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Jazz giants featured at 2018 festival

saint lucia jazz festival giants
With its return to genuine jazz music, the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival will this year feature four of the most prolific and creative Saint Lucian jazz musicians. With Luther Francois, Barbara Cadet, Denys Baptiste and Ronald Boo Hinkson on its line-up, the festival pays tribute to outstanding Saint Lucian musicians and to their role in creating and promoting Caribbean and Creole Jazz.
On Monday 7 May, the festival will kick off with an entirely Saint Lucian line-up, featuring Barbara Cadet and Denys Baptiste. Accomplished musician, vocalist, arranger and composer, Barbara Cadet is also a musical director and producer. She is the co-founder/arranger of the 40-piece Allegro Steelpan – all female band – which performed and competed in Saint Lucia’s National Panorama competitions and other main stage events.
Barbara was also the producer and musical arranger of the group, Sisterhood, which consisted of 9 female vocalists that performed during Saint Lucia Jazz and a number of other events around the Caribbean.
Born in London of Saint Lucian parents in 1969, award-winning composer and performer Denys Baptiste first studied music at school from the age of 13 and in 1992 he continued his music education at London’s Guildhall School of Music, studying under former Jazz Messenger, Jean Toussaint.
Denys has had an impressive career both as a soloist and as a bandleader, with a most distinctive and immediately recognisable sound. He has played and recorded with some of the biggest names in jazz and other genres including McCoy Tyner, Ernest Ranglin, Courtney Pine, and Manu Dibango.
2018 has already been a fabulous year for Baptiste, who has been nominated for the JAZZ FM Awards in two categories: under Album of the Year with his latest project, ‘The Late Trane’, a CD that revisits some of John Coltrane’s late compositions, rearranging and presenting them in exciting new forms and for Live Experience of the Year for his 2017 concert with Pharaoh Sanders.
On Thursday 10 May, the headliner act at Sandals Grande in Gros Islet will be one of the most widely known and respected Jazz composers, performers and educators in the Caribbean. For a concert that will also feature London-based Dominican guitarist Cameron Pierre, Saint Lucia’s Luther Francois will present another original project called “Fragments”, with musicians from Saint Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe and the UK.
This concert will be, in many ways, a tribute to Luther Francois’ role in support of the jazz festival over the years. Indeed, in 1991, years before the start of the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, he gave the Creole jazz world one of its greatest annual events, as he was a driving force behind the founding of the October Jazz Festival.
Luther has recently begun presenting extracts from a body of work that continues to expand. He lives in Martinique where he continues to make a valuable contribution to the evolution of music in the region through teaching, composing and performing. “I have done a lot of work with other people’s music, and now I want to focus more on my own works, because I am also a composer and an arranger”, says Francois. “And I am a demanding composer”, he says, “my music is not easy to play, it is like classical compositions, and to get into that music, you have to practice, and practice, and practice more.”
The contribution of Saint Lucian jazz artists will climax on Sunday 13 May for the very special Mothers’ Day concert at Pigeon Island, with Ronald Boo Hinkson joining Martinican Frantz Laurac, American Soul singer, songwriter and pianist Avery*Sunshine and Jazz SuperGroup R+R = NOW led by legendary pianist Robert Glasper. This show will provide local music icon Boo Hinkson with another opportunity to showcase some of the best musical talent emerging from Saint Lucia at this time. Throughout his career, Hinkson has spent time and energy encouraging and supporting young musicians, and this concert will be another way for the Saint Lucian public to pay tribute to his role as a teacher, mentor, performer, producer and composer.
For more information on Saint Lucia Jazz artists, venues and to purchase tickets online visit www.soleilsaintlucia.com. The Saint Lucia Jazz Festival is presented in partnership with platinum sponsor Flow.

LUCELEC Solar Farm – 3 Mega Watts

LUCELEC Solar Farm

3 MW solar farm now feeding LUCELEC grid

The St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) 3MW Solar Farm in La Tourney, Vieux Fort is now feeding solar energy into the island’s electricity grid. Energy from the nearly 15 thousand solar panels that comprise the island’s first utility-scale solar farm began feeding the grid on Monday, April 9, and the entire 3 megawatts was online on Wednesday, April 11.

Project Director, LUCELEC’s Acting Planning Manager Cornelius Edmund, is pleased that the energising tests have gone well and the solar farm is producing its maximum output.

LUCELEC Solar Farm

“The project is about 90% complete. All the panels and associated electrical works have been installed and tested. The contractor is currently putting the finishing touches such as communication and security equipment, completing the fencing, drainage and service-road works and site clean-up.   They’re also conducting all the pre-commissioning tests.  We want to ensure that everything is working as it should before the project is commissioned and handed over to LUCELEC,” he explained.

All of this should be completed by mid-June. The main contractor for the solar farm is GRUPOTEC, an international firm with extensive experience in developing solar plants worldwide. But in the design of the project and the contract, LUCELEC ensured there were provisions for local labour resulting in three sets of local contractors and 40 to 45 people hired for transfer of knowledge and technology.

Construction of the 20-million-dollar renewable energy project funded by LUCELEC started in November 2017. The panels are spread across three sites distributed over a total of 15 acres of land, just north of the Hewanorra International Airport.

LUCELEC Solar Farm

The 3 megawatt solar farm will generate 7 million kilowatt-hours (or units) of electricity per year, which is about 1.3% of the electricity generated from LUCELEC’s Cul De Sac Power Plant. It will reduce the annual volume of fuel purchased by LUCELEC by about 300 thousand gallons. LUCELEC uses approximately 19 million gallons of fuel per year.

LUCELEC Solar Farm

UWI Open Campus Launches Photo Exhibition

UWI Photo Exhibition
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dean-Roy Bernard (right), speaking with (from left) Custos Rotulorum of Kingston, Hon. Steadman Fuller; Deputy Principal, UWI Open Campus, Professor Julie Meeks Gardner; and Campus Registrar, UWI Open Campus, Karen Ford-Warner. Occasion was the launch of a photo exhibition entitled ‘The UWI –Then and Now… Riding on the Shoulders of Giants’ at the Open Campus on Camp Road, Kingston, on April 9.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dean-Roy Bernard, has commended the University of the West Indies (UWI) on 70 years of outstanding achievement.
“I doubt there are any who would even attempt to contest the wide-ranging, social, cultural, political and economic impact of UWI on the development of our country and, by extension, our region,” he said, noting that the institution has produced 22 graduates who became Prime Ministers.
Mr. Bernard was speaking at the launch of a photo exhibition to mark the 70-year milestone and the 10th anniversary of the UWI Open Campus, Jamaica Eastern Region, at Camp Road, Kingston, on April 9.
The regional institution, which began in 1948 as a college of the University of London, achieved full university status in 1962.
Mr. Bernard said the university, over the seven decades, has grown from enrolling and educating approximately two per cent of the nation’s population at the tertiary level to about 21 per cent in 2018.
“Years ago, certainly when I attended, we used to say ‘we are among the two per cent’. Now we are looking at 21 per cent, and that’s a step in the right direction,” he noted.
He said UWI has greatly assisted with the transformation of Jamaica’s economy and growth by educating and producing outstanding graduates who have helped to build the country. For this, he said, the Ministry will continue to stand by the university.
“Education is the best vehicle to drive social mobility and to achieve prosperity for all… . The Ministry is committed to working closely with the UWI and all higher-level educational institutions to ensure that Jamaica becomes the place of choice to live, work, do business and raise families,” Mr. Bernard said.
He noted that the photo exhibition, entitled ‘The UWI – Then and Now… Riding on the Shoulders of Giants’ holds historical value, which Jamaicans should be proud to visit and support.
“We are proud and elated to join with you in this photo exhibition… . The photographs capture many thoughts, scenes, activities… (and) in fact, the adage still remains that a picture certainly accounts for more than a thousand words,” Mr. Bernard said.
The ‘The UWI – Then and Now… Riding on the Shoulders of Giants Photo Exhibition’ showcases the development of the university and the Open Campus over the years.
It captures several notable scenes and personalities, including professors in classrooms, research projects, administrative staff, and researchers.
UWI began its year-long 70th anniversary celebrations in January.

Prime Minister reviews 2017 budget

Prime Minister reviews 2017 budget

Mr. Chastanet speaks of the challenges and successes of the past year.

Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet, during his Budget Address on April 3, provided an update on the six key areas for sustainable economic growth and social advancement, that were identified for the 2017 budget cycle.
When the prime minister presented the 2017 budget address, he indicated that over the next four years, the Government of Saint Lucia would be directing efforts toward creating sustainable employment, re-engineering social services, reforming government, improving security and justice, building capacity in renewable energy, and adapting to climate change.
During the delivery of the Budget Address for the financial year 2018, before proceeding with the government’s agenda for the new fiscal year, he provided a progress report on those six key areas.
“I am encouraged that the unemployment rate has declined,” he said. “Even though we are by no means satisfied with the numbers, we have achieved success in providing more jobs. From a peak of 24.4 percent in 2014, unemployment dropped to 21.3 percent by the end of 2016 and declined further to 20.2 percent in 2017. Youth unemployment remains a stubborn challenge at 38.5 percent, but we are going to take steps in this financial year to launch a major assault on creating new jobs for our young people.”
The prime minister also provided details on the other key areas.
Social Services: Having reviewed the system, our efforts this year will be concentrated on establishing the appropriate infrastructure for this social protection system. It will establish and track who the vulnerable are, the range of support needed and provided, and their overall status and progress. The appropriate software to capture data on the above areas has been identified. With such information we will now be better placed to overhaul our current system of Social Services with one that is information based, administered at the local level and better equipped to accurately quantify the resources required to assist the vulnerable and those most in need.
Reforming Government: There is no doubt that an agile and responsive public service can make a significant contribution to economic growth and national development. In this Information Age, the transformation of the bureaucracy to meet the expectations of the business community, and all Saint Lucians remains a challenge, an imperative and an important goal of my government. We have made progress in the following areas during the last year: an assessment of e-government initiatives has been completed and services have been prioritized for entry to the shared services platform based on their impact on government business; the digitization of government records has been ongoing for some time now and will continue. In order to complement government’s e-commerce strategy and to reduce the digital divide between rural and urban areas, as promised in our manifesto, I am especially proud to report that the installation of the wireless internet backbone for the Government Island-wide Network or GINet will be completed by mid-April, with the assistance of the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Phase two of the project will allow schools, communities, government facilities and the general public in Castries, Micoud, Vieux Fort, Canaries and Dennery to be “connected” at low or no cost. This will provide access to the internet to young and old alike and help to improve overall productivity.
Improving Security and Justice: Considerable planning has been undertaken to improve the delivery of justice and policing services over the past year. Our initiatives to finance new infrastructure for the judiciary and police are in the final stages of completion and the Police Force has undertaken a comprehensive review of its operations and has presented concrete operational and social programmes to reduce crime in Saint Lucia. I will elaborate on these a little later in my presentation.
In the interim the Police Force has been provided with a fleet of 15 new vehicles and 6 motorcycles and the Forensic Lab was re-opened to help improve investigative capacity.
Renewable Energy: There have been important gains in the renewable energy sector over the past year. In its bid to increase the uptake of solar photovoltaic systems, The National Utility Regulatory Commission published the procedure for connecting Solar Photovoltaic Systems to the national electricity grid. This has simplified the application process with a resulting increase of 149 kW of electricity generated from the sun.
Climate Change: The effects of climate change and its mitigation must be made real to Saint Lucians beyond the horrific images of hurricane ravaged Barbuda, Dominica and Tortola that we saw last year. In an effort to bring mitigation closer to home, a pilot financing mechanism has been introduced to promote increased climate resilience under a Climate Adaptation Financing Facility or CAFF.
For the 2018 budget cycle, the Government of Saint Lucia will be concentrating on four key areas which the prime minister said is critical in positioning Saint Lucia and Saint Lucians to maximize growth potential. These include investing in the human resource, upgrading physical infrastructure, improving public sector efficiency and managing the cost of debt.

Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs

National Toshoas Council

Press statement – Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.

The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs notes with interest the recent media outings of the National Toshoas Council’s (NTC) Executive Committee and in particular its Vice Chairman on certain matters. The Ministry has observed a trend of public posturing by this body and indeed this officer. The NTC executive has so far not distanced itself from these rather divisive, disingenuous and sometimes incoherent statements.
The Ministry is reassured that the positions taken on these matters are not reflective of the thinking of the wider NTC and the general population of Indigenous Guyanese citizens.
The NTC is on record as having written to His Excellency President Granger on certain matters. Much of these writings are confrontational, demanding and disrespectful to the Office of President of Guyana. Simultaneous with calls for meetings with His Excellency President David Granger, Lennox Shuman, Vice Chairman of the NTC issued a call for mass public protest against the Government of Guyana by our Indigenous Citizenry. The Ministry will allow the Guyanese public to judge Shuman’s intentions.
This current NTC Executive has never ceased to condemn the sixteen (16) million dollars subvention provided it by Government.  This executive of the NTC is nearing the end of its three year term in office and is yet to explain to its membership and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs why it continues to resist the legislative obligation of accounting for the finances placed at its disposal. It is a statutory obligation of the NTC’s Executive Committee to prepare and present ‘Annual Reports’ of its financial operations, a requirement which it has never satisfied. Indeed the general Indigenous Peoples’ population of Guyana remains expectant yet that this Joel Fredericks led Executive will fulfill this obligatory function.
From the tone and content of a recently reported Stabroek News ‘interview’ it appears that the NTC’s Chairman and Vice Chairman are satisfied with opposition political interference into the affairs of the NTC. This is not unexpected.  All of Guyana remains aware of the treatment of Indigenous Peoples by the People’s Progressive Party while in government. The task of ensuring that there was no political interference by Government since May 2015 was a simple and successful one.
However, it remains clear to all who can see that the ill effects of political domination, control and intimidation which formed the basis of PPP governance will take some more time to undo. The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs is assured and confident that the true will of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples shall before long prevail.
The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs has always been aware of the countless complaints of disrespectful and inhumane treatment of the residents of St. Cuthbert’s Mission by Lennox Shuman. The horrifying stories told by residents of this one hundred and twenty-nine years old Village of proud mostly Lokonos range from threats of dispossessing them of lands for disobeying Shuman to referring to residents as “refugees” as well as forcibly expelling church leaders from the Village. Residents paint a picture of a leviathan Toshoa. This is inconsistent with known and revered traditional leadership, love and respect for others.
This obviously failed leader is now being rejected by his village, save for members of his immediate family. Not being in a position to secure re-election, Shuman seeks to create an exit strategy which leaves him unscathed while destroying much of well-constructed fabric of Indigenous Peoples’ customary governance, culture and practices.
Such actions are ill-advised, divisive, counterproductive and inimical to the forward progression of the national Indigenous Peoples’ developmental agenda. The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs rejects the Shuman-led attack against Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples. The Ministry believes that the upcoming Village elections provide a vehicle for the resolution of all of these issues by the people themselves. The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs remains resolute in its mandate to provide the good life to its constituents.

BIDC/BCIDA Audio Workshop

BCIDA

Technicians who are keen on improving their audio production skills are invited to participate in a workshop to be conducted this weekend.

The event which takes place on Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15, will be held at #2 Harbour Industrial Estate, Bridgetown from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily.
A collaborative effort of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), the Barbados Cultural Industries Development Authority (BCIDA) and the Barbados Film Commission, it targets technical personnel involved in audio production for movies.
Business Development Officer with the BIDC, Allan Lange and Film Commissioner, Annette Nias of BCIDA (Ministry of Culture) will be the key facilitators. They will also be assisted by experienced Audio Producer from Trinidad, Cedric Smart.  The internationally acclaimed professional, when not in production, is a Lecturer in the film programme of the University of the West Indies, and the retraining programme offered by Trinidad’s Ministry of Education.
According to Mr. Lange, the workshop is “all about sound and how you bring the movie alive” and it will address Scene Analysis, Audio Fundamentals/Microphones, Production Sound/Recording and Sound Effects.
Participants will be required to pay a registration fee on arrival at the workshop.
For further information and registration forms, interested persons may contact, Film Commissioner, Annette Nias at telephone number 243-5294 or via email at projectsbarbados@gmail.com or BIDC’s Business Development Officer, Allan Lange at 427-5350 and by emailing alange@bidc.org.

CXC Customer Service Charter coming soon

CXC Customer Service Charter
By the end of April, the first customer service charter for CXC will become effective.
The charter will be launched on Friday 20 April by Chairman Professor Sir Hilary Beckles during a brief online event. The service charter spells out CXC’s commitments to its stakeholders, relative to its service delivery standards for various services.
The charter deals with all the major services CXC offers including issuing of results, certificates and transcripts, as well as courtesies such as answering the telephone, responding to correspondence and providing access to accurate and timely information.
Once launched the Charter will be available on www.cxc.org.

STXLTRG logo & slogan competition

STXLTRG

St. Croix Long-term Recovery Group announces logo & slogan competition – extended deadline.

The spirit and resiliency of a people is most strongly on display in the aftermath of a disaster. As we recover from Hurricanes Irma  and Maria, the unity of the community is vital towards the achievement of a clear and concerted vision. The St. Croix Long-term Recovery Group (STXLTRG) invites you to participate in creating the logo and slogan that will serve to represent the new vision for our island and help to guide our community’s collaborative efforts as we recover and rebuild our beloved St. Croix.
The St. Croix Long-term Recovery Group is a cooperative body that is made up of representatives from faith-based, non-profit, government, business and other organizations working within St. Croix to assist individuals and families as they recover from Hurricane Maria. The goal of the LTRG is to unite recovery resources with community needs in order to ensure that even the most vulnerable in the community recover from the disaster.

ELIGIBILITY

K-12th grade parochial, private, public, home-school students in the District of St. Croix (students displaced due to Hurricane Maria are still eligible to participate).

COMPETITION DETAILS

Your original art may be any medium; however, you must scan hand-drawn pictures and submit them as a high-resolution digital files. Art can have horizontal or landscape orientation.

    • Fit inside an A4 page (dimensions 297 x 210 mm/ 8.27 x11.7 in) equivalent to 3500pixel x 2400pixel and total volume of no more than 2MB
    • Be a high-resolution (minimum 300 dpi at print size) digital file (PNG, TIFF, PDF, GIF, SVG, CGM, or AI).
    • Slogan should be submitted in PDF or Word Doc format and should be no longer than one sentence.
    • Student’s name, school, and grade level should not be incorporated into the design, but should be included in the body of the submission email.
    • Be submitted to communications@stxltrg.org by 11:59PM AST on Friday 6 April 2018
      There is no entry fee and there is a limit of one entry per student.

PRIZES

Prizes will be awarded for First, Second, Third places and Four Honourable Mentions.

First Place: US Art Supply 121 Piece Art Set –

  • Coronado Easel
  • U.S. Art Supply 12ml Acrylic Paint Tubes 24-Colors
  • U.S. Art Supply 12ml Oil Paint Tubes 24-Colors
  • U.S. Art Supply 12ml Watercolor Paint Tubes 24-Colors
  • US Art Supply 11″ x 14″ Heavy-Weight Watercolor Pad 300Gsm, 12 Sheets
  • US Art Supply Plastic 10-well Painting Palette
  • US Art Supply Color Mixing Wheel
  • US Art Supply 16 X 20 Inch Professional Quality Acid-Free Stretched Canvas 2-Pack
  • US Art Supply 11 X 14 inch Professional Quality Acid Free Canvas Panels 6-Pack
  • US Art Supply 10-Piece Artist Brush Set
  • US Art Supply 15 Piece Multi-Purpose Brush Set
  • US Art Supply Golden Taklon 7-Piece Nylon Hair Artist Paint Brush Set
  • US Art Supply 5-Piece Plastic Artist Palette Knife Set

Second Prize: US Art Supply 163 Piece Art Set –

  • Solid Solana Adjustable Wood Desktop Table Easel with Drawer
  • 9″ x 12″ Premium Extra Heavy-Weight Watercolor Painting Paper Pad
  • 8.5″ x 11″ Premium Hardbound Sketch Book
  • 5.5″ x 8.5″ Premium Heavy-Weight Paper Spiral Bound Sketch Pad
  • 15 Piece Multi-Purpose Brush Set
  • 10-Well plastic painting palette & color mixing wheel
  • 24 Colored Pencils
  • 24 Oil Pastels
  • 24 Watercolors
  • 60 Wax Crayons
  • 2 Artist Brushes
  • 2-2B Drawing Pencils
  • 1 Pencil Sharpener
  • 1 Eraser
  • Plastic Ruler

Third Prize: US Art Supply 163 Piece Art Set –

  • 9″ x 12″ Premium Extra Heavy-Weight Watercolor Painting Paper Pad
  • 8.5″ x 11″ Premium Hardbound Sketch Book
  • 5.5″ x 8.5″ Premium Heavy-Weight Paper Spiral Bound Sketch Pad
  • 15 Piece Multi-Purpose Brush Set
  • 10-Well plastic painting palette & color mixing wheel
  • 24-Colored pencils
  • 24-Oil pastels
  • 24-Round watercolor cakes
  • 60-Wax Crayons
  • 2-Paint brushes
  • 2-Drawing pencils, Eraser, Sharpener & Plastic Ruler

Honourable Mention (Four (4) will be awarded): US Art Supply 82 Piece Art Set –

  • 24-Colored pencils
  • 24-Oil pastels
  • 24-Round watercolor cakes
  • 2-Paint brushes
  • 2-Drawing pencils, Eraser, Sharpener & Plastic Ruler

The logo and slogan will be utilized in all STXLTRG promotional and communications efforts.

Great benefit in strengthened regional relations

CARICOM Regional Relations

A Regional Consultation on effective platforms for Wider Caribbean Dialogue being hosted by the CARIFORUM Directorate has been described as a timely initiative by the CARIFORUM Director General, Mr. Percival Marie, and the Ambassador of the European Union Delegation in Barbados, Her Excellency Daniela Tramacere. They were speaking at the opening of the consultation which is being held at the Radisson Aquatic Resort in Barbados, 11-12 April, 2018.
According to Mr. Marie, the consultation was timely because a Special Meeting of the Council of Ministers of CARIFORUM in March in St. Kitts and Nevis came to the agreement that building and maintaining relationships among the countries was of great benefit to the Region.
He said further, that at this point in time, the relationship had to be strengthened, particularly in light some of the events of the last two years which had demonstrated that despite the differences in language and constitution, there were common issues and fates.
“We need to assist each other in times of need; we have to find ways to institutionalise the response that we give to each other”, he remarked.
In expressing similar sentiments, Ambassador Tramacere said the Region should strengthen the wider Caribbean relationship as current conditions being experienced in relation to hurricanes, climate change and infectious diseases did not allow the Region not to do so.
“The Caribbean is facing fundamental challenges and these challenges can only be overtaken if the countries work together”, she said.
The Ambassador encouraged the gathering to be creative when coming up with ideas and suggestions for collaboration and cooperation during the sessions.
“We have to think out of the box and reflect on which kind of Caribbean you want to build for the future. We are a reliable and steady partner and we are ready to support it”, she added.
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, the Hon. Steven Blackett, also spoke at the opening. He used the opportunity to express his support for the consultative efforts. He said Barbados remained fully supportive of the endeavours, which according to him serve to draw the region even closer. He also commended the CARIFORUM Directorate for the Initiative and thanked the European Union for remaining a committed development partner.
The consultation is being funded under the 10th EDF Regional Indicative Programme through a dedicated Technical Cooperation Facility (TCF) which, in part, aims to strengthen cooperation among CARIFORUM States, the French Caribbean Outermost (FCORs) and Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs).

Volcano-Ready Communities Project

Soufriere Volcano

North Windward Residents In Support Of Volcano-Ready Communities Project.

Thirty-nine years after the last eruption of the La Soufriere volcano, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), the Community Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (CDRRF), and the University of the West Indies (UWI) Seismic Research Centre (SRC) are continuing efforts to prepare communities closest to the volcano to handle potential risks.
The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines endorsed a project proposed by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Seismic Research Centre (SRC) entitled “Volcano-Ready Communities in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines”. The project was launched in Sandy Bay on Thursday 5th,
April, 2018 at the Government School.
The Volcano-Ready Communities in SVG project is spearheaded by the Community Disaster Risk Reduction Fund in conjunction with NEMO and is being funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the European Union.
Project Manager CDRRF, Ms. Claudia James, said the project was designed by the UWI Seismic Research Centre.  She explained that the Caribbean Development Bank manages the multi-donor funding for the project. Ms James acknowledged the large turn out from the community adding that their presence of is indicative of their interest and the importance that they place on the project.
The project is being executed at a cost of USD $618,700. Project Manager, UWI Seismic Research Centre, Ms. Monique Johnson, in her project overview, said that the primary objective of the project is to increase awareness and enhance community response to volcanic hazards in twelve communities earmarked as high risk zones.
Ms. Johnson added that the communities involved will be empowered to better manage and reduce potential risks and death toll in the event of a volcanic disaster. Johnson told the audience that she is looking forward to working along with everyone and expressed gratitude for the support shown by their presence at the project launch.
The Windward communities comprise Fancy, Owia, Sandy Bay, Overland, Big Level, South Rivers, Park Hill, Colonarie, and the Leeward communities comprise Fitz Hughes, Chateaubelair, Rose Hall, and Spring Village, Ms. Johnson disclosed. The project entails community engagement activities in conjunction with NEMO and other groups.
Professor Richard Robertson, Director UWI Seismic Research Centre, reminded the audience of the threat of volcanic eruption which can cause destruction. Dr. Robertson stated he was very glad that they got the funding to start the project. He reminded the audience that it was necessary for them to understand and have the capacity to respond in the event of a La Soufriere eruption. The project is only going to make a difference if you become fully engaged, Dr. Robertson said. He added that the Volcano-Ready Communities project is a first in the region.
Canadian Director to the Caribbean Development Bank, Mr. Benoît-Pierre Laramée, making remarks at the launch said he is proud that the Canadian Government is one of the donors for the Volcano-Ready Communities Project. Mr Laramée applauded the Government of SVG, the Community Disaster Risk Reduction Fund, the CDB, and the UWI for taking the lead in this very important project not only for the region but for all small island developing states.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Mr. Godfred Pompey, expressed his appreciation for the support given to this country by respective donors.
Area Representative and Minister with responsibility for Housing, Informal Human Settlements, Land and Surveys, and Physical Planning, Hon. Montgomery Daniel, said the project is very timely and progressive for SVG. “It is very important that we learn to save lives,” Minister Daniel said.

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