JIS:The African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank (ACIJ/JMB), on Wednesday, launched a much-anticipated CD about Afro-Jamaican religions.

Dubbed the 'Afro-Jamaican Religions: Kumina, Revival and Rastafari', the CD was released at the Institute of Jamaica, in downtown Kingston.

Addressing an audience of some 200 high-school students and teachers, Professor Emeritus at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Maureen Warner-Lewis, said the CD represented an excellent opportunity for Jamaicans to explore an important aspect of the country's cultural heritage.

The CD, which uses text, pictures and links to audio-visual content to provide an overview of Afro-Jamaican religions, is specifically geared towards students sitting CSEC examinations.

Senior research fellow at the ACIJ/JMB, Dr Julian Cresser, urged the students as well as the general public to "take advantage of this interactive CD-ROM that we have produced. We have really made an effort to create a product that makes learning interesting, makes the experience an interactive one".

Additionally, Dr Cresser pointed out that the CD-ROM would enable the ACIJ to reach out to more Jamaicans, especially those in rural areas.

In the initial stage of production, about 450 copies of the CD were produced, and according to Dr Cresser, they would be accessible in high schools across Jamaica, as well as at parish libraries and at the National Library of Jamaica.

For researchers and persons who might want individual copies, Dr Cresser disclosed that they could write to the ACIJ/JMB, 12 Ocean Boulevard, Kingston, or call 922-7415 and request a copy.

The CD-ROM was funded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) National Commission.