Conservative bishops around the world are pushing back against the Vatican’s recent comments on blessing same-sex couples, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Vatican announced Monday that same-sex couples can receive a blessing from the Church so long as it doesn’t confuse with the Sacrament of Marriage, which the Vatican said is still only for between a man and a woman. Many international church leaders, however, have expressed concern and even outright dismissal of the decision, arguing that it creates “pastoral confusion” and could lead to blessing same-sex relationships, according to WSJ. (RELATED: Catholic Church Authorities In The Holy Land Accuse IDF Of Killing Two Women, Targeting Convent)

Church bishops in Zambia, Malawi and the principal archdiocese of Kazakhstan have opted to ban their priests from giving these kinds of blessings, according to WSJ.

The Zambia bishops said they would not comply with the Vatican’s directive “in order to avoid any pastoral confusion and ambiguity as well as not to break the law of our country which forbids same-sex unions and activities, and while listening to our cultural heritage which does not accept same-sex relationships,” according to a statement released on Facebook.

Ukrainian bishops warned that the Vatican’s directive was too ambiguous and could lead to an endorsement of same-sex relationships, according to the WSJ. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said Monday that the Vatican’s decision was nothing new and that it did not alter the church’s teaching on the subject of marriage, according to a press release.

In Pope Francis’ message Thursday, he warned against “rigid ideological positions that often, under the guise of good intentions, separate us from reality and prevent us from moving forward,” according to the Vatican. Francis has been criticized for his comments on this issue in the past, even appearing to call for civil union law for same-sex couples in a 2020 documentary.

The Vatican did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

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An MBA is an investment in both your time and money. Data from the Education Data Initiative reports that the average cost of an MBA in the United States is $61,800 – certainly not small change for anyone.

And if you want to study at the top business schools in the country, you’re looking at more than double for the privilege. Harvard Business School estimates a budget of around $225,000 for two years of tuition, health insurance, rent and living expenses.

The typically shorter programs of Europe and Asia Pacific may not be as expensive, however top business schools in these regions still charge at the higher end of the spectrum, with schools like IMD’s MBA priced at CHF 97,500 (US$111.4K), INSEAD’s MBA at just over €90,000 (US$98.2K) and London Business School priced at £115,000 (US$145.5K).

It’s no wonder the decision to pursue an MBA is one that is thought about for years, not months. It’s a major investment in your future, and the return on investment both personally and professionally is compelling as the Forbes MBA ranking confirms. So taking the time for financial planning is essential.

However, for many the cost is prohibitive. Talented professionals with huge potential may hesitate, and many of these often fall disproportionately into underrepresented groups.

To tackle this and ensure that gifted professionals from all walks of life are able to apply and secure a spot on MBA programs, business schools are increasingly launching tailored scholarships to reduce the financial burden.

Data from the business school accreditation body, AACSB, shows that the total dollar amount of scholarships offered by AACSB member schools globally has increased nearly 16% over the last five years, from US$416,341,425 in 2018-19, to US$482,708,467 in 2022-23. And with business schools increasingly valuing diversity in the MBA classroom, the number of available scholarships is likely to continue to grow.

November is National Scholarships Month, so here are some of the scholarships launched by business schools, and how they are helping an ever widening group of individuals to gain an MBA.

Scholarships for women

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) 2023 Application Trends report, women accounted for 40 percent of applications to business schools worldwide, and there has not been much movement since 2014. However, among the top U.S. and European schools there gender gap is closing.

Wharton was the first among the M7 schools – that also include HBS, Stanford GSB, Chicago Booth, Columbia, MIT Sloan and Northwestern Kellogg – to achieve gender balance, with the incoming MBA class in 2021 including 51.6% women. The school has maintained at least 50% women in the two subsequent years.

Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford has also announced that this year’s MBA intake is 51% female, the first time one of Europe’s top 10 MBA programs has welcomed more women than men.

“We can create a truly diverse community with a multitude of backgrounds,” says Kathy Harvey, Associate Dean, MBA and Executive Degrees at Oxford Saïd. “We hope that by striving for equality in our community, our graduates will go on to champion this throughout their careers.”

The Saïd Business School is among many business schools that partner with the Forte Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers female applicants a scholarship to study at some of the best MBA programs around the world.

Applicants can be from anywhere globally, applying to any MBA program that offers the Forte Fellowships for women – of which more than 55 of the world’s leading MBA programs do, including the likes of Harvard, NYU Stern, Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM and Toronto Rotman in North America, and Cambridge Judge Business School, IE Business School and Alliance Manchester Business School in Europe.

The Forte scholarships give the opportunity for more women to secure an MBA – a stepping stone for future business leadership. Ellis Sangster, CEO of the Forte Foundation, believes that the flexibility of programs has helped boost female numbers. “Changes in curriculum, teaching methods, and technologies have influenced women’s participation and success in business education. Technological advancements have likely facilitated remote and hybrid learning, providing more flexibility and accessibility for women pursuing business education,” says Sangster.

But it is not only third-party organizations that offer female-focused scholarships. Business schools such as Emory’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta launched a $5million endowment for women to increase female leadership representation, Chicago Booth School of Business launched the Wallman Fellowship, providing full tuition to outstanding female applicants, and Vlerick Business School, in Belgium recently launched their female empowerment scholarship for MBA programs.

Scholarships for minorities

In 2022, 20 of the top 30 US business schools saw a decline in the number of minority participants on their programs. The schools agree that for participants to get the most out of the time on an MBA, a diverse class is essential to ensure that participants face a challenge to their own worldviews, perspectives and ideas.

As Curtis Johnson, a Wharton MBA who is now a Brand Strategy Executive at the Walt Disney Company explains in an interview with BlueSky Thinking, “I struggled with feeling a sense of belonging and the notion that I had something to prove. MBA programs aspire to a culture where students easefully explore each others’ experiences and worldviews. It’s beautiful conceptually – in practice, I was expected to enter into the world of my classmates much more than they would traverse into mine.”

African-American students in the US made up just 8% of MBA seats in 2021, and the picture isn’t much better in Europe. One business school offering scholarships specifically to young, black talented professionals is Imperial College Business School, in London. In 2021, the business school launched its Black Future Leaders scholarship – offering 50% tuition fee to black applicants demonstrating an outstanding track record of leadership or leadership potential.

Alexandra Whitford, a current Masters in Management student at Imperial College Business School and Black Future Leaders scholar, says that the scholarship has been incredibly impactful. “It has provided direct exposure to business networks that would otherwise be daunting to approach as an outsider or difficult to access due to a lack of network,” Whitford says.

Whitford, who is of both British and Malawian heritage, believes that scholarships can be drivers of progress. However, “this interpretation may naively overlook multiple forms of disadvantage or prevailing attitudes that scholarships cannot address in the long term, and there may be bigger policy initiatives needed to get to the root of this social issue,” she says.

Other scholarships focused on ethnicity include those of the National Black MBA Association, a collegiate partnership program offering scholarships to study at some of the most prestigious business schools in the US; Prospanica’s University Partnership Program, a non-profit dedicated to developing Hispanic talent; United Nations Development Program (UNDP) – Africa Program, with which Bradford School of Management recently announced eight fully funded postgraduate scholarships.

Scholarships for LGBTQ+ communities

According to data from Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) – a non-profit organization offering scholarships to top business schools for LGBTQ+ applicants – only 2.94% of MBA students self-identify as LGBTQ. The ROMBA scholarship educates, inspires, and connects an increasingly diverse LGBTQ+ MBA community, and offers students discount to many top business schools, including Tepper School of Business, MIT Sloan and Duke Fuqua.

The success of this LGBTQ+ scholarship has acted as inspiration for other business schools launching similar initiatives. For instance, ESMT Berlin, in Germany, recently launched its Rainbow Scholarship – offering an MBA discount to LGBTQ+ students who’ve contributed to LGBTQ+ causes and impacted the community. Alan Wang, Full-Time MBA participant at ESMT Berlin and Rainbow scholar says that the scholarship is “more than just a form of financial assistance. It is a badge that serves as a constant reminder of the value and strength found in authenticity and diversity.”

Wang believes “it’s crucial for other schools to launch scholarships like these, particularly if they are committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity. By creating specific scholarships for the LGBT+ community, schools not only attract a diverse pool of talented individuals but also reinforce their commitment to social justice and equality.”

Other initiatives focused on LGBTQ+ participants include the IMPM – an Executive Diploma in Global Management from five top international universities, including Canada’s McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management – LGBTQIA+ scholarship, as well as the Point Foundation scholarship, a non-profit organisation who offer LGBTQ+ individual’s scholarships to study at top US business schools, and the University of Edinburgh Business School’s Somewhere MBA LGBTQ+ scholarship.

Socio-economic scholarships

It’s not just ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation that warrants a scholarship to an MBA program. Many business schools understand that those who face the biggest challenge financially in applying to an MBA are those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, who are just as talented as other professionals, but are much more likely to face financial burden from applying to business school. France’s emlyon business school recently launched a new scholarship based on social criteria, which is open to all Masters in Management (MiM) students. The scholarship offers up to 100% of tuition fees for students with financial difficulties, with the mission to support young people who are most in need.

Bénédicte Bost, Director of Sustainability and Social Responsibility at emlyon business school, believes that it is the business schools’ duty to focus on social inclusion, “so that talented students are not prevented from accessing higher education because of their social or geographical origins,” she explains, “The initiative allows students to grasp the full range of possibilities when building their career paths.”

Another scholarship focusing on improving opportunities for those from diverse backgrounds at business school is the recently launched GMAT Talent and Opportunity Scholarship, by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC). The scholarship is targeted at anyone from an underrepresented group, including women, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, those who are socio-economically diverse, LGBTQ+ and non-binary candidates.

The scholarship funds part of the application process to a business school of the applicants choosing. The 10 scholars for the first cohort benefit from the Fortuna Ignite program, working with former Directors of MBA Admissions from the top US and European business schools. The scholarship aims to bridge the gap from business schools wanting more diverse students, but diverse students often facing a financial barrier to entry.

“We recognised that while that many business schools and companies are seeking diverse talent – the journey to some of those opportunities can also be fraught with challenges, so our aim was to help alleviate some of those financial and advisory challenges, by supporting the candidates on that pathway, giving them more of equal footing,” says Nalisha Patel, Regional Director for Europe at GMAC. With these students already applying for business schools, Patel believes that “this signals that the scholarship will have a real long-term impact on these students and their personal fulfilment, the learning of their peers, the ecosystem of their business schools, the companies they work for and hopefully therefore society as a whole.”

Other business school initiatives focused on socio-economic backgrounds include the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, which supports immigrants and their children as they pursue graduate education; the Flywire Charitable Foundation scholarship, which aims to improve equality, access and affordability for underrepresented individuals and communities working with schools like NEOMA Business School, in France; as well as London Business School’s Sloan Advancing Social Mobility Scholarship, aimed at candidates from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, who face financial hardship.

Industry-focused scholarships

Traditionally, business schools often see the majority of their MBA alumni transition into the similar industries, such as finance and banking, accounting and consulting. However, that is increasingly changing, and more and more participants are using their MBAs to launch their own ventures post-studying. In fact, research by Vlerick Business School found that around half of all business school students wanted to launch their own business one day.

In order to attract would-be entrepreneurs to MBA programs, schools like Porto Business School, in Portugal, are launching scholarships aimed at individuals who want to pursue an MBA degree and have a strong motivation to start or develop their own business ventures. The Entrepreneurship Scholarship empowers aspiring entrepreneurs, “with the goal of individuals not only launching successful ventures, but also bringing fresh ideas and competitive dynamics to the marketplace, stimulating economic growth and fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation in business practices,” says Jose Esteves, Dean of Porto Business School.

Luís Fernandes, a Digital MBA student at Porto Business School and entrepreneurship scholar, believes that scholarships like this help to alleviate the three biggest challenges of MBA; the time it consumes, the challenging nature of the programme and the cost. “These 3 variables could leave most people out, so I think having these scholarships really increases the range of candidates. Therefore, with more candidates, we have different points of view, backgrounds, ideas, and diversity. And together we can create better entrepreneurial ventures and business leaders to build a better world,” says Fernandes.

Other scholarships focused on encouraging more graduates to go into diverse and less traditional career paths include the Non-profit Management Scholarship at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, the Healthcare Scholarship at Kellogg School of Management, and the Climate Leaders Scholarship at the University of Sussex Business School, in the UK.

With tough economic conditions, finding a scholarship to help alleviate some of the cost of business school could be the deciding factor to applying for business school – it’s certainly worth exploring all options out there.

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The college’s One Book Program began in 2007 and provides a means for students, faculty, and staff to share the experience of reading and discussing a common text. Expanding on the decades-old concept of the national “One City, One Book” movement, in which public libraries choose a work to promote community-wide discussion, Bunker Hill’s program encourages professors to incorporate the book into their curriculum. Programming throughout the school year includes author talks, book signings, and discussion groups.

Past selections have included “White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, and Writing” by Jennifer De Leon; “The Other Wes Moore” by Maryland Governor Wes Moore; and “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of Bunker Hill Community College,” said English professor Naoko Akai-Dennis, coordinator of the One Book Program. “It was a good year to choose someone local and related to community colleges. Students find Caroline approachable and engaging.”

Kautsire, who earned her bachelor’s degree at UMass Boston, then completed a master’s degree in English at Brown and a master’s of fine arts in creative writing at Emerson, was 17 when she emigrated from Malawi to Boston. Her first memoir, “What Kind of Girl?,” depicts her childhood in Africa; the second book picks up with her arrival in the United States and explores not only culture shock but issues of gender, race, class, sexuality, and the complications of navigating the immigration system.

The idea that her experiences as an immigrant might be worthy of a memoir began to take shape when Kautsire started teaching at Bunker Hill as an adjunct English instructor more than a decade ago.

“I was teaching contemporary African-American literature, so I found myself talking a lot about race and identity,” she said. “And then I had to ask myself, if I’m teaching students how to understand narratives of Black women in literature, where is my story?”

Bunker Hill student John Massaquoi found numerous commonalities between the feelings Kautsire depicted in her memoir and those he has had since he emigrated from Sierra Leone in early 2022.

“As immigrants, we are out of our comfort zone much of the time,” Massaquoi reflected. “We may be self-conscious or feel insecure.” During a recent class discussion about Kautsire’s memoir, Massaquoi found it comforting to learn that many of his classmates felt the same way.

Bunker Hill’s main campus is in Charlestown, with a satellite campus in Chelsea and several learning centers throughout Greater Boston. At Massachusetts’ largest community college, 65 percent of students are people of color and more than half are women, according to statistics provided by the school. There are nearly 600 international students who come from 94 countries and speak more than 75 languages.

“My story is meant to be an invitation,” Kautsire said. “This is a conversation, not a monologue. I want to hear my students’ stories; I want people to hear each other. I hope that what I share can help make immigrants feel more confident about navigating American culture.”

Ilsi Hernandez, a student in one of Kautsire’s writing classes, said “I felt a connection to Caroline from the very first chapter, where she talks about arriving in this beautiful country. I came here from Guatemala three years ago. The students in my class come from a range of different countries. We all had some kind of experience like what she describes when we first arrived, anxious to learn English, afraid we would not be understood.”

Kautsire hopes that nonimmigrants will draw insights from her story as well. In the talks she has given on campus so far, she has emphasized that Americans play their own role in this story.

“What does it mean to be an American living in a community with so many people from other countries?” she asked. “We need to hear their stories also, and understand how they feel about their identities as they interact with people who have left their home countries. What do you lose when you leave your home country, what do you gain when you live here, and what can an American learn from the experience of an immigrant?”

Moreover, she pointed out, themes such as financial insecurity and tensions between conformity and nonconformity feel relevant to nearly every college student, regardless of background.

As she takes part in discussions across campus and in the wider community, Kautsire is gaining new insights from what her readers see in her work.

“Knowing Bunker Hill chose my book to discuss is a sign that stories like mine are needed in communities that really want to bring about social and cultural change,” she said. “Not only does it validate the hard work I put into creating positive impact through my art, but it is also confirmation that my voice as a Malawian is relevant in America.

“I always tell my students that one of the responsibilities of a writer is to provide insight that helps us to cure ignorance. The One Book Program allows us to open a space for conversations that will enable us to connect, that will help us to realize that we are one.”

Nancy Shohet West can be reached at nancyswest@gmail.com.

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Cascade AIDS Project

capnw.org

The Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is the oldest and largest community-based provider of HIV services, education, housing and advocacy in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The nonprofit helps people living with HIV access essential medical care and secure housing and offers peer support and other free services, including health insurance navigation, HIV and STI testing and linkage to PrEP. Children living with and/or affected by HIV and AIDS can attend CAP’s Camp KC, a free weeklong overnight camp supported by numerous donors and about 50 volunteers with a background in mental health, social work or psychology. CAP’s Aging Well program is aimed at supporting long-term survivors and other adults aging with HIV. CAP recently helped write Oregon House Bill 2574, the first-ever legislation in the nation that clears barriers to emergency PEP for HIV prevention.

Center for Black Health & Equity

centerforblackhealth.org

The Center for Black Health & Equity (The Center) is a North Carolina–based nonprofit that facilitates programs and services to benefit communities and people of African descent. The Center advocates for equity-centered policies to address the social and economic injustices that have given rise to the health disparities experienced by African Americans, especially concerning tobacco control, COVID-19, HIV and AIDS, women’s health, cancer and mental health. It supports anti-stigma campaigns and programs that educate African Americans about HIV testing, treatment and living well with HIV. The Center provides consulting, training and technical assistance and connections to expert speakers for talks and keynote speeches. In September, the Center hosted its State of Black Health conference in Puerto Rico, where hundreds of community leaders and equity advocates gathered to brainstorm ways to achieve health justice and equity.

Center for HIV Law and Policy

hivlawandpolicy.org

The Center for HIV Law and Policy (CHLP) is a national resource and strategy center focused on laws and policies that are guided by racial, gender and economic justice. It works to end stigma, discrimination and violence toward people living with and affected by HIV, notably via its Positive Justice Project, a national coalition of organizations and individuals working to end HIV criminalization. CHLP teaches people about the HIV-specific statutes on the books in their state as well as how to fight for their right to privacy. CHLP also advocates for policies that guarantee comprehensive LGBTQ-affirming sexual health care for youth in government-operated and -regulated facilities. 

Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus

chicagoblackgaymenscaucus.org

Founded in 2005, the Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus is the city’s only organization that focuses exclusively on improving the health of Black gay, bi and same-gender-loving (GBSGL) men. One of the group’s programs is The Prosperity Project, which was developed to improve representation by GBSGL men in local community planning efforts as well as their experience with health care and support services. The group hosts the Mind, Body and Soul Health and Wellness Circle, which is accessible via a mobile app and supports efforts to engage GBSGL men in a range of health-related services. Other programming includes group exercise classes, yoga, massage therapy and nutrition and cooking classes. It also hosts LoveFest, an annual edutainment festival during which attendees can access free health and wellness resources, including HIV and STI testing.

Community Health PIER

chpier.org

Founded by brother-and-sister duo Cedric and Gloria Sturdevant, Community Health PIER (Prevention, Intervention, Education & Research) is dedicated to achieving health equity in rural Mississippi communities by offering individuals numerous tools and resources to help them make better-informed health choices. Using a holistic, hands-on approach to health, the nonprofit organizes community health walks, hosts educational events and trains individuals in agriculture via community gardens. Services it offers include HIV education, prevention and rapid testing as well as breast and heart health awareness. Sadly, Gloria died this past August.

Cooperative Health HIV Program

cooperativehealthhiv.org

Based in Columbia, South Carolina, the Cooperative Health HIV Program provides the full continuum of health care services for men and women, infants, children and youth. Thanks to funding from Ryan White Parts C and D, clients receive comprehensive, compassionate and affordable health care services in a confidential family-centered setting. Services include transportation, behavioral health counseling, housing support, medical case management, access to PrEP and PEP, dental care, nutritional support, emergency financial assistance and more. As proof of its commitment to the UNAIDS’s 90-90-90 targets (90% of people know their status, 90% of those are on treatment and 90% of those are undetectable), by 2019, Cooperative Health had linked 96% of its HIV patients to care.

The Denver Principles

poz.com/pdfs/denver_principles.pdf

In 1983, a group of people living with HIV gathered at the Fifth Annual National Lesbian and Gay Health Conference in Denver and drafted a revolutionary document now known as The Denver Principles. The manifesto condemned attempts to label people living with AIDS (PLWAs) as “victims.” It outlined the rights of PLWAs as well as recommendations for health care professionals and all others. The Denver Principles demanded that PLWAs be involved in every level of decision-making regarding their health care. The principles launched the self-empowerment movement and are as relevant today as they were in the ’80s.

Eagle Pass SAFE

epsafe.org

Eagle Pass SAFE (Sexuality Advocacy for Everyone) is an LGBTQ resource center located in Eagle Pass, a town on the southwest Texas border. It’s the only organization in the rural area providing HIV prevention and LGBTQ-affirming services. Its mission is “to build visibility as a social group, build a stronger community and to celebrate diversity and gender variance.” The small-community based group offers 24/7 crisis counseling and provides a guide of LGBTQ-inclusive businesses in the area. It also sponsors the region’s annual Pride event and operates a donation center.

EDGE New Jersey

edgenj.org

The mission of EDGE (End Discrimination. Gain Equality) New Jersey is to respond compassionately and responsibly to those living with and at risk for HIV as well as members of the LGBTQ community. To that end, it provides many supportive services that not only link individuals to care but also help them stay in care. EDGE also offers an array of HIV prevention services, such as HIV and STI education and counseling, mobile HIV testing, free condom distribution and access to PEP and PrEP. Plus, Edge hosts numerous LGBTQ support groups for various age groups as well as groups for long-term survivors and those newly diagnosed with HIV.

Eisenhower HIV Program

eisenhowerhealth.org/services/hiv

The HIV Program at Eisenhower Health provides comprehensive HIV primary care and offers clinical, research and educational resources for people living with and at risk for HIV in California’s Coachella Valley. Eisenhower uses advances in HIV treatment to sustain the best possible quality of life for those in its care. Eisenhower frequently collaborates with other local nonprofits at regional events to provide HIV-related resources, educational materials and referrals. This December, the Eisenhower Health Inaugural HIV Interprofessional Symposium will provide education and training to health care professionals to better address the health care needs of people living with HIV.

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation 

pedaids.org

Founded in 1988 by Elizabeth Glaser and friends after Glaser’s daughter, Ariel, died of AIDS-related causes—Glaser herself died of the disease in 1994—the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation has become a proven leader in the global fight to end HIV and AIDS and advocates for every child to live a full and healthy life. With its expertise in service delivery, capacity building, research and advocacy, the nonprofit is a leader in meeting the urgent needs of children with HIV in the world’s most affected regions. It has helped reduce new HIV infections in children in the United States by more than 95% and by more than half in children globally.

The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation 

elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org

Hollywood legend and influential early AIDS activist Elizabeth Taylor founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991 to provide direct care to the most vulnerable people living with AIDS. The ever-evolving nonprofit recently launched the “Stuck in the 1980s” campaign, which asks members of the community to demand that legislators revisit laws (many of them passed in the ’80s) that criminalize HIV based on outdated science and assumptions. The group’s largest share of funding supports youth HIV education and prevention efforts, especially in the South. The nonprofit also funds mental health and wellness programs for U.S. women living with HIV, the Elizabeth Taylor 50+ Network at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and mobile clinics in Malawi. Taylor’s grandchildren carry on her legacy by serving as ambassadors for the foundation.

Elton John AIDS Foundation

eltonjohnaidsfoundation.org

Launched in 1990 by the Rocket Man himself, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) makes a massive global impact. Its annual Academy Awards viewing party alone has raised over $90 million. In 2020, EJAF contributed $15 million to HIV causes, making it the fifth largest philanthropic funder of HIV programs that year. Registered as separate U.S. and U.K. entities but operating as one organization, EJAF funds programs and collaborates with local groups to prevent, diagnose and treat HIV, notably among youth, LGBTQ people and people who use drugs. Recently, EJAF collaborated with Walmart to train specialty pharmacists, and the foundation backed PrEP4All’s fight to launch a national PrEP program.

End HIV 901

endhiv901.org

Shelby County, Tennessee, which includes Memphis, is identified as one of the priority counties in the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. According to CDC data published in 2022,  82% of newly diagnosed individuals were linked to care within a month of their diagnosis. End HIV 901 is a collaborative effort intended to lower new HIV infection rates by 90% or more by 2030. Launched on social media in December 2020, End HIV 901 was awarded $12 million from the HHS Minority HIV/AIDS Fund. It has set up a community advisory board, which will issue grants to various local community groups focusing on four key strategies of the EHE’s A Plan for America: Diagnose, Treat, Prevent and Respond. The End HIV 901 website includes technical assistance for grant writing and a directory compiling HIV-related services and resources for other types of support throughout Shelby County.

Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S.

cdc.gov/endhiv

Launched in 2019 by President Donald Trump and coordinated by the Department of Health and Human Services, the 10-year federal initiative Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in the U.S. aims to reduce new HIV infections by 75% by 2025 and by 90% by 2030. This would amount to fewer than 3,000 new HIV cases a year, according to the initiative, and would therefore meet the definition of ending the epidemic. The strategy is to focus federal HIV investments in the 57 key states, counties and cities that account for 50% of new HIV diagnoses. As we went to press, EHE’s future was uncertain, as Republican Congress members were threatening to defund the program.

Equitas Health

equitashealth.com

This Columbus, Ohio–based nonprofit community health care system is one of the nation’s largest organizations catering to the LGBTQ and HIV communities, providing services to tens of thousands of people in Ohio, Texas, Kentucky and West Virginia. Founded in 1984, it offers primary and specialized medical care, a pharmacy, dentistry, mental health and recovery services, HIV and STI treatment and prevention, access to PrEP and PEP, Ryan White HIV case management and advocacy and other community health initiatives. The Equitas Health Institute also offers training—online and in person—to organizations interested in creating more affirming environments for LGBTQ people. Equitas Health is the producer and primary beneficiary of AIDS Walk Ohio, which in the past eight years has raised $2 million for HIV-related services.

Fast-Track Cities

fast-trackcities.org

 

Using UNAIDS’s 90-90-90 initiative as a starting point, more than 300 cities and municipalities across the world participate in the Fast-Track Cities initiative. Mayors and other officials have joined four global partners (the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, UNAIDS, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and the City of Paris) to get to zero new HIV infections and zero AIDS-related deaths worldwide by signing a declaration to help achieve the initiative’s 95-95-95 target. The goal is to get 95% of people living with HIV to know their status, 95% of people who know their status on antiretroviral therapy and 95% of people on antiretroviral therapy to achieve a suppressed viral load. A web portal allows cities to report on their progress. 

Funders Concerned About AIDS

fcaaids.org

Since 1987, the mission of Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) has been to inform, connect and support philanthropic efforts in response to the global HIV pandemic. More than 50 foundations and charities are FCAA members. The organization hosts an annual summit, monthly funder events and working groups to help ensure community-led approaches are embedded into HIV-informed funding. FCAA supports its members by helping to identify new opportunities for collaboration and is a driver of increased resources to underfunded regions, populations and interventions. The Philanthropic Support to Address HIV and AIDS is the group’s resource-tracking report; it includes data on more than 5,000 grants in order to identify gaps, trends and opportunities in HIV-related philanthropy.

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I first met Michael “Ibo” Cooper in 1970 when the band leader and keyboard player for the Inner Circle band. At the time the band always practiced at the home of the Lewis brothers, Roger and Ian, near the campus University of the West Indies at Mona in Kingston. At that time, Inner Circle had two lead vocalists in the form of William “Bunny” Fielding-Clarke and Bruce Ruffin. Three years later, in 1973 Cooper, Coore, and Richard Daley formed the band Third World. Around 1976 Bunny joined the band replacing Milton “Prilly” Hamilton at which time his nickname transitioned into “Bunny Rugs”. Bunny – as I always called him – died two days before his birthday on February 2, 2014, and would later be posthumously awarded the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) by the Jamaican government for his contribution to the country’s music.

In 2005, Michael “Ibo” Cooper, alongside his former bandmate guitarist/cellist/vocalist Stephen “Cat” Coore, founders of the internationally famous Third Word band, received the Order of Distinction from the Government of Jamaica, in the rank of Officer (OD), for their contribution to the development of Jamaican music. Cooper who left the band in 1997, would later serve as head of the Caribbean, Latin American, and jazz department, now called Popular Music Studies, at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston. He was also chairman of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA).

Michael died on Thursday, October 12 after a long battle with cancer, at the age of 71.  Two other sad losses took place in Cooper’s family this year with his wife Joy in September and his son Arif in March.

That year while I wrote and edited an online news magazine called JamaicansRUS.com, I interviewed both Ibo and Cat – separately by telephone – upon their receiving the prestigious award.

Michael “Ibo” Cooper, OD, how does that feel?

Well, I must say that I feel … glad  … a young boy from Spalding in Clarendon to be awarded one of the Orders of Distinction of Jamaica, in its independence, means that other young boys all across the country should hold hope that they can be recognized if they are disciplined, and dedicated to the skills that we have been blessed with and develop it towards nation building. So, basically, yeah, it is good that whichever party is in power is irrelevant, the government at the moment, feels it fit to say some people along the way have made contributions – and I am glad they are recognizing contributions in an area of innovation in Jamaica, which is the music.

Because, successive generations of us have helped to build an identity through the music, because of a unique style which became known as reggae, in its broader, but we know that reggae was only a part of the whole thing if you look at it in the local context. More so than just reggae, the culture that surrounds the music has brought its true identity to the nation.

So, I am glad I have been considered a part of that and, however, we have been working for the cause and not for the honor as much as I respect the honor – had it not happened it wouldn’t have stopped me from doing, and I will keep on doing.

And your brethren, “Cat,” who also received it with you…?

Yeah, man, deservingly so. Because, together, we created and maintained for a long time a group that has been recognized for its togetherness and its impact on the international music scene. One of the greatest moments for us as a band was in 1986, when we played at Giants Stadium at this international concert with an eclectic mix of musicians, at that time: Miles Davis, Fela, Ruben Blades, U2, Sting, Carlos Santana, to name only a few. There were 100,000 people in Giants Stadium – it was 1986 – and there were an estimated 26 million people watching on TV, [actor] Elliot Gould was the MC on MTV, at the end of the day when he was asked what he found most impressive. He said, “To be honest, the reggae group with the cello”. He didn’t remember the name of the band; we had played, like, second in the whole show. Which is really making a statement of Jamaica’s mix because we have ghetto man, sound man, classical music, reggae music – the whole mix is in there, those were some of the highlights. We kept that together for a long time.

Now, I’ve been called to do some teaching at the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts, a school where I run the popular music program. In that regard, I make that contribution, but, nonetheless, ‘Cat’ makes his contribution by keeping the band going. And, you know, musicians need people to look up to, so, his excellence as a guitarist, singer, cello player, and harmonica, to be there for youths to aspire to be like, you know what I mean? So, it’s definitely a contribution involved there. So, you see, you have different levels, you know what I mean?

Yeah. How has the teaching experience been for you?

Fantastic. Because, I think I have been able to influence the future of Jamaican music, positively. I have a set of youths, now, who have come through my program who have had my influence, seen what I have done with them, and what I have done before them, in the band, and so on. One of the groups that came out of the program is a young upcoming band called, C-Sharp, who have already been on tour with Tony Rebel as his backup band, right out of school – as a matter of fact, they were still in school when they did that. They have already been to Africa and Europe as Rita Marley’s backup band. They have just finished their album and trying to make a name for themselves now.

What are some of the other things you have been involved in since leaving Third World?

Well, I have been in Africa, observing what is going on there, and managing a  radio station in Malawi, which is owned by a Jamaican.

Managing a radio station?

Yes, and running a talk show and being a daytime DJ. Basically, influencing the African scene with positive reggae music. We used to run Morgan Heritage, Beres [Hammond], Luciano, Bob Marley – all the Marley’s – Third World, Buju [Banton], Culture.

When was that that, when you did that?

This was at the turn of the century, around 1999-2000 [period]. Willie [Stewart] and myself went into the studio after, and with some other musicians, we laid down some tracks – still haven’t released them yet – with some reggae-Jazz-flavored tracks. We were jamming with various people, helping with the product – we conducted the mass band for the Alpha 125^th  anniversary because you know Alpha Boys’ School [has] produced some of the greatest [musicians], especially horn men of that era [of the 1960s], the birth of the ska, and all of that. So, what they did was put together a band of Alpha boys past and present and played all the much, as much as we could find that was composed by these Alpha boys. So, we had Don Drummond’s music, we had Skatalites’ music, we had David Madden’s music, Hector Sterling’s music, and son. It was all Alpha boys, present and past. It was like a sixty-piece band.

How big was this band, did you say?

Sixty.

That’s an [symphony] orchestra.

That’s what I’m saying, there were, like, ten trumpets, four trombones, a massive sax section – a big band – percussionist, drummer, acoustic bass, and electric bass. We had one woman in the mix, because, Pam Hall, is an Alpha Old Girl, so she came along and did a song backed up by the band.

Was anything recorded from that?

Yes, man, TVJ shows it all the time. They recorded the whole show. Right now, I am working on a project called Healthy Lifestyle which is part of a healthy lifestyle project, [which] we are aiming at children ages 7-to-12. A healthy lifestyle is more than exercising and food, but is peace, non-violence, conflict resolution, and sexual responsibility. So, those types of things keep me busy.

Do you miss Third World?

Yeah, without apology. Being out here now with other musicians, you realize what you have with these guys. Third World is a great bunch of musicians – irrespective of other things – and one thing that I really respect is, that, if after 24 years, people still care about their craft enough, that, I mean, if a man sings a bad note onstage, is going to cause an argument, and man will rehearse before he goes on a tour and you’re going to play the songs, that I miss, because when we used to step forward to the mic you could expect what I call ‘the wall of sound’. because it was reliable that everybody was going to kick in, you know what I mean? I have seen other musicians out here that don’t really have that cut, that precision work. However, I have also played with a bunch of great young guys who I have been, I’d say, I haven’t influenced them into that precision stuff. I also miss touring – suitcases and hotel rooms, I guess, are a part of your daily habit, after a while [chuckles].

What caused the break with you, Willie, and the band, I heard Cat’s version, what’s your version?

I don’t want to discuss it.

You don’t want to discuss it.

No.

I also heard Cat’s version of how you guys met, what’s your version?

Let me hear Cat’s version of the split-up.

Well, he said, essentially, it was amicable, so …

Well, I wouldn’t refute that. And it’s not irreconcilable, either. But, I think you know the root of it.

Yes. So, how did you guys meet, to begin with? How did it all start?

Well, in various ways.  I met [him] through Inner Circle. Let me take it in chronological order.  I had a band at school when we were around our O Levels time, or A Levels. It  [the band] was called Rhythms. At that time the Lewis brothers [Roger and Ian] had a steel band on campus. I remember when Roger got his first guitar and I showed him a few things and I used to write out things for the steel band, and so on. There was another keyboardist from Trinidad named, Peter Gray. He was not as accomplished as I was, but he could play reasonably well. Then they got some equipment, their father bought them some equipment for the band and Peter Gray was their keyboardist.

There was another guy named Gray from Wolmer’s [Boys’ High School] who was their lead guitarist who sort of knew more of the music thing than the rest of them, so, he kind of helped them out and became like the bandleader. My band broke up after A Levels because everyone was going off to university, I was going to UWI [the University of the West Indies, at Mona, Kingston] and my friends were going overseas so we so, the school thing, that’s it. I was, like, had my head focused, I was all about university, I even stopped doing classical training, I said, well, it’s all about university, I even stopped doing classical training, I said, well, “It’s all about university and a degree, math and physics thing, you know.

I was well focused on UWI and even stopped my classical training and was all about university and degree. One evening, I saw in the newspaper where there was a band called Memphis Underground playing at a place called The Circus, in Crossroads. So, I got ready to go watch this group … I had no idea who they were. While I was going out to the gate, Roger Lewis drove up to the gate and said to me, ‘Hey, what’re you doing these days?’

I said,  ‘Boy, jus’ campus, you don’t have any kind of band thing going on?’

He said, ‘Well, Peter Gray is going back to Trinidad and I don’t have a keyboardist’,  and he asked if I could fill in until they found somebody.

I said, ‘Well, boy, I’m focusing on [school] but, if it’s for a week or two, I guess it won’t kill me. Sure, yeah, I’ll do it.’

And he asked me where I was going that evening and I told him I was going down to the Circus to see some band called Memphis Underground, I don’t know who they are.

And, Roger said, ‘Well, that is us.’

So, I got into the car and he said, ‘Well, the gig is canceled this evening because the keyboardist is gone but, let’s talk about what’s going to happen.’

In any case, the next week I was in the band and they decided that the name – they never liked the name – so, they changed the name. A group had come to Jamaica called ‘Outer Limits.’ Someone joked and said, ‘If a group can be called Outer Limits then we can call our band Inner Circle.’ So, the name stuck.

So, in this band called Inner Circle, filling in for Peter Gray was Richie Gray as the bandleader and lead guitarist.

So, that’s how that came together.

Now, in the band already, was Willie Stewart, the drummer. I knew Willie long ago, from Wolmer’s in another band called Vision, but that had come apart, also. So, Willie was playing with them, so, Willie and I were in that band with Roger – the first draft of Inner Circle.

One night, we were in a place called The Tunnel, playing, and a guy comes up to me and says, ‘You know Fall In Love [“I’ll Never Fall In Love Again”] in D?’

I said, ‘Okay, but I can’t allow you to sing, you’ll have to talk to Richie, the bandleader.’  But Richie knew him before so he gave me a shout and said, ‘Yeah, man, he can sing, give him a try.’

So, we kicked Fall In Love in D and the man tear down the place, and, we said, ‘Well, boy, this brother has to be our big singer.’ Because, Tomorrow’s Children had a big singer in John Jones, you know, the [singer] who could sing the big voice tunes. We never had anybody like that. And so we had found our answer to John Jones, so to speak. Well, Bunny Rugs. That’s how I met Rugs. So, he joined the band.

Alright, Richard Gray left the band. During all of that time, Cat [Coore] used to come up down and sit down beside the bandstand every night and take us in. So, when Richie left the band – we used to call him ‘the youth’ – we said, ‘Boy, give the youth a chance.’  So, the youth took the guitar and filled the spot quite adequately, so that’s how Cat got into the band.

By this time, now, Inner Circle was me, Cat, Bunny Rugs, the two Lewis brothers, and Willie. So, that’s how we came together. And, when Richie left, of course, I was the man who knew all the music, so they said, ‘Alright, you take over as the bandleader.’

An Italian company called Farfisa started making portable organs. Now, if you remember, back in those days, the organ was a [wooden] thing where you need about two men to lift it up. So, here comes this portable organ from Italy, so the Lewis brothers went and bought one and carried it into Jamaica, the first one in the country. And guess what? It could tilt. The stand was built so the organ could be tilted. So rather than sit down at the side, I then put the organ in the middle of the band, tilted it, and started to stand up and play.

So, you changed that configuration?

No one else in Jamaica, I am the first person to ever do that. Neville Hinds from Byron Lee followed suit a few weeks later, but I am the first person to do it. The man who used to disco in the club came up to me and said, ‘Why are you doing that? It don’t look good.’ Because he wasn’t used to it.

But the worst question he asked me, was, ‘Who did you ever see do that, did you ever see Byron Lee do that?’ And that was it because we didn’t have to see anybody do anything. We were innovators. So, that was one of the things.

So, that was one of the things that was attractive about Inner Circle. We had an image, we had Bunny Rugs as a big vocalist, we had [Douglas] Guthrie as an alto sax player, and Cat was a wicked lead guitarist, and me as a crazy organist with a tilted organ, you know what I mean? So, that was that.

Well, Rugs left and went to New York, after a while – I think his family was going or something like that. Willie left and went off, too. So, we were there for a while, Cat and me, and Prilly replaced Bunny. We were kind of dissatisfied with the Top 40 format, you know, we wanted to do something more innovative, we wanted to write some songs and try a thing, you know what I mean? So, we left.

Actually, we were all leaving independently and, Cat mentioned to me that he wanted to start a band and he was thinking of Colin Leslie on bass and Willie on drums. So, I said, ‘Well, boy, you can’t leave me out of that.’ So, me and him and Prilly got together and we came up with Darren Green, who became the first manager. We got some equipment out of a store in Washington, DC, from a store called Chuck Levin’s Music, with a loan that we had gotten from the Workers Bank. That was the beginning of Third World.

The name Third World came up at a meeting we had at Clancy Eccles’ house. Clancy was one of the first people to put us on anywhere. We were put on at the Independence morning stage show at the Carib [Theatre], so you know the anniversary of the band because August 6^th would be our first gig.

When was this?

Nineteen-seventy-three – August 6^th, Carib Theatre. Carl Barovier on drums, me on keyboard, Cat on guitar, Colin Leslie never did make it to the stage, he rehearsed a few weeks and then dropped out and we got Richard Daley on bass, Prilly on vocals. That was the first draft of the band. So, we met at Clancy’s house,  trying to decide a name for the band. Clancy said, ‘Hold on there, Third World – Michael Manley and David Coore and those guys are always talking about the third world we have to call [the band] the ‘Sons of the Third World,’ man. So, the original name of the band was ‘Sons of the Third World,’ but in the first week we lost the Sons of  and it just became Third World [Laughs]. Basically, that’s how it evolved, and that was how the band started.

We went on with Prilly as the lead vocalist, we went to England in ‘75 where we met Chris Blackwell and got signed by Island Records. We did our first album, simply called Third World. By that time Cornell Marshal was on drums. And then we came back to Jamaica and did the Dream Concert with Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder. We accompanied Rita Marley, Bongo Herman, and Judy Mowatt.

Actually, we accompanied Rita [and Judy] some years before with the Michael Jackson [and the Jackson Five concert], but at the [Dream Concert] we played as our own act. Then in ‘76, we went to San Francisco, [on] our first American tour where we opened for Santana at the Orpheum Theatre. We got chased down the road in Boston because we got caught in the middle of the busing riots. Saw Marti Gras in New Orleans for the first time, and was on the David Susskind talk show. It was that time when we met up with Rugs again in New York – he met us on the road in New York. We were having some dissatisfaction with Prilly, so, by the summer of that year we changed him for Bunny.

When Rugs came to Jamaica that summer, he had it in his mind to be in the band, the man almost lived at my yard – I saw him every day. So, he came in. We came back from England and did the Dream Concert, with Cornell on drums, and then Cornell left that Christmas, and Willie joined us. So, Willie’s first gig was New Year’s Eve ‘76 going into ’77, at a place called Chela Bay, where the Playboy Club used to be, just before it closed down. So, Willie came with us as a drummer to San Francisco, that was his first tour with us. So, he did the American tour. During that summer, now, Rugs was the last man to join the band, because [percussionist] Carrot [Jarrett] was already in and Rugs came that summer. Rugs’ first gig was when we had Carifesta in Jamaica, in 1976, and we performed at the Carib for the Carifesta show. That was the first gig, Carifesta at Carib.  So, that was basically how we got together, that draft of the band, the Carifesta draft [which] continued until Carrot left in ‘84.

What was the reason for his departure?

In his case, just like with Marshie, they felt that they could do better for themselves. So, here we come to ’84, now, he’s out and the five of us continued for the rest of the time until ‘97.

When you and Willie left?

Yeah.

Why do you think that Third World has never won a Grammy after some nine nominations?

Third World is an interesting phenomenon, and the people who choose the Grammy would not give it to Third World.

Why do you think so?

The people who chose the Grammy are caught up in the rags-to-riches story. You see, they romanticize the poor Black people from the ghetto who are making it through the music. What Third World represents is a consciousness. Not that we were not poor, but, you see, people did not think of us as poor youth because of Cat, when he was the only one who came from a relatively wealthy background. Education is something that some of us have, like myself, and so on, musically and otherwise. Willie went to Wolmer’s, I went to Jamaica College, and Cat went to Priory. However, here we have Jamaica going to rot, now, because things like education have been looked down upon as a societal phenomenon for too long. So, what Third World is supposed to represent is a different drama. Whereas you have a rags-to-riches story where a man was a broke man and he gets some money and he gets rich.

People in this country are getting rich – sorry to philosophies a bit – in many instances, illegally. When they get there their having a problem. I have to quote Wayne Marshall in a recent song: ‘Hard to obtain, hard to maintain.’  People do not understand what it takes to maintain the dream that they think they need to have. So, they get the big house and the Pajero and realize that’s running up the cost of living and if you flop, you are going to look shameful, there are a whole set of things that comes with it. So, we romanticize the rags-to-riches story, but we don’t understand, as Bob Marley said, ‘Think you’re in heaven but you’re living in hell.’

So, what Third World is supposed to represent is, what do you do with education, what do you do with wealth? It’s the other side of the story that I don’t think we’ve grasped yet, [which] is why the whole nation is coming to rot. In other words, do you lay back in luxury and just rot? Then what was the point? Do you see what I’m saying? That is what Third World is supposed to represent: ‘Them man have education, they’ve made it, let’s see what they’re going to do with it.’

One of the things that is happening to third-world countries, like Africa, and so on, as you can see, is that they haven’t figured it out yet. Because they run off into drugs and loose behavior. There is no moderation or sense of responsibility and the thing is not spent doing the right thing, see what I’m saying?

You know, Singapore got independence the same year as Jamaica, ’62, and now Singapore is considered a First World country. The leader of Singapore once said, and many Caribbean leaders were pissed at him for saying so, and took him to task, he said, he thinks we play soca and reggae a little too much.

Yet, at the same time, Singapore also used Jamaica as a model …

Back in the day, but they passed us out. Look at my present situation, I am the only popular musician who has a set of youth who is trying to forge a future. And you wonder why the thing is rotten? And I can’t get Beanie Man or Elephant Man to come around the school and say “hello” to the youth them.

Why?

They won’t come. Do you see what I am saying? Everything is about promotion and popularity. Fame and riches are the end. You know when you’re going to get a scramble? You’re going to get a scramble and panic when they get older and the next generation comes and they are fading and then all of a sudden you see them appear, you see what I’m saying? Many of them have not honed their skills to a level where they could do what I am doing – in other words, they couldn’t become a teacher. Teaching is looked down on as a low profession, it’s looked down on as where the people who cannot do anything else go. I am one of the few people who are in it because it’s not that I flopped why I have to go there.

I am not bragging or boasting, but there are [quite a few] innovations I’ve pulled up … this is another level of innovation that I’ve gone to right now because I’m thinking ahead. “Cannonball” Bryan taught Dean Fraser, Mrs. Lois taught me – and you have no idea who she is. They never achieved what we achieved, but they gave unselfishly and caused us to be who we are, and many of us are not sitting down and saying, “Okay, so what happen?” So, the nation’s stuck! We blame the youths and say, “Why are the youth going on like that?” Nobody’s helping them to go anywhere, so they take a gunshot for it. Third World is supposed to represent that consciousness.

What do you think of the band’s [Third World] current output and sound?

[Laughs] Everybody reaches where they want to reach, so their sound has reached where it has reached. It’s achieving its purpose.

Are any of your children musically inclined?

Yes. Arif is producing, he’s also a very popular radio DJ, now, at Fame-FM.

Arif, as in Arif Mardin, the [Atlantic Records producer-engineer]?

As a matter of fact, that’s why I gave him the name.

Okay. That’s a great honor. What is your take on the Jamaican situation today, culturally, politically, and socially?

Well, I think Damian Marley’s album saved the day. Welcome to Jamrock is the kind of work I’m looking for in my youth, right now. It’s well thought out, excellent work, musically, poetically, everything. The only problem is that I don’t see anyone offering solutions; people make criticisms of the situation. If it’s artistically done, I appreciate that, but the youth still don’t know where to go. But, it’s an excellent piece of work and I think it saved the day because a lot of bullshit was going on. Dancehall is a party, but you can’t leave the one-drop. You see, every time people get into a tribulation the one-drop comes back. So, we have the one-drop and the Binghi Box to kind of clean up the mess. But dancehall is a party, you know how it goes, people talking about sex and slackness. A Saturday night and you have a Smirnoff Ice in your hand, you don’t want nothing heavy for the head, you’re in a club you wanna be gettin’ crazy.

This is the machine age, computer steady off the rhythm, but they’re going back into the studio and they are starting to play live. I must say, Willie had predicted this years ago, that they were going to go back to playing live again. Because there are certain nuances and acoustics of the live instrument that you’re not going to get from the machine. So, now we have the mixing of the machine and the live, which is cool.

I still predict great things for the country [Jamaica], and the music might still lead the way. Young Mr. Marley’s music really has us fired up.

What inspires you musically?

Well, as you’ve probably picked up, a Pan-African placard. We’re not going to let that go. We stand up for our people. It must be clear that this does not mean we’re against anyone, but the mess that black people are in universally, is close to my heart, and I think it’s our mess to clean up, and, so, the music can help in that regard.  I’m talking about fixing my house and I have a divine right to fix my house. And it was a very, very important part of Third World’s inspiration, and it still inspires me.

Where and when do you like to work creatively?

All the time. I still don’t like to sit down and talk to lawyers and accountants – I would live in the studio.

What’s your favorite Third World song?

If I really had to choose, I think I would go for “Melt With Everyone.” It’s a song that Rugs wrote some years ago.

What is your favorite reggae song, if there is one? I know that’s a big question.

Oooh! It would be quite possibly the Abyssinians’ “Declaration of Rights.”

And, your favorite [Bob] Marley song?

Talking Blues.

And your favorite Third World Album?

I think we hit the peak with the Journey to Addis album, the one that has ‘Now That We Found Love.’

For myself, I would say that album and 96 Degrees in the Shade.

A lot of people like 96 Degrees in the Shade. I won’t tell you why it is I give 96 Degrees second place, because it’s a self-criticism that would be very revealing. For something that you think is wrong, sometimes the public doesn’t hear it that way. But, with Journey, now, we were really, really flying. A whole lot of mystique went into that. [While] Melt With Everyone is my favorite Third World song, but when you talk about the Third World album, now, I am looking at Journey To Addis, the title track itself – not necessarily as a favorite song, in that regard, but I got total artistic satisfaction from it. You know when an artist stands back and looks at a masterpiece and he doesn’t care what anybody says, he feels good about that one.

Where would you like to see Jamaica in the not-too-distant-future?

I walk around to the schools and tell the youth anything that’s in a foreign [land] can be here. We have a challenge to build a peaceful society where lovers can hold hands and walk in the moonlight, and old people can retire after years of service and not have to worry that they’re going to suffer. [A] sense of humor is on people’s faces again, abundance of locally-grown food and appreciation for the beauty of our environment. So, the people who live outside want to come and visit every year, and when they do visit, they don’t want to leave. It’s a mix between our roots and the modern world, with modern conveniences like good roads, night hospitals, and good schools.

How do you feel about where the Rasta movement is today?

Beautiful, because the youths now are thinking. Just the other day a youth [who] made a song – last week I heard it on Irie-FM – that we need a more serious look at Rasta. And that means that I’m encouraged. Because that means the youths realize that it must evolve to another level. The whole Rasta movement is not religion, religion is static, and sometimes tradition is static. But being a movement, you can mold and change it, and yet it still has its foundation.

What is your take on the evolution of dreadlocks?

Well, I never did love the word “dread” because I don’t want anyone to dread I, you know. But remember that it’s a cultural statement. From what I see going now, it’s beautiful, because once upon a time people used to see it as ugly.

Do you have any plans for a book or biography?

I should do that, right? [Laughs]. I can’t be a vintage artist yet (ones that are already dead). I still feel fresh. I don’t mean that the book would stop me…

What are some of the ideas or things that you would like to be doing musically?

That’s wide, a lot of things. That is a whole new conversation. Definitely, an album is in the making. I would [like to] try a movie score.

Who are some of the influences in your music?

Definitely Mr. Marley – I don’t mean from when he broke internationally] but from early on, I liked what he was doing. In terms of vocalists, locally, Alton Ellis, Ken Booth, Leroy Sibbles, [The] Skatalites, the whole of that early era; jazz-wise: Miles, Herbie [Hancock], Dizzy [Gillespie]. Popwise: Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind, and Fire – definitely Ray Charles. Jazz Crusaders, Weather Report. It’s wide, you know because I also like some of the early rock stuff like what Pink Floyd and them were doing.

When did you train at the London School of Music?

No. I have Royal School certificates and some interviewers misunderstood what I had said, that I went to the Royal School of Music.

There was a time where you never sang. When and how did you start?

Backing up Rugs, actually. [Laughs] Backing up Bunny. The song was Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time. He brought it on and there was a part where one of the guys sang the falsetto and Rugs could reach it, because it was in his range, but it didn’t have the same effect because we thought the voice was too heavy for the part, it lost sensitivity. So, they had Cat do that part, which is where he started singing in the band. Then we got to the harmony part [Sings.] “Didn’t I blow your mind this time …” Me and Cat used to chip in a do a three-part with Bunny, and that’s where it actually started.

That really defined the Third World sound, harmonically.

It was coming before Third World. It started in Inner Circle – the three of us – and after that, now, me and Cat, and started singing harmony with whichever vocalist there was. And there were other group tunes, the Temptations’ Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Where I did the bass part, Cat did the tenor, and so that became a distinct vibe. And then we moved that on to Third World where we started singing and playing, and that became again a distinct part of the image and sound.

How would you compare your earlier life to now in the popular music culture?

Earlier life in terms of which part?

How you were 30 years ago to now.

Oh, much improved. As a matter of fact, just tonight I was playing something when I remembered a certain musician carried it to me and asked me to accompany him and I was finding it very difficult because I was also very nervous because he was a big man in [music]. I look at it now and say, ‘Wait, was it this that I was … ?’ Nothing like maturity and time, you know? Exposure and experience.  I remember one time when I went to audition to be the Pantomime pianist and Sonny Bradshaw was running the band at the time – and I mean, this was Mr. Bradshaw and we were going to be on TV, and he was the big man – I mean, the [palms of my hand] became a river.

What would you say would be the highlight of your musical experience, to date?

So many of them. Giants Stadium is one, Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, just because I used to sit in the audience and think, ‘One day I want to be up there.’ But, I’m trying to think of a musical event where the music just soared to a height. An early experience, opening for Bob Marley at the Lyceum Theatre in London.

Cat said that, too.

Because nobody knew us yet, we didn’t have a record over there yet. We stepped on the stage and done the place, as a new band. Because, again, we were doing some things that were not expected. [Cat] was playing cello – they found the mix unusual, because we were doing Stevie Wonder songs and reggae songs, and so on. In England you were either a soul band or a reggae band, for us, because we were into the versatility thing, you see. But we mashed up the place, still.

Another awesome moment was a thing called July Fest, in Richmond, Virginia. The American government used to have these summer festivals where they would subsidize it so they could carry the price down for the everyday guy and they blocked off the street. Because Richmond is a place where the promoters would tell you that we can’t get more than 400 people. And, yet, that July Fest there was Third World and Wailers – Bob had passed already – so it was the Wailers Band. They opened and the people, and, of course, out there were about 15,000 people and, the people sang along when they heard the Bob Marley tunes, [because] they knew those tunes.

The promoters always told us that we were not that [well-known] in the region, especially among the black people, But when we hit the stage, we didn’t have to sing anything. The 15,000 people knew every Third World tune word for word, you hear me? Blew me away, because I could not believe it. And it just goes to show how the whole thing was promoted because we were typically promoted that reggae was mainly known to white people and that blacks didn’t know it. But what’s been happening is that they were making the prices too high because the white promoters didn’t want to go into the black areas.

A similar situation happened at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre, in Washington, DC, again subsidized for the summer and it was us headlining with a little-known opening act. When the sound check was done and we were leaving the parking lot – not even a bicycle out there – and the Budweiser festival was down the street with Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind and Fire, the Jamaica Independence [show] was up the road with Freddie McGregor, so, believe you me, we went [back] to the hotel to change and said, ‘We’re going to flop tonight.’ When we went back [to do the show], I nearly wet [myself], the place was sold out! When we took the stage – the same thing again – similar thing again, majority Black audience and every word of the tunes.

So, one of the things that was obvious to me was that we had a very strong black following in the United States which we probably didn’t get close to because of how the concert promotions were going. [Also,] I hear we have a big following in South Africa, too – we’ve never played there.

How would you like to be remembered?

Boy, that sounds too final, man.

I know. Whenever I ask people that, they tend to get nervous.

I guess, just being remembered is enough. But, given a choice, I would like to be positively remembered.

What is your take on where you think reggae is today?

Reggae came back and did not move Dancehall to come back.

What is your view on the current trends in the music industry, as a whole?

Download on the economics – don’t know how that one is going to go. The good thing is that e-commerce has made the whole world our marketplace, so the numbers you can reach directly without even accompanying the middle are greater, potentially. If there’s even a little piracy, you’re supposed to be able to make more.

The video world has changed music completely. I think I prefer the days when we were just aural. Seeing something with music in the background can distract from the musicality. So, now, we get what we call “the basic beat generation.” I shudder to say these things because it might sound like the whole generational thing, a youth might say, ‘Boy, just get with what’s going on.’ Yeah, but, you see, there are some absolutes. Things like pitch recognition is a skill that will die if they just put a beat in the background and watch some girl wind.

This is one craft where black people have an advantage, you know, believe it or not, because it is totally ear-generated.  The skill that is done, the craft, that is music. Too much visual can push it into the background. It can be used provisionally against the person while keeping the person still at a low intellectual level.

The music business can defeat music, but I have always trained my students that music is a craft and the music business can be craftiness. So, I’m still trying to train people to do craft.

Well, you can’t get away from craft.

Right. The good thing that happens today is that don’t care what the business does, the craft still seems to come through. Again, I go back to Jr. Gong, with all that’s going on, a good piece of work tends to flourish, no matter what.

And it stands the test of time.

Ah, you see it. Like his father’s work, or like Third World’s work, or like Jimmy Cliff’s work, you get me? The thing is, you’re also looking at the world as it changes, and when the world is in need of certain things, people reach out. We’re in the 21^st Century … With what’s going on, the world needs meaning, now, people are looking for something deeper.

Olivier Stephenson is a journalist, playwright, screenwriter, poet, and author of “Visions and Voices: Conversations with Fourteen Caribbean Playwrights (Peepal Tree Press, 2013).

A co-founding member and former executive director of the Caribbean American Repertory Theatre (CART) in New York City; he has worked as a freelance writer in New York City where he was formerly a freelance writer at the New York Amsterdam News – a weekly Black-owned newspaper serving New York City and one of the oldest newspapers geared toward African Americans in the United States; KLAS-FM  Radio in Jamaica, The Jamaica Observer, The Gleaner –  a morning daily newspaper and the oldest continuously published newspaper in the Western Hemisphere – and as a columnist for that newspaper’s afternoon edition, The Star. He currently resides in the State of Florida, in the United States.

Photo – Geoffrey Philp on Facebook

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The term “Third World Countries” has been a topic of discussion for decades, evolving in meaning and context over time. Today, in 2023, it’s essential to understand the term’s historical significance, its modern implications, and the challenges and opportunities these countries face. As a researcher I aim to provide a comprehensive overview, backed by reputable sources, to shed light on the current state of Third World Countries.

Historical Context of the Term “Third World”

The term “Third World” has its roots in the Cold War era, a time of significant political tension and division. Understanding its origin provides clarity on its evolution and the shift in its meaning over time.

Origins of the Term

According to the World Population Review, the term “Third World” was originally coined by French historian Alfred Sauvy in 1952. It was part of the “three worlds” label system used to describe a country’s political alliances:

• First World: Largely democratic NATO countries such as the United States, Japan, and much of Western Europe.
• Second World: Communist Bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, China, and their allies.
• Third World: Countries that remained neutral and allied with neither side.

Evolution of the Term

As I have read on study of JSTOR, over time, the meaning of “Third World” underwent a transformation. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the term lost its political root. Instead, it began to refer to economically poor and non-industrialized countries, as well as newly industrialized ones. This modern definition encompasses countries with high poverty rates, economic instability, and a lack of essential human resources compared to the rest of the world.

List Of Third World Countries

Country	Third World Country	Human Development Index (HDI)
South Sudan	Yes	0.39 (Low Human Development)
Niger	Yes	0.4 (Low Human Development)
Central African Republic	Yes	0.4 (Low Human Development)
Burundi	Yes	0.43 (Low Human Development)
Mali	Yes	0.43 (Low Human Development)
Yemen	Yes	0.46 (Low Human Development)
Burkina Faso	Yes	0.45 (Low Human Development)
Mozambique	Yes	0.45 (Low Human Development)
Guinea	Yes	0.47 (Low Human Development)
Guinea-Bissau	Yes	0.48 (Low Human Development)
Liberia	Yes	0.48 (Low Human Development)
Sierra Leone	Yes	0.48 (Low Human Development)
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Yes	0.48 (Low Human Development)
Eritrea	Yes	0.49 (Low Human Development)
Ethiopia	Yes	0.5 (Low Human Development)
Madagascar	Yes	0.5 (Low Human Development)
The Gambia	Yes	0.5 (Low Human Development)
Lesotho	Yes	0.51 (Low Human Development)
Malawi	Yes	0.51 (Low Human Development)
Djibouti	Yes	0.51 (Low Human Development)

1. South Sudan

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.39
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has been embroiled in conflict since its inception. The country’s low HDI is indicative of its challenges in establishing stable governance, infrastructure, and social services.

2. Niger

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.4
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

According to USAID Niger, despite its rich cultural heritage, grapples with desertification, food insecurity, and high mortality rates. Its low HDI underscores the nation’s struggles with basic human needs and services.

3. Central African Republic

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.4
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

As per report from Global Focus The Central African Republic, abundant in natural resources, faces political unrest and violence. The nation’s low HDI highlights the disparity between its resource wealth and the well-being of its citizens.

4. Burundi

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.43
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Burundi, recovering from a prolonged civil war, faces challenges in governance, infrastructure, and social services says the IMF. Its low HDI is a testament to the nation’s ongoing efforts to rebuild and stabilize.

5. Mali

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.43
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Mali, known for its rich history and culture, has been grappling with political instability and extremist insurgencies according to JSTOR. The nation’s HDI reflects its challenges in ensuring the well-being of its citizens amidst these adversities.

6. Yemen

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.46
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Yemen, embroiled in a devastating civil war, faces severe humanitarian crises. The nation’s low HDI underscores the dire situation of its citizens, with many lacking access to basic necessities.

7. Burkina Faso

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.45
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Burkina Faso, a nation with a vibrant cultural scene, struggles with political unrest and extremist activities. Its HDI reflects the challenges the nation faces in ensuring a decent quality of life for its citizens.

8. Mozambique

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.45
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Mozambique, despite its scenic beauty and resources, grapples with economic challenges and insurgent activities. The nation’s HDI highlights its struggles in ensuring the well-being of its populace.

9. Guinea

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.47
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Report from KPMG says that Guinea is rich in mineral resources, and faces challenges in governance and infrastructure. The nation’s HDI underscores its efforts to improve the quality of life for its citizens.

10. Guinea-Bissau

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.48
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Guinea-Bissau, with its rich biodiversity, has faced political instability and economic challenges over the years. The nation’s HDI reflects its ongoing struggles with governance, infrastructure, and social services.

11. Liberia

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.48
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Liberia, Africa’s oldest republic, has been grappling with the aftermath of prolonged civil wars. The nation’s HDI underscores its efforts to rebuild and ensure a better quality of life for its citizens.

12. Sierra Leone

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.48
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Sierra Leone, known for its scenic beaches and rich culture, has been recovering from a devastating civil war according to Blackpast. The nation’s HDI highlights its ongoing challenges in governance, healthcare, and education.

13. Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.48
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

The DRC, abundant in natural resources, has faced decades of political unrest and conflict. The nation’s low HDI is indicative of the disparity between its resource wealth and the well-being of its citizens.

14. Eritrea

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.49
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

JSTOR says that Eritrea, with its strategic location along the Red Sea, has faced challenges in governance and human rights. The nation’s HDI reflects its struggles in ensuring freedom and well-being for its citizens.

15. Ethiopia

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.5
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Ethiopia, known for its ancient history and diverse culture, has been grappling with political challenges and regional conflicts. The nation’s HDI underscores its efforts to improve governance and social services.

16. Madagascar

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.5
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

GVI says that Madagascar, has most unique biodiversity. Country also faces economic challenges and environmental threats. The nation’s HDI reflects its struggles to balance conservation efforts with the well-being of its citizens.

17. The Gambia

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.5
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

The Gambia, with its picturesque landscapes, has faced political challenges over the years. The nation’s HDI highlights its efforts to ensure a stable governance structure and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

18. Lesotho

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.51
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

I read on World Atlas that Lesotho, an enclaved country within South Africa, grapples with economic challenges and health crises. The nation’s HDI underscores its struggles with healthcare infrastructure and social services.

19. Malawi

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.51
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

Malawi, known as the “Warm Heart of Africa,” relies heavily on agriculture. The nation’s HDI reflects its challenges in ensuringq food security, healthcare, and education for its citizens.

20. Djibouti

• Third World Country: Yes
• Human Development Index: 0.51
• HDI Tier: Low Human Development

According to Global Village Space Djibouti, strategically located near some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, has been leveraging its location for economic growth. However, the nation’s HDI indicates challenges in diversifying its economy, improving education, and ensuring healthcare for its citizens.

Remaining Countries:

• Senegal
• Sudan
• Rwanda
• Uganda
• Togo
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Haiti
• Benin
• Zambia
• Syria
• Kenya
• Republic of the Congo
• Zimbabwe
• Myanmar
• Cambodia
• Angola
• Cameroon
• Comoros
• Mauritania
• Solomon Islands
• Papua New Guinea
• Ivory Coast
• Tanzania
• El Salvador
• Bhutan
• Nicaragua
• East Timor
• Laos
• Namibia
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Vanuatu
• Honduras
• Kiribati
• India
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Marshall Islands
• Tuvalu
• Eswatini
• Equatorial Guinea
• Nepal
• Cape Verde
• Bangladesh

Modern Implications and Controversies

The term “Third World” in its modern context has stirred debates and controversies, primarily due to its derogatory connotations. It’s crucial to address these concerns to promote a more inclusive and respectful discourse.

Misconceptions and Confusions

Tthere’s significant confusion regarding which countries can be termed “Third World” today. Historically, nations like Finland, Sweden, Ireland, and Switzerland were Third World countries as they weren’t aligned with NATO or the Communist Bloc. However, their current economic prosperity doesn’t align with the modern definition of the term.

Derogatory Connotations

In its modern context, “Third World” is often viewed as a derogatory term, degrading developing or poor countries. This combination of confusion and disrespect has rendered the term largely obsolete in many circles.

Alternatives to “Third World” and Current Classifications

As the term “Third World” faces criticism, alternative terms have emerged to describe countries based on their economic and developmental status. These terms aim to be more accurate and respectful.

Preferred Modern Terms

Instead of “Third World,” many now favor terms such as “developing countries” and “least-developed countries,” calculated by the United Nations Human Development Index. Another term in use is “low-income countries,” based on World Bank data.

Exclusions and Inclusions

According to the World Population Review, some United Nations Member States like Monaco, Nauru, North Korea, and Somalia are typically excluded from the Human Development Index. If included, all but Monaco would likely rank as developing or least-developed countries.

FAQ

1. What is the difference between “Third World” and “Developing” countries?

While both terms are often used interchangeably, “Third World” originated during the Cold War to describe countries not aligned with NATO or the Communist Bloc. “Developing” is a more modern term, focusing on the economic and infrastructural development of a country.

2. Why is the term “Third World” considered derogatory by some?

The term, in its modern context, is often associated with poverty, underdevelopment, and inferiority. Many believe it perpetuates negative stereotypes about these countries.

3. How is the Human Development Index (HDI) calculated?

The HDI is a composite index measuring average achievements in three basic dimensions of human development: health (life expectancy at birth), education (mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling), and standard of living (GNI per capita).

4. Are there other indices or metrics used to classify countries based on development?

Yes, other metrics include Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, the World Bank’s income classifications, and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).

5. How can a country improve its HDI ranking?

Improvements in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic stability can contribute to a higher HDI. Foreign investments, sustainable policies, and good governance also play crucial roles.

Final Words

Understanding the nuances of terms like “Third World” and the metrics that gauge a country’s development is essential in today’s interconnected world. While labels can often oversimplify complex realities, they also offer a starting point for deeper exploration and empathy. As global citizens, it’s our responsibility to stay informed, challenge stereotypes, and contribute positively to the global narrative.

Rerferences

1. World Population Review
   • Referenced in relation to the origins of the term “Third World.” This source likely provides data and insights about global populations and country classifications.
2. JSTOR
   • Mentioned multiple times, particularly in relation to the evolution of the term “Third World” and the challenges faced by countries like Mali and Eritrea. JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students.
3. USAID Niger
   • Cited in the context of Niger’s challenges, including desertification, food insecurity, and high mortality rates. USAID provides foreign aid and assistance to countries in need.
4. Global Focus
   • Referenced when discussing the Central African Republic’s political unrest and violence. Global Focus likely provides insights on global issues and crises.
5. IMF
   • Mentioned in the context of Burundi’s challenges post a prolonged civil war. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides financial assistance and advice to member countries.
6. KPMG
   • Referenced when discussing Guinea’s challenges in governance and infrastructure. KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services.
7. Blackpast
   •  Cited in relation to Sierra Leone’s recovery from a devastating civil war. Blackpast is an online reference center for African American history.
8. GVI
   • Mentioned in the context of Madagascar’s unique biodiversity and its challenges. GVI offers international volunteering programs.
9. World Atlas
   • Referenced when discussing Lesotho’s economic challenges and health crises. World Atlas provides maps, facts, and geographical information.
10. Global Village Space

• Cited in relation to Djibouti’s strategic location and its efforts for economic growth. Global Village Space likely covers global news and analysis.

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