantly Impact Gender Based Violence

The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, a compendium of terms and constru used in implementation research, defines change agents as: “Individuals who formally influence cilitate intervention decisions in a desirable direction”. It is within this framework that The Carib Voice is launching Project Change Agents (PCA) to tackle domestic violence specifically and vio in general in the Caribbean.

The project currently in its fund-raising phase, aims to involve schools, ministries of educa the media and other stakeholders in a process that will hopefully result in young people been id fied and trained to become anti-violence change agents in communities across the Caribbean, w special focus on domestic violence but also with skills sets to address sexual abuse, child abuse a hopefully substance abuse.

At the crux of the project is an essay contest on domestic violence for fourth to sixth form dents in all English-speaking Caribbean nations during the 2022/23 school year. However, the p to secure the support of ministries of education in these nations with respect to getting domesti lence on the curricula for the 2021/22 school year enabling students to engage in research, inclu ing primary research within their communities. This will provide sensitization and the informa they will use to write their essays during the 2022/23 school year.

TCV also plans to approach Caribbean media to partner with respect to widely promoting say, providing constant coverage of domestic violence and publishing the winning essays in each tion as well as the overall regional winners. While cash prizes will be presented to the overall wi TCV is hoping that ministries of education can reach out to the private sector for help to organiz cash prizes within each participating nation as well. All winners will be provided with certificate TCV and regional winners will also receive plaques.

The expectation is that with higher sensitivity and greater knowledge about domestic violence, students would be willing to undertake training, to be provided virtually by The Caribbean Voice and other stakeholders, that will enable them to then become change agents within their communities. Ongoing support will be provided by TCV in colGiven that attitudes are harder to dispel the older one gets, TCV hopes that by starting with young people, the entire next generation adults can be socialized towards a positive change attitude with respect to relationship violence and abuse thereby laying the foundation for an ongoing reengineering of attitudes.

TCV is appealing to the public to support Project Change Agent by donating to our gofundme account at https://www.gofundme.com/f/caribbean-high-school-domesticessay-contest?fbclid=IwAR1091sAxXMLpOK-EBMsrTVyc6MoW3SrmuxKXYL4IDLWoueTkETEfS2vPs. Donors can be included as supporters of the project and businesses and organizations as partners in all publicity and promotion. For info or to be involved in this project as a supporter or partner please email caribvoice@aol.com or call/what's app 646-461-0574.

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Organization J AMAICAN A MERICAN C LUB

PO Box 62 Elk Grove, IL 600009 USA

This not for profit club's sole purpose is to create unity among positive people who have passion; therefore, the Jamaican American Club will not align itself with any religious, political or social classes that are unwilling to respect an individual's choice for their interpretation of the world.

E-mail: JamaicanAmericanClub@yahooo

Goal: Help the community remain viable.

UNITED WE BARGIN DIVIDED WE BEG!

Intended audience: Any individual who would like to help is welcome.

WWW.JamaicanAmericanClub.org

C ONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 When you have just one distinction for demotivation, you’ll apply the same old strategies whenever you feel demotivated, which for many people looks like this: set goals, push harder, create accountability checks that will push you, and run your life using ‘Getting Things Done’ (GTD) methods and to-do lists. These strategies are ineffective with most types of de-motivation, and in some instances they can even make you more demotivated. At its essence, demotivation is about you not being fully committed to act, and there are many reasons why you might be in that

position. Having more distinctions for your demotivation will help you to identify the real reasons for your unwillingness to commit to action, so that you can pick the right tools and strategies to get motivated again.

www.tolerance.org

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