September 27, 2023

VOL. XLII NO. 2135 WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 3, 2023 JAMAICA

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE RESIGNED As a result of the Integrity Commission charges

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WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT REGGAE ICON MARCIA GRIFFITHS CRIES

DUMP PM HENRY URGE HAITIAN AMERICANS To President Biden, calling the regime corrupt and repressive

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US CENSUS

OVER 1 MILLION BLACKS IDENTIFY AS JAMAICAN

Information released from 2020 census - largest number of Blacks with immigration background

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UNITED NATIONS

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS CARICOM LEADERS

To discuss climate, international financial structure, and Haiti

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BARBADOS

BAJAN WINS OBAMA SCHOLARSHIP

Ronelle King selected for immersion program at U.S. University

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BETRAYAL DENIED ROYALTIES FROM MEGA HIT “ELECTRIC BOOGIE” NEW YORK CITY

BROOKLYN, NYC

STREET CO-NAMED FOR ELENORA BERNARD A community activist and business owner from Trinidad and Tobago

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CaribNews OPED Immigrants Need Faster Access to Work Authorization so They Can Support Themselves and Contribute to our Communities by Adrienne Adams and Murad Awawdeh - P 9

OPED Our Public Lands Need More Land and a More Diverse Public

by Ben Jealous - P 9

HEALTH Jamaica - Declares Dengue Fever Outbreak - P 16

SPORTS Road to Concacaf Gold Cup - P 19

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

AFRICA At UN, Horn of Africa nations urge global solidarity and real reform As UN General Assembly’s general debate continued Saturday, Horn of Africa nations made a strong plea for action to rescue a world teetering on the precipice of climate catastrophe and struggling under the weight of an outdated and unfair global financial system.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea painted a grim picture of a planet marred by the unforgiving impacts of climate change. They left no room for equivocation: This is an existential crisis that demands immediate, collective action.

They highlighted the upcoming COP-28 climate conference in the United Arab Emirates as an unparalleled opportunity for the world to fulfill its obligations to the planet’s most vulnerable nations.

The leaders, whose respective statements set out their national narratives, also agreed on the pressing need for an overhaul of multilateral institutions and international financial systems, highlighting that the present structures are clearly not fit for 21st century purpose.

Power in solidarity, cooperation Hamza Abdi Barre, Prime Minister of Somalia, highlighted the “power of solidarity and cooperation” in an interconnected world and urged leaders to accelerate action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He reported on his country’s fight against terrorism and advancing peace.

Sudan’s brutal conflict could spill over into wider region, warns Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan

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Warning that the months-long conflict in Sudan could spill over in the region, Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan on Thursday called on the international community to consider designating the militias ravaging his country as terrorist groups “to protect the Sudanese people, the region and the world.”

In his speech to the annual general debate of the UN General Assembly, Mr. Al-Burhan, who is President of the Transitional Sovereign Council, said that the Sudanese people have been facing a devastating war since April 15 launched against them by the Rapid Support Forces.

Describing those paramilitary forces as rebels in alliance with “tribal, regional and international militias, and mercenaries from different parts of the world,” he said they had been committing horrendous crimes against Sudanese people.

Further, he said: “They attempted to obliterate the history of Sudanese people by destroying museums, court and civil registries. They had released terrorists and people wanted by international courts from prison.”

“They have killed, looted, raped, robbed and seized citizens’ homes and properties, and destroyed infrastructure and Government buildings.”

A ‘spark’ that could inflame the region “This war is now a threat to regional and international peace and security...

WORLD BRIEFS Venezuela continues crackdown on dissenters, UN rights experts warn Attacks on civic and democratic space in Venezuela are increasing through policies aimed at silencing opposition and criticism of the Government, the head of a UN-appointed human rights body said on Monday.

Marta Valiñas, Chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, presented its latest report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which covers the period from January 2020 to August this year.

The report, which was published last week, focused on two areas: the various “repression mechanisms” used by the State, and the need to monitor a new security force whose members include officers who allegedly were involved in crimes against humanity.

‘Repressive tactics’ “What we are witnessing is the accumulated impact of these repressive tactics which have given rise to a predominant environment of fear, mistrust and self-censorship. As a consequence, the fundamental pillars of civic and democratic fora have been seriously eroded in Venezuela,” said Mr. Valiñas, speaking in Spanish.

She warned that repressive measures are likely to increase in the run-up to the presidential elections next year.

Caricom - Africa Sixth Region As the continent of Africa’s sixth region, CARICOM has received official recognition. At the University of the West Indies (UWI) regional headquarters in Jamaica, the announcement was made on September 7 during the second annual Africa-Caricom Day. The event, which was a discussion on cultural exchange, underlined the dedication to fostering closer ties between Africa and the Caribbean.

Former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson and Caricom Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett attended the event, which was arranged by Prof. Sir Hilary Beckles, chair of the Caricom Reparations Commission and vice-chancellor of the University of the Virgin Islands.

Beckles calls the accolade a “tremendous honor” and mentions UWI’s role in fostering cooperation and unity between Africa and the Caribbean.

Additionally, he underscored UWI’s ongoing dedication to advancing common values via lobbying and education.

In stressing the connections to the past and the significance of the African Union’s acknowledgment, Patterson stated, “The ethnic origins and commonality of our colonial experience are beyond dispute. It is in recognition of this irrefutable reality that the African Union declared the existence of six regions.”

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

CARIBNEWS

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Jamaica – House Speaker Resigns Amidst Integrity Commission Charges

Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, the Speaker of the House and a member of parliament for South Trelawny, resigned from her positions as a result of growing pressure in connection with the eight allegations made against her by the Integrity Commission (IC).

She noted in a recent announcement, “Since the Integrity Commission has decided to charge me criminally for an omission, I have considered the damage this has done to my reputation and have decided to tender my resignation both as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament for South

Trelawny, with immediate effect,” He added, “I wish to state categorically that my decision is entirely voluntary, and not at the request of anyone. I also wish to state and emphasize that I remain a loyal and committed member and supporter of the Jamaica Labor Party, and more particularly to the Andrew Holness Administration. I will continue to render assistance in whatever way I can, and I will always support my party.”

Speaker Dalrymple-Philibert went on to say, “What has happened to me, could have happened to any other Member of Parliament, public servant, or civil servant.

Jamaica - Integrity Commission Director Shot Prime Minister Andrew Holness has described the shooting of A senior employee of Jamaica’s Integrity Commission as an “appalling act of violence.”

The officer was shot and injured in the car park of the agency’s offices in New Kingston. His briefcase was reportedly taken.

“The Integrity Commission plays a crucial role in upholding the principles of transparency, accountability, and integrity within our nation. Any act of violence directed at individuals serving in such critical roles is an affront to the values that our democracy stands for.

‘The Government has full confidence in the law enforcement agencies’ ability to swiftly investigate this matter and bring those responsible to justice. We urge the public to cooperate with the authorities

in their efforts to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation,” the Prime Minister stated.

Prime Minister Holness emphasized that “violence has no place in our society,” and these incidents should not deter Jamaicans from serving the country with honesty and integrity.

“The Government of Jamaica remains committed to supporting the work of the Integrity Commission and will take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of its staff. We call on all Jamaicans to stand united against violence and to continue working together for a brighter and more prosperous future for our beloved country,” the statement read.

As a woman maintaining a family and as a Member of Parliament, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Managing Partner of a law firm, the toll that it has taken on me is immense.”

Regarding her statutory disclosures made over a seven-year period, the IC decided that she should face eight counts.

In a report presented to Parliament, the investigation’s director, Kevon Stephenson, suggested that the report be forwarded to the prime minister “for him to take such disciplinary and/or administrative actions which both recognizes the seriousness of Mrs Dalrymple-Philibert’s conduct” and to prevent recurrence.

The commission investigated a car that Dalrymple-Philibert had purchased using a discount given to parliamentarians but failed to disclose in her files, leading to the decision.

She claimed to have nothing to conceal.

Dalrymple-Philibert stated, “As I stated in the House of Representative on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, I have nothing to hide, and I did not knowingly mislead the Integrity Commission, it was a genuine oversight. I have over the past two days read the Integrity Commission’s report detailing the circumstances of the omission of a motor vehicle from my statutory declaration and have taken note of the public sentiments on this issue. Nowhere in the entire report has the Integrity Commission raised any question or concern about the source of funding of the vehicle

which was purchased through a loan from Sagicor Bank.”

She continued, “The vehicle was never sold or transferred to anyone in the past seven years, although there was nothing preventing me from doing so after the three-year mandatory restriction was lifted. I maintain to this day that the omission of the vehicle was a genuine oversight on my part. There would have been no allegations against my name had I included the vehicle in my declaration; therefore, I had no motive to have deliberately omitted it.”

When the case goes to trial, Dalrymple-Philibert said she is eager to see what happens.

“I look forward to the trial of the matter for which the Integrity Commission has ruled that I be charged, to be concluded in a court of law rather than a Court of Public Opinion,” she stated.

For their support throughout the years, the residents of South Trelawny have received her gratitude.

She noted, “I must, without reservation, thank the people of South Trelawny for their unwavering support of me during this period, and for returning me as their Member of Parliament on four consecutive occasions. Their support and love have kept me strong through my political journey. However, the present circumstances are completely contrary to my own personal principles and beliefs which I have always lived by.”

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CARIBNEWS

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

US Census – Over One Million Blacks Identify as Jamaican Over a million of the 46.9 million respondents who identified as black and who took part in the most recent US population census are Jamaican.

The data are included in the recently released 2020 US Census, which the US Census Bureau claims has the most thorough race and ethnicity data to date.

According to the US Census Bureau, there will be counts for around 1,550 racial, ethnic, and tribal groups in the 2020 census.

When questioned about their ethnic backgrounds, 24.5 million African Amer-

icans—who make up the majority of black people in the country—selected it either on its own or in combination with another group.

With 1,047,117 people claiming to be Jamaican alone or in combination with another ethnicity, Jamaicans make up the majority of black immigrants. With 1,032,737 respondents choosing Haitians as their only or combined ancestry, they are a close second. Following Nigerians, who received more than 604,000 responses, came Ethiopians, who received more

than 325,000.

The black immigration group with the fastest growth rate is African. According to the Pew Research Center, the population of black African immigrants increased by 246 percent between 2000 and 2019, going from about 600,000 to two million.

As a result, according to the research center, people of African ancestry now account for 42% of the total foreign-born black population, a significant rise from 23% in 2000.

Haiti – Dump PM Henry, Haitian Americans Urge Biden President Biden is being urged by a group of elected Haitian American politicians to halt his backing for a Kenyan-led peacekeeping operation in Haiti, which they believe would strengthen the authority of interim President Ariel Henry.

On Friday, Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken received a letter from the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON) and Family Action Network Movement (FANM) requesting action. They noted, “Any military intervention supporting Haiti’s corrupt, repressive, unelected regime will likely exacerbate its current political crisis to a catastrophic one.”

“It will further entrench the regime, deepening Haiti’s political crisis while generating significant civilian casualties and migration pressure.”

However, the U.N.-backed proposal to intervene in Haiti is moving forward quickly.

Aden Duale, the Kenyan defense minister, was informed by Secretary of Military Lloyd Austin that the Biden administration is seeking to get $100 million for the Haiti intervention plan as the two countries inked a five-year defense deal.

Since previous President Jovenel Mose was assassinated in 2021 and Henry assumed the roles of interim president and acting prime minister, the situation in Haiti has steadily gotten worse.

The Biden administration has been under fire from a number of Haitian and Haitian-American civil society organizations for continuing to recognize and support Henry, which they claim is the primary reason for maintaining him and his Haitian Tèt Kale Party (PHTK) in power.

They noted, “If your Administration were to withdraw its support for Dr. Henry, he would have been forced to negotiate with Haitian civil society and other groups toward a peaceful solution to Haiti’s current political crisis.”

Advocate organizations like NHAEON and FANM have long argued that Henry’s administration is involved in gang violence and actively promotes violent situations in order to maintain power.

The group notes, “This regime has dismantled Haiti’s democratic structures while facilitating and conceding control of the country to many gang leaders. The PHTK governments did not run a fair or timely election.” “They have

created a prevalent culture of corruption that deprives the government of the necessary funds to support the Haiti National Police and provide basic governmental services to the Haitian population.”

However, the Biden administration has often been reluctant to take a chance on polarizing Haiti.

The State Department spokesperson told the media, “PM Henry is a transitional figure and the head of Haiti’s government. We work with him and his administration on a range of bilateral and multilateral issues, as does the rest of the international community.” U.S. authorities have persisted in sending Haitians back home despite the situation there.

The government was quickly bitten by the consequences of that deportation program, as Biden’s special envoy, Ambassador Dan Foote, resigned in 2021 and issued a stinging resignation letter in which he branded the plan to deport Haitians as brutal and ineffective.

More than 100,000 Haitians were given permission to live and work in the United States thanks to the Biden administration’s redesignation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in late 2022.The designation of TPS is given to nations where it would be impossible to safely repatriate citizens.

However, the Biden administration was cautious not to criticize the Henry administration when it designated Haiti and stated the opposition had been hesitant to seek a peaceful course of action.

The group states, “The State Department insists that Dr. Henry must be part of any transitional government. Dr. Henry has used the U.S.’s indifference to clinch power and continues to veto any proposed consensus to create an inclusive transitional government without him.”

Concerns regarding American policies toward the Caribbean country are mostly focused on the need for the US to remove its thumb off the political scale in Haiti.

The United States has a lengthy history of intervening in other countries, including three force deployments in the last 30 years and an occupation that lasted from 1915 to 1934.

Some Haitian elites and civil society organizations disagree on the necessity of foreign engagement in Haiti, a move that has occasionally had fatal repercussions.Despite not claiming

that the U.N. was directly to blame, former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon acknowledged in 2016 that United Nations forces had a hand in the cholera epidemic that killed 10,000 people in Haiti.

Episodes like that intervention have made civil society and opposition organizations more skeptical of foreign interventions to restore

peace in the nation.

Numerous members of Haiti’s civil society have also accused the United States of paternalism and condescension as a result of repeated foreign interference.

The United States’ stated opinion is that the existing state of affairs would prevent a free election.

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

CARIBNEWS

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NYC – Thousands of Migrant Children to Start School

Summer break typically entails employment for many young New Yorkers, a summer course, or spending time with friends in the city. This summer, 13-year-old Vanessa worked alongside her mother selling fruit treats outside a midtown Manhattan subway station. Slices of mango, pieces of watermelon, and cucumber sticks. Vanessa just came from Ecuador. She is currently applying for asylum in the United States. In order to protect their family back home, Alejandra, her mother, requested that their last name not be used. “They are killing people there. There are kidnappings, rapes. I had to take the kids out.”

Vanessa’s daily routine in the city is going to change because school has started and the summer has ended. She will be beginning the eighth grade and will be one of about 20,000 migrant children who have registered in public

schools in New York this month. Around 100,000 individuals have arrived in the city in the past several years alone, as part of a surge of migration.

Regardless of their immigration status, schools are required to admit all students, according to officials. They have also pushed migrant families to send their children. The financial expense of enrolling a family member who could otherwise be working is often well worth it. Alejandra acknowledges, “It’s hard for us” I noted that many families struggle because New York is so costly. However, she claims that she does not want to take her child out on the streets with her. She shared that as a youngster in Ecuador, she herself was unable to attend school. She noted that if she was in a better situation then, she would have been more fortunate.

Despite the joy, several families revealed to NPR that they are also worried. Immigrant families have gathered outside the Department of Education buildings in Queens on a hot September morning. They are looking for a place to send their kids. Pedro Delgado Vega only three days earlier flew from Ecuador to New York. The family’s initial action was to enroll Delgado in high school. In a few days, he will begin the eleventh grade. Delgado exclaims, “I feel very happy.” “This is a new opportunity.”

But he also claims to be anxious. He hopes it will be a bilingual school even if he is unsure of which one he will attend. He admitted that he struggles with English. He claimed, “I don’t know how people will react. This makes me nervous.”

His anxiety is shared by others. Parents in New York said they are concerned about the ability of the educational system to handle a significant inflow of pupils who speak English as a second language (ENL). Maude Maron the elected head of the consultative Manhattan Community Education Council, which includes parents and locals stated, “Compassion dictates that you want to try and figure out, ‘they’re here now, what are we going to do with these kids that are here?’ ” She added, “but there should also be the question of, what is the impact on the children that are already here? Kids who have suffered many times over a year of learning loss from COVID shutdowns.

These are kids who are already very far behind.

And now they’re gonna have classrooms, filled to the brim with migrant kids that teachers are unprepared and in some cases incapable of teaching.”

Maron claims she hasn’t received any communication from the Department of Education regarding how to handle the current predicament. She is concerned that there are too many international pupils for New York’s schools to handle. Not when there are only 3,400 English as a second language instructors employed.

The New York Department of Education’s chief of staff, Melissa Aviles Ramos, begs to disagree.

“We can handle it. We always have handled it.

This is a massive increase that we’ve [never] seen before, and it is not without challenge. this is a real opportunity for our teachers, our admin, and all of our staff to really step up and not only accept but embrace the difference in language and cultures.”

Local instructors were interviewed by NPR. Christopher, who asked that his last name be withheld for fear of retaliation from his employment, stated that “the department is vastly under-resourced for everything.” He is a teacher at a Brooklyn school. He said it’s a pleasure to be among the newcomers. Until now, ” every kid we’ve had so far has been incredibly eager to learn. They just want to be kids. They want to be children.”

Christopher believes that the children are being used as a scapegoat for a problem that predates their arrival. He noted, “I mean you could take all of these new students out, and there’s still … there’s no money.”

According to NPR interviews with other instructors, the scenario might significantly improve education in New York City. Rosie Frascella noted, “This is an opportunity to also diversify our schools.” He claimed, “New York City is one of the most segregated school districts in the country.” In addition to being a parent of two children, Frascella teaches English to speakers of other languages. “There’s a really strong need in the United States for us to be multilingual. Most of the world is multilingual.”

The 13-year-old Ecuadorian Vanessa claims that she has a lifelong desire to become a lawyer while standing in the middle of midtown Manhattan’s traffic, far from the discussions.

She is content for the time being to return to school, though. For her, the summer was quite long. She also wants a break.

NYC – City Council Questions Companies Getting $5 Billion In Migrant Care In a recent tense investigation, New York City Council members grilled Adams administration officials, questioning if the city is doing enough to thoroughly investigate the contractors expected to receive more than $5 billion to house and care for recently arriving migrants.

In a review by the Council Oversight and Investigations Division, it was discovered that just three of the nearly 200 such contracts involved a competitive bidding procedure. A fast-track emergency contracting method was used to expedite 125 contracts, skipping the normal approval and review procedure.

Gale Brewer, chair of the oversight committee, said, “With this stream of new arrivals showing no signs of stopping, at what point do we stop treating this as a temporary emergency and contracting under looser emergency rules?”

Invited to speak were seven executives from prestigious businesses and charitable organizations, but they failed to appear. Brewer and Julie Won, the head of the contracts committee, were among the council members who said they were instructed to boycott the meeting by the Adams administration. That is not the case, according to an administration spokeswoman.

City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamalek told the media, “We did not instruct any of our contractors not to appear to testify at the hearing, and we did not violate any charter provisions.”

Won provided the names, titles, and monetary

amounts of each of the invited executives’ organizations’ multi-million dollar contracts.

The czars of the city’s reaction to the surge of migrants, agency chiefs present at the hearing, vehemently defended their contracting procedure. Despite the fact that additional migrants are still coming in—more than a year has elapsed since the first chartered migrant bus from Texas arrived—officials claimed the flow of migrants has remained unpredictable at any given time.

According to them, they carefully evaluated the pool of applicants and needed to expedite the emergency schedule to meet urgent demands.

They also mentioned that the city often hires contractors who have worked for them before.

According to them, they carefully evaluated the pool of applicants and needed to expedite the emergency schedule to meet urgent demands.

They also mentioned that the city often hires contractors who have worked for them before.

The city recently built more than 200 emergency sites, many of which are located in hotels that council members and activists have criticized for their exorbitant pricing and dearth of cooking and washing facilities. Officials stated that the city is striving to shift to longer-term locations, although that process might take years.

The Department of Social Services, which oversees managing the city’s system of homeless

shelters, is extending a handful of emergency shelter contracts for periods of three years, according to Molly Wasow Park, commissioner of the department.

Commissioner Park noted, “The goal is not to continue to use hotels long-term.”

Park urged, “We need to continue to respond in real-time,” He further added, “At the same time, we are doubling down and planning for longterm strategies, but those long-term strategies won’t be in place overnight.”

The council members, who continued to press

the authorities for information, didn’t seem to be satisfied despite the officials’ assurances.

Won said that more than half of the shelters in her region are still vacant, with just National Guard personnel around them. This is because the nonprofit organizations recruited either haven’t gotten advance payment or haven’t yet increased their capacity.

Won told authorities, “You tell me that it’s moving faster, but in some cases it’s not.”

Top contractor DocGo, a medical services provider that oversees more than twenty-four shelters around the state, was frequently mentioned. Despite the comptroller’s reservations, Adams has indicated he will continue to utilize the company. The state attorney general is looking into the firm on claims that migrants in its custody were mistreated. The CEO of DocGo resigned over the weekend after acknowledging that his biography had misrepresented his degree as a master’s.

The overpayment for bulk services, in the opinion of council members, was Despite that fact,t fact,t fact,t fact, met with resistance. For instance, the city gives DocGo $170 for each hotel room every night or around $5,100 per month. In order to cover the higher hotel room prices in New York City, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development claimed to have agreed to the pricing.

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CARIBNEWS

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

Barbados – Bajan Wins Obama Scholarship Ronelle King a Barbadian scholar and Gender Right Advocate has been listed among 30 students who were selected to participate in an immersion program at either the Columbia University in the City of New York or the University of Chicago for the 2023-2024. This program was initiated by US past President Barack Obama, derived from the Obama Foundation, and is, therefore, named Obama Scholar. This year’s program will be the sixth of its kind, gifting future leaders with the opportunity to develop their abilities.

Life In Leggings: Caribbean Alliance Against Gender-Based Violence was founded by King, an intersectional Caribbean feminist and gender rights activist who has won several awards.

King initiated a successful social media campaign in 2016 with the hashtag #lifeinleggings, which resulted in the development of the clothing line Life in Leggings. The hashtag gave survivors of sexual harassment and genderbased violence the ability to connect with one another, share their stories, and promote the elimination of gender-based violence throughout the Caribbean.

Life in Leggings now offers programs that empower and educate women and girls as well as advocacy and victim support services.

The organization’s Pink Parliament Program works with young women and girls to boost their political engagement, and its Redefining Masculinities program engages men and boys to confront patriarchal masculinities and stop male-perpetrated violence against women and girls. Ronelle plans to utilize the Scholars program to investigate the connection between environmental catastrophe and gender-based violence. She also aims to create a program on gender and climate.

The Obama Scholars program, a cornerstone of the Foundation’s efforts to create the next generation of leaders, exposes Scholars to real-world knowledge, abilities, and opportunities that will increase the impact of their work once they return to their home countries. The Scholars will take part in academic, practical, and experiential learning programs created in collaboration with the Obama Foundation by Columbia University and the University of Chicago. By taking part in leadership development activities run by the Foundation, individuals will expand their learning and get individualized assistance as they continue their jobs after graduation.

All Scholars participated in an orientation in Chicago on September 7 to begin their

Foundation-led program. The news was made on September 6.

Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett briefly described the program’s purpose by stating, “The Obama Scholars program enables rising changemakers to gain insights into the work of fellow leaders, across issues and geographies, while collaborating to address complex challenges.” She added, “We are eager to welcome the new cohort of Scholars to the Foundation

family, where they will join a network of changemakers striving for a stronger, more sustainable, and more inclusive world.”

12 scholars from 12 different nations will be hosted by the Obama Foundation Scholars Program at Columbia University for a nine-month stay at Columbia World Projects. As part of the institution’s diverse curriculum, scholars will endeavor to expand their knowledge and abilities as well as develop new capacities and networks that will hasten their effect on the world. The cohort will take part in weekly lectures, workshops for personal and professional growth, audited homework, and other specially designed programming created in close collaboration with the Foundation.

The Obama Foundation Scholars program is created to inspire, equip, and link upcoming leaders with the resources they require to increase the effectiveness and impact of their work in their local and international communities.

The Obama Foundation Scholars program has sponsored 132 leaders from 59 nations since its launch in 2018, all actively tackling the most critical challenges of the day. Visit obama.org/ programs/scholars to learn more about the 2023–2024 cohort.

Con Edison Announces $1 Million Grant to Prepare a Diverse Green Workforce

NEW YORK – Con Edison is providing an initial grant of $1 million to help educational institutions and community partners recruit and train the next generation of diverse professionals for careers in clean energy and technology.

Nonprofit organizations, trade schools and other nontraditional clean energy and technology training programs as well as post-secondary institutions are invited to apply for funding under this grant.

“Con Edison’s vision is for every New Yorker to be able to share in the benefits of the clean energy transition,” said Jen Hensley, senior vice president, Con Edison Corporate Affairs. “We are proud to support workforce development programs that equip students with the skills, competencies and experiential learning that will lead to sustainable, well-paying jobs in clean energy and technology fields.”

Investing in career opportunities is one of the ways Con Edison will help realize New York’s green economy as well as a sustainable energy sector. This grant builds

on Con Edison’s other successful environmental education grants in partnership with organizations including Solar One, Green City Force, and Cooper Union.

Con Edison is reaching out to educational institutions and community partners to apply for funding. Applicants will be required to bring a history of successful recruitment practices to serve students in disadvantaged communities and provide them with career preparation programs that can lead to jobs and a career trajectory in New York’s green economy.

Students may range from high school, college, university and trade schools and certified instruction would include specific skills training and experiences, job placement, certification, and career pathing (employment services or internship) support. The announcement is part of Con Edison’s Clean Energy Commitment to power New York with 100% clean energy by 2040.

As Con Edison ushers in the clean energy transition, its new community giving strategy will closely align with nonprofits working to address climate change, building clean energy and tech careers, and championing social justice in state-designated, disadvantaged communities throughout the five boroughs and Westchester.

Application materials must be emailed to powerofgiving@coned.com on or before October 30, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. ET. To learn more about this funding opportunity, contact powerofgiving@coned.com

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

CARIBNEWS

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UN - Secretary-General Meets with Caricom Leaders Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretary, General Dr Carla Barnett has held discussions with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on regional priority issues including reform of the international financial architecture, climate change, and the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States.

“The two Secretaries-General discussed the situation in Haiti and the active engagement of Caricom, highlighting the work of the Eminent Persons Group,” according to a brief statement issued following Saturday’s meeting.

The UN Secretary-General has been holding meetings with Caricom leaders, including

Haiti’s Prime Minister Dr Ariel Henry, and Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali. He has also met with Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, as Caribbean countries are being represented at the ongoing 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In his deliberations with Henry, the UN Secretary-General expressed “solidarity with the people of Haiti, who continue to suffer from a multifaceted crisis exacerbated by gang violence.”

“The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister exchanged views regarding the deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission in

support of the Haitian National Police,” according to the UN statement.

“They further discussed the importance of accelerating the political process and reaching a broad political agreement to maximize efforts on the security front, create suitable conditions for the holding of elections, and open a path to development,” it added.

In his deliberations with Johnson Smith, the UN Secretary-General thanked Jamaica “for its support to Haiti’s political processes and restoration of security, including its commitment to send personnel to Haiti as part of a Multinational Security Support mission.

“The Secretary-General and the Minister

agreed on the urgent need to advance the reform of the international financial architecture and discussed the importance of the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States,” the statement said.

It said that his discussions with the Guyanese President centered on the efforts by Caribbean countries to fight climate change, avoid deforestation, and safeguard forest cover.

“The Secretary-General congratulated Guyana on its election as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2024 to 2025 term.

The Secretary-General and the President also exchanged views on the situation in Haiti,” the statement read. (CMC)

NYC - First Black Female Police Surgeon Named By NYPD

The New York Police Department (NYPD) recently swore in Dr. Lynn O’Connor, making

her the first Black female police surgeon in the agency’s history.

Prior to her swearing-in event, she granted “GMA3” an exclusive interview and said, “If you would have told me at 10 years of age that I’d be sitting here speaking with you, and soon to be sworn in as the first Black female police surgeon for the NYPD, I wouldn’t believe it.”

At Mercy Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital, O’Connor also oversees colon and rectal surgery. She will assess the readiness of cops for duty, offer medical care for hurt personnel, and advise them in her new position with the NYPD. Police officers spend a lot of time caring for others, according to Dr. O’Connor, who spoke about her experiences working with police officers. As a result, they don’t have as much

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She noted, “With my background in this position, I am uniquely positioned to develop colorectal cancer awareness programs, screening programs, and various other initiatives that are going to be key in keeping our officers safe and keeping them healthy and keeping them fit for service,” she said.

According to a statement from NYPD Chief of Personnel John Benoit, “We’re very excited about this historical appointment of the first Black female police surgeon in the department’s 178-year history.”

He further added, “Dr. O’Connor is an inspiration to all employees, and her expertise will prove to be valuable to our members – especially those who have been impacted by colorectal cancer.”

O’Connor emphasized the necessity for Black doctors while pointing out that there aren’t many of them in the country.

Dr. O’Connor noted, “Studies have shown when a patient is treated with a physician that is of the same race or ethnicity, they have markedly improved outcomes.” She added, “They’re diagnosed quicker, they’re seen quicker, their overall health is improved. And that leads to saving lives, that leads to longevity, which is what I want to do when we get into the NYPD.” O’Connor addressed all the young girls observing her, saying she wanted them to know they were valuable and that their objectives mattered.

“You can be what you can’t see,” she remarked encouraging the audience. “Perseverance pays off.”

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CARIBEDITORIAL

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

The US Census - A Tale for Unity The U.S. Census of 2020 has just been released, and with respect to the Caribbean countries, the total population is some 2.6 million persons legally. Jamaica represents the largest with a million and 47,00117, Haiti with a close second million and 33,00737. The Caribbean represents the largest source of black immigrants in the United States. It is a story for us to contemplate and for us to make a collective effort to use these numbers in a manner that maximizes the benefit for the individuals, for the community, and certainly for the Caribbean region. The call for unity among people of color, among people that are oppressed and in some sense marginalized -any call for unity is viewed with cynicism, and many look at it as a waste of time and certainly this is what the existing structure wants us to think about and to maintain because if we remain splintered as individual groups we are subject to what we clearly know as divide and conquer by folks outside of the community who want to exploit the community and by individuals who find the community an easier hustle when there is a lack of unity and they can appeal to parochial connections and activity as they organize to benefit themselves on the back of the community. So the issue is at times very delicate because the struggle takes on day to day activities with sometimes immediate concerns

to be addressed, and the question of coming together for the common good is usually a pushback, particularly when there are other outside incentives who would want to keep that situation for their own benefit. But as the old African proverb reminds us - If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.

It is a stark reminder for us as a people and in this instance, I am talking about Caribbean people in the diaspora, in the United States, that it is important for us to consider the strategy for working together so we can go far, so we can have greater benefits and we can deliver for each other as individuals, for our community to be strengthened and to gain benefits for the region.

There is currently a temptation, and understood in some sense, where there is this individual push for recognition of communities in the region, where there are Little Haitis, little Jamaicas, little Guyanas, little whatever Caribbean country you want to think of, and there is some singular pride in that sense - it is not difficult to see why this is the case as there exists country pride. But this has to be managed in such a way that it does not destroy the collective potential and the collective dynamics, the collective power of us as a people, as a Caribbean people, we can negotiate as individuals, small countries and small communities

around the country. But we can, when we come together be more forceful, more powerful and more productive if we pull together as a united regional force within the United States of America where the community and individuals will benefit, and certainly more enlightened policies will be developed for issues that impact us as individuals, impact us in our community, and certainly impact us in the region.

So as we examine the numbers and we understand where some countries have larger numbers and others have smaller numbers, we must subscribe to the notion that if we pull together with whatever numbers we have, that we will be pulling together for the good of the individuals the community and the region, and that we need to put aside some of our own parochial instincts and individual desires or individual gains and use this to protect against external intrusions in our community, where with the lack of unity we are subjected to exploitation in our way of life, from communication to music to culture and certainly to business. And there are no shortage of those elements looking to prey upon a divided community.

We need to take to heart the proverb of walking together where we can walk strong, we can walk long, and we can be together on the issues that matter most

to our community, and as traditionally oppressed people, we can start looking to each other for strength and cooperation, freeing ourselves from even external exploitation. We can work diligently knowing we are working not for external forces, but for forces within our community and for our community that will all go to the benefit of the community. So we need to take this lesson from the census as we look at it, we need to see the potential for power if we work together and we need to understand our needs beyond just the day to day need, but how we can collectively make a difference and a difference that will be felt and felt in several areas. We are capable of the task of liberating our community.

We are capable of the task of making a future for the next generation that is built on solid grounds of wealth creation and wealth transfer. We are capable of developing a community to serve our community and in the end serve us as a people with a future not controlled by anyone else but ourselves. The numbers are there. It is now for us to have the will.

Dr. Lynn O’Connor, First Black Woman Appointed as Surgeon General Congratulations to Dr. Lynn O’Connor, who was named the first black female to the position of New York Police Department Surgeon General. We congratulate this outstanding medical professional for the incredible position that she has been named to and wish her well in this new position. Dr. O’Connor has served in many significant medical positions and in her new role in the NYPD, she will determine the officer’s fitness for duty to

treat members and to provide consultation. This is a significant position.

“As someone who was born in Manhattan, raised in Queens, and lives in Long Island, it’s truly an honor to be sworn in as the first Black female police surgeon for the New York City Police Department. I am excited to bring the collective experience of merging law and medicine together while fostering community relations to reach people of all ages and

backgrounds to help make a positive impact on their health,” said Dr. O’Connor.

Dr. O’Connor goes on to say, that police officers spend a tremendous amount of time taking care of others and do not have as much time to care for themselves. She sees a role as providing the kind of care that police officer will need if they want to continue to be effective in protecting our community. So we

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welcome Dr. O’Connor. And as she noted, she will be an inspiration for blacks and female who would wish to serve in a significant way in the police department and at a professional level. And she pledges to do her best to bring about more of that kind of talent to the NYPD. Congratulations to Dr. Lynn O’Connor.

KARL B. RODNEY PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF TONY BEST SENIOR EDITOR KARLISA RODNEY NEWS EDITOR MELL P MANAGING EDITOR

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

CARIBOPINION

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Immigrants Need Faster Access to Work Authorization So They Can Support Themselves and Contribute to Our Communities

by Adrienne Adams and Murad Awawdeh

As humanitarian conditions have worsened across the world, we are seeing global migration on the rise. In the western hemisphere, we have seen millions displaced due to conflict, government collapse, climate impacts, and increasing violence. Tens of thousands from the global south have made the dangerous and arduous trek on foot, walking thousands of miles to get to our southern border seeking refuge and safety. Over the last year, New York City has received over 100,000 people seeking asylum in the country, with nearly 60,000 remaining in the city’s care. The vast majority are seeking pathways to self-sufficiency through work.

Yet while the demand for jobs exists and employers throughout the city have expressed their desire to hire workers, the lack of federal work authorization has prohibited new arrivals from working. This has forced our newest New Yorkers into the informal economy, where they can be exploited and in need of already-stretched social services to meet basic needs. This is one of many important issues that needs to be urgently addressed.

As newcomers continue to arrive, there are many adjustments that can shift our response towards a sustainable one. In addition to our city’s stakeholders coming together to advance a plan with long-term solutions, there is a need for greater and more immediate support from the federal government.

One concrete way for the federal government to support New York and localities across the country is to provide immigration relief and

faster access to work authorization so migrants can support themselves and contribute to our communities and economy – as they navigate the arcane immigration courts. As conditions in home countries continue to deteriorate and worsen, President Biden can and must utilize Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to chart a path towards expedited work authorization.

Since 1990, the federal government has utilized TPS to allow migrants, whose home countries have been deemed unsafe, to work and reside legally in the United States for 18 months. Today, nearly 500,000 migrants are covered under TPS – those with the designated status and eligible for it contribute $22 billion annually to our national economy.

The Biden Administration can utilize its executive power to immediately designate, redesignate, and renew TPS for Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mali, Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sudan, Senegal, and Nepal to quickly provide pathways to success for migrants and municipalities like New York City.

Looking solely at Venezuela as an example, a country that overwhelmingly meets the statutory requirements of the program, we can see how beneficial the impact of TPS action could be on our economy and city.

Among the tens of thousands of migrants that New York City has welcomed, an estimated 65% come from Venezuela, fleeing the dangers of poverty, state-sponsored violence, and repression. Venezuelans who are potentially

eligible for TPS already contribute $8.3 billion to the economy annually and participate in the workforce at a rate of 75 percent.

Back in 2021, the Biden Administration designated Venezuela for TPS in response to “a complex humanitarian crisis” within the country. The federal government extended this original designation as an acknowledgement of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Venezuela that has forced more people to flee their homes.

A redesignation now would simply update the cutoff date for the program to give tens of thousands of Venezuelans here the ability to work as they move through the asylum process.

This would bring immediate relief for people seeking economic stability and the communities in which they live.

The Biden Administration should confer TPS to the countries that qualify and extend it for existing countries, including through redesignation, designation, and renewal for those previously mentioned countries.

Economic mobility is tied to social prosperity, and it is in our best interest to expand opportunities for people so that they can lead safe, dignified, and independent lives. This new migration can be a boon to our workforce, especially given the widespread labor shortages affecting industries throughout our country.

For New York City, TPS designation would help alleviate our overburdened shelter and social service systems, delivering necessary relief to our social infrastructure.

With so many lives at stake, all levels of government must come together and utilize every tool

at their disposal to alleviate this crisis.

Each generation has figured out how to integrate immigrants and refugees with the help of government, and we have become a stronger nation because of it. This recent migration to the United States is not entirely unique and must be harnessed to contribute towards our economic growth and recovery.

It would be a grave mistake to continue casting immigration as a threat or simply a cost. We are a nation sustained by immigrants.

Throughout our city’s history, immigrants have enriched our culture, economy, and communities. When we last faced a fiscal crisis and an exodus of New Yorkers, it was immigrants who played a key role in growing our population and fueling the city’s economy. We are in a similar situation today and must leverage this advantage.

For both humanitarian and economic reasons, it is in our best interest to designate Temporary Protected Status to people here from countries in life-threatening strife and clear the way for asylum seekers to contribute to our economy.

As one of several solutions that the federal government must implement, President Biden should take immediate action through TPS designation to remove the restrictions that are holding back needed contributions to our city, economy, and nation that asylum seekers are ready to deliver.

Adrienne Adams is the speaker of the New York City Council Murad Awawdeh is executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition

Our Public Lands Need More Land and a More Diverse Public

by Ben Jealous

On Saturday, environmental advocate Bill Vanderberg was where he is most Saturdays during the year – leading volunteers maintaining trails traversing the Santa Monica Mountains around Los Angeles.

Fittingly, last Saturday was National Public Lands Day. But Bill’s efforts to care for natural places and to introduce young people to them over the last three decades aren’t prompted by holidays.

He’s seen the transformation in people when they experience the outdoors, particularly students in Crenshaw High’s Eco Club he ran for years and became the school’s biggest extracurricular. He returned recently to Yosemite National Park with nine alumni, two of whom had never been there. “Why do I continue to do it?” he asks. “The look in their eyes and their smiles was why. The other seven already knew, which is why they came back.

He’ll be the first to tell you that more needs to be done across the entire country to create that exposure and to protect lands and waters as parks, preserves,

monuments, and refuges.

“Los Angeles itself is a very park poor community,” Bill said. The state recreation area he lives across a major highway from can only be reached by car on the southern end while there are two trails with direct access on the northern edge in Baldwin Hills, he notes.

The arguments for more public outdoor spaces are overwhelming. Kids do better in school and experience less asthma when they have ready access to parks; older adults are healthier too.

Trees act as sponges for greenhouse gases, and acres preserved in a natural state aren’t available for development. Our goal is to protect 30 percent of the nation’s landscape by 2030, which will mean more than doubling what we have today. Right now, we lose the equivalent of a football field of land to development every 30 seconds in this country.

Parks can more than pay for themselves.

The Interior Department reported last month that visitor spending in communi-

ties near National Parks in 2022 resulted in a record high $50.3 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 378,400 jobs. Given federal spending of $3.3 billion, a $1 spent on National Parks creates more than $10 of economic benefit.

Bill Vanderberg points out that availability of parks is just a start to realizing equitable access. He spent the summer working in Yosemite. “I saw no African Americans all summer,” he says. “The only people of color I saw were from France.”

They aren’t truly “public lands” if significant percentages of the public don’t feel welcome using them, Bill notes. In 2017, his students were recognized as the youth volunteer group of the year by Yosemite.

A few years later, he was threatened with arrest when he tried to use showers in the park.

“Racism at parks is real – both macro and micro. My kids have had numerous negative experiences while exploring ‘their’ public spaces,” Bill says. “The problem is not the parks, but this racism in society.”

He’s right that parks aren’t the problem.

They can be a part of the solution. Providing greater access to them and finding efforts to support like the school club Bill ran will bring more and more of us together. When we gather that way and can share in natural wonders side by side, we will grow closer as a nation.

Ben Jealous is executive director of the Sierra Club, the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. He is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free,” published in January.

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CARIBAROUND

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

CARIBAROUND

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CARIBNEWS

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

The Caribbean Multi-National Business Conference Celebrates 28 Years - “Global Innovation, Driving Change, Collaboration and Growth” New York, NY, September 2023: The 2023 Caribbean Multi-National Business Conference will resume its in-person conference from November 16 - 19, 2023, at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort Conference Center in Jamaica.

The theme for this year is “Global Innovation, Driving Change, Collaboration and Growth” promises to address the dynamics of this changing world.

Since the launch of the annual Carib News Business Conference 27 years ago, the world has experienced life-altering changes. Significant, rapid, and impactful innovations have been seen in technology, politics, global demographics, world system integration, climate change and, of course, public health.

The 2023 conference distinguished guest speakers will include Global Private Sector

Industry Thought Leaders and Innovators, Prime Ministers, Presidents, members of the US Congress, members of the UK Parliament, and Cultural Ambassadors all of whom are impacting meaningful collaboration and leading game changing efforts in the frontier markets Ambassador Andrew Young calls the “Golden Triangle” of people of color: Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States.

The 2023 Speaker List: - Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader - Carl Heastie, Speaker of the New York State Assembly - Yvette Clarke, Member of US Congress, Brooklyn, NY - Gregory Meeks, US Congressman - Letitia James, NY State Attorney General - Dr. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister,

St. Kitts/Nevis - Hon. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister, Jamaica - The Most Honorable P.J. Patterson, who served longer than anyone as Jamaica’s Prime Minister - Olivia Grange, CD MP, Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture - Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the UWI, Chairman, CARICOM Reparations Commission - Hon. Edmund Bartlett, CD MP, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica - Lorna Johnson, CEO/Founder, CribMD - Carolyn Young, Philanthropist - Trisha Bailey, Entrepreneur - Dr. Sachin Narode, CEO Xeni - Dr. Pamela Jolly, CEO, Torch Enterprises

- Diane Abbott, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom - Hon. Kevin Parker, NYS Senator - Dr. Julius Garvey, Garvey Exoneration Project - Paul Williams, Attorney - Patricia Chin, Founder, VP Records - Dr. Lesly Kernisant, Obstretrics & Gynecology - Adam Stewart, CEO, Sandals Resorts - Amir Windom, Grammy Award-winning, Entertainment Executive - Tremaine Wright, Chairwoman, NYS Cannabis Control Board The CMBC conference is an opportunity to tap into the minds of thought leaders across the global diaspora from the Americas, Africa and the Caribbean as we plan a path forward post-COVID.

2023 Speakers - Dr. Sachin Narode and Dr. Pamela Jolly

Meet Dr. Sachin Narode, one of this year’s Speakers at the Caribbean Multinational Business Conference. He is the founder/CEO, Xeniapp and grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. He co-founded 3 successful companies and loves building technologies and their related businesses, particularly designing complex algorithms.

In an interview in 2019 with Anjana Rajguru (Yahoo), Narode says Xeniapp “is set to disrupt the travel space and change the way people travel”. The on-demand online travel platform connects travelers with the best experiences.

Sachin also plans to launch a private destination airline – XeniAir, for luxury travel experiences. The Manhattan-based doctor and molecular biology researcher, has invested in several businesses in the fields of blockchain, cyber security, artificial intelligence, healthcare, food/beverages, events & lifestyle, and executive protection and also has private charter services in the United States. He is known for his astute business acumen and his uncanny ability to sense investment opportunities in industries, much ahead of time, and turn them into profitable ventures.

Narode has a long and varied work experience.

As CEO of Xeni, he directs all organizational operations, policies, and objectives to maximize productivity and also coordinates and approves budgets for product development, marketing,

overhead, and growth. He is credited with creating the mango market in the USA and is fondly referred to as the Mango Man. Along with business award-winner Marva Allen, and other partners, he co-founded Survive and Thrive Today – a boot camp where entrepreneurs collaborate with investors, partners, and mentors and build a community that supports startups.

From 2015 to 2017, he worked as a senior manager and advisor on technology and data at Morgan Stanley, where he built an offshore development team and managed a team of 4060. From 2010 to 2017, they were the International Business Development at the University of Pennsylvania, where they analyzed market segments and created effective business and marketing plans. Years ago, Sachin worked in the Department of Sleep Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania where he developed an algorithm and sold it to one of the world’s biggest companies. Before this, he worked as a Research and Development Specialist at Acam-

bis, a biotechnology company discovering, developing, and manufacturing novel vaccines to prevent and treat infectious diseases.

Narode has a diverse educational background.

He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in General Medicine from Maharashtra University of Health Sciences in 2005, a Master’s degree in Biology/Biological Sciences, General from The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2008, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance, General from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013. In addition, he obtained three certifications: Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh on Blitzscaling from LinkedIn in July 2020, ITIL Foundation Level from AXELOS Global Best Practice in September 2016, and Program Manager.

He is also been involved with various social movements since 2006, including research in next-generation social vision and its impact on modern democracy. When he’s not working in business or philanthropy, I’m cooking, traveling, or in search of a new adventure!

Meet Dr. Pamela Jolly. She is an established professional with 20 years experience in the areas financial services, strategic management, change management, marketing research and community and economic development.

She integrates both her corporate and entrepreneurial experiences to establish a solid understanding of how to bridge the enterprising interests of large corporations and government with minority business enterprises (MBE’s).

Pamela has developed a unique way of negotiating with both sides of investment table to merge shared interests in ways that benefit top line revenue and bottom-line profits of com-

munity and the economic systems around it.

She began her career in banking (NationsBank), where she was promoted to Assistant Vice President in three years.

After graduating with an MBA from The Wharton School of Business she honed her strategy skills at (Accenture) as a Manager in the Financial Services Strategy & Business Architecture Practice working within banking, capital markets, and insurance and technology industries.

She polished her financial services corporate experience in the field of marketing research strategy where she learned to design segmentation-based marketing strategies and executions, new product development plans, and consumer insight research studies through qualitative and quantitative methods (Rosetta).

In 2004, Pamela saw a need to leverage her corporate experiences to assist minority business enterprises grow and develop, she launched Torch Enterprises Inc, a firm committed to developing minority enterprises capable of arriving at legacy wealth both individually and corporately for their communities.

Torch over the past twelve years has been

instrumental in raising both capital and awareness for minority enterprises across the country.

Pamela served as a contractor for FEMA in 2005 where she underwrote over $200 million for municipalities in Mississippi that were affected by Hurricane Katrina and later went on to lead the team that authored the strategic assessment of how to rebuild the Greater New Orleans area post-Katrina.

It was there she saw the importance of knowing how to integrate business development with governments, large corporates and community to drive economic impact and change in communities. In direct response to the inequities she found in the rebuilding efforts she launched OneTorch Inc. a non-profit subsidiary that works to educate under-served communities and their stakeholders on how to organize and build teams of committed citizens capable of negotiating with the rebuilding effort in ways that rebuild their communities with equity and ownership.

Pamela has a BS from Hampton University, an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, a MTs from Boston University School of Theolo-

gy, and an Ed.D from the Graduate Theological Foundation.

In 2010 she formalized her unique process of work with MBE’s with the creation of the NarrowRoad™, a custom tailored curriculum that infuses business history with financial literacy, financial management, investment management and risk management.

In 2016 Dr. Jolly became the strategist for the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the nation’s oldest black trade organization. NAREB launched the 2 Million New Black Homeowners program using the NarrowRoad™ at their Annual Convention in Palm Beach California. The 2Mn5 Program raise awareness of the important role homeownership plays in the wealth building of African Americans.

Pamela has been a requested speaker nationally and internationally, lecturing and advising businesses, communities and leaders with her research and work in places such as Korea, China, Japan, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica where she spoke with over 3000 women business owners about the NarrowRoad™ throughout the Island, most recently Oxford England.

CARIBNEWS

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

13

New Microloan Program is Driving Economic Empowerment for Small Businesses Across NYC

NEW YORK - Carver Federal Savings Bank (“Carver”), a Community Development Financial Institution (“CDFI”) and a certified Minority Depository Institution (“MDI”), is helping drive economic empowerment for small businesses in New York City through its innovative microloan program. Carver’s program assists entrepreneurs in accessing capital to grow their businesses in a post-pandemic world.

Leveraging algorithm-based software, Carver goes beyond traditional credit scores that historically have hindered borrowing eligibilities and capacities for black and brown entrepreneurs.

■

Small businesses operating in Carver’s community continue to be impacted by persistent economic headwinds. Notably, 41% of small businesses run by black and brown entrepreneurs have closed or are on the cusp of closing as a result of financial hardships stemming from the pandemic.

More to the point, roughly 45 million U.S. adults today do not have traditional credit scores.

“The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce is very proud of Carver Bank’s leading role in providing much-needed microloan assistance to support and sustain deserving and needy small businesses in major development hubs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Harlem,” said Lloyd Williams, President of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce. “We are pleased to recognize and partner with Carver Bank as it celebrates its 75 years of outstanding service to New York City small businesses.”

Carver’s microloan program makes critical capital of between $5,000 to $50,000 available to small business entrepreneurs to address these long-standing small-dollar loan/capital challenges in Carver’s communities. The bank’s efforts are producing fruit and stimulating local economic activity. Please hear more from four local NYC

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small business entrepreneurs who have accessed microloan capital from Carver and how it is helping propel their companies to new heights: Alfonso Wright, official Tea Sommelier, Brooklyn Tea: “Post pandemic, we found opportunities to expand, but needed to find the money to do so. Carver is our local bank, so it always made sense for them to be our neighborhood banker to help us expand our footprint in Brooklyn.”

Angela Price, Founder and CEO, The Black Cake Company: “Some of our challenges have included scaling our business, finding great employees, and building our corporate and wholesale accounts.

When I moved to Brooklyn in 2008, I was looking for a black community bank and found Carver. The Black Cake Company has been a Carver customer for 14 years.

Receiving a microloan from Carver was critical for us—it came at an important juncture when we were growing our business. The microloan enabled us to meet payroll, purchase supplies and ingredients, and cover marketing expenses.”

Diana Da Costa, Founder, SimpleeBEAUTIFUL and SimpleeCBD: “I have always known about Carver Bank being a staple in the black community. The Carver

microloan allowed us to hire a summer intern, order inventory, and further develop the SimpleeCBD brand in the Harlem community and beyond.”

Atiba Stevenson and Joel Clacken, The Suite Restaurant: “Inflation, including the rising cost of goods, staffing shortages, and access to capital, have been our biggest challenges. One of the things that intrigued us about Carver was how the bank reinvested roughly 80% of its deposit dollars back into the community through attractively priced loan capital. Among other things, Carver’s microloan program allowed us to retain employees in the community.”

“Carver’s mission is to provide access to capital and to be champions for the underserved community in New York City,” said Michael T. Pugh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Carver Federal Savings Bank. “Our microloan program is an opportunity for us to help small businesses recover from the pandemic and economic downturns and build a thriving future. We thank Charter Communications, Webster Bank, UBS, M&T Bank, and all our partners who have played a vital role in successfully launching our new microloan program.”

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

Kenya Urges Quick Approval T&T Celebrates 40 Years As of Troops for Haiti a Republic

Considering Haiti’s devastation caused by gang violence, Kenyan President William Ruto recently encouraged the UN to swiftly approve an international security operation there that it has committed to head.

Haiti is the true test of global cooperation and solidarity, Ruto noted in an address to the UN General Assembly. He added, “The international community has failed this test so far, and

thus let down people very, very badly.”

A security mission to the island country has been requested by Haitian authorities and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for months, but many nations have been reluctant to respond, in part out of concern that they would become caught up in a violent quagmire.

In July, Kenya offered to be the leader of an international police intervention to help train and support the Haitian police, but the UN Security Council would need to approve the mission.

Ruto encouraged the UN to swiftly come up with a framework so that the mission could start.

“Kenya is ready to play its part in full, and jointly, with a coalition of other nations of goodwill, as a great friend and true sibling of Haiti,” Ruto noted.

The Kenya President stated, “Haiti deserves better from the world.”

Continued at www.nycaribnews.com

Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s Republic Day message: Fellow Citizens, Greetings on this day, the forty-seventh year of the founding of our Republic.

These Greetings, extended on behalf of the Government, my family, and myself, as Prime Minister, come with deep feelings of pride for our country, which, in spite of its many challenges, continues to evolve into a great Republic.

Last week, our country assumed the Presidency of the General Assembly of the United Nations – a position we will hold over the next year.

This singular honour proves that though we are geographically small we are not insignificant.

Presiding over the world body, during this period, which analysts have described as “the most fraught and dangerous, since the end of the Cold War”, is expected to be “extremely demanding” for Trinidad and Tobago.

Our presidency of the UN, therefore, should hold every citizen’s personal and daily attention, as it validates our Republic’s status on the world stage – a place that once encouraged cooperation and globalisation is now becoming increasingly fragile and fragmented, with minute-by-minute messages on, wars, climate changes, food crisis, rising poverty, migration, inequality, the universal pandemic, economic pessimism, disappearing opportunities, fake news, social tensions and identity politics.

Continued at www.nycaribnews.com

Grenada – To End Gender Wage Disparity The Government of Grenada says that effective January 1, 2024, it will commence a method of compensation to workers both in the private and public sectors that will see the end of disparity in salary based on gender and at the same time enforce a minimum livable wage.

“As most of us will know we have a disparity between male and female workers in certain sectors, particularly the agriculture sector, and the recommendation is that it should be a thing of the past

Guyana Seeking New Marketer For Its Oil

As the current contract with British oil major, British Petroleum (BP) nears an end, the Government of Guyana is seeking a marketer for its oil share from three Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSOs) platforms.

“The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) hereinafter referred to as ‘the Procuring Entity’, invites eligible bidders to submit their bids for execution of the Provision of Marketing Services for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana’s Oil Entitlement from Lot 1 – Liza Destiny

FPSO Vessel, Lot 2 – Liza Unity FPSO Vessel and Lot 3 – Payara Prosperity FPSO Vessel,” the Ministry of Natural Resources yesterday advertised.

“The objective of the Assignment is to competitively market and maximize the value of the Government’s crude oil entitlement from developments in the Stabroek Block and create a competitive market for the Liza, Unity Gold, and Payara Gold Blends,” it added.

From Yard New York Premiere Postponed

Producers of the new TV series From Yard have announced a postponement of the show’s Gala World Premiere originally slated for Monday September 25 at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.

The official statement from the producers states that “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Gala World Premiere of From Yard – The Series originally scheduled for Monday September 25 at The Schomburg Center in Harlem, has been postponed. The producers wish to apologize to our fans and well wishers, as well as to our charity partners, The Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations (USA) Inc, (UJAA), for any inconvenience caused by this postponement.

We look forward to announcing another date and venue for this event in due course.”

From Yard is an immigrant urban drama

directed by Leland Benford that traces the true life story of Jamaican born Dave G Heron (not to be confused with the aforementioned David Heron), from his humble childhood beginnings in Maverley, Kingston through his subsequent emigration to the USA and his turbulent adolescence and young adulthood on the streets of New York City. The series is the first ever television production to portray the pursuit of the American dream through the eyes of a Jamaican family.

as we move towards greater equality among our workers,” said Labor Minister Claudette Joseph as she spoke with reporters earlier this week.

In June 2022, the National Democratic Congress was elected to administer the affairs of the country and within three months it established a committee in accordance with Section 51 of the 1999 Employment Act to review minimum wages in both the public and private sectors.

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

CARIBNEWS

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Brooklyn NY – Street Co-Named for Elenora Bernard

Elenora Petra Bernard was born on May 19, 1945, in San Juan, a town that is situated on the twin island of Trinidad and Tobago. At the age of 16 Bernard migrated to the land of opportunities after receiving assistance from a family member. Bernard went on to graduate from Brooklyn College in NYC and then completed her master’s degree at Fordham University.

Bernard was renowned for years of service in Brooklyn’s socio-political circles and has earned her spot in the heart of the Brooklyn Community.

Bernard fought fiercely for minority groups, especially in the construction industry, where many of them had found employment.

She was reportedly among the first tiny group of, black female contractors in New York at one point.

In so doing, Bernard was not only respected by those for whom she advocated but also by

politicians, other top public officials, social activists, and community leaders.

It has been more than a year after Bernard at age 78, was attacked in her New York home at East 45th Street, by a former male worker, the reports stated that the attacker called the ambulance. Bernard took her last breath on July 23, 2022, the man responsible for Bernard’s death was charged with second-degree murder by asphyxiation. As a permanent tribute to her effort and legacy, a street has been dedicated in her honor.

The Bernard and Edwards families worked with Farah Louis, a member of the New York City Council, to arrange the Wake ceremony, which took place on August 5.

The event took place in Flatbush, Brooklyn, near the intersection of Church Avenue and East 45th Street after a service at the God Battalion Church on Linden Boulevard.

Prominent politicians were present, including Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and Leticia James, the attorney general of New York State, both of whom gave speeches. Politicians Kevin Parker, Nick Perry, Jamali Williams, Attorney General Letitia Adams, as well as New York Mayor Eric Adams, attended her funeral service.

Her brother, Dr. Lennox Bernard, a former independent senator, informed the media that his late sister was always inclined to activism and politics.

“My sister was a in. political animal from an early 9.875 age,” he shared.

Even after she had migrated to the United States, Dr. Bernard strongly recalled, “She had to be briefed about T&T’s politics.

“She read the writings of Eric Williams (T&T’s} first Prime Minister), CLR James, and kept abreast of the political development in what she called the homeland.”

The mother of two seems preoccupied with the issue of empowering and encouraging diversity within black communities, but she gave particular attention to female business contractors.

He thinks that her goal was to reach out to individuals who felt abandoned by society.

He said that she largely succeeded in carrying out her purpose and received positive feedback from those whose lives she impacted.

But he thinks that what caused her to pass away was her love for and faith in other people.

“She offered help to the weary but in the end, it was abused.”

Her brother, who resigned from his position as director of the University of the West Indies Open Campus, expressed his shock at her untimely passing.

“She did not deserve to die in that manner.”

He proceeded by saying that his sister had resisted the idea of retiring and had kept working into her mid-70s, earning contracts. According to him, she had collaborated with her son Khari Edwards, who was running for borough president.

But he said that his sister looked to be suffering from dementia at the time of her death.

“I felt guilty that I had not provided greater

comfort and care to her. We shared the usual jokes and picong but I could have done more.”

Bernard’s son Khari Edwards noted in his mother’s eulogy that his mother began a career in public service, serving under former mayor John Lindsay.

He said that her eloquence and keen sense of civic duty allowed her to participate in Brooklyn’s community-based activities.

She started exchanging views on matters of urban redevelopment and development with the political directorate.

Horace Morancie, who was from south Trinidad, was believed to have recognized her abilities and included her in the Model Cities urban effort.

Later, Bernard entered the private sector and was one of Brooklyn’s first female small business contractors.

In addition to working long hours to acquire her MBA at Fordham University, Khari said that she also spent her days cultivating leaders in the human resources division of the Health & Hospitals Corporation.

Her actual love, however—construction— would begin when she took the helm as executive vice-president of Episcopal Health Services.

Khari claimed that his mother witnessed the realization of her dream to serve minority populations while supervising the construction of Bedford Stuyvesant’s Bishop Hucles Nursing Home.

Continued at www.nycaribnews.com

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CARIBHEALTH

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WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

Maimonides Health and the NYC Department of Education Launch HE3RT for High Schoolers with Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Brooklyn, NY - Maimonides Health welcomed 25 students from six Brooklyn South public health high schools as well as Brooklyn South High School Superintendent Michael Prayor, and State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and launch of a new 5-session HE³AT education program that gives high schoolers an opportunity to explore career pathways in healthcare.

“Maimonides Health has provided young people with the opportunity to gain important skills and invaluable work experience for close to thirty years,” says Ken Gibbs, President and CEO, Maimonides Health. “We are proud to inaugurate the HE³AT program at Maimonides Medical Center and thank Superintendent Prayor for partnering with us. Our hope is that this experience boosts the students in their future careers as they learn the value of working in a hospital that supports their Brooklyn South communities.”

The HE³AT program, whose name stands for Healthcare, Energy, Education, Environment, Agriculture, and Technology, is a site-based, secondary preparation program designed to provide South Brooklyn students with enhanced learning opportunities to explore social, political, technological and economic topics in the fields of healthcare, energy, education, environment, agriculture and technology.

Maimonides partnered with the program to give students the opportunity to learn about healthcare careers in a large Brooklyn hospital. Students enrolled in the program will meet at Maimonides once a month, from 8:30 am -2:30 pm for fivesessions to work with hospital professionals to facilitate interactive learning experiences and behind-the-scene tours of various clinical departments.

Brooklyn South high schools largely serve students from economically disadvantaged

Jamaica - Declares Dengue Fever Outbreak

The Ministry of Health & Wellness has declared an outbreak of Dengue in Jamaica. The outbreak comes as the Ministry’s National Surveillance Unit advised that Jamaica has surpassed the Dengue epidemic threshold for July and August and is on a trajectory to do the same for the month of September. This means, the country has seen an increase in the number of cases compared to what is normally seen during these months of the year.

As of Friday, September 22, 2023, the country had recorded 565 suspected, presumed, and confirmed cases of Dengue.

Of that number, 78 cases had been confirmed with the majority of the cases seen in Kingston & St. Andrew, St. Catherine, and St. Thomas. The dominant strain is Dengue Type 2, which last predominated in 2010. There are no Dengue-related deaths classified at this time, however, six deaths are being investigated.

households, and the program aims to help students develop skills they need to pursue their interests and passions, while also connecting what they learn in school to a wide variety of careers. Students joining the Maimonides-based program are

enrolled in Abraham Lincoln High School, the Academy for Conservation and the Environment, Clara Barton High School, John Dewey High School, Kingsborough Early College Secondary School, and New Utrecht High School.

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

CARIBA&E

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Marcia Griffiths Talks About Being Betrayed on Royalties The “Electric Boogie” mega-hit star and renowned Queen of Reggae Marcia Griffiths has spoken out about how she was mistreated and denied the chance to receive royalties from the first version of the mega-hit, on which Bunny Wailer, a renowned legend of the genre and a member of Bob Marley and the Wailers, acted as producer, arranger, and backup vocals.

The song was composed by Bunny Wailer, who passed away in March 2021, and its beat, according to the singer, was made on a rhythm box she purchased after seeing it performed in Canada.

The Love Is Automatic vocalist claims that when Jah B got around her and took all the royalties, she was unable to profit from the song until Island Records CEO Chris Blackwell stepped in.

Griffiths told broadcaster Tom Powers during an interview on CBC’s podcast in Toronto, Canada, “I would feel better if I was able to make some money from it. But unfortunately,

Bunny Wailer claimed a hundred percent from the song and whatever I made from that song is from performances, and thanks to Chris Blackwell, who thought it was so unfair that nothing was given to me. So, I eventually in the end got some performance royalties. But I didn’t get what was due. Nothing at all. And it was from my music that the song was written.”

Griffiths said that the refusal of royalties was “very horrible” and called Wailer’s alleged behavior “gravalicious.”

“I think it’s unfair and I think its selfish and greed, you know. Because there is enough there for everyone, so it’s just greed,” she noted.

Griffiths, who claimed to have known the Wailer since kindergarten, revealed that despite Chris Blackwell’s advice for her to record a different version of the song in order to receive her own royalties, she still had the Ballroom Floor singer’s best interests at heart and had no desire to criticize or exclude him.

The disappointed “I Shall Sing” singer claimed

that when she went to see Bunny to ask him to take part in the official music video Blackwell had advised she make, she had the shock of her life.

“Well I went in the studio with the Miami Sound Machine and we re-recorded the song with Chris Blackwell’s advice and originally I was looking for Bunny Wailer to do the video with me, because Bunny has a major part in that song where he does a rap,” she remarked.

Griffith further added, “And if I was going to do a video with the original song it would be Bunny and myself, but while I was searching for Bunny, he was busy in the studio recording over the song for himself; his own version without me. So when I finally found him, he had already done the song and was now doing the video with some dancers. I cannot find the words to tell you how bad I felt.”

However, she claimed that in spite of her displeasure, she went on to assist Bunny in promoting his brand-new solo rendition of the

song.

“But good over evil I say, because his version didn’t do anything, even though I took it personally myself and was giving it to all radio stations. But they didn’t know that version and they didn’t love that version. So, it didn’t work out for him,” the reggae legend shared.

When Anthony Miller, an entertainment journalist known for hosting a popular local TV program called “ER”, interviewed Griffiths in February 2021, that is when Griffiths first discussed the production of Electric Boogie.

She had aimed to clear up any confusion about the song’s origins at that time, claiming that several national and international media outlets, including Essence Magazine, had long since mischaracterized it as a cover version she had performed.

When she first released the song, she explained that the rhythm box, which she had purchased while on tour with the I-Threes in the 1980s and for which each backup vocalist was paid

Soca in Japan Caribbean Carnival A Hit

LET’S GET DOWN to

THE BONE

SoSOBONE.com

The inaugural Japan Caribbean Carnival is being hailed as a memorable, once-in-alifetime experience by this year’s attendees who for the first time since the carnival was launched, were able to follow a big music truck and revel on the road as they would in the islands.

September 13-17 treated visitors and locals to tours and parties, culminating on September 18 to a Trinidad and Tobagostyle parade of the bands at the Moraba Twin Circuit race track in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

September 18 also happens to be a national holiday in Japan known as Respect for the Aged Day.

Many people in Japan are quite familiar with soca music which has been popular there for years, prompting the rise of several Japanese-led steelbands, Japanese soca DJs, dancers and dance classes, and Caribbean parties in major cities like Tokyo and Kobe.

Soca artistes Nailah Blackman, Mical Teja, and Jadel were in attendance. From all reports, all events were sold out.

Soca in Japan organiser Kegon Toussaint and his team for a few years. Toussaint thanked his team of Trinbagonian expats and Japanese locals, for their dedication in executing this vision.

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CARIBTRAVEL

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

Sandals Resorts and Island Outpost Celebrate The Publication of “Jamaica Vibes” Recently Sandals Resorts and Island Outpost celebrated the publication of “Jamaica Vibes” published by Assouline at an over the top rooftop pool party at JIMMY SOHO hosted by Adam Stewart the executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International and Chris Blackwell the legendary hotelier and Island Records founder, along with a mix of models, movie stars, and other guests from the worlds of music, fashion and media.

Stewart addressed the famous crowd inviting them to come to Jamaica for a visit, “Between Island Outpost and Sandals, Chris and I will definitely have a place for you to stay.” The pair own over 10 hotels on the island on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world including Sandals Montego Bay flagship and the recently opened Sandals Dunn’s River. Blackwell owns celebrity magnets Goldeneye, Strawberry Hill and The Caves which regularly attract stars like Grace Jones, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell who

are also in the book but couldn’t make it to the celebration. “With the UN in session,” Stewart said, “we are calling this the downtown Jamaican Summit.”

Guests included Actress Gina Gershon, Griffin Dunne, Actor Erich Bergen, LEON, Photographer Sante D’Orazio, Kelly Bensimon, Actress Michele Hicks, Karen Duffy, Carole Radziwill, Dorinda Medley, Ann Dexter-Jones and her daughter actress Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Prospier and Martine Assouline, Jason Weinberg, Models Sophie Sumner and Alex Lundqvist, Fern Mallis, JIMMY owner David Rabin, Event Designer Preston Bailey and fashion designers Dennis Basso, Stan Herman, Jeffrey Banks, LaQuan Smith, Peter Som and Jamaica Cabinet Minister Matthew Samuda. Guests partied poolside as the sun set and a Jamaican band played with food created by a Jamaican chefs Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau of Summerhouse, an embrace of West Indian culinary evolution and the creation of new traditions.

CTO to Showcase the Region at FIT Tourism Fair in Argentina BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) brings the region’s vibrant culture and diverse travel experiences to the Latin American market during the highly anticipated FIT Tourism Fair in Argentina this month.

FIT, Feria Internacional de Turismo (International Tourism Fair), one of the most renowned tourism shows in Latin America, attracts thousands of travel industry professionals and enthusiasts from around the world. This year’s event will take place from September 30 to October 3 at La Rural Convention Center, and it promises to be a dynamic platform for showcasing the Caribbean’s unparalleled tourism offerings.

“FIT Tourism Fair provides an excellent opportunity for us to share the enchanting Caribbean experience with the people of Argentina and Latin America,” said Dona Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General and CEO of the CTO. “We look forward to showcasing the warmth of our people, the richness of our culture, and the beauty of our landscapes,” she added.

The CTO’s presence at FIT reaffirms its commitment to making the Caribbean a premier travel destination in this vital market, representing nearly 34.5 million outbound travelers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay. The Caribbean welcomed a record 1.5 million Latin American visitors in 2019.

Visitors to the CTO booth will have the opportunity to explore the region’s diversity as representatives from Antigua & Barbuda and the Cayman Islands will be on-site sharing the Caribbean’s universal appeal. The Dutch Antilles country of Curaçao, also a CTO member, will also have a presence at the Fair.

CTO Allied Member EM Marketing, which is facilitating the participation of member governments in opportunities to tap the Latin American market, will be on hand to share

insights into the region’s latest travel trends and experiences.

On Monday, October 2, at 4 p.m., there will be a 45-minute Caribbean-themed presentation in the Nogal Room, highlighting the region for the trade attendees. All attendees and travel enthusiasts are invited to visit booth #2420 during the event.

“We are proud to be allied members of the CTO and look forward to lending support to the region during this year’s FIT, as we have been doing since 2015,” remarked Elsa Petersen, Founder and CEO of EM Marketing.

“The Latin American market offers significant growth potential for the Caribbean, and we are excited to showcase the region’s unique value proposition to conference attendees,” she continued.

EM Marketing, a Buenos Aires-based integrated communications agency specializing in tourism marketing, takes a creative approach to make a real impact for its clients throughout Latin America.

CTO Allied Members play a pivotal role by providing recommendations concerning regional tourism programs, identifying opportunities to enhance the CTO’s nongovernment membership program, and facilitating the coordination of essential activities during major CTO events. These events include the Allied Marketing Conference and networking initiatives designed for both government and allied members.

CTO is the premier regional tourism development agency for the Caribbean. It represents 25 Caribbean countries and territories, fostering sustainable tourism development and promoting the region as the most desirable, yearround, warm-weather destination.

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

CARIBSPORTS

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Caribbean - Seven Caribbean Nations Named T20 World Cup Venues

All the venues for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the Caribbean and USA have been announced.

The ICC on Friday, 22 September confirmed Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, St Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, and St. Vincent & The Grenadines as the seven Caribbean venues that will host matches during the T20 World Cup

2024 from 4 to 30 June.

Along with the Caribbean Islands, the USA is also set to co-host the event for the first time, with Grand Prairie in Dallas, Broward County in Florida and Nassau County in New York announced as venues earlier this week.

Three USA venues locked in for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

Speaking about the announcement, ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “We’re delighted to announce the seven Caribbean venues that will host the biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever staged, with 20 teams competing for the trophy.

They’re all popular venues with players and fans alike that will provide a wonderful backdrop to the event.

“This will be the third ICC senior men’s event hosted by the West Indies, and the matches will again give cricket fans the unique experience of enjoying cricket in the Caribbean. I’d like to thank Cricket West Indies and the seven host governments for their continued commitment and support of our sport.”

Road to Concacaf Gold Cup - El Salvador, Guyana Flex Scoring Muscles in League B shot on target, but goalkeeper Chante Sandiford was there to collect her lone save of the match.

Charles got on the board in the 29’ to extend the lead by a quartet. Kouzas took the turnover in midfield and connected with Dylana Makarowski on the left flank to provide the service into the box for the four-goal lead.

Charles scored from distance in the 64’ to extend the lead to five. After dribbling past the defense, the Guyana forward completed her brace.

MIAMI - Guyana, Suriname and El Salvador came away victorious as the Road to the W Gold Cup continued with League B action on Sunday.

Suriname took the top spot in Group A with a narrow win over Antigua and Barbuda, while Guyana took its first three points of the tournament. El Salvador strengthened its hold of first place in Group B with a big home win over Martinique.

Guayana vs. Dominica Guyana earned a 5-0 victory over Dominica at the Wildey Turf Stadium in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Jalade Trim opened the scoring in the 5’ with a header inside the box to cap off a tug-of-war between both teams. Stefani Kouzas provided the cross towards the far post to collect the assist.

Brianne Desa extended the lead in the 8’ with a penalty conversion. The spot kick was awarded to Guyana moments prior as Hannah Baptiste was taken down inside the box.

Trim scored again in the 24’ off a second header near the left post. This time it was Otesha Charles that provided the cross from the right flank.

Dominica’s best chance of the game came in the 27’ off a free kick. Starr Humphreys got the

Suriname vs. Antigua and Barbuda Suriname took a 1-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Andaya Lantveld scored the lone goal of the encounter in the 16’ from the penalty spot.

Lantveld was taken down inside the box on the prior play and converted with a clean strike to the left bottom corner.

The home side continued to work to extend the lead as left back Stekkinger Shamaira and Bhagerath Anne combined in the 29’ to continue shooting at goal.

Gabrielle De Suza provided constant threats on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda with her closest attempts coming in the 65’, 67’ and 79’ minutes.

Suriname goalkeeper Mayra Tjin-A-Koeng conserved the clean sheet to help her nation close out the three points and take sole possession of first place.

El Salvador vs. Martinique El Salvador extended its grasp of first place in Group B with a 9-1 victory over Martinique at the Las Delicias Stadium in Santa Tecla, El Salvador.

Samaria Gomez headed in the first goal in the 3’ to complete an early attack by the hosts.

Martinique would answer in the 13’ with a counterattack and a lob kick by Prisca Carin.

Brenda Ceren retook the lead for El Salvador in the 16’ by dribbling past the defensive line and placing the ball into the bottom right corner with a diagonal strike.

Gomez extended the lead in the 21’ with a second header inside the box, connecting on a cross from Juana Plata.

Danya Gutierrez added her name to the scoresheet in the 26’ with free kick lasered into the top left corner of the net.

Andrea Amaya struck inside the box in the 34’ after a back heel assist from Ceren. Danya Gutierrez earned her brace in the 43’ to complete a build-up from Ceren and Danielle Fuentes.

Fuentes got a goal herself prior to halftime, at the 45+1’ mark, by connecting on a pass from Ceren at the right post.

Ceren completed her brace in the 70’, as El Salvador continued to push forward for more goals. Victoria Sanchez scored the ninth goal for the hosts in the 77’ on a whipped in ball into the box from Fuentes.

CARIBNEWS

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NOVEMBER 16 - 19, 2023

SPEAKERS 2023

Diane Abbott Member of Parliament, United Kingdom

Hon. Edmund Bartlett, CD MP

Minister of Tourism Jamaica

Dr. Terrance Drew Prime Minister, St. Kitts/Nevis

Dr. Julius Garvey, MD, OJ Garvey Exoneration Project

Hakeem Jeffries House Minority Leader

Lorna Johnson CEO/Founder, CribMD

Carolyn Young Philanthropist

Gregory Meeks US Congressman

Kevin Parker Member, New York State Senate

Dr. Lesly Kernisant Obstretrics & Gynecology

Yvette Clarke Member of US Congress, Brooklyn, NY

Prime Minister, Jamaica

Olivia Grange, CD MP Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture

Pamela Jolly CEO, Torch Enterprises

Carl Heastie Speaker of the New York State Assembly

Letitia James NY State Attorney General

Trisha Bailey Entrepreneur

Sachin Narode CEO/Founder, Xeni

Paul Williams Attorney

Patricia Chin Founder, VP Records

Adam Stewart CEO, Sandals Resorts

Amir Windom Grammy Award-winning Entertainment Executive

Tremaine Wright Chairwoman, NYS Cannabis Control Board

Amb. Andrew Young Former UN Ambassador, Former Mayor of Atlanta

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

Sir Hilary Beckles Vice-Chancellor of the UWI Chairman, CARICOM Reparations Commission

Hon. Andrew Holness

WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 3, 2023

The Hon. PJ Patterson Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Statesman-in- Residence

CONSIDERED THE DAVOS OF THE REGION AND RE-ENVISIONED FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT THIS ONCE AGAIN IN-PERSON EVENT WILL BRING TOGETHER THE EMERGING AND BRIGHTEST MINDS AT THE FOREFRONT OF ELEVATING AND EXECUTING GLOBAL CHANGE AND WILL DRAW ON THE DEEP EXPERIENCE OF LEGACY LEADERS WHO HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR PROGRESS ACROSS SECTORS AND REGIONS OF THE DIASPORA.

The Caribbean’s only 5 star All Inclusive Luxury Hotel

Dr. Hazel Dukes

Charles Rangel

NAACP NYS Conference President

Former Congressman

REGISTER NOW www.cmbc2023.com

(646) 898–9394 1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036