Heritage Day 2016 was held in the community of Mahaut on Sunday, October 23rd.
The day began with an ecumenical service at the Teza Grounds and was officiated by Bishop of Roseau, His Lordship Gabriel Malzaire.
The service was followed by an exhibition which featured aspects of the history and culture of the community.
A cultural gala brought the curtains down on the event.
The Hon Parliamentary Representative for the Mahaut Constituency, Rayburn Blackmoore, expressed delight at the hard work the team put into organizing such a great event.
“I must say that I am delighted to be here today, for such a very historic and wonderful experience. Events such as these bring out the brightest and most wonderful version in us as community and as a nation. I want again in a particular way to commend the efforts of those of you who took time off your busy schedule to be part of the planning and organizing process to make this event such a wonderful one,” Hon Blackmoore noted.
The Hon Minister for Culture, Justina Charles, also addressed the ceremony.
“It is important that we understand our past so that we can develop a greater appreciation for the strides that we have made. We should use this as a benchmark to direct our path. Let us share those experiences with the younger generation.”
Among the highlights of this year’s celebration was the sashing of the Cultural Elder, Phillipa Christopher.
She was presented with a plaque by His Excellency the President of Dominica Charles Savarin.
Christopher contributed to her community by` participating in a Mahaut Wob Dwiyet competition, making head pieces and applying starch to petticoats used for the national wear and organizing koudmen within the community and neighbouring villages.
She is 94.
Special appearances were made by this year’s national Wob Dwiyet pageant contestants.
Heritage Day was established by the Konmite Pou Etid Kweyol (KEK) and the Division of Culture.
Housing Minister receives courtesy call from India’s High Commissioner to T&T
His Excellency Bishwadip Dey, India’s High Commissioner to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago paid a courtesy call on the Honourable Randall Mitchell, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, today (October 24) at the Ministry’s South Quay office.
During this inaugural meeting, the High Commissioner and the Honourable Minister discussed areas of mutual concern as it pertains to housing and urbanisation. His Excellency also urged the Honourable Minister to take note of the many professional courses (approximately 200) and areas of technical cooperation from which professionals from the Ministry can benefit.
The housing policies of both countries are quite similar in that the Government of both countries agree that the state should be involved in the provision of quality affordable housing solutions for the low to middle income groups as well as the need to engage public private partnerships.
Mr. Raj Kamal, First Secretary, Indian High Commission and Ms. Simone Thorne-Mora, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development were present for this meeting.
The Ministry of Education, National Reconciliation and Ecclesiastical Affairs is pleased to announce the names of the recipients of the National Awards for the academic year 2015/2016.
The following sixteen (16) students are deemed to have the best claims to these awards based on their performance in the May/June 2016 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
Richard John
Avril Hamilton
Rhea Cain
O’Sini Lewis
Deiriai Myers
Luzanne Edwards
Kelsey Dowers
Jodi Porter
EXHIBITION
Natalia Trotman
Kerron Glasgow
Kyra Matthias
Dillon Michael
Chanelle Mondesir
BURSARY
Nafesha Richardson
Elizabeth Simmons
Franceska Allen
The most outstanding performance was recorded by Richard John who gained nine passes in the CXC: Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations. Richard sat Applied Mathematics, Caribbean Studies, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Digital Media, Integrated Mathematics, Physics and Pure Mathematics. He will receive the Prime Minister’s Award for his performance in the examinations.
Recipients of the National Scholarship receive full funding for a five-year period of study. Recipients of the Exhibition awards receive three years’ full funding for their studies, while Bursary awardees receive twenty thousand dollars each year for a three-year period.
The awardees will be recognized on Wednesday, October 26th, 2016, at the annual Schools’ Independence Rally at Victoria Park.
More than 30 UK journalists representing consumer, trade and online as well as niches of food, adventure and romance, were wowed at a joint St. Kitts and Nevis media event held last week during the 4th annual Destination St. Kitts & Nevis roadshow.
Contemporary London venue, Vanilla, provided the exclusive setting for media to network and interact with tourism officials, stakeholders and UK representatives, as part of a delegation led by Minister of Tourism for the Federation, the Hon. Lindsay Grant and Minister of Tourism, Nevis, the Hon Mark Brantley.
Key media contacts such as Nigel Tisdall from the UK’s Telegraph Media Group; Peter Swain, golf and travel writer; travel trade writers, Paul Scudamore and Katherine Lawry and a team from Escapism magazine, the UK’s largest new independent travel title, attended pre-arranged one-to-one meetings with partners. They were joined by lifestyle and food journalists and bloggers as well as niche media who also met directly with partners to discuss opportunities in the year ahead.
CEO, Racquel Brown, said “the media event is an important element to the Destination St. Kitts and Nevis roadshow offering our partners a platform to build long-term relationships with the UK media. I hope that all participating partners had successful meetings and will in time leverage satisfactory opportunities from those meetings.”
At the start of the main event, media guests were greeted with St. Kitts and Nevis signature rum cocktails, Ting with a Sting and the famous Killer Bee, prepared especially for the event before a joint welcome by CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Racquel Brown and CEO of the Nevis Tourism Authority, Greg Phillip. Both Ministers also addressed the audience following which media were given a fantastic insight into the two destinations via destination videos.
In addition to Tourism Ministers and CEO’s the delegation also included Chairman of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Nick Menon; Director of Marketing, Avenice Thompson and special guest, His Excellency Dr. Kevin Isaac, High Commissioner for St. Kitts and Nevis.
Participating partners included from St. Kitts, Ocean Terrace Inn, St. Kitts Marriott, Park Hyatt, Ottley’s Plantation, St. James Travel & Tours and YU Lounge and from Nevis, Montpelier Plantation & Beach, Oualie Beach Resort, Mount Nevis Hotel, Nisbet Plantation & Beach, Four Seasons Resort and Paradise Beach, Nevis.
The Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Francine Baron
The Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Francine Baron, on Friday, October 21st, voiced her support to the Hon Minister for Justice, Rayburn Blackmoore, who tabled the bill for an act to amend the Sexual Offences Act of Dominica of 1998.
The bill introduces a number of new provisions and seeks to amend several existing ones in the act.
The bill will also address marital rape in which the Hon Minister says she believes that for the safety and well-being of the nation’s women there must be rules enacted.
“We cannot have an artificial restriction and say it is wrong but because you are married there is nothing that can be done about it. There are women in our society that are being abused day in and day out.
Some of these men have relationships outside, they may contract sexually transmitted diseases…if there is nothing to restrict a husband from imposing himself in that way on the wife that person is left with no recourse,” Hon Barron noted.
She also noted that child safety also plays a role in cases such as these.
Hon Baron continued, “If you have people within an abusive relationship it affects not only them but it affects their relationship with their children. If you are being abused on a continuous basis how do you relate to your children? Are your children seeing those things happening within the home? These are factors that we have to take into account when we consider the question of whether these qualifications should or should not remain.”
Members of the public are invited to attend the open day and participate in guided tours, which will include a visit to the cell of Barbados’ notorious criminal, Winston Hall, as well as the gallows.
The popular ‘prison bread’ and art and craft will also be on sale, while there will be a variety of rides, jumping tents and entertainment for children. Then at 5:00 p.m. that same day, the public is invited to attend a gala and decommissioning ceremony for the prison, followed by an after party at 8:00 p.m. with popular entertainers.
The decommissioning of HMP Glendairy will see the official closing off of all prison-related activity at the site after it was damaged by fire in 2005, and the facility being handed back over to the Ministry of Housing and Lands.
The gala will feature speeches by Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite; and Superintendent of Prisons, Lieutenant Colonel John Nurse, followed by a cultural show including drama, singing and the spoken word.
In addition, there will be a multimedia presentation entitled: 150 Years in a Day, which will reflect the history of Glendairy Prison. There is an entry fee for the gala, and interested persons are asked to contact HMP Dodds, at 416-6900, for more information on how to obtain tickets. (JRB/BGIS)
His Royal Highness will visit Saint Lucia from Nov. 24 – 25.
As previously announced, HRH Prince Harry will undertake an official visit to the Caribbean on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen in November and December 2016, on the occasion of the 35th Anniversary of Independence in Antigua and Barbuda, and the 50th Anniversary of Independence in Barbados and Guyana.
His Royal Highness will carry out 14 days of official engagements in Her Majesty’s Realms where The Queen is Sovereign, and Guyana – a member of the Commonwealth.
Prince Harry will visit seven countries including the Realms of Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Barbados, as well as visiting Guyana on behalf of the Foreign Office.
The visit will begin on Sunday, Nov. 20, and end on Sunday, Dec. 4. This will be Prince Harry’s second official visit to the Caribbean following his first tour to the region in 2012 when HRH represented Her Majesty during the Diamond Jubilee.
A Kensington Palace Spokesperson said:
“Prince Harry is honored to be representing The Queen in the year of her 90th birthday, particularly as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Guyana mark their own important anniversaries of independence.
“Prince Harry holds special memories of his last visit to the Caribbean, and of the warmth, friendliness and sense of fun that comes so naturally to this region. His Royal Highness is greatly looking forward to meeting more of the people who call it home, and for the opportunity during this tour to be visiting some countries for the first time.
“This visit will allow Prince Harry to experience more of the unique and individual cultures and traditions of these special Commonwealth Realms and countries. His Royal Highness is grateful to have the chance to visit nations that play such important roles in the Commonwealth, and have extended such warmth to his family for many years.”
The royal tour will begin in Antigua and Barbuda, which is one of three countries Prince Harry will visit that is marking a significant independence anniversary in 2016. His Royal Highness will then undertake a number of day trips to nearby countries including Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. There, Prince Harry will take the opportunity to learn more about local projects and initiatives, including those focusing on conservation, youth empowerment, and sport for social development.
It will continue in Barbados, which is celebrating its 50th year of Independence. Prince Harry is looking forward to joining the many thousands of Barbadians who will be celebrating this occasion. His Royal Highness will also visit a number of charities and organizations in Barbados which carry out important work to address social issues that affect the region.
Prince Harry will complete the visit in Guyana, which also celebrated its 50th year of Independence in 2016. His Royal Highness will take in some of the natural sights of the Hinterland, as well as witnessing how eco-tourism and a focus on conservation have changed the lives of the people in this area.
On Her Majesty’s behalf, Prince Harry will unveil a number of dedications to The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a forestry project which invites Commonwealth countries to dedicate indigenous forest to be preserved in perpetuity for future generations. The first dedication was unveiled by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia on their recent tour to Canada.
NOTE: Prince Harry will visit Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada, Barbados and Guyana on the following dates:
Sunday, 20th November: Antigua
Monday, 21st November: Antigua
Tuesday, 22nd November: Barbuda and Antigua
Wednesday, 23rd November: Saint Kitts and Nevis
Thursday, 24th November: Saint Lucia
Friday, 25th November: Saint Lucia
Saturday, 26th November: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sunday, 27th November: Travel day
Monday, 28th November: Grenada
Tuesday, 29th November: Barbados
Wednesday, 30th November: Barbados
Thursday, 1st December: Barbados
Friday, 2nd December: Guyana
Saturday, 3rd December: Guyana
Sunday, 4th December: Guyana
A cross section of the attendees at the Retiree Adolescent Partnership Programme training exercise on October 22. (Photo courtesy the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services)
As the new financial year 2016/2017 begins, Regional Coordinators, Facilitators and Tutors involved in the Retirees Adolescent Partnership Programme (RAPP) recently received training in Effective Mentorship, Building Capacity and Communication on issues affecting young persons in our society today.
The session also provided an opportunity for Facilitators and Tutors to share some lessons learnt on the past year and planned activities for this year’s Programme.
The training which took place on October 22, formed part of the institutional strengthening culture which the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services intends to establish and maintain at all five RAPP Centres, to ensure that the content, structure and effectiveness of the Programme is maintained and continues to be effective. The Centres represented were Belmont, Couva, La Horquetta, Valencia and Laventille
The one-day session included a motivational segment as well as role play presentations by young persons who dramatized scenarios of real life situations and the participants were asked to devise practical solutions to address these.
National Coordinator for RAPP, Brenda Mc Cree, indicated that the session is an annual exercise which allows all Stakeholders of the Programme to come together to share experiences and solutions, as well as to gauge what plans were in train for the upcoming year. She stressed that the RAPP Programme focuses on nurturing our youth and in this regard, it was important that the facilitators, tutors and community groups that assist with executing the programme were well-equipped to do so.
The Retirees Adolescent Partnership Programme is a community-oriented programme implemented by the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, which seeks to utilize the skills and experience of retired professionals to provide assistance, building values and life skills as well as supervision to youths between 11 – 16 years of age. Its vision is to create a nurturing and disciplined environment, where children can learn and develop in positive, life-changing ways.
National Coordinator for Retiree Adolescent Partnership Programme, Ms Brenda McCree, addresses tutors during the training exercise.
Britain's Prince Harry receives a royal salute from the honor guard at Garden Island Naval base in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013 before boarding HMAS Leeuwin to view the International Fleet review. The prince glided through Sydney's sun-dappled harbor aboard a navy ship on Saturday, as thousands of people crowded the shoreline to catch a glimpse of royalty and celebrate the centenary of the fledgling Australian navy fleet's first arrival to the famed waterway.(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
As previously announced HRH Prince Harry will undertake an official visit to the Caribbean, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen in November and December 2016.
On the occasion of the 35th Anniversary of Independence in Antigua and Barbuda, and the 50th Anniversary of Independence in Barbados and Guyana. His Royal Highness will carry out 14 days of official engagements in Her Majesty’s Realms where The Queen is Sovereign, and Guyana – a member of the Commonwealth.
Prince Harry will visit seven countries including the Realms of Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Barbados, as well as visiting Guyana on behalf of the Foreign Office.
The visit will begin on Sunday 20th November and end on Sunday 4th December. This will be Prince Harry’s second official visit to the Caribbean following his first tour to the region in 2012 when HRH represented Her Majesty during the Diamond Jubilee.
A Kensington Palace Spokesperson said:
“Prince Harry is honoured to be representing The Queen, in the year of her 90th birthday, particularly as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Guyana mark their own important anniversaries of independence.
“Prince Harry holds special memories of his last visit to the Caribbean, and of the warmth, friendliness and sense of fun that comes so naturally to this region. His Royal Highness is greatly looking forward to meeting more of the people who call it home, and for the opportunity during this tour to be visiting some countries for the first time.
“This visit will allow Prince Harry to experience more of the unique and individual cultures and traditions of these special Commonwealth Realms and countries. His Royal Highness is grateful to have the chance to visit nations that play such important roles in the Commonwealth, and have extended such warmth to his family for many years.”
The Royal tour will begin in Antigua and Barbuda, which is one of three countries Prince Harry will visit that is marking a significant independence anniversary in 2016. His Royal Highness will then undertake a number of day trips to nearby countries including St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. There, Prince Harry will take the opportunity to learn more about local projects and initiatives, including those focusing on conservation, youth empowerment, and sport for social development.
It will continue in Barbados, which is celebrating its 50th year of Independence. Prince Harry is looking forward to joining the many thousands of Barbadians who will be celebrating this occasion. His Royal Highness will also visit a number of charities and organisations in Barbados which carry out important work to address social issues that affect the region.
Prince Harry will complete the visit in Guyana, which also celebrated its 50th year of Independence in 2016. His Royal Highness will take in some of the natural sights of the Hinterland, as well as witnessing how eco-tourism and a focus on conservation have changed the lives of the people in this area.
On Her Majesty’s behalf, Prince Harry will unveil a number of dedications to The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, a forestry project which invites Commonwealth countries to dedicate indigenous forest to be preserved in perpetuity for future generations. The first dedication was unveiled by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia on their recent tour to Canada.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, addresses the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 18. (Photo: JIS Photographer)
State Minister for Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, says public-sector modernisation is intended to enhance service delivery by state entities, while providing opportunities for the development of employees.
Mrs. Williams contends that the Government’s undertaking to make the public sector more efficient “goes beyond savings”, and entails determining how funding and other resources are administered for the effective delivery of front-line services.
“It means delivering better outcomes and more effective governance while using public money in the smartest possible way,” she pointed out.
The State Minister was speaking at a public forum hosted by the Hugh Lawson Shearer Trade Union Education Institute at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in St. Andrew, on Thursday (October 20).
Mrs. Williams said the process is already yielding positive results, citing the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), which has modernised its operations, through the introduction of technology and other inputs.
She noted that the entity has pioneered the concept of bedside birth registration and introduced online applications for birth, death and marriage certificates.
“Since becoming an Executive Agency… under the Public Sector Modernisation Project, the Registrar General’s Department has been awarded many outstanding accolades for innovation and customer service. Now, the RGD boasts 95 per cent customer satisfaction,” she pointed out.
Mrs. Williams also cited the recently divested Kingston Container Terminal, whose 800 employees now “work for a private entity”.
“They have added (approximately) 100 people already, so they have expanded opportunities for persons who (previously) worked with Government,” she added.
Mrs. Williams is encouraging civil servants to embrace public-sector modernisation by “opening your minds to the opportunities that could exist”.
Public-sector transformation is expected to be one of the pivotal areas of focus under the proposed three-year US$1.7-million successor agreement, which the Government has negotiated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Once approved by the IMF’s Executive Board, during its meeting in November, the new agreement will replace the four-year Extended Fund Facility, which concludes in March 2017.
The forum, which was held under the theme ‘Public-Sector Workers: Expectations Beyond March 2017’, focused on the implications for Jamaica, particularly civil servants, consequent on the implementation of the successor economic programme.
