At sunset on Sunday, October 17 this year, King’s House will join landmarks, monuments, and buildings across the island to Light Jamaica Blue. Each night, the main building and other areas of the property will be bathed in blue lights and will remain this way until October 24 in recognition of frontline workers and their contribution to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Light Jamaica Blue is an initiative of the United Nations in Jamaica on the cusp of their 75th Anniversary in pursuit of national dialogue and recognition of the efforts of these key workers.
The theme for UN76, “Partnerships for Peace, Planet and Prosperity” seeks to reaffirm the fact that the global challenges are interconnected and can only be addressed through partnerships. The UN Country Team in Jamaica will facilitate the Partnership Week Forum which will provide opportunities for consultative discussions around issues impacting frontline workers. Mr. Abrahim Simmonds, National Coordinator of the Governor-General’s Programme for Excellence (GGPE) will present a call to action resulting from the recently held, National Youth Consultative Conference (YCC); highlighting youth perspectives on a roadmap to recovery from COVID19.
The Light Jamaica Blue initiative overlaps with the National Heroes’ Day Celebrations and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. King’s House’s partnership recognises frontline workers as the heroes of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the fight against Breast Cancer.
During the Week, The GGPE, along with public and private sector partners, civil society, and youth will participate in various activities aimed at furthering the goals of Jamaica’s Vision 2030.