BrainPower

01/09/2024

A little bit of history for creating the future.

30/08/2024

Come home, John.
Safe and sound.
Please.

27/08/2024

Shirley's Run
Issue #10
Just a short note.

27/05/2024

The John Alfred Osborne Birthday Celebration 2024 Part I

Visit the post for more.

26/05/2024

Tune in!

BRAINPOWER

ZJB Radio Montserrat

3:00 pm

Monday, May 27th and Monday, June 3rd.

A birthday celebration in two parts.

John Alfred Osborne

Man. Icon. Legend.

BRAINPOWER

26/04/2024

The Minister of Finance is pleased as punch that he has managed to wrangle a few more millions out of the British aid purse this year than last;

but he does not show how his govt will invest any monies into ensuring that Montserratians will be able to develop businesses that provide goods and services for which others will pay, such that they EARN income for themselves and bring revenue into the Montserratian economy.

So, are we to understand then, that the sum total of the Dream Team's "Together We Can" plan is that Montserrat put our heads together and dream up better ways to wheedle another few millions of national welfare cheques out of the English every year and settle for living happily ever after on The Dole?

21/04/2024

The Ministry of Education, in other words, the Government of Montserrat is denying children access to education because of how they wear they hair.

That cannot be allowed to stand. That order must be withdrawn forthwith, unconditionally.

Education is a human right.
EVERY CHILD has a right to education.
Montserrat cannot be denying children their human rights.
Every child living in Montserrat must be provided an education. PERIOD. FULL STOP. END OF!

A child cannot be denied his right to an education because he chooses to wear his hair long, or because he chooses to shave his head bald, or because he refuses to cover his dreadlocks with a brown or black stocking, or in order to perpetuate some colonialist system of control that denies dignity to Black peoples and doesn't like kinky hair or dreadlocks, or braids - or black boys and men.

For how much longer will the leaders of Montserrat continue/be allowed to continue to carry out the work of disempowering the people of Montserrat in service to the racist and supremacist colonial systems and structures that have been handed down to us?
Why are Montserrat's leaders forcing inferiority unto our people?

Montserrat must not do this.
Montserrat must do better.

19/03/2024

20/02/2024

Talking about stolen lands, restricted access to resources and business in Montserrat.

Visit the post for more.

13/02/2024

Visit the post for more.

13/02/2024

Talking about money, business, banking, markets, young people, population etc....

Visit the post for more.

11/02/2024

Hello every Montserratian anywhere!

This letter is a formal invitation to you to become an official, and perhaps even, annual donor of the Montserrat BrainTrust.

Since I started the Montserrat BrainTrust Afterschool a little under five years ago, I have been the single major donor, providing private funding for about 70% of our budget as well as handling at least 50-60% of the teaching and administrative duties.

Over the years, I have, with support, initiated fundraising events such as the Walk Across Montserrat now in its fourth year and the publication of The Montserrat Alphabet Book created by one group of our children. Parents pay a nominal fee to register their children into the programmes, and from time to time I have received some one-off funding support from the government, the Montserrat Children’s Society and a few committed individuals.

In addition, The National Heroes Project was commissioned and is fully funded by a family of Montserratians living abroad.

The Montserrat BrainTrust is now a fully established institution in Montserrat, and as such can no longer remain a purely private entity so heavily dependent upon my personal availabilities of time and funding. I am, therefore, in the process of formalising the BrainTrust and setting up a Board. That process will be completed by May 31st, this year.

I am writing to ask your support in ensuring that the work of the Montserrat Braintrust can continue with or without me. It would be a loss if we were no longer able to provide the educational services that we do. That is why I am writing to you.

Due to funding insufficiencies, we had to reduce the length of the Summer School in 2023, and the Afterschool schedule for 2023-24. If our funding difficulties continue, we shall also be forced to shorten or even cancel the Summer School. We expect to have some funding from the Ministry of Education for the MSS Orientation Week in September, but are not assured of any other funding for our programmes, though I have been asking in other sectors.

The Montserrat BrainTrust currently offers seven (7) programmes:

The National Heroes Project – throughout the school year

Read! Write! Speak! – Easter holiday workshop

Look & Learn! – outdoor education throughout the year

Summer School

The Montserrat Secondary School Orientation Week

the Afterschool and, periodically

Saturday School

I truly hope you will find it possible to respond in the affirmative to this request and make a financial donation today to support the Montserrat BrainTrust.

Please take a moment right now to browse our website https://montserratbraintrust.com/ see some of the work we have done over the years, and make a contribution of any amount you choose, either as a one-time donation or on a monthly giving schedule.

We would be truly grateful for your support and, on behalf of the children and parents for whom your support will make a world of difference, I thank you in advance.

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly at any time, should you have any questions or need any additional information.

Your very sincerely,

Shirley Osborne

07/02/2024

Visit the post for more.

07/02/2024

Not saying "Goodbye" to the Mighty Hero, and talking about Haiti and Montserrat's "Crown" lands.

Visit the post for more.

30/01/2024

Talking about freedom.
Talking about the Montserrat Constitution Order (2010)
Talking about the fact that "Governor" is a colonial anachronism and must be done away - both the title and the role.

https://montserratradioecho.wordpress.com/2024/01/29/monday-january-29-2024-brainpower-with-host-shirley-osborne/?fbclid=IwAR1GWR_FpbuxjpksdY8E-r5vRCHVGMYkGhQ3ZGzFn5stmLMT5BKUEht83BQ

Visit the post for more.

26/01/2024

I had decided on an expression for the first quarter of the year, but then it - my expression - went and changed itself all by itself.
Hmm. Wha' couldoo carz dat?!

23/01/2024

Trying to be light but not making it.
So very much there is that is not going well, that trying to have fun almost seems not quite right...so...

Koromoah and his African dress
Rankin and the BVI COI
Arabs are as Semitic as Jews
How to pay electricity bill for "upgraded" fully air-conditioned ugly hospital building
and
Buju Banton
Black Stalin
U2 and
Sylk.

https://montserratradioecho.wordpress.com/2024/01/22/monday-january-22-2024-brainpower-with-host-shirley-osborne/?fbclid=IwAR2jNUHsYTcHv6HWHYpxl5wB7RVL7HcLQyq3kpdrmWdzbPOxa1l96y9DC7Q

Visit the post for more.

23/01/2024

Talking about Isareli perpetrated genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, health in Montserrat and...

https://montserratradioecho.wordpress.com/2024/01/15/monday-january-15-2024-brainpower-with-host-shirley-osborne/?fbclid=IwAR02Im6p_PPy0qpmUtXW4Zo1HVYMUxpg1EIBOTRrgm9WL05liJWpGi7AkZk

Visit the post for more.

22/01/2024

Today.
Today is Monday.
Today is BrainPower day.
Come in!

21/01/2024

Looking back over the years...
Checking my skills...
Preparing for a new journey to...???

1. Coming down Chances Mountain on a Sunday morning.

2. The day my MBA class presented our country study on South Africa

3. Firming up my scuba diving cred in St. Bart's

4. Repping the MNI as VC CPA

5. On top of Redonda. Montserrat always in my background, no matte where I happen to be.

17/01/2024

Listen in.
Hear about changes being made to the Global Tax policy management regimes and how those will affect the nations of the Caribbean and, in particular, the British Overseas Territories.

Territories Talk