JNHT Annual Heritage Lectures Begin Today

October 9, 2012

Kingston, 8 October 2012 - The Jamaica National Heritage Trust will begin its annual Heritage Lectures series today.

The Trust has been organising lectures on various features of Jamaican heritage annually during Heritage Week. However, in celebration of Jamaica 50 the JNHT will be presenting the lectures over the month of October, instead of one week.

The Executive Director of the JNHT, Mrs. Laleta Davis-Mattis, said: "The decision to host the lectures over a period of one month instead of one very compact week was made in a bid to encourage more sustained discussion and contemplation on our heritage - the role it has played and will continue to play in Jamaica's development."

The lectures will focus on the theme 'A Nation on a Mission: Youth Empowerment Through Heritage Education' and will target students in secondary and tertiary institutions.

Mrs. Davis- Mattis said that through the lectures, to be presented by eminent lecturers, the Trust was aiming to cause young people "to reflect on Jamaica's journey and the role they each would play in the advancement of the nation." The lectures are being presented in zones with schools invited to participate from every parish.

The first lecture - for western Jamaica - takes places on Tuesday, 9 October 2012 at the Sam Sharpe Teachers' College, St James and will be delivered by the former Principal of the Institution, Dr Cecile Walden.

The lecture for students in eastern Jamaica will take place on Thursday, 18 October at Titchfield High School in Portland and will be presented by Mrs. Marjorie Leyden-Vernon, JCDC Field Officer.

The lecture for students in southern parishes will also take place on the 18th and will be hosted by the Northern Caribbean University at its Mandeville campus in Manchester. Mrs. Lyn Kennedy-McKenzie, Assistant Professor of History at Northern Caribbean University will give the lecture.

The series will conclude on Thursday, 25 October with the final lecture presented by UWI Professor Patrick Bryan at the Institute of Jamaica, Downtown Kingston. All lectures begin at 10 a.m.

The lectures are being presented in fulfilment of the JNHT's mandate to research, select, regulate, maintain and promote Jamaica's physical and material heritage. The JNHT is a statutory body within the Ministry of Youth and Culture.

For more contact:
Oliver Watt | Director of Communications
Jamaica National Heritage Trust
Mobile: 564-9198 | oliver.watt.jm@gmail.com