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Joy Sharon’s life is a testament to the transformative power of education. Growing up in a household marred by domestic violence, she turned her personal struggles into a mission to empower children, particularly those with dyslexia, through literacy. Now an award-winning literacy advocate, Joy is reshaping the educational landscape in Barbados, ensuring every child has the tools to read, write, and thrive.

Amid growing concerns over youth violence, literacy specialist Joy Sharon has highlighted a critical yet overlooked factor: undiagnosed dyslexia. Speaking on Friday, Sharon emphasized the urgent need for research and reform, citing mounting evidence linking low literacy levels to criminal behavior. She warned that the failure to identify and support dyslexic youth is contributing to a troubling rise in youth offending.

Dyslexia, a lifelong language-based learning difficulty, affects reading, writing, and spelling due to challenges in processing language. It is unrelated to intelligence but involves difficulties in identifying speech sounds and their relation to words and letters. Symptoms often emerge when children start school, manifesting as struggles with reading fluency, poor spelling, and difficulty sounding out words.

Sharon pointed to international studies showing that nearly half of prison populations are dyslexic, with some U.S. research indicating that 47% of inmates have the condition. “There’s an over-representation of dyslexia in the prison system,” she noted, stressing that this connection is being ignored in Barbados. She criticized the lack of attention to dyslexia in schools, where children with the condition often go unsupported, leading to severe emotional and academic consequences.

Recent data from Barbados underscores the issue. A government study revealed that 95% of inmates convicted of violent crimes read at the level of a three-year-old. Cheryl Willoughby, director of the Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit, called for a reevaluation of the educational system to identify and support children with learning challenges early. “We need to have proper monitoring systems within our schools,” she said, advocating for early intervention and the inclusion of social workers to address these issues.

Superintendent of Prisons DeCarlo Payne highlighted a concerning trend of younger offenders entering Dodds Prison, with inmates as young as 15 or 16 committing increasingly violent crimes. In response, Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams announced a reform agenda focused on rehabilitation through educational opportunities, extending these programs to prison officers as well.

Sharon urged schools to identify and support students with learning difficulties before they fall behind, emphasizing that early intervention is crucial not only for literacy but also for preventing long-term social consequences. “If you don’t know you have a learning challenge, you think there’s something wrong with you,” she said, stressing the impact on self-esteem and self-worth. Addressing dyslexia, she argued, is key to breaking the cycle of crime and incarceration.

In a world where change is inevitable, meaningful transformation requires more than mere chance—it demands strategic visioning. This disciplined process involves envisioning a preferred future and meticulously planning the steps to achieve it. At the national level, Barbados stands on the brink of significant change. Inspired by Singapore’s model of disciplined, long-term development, there is a growing consensus that Barbados can become the “Singapore of the Caribbean.” This vision, supported by both local residents and expatriates, is gaining traction in public discourse. While the journey will be gradual, it can be integrated into a rolling ten-year strategic plan, continuously refined and renewed annually. At the sector level, the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica underscores the importance of resilience and innovation. Discussions among industry leaders highlight the need for strategic partnerships to protect critical infrastructure, such as burying power lines to mitigate future storm damage. At the corporate level, strategic visioning necessitates collaboration between government and private enterprises to align national development goals with business opportunities. Visioning, as a guiding compass, requires passion, persistence, and patience at all levels. It is the key to achieving a sustainable and prosperous future, step by step, decade by decade. As President Obama aptly put it, “Just learn how to get stuff done.”

Since the dawn of the 21st century, the world has undergone profound economic and political transformations, reshaping global economies, societal structures, and labor markets. These shifts, often driven by the decisions of superpower nations, have ignited trade wars and intensified competition over critical resources such as land, oil, and minerals, fostering a new era of neocolonialism. Amid these changes, trade unions have faced scrutiny for their perceived silence on these pressing issues. While international trade union organizations have voiced concerns, the muted response from developing nations—many reliant on first-world support—raises questions about their ability to safeguard labor rights and employment gains. Critics argue that unions may be either hesitant to challenge powerful entities or disconnected from the global developments threatening workers’ welfare. The hostile legal and political environments in many countries, marked by anti-union legislation and measures criminalizing union activities, further complicate their efforts. Even in democratic nations, unions struggle to address global challenges effectively. The rise of the gig economy and non-standard employment has further eroded traditional union structures, making it increasingly difficult to organize fragmented and vulnerable worker groups. Declining membership, particularly among younger workers who view unions as outdated, has diminished their influence and public visibility. As the nature of work continues to evolve, trade unions must confront these mounting challenges to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.