JAMAICA: Prime Minister Andrew Holness is urging all Jamaicans to join in the fight against crime.
Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness
The Prime Minister was speaking in the aftermath of the brazen murder of 54 year old Judith Williams, who was attached to the Office of Police Commissioner, Dr Carl Williams.
Mr Holness said that he is deeply saddened by Miss Williams’ death and added that his government will not allow criminality to flourish.
“She dedicated her life to serving her country and was looking forward to her retirement. Her dream has been stolen by criminals who, like true cowards, pounced on her when she was most vulnerable. This government will not allow this type of behaviour and wickedness to persist” Mr Holness said.
In addition, Mr Holness said that all Jamaicans must recognise that while we have made gains much more needs to be done.
“If all of us do not join the fight against crime and criminals, Judith’s Death might be in vain. The Police and the Government need partnerships with all citizens to combat criminality”, Prime Minister Holness added.
Given the scope and importance of information and communication technology (ICT) to the growth and development of CARICOM, women and girls were Thursday encouraged and empowered to enter and excel in the male-dominated field.
At the opening ceremony of an event at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Georgetown, Guyana, to observe Girls in ICT Day, the all-female assemblage of speakers pointed to the opportunities available in the field of ICT and the necessity for early engagement of girls in the sector.
For Minister of Public Telecommunications and Tourism of Guyana, the Hon. Catherine Hughes, engaging women in ICT was “smart economics”, especially in the context of the serious contributions women were making in business, economies, families and their lives.
She encouraged the scores of girls at the event to take note that like others who had overcome challenges and were successful, they could also do the same.
The only limit you have today is the one you put on yourself,” the Minister remarked.
Her colleague Minister, the Hon. Nicolette Henry of the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry of Guyana, referred to data that suggested that the ICT field was still dominated by men, and called for more to be done to encourage women and girls to enter the sector.
She said the Girls in ICT Day was about empowering girls to invent, innovate and realise their dreams.
CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General, Ambassador Manorma Soeknandan, PhD., said girls needed to be engaged regarding ICT from the primary level. According to her, it was clear that the focus was too much on using computers, and not enough emphasis was being place on innovating through their use.
While she acknowledged there were ICT success stories in every country, especially in the area of application development or building ‘apps’, Ambassador Soeknandan said there was need for more successes in ICT if the Region was to be truly transformed. She added that CARICOM Heads of Government were sure that ICT was one of the sectors that could make a positive contribution to the development of the Region.
Help our girls make a difference in their life and in the life of others by equipping them to manage these powerful tools,” she said.
She challenged participants at the event to become more active advocates of bridging the gender gap across the Region and the world. She also encouraged persons to advocate that more girls and women study, train for and compete for the high-level, high-paying jobs in every industry, especially in ICT. She said this also included girls and women who were differently-abled, noting that they too had a meaningful place in society and the world of work.
The opening ceremony also featured presentations by Ms. Jewel Collier-Swan, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors, Guyana, Ms. Norma Daniels, who owns, manages and operates CSR Computers, and, via video, Ms Tarun Butcher, Vice Dean, Regional Initiative, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors, Belize. MS Yldiz Pollack-Beighle, Deputy Programme Manager, Youth Development, CARICOM Secretariat, chaired the ceremony.
Following the opening ceremony, there were various workshops and seminars that addressed issues such cyber behavioural tips, video journalism, animation, using technology and photography.
The Girls in ICT Day Event for 2016 was hosted under the theme ‘Tech girls for a tech world. Girls and women in ICT; beneficial to every country’.
This is the third staging of a ‘Girls in ICT’ event by the CARICOM Secretariat. Other stakeholders included The Ministry of Public Telecommunications Guyana, Ministry of Education, Guyana, the University of Guyana, the Cyril Potter College of Education and the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors. Since 2011, International Girls in ICT Day has been celebrated in 150 countries around the world with more than 5,300 events and participation of over 177,000 girls and young women.
ST. VINCENT: On May 2nd and 3rd, 2016, internationally renowned Italian football coach, Macello Lippi, will visit Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to facilitate a regional training workshop for football coaches.
Marcello Lippi, is an Italian World Cup – winning former professional football manager and player. He served as Italian team head coach from 16th July 2004 to 12th July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The training workshop is hosted by the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture. Eleven (11) coaches from Grenada, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago including Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are expected to attend the workshop.
The training workshop will take place at the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines National Sports Council’s Media Centre at Arnos Vale.
GRENADA: (St. George’s, Grenada) 29 April, 2016 – “The Caribbean Animal Health Network, CaribVET, continues to work in earnest with its partners to safeguard the animal and veterinary public health of the Caribbean region”, affirmed Dr Kathian Hackshaw, Chair of the Steering Committee of CaribVET, at the network’s annual Meeting held in Grenada, 4-6 April 2016.
In her opening remarks, she highlighted the strong link between animal health and international trade, saying that CaribVET is highly committed to contributing to the development of a safe, prosperous and healthy region.
Recently CaribVET has experienced a marked increase in the demand for its services and the provision of technical assistance due to the threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza to the regional poultry producers and the stability of the poultry industry.
The topics discussed during the Meeting included the finalization of prevention and control management strategies for Avian Influenza. CaribVET’s preparedness strategy was
evaluated during the Meeting by USDA experts who offered advice on how it could be further strengthened prior to application by the veterinary services, Ministries of Agriculture, the private sector and other stakeholders throughout the Caribbean region.
Additionally, plans to strengthen the human resources and coordination capacity of the Secretariat in the CIRAD Office in Guadeloupe, so that it is able to more effectively fulfill the mandate of CaribVET throughout the region were discussed at the meeting.
According to Dr. Jennifer Pradel CaribVET’s Coordinator, “CaribVET funding partners successfully coordinated their resources from several flagship European projects implemented in the Caribbean to meet the demand for its services: FP7/Epigenesis project coordinated by CIRAD; 10th EDF Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Program coordinated by IICA and the ACP “One Health, One Caribbean, One Love” Project coordinated by UWI”.
During the Meeting, the collaboration between the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) and CaribVET was discussed. “We are expected to work closely on a number of areas, such as the development of databases and disease emergency preparedness plans” indicated Dr. Gavin Peters, animal health officer at CAHFSA.
“These collaborative efforts are intended to make better and efficient use of the resources available in the region for those developments of our Animal Health systems” he added.
Dr. Bowen Louison, Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of Grenada and chairman of the CARICOM CVOs reiterated that “all recommendations coming from the deliberations of CaribVET Steering Committee are forwarded to the CARICOM Chief Veterinary Officers meeting.
It is through that body that all issues related to the work and relevance of CaribVET is presented to the COTED (Council for Trade and Economic Development) one of the highest decision making bodies of CARICOM. We will continue to fully support the work of CaribVET”.
“CaribVET will also continue to work diligently to improve communication with several of its key target audiences – veterinarians, Ministries of Agriculture, stakeholders and the public – so as to achieve a greater awareness and visibility of its work throughout the region”, emphasized Dr. Hackshaw.
CaribVET is a collaborative network involving veterinary services in 33 Caribbean countries and territories as well as veterinary services laboratories, research institutes (CIRAD, CENSA), veterinary faculties (UWI-SVM; University of Guyana), CARICOM Secretariat and regional (CAHFSA, IICA, USDA) and international organizations (OIE, FAO, PAHO/WHO).
CaribVET met with its chief veterinary officers, partners and regional stakeholders during two intensive days to review the activities and results of the network and develop recommendations and a work plan for the upcoming year.
DOMINICA: The Ministry of Trade, Energy and Employment hosted a one-day workshop on Competition Law and Policy as it relates to CARIFORUM and the European Union’s Economic Partnership Agreement.
The one-day training is a Level I programme designed to raise knowledge and awareness of competition law and policy and to build capacity among stakeholders in Dominica.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Energy and Employment, Careen Prevost, addressed the workshop’s opening ceremony on Wednesday, April 27.
“This is not the first workshop that we are having in competition law and policy and the Ministry in its concerned effort to ensure sensitization on relevance to citizens has collaborated with the CSME in the past and convened a similar workshop in October 2015. The effort continues as this is a very important issue to the Ministry and we have seen the need to create an awareness of the benefits to customers and the economy of free and unfettered competition practices. This time focus will be placed on the main element of the emerging and evolving competition regimes in CARIFORUM and the relationships between the various institutions and courts of the region, where the implementation of this regimes are concerned.”
The CARICOM Competition Commission (CCC) is responsible for investigating cross border anti-competitive conduct within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. They also promote fair competition in the CARICOM region.
Rommel Hippolyte, Research Economist at the CCC was the main facilitator for the workshop.
“Today we are hoping to expose everyone to the basics of competition law and we are hoping to get everyone to understand the role in competition law enforcement, civil society which includes consumer protection agencies as well as the media who has a very important job in reporting any business conduct that is out there that might be anticompetitive and might harm consumer welfare.”
He spoke of the importance of competition law and policy to not only consumers but businesses in the region.
“It is important because with the EPA and the closer integration between CARIFORUM and EU what happens is that there is a risk instead of national protectionist arrangements being put in place by private business enterprises that will try to prevent opportunities for us in the Caribbean within Europe. It is very important for us to know what competition law is; where we can go to make a complaint and the arrangement that the CARICOM has with the EU to try to stop any anticompetitive business conduct that might harm trade between the two regions.”
This training forms part of the 10th European Development Fund project for capacity building within CARIFORUM.
DOMINICA: April 27th was a special day for the community of Paix-Bouche as villagers celebrated 100 years with beloved Meonette Gussie Bannis arguable the youngest looking centenarian on island.
A number of people from the community itself and surrounding communities joined in the celebration which began with a mass at the Paix-Bouche Roman Catholic Church. H. E President Charles Savarin and his wife, the Hon Member of Parliament for Portsmouth, Ian Douglas and the Hon Member of Parliament for Paix-Bouche, Roselyn Paul, who also acted as Minister for Social Services, all joined in the celebration.
The highlight of the mass was the second reading delivered by the lady of the moment herself.
Meonette Gussie Bannis affectionately known as Ma Léonce was born in the village of Dublanc on April 27th 1916. She had 10 siblings and herself bore two children. She married and moved to Paix-Bouche in 1968.
Ma Léonce is known as a community person lending support to at all community events. At the age of 100 she is still an avid walker and often visits the sick and shut in. Interestingly, she has never been hospitalized until the age of 99 to nurse a broken hand.
MP for Paix-Bouche and acting Minister for Social Services, Roselyn Paul, addressed the birthday reception following the mass.
“We are here as friends, family, well-wishers and villagers to stand in appreciation and commemoration of this great 100th anniversary of a woman who still stands quite strong and tall… The Government of Dominica does not leave our centenarians on their own. We continue to provide tremendous support to centenarians and other senior people in Dominica through institutions such as the Dominica Council on Ageing and the Social Welfare Department within the Ministry of Social Services, Family and Gender Affairs. Today you will be joining the other centenarians who receive every month $500 and a cooking gas.”
Now that Government is doing its part, H.E Charles Savarin encouraged villagers to lend their support to the queen of the community.
H.E the President presented Ma Léonce with a congratulatory letter on her milestone and a gift from the Office of the President.
Several other presentations were made from the Ministry of Social Services, the Paix-Bouche/Dos Dane village council, the Dominica Council on Ageing and the Paix-Bouche Young Action Club among others.
Ma Léonce is the second centenarian celebrated in the Paix-Bouche Constituency this year and brings the number of centenarians living on the island to 22.
DOMINICA: Staff and students of the Dominica State College are partnering with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to raise funds for Ecuador, following the devastation of a 7.8 magnitude earth quake which hit the country on Saturday, April 16.
During a press conference to start off fund raising efforts Director of Student Services and Chairman of the DSC Ecuador Relief Committee, Edgar Hunter said, “This is truly a humanitarian crisis; Ecuador is a member of ALBA and during our time of difficulty, during Tropical Storm Erika, ALBA came forward and also Ecuador came forward to assist us. We feel at the Dominica State College that we should help Ecuador during this difficult time.”
Currently, there are 34 Ecuadorian students at the DSC.
President of the DSC, Dr. Donald Peters encouraged the general public to give back in this time of need.
“We are launching a major effort to gather water, canned foods and supplies to send to the people of Ecuador in quick time. Our students are required to bring canned foods and water to the college beginning next week. The process is ongoing, we are going to solicit cash with an account at National Bank for those who do not have the time to donate food to the relief effort. Everyone in Dominica is invited to help. it does not matter how small it is we expect schools to help… the students here have been very resilient and they having been working with all of us, and if people want to reach out to them you can do so through the coordinator here at the college.”
The Ecuadorian students also appealed to the public for assistance for their country hit by its biggest earthquake in decades.
BARBADOS: The Student Revolving Loan Fund (SRLF) is now accepting application forms.
Persons interested in regional, online and international studies are required to submit completed applications by Thursday, June 30; while the deadline for applications for local studies is Friday, July 15.
All applications should be submitted a minimum of eight weeks before the programme start date.
Prospective applicants are advised that the SRLF will not be accepting forms after the above-stated deadlines for the September 2016 academic year.
For further information and to submit application forms, applicants may visit the website www.srlfloan.edu.bb. Applicants may also call 430-2865/67, or email office@srlfloan.edu.bb. jamal.weekes@barbados.gov.bb
BARBADOS: There is a need for “due process” when dealing with difficult situations in the education system. Education Minister, Ronald Jones. (FP)
This call came from Minister of Education, Science Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones, during a press conference on Wednesday at his Ministry.
Mr. Jones, who was addressing criticisms on the course of action taken by his Ministry in response to a recent altercation at a secondary school, said that before the commencement of the investigation process there were calls for extreme action.
“We are forced by law to behave in a particular manner…we will stay in the confines of the law,” he emphasised, adding that whatever course of action is taken would be done ‘according to the law.”
Acknowledging that further action must be taken to examine and curb the trend of violence in schools, Mr. Jones said that it was his Ministry’s intention to establish a broad-based committee to investigate violence in schools, its causes and solutions, so as to better secure schools. He further explained that various stakeholders would be invited to be part of the committee.
The Education Minister also took the opportunity to assure parents that next Tuesday’s Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination would not be compromised due to the looming threat of industrial action.
Mr. Jones stated that although he hoped that “the withdrawal of labour is not done”, the examination would be set regardless. “[Parents] have no need to worry about the conduct of the exam, or the integrity of the exam. All systems are in place for the conduct of the 11plus,” Mr. Jones affirmed.
While not detailing the systems to be implemented to ensure the conduct of the exam, the Education Minister assured the public that the threat of industrial action would not affect those scheduled to take the exam on May 3. jamal.weekes@barbados.gov.bb
Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite. (FP)
BARBADOS: Health threats such as the Zika virus and Chikungunya have shown that where countries in Latin and South America, and the English-speaking Caribbean are concerned, “our challenges are the same”. Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite. (FP)
This view was expressed by Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite, while speaking at the Inter-American Defense College’s Outside the Contiguous United States Academic Trip Meeting, at the Hilton Barbados this morning.
Using the Zika virus to validate his point, Mr. Brathwaite told the military and government officials gathered that any area that had the potential to damage the region’s way of life should be seen as a security threat.
“As you very well know, the Caribbean is the most heavily dependent region on tourism, so anything that will threaten the real ability to attract individuals to our countries, to me becomes a security threat,” he explained.
The Attorney General pointed out that the challenges being faced in the hemisphere also included the issue of terrorism; the trafficking of persons and illegal firearms; high unemployment rates, especially among young people; transnational organised crime and other security issues.
As he disclosed this information, the Minister also provided what he believed was the solution to tackle what he has described as “multinational challenges”.
“We must ensure that our continued, finite resources are utilised to combat illegal activities, because our role as leaders, whether it be Government, military or otherwise, is to ensure we continue to improve the way of life for our people where we reside,” he stated. deirdre.gittens@barbados.gov.bb
