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See & Taste Belize – Oct 6-7, 2017 Invites you

See & Taste Belize
We are just one day away from the exciting See & Taste Belize 2017 Festival to be held on October 6-7th, 2017 in Miami, Florida!
See & Taste Belize Inc., co-hosted by the Special Envoy for Women and Children and the Spouse of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, along with its partners, The Belize Tourism Board, BELTRAIDE and NICH, will be hosting its second See and Taste Belize Festival on Saturday, October 7th at the Florida International University Kovens Center, to raise funds for the Inspiration Center of Belize, the first of its kind to care for the children with disabilities of Belize.
The last See & Taste Belize Festival enjoyed immense success thanks to the support from our Sponsors and the Belizean Diaspora who came from all over the USA to enjoy and celebrate Belize and all the wonderful things they love and miss (friends, food, music, art, rum and beer)! This allowed us the amazing opportunity to raise over $60,000.00 USD towards the building of the first Neo-Natal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Belize.
See & Taste Belize Inc. will be celebrating once again Belize’s vibrant and diverse culture in South Florida represented by a fusion of foods spanning its Mayan, Garifuna, Creole and European heritage. Renowned Chefs and Artists from Belize will be there to share their gastronomical and artistic talents at a one-day festival. Guests will also enjoy samplings of Belize’s local rum from renowned Travellers and Cuellos as well as our famous Belikin beer, while listening to the tunes of the coveted Garifuna Collectives Band.
In honor of this Belize Day in Florida, the See & Taste Belize festival will kick start with a Welcome Reception on Friday, October 6th at 6:00 p.m.
The Family Coppola Hideaways are also excited to join us this year in hosting “Bite of Belize” reception, (at the beautiful home of Natasha Dubarry on the Venetian Island of Miami Beach) a spin off from See & Taste Belize, featuring Turtle Inn Resort’s Chef, featuring nationally acclaimed Chef, Ingrid Hoffman from food show, “Simply Delicioso”  and Mr. Louis Aguirre, celebrity television anchor.
We urge you to buy your tickets now before they are sold out at www.seeandtastebelize.com and we invite you to please share this email with all your friends!
Schedule of events:
1. Welcome Reception
Date: Friday, October 6th, 2017
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Address: Restaurant Lab at the Florida International University School of Hospitality and Tourism
North Miami, FL 33181
2. Festival and Main Event
Date: Saturday, October 7th, 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Address: Bayview Waterfront Ballroom, Florida International University
Kovens Conference Center – Biscayne Bay Campus
3000 N.E. 151st Street, Biscayne Bay Campus, HM 154
3. Bite of Belize Reception
Hosted by: Turtle Inn Resort, The Family Coppola Hideaways
Date: Saturday, October 7th, 2017
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Address: The Residence of Natasha Dubarry

CARICOM ramps up advocacy for climate change financing

Climate Change Financing

The historic widespread devastation of several CARICOM Member States by hurricanes Irma and Maria has heightened the urgency for the Region to advocate for meaningful assistance to mitigate the effects of extreme weather events.
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque stressed the point Wednesday as he accredited Austria’s new Ambassador to CARICOM H.E. Ms Marianne Feldmann, stating that there was no doubt “climate change is here”.
In prepared remarks, the Secretary-General recalled that the Category 5 hurricane Irma devastated Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Anguilla as well as St. Marten and St. Barts. He noted that it caused significant damage in The Bahamas and affected St. Kitts and Nevis. Ten deaths were confirmed and there was a preliminary estimate of two billion dollars (US) in losses.
Just over two weeks later Maria, another Category 5 hurricane,  struck Dominica and left in its wake 27 confirmed deaths and more than 30 people missing. More than 95 percent of Dominica’s buildings were damaged or destroyed and the island’s agriculture sector and its lush rainforest were decimated. The cost of the damage in Dominica alone is expected to run into billions of dollars.
Against this backdrop, Secretary-General LaRocque noted that the unprecedented scale of destruction wrought by recent weather events, placed a demand for more concerted and aggressive global action to address global warming.
Small Island Developing States (SIDs), the Secretary-General noted, are the least contributors to global warming, the major factor in climate change, but they bear the brunt of the impact.
In this context, Mr. LaRocque said that Austria’s strengthened cooperation with CARICOM, through a Memorandum of Understanding the two parties signed on Wednesday, could not come at a more opportune time. Its strategic focus is on disaster prevention and disaster risk reduction as well as renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Emphasizing that the policy of providing development funding based in GDP per capita must change, he noted that post hurricane reconstruction was likely to artificially inflate GDP.
CARICOM has long advocated that access to concessional development financing should not be based on what the Secretary-General described as the “grossly inadequate and inaccurate criterion” of GDP per capita. This criterion has resulted in the graduation of most CARICOM countries from accessing concessional financing.
“We believe that this, as applied to SIDS, must be changed as a matter of urgency to include the concept of vulnerability,” he stated as he urged CARICOM third states partners, including Austria, to lend strong support to the Community’s efforts to effect this change.
Secretary-General LaRocque told the new Austrian envoy that this was a particularly trying time for CARICOM given the economic situation in many Member States, which recent weather events have compounded. He added that the burdensome debt that confront Member States, were in large measure incurred through demands for reconstruction after climate events. He noted therefore that there was urgent need for international development partners to re-examine the criteria for access to resources such as the Green Climate Fund.
The Austrian Ambassador is on her second tour of duty in that capacity in the Region. Against this backdrop, the Secretary-General noted that CARICOM anticipated she would be “a source of influence in promoting awareness” of the Community’s capabilities and the limitations in its aspirations for economic development.
Such limitations include what he described as “economic discrimination” instituted through labels of some Member States as non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, despite not being so labelled by the relevant global authorities. He called on Austria to encourage other Member States in the EU to desist from such punitive actions and to be guided by the informed position of the Financial Action Task Force and the OECD Global Forum.

Consulate General to host Cancer Awareness Forum

Cancer Awareness Month

In recognition of October as International Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Consulate General of Saint Lucia in New York has partnered with New York City-based support group SHARE to host a Cancer Awareness Forum on Wednesday, October 11, 2017, from 7:00 PM, at the Saint Lucia House, located at 438 E 49 Street, Brooklyn, New York 11203.
A number of topics related to this insidious and pervasive disease—which affects one out of every eight women at some point in their life—will be covered, including symptoms and risk factors. The forum will also seek to dispel common myths and misconceptions, and feature testimony from breast cancer survivors. Similar information on ovarian cancer will be provided as well.
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage the presenters during a Q & A segment.  Materials on breast and ovarian cancer will be available, along with information on SHARE’s other educational programs, resources, and services.
SHARE is a social services organization dedicated to offering support for women facing breast and ovarian cancers.  SHARE brings these women and their families and friends together with others who have experienced breast and ovarian cancer, and provides participants with the opportunity to receive and exchange information, support, strength, and hope.  SHARE’s work focuses on empowerment, education, and advocacy to bring about better health care, an improved quality of life, and, ultimately, a cure for these diseases. For more information on SHARE, please visit: http://www.sharecancersupport.org.
Cancer Awareness Month
The Cancer Awareness Forum is just one part of the consulate’s mission to reach out to the Saint Lucian community, spreading awareness on various health issues and their impact. An important aspect of the consulate’s efforts is encouraging health screenings amongst its nationals. Saint Lucians in the New York City area, especially women, are strongly encouraged to attend this informative and empowering event.
For more details regarding the Cancer Awareness Forum, please contact the Consulate General of Saint Lucia in New York, at212.697.9360, ext. 203, or via e-mail, at sluconsulateny@govt.lc.

Gender equality workplace through EDGE

EDGE

International Monetary Fund’s Commitment to Gender Equality in the Workplace Confirmed Through EDGE Certification.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is delighted to announce it has received the ASSESS level of EDGE (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality) Certification. EDGE is the leading business certification for gender equality in the workplace, worldwide. This certification recognizes the IMF’s commitment to and progress in monitoring, benchmarking, and achieving workplace gender equality. Receiving the ASSESS certification means the Fund has already achieved landmark progress in ensuring that diversity and equality are an integral part of its work and values.
The IMF promotes the full participation of women in the workforce globally. This empowers women, and makes sound economic sense. The IMF believes it is equally important that women are fully represented in the institution’s own staffing. Benchmarks for women representation have been in place since 2003, and significant progress has been made with women now accounting for 44 percent of the IMF’s total staff and 28 percent of senior management. The IMF expects to accelerate this progress and has committed to specific actions to achieve this result. The IMF has also gone beyond gender and committed to apply the EDGE methodology to assess its staffing on a regional basis, with emphasis on underrepresented regions. The IMF is the first institution to use the EDGE methodology on both a gender and regional basis. Commitment to the EDGE process will help the Fund validate its progress against an important external benchmark.
“We are honored to be credited for our commitment to diversity and inclusion at the IMF” said IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde. “The diversity of our staff is inherent to who we are, and building inclusion is integral to what we do. We are proud of the progress we have made and we are determined to do more. We will continue to raise the bar on our performance, accountability and transparency in these important areas.”
“The IMF, by becoming EDGE Certified, is sending a powerful message to not only its 189 member countries but also to the rest of the world, that gender equality is a global imperative for economic growth. EDGE congratulates IMF’s Managing Director, Christine Lagarde and the IMF on its commitment to gender equality and its important leadership in this area” says Aniela Unguresan, Co-Founder, EDGE Certified Foundation.

LUCELEC breaks ground for 3MW Solar Farm

LUCELEC Solar Farm

On Friday, September 29, 2017, LUCELEC held a ground-breaking ceremony for its 3 megawatt (MW) solar farm, to be located north of the Hewanorra International Airport at La Tourney, Vieux Fort.
The ceremony marked the official commencement of construction of the solar farm. Acting Prime Minister, Hon. Lenard Montoute, Energy Minister, Hon. Stephenson King, representatives of the selected contractor GRUPOTEC, the Clinton Foundation and Rocky Mountain Institute-Carbon War Room, and the United Nations Development Programme were among stakeholders who addressed the ceremony along with LUCELEC’s Managing Director.
LUCELEC Solar Farm
The $20M solar farm is historic for Saint Lucia as it will be the first utility-scale renewable energy project on the island. It will be funded, owned and operated by LUCELEC. When completed in April 2018, it will have about 15 thousand panels and will generate 15 million kWhs (or units) of electricity per year. That’s enough to power the equivalent of about 3,500 homes, and is about 1.3% of the electricity generated from LUCELEC’s Cul De Sac Power Plant.
The 3MW solar farm will reduce the volume of fuel purchased by LUCELEC by about 300 thousand gallons per year. LUCELEC uses approximately 19 million gallons of fuel per year.
LUCELEC’s Managing Director Trevor Louisy described the ground-breaking as the first major practical step in Saint Lucia’s energy transition process towards a more secure and sustainable energy supply. “The construction of the solar farm builds on the work LUCELEC has been doing with grid-tied roof top solar PV systems since 2009.  It is expected to provide the impetus for more renewable energy initiatives, and in more ways than one, will change St. Lucia’s energy landscape,” he said.
Last year, LUCELEC and the Government of Saint Lucia jointly developed the National Energy Transition Strategy, an energy roadmap informed by independent technical analysis that paves the road for a sustainable, reliable, cost-effective, and equitable electricity sector using the island’s local resources.
In June of this year, LUCELEC entered into an agreement with solar energy firm GRUPOTEC to begin the engineering, procurement, and construction for the solar farm. The procurement process for LUCELEC’s solar farm was facilitated with technical assistance from non-profit partners Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, and Rocky Mountain Institute-Carbon War Room (RMI-CWR), alongside global energy and engineering advisory firm DNV GL. The organizations supported LUCELEC in the project development, bid evaluation, and contract negotiations to ensure the solar farm meets international standards and best practices while procured at a competitive price for the Caribbean region.
More on LUCELEC

Over 100 persons evacuated from Dominica

Barbados Coast Guard

The Barbados Coast Guard has evacuated over 100 persons from Dominica to date, and it is anticipated that its disaster relief operations would continue into November 2017.
This disclosure has come from the Barbados Defence Force’s (BDF) Public Relations Officer, Captain Maria Moore, who said the Barbados Coast Guard vessels were continuing to transport disaster response personnel and relief supplies to Dominica.
Captain Moore thanked all private citizens and organisations for their donations thus far, and encouraged them to continue to do so. “Persons in Dominica are in dire need of water, non-perishable food items, toiletries, medical supplies, water purification tablets, baby items and sanitary/hygiene items,” she stated.
According to her, all deliveries should be made to the Barbados Coast Guard Headquarters, HMBS PELICAN, Spring Garden, St. Michael, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
The BDF, under the auspices of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Regional Security System (RSS), is conducting disaster relief operations in support of the Government and people of Dominica.  That Caribbean island was severely impacted when Maria, a category five hurricane, bore down on it on September 18.
Captain Moore explained that the BDF deployed personnel as part of the Caribbean Disaster Relief Unit, a security team as part of the RSS joint task force, and a team of engineers, who will work with the Government of Dominica to repair critical building infrastructures.  She added that the BDF team also comprises medical personnel who have been “working assiduously” to assist in the restoration of medical services to the people of Dominica.

Stall spaces available for World Food Day

World Food Day

In celebration of World Food Day, on Friday, October 13, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Fisheries and Water Resource Management, will be hosting a farmers’ market at the Ministry’s Graeme Hall, Christ Church, headquarters.
To this end, interested persons, who are desirous of securing a stall space to sell agricultural produce, food, beverages or locally made arts and crafts, are asked to contact Fay Fanus at 535-5328, Rhea Greenidge at 535-5143, or Tonya Ifill at 535-5237, no later than Thursday, October 5.
Please be advised that stall spaces are limited and will be assigned on a first come first served basis.

Expected moderation in fuel prices

fuel prices

In the last few weeks Belize has seen a sharp increase in fuel prices due to a confluence of negative factors influencing the acquisition costs of refined fuel sourced by Belize.
Such factors included a temporary irregularity in supply under the Petrocaribe Program and also limitation in supply from alternate sources due to the effects from Hurricane Harvey.
The increases in the pump price were not driven by any increase in import duties or excise taxes which are fixed, specific-rate taxes, and which have not changed since the beginning of the Government’s financial year in April 2017.
In recent negotiations with senior officials from PDVSA (the Venezuelan state-owned suppliers under the Petrocaribe Program), Belize was assured that PDVSA is now in a position to resume deliveries to fully satisfy the requirement of Belize and the prices should moderate beginning with the next shipment of fuel which is expected to arrive in the middle of October 2017. While it is too early to say precisely the extent of the expected price reduction, the GOB is confident that prices will moderate in the weeks ahead.

ANUGA: Germany to get a Taste of Caribbean Diversity

ANUGA

A diverse collection of food and beverage producers from the Caribbean will descend upon the world’s leading food fair ANUGA in Cologne, Germany next month.  The leading food fair which attracts some 7000 exhibitors from over 100 countries and close to 200,000 visitors will be home to eight producers from the Caribbean under the Caribbean Kitchen pavilion facilitated by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export).
“Food and drinks is such an integral part of Caribbean culture which continues to be in high demand from the European markets.  The firms selected to exhibit at this years’ ANUGA exemplify the quality and innovation needed to be successful exporters” highlighted Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of Caribbean Export.
The participating companies include 2016’s Caribbean Exporter of the Year award winners the West Indian Biscuit Company (WIBISCO) manufacturers of cookies and crackers from Barbados.  Following a successful event in 2015, La Benedicta the region’s only producer of apple cider from the Dominican Republic will return.  Four Jamaican firms will be participating for their first time including Coffee Solutions with their Ridgelyne Blue Mountain Coffee; Ecofarms™ producers of organic gourmet honey and healthy honey products; Shavuot producers of herbal teas and powder products using indigenous ingredients such as Soursop and Moringa.  Also from Jamaica is Southside Distributors producers of a range of condiments, canned products, juices and syrups using locally sourced fruits and vegetables. Southside owner Denese Palmer also won female exporter of the year in 2015. Suriname Candied Fruits are an agro-processor focused of producing a range of tropical fruit products for the global market under the strictest environmentally friendly conditions.  Viking Traders out of Saint Lucia also produce a range of products and bring some unique Caribbean flavours to the market such as their Banana Ketchup and Banana and Honey BBQ Sauce.
Senior Advisor, Competitiveness and Export Promotion Damie Sinanan stressed “What is great about all of the companies selected is their use of locally grown products supporting their farming industries and providing jobs within their communities.  They each use have introduced innovations into the use of indigenous products to elevate their quality and appeal in to the international market.”
ANUGA will take place from October 7-11, 2017 and is pegged to see attendance from the most important decision-makers within the food and beverage industry.

Alliance of Small Island States – AOSIS

AOSIS

AOSIS Climate Change Fellowship Program

In 2014 AOSIS established the Climate Change Fellowship Program. The program brings early career professionals from AOSIS member countries to New York for one year to participate as part of each Fellow’s national delegation to the UNFCCC and UNHQ.
Each year, candidates are selected to spend a year based in New York following climate change issues, including attending all major UNFCCC meetings. Fellows are expected to spend 80% of their time on AOSIS related matters and 20% on national issues.
During their fellowship, the Fellows receive comprehensive training on climate change issues, including on-going negotiation skills training and media training. It is expected that, after their fellowship, they will return to their home governments and continue to engage on climate change issues and in the UNFCCC process.
To date, 16 Fellows have participated in the program.  With each class of graduating Fellows we continue to expand the Fellowship alumni network.  This network provides mentoring opportunities between former and current Fellows and allows alumni around the world to share experiences and ideas relevant to their work on climate change.
Application Process
Applications for the AOSIS Climate Change Fellowship Program must be submitted by the applicant’s UN Mission in New York.  Individuals interested in applying should contact their respective UN mission.  The deadline for applications is October 10, 2017.
For more information, please contact the Fellowship Program coordinator, Amelia Linn (Amelia.linn@aosis.org).
The 2018 AOSIS Climate Change Fellowship Program is supported by the Government of Italy.  
 

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