Caribbean Times International Web

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ISSUE NO. 68

CANADA EDITION

CN $1.00

WEEK ENDING September 19, 2013

Canadian group pumps US$50 million into Jamaican resort Page 2

GOODBYE: Rear Admiral Gary Best inspects a guard of honour as he bids farewell to the Guyana Defence Force after 33 years of service.

(Carl Croker/Guyana Times photo)

Winston Brassington

Deal with Guyana’s Marriott investor in closing stages – Brassington

Page 17

CJ Ivor Archie

TT’s Chief Justice supports talks to decriminalise marijuana Page 12

More Canadian support for cancer treatment in the Caribbean Page 21

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NEWS

www.caribbeantimesinternational.com | week ending September 19, 2013

Canadian group pumps US$50 million into Jamaican resort

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lue Diamond Hotels & Resorts, owned

by Canadian tour company Sunwing, says its new hotel acquisition in Trelawny, Jamaica, branded Royalton White Sands, will reopen for business on October 31 as a five-star luxury family hotel.

Janine Chapman, vicepresident of marketing for Sunwing Travel Group, said Tuesday that some US$50 million (Ja$5.2 billion) has been invested to

date in the property.

The hotel, previously known as Starfish Trelawny Resort & Spa hotel, was acquired from the SuperClubs resort group last year.

Blue Diamond Hotels & Resorts is a hotel management company with differentiated brands to suit each market's demands, the company notes on its website, where it also indicates that it currently operates well over 5,000 rooms in all-inclusive resorts in

six Caribbean destinations under the Memories Resorts & Spa, Royalton Luxury Resorts and Grand Lido brands.

Rebranding

Blue Diamond planned initially to rebrand the hotel as Memories White Sands Beach Resort & Spa, but switched to Royalton brand.

"The Royalton White Sands represents a complete transformation into a modern luxury all-inclusive property," Chapman told Jamaican media ear-

lier this week.

"The original eight-story structure was stripped down to bare concrete and more than 75 per cent of the resort represents completely new materials," she said.

The 352-room resort will reopen with what Chapman describes as "all-in luxury" features and amenities ideal for families, adults, weddings and groups.

In June 2012, SuperClubs, announced the property's sale to

Sunwing, after 12 years of ownership. Before the property was renamed Starfish, it operated as Breezes Trelawny.

SuperClubs purchased the hotel from Finsac in 2000.

The sales trend ahead of the opening has been positive, Chapman said.

Blue Diamond Hotels also acquired another SuperClubs property, Breezes Negril Resort & Spa, in April of this year.

Chapman said that hotel now operates as the

"adults-only all-Inclusive, Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa".

"We have just announced additional inclusions at this resort such as a US$1,250 resort credit offer, free Wi-Fi throughout, and unlimited free calling to North America and Europe. We will continue to announce exciting enhancements to this property and its offering over the busy fall and winter season," she indicated. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Dino Bouterse’s alleged co-conspirator nabbed in TT

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n alleged co-conspirator of the son of Suriname’s president, Dino Bouterse, who has appeared on cocaine smuggling charges in the US, has been arrested in Trinidad and will be sent to New York to face prosecution, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan confirmed Tuesday.

Edmund Quincy Muntslag, who along with Dino Bouterse was named in an indictment in a federal court in the Southern District of New York, is wanted in the

US on drug trafficking charges, Muntslag was arrested in Trinidad last week Thursday while Bouterse was arrested in Panama, two weeks ago. According to the indictment, Muntslag travelled to Suriname on July 25 to allegedly arrange the transport of ten kilos of cocaine to the US. On July 27, the indictment alleged, Bouterse “caused a suitcase containing ten kilos of cocaine to be transported from Suriname to the Caribbean on board

Suriname’s President Desi Bouterse, seated, and son Dino, the latter being named in an indictment in a federal court in the Southern District of New York and who is wanted in the US on drug trafficking charges. (TT Newsday photo)

a commercial flight.”

Muntslag was arrested in Trinidad and charged with drug trafficking, according to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office.

TT media reported that Muntslag’s arrest was part of an international ‘‘sting’’ operation led by the US government in collaboration with Ramlogan’s office and

Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams.

Muntslag is currently detained at the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca where security has been beefed

up because of heightened concerns for the drug cartel’s ability to infiltrate local prisons. Security services are on high alert for any attempted prison break as police officers have allegedly been approached by various emissaries to assist in facilitating the escape.

Muntlsag appeared in TT courts on August 30.

He was unrepresented and requested he be provided with a translator.

The Central Authority Unit in the ministry of the attorney general has offered to assist. Sources said Muntslag’s mother has flown in to visit him, but prison officials are keeping a close watch as he is treated as a maximum security high-risk prisoner. (Excerpt from TT Newsday)

Holness says leadership challenge could end division in JLP

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eader of the O p p o s i t i o n Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Andrew

Leader of the Opposition JLP Andrew Holness (Jamaica Gleaner file photo)

Holness says the challenge for the leadership post by Audley Shaw could finally end "the bitter divide that exists in the party".

"Let us, once and for all, use this exercise to settle the petty differences that have divided the party. Let us use this exercise as a means of healing the party," Holness told delegates and supporters at a meeting at Montego Bay High School for Girls Sunday night.

"Let us, once and for all, settle this argument

of who should lead the Jamaica Labour Party.

Let us, once and for all, allow the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party to put in place the plans and programmes that can build the party without having the party pulling one side so, and another side of the party pulling so," he added.

He noted that for a long time the argument has been bandied around "that the leader was not elected" and "everything the leader do, there is somebody there to under-

mine".

He said both himself and Shaw will sign a code of conduct to avoid a smear campaign leading up to the election.

"That code of conduct is binding on us. So, Labourites, I want to assure you that there is nothing to worry about.

I am confident that we have the capacity and the organisation in the party to carry out this election in an exemplary way, that at the end of the day, it is the Jamaica Labour Party that wins. And we are not going to do the ray-ray and the noise. We are going to focus on the organisation," stressed Holness.

There was a strong show of support for Holness at Sunday's meeting. Among those present were members of parliament JC Hutchinson and Shahine Robinson, former mayor of Montego Bay Charles Sinclair, and caretaker for Central St James Heroy Clarke. (Jamaica Observer)

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EDITORIAL

China loans C

hina has recently been playing a much larger role in providing financing to the Caribbean and this has caused some spirited debate because its method of financing is significantly different from the International Financial Institutions (IFIs), primarily the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), that the region had become used to.

In Jamaica, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller had reason to caution critics that their carping might drive away the Chinese.

In Guyana, Chinese loans to build the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project (AFHEP) and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion have attracted hysterical criticism from opposition quarters–purportedly for the alleged high interest rate which somehow became equivalent to “corruption”.

Much of the criticism betrays a lack of appreciation of the different criteria that Chinese banks utilise in making their loans– all of which are a consequence of the overall policies of the Chinese government. It also betrays a dearth of knowledge about loans made by the Chinese in the Latin American-Caribbean (LAC) region in general.

The first thing we note is that the scale of the Chinese loans is massive: starting almost from zero, since 2005 Chinese have made loan commitments totalling US$87 billion. The second is that two Chinese banks dominate the lending: China Development Bank (CDB) with 82 per cent and China Ex-Im Bank (CEIB) with 12 per cent.

By 2010, China had already exceeded the World Bank, IDB and U. S. Ex-Im Bank combined lending. Thirdly, unlike what most assume, CDB’s loans are not cheap. Despite CDB’s “development bank” label, the Chinese bank generally charges borrowers the full cost of finance.

When we compare development banks, CDB offers mostly commercial interest rates that exceed the World Bank rates.

In 2010, CDB offered Argentina a $10 billion loan at 600 basis points above London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). The same year, the World Bank granted Argentina a $30 million loan with a spread of 85 basis points.

Fourthly, Chinese banks provided financing to a significantly different set of countries than the IFIs and Western banks.

Chinese banks dedicated 61 per cent of lending to Venezuela and Ecuador, which were taken off the IDB’s and World Bank’s radar.

The large influx of Chinese lending has served as a key source of foreign finance for infrastructural projects, as in Guyana, Chinese lending to Venezuela and Ecuador, is filling in for the sovereign debt markets.

As energy economist Roger Tissot argues, “Chinese financing is often the ‘lender of last resort’. It is not a cheap one, but due to the concern the international financial community has over Venezuela and Ecuador, and the large risk premiums they would charge, Chinese lending is an attractive option.” Argentina and Ecuador alienated themselves from the traditional sources after defaulting on their sovereign debt in 2001 and 2008-2009, as Guyana did in 1989. In the case of Venezuela, foreign investors were scared off by its domestic political turmoil as in Guyana since 1998.

As a result, the sovereign debt markets charged Argentina, Ecuador, and Venezuela spreads of 838,935, and 1220 basis points, respectively. These are four to six times higher than interest rate spreads for South American countries with similar size economies.

Guyana has not even regained a sovereign rating.

Chinese bank loans to these high-risk countries compensated for the lack of sovereign debt lending, but charged interest rates proportionate to the perceived risks. We can now appreciate the rate at which CDB was lending Guyana for AFHEP. However, China’s filling in the gap for sovereign lending has helped Ecuador rebuild after its default and the same rehabilitation could have been achieved for Guyana if AFHEP went though. Only two years after the default, Ecuador has largely regained investor confidence. Government bonds are performing better than many others in Latin America and government investment is driving record economic growth.

China has given Ecuador a second chance to rebuild investor confidence.

Guyanese students of St John’s College displayed placards as they joined their colleagues from other city schools during a rally for education in Georgetown last Friday (Guyana Times photo)

Guyana, Suriname agree to operations in Corentyne River The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Surinamese National Army have renewed their commitment to combat trans-border crimes through joint operations in the Corentyne river. This commitment is among pledges made when Guyana and Suriname met under the Presidential Engagement Initiative, initiated by former President Bharrat Jagdeo and Surinamese Head of State Desi Bouterse in 2011.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee led a high profile team from Guyana, comprising outgoing GDF Chief-of-Staff, Rear Admiral Gary Best; acting Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur in the meeting in Paramaribo on September 6 and 7.

Speaking at a press conference last week at the home affairs ministry, Rear Admiral Best said the energies of the GDF and the Surinamese National Army have increased significantly in the context of embracing law enforcement.

“I specifically engaged the Surinamese National Army in discussions relating to trans-border crimes, but how the military can work with the law enforcement agencies.

We discussed specifically, joint operation in support of the police forces of the two nations and joint

operation in the Corentyne river,” the chief-of-staff reported.

Joint venture

The modality of this joint venture is yet to be finalised; however, he is anticipating that the militaries through the GDF Coast Guard and the Surinamese Navy can move into operation within the next six months in the Corentyne river.

Together, they will clamp down on piracy, human trafficking, trafficking of drugs and firearms and illegal fishing.

Asked about the territorial issues surrounding the Corentyne waters, Rear Admiral Best said this matter has to be addressed at the highest level, positing that the attorney generals of both countries may need to consult on who can execute arrests in the Corentyne area.

Additionally, the GDF and the Surinamese National Army have agreed to give mutual support in an effort to strengthen both militaries.

The outgoing chief-ofstaff said a proposal was made for Suriname to capitalise on the Officer Cadet School in Guyana, similarly, the GDF can tap into programmes offered by the Surinamese National Army.

Sattaur said in excess of US$10 million in goods are being imported annually from Suriname, with collected taxes standing at

US$5 million. However, he too said food smuggling remains a problem.

He explained that of recent, they have been “lapses” in the system, resulting in smuggled goods; a problem linked to both countries.

Despite disgruntlement among some business people, a bond was erected in Corriverton to store goods, in an effort to combat smuggling.

“We observe that big boats actually being loaded in Suriname but are transferred to small boats, in the midstream, and some of goods end up back in Suriname as smuggled goods, or Guyana, causing concerns to legitimate business,” he said.

Agreement

Additionally, the countries focused on expanding corporation. In February 2012, President Donald Ramotar and an eight-member delegation engaged in a one-day working visit to Suriname where an agreement was reached for the establishment of a Border Security Committee as a direct mechanism for information sharing and monitoring, so as to deal with this matter in all its aspects.

During this engagement, it was highlighted that the issue of making the Springlands/Nickerie crossing referred to as the ‘back track’ route into a legal entry point is under active consideration. (Guyana Times)

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Barbados to have new cardiac facility by year-end

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facility catering to the needs of persons suffering from coronary artery disease would be open to the public in Barbados by the end of 2013.

This was revealed by the country’s Health Minister, John Boyce, who delivered the feature address at Tuesday’s dedication and official naming of the headquarters building–the Hassell & Symmonds Cardiac Care Centre–in honour of the founding fathers of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB) Inc. “A similar type of decision has already been taken with respect to coronary artery disease and the cardiac suite, whose services will include critical care post-acute heart attack, thrombolysis, cardiac catherization and angiographic interventions. This facility will be open to the public by the end of this year,” the minister announced.

He said that this cardiac suite will also have the capability to cater to persons from the English-speaking Caribbean, which would be a valuable source of revenue for Barbados.

Barbados’ Health Minister John Boyce (Barbados Advocate file photo)

Another initiative that the ministry has developed in this regard, is the stroke unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), which “is a good example of evidence-based decision making that has resulted in the practical implementation of health care policies”, stated Boyce.

This stroke unit, which was constructed to address the high incidences of stroke victims in Barbados, would accordingly provide much needed care to these patients, stated Boyce.

However, these facilities would not be of much use unless there

are qualified staff in the healthcare sector that know how to address the needs of their patients.

Therefore, the ministry would continue to offer educational and training opportunities for these staff members to constantly update their skills and knowledge, stated the health minister.

“Improvement of our infrastructure through capital works programmes must be coupled with investment in and improvement of staff competencies. The ministry will continue to support training of health care professionals in cardiovascular medicine and other specialities through continuing professional education and seminars for nurses and doctors.”

The recently completed fourth series of training on modules diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, which the ministry developed with the assistance of the HSFB and the Barbados National Registry, would also help in finding ways to reduce the incidences of these diseases, he added. (Excerpt from Barbados Advocate)

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Prominent Guyanese/Canadian family celebrates matriarch’s 90th birthday with community

By Sara Kassim

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ver 170 relatives, friends and wellwishers gathered in Toronto on Sunday to join in celebrating the 90th birth anniversary of Guyanese-born Canadian, Noorun Nisa Kassim.

The white silky tablecloths were in pristine condition, the cream orchid centre pieces were of the finest assortment, the food was overflowing and the dessert was decadent, as the Kassim’s family marked the “mo-

bers currently reside in Canada, where they have been educated and are now employed.

At the recent birthday celebration, many of Kassim’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren spoke adoringly of the Guyanaborn Kassim ‘legend,’ to whom they all expressed gratitude for the enriched foundation Mrs. Kassim had provided for them.

It was noted that Mrs. Kassim has been the driving force behind her family's suc-

Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren share a special moment with Guyanese-born Canadian, Noorun Nisa Kassim, (centre) during her 90th birthday celebration in Toronto on Sunday

Youngest son, Winston Kassim, pays tribute to his mother while recalling some of the amazing memories of growing up in Guyana (Photos courtesy of the Kassim family)

mentous occasion” with friends and relatives.

While living in Guyana, Mrs Noorun Kassim always had a vision for her family to migrate to Canada, with hopes of building a life that would make each member proud. That dream came true, as most of her family mem-

cess. Her late husband, Subaydar Kassim, came from a poor background.

But although, Noorun was more educated than Subaydar, when they got married, she constantly pushed him to strive to be a greater man. Through her unwavering support, Subaydar was able to further his education

and even exceeded expectations. He went into the Royal Air Force and later the Guyana Police Force during the second World War. He retired as a Superintendent of Police.

Moreover, each of Noorun's children has become extremely successful in their own right. Her eldest son, Sultan Feroze Kassim, retired as the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Guyana. Another son, Dr Sultan Farook Kassim, who passed away in 1997, was a medical doctor, and held a very prestigious position as Chief Medical Officer of Health in Georgetown, Guyana.

Guyana’s forensic laboratory expected to open by year-end

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team from Barbados has been contracted to install the equipment to facilitate the smooth running of Guyana’s forensic laboratory, which is expected to come into operation before yearend.

Guyana’s Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, explained that the imported equipment had to be calibrated on arrival in the country before being installed. “The security features have been already installed and by the third week in October, all the installation will be completed with respect to equipment, which will see the facility being in full operation,” he added.

The home affairs ministry has already

hired staff and will soon sign their contacts for employment. He said the Office of the President has requested that the lab be equipped to facilitate DNA testing.

“What we have decided to do is to complete what we have set out to do in accordance with the plan for the completion of the lab because we don’t want to delay further commissioning of the facility…upon completion, we will look at ways and means of incorporating in the functioning of the lab, DNA testing.”

The contract for the Gy$ 840 million Police Forensic Lab falls under the Citizen Security Programme (CSP) initiated by the government and the Inter-American

Development Bank (IDB).

This programme has three components: institutional modernisation of the home affairs ministry, Community Action Component (CAC) and modernisation of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), which includes the strengthening of forensic capability.

The facility, when equipped, will be the best in the Caribbean and among the best in the world.

Former Police Commissioner Henry Greene had said the fight against crime cannot only be tackled with help of the public alone, but also needs the support of forensic science.

(Excerpt from Guyana Times)

Noorun's eldest daughter, Bibi Fernando, went on to become a teacher and is now retired. Her daughters, Dolly Dhaniram and Anne Sawh, went on to be executive buyers of Sears Canada. Her youngest son, Winston Kassim is an executive with RBC Royal Bank and he is also the Chair for IDRF (International Development Relief Foundation). Noorun's youngest child, Ingrid Innes, is the Chief Executive Officer of ICBL (Insurance Company of Barbados Limited) in Barbados.

Noorun has been the rock behind each of these professionals, and they

have all attributed their success to the motivation that Noorun constantly provided.

While Noorun recognizes the importance of material gains, she does not forget her roots. She is the daughter of an Imam, and this spirituality runs deep to her soul. She has initiated the building of numerous mosques within Guyana and the greater Toronto area, and many of these community members were present at her 90th birthday event to celebrate her good health.

The event made it clear that Noorun has instilled in people, values that they will never forget. She has always been

a true believer in lending a helping hand, before the person has a chance to ask. She constantly reminds her family and friends to never forget God, as he will be the one to serve and guide you especially in your times of need.

The 90th birthday celebration left everyone knowing that Noorun has been living for her family and friend's successes for most of her life.

The beautiful celebration was especially rare as it allowed Mrs. Kassim to bask in self glory, something she is not accustomed to.

Noorun Kassim's continued legacy is one to be exceptionally proud of.

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Housing sector paves way for social, economic transformation in Guyana’s hinterland

By Chevon Singh

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rom foliage tip to beach, thousands of families across the length and breadth of Guyana have had their lives irrevocably altered as the housing programme sweeps the nation, paving the way for widespread social and economic transformation.

Holding back their tears of joy, the beneficiaries of the various programmes embrace their new station in lives with a sense of disbelief, but of worthiness, as they accept the keys to their homes and the beginnings of a new life, full of hope and endless possibilities.

Weather it is a threebedroom bungalow on the outskirts of the city or a two room cottage thousands of miles across a river, individuals, families and a nation are now finding greater appreciation for life and the many avenues for development now available.

Last week and many miles up the Moruca riv-

er, across distance and space separated by meandering rivers, the truth for 22 families was made manifest, brought to the fore by the will to make a difference and the resilience to withstand challenges, come what may.

The families from Manawarin received keys to their new homes as part of the housing ministry’s Hinterland Housing Pilot Project, which is being implemented under the second Low Income Settlement Programme.

The government of Guyana has obtained funding from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) for the implementation of this project, the primary aim of which is to improve the living conditions of low income families through access to housing.

Cascading emotions

Witnessing the cascade of emotions that overcame the beneficiaries as they grasped within their palms the proverbial keys to their future was surreal; Timothy

families were identified to receive complete roof replacement subsidies.

Changing lives

A family prepares to enter their new home

Daniels, Deon Williams, John Oselmo, Gloria John, Verly Fredricks, Evadney John, Crawford Williams, Mabel Benjamin and their families for the first time in their lives can now elevate themselves from living in bungalows without walls to completed three bedroom homes.

This change will now bring about a domino ef-

CAL named region’s top airline again

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or the fourth year in a row, Caribbean Airlines has been named the Caribbean’s Leading Airline at the annual World Travel Awards function held over the weekend at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa. Accepting the award on behalf of the airline, Alicia Cabrera, Senior

the title, World Travel Awards founder Graham Cooke said: “I am delighted Caribbean Airlines has been recognised by our voters as the Caribbean’s Leading Airline for the fourth consecutive year; an honour of which they are truly worthy. It was to recognise outstanding tourism stakeholders such as

took the title of North America’s Leading Airline.

Headline Caribbean Awards winners included Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos, which took the title of Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination, while Jamaica walked away with the title of Caribbean’s Leading Destination.

Caribbean Airlines took the win for Caribbean’s Leading Airline over other regional air carriers, Air Caraibes, Bahamas Air, Cubana and Liat

Manager Marketing at CAL said: “This fourth win really cements our position as the region’s premier carrier. That the category is judged based on travel industry professionals voting makes it even more prestigious as our customers and travel agent partners clearly recognise the tremendous effort put forth by the staff to make each flight special.”

Commenting on

Caribbean Airlines that we founded World Travel Awards in 1993. Now, as we celebrate our 20th year, WTA continues to reward those who continue to drive our industry forward.”

Caribbean Airlines took the win for Caribbean’s Leading Airline over other regional air carriers, Air Caraibes, Bahamas Air, Cubana and Liat, whilst American Airlines

Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand once again went to Sandals Resorts International; Caribbean’s Leading Boutique Hotel went to Hermitage Bay, Antigua; and Caribbean’s Leading Golf Resort went to Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic.

Caribbean Airlines has been named the WTA Best Airline to the Caribbean in 2010, 2011, 2012 and now for 2013.

fect as families relocate from remote parts of the region to take up residence in the community and have access to the most basic of services, education and health.

In this community, 18 families were initially identified for this intervention based on the project’s budget, the village council, however, was very proactive in ne-

gotiating, and they eventually managed to source materials such as wood, at cheaper rates and reached an accord with the contractor to supply labour at community rates.

Through this intervention, the programme was extended so that four more families would be able to benefit, additionally three

The overall project value in Manawarin was Gy$34.6 million.

This pilot project was designed in close collaboration with the Amerindian affairs ministry, respective village councils and the residents of the selected communities. More families from other communities including Oronoque, Whitewater, and Manawarin in Region One and Kwatamang, Annai Central, Apoteri, Massara, and Katoka in Region Nine can expect a breakthrough as the housing drive moves closer to their communities.

For each individual, a new home signals many new beginnings but, for Riliegh Fredricks, his new home meant his daughter can now walk to school with ease rather than sailing miles up a river in a dugout canoe. (Excerpt from Guyana Times)

Sandals Foundation pumps over Ja$8 million in Caribbean schools, scholarships

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n keeping with its commitment to educational and community development for the current school year, the Sandals Foundation has invested Ja$8.2 million in scholarships, back-toschool drives and school upgrades across the Caribbean.

Approximately 38 high school students and 11 undergraduate students have been awarded scholarships totalling more than Ja$3 million.

Six of these were granted to teachers, who are furthering their studies, as part of the Sandals Foundation's plan to support teacher training.

"Education is a big component of our mission and we're very grateful to be in a position where we can assist teachers who are already in the field as well as students who are working so hard at making their dreams and ambitions a reality," said Heidi Clarke, director of programmes of the Sandals Foundation.

One such student is Tonya Pratt, who is now in her last semester at Barry University, finishing up her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a major in marketing. Upon completing

her undergraduate degree, Pratt is looking towards her Master's in International Business.

Pratt, who has been appointed to the Dean's List at Barry, gives back to her community as community service chairperson for Women of Distinction, an organ-

Approximately 38 high school students and 11 undergraduate students have been awarded scholarships totalling more than Ja$3 million

isation with the aim of preparing young women to become successful professionals.

"The scholarship has been very helpful as it has always been a gleam of light, making my education possible ever since I was attending Montego Bay High School. The Foundation made me feel like I was doing something right by doing well in school and working hard to get the grades I had attained," she said.

According to Clarke, the Sandals Foundation recognises the value

in having a consistent presence in the lives of the children and young adults that it supports.

"We believe that education has to be approached holistically, it's not just about the money," she asserted. "A big part of what we do is keeping track of students' grades, what they do to give back to their communities, providing intervention if necessary and just being a source of support for as long as we need to be.

"We are also greatly committed to the 26 schools we've adopted in the Caribbean, always ensuring that the children and teachers feel good about their achievements and their surroundings," Clarke said.

More than Ja$600,000 went into back-to-school drives and treats in the parishes of Portland, St James, St. Ann, and Westmoreland as well as in St Lucia and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Infrastructural upgrades valued at Ja$3.5 million were carried out at five schools in Jamaica and in The Bahamas, where LN Coakley High School received a new multi-purpose court. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

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Grenada’s church leaders Guyana backs fight for warn against IMF slavery compensation

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hurch leaders have urged the Grenada government to resist any attempt by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to increases taxes and cut social services, as the island grapples with attempts at turning around a sluggish economy.

The Conference of Churches Grenada in a recent statement, said that it is deeply concerned about the prevailing socio-economic situation in the country and any attempt to impose additional taxes on the Grenadian population should be resisted.

Officials from the Washington-based financial institution were in Grenada to conduct an assessment of the economic situation, and the religious leaders reminded the Keith Mitchell administration that many people were finding it extremely difficult to "make ends meet".

The religious group said in addition that there were a number of people, including those with academic qualifications, who have not been able to find employment and that the social problems have reached alarming proportions.

"It is against this background that we strongly urge our government to resist any pressure to increase taxes or to make further cuts to social, medical or educa-

Grenada’s Prime Minister Keith Mitchell

tional services.

"Revenue can be increased by ensuring that existing taxes are not evaded and that all taxes, especially VAT (Value Added Tax), are efficiently collected from all who are liable," the religious group said.

The Conferences of Churches Grenada indicated that it is supportive of the efforts to create jobs and to find sources of investment funding that can be channelled into productive projects.

"We are convinced that further austerity measures are not the way out of Grenada's debt crisis. We strongly support the government of Grenada in its resistance against austerity and we are actively mobilising support internationally towards this end," said the statement.

(CMC) The religious group urged the Mitchell administration to give "serious consideration" to

the nine points in the document "A Jubilee for Grenada Now" that came out of a workshop on debt held in May. The document prepared by the staff of the IMF argues that to reach a sustainable level of debt Grenada would need to reduce 90 per cent of its present debt.

"We support the government's efforts to achieve this and we again emphasise the point that any reduction in debt must go towards the socio-economic development of our country with a preferential option for the poor," the church leaders said.

In July, Mitchell presented Parliament with an EC$711 million budget outlining a series of measures he hopes would stimulate a sluggish economy.

Mitchell said that the government would move to cut expenditure and that the new economy requires that it puts its fiscal house in order including cutting more than EC$60 million from the recurrent budget this year.

Mitchell stated that effective immediately, his administration would implement a freeze on net hiring, saving approximately EC$8 million and that a major challenge would be to manage the payroll, which accounts for 65 per cent of government expenditure. (IMC)

No politics involved in Kublalsingh’s dismissal, says UWI principal

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rofessor Clement Sankat, principal of the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) St Augustine campus, says the decision not to renew environmentalist Dr Wayne Kublalsingh’s parttime contract was not politically motivated. “The system was challenged, and it had nothing to do with politics,” Sankat reportedly told TT media last Friday.

He added that Kublalsingh was never on the permanent staff, and there were hundreds of part-time lecturers with similar contracts at the university.

Last year, Kublalsingh missed several classes when he was involved in a 21-day hunger strike over the construction of the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension to Point Fortin.

Sankat said since that time, changes had been made to the teaching

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uyana has backed calls for Europe to compensate Caribbean states for the inhumanity of slavery, saying the injustice had left a deep wound and the desire to right this wrong was a component of the anti-colonial struggle.

“Guyana agrees that we must look at this dark history in order to understand and move forward in the present. But apart from the duty to remember, we have the duty to ensure that just and appropriate measures are adopted to compensate for those wrongs,” Guyana’s Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony told a regional conference on reparations being held in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The conference, which opened on Sunday, is the first major event on reparations following the 34th Caricom conference of heads of government in Trinidad and Tobago in July. At the summit, heads of government agreed to the establishment of a National Reparations Committee in each state, with the respective chairs sitting on the Caricom Reparations Commission. The community’s approach would be to hold a development conversation and to use all reasonable avenues to reach an amicable solution on reparations.

Atrocities

“As a Guyanese, and as a descendant of ancestors, all of whom were uprooted, transported and transplanted into an environment

Guyana’s Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony

of atrocities and injustices, designed to maximise profits by plunder, I join with my brothers and sisters in voicing this claim for reparations,” Dr Anthony said.

He noted that Guyana also supported the call for an apology from those countries, which benefited from the proceeds of the slave trade.

The Abolition Act of August 1833, abolished enslavement throughout the British Empire from August 1, 1834. From this date, there was to be a six-year apprenticeship for field labour during which the slaves would work for a fixed number of hours each week.

This apprenticeship period ended in 1838, two years early. British Guiana planters were generously compensated for the 84,915 Africans who were now free.

The emancipated Africans received no compensation for their years of labour.

“Not a single solitary cent,” Dr Anthony la-

mented.

He said the issue was openly discussed in the immediate post-independence era.

Build consensus

Dr Anthony told the conference that they had to build consensus and alliances at three levels, starting in individual countries.

“We must also work more cohesively and consistently at the regional level. Not just mapping what must be done, but by timetabling the task that must be accomplished and by when,” Dr Anthony asserted.

“We also have to build the international alliance; we must coordinate our foreign policy to articulate our call at the multilateral levels. We must recruit international voices of reason men and women of influence that must add their voices to right this historic wrong. And we must keep knocking at the door,” he stressed.

(Excerpt from Guyana Times)

1,488 tourism jobs lost in Jamaica over past year

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Dr Wayne Kublalsingh has been dismissed from UWI (TT Newsday file photo)

schedule to accommodate Kublalsingh’s absence, and those changes have continued into the new academic year. Sankat said the head of department is responsible for assigning teachers to courses.

“The head of department had to do what he had to do,” he said.

Meanwhile, in response, Kublalsingh said he had no hard feelings toward UWI for letting him go, but there could have been some discussion with him about its concerns, be-

Professor Clement Sankat, principal of UWI’s St Augustine campus (TT Guardian file photo)

fore the “unilateral” dismissal. “I think the university had a decision to make and they made it...

They probably could have consulted with me before,” he stated. He said he did not feel disappointed, as the university had always been good to him, but felt UWI should have come to him first before a decision was made. “They never invited me to meetings about it...They made a unilateral decision,” he said. (Excerpt from TT Guardian)

ome 1,488 workers in the tourism industry of Jamaica have either lost their jobs or were laid off in the last 12 months.

The information was shared in the Senate last Friday by Senator A J Nicholson, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade and leader of government business in the Upper House.

The figure, he said, includes 120 people from the Braco Resort in Trelawny, 352 from the Starfish hotel, 600 from Ritz-Carlton, and 326 from the Wyndham Kingston.

However, Senator Nicholson, who was answering questions posed

by Leader of Opposition

Business in the Upper House Senator Arthur Williams, said that the hotels, which "are currently closed, are being refurbished and the new managers have advised that many of the displaced staff will be guaranteed re-employment".

In the meantime, he said the Starfish hotel is scheduled to reopen in October this year, under the name Royalton White Sands, and will hire about 400 workers.

The Ritz-Carlton should open its doors between April and May of 2014 and will be rebranded Memories Negril Resort and Spa. Senator Nicholson said that no date has been set for the

Wyndham Kingston to reopen, as the property is in receivership.

According to figures from the ministry of tourism and entertainment, six hotels have either been closed or changed ownership over the last 12 to 18 months.

Employment figures collected for the accommodation sub-sector by the Jamaica Tourist Board show that the number of people employed directly in the sector was 34,921 in the 2011-2012 financial year. The ministry said this was actually a 5.7 per cent decrease over the previous year, which saw 37,018 people employed in the sector. (Jamaica Observer)

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Cops and Faith Community Network launched to resolve minor offences in Guyana

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he home affairs ministry recently launched the Cops and Faith Community Network (CFCN) in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the clergy and the faith-based community in Guyana to bring peace within communities. The initiative seeks to eliminate offences such as cruelty to animals, domestic violence, threatening behaviour and threatening language of persons, and damage to property, among others.

This programme will be rolled out in 10 selected communities in Regions Four and Six. They are Sophia, Agricola/ McDoom, Plaisance, Buxton/Friendship,

Kilcoy/Chesney, Fyrish/ Overwinning/Glasgow, Edinburgh, Angoy’s Avenue, Port Mourant and Rose Hall.

Monitoring, evaluation

The programme will be carried out for six months with monitoring and evaluation, following which, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, based on progress reports, will decide whether it can be replicated in other areas.

Every six months there will be a meeting in the communities with the GPF and the religious and faith-based organisations along with residents to have an update on the programme, a Government Information Agency (GINA) release said.

Rohee expressed sat-

Reverend Dr Kwame Gilbert, Social Policy Advisor speaking at the launch of the Cops and Faith Community Network (CFCN) in Guyana

isfaction with the implementation of this programme and the response that the faithbased organisations and the GPF have shown.

All about people

“This project is all

about people, it is what I would describe at a people centred project, aimed first and foremost at serving people in their respective communities,” Rohee said.

“There are certain

difficulties with, what people call today, issues in life which neither the young nor the old seem to be able to grapple with, and that is exactly why certain manifestations of interpersonal violence, which never ever appeared in this country is appearing now in such rapid ways,” he said.

“I see this as a beautiful combination of law enforcement and moral enforcement. I am very pleased that the Guyana Police Force has bought into this concept and that it is now working towards its successful implementation,” the minister stated.

Social Policy Adviser, Reverend Dr Kwame Gilbert, who conceived the idea of the CFCN, said the project seeks

to ensure that other options can be utilised in dealing with youths who commit minor offences, rather than have them endure the penal system.

He said the initiative has its origins in the COPS and Clergy Network of Red Lands California, U.S.A. and during a visit in 2012 to police departments in Los Angeles and Detroit, he was impressed with the way the initiative was working, and he shared it with Rohee.

Meanwhile, Acting Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell pointed out that the GPF will pledge to give its best on this project. He added that it has promoted another partnership with religious organisations in communities.

TT’s new security minister revisits Incomplete case files helping to clog Jamaica’s courts, say senior judges 21st-century policing initiative

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he 21st-century policing initiative instituted by former Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs has merit and some of its components will be incorporated into the Police Service, according to TT’s National Security Minister Gary Griffith.

Griffith told TT media that he intended to meet with acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams as soon as possible to discuss the measure. The initiative met with much criticism from the Police Service and Social Welfare Association, which complained that owing to the shift system, its members were being made to work beyond the stipulated 40 hours.

Gibbs and his deputy, Jack Ewatski, launched the initiative in April 2011. After the Canadians resigned in July 2012, Williams scrapped the programme. The association filed an injunction at the Industrial Court, Port-of-Spain, to stop it but it was thrown out.

Saying he had no intention of “throwing out the baby with the bathwater,” Griffith added: “I want to seek the advice of acting Commissioner Williams on that matter because there were some very positive elements in the 21st-century policing initiative that can be incorporated in what we intend to do. You can never really scratch off the initiative. It is something that played a fundamental role in reducing crime and which involves vis-

T

he practice of the police charging and bringing individuals to court before completing their investigations was Monday criticised by Chief Justice Zaila McCalla and a senior judge.

According to McCalla and Justice Lloyd Hibbert, the practice is contributing to the backlog of cases in courts across the island.

McCalla made her reFormer Commissioner of Police of TT Dwayne Gibbs initiated the 21stcentury policing initiative (TT Newsday file photos)

ibility and give the citizens that feeling of comfort.”

He said government’s proposed Rapid Response Unit was along the lines of the initiative, which emphasised high visibility and response on the part of police in less than ten minutes. On plans to transform the Police Service, Griffith said that included continuous training of officers and the purchase of modern tools and equipment. Saying citizens can expect to see a “total rejuvenation” of the police, Griffith added: “They are going to see a better performance of the Police Service, much better than what they are seeing now.”

He added, “My job is to provide that support mechanism, administrative and financial requirements that they need for them to move forward to be more suc-

out, but where cases are tried," he emphasised.

Hibbert's remark came after at least three cases were mentioned in court for which the prosecution said investigations had not been completed. The cases were sent to the Circuit Court by way of voluntary bills of indictment.

At least two of the cases mentioned were for murder charges. When the third was men-

the system. She also called on the Office of the Director of the Public Prosecutions to ensure that investigation is completed before a matter is brought to court.

She said both the prosecution and defence attorneys, as well as the police, should work together to dispose of as many cases as possible for the new term.

Work, she said, is being done to reduce the

TT’s National Security Minister Gary Griffith

cessful in their operations. We want the Police Service to have the equipment so that they could perform beyond the call of duty.”

He said that would involve several different initiatives, including a proper audit of the Police Service, its numbers, strength, weaknesses operational training and getting the police to work more hand-in-hand with citizens.

The 21st-century policing initiative was launched in the Western Division on April 4, 2011.

It was implemented in Tobago in March 2012 and two months later in Central Division. The aim was to increase public confidence and foster better customer service, increase patrols through heightened police visibility and ultimately increase the detection rate.

Police were to be based in patrol cars and many police stations were to be shut down. (Excerpt from TT Guardian)

Chief Justice Zaila McCalla participates in the singing of the National Anthem during a service to mark the opening of the Michaelmas Term of the Home Circuit Court in Kingston Monday. Beside her is Christopher Bowen, assistant commandant of the Island Special Constabulary Force. (Joseph Wellington/Jamaica Observer photo)

marks during the opening of the Home Circuit Court's Michaelmas Term in Kingston, while Hibbert was speaking at the opening of the St James Circuit in the western end of the island.

Hibbert said "too many cases were being brought to circuit that are not ready to be heard".

"This is not a court where things are sorted

tioned, Hibbert quipped, "We are lucky this is not baseball, three strikes and you are out."

Thirty-eight cases are set to be tried in the St James Circuit, while 565 are down for trial in the Home Circuit Court.

Of that number, 342 are for murder.

Chief Justice McCalla called on the police to ensure that they complete their investigation before bringing cases into

number of times a case comes before the court for mention before a trial date is set, while noting that full criminal case management will be implemented in all the courts across the island come next January.

McCalla also said that plans were afoot to hire more judicial clerks to assist justices with research for their written judgements.

(Jamaica Observer)

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Guyana, Suriname pursuing funding for bridge across Corentyne river

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he ambitious plan of the governments of Guyana and Suriname to bridge the Corentyne river is still on the card, and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said some preliminary works have been completed and ground work will begin shortly.

He told a news conference last Friday that a final decision is yet to be made regarding the construction of the bridge, but discussions are continuing and officials are now looking to finalise preliminary studies to continue with the proj-

ect.

Dr Luncheon said too the Guyana government was looking at the possibility of the bridge being completed within the next three to five years, but this would not be possible.

Feasibility

“A considerable amount of works have been completed at the site where it will be built, selection and feasibility etc,” Dr Luncheon said.

The Cabinet secretary noted that the project calls for serious planning, pointing out that, making a decision on the project will require a

Cabinet Secretary in Guyana Dr Roger Luncheon

step-by-step process.

This, he said is to ensure that both the Surinamese and Guyanese governments

are not at any point accused of poor technical work.

Funding for the project has been an ongo-

ing deliberation between Suriname, Guyana and international financial institutions.

Dr Luncheon said the two countries have signalled strong support for the establishment of land linkages across the Corentyne river.

The initiative was identified as one of a series of projects that would further physically integrate South America at a recent Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) meeting.

During his presidential campaign, Surinamese President Desi Bouterse had prom-

ised to build a bridge across the Corentyne river, should he be elected.

Bouterse had said that it is necessary for technical assessments to be done before the project meets the construction phase.

During a one-day meeting in Suriname last year, President Donald Ramotar and Bouterse had agreed to move to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to seek joint financing for the bridge that will link the two countries via the Corentyne river.

(Excerpt from Guyana Times)

Russia willing to help Caribbean Sparrow out of coma in oil exploration T

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ussia has said that it is willing to help the Caribbean explore for oil and gas as well as deal with the impact of the global economy.

Russia's ambassador to Guyana, Nikolay Smirnov, told Caribbean media that relations with the Caribbean remain strong, spanning economic, tourism, communication, sports and politics.

But the diplomat said that while Russia may not be able to engage in direct investment in the search for oil and gas, it was nonetheless in a position to assist in "specific projects like the seismological study of the Caribbean Sea".

He said that the study "can be used for oil and gas research, to seismic study, fisheries and especially climate changes.

"All those things will be available to Caribbean countries free of charge because it will be done

Russia’s ambassador to Guyana Nikolay Smirnov

by Russian scientists with participation of local scientists if they will like, and that data will be available without any pre conditions without any restrictions," he stated.

Ambassador Smirnov said that trade with the Caribbean remains at a low level.

"It is not as large as we will like to have due to the distance, maybe because of the competition from other countries in Latin America but we hope it will change ... so

we hope trade ties will be growing, tourism will increase because right now it's on the rise to the Caribbean.

"For example, last year from the Dominican Republic we had about 60, 000 tourist from Russia. Second to our destination is Cuba because with Cuba we have traditional ties and of course Jamaica is also on the rise, (regarding) Barbados, we also have a number of growing Russian tourist."

The diplomat said that, like the Caribbean, Russia has to deal with issues of climate change, global warning and the economic crisis.

He said a solution to the financial crisis should not be left only to the developed countries.

He said while he is not a palm reader, an economist or in possession of a crystal ball, Caribbean countries should look to deal with unemployment, particu-

larly among the youth, fight against corruption, and manage government expenditure in a bid to stimulate their economies.

"Those things should be addressed and international institutions like IMF, World Bank, regional banks, (like) the Inter American Development Bank...they also should be providing some specifics assistance towards needs not for overall programmes but to improve fields in the economy like tourism," he added.

The Russian diplomat said that his countries would continue to use its influence in fora like the G20 and G8 "because as you know, traditional times we have quite friendly relations with a number of Caribbean countries like Cuba, Jamaica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Guyana and we hope to continue". (Except from CMC)

he Mighty Sparrow (Dr Slinger Francisco) came out of a coma on Monday night, and is said to be conscious and responsive.

In a release issued Tuesday from Margaret Francisco on behalf of the Francisco family, she said of Sparrow: “He is being monitored, and we are hopeful that he will continue to progress further.” She added that the family is especially grateful to the doctors and nurses for their professional and attentive caring for him.

“We also wish to express our profound appreciation for the prayers and outpouring of well-wishes from all concerned, and will issue further updates as it becomes necessary,” ended Margaret.

The Mighty Sparrow had been in a coma at a hospital in Queen’s New York for the past two weeks prompting his family to ask fans and the people of Trinidad and Tobago to pray for

The Mighty Sparrow

him, and to respect their privacy.

Sparrow, has won the National Calypso Monarch title on eight occasions, more than any other to date, and also captured the Road March title on eight occasions. He was supposed to be presented a lifetime achievement award two Thursdays ago by the TT Consulate in New York, but was unable attend and instead, his son, Richard Francisco, received the award on his behalf. (TT Newsday)

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Guyana’s new army TT’s Chief Justice supports talks to decriminalise marijuana chief sworn in

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Newly-appointed Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Mark Phillips being congratulated by President Donald Ramotar after his swearing-in

rigadier Mark Phillips has been officially sworn in as the chief-of-staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). He was sworn into office at the Office of the President on Monday by President and Commander inChief of the armed forces Donald Ramotar.

In extending congratulations, Ramotar said the GDF has evolved tremendously over the years through strengthened corporation, both locally and on the international arena. As a result, he called on the newly-installed chiefof-staff to continue this trend of success. “So we look forward to a GDF

growing from strength to strength under your leadership to build on the foundation that already has been laid over the years.”

Ramotar also lauded the outgoing Chief-ofStaff, Rear Admiral Gary Best for the sterling contribution made to the development of the defence force.

Meanwhile, the newly-installed chief-of-staff said he will maintain a high level of professionalism in the army.

“The Guyana Defence Force will remain in good hands, we will continue to be the stable band of our Guyanese society,” Brigadier Phillips told media operatives. He

used the opportunity to advocate for young men and women of society to join the defence force.

Phillips, who has served in the military for more than 30 years, will assume the office of chairman of the Joint Services Coordination Council on the retirement of Rear Admiral Best on September 20.

Currently, he is being briefed on the recent agreement between the GDF and the Surinamese National Army, which will see joints patrols on the Corentyne river to clamp down on piracy and trafficking in narcotics, guns and ammunition. (Excerpt from Guyana Times)

s some regional nations and parts of North and Latin America move towards decriminalising the consumption and possession of marijuana, Chief Justice Ivor Archie has began the ball rolling for similar considerations, in some capacity, for Trinidad and Tobago.

“After over a quarter of a century in the law, nine years of which were spent as a prosecutor actively involved in drug prosecutions and asset confiscation, I have come to the view that drug trafficking and drug consumption should be treated differently,” he said.

In his wide-ranging address for the ceremonial opening of the 2013/2014 law term at the Convocation Hall of the Hall of Justice, Portof-Spain, Monday, Archie admitted the topic of decriminalising marijuana would be a controversial one.

The suggestion, he also said, was one for policymakers.

There has been heated debate about the possible decriminalisation of possessing small quantities of marijuana, as well as over legalising its sale and consumption for

Chief Justice Ivor Archie inspects the Police Guard of Honour during the ceremonial opening of the 2013-2014 law term outside the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain, Monday (TT Guardian photo)

medical purposes.

According to Archie, the economic and social consequences of incarcerating large numbers of youths for possession and/or consumption of small amounts of drugs were immense.

In an immediate response, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said while she was not against what the Chief Justice recommended, it was the government’s priority and policy to treat with all law-breakers.

She said perhaps what the Chief Justice

was recommending was to treat with the “larger (drug) cases” first. The prime minister insisted that the government was adamant about enforcement of the law and any measure of “lawlessness” would be dealt with.

“I am sure consideration will be given to amounts a person is held with, but I cannot give an answer of ‘yea or nay,” she said, when asked about the possibility of the government giving consideration to the decriminalisation of marijuana use. (Excerpt from TT Newsday)

PM names son as new foreign affairs minister in St Vincent

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ormer St. Vincent and the Grenadines ambassador to the United Nations, Camilo Gonsalves, was on Monday sworn in as the country’s new Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, as Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves named three new senators to his administration.

In addition, the younger Gonsalves, who is replacing former foreign affairs minister Dr. Douglas Slater, who has taken up a new position with the Guyana-based Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat, will also serve as commerce and information technology minister, while Luke Browne, the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) candidate for the East Kingstown in the 2010 general election, was sworn in as Parliamentary Secretary in the ministry of tourism, sports, and culture.

Political activist and commentator, Jomo Thomas, has also been named a senator, but will take the Oath in Parliament Thursday.

Prime Minister Gonsalves said he had asked Opposition legisla-

Former St. Vincent and the Grenadines ambassador to the UN Camilo Gonsalves is the country’s new Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister

tor, Dr. Godwin Friday, to become the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly. If Friday does not accept the nomination, Thomas, an attorney, will be appointed Deputy Speaker.

Governor General Sir Frederick Ballantyne congratulated the senators saying, “They are all, as you know, very bright, outstanding Vincentians and the population expects a lot from all of you.”

Prime Minister Gonsalves said each of the new legislators had “accomplished a great deal” noting that Browne, a former national and Rhode Scholar, had an

undergraduate degree in economics and mathematics, and master’s degree in statistics from Oxford University.

The younger Gonsalves is also former senior crown counsel and has undergraduate degrees in journalism and law, a master’s degree in global affairs (political economy), and is currently pursuing a doctorate.

Thomas has an undergraduate degree in journalism and political science, a law degree, and a master’s degree in international affairs and political economy.

He said that his government, which came to office in 2001 and will seek a fourth consecutive term at the next general elections, constitutionally due in 2015, “has as part of its mandate and as part of its obligation to refresh itself with personnel and with ideas.

“The vision and the philosophy of the government remain intact, that is to say, people-centred vision, a philosophy of social democracy as applied to the circumstances of St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” he indicated. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

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JetBlue starts TT flights Guyana to receive 5000-tonne fertiliser shipment from in February

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etBlue Airways will begin once daily non-stop flights from Fort Lauderdale/ Hollywood International Airport from May 1, 2014. A press release from the airline also stated that twice-daily non-stop service to POS from New York’s JFK International Airport will start on February 24, 2014. These flights are subject to receipt of government operating authority. “We are dedicated to growing in South Florida and expanding our network to the Caribbean and Latin America,” said Scott Laurence, vice president of network planning for JetBlue Airways.

“We combine low fares with the best customer experience in the skies. Customers visiting the beautiful island of Trinidad and Tobago have dealt with high fares, cramped seating and limited choices for

TT’s Tourism Minister Chandresh Sharma (TT Newsday file photo)

too long.”

TT’s Tourism Minister Chandresh Sharma said: “We look forward to welcoming JetBlue and its award winning service to Trinidad and Tobago.

JetBlue’s service to Portof-Spain from New York and Fort Lauderdale will offer a high quality experience for business and leisure travellers alike.

This is in keeping with governments’ vision to grow the tourism sector.

“The United States has traditionally been and continues to be one of our major trading partners. An efficient, reliable and affordable airlift is of critical importance in further capitalising on the potential from the US. We look forward to a relationship that can engender new opportunities not just for Trinidad and Tobago, but also for the wider Caribbean region.”

Destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean now make up almost one-third of JetBlue's route network. In the Caribbean, JetBlue is the largest carrier in terms of capacity in both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, offering more flights than any other carrier. The airline will also begin service to Port-au-Prince, Haiti this winter, subject to receipt of government approval. (TT Guardian)

Venezuela shortly

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g r i c u l t u r e Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy during a recent visit to Venezuela succeeded in getting manufacturers to agree to supply Guyana with 5000 tonnes of fertiliser. During the recent visit of President Nicolas Maduro to Guyana, a decision was made to extend that previous agreement to two shipments.

As per the new arrangement, the first shipment will see the supply of 5000 tonnes, and another shipment in March next year.

Ramsammy said the government has been negotiating with ship owners since the plant itself has an established shipping time.

“Whatever ship you make arrangement with, must fit into that time, so it’s not like they have the fertiliser whenever your ship arrives; your

ship has to arrive whenever they are ready,” the minister explained during a recent interview.

The next shipping day is September 23-24 and the ministry was able to put in place a tentative agreement with a shipping company to have a boat at the facility on those days. As a result of the fertiliser deal, Guyanese farmers will be able to get the fertiliser they need at a cost that is significantly below what they are paying now.

Rice farmers, depending on where they are located, are currently paying between Gy$7000 and Gy$10,000 for a 48 kilogramme bag of urea.

Ramsammy posited that, “we are making arrangements for the farmers to get a bag of fertiliser at a cost that is maximum Gy$5000 so that they will save.”

Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy

At the moment, the country’s rice farmers require about 20,000 tonnes of fertiliser, which means that this first shipment will make available 25 per cent of their needs. This, the minister said, will ensure that the needs of small farmers are met, while at the same time meeting a portion of the needs of the larger farmers, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported

Indian businessman accused of human trafficking to stand trial in Jamaica

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ndian businessman Rajesh Gurunani who is accused of human trafficking is to stand trial on December 2, Jamaican media has re-

ported.

The date was set Monday in the Home Circuit Court.

The businessman, who operates stores

in Kingston and St Catherine, is also facing the charge of withholding passports.

It’s alleged that Gurunani recruited per-

sons from India and promised them jobs in his stores in Jamaica.

It’s further alleged that on their arrival in Jamaica the business-

man confiscated their passports and forced them to work long hours in his stores for little pay.

Gurunani has denied the allegations.

He was charged in March 2011 during an operation by the Organised Crime Investigation Division.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

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NACTA poll finds

Guyanese overwhelmingly support Amaila project, subsidy to GPL

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n opinion survey conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) last month found that the overwhelming majority of Guyanese supports the Amalia Falls Hydro Electricity Project (AFHEP), subsidies to the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL), and the recent introduction of the new minimum wage policy.

The poll interviewed voters to determine support on various government initiated projects as well as popular support for the parties should a snap election be called.

The poll randomly interviewed 520 voters to yield a demographically representative sample (44 per cent Indians, 30 per cent Africans, 16 per cent mixed, nine per cent Amerindians, and one per cent other races) of the population. The poll was conducted in face to

face interviews and was coordinated by Vishnu Bisram, pollster, newspaper columnist and educator in New York.

The results of the poll were analysed at a 95 per cent significance level and a statistical sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points was found.

Sampling results based on sub-groups such as Indians or Africans have a larger sampling error.

Asked if they approve of the opposition’s rejection of the Amalia Falls hydro project, 67 per cent said no, with only 23 per cent backing the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) for opposing the project. People feel the project will lead to cheaper electricity bills.

Parting

Even supporters of the Alliance For Change (AFC) overwhelmingly endorsed the Amalia Falls project with APNU

supporters breaking with their party for its opposition to the project.

Asked if they support the opposition rejection of funding subsidy

for GPL, 65 per cent said no, with 21 per cent saying yes and 14 per cent saying they are not sure.

Asked if they agree with the opposition’s rejection

of funds for the construction of Marriott Hotel, 41 per cent said yes, with 35 per cent saying no, and 24 per cent not sure.

Asked if they approve of the opposition’s decision to reject funding for the Specialty Hospital, 39 per cent said yes with 51 per cent said no and 10 per cent was not sure. Asked if they back the opposition’s position against the airport expansion project, 37 per cent said yes, with 52 per cent saying no, and 11 said they not sure.

On the question of whether they endorse the increase in the minimum wage policy, a whopping 88 per cent said yes, seven per cent said no, and five per cent said not sure, with workers showering accolades on Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul for this initiative, although many feel the minimum wage needs to be much higher, given the coun-

try’s ever increasing cost of living.

This is the highest approval rating in support of any government project in recent times.

Asked if they think the sugar industry can be rescued, 44 per cent said no, with 47 per cent saying yes and nine per cent not offering a response.

People feel the industry needs to undergo significant structural reform in order to save it.

The poll was conducted by Vishnu Bisram for NACTA, a New York based group founded by Dr Latchman Narain of Toronto and Vassan Ramracha of New York, all of whom were involved in the free and fair election movement in the diaspora.

NACTA has no affiliation with any political party and has been involved in several community activities in America, Guyana and other countries.

Sandals employs 1,200 in Grenada for La Source hotel expansion

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ork continues apace on the expansion of Sandals La Source Grenada, with 1,200 workers now aiming for an opening deadline of December 12, 2013.

Most of the workers on the construction site located at Point Salines are Grenadian, providing a much-needed fillip to an economy ravaged by unemployment and a lack of foreign investment.

The chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI) Gordon "Butch" Stewart noted that the La Source upgrade and expansion project is progressing smoothly and barring unforeseen circumstances, the hotel should be opened on December 12th, 2013.

He added: "The quality of workers in Grenada has been noth-

ing but superb. All the companies engaged in technical work are predominantly staffed by Grenadian professionals."

Sandals acquired La Source Grenada last November for an unspecified sum and immediately set about upgrading and expanding the resort to the tune of US$100 million, adding another 130 rooms.

The 231-room resort will sit on 17 acres along the pristine Pink Gin Beach on Grenada's southern tip. Sandals La Source will house three distinct villages; namely the Pink Gin Village, the Italian Village and the South Seas Village.

The Pink Gin Village will have the first zero-entry infinity pool.

The five-storey Italian Village sits upon a scenic cliff and boasts

split-level suites with Japanese-style soaking tubs complete with private infinity-edge plunge pools situated on the balcony. The South Seas Village is found along the mountainside of the resort and will feature Sandals' signature Rondoval suites with 61-inch round indoor tubs as well as outdoor private pools.

Pink Gin has a very modern Caribbean feel with new levels of luxury. The Italian Village is a work of art with sky pool suites from the third storey, being the first of its kind.

"The South Seas Village also continues to get response from travellers online," said the Chairman of SRI.

Call centre

Chairman of Sandals Resorts International Gordon “Butch” Stewart (Jamaica Observer photo)

The chairman and founder of the largest indigenous resort chain in the Caribbean an-

nounced plans to build a call centre in Grenada that will accommodate bookings worldwide for Sandals, Beaches and Grande Pineapple resorts. This new call centre follows similar ones in Jamaica and St Lucia and will feature stateof-the-art technologies, linking Grenada to booking hubs located in two other Caribbean islands.

"Our operations across the region have played a tremendous role in bringing professionals in the Caribbean in touch with each other. Some of the best tourism professionals in the world are from the Caribbean and they continue to add tremendous value to our product and we are committed to creating opportunities for their careers to advance," said Stewart.

(Jamaica Observer)

Caribbean cement trade to be monitored E astern Caribbean states are seeking to set up a mechanism to monitor the cement trade in the region.

This is due to frequent shortages in supplies, which they say is hampering the construction sector in the sub-region.

The OECS Secretariat’s Trade Policy Unit (TPU) is facilitating talks

among Member States to develop a position on the supply and demand for cement within the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

Head of the OECS Trade Policy Unit Virginia Paul says the Council for Trade and Economic Development (Coted) agreed that such a mechanism is re-

quired in order to ensure that consumers are adequately supplied by the regional manufacturer.

“Cement is an important commodity used in construction and given the importance of the construction sector to economic development in the OECS, it was necessary for Member States to agree on the data that

would be required to monitor trade in cement within the region,” she said.

The Policy Unit has confirmed that recommendations from OECS have already been presented to a meeting of Caricom officials for consideration. Discussions on methods of monitoring the cement trade

were among three major activities, which recently involved the OECS Secretariat’s Trade Policy Unit.

“The unit was also part of briefings on the second phase of the Caricom Trade and Competitiveness Project stakeholders in Grenada on a national plan to increase information flows

on the CSME and the reform of administrative procedures,” Paul said.

She explained that the Project also started work on the reform of laws and regulations, which affect the movement of goods, capital, skills, people and the right to establish business in these countries.

(CMC)

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week ending September 19, 2013 | www.caribbeantimesinternational.com

Jamaica’s Wallenford sold to AIC International in US$39.5 million deal

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ichael LeeChin's AIC International Investments has bought Jamaica’s governmentowned Wallenford Coffee Company for US$16 million (Ja$1.6 billion), Jamaican media has reported.

The deal, which will see the new owners pump an additional US$23.5 million into the factory and coffee farms over the next four years, gives AIIL access to over 5,000 acres of Blue Mountain coffee land and has the capacity to process over nine million pounds of coffee in its facilities.

Apart from the receiving the proceeds from the sale, the Jamaican government will be ridding itself of an ailing company, which accumulated losses of Ja$2.36 billion (US$23.6 million) since 2004 and held net assets of Ja$67.75 million as at February 28.

The deal will see the new owners pump an additional US$23.5 million into the factory and coffee farms over the next four years (Jamaica Observer photo)

Wallenford suffered from limited funding over the years and the plant's processing capacity has been extensively underutilised, according to Milverton Reynolds, managing director of the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), which,

as the government's privatisation agency, provided technical and administrative support to the divestment team.

"This will relieve the government of the obligation of providing financial support to the operations," he said.

"The divestment is also important for the industry as a whole, as the purchaser plans to invest in increasing the acreages under cultivation and will continue to provide extension services to coffee farmers."

AIIL assumed control

of the Wallenford operations last Wednesday following the execution of a memorandum of understanding on August 29.

Closing of this transaction is expected to take place within the next six months.

The four-year development plan for Wallenford aims to make the coffee producer more efficient and profitable through the production of "the highest quality green bean products as well as innovative new value-added products", according to the DBJ. Wallenford recently expanded into a complete line of roasted beans and ground products for the local and international consumer markets.

"The development plan also includes the resuscitation of established farms, upgrading of equipment and renovation of buildings and facilities, while increasing the acreage of coffee

and extension services to coffee farmers," said a DBJ statement issued last Friday.

The divestment will mark the departure of the government from commercial coffee operations, having previously divested the Mavis Bank Coffee Company in October 2011.

"The government will now move to focus its efforts on regulating the industry through the Coffee Industry Board, encourage general development and expansion of the industry and the aggressively protect the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee brand," said the DBJ. The DBJ had started the divestment process through advertisement, locally and overseas, between June and November 2011, during which time there were two extensions to the process. (Jamaica Observer)

“Juici Patties” opens its doors in Guyana

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amex Restaurants Inc, the franchisee of Church’s Chicken, Mario’s Pizza and Quiznos opened their fourth franchise, Juici Patties from Jamaica, in Guyana. The Juici Patties chain of stores

is one of the most popular fast food brands with a total of 50 stores across the island of Jamaica.

Juici Patties also has a manufacturing plant in Ontario, Canada. While there are no Juici Patties retail stores in Canada,

the brand is extremely popular and their products: Juici beef, chicken, vegetable and shrimp patties are available in some of Canada’s major supermarket chains and convenience stores.

Juici Patties current-

JMMB to own TT bank

Keith Duncan, JMMB Group CEO (Jamaica Observer photo)

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amaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) has been approved by the Trinidadian central bank to fully acquire Intercommercial Bank Ltd and Intercommercial Trust & Merchant Bank in the twin island republic.

The development brings the Kingston, Jamaica-based firm closer to becoming a fully integrated regional financial services company, Keith Duncan, JMMB Group CEO, said in a press release last Friday.

As an indigenous Caribbean financial services company, we are excited about this opportunity to further build out banking services in the TT market," Duncan said.

"JMMB and IBL share a commitment to genuine client care, flexibility

and responsiveness, and together we will build on that, to the benefit of our clients. The strength and commitment of the IBL team, coupled with JMMB Group's regional reach, expertise and focus on valuing each client, make a formidable partnership," he added.

In 2005, JMMB acquired a 50 per cent shareholding in the IBL Group as a means of broadening business line diversification in the region. The firm earlier this year stated its intent to the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) to increase its share ownership of the TT banks to 100 per cent, and the approval to proceed with the transaction was granted by the regulators last Tuesday, the company said.

IBL Managing Director and CEO, Krishna Boodhai, said the transaction will further position IBL as a strong financial entity within Trinidad and Tobago.

"I am confident of the possibilities and benefits that this will offer to all our clients, as both JMMB and IBL are committed to providing customised solutions to meet the financial goals of our clients, at every stage of their life or business phase," Boodhai said.

JMMB has operations in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago. Its lines of business span securities dealing, stock brokering, foreign exchange trading, insurance brokering, banking and remittances. It is listed on the Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica Stock Exchanges. (Jamaica Observer)

ly has distributors in the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Dominica and St Lucia. Camex Restaurants Inc is very proud to be opening the

very first Juici Patties store outside of Jamaica.

The company is even more thrilled to be opening not just the first, but six Juici Patties stores

countrywide with more stores planned in the very near future.

The six Juici Patties stores include the new location at Vreed-en-hoop, Camp Street, Hinck Street, Parika, Linden and Bartica. These locations all opened their doors to the public during this week.

An official opening ceremony for Juici Patties Guyana took place Wednesday at their brand new location at Lot 3 Plantation, Vreed-en-Hoop.

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Telford, McDonald among Guyana Prize for Literature winners

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From left: Guyana Prize for Literature Management Committee General Secretary Al Creighton; Guyana Prize for Literature jury chairman, Professor Jane Bryce; President Donald Ramotar; and University of Guyana Vice Chancellor Dr Jacob Opadeyi with the prize winners Ruel Johnson, Ian McDonald, Cassia Alphonso, Mosa Mathifa Telford, and Chaitram Singh (Guyana Times Photo)

he Guyana Prize for Literature award ceremony ended on a resounding note at the Pegasus Hotel on Sunday evening, with award-winning Guyanese authors Ruel Johnson and Ian McDonald, as well as Cassia Alphonso, Mosa Mathifa Telford and Chaitram Singh copping the top prizes in their respective categories.

Surrounded by distinguished men and women, including President Donald Ramotar, University of Guyana Vice Chancellor Dr Jacob Opadeyi and Guyana Prize for Literature Management Committee General Secretary Al Creighton, the chairperson of jury, Professor Jane Bryce, who has a

strong background in African Literature dating back to 1992, announced the winners.

Jury report

Professor Bryce said major emphasis was placed on quality as the panel of judges read the various entries in the areas of fiction, poetry and drama as she declared Johnson the winner for the Best Book of Fiction with his work ‘Ruel Johnson’s Collected Fiction’ over his competitor Chaitram Singh, with his piece ‘The February 23rd Coup’. “This collection of short fiction displays a variety of techniques and approaches, some of which were better than others...the collection treats familiar themes such as racial and political tensions, re-

lationships and displacement and the effects of emigration,” Professor Bryce said as she painted a picture of Johnson’s work.

Capitalising on interiority

The award-winning author was praised for capitalising on interiority, point of view and linguistic register.

According to Professor Bryce, ‘The Last Assassin’ is among leading stories that stand out in his collection.

Johnson first won the Guyana Prize for Literature for Best First Fiction in 2002. He was 22 at the time, the youngest person ever to win the prize.

Meanwhile, in the Best Book of Poetry category, newcomer

Alphonso’s ‘Black Cake Mix’ and McDonald’s ‘The Comfort of All Things’ shared the winning prize, leaving Sasenarine Persaud’s ‘Lantana Strangling Ixora’ out in the cold.

According to the lead judge, Alphonso’s poetic range included dramatic monologue, dialogue and first person narrative, simultaneously depicting a distinctive voice and vision.

McDonald’s work focuses on aging and mortality.

Best Drama

Mosa Mathifa Telford’s ‘Sauda’ emerged winner over Harold Bascom’s ‘Deportee’, in the Best Drama category.

Bascom’s ‘Deportee’, a screenplay for a crime

Shaw to formally launch JLP leadership campaign Sept 29

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udely Shaw Sunday night officially presented opening arguments in his bid to head the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), saying that the Opposition needed "strong and decisive leadership" that can effectively articulate a vision for the country.

Using the platform of a national broadcast, Shaw—one of the JLP's four deputy leaders—said he would, in another two weeks, formally launch his campaign to unseat JLP and Opposition Leader Andrew Holness at the party's annual conference scheduled for November.

"On the 29th of this month, there will be a formal launch of my campaign for leadership, at which time the details of the plans to rebuild our party will be presented, along with the policy framework and vision that will guide us into the next general elections when we form the next government," Shaw said.

He assured the coun-

Audely Shaw (Jamaica Observer photo)

try that his campaign would avoid negativity and personal attacks, focusing instead on "ideas, plans, programmes and vision", which, he suggested, were lacking in the current leadership of the party.

Shaw's announcement came at the end of three weeks of what he called "consultations" with Labour Party delegates, civil society and business groups across the island, triggered, he said, by consistent appeals from supporters for him to contest the leader-

ship.

Those appeals, he said, had their genesis in concerns for the way the JLP was being led.

"Throughout my consultations, persons have expressed numerous concerns about the state of our country and their alarm at the lack of assertiveness of the Jamaica Labour Party in keeping the present government accountable, and further, in our inability to present ourselves as a viable government-in-waiting," Shaw said in his broadcast Sunday night.

"The consultations also revealed that there is a serious lack of motivation and low morale among our party members and functionaries, which is symptomatic of the apathetic state of the wider society to our political affairs," he added.

In an apparent attempt to strengthen his argument that the opposition needed to be more forceful in its monitoring of the government, Shaw said that unemployment was unacceptably high

and was close to 40 per cent among young people, despite the fact that the bulk of the population is in the most productive years of their lives.

He pointed as well to the most recent crime data showing that an average of four persons were being murdered daily, and took the government to task for developments in the education and health-care sectors.

He said the constant message he received from the consultations was that the JLP needed to be rebuilt in order to effectively re-engage the Jamaican people and convince them to buy into the party's vision.

Shaw also used the broadcast to trumpet his achievements as finance minister in the JLP government that held office between 2007 and 2011, as well as his record of service in the Edward Seaga-led JLP Administration of the 1980s. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

thriller set in New York and Georgetown, involving deportation, narcotrafficking and corruption, did not capitalise on the opportunity to “mix up the genre”, said Professor Bryce.

“Rather than using film to say something new and interesting about Guyana, the script opt for the translation of Guyana, into an American crime drama framework,” the head judge said as she outlined its shortfalls.

On the other hand, Telford’s ‘Sauda’ tells the story of rejection, which forced a teenage girl into prostitution, after feeling neglected by her mother.

In the First Book of Fiction category, Singh received the winning prize.

His book, the ‘Flour Convoy’ reflected on political tensions that gripped Guyana in 1980s. Singh expressed gratitude to the jury of distinguished judges, the Guyana Prize for Literature Management Committee and the government of Guyana for their significant role in making the award ceremony for the 2013 Guyana Prize for Literature a major success.

The awardees were given the opportunity to read short excerpts of their work.

President Ramotar renewed the government’s commitment to the development of literature in the country.

(Excerpt from Guyana Times)

4,000 ex-Caroni workers still to get promised land in Trinidad

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n estimated 4,000 ex-Caroni workers have not received, either their agricultural or residential plots of lands, promised to them following the closure of Caroni Limited in 2003, All Trinidad General Workers Trade Union (ATGWTU) president general, Nirvan Maharaj, disclosed over the weekend.

Maharaj was responding to statements

by Lands and Marine Affairs Minister Jairam Seemungal, who, at a lease distribution ceremony last week, accused former Caroni workers of being their own hindrance to obtaining residential and agricultural plots. The lands were part of the Voluntary Separation of Employment Packages (VSEP) offered to former Caroni workers.

When he addressed 150 ex-Caroni workers at Naparima Bowl, San Fernando, Seemungal recalled during his time at the ministry of food production, advertise-

ments were placed requesting former workers to fill out application forms for the lands.

“Up to now we have not had all of these workers. There are quite a lot of them still outstanding and we are trying to locate them,” Seemungal had stated. However, Maharaj laid the blamed at the previous PNM administration and the People’s Partnership government, saying both had breached the 2007 Deyalsingh judgment, which ordered each exCaroni worker be allotted a two-acre agricultural plot and residential lot.

He said the union was prepared to provide Seemungal with a document outlining the “failure” of State agencies, such as Caroni (1975) Limited and EMBD, to provide infrastructure such as drainage, irrigation systems, crossings and ponds “to facilitate a smooth transition for ex-Caroni workers after the closure of the sugar industry”. (TT Newsday)

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Deal with Guyana's Marriott investor in closing stages – Brassington

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tlantic Hotel Inc (AHI) Chairman W i n s t o n Brassington has dismissed claims that a British Virgin Islands investor intends to buy the Marriott Hotel building for US$ 10 million. In a statement on Saturday, Brassington said the claims made in Guyana are absolutely untrue.

Brassington said he told the publication that the AHI is in the closing stages of a deal with a foreign investor and that the name of this investor will be announced when there is financial closure.

Public disclosures

He said, in general, private investors are usually reluctant to make premature public disclosures about their business, and in this case, there is greater apprehension to do so, given the hostile and

at the appropriate time,” Brassington explained.

Priority

AHI Chairman Winston Brassington

unwelcoming political environment created by the opposition parties.

“Nevertheless, the private investor is aware, and acknowledges, that given its intended relationship with the government of Guyana, it will be required to make a public announcement, which it is prepared to do

Construction of the Marriott Hotel and Entertainment Complex remains a priority for the government of Guyana.

While construction of the outer shell of the building is complete, design works on the interior continue, requiring great care and review in order to ensure that all aspects of design and construction achieve the Marriott Hotel standards for functionality and operations, Brassington said.

According to the publication's article, leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan said government was approached by a British Virgin Islands incorporated investor to buy the building as is for US$ 10 million, as it is “finding it difficult to at-

tract the investors and syndicated loans” to complete the hotel.

“This is not true and an inaccurate reflection of where the project stands to date.

"However, it has become a norm and acceptable for politicians and journalists to ignore the truth or facts in order to create doubt and mistrust in public officers, projects and general progress,” Brassington said in dismissing Ramjattans claims.

The US$51 million edifice will have 197 rooms. It will boast a large ballroom, conference centre, a casino, entertainment complex, restaurant, concrete walkway, swimming pool, sport facilities, and all other amenities of a world-class hotel.

The night club and casino are on the west-

An artist’s impression of the Marriott Hotel (Guyana)

ern end of the hotel, while the ballroom is on the eastern end.

There are about 60

rooms on each floor, with the presidential suite on the 10th and final floor.

LIAT CEO calls it quits

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IAT Chief Executive Officer Ian Brunton has handed in his resignation from the embattled and cash strapped airline, after what in his own words was a “disastrous summer” for the Antigua based carrier.

Antiguan media reported that prime minister of shareholder St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves confirmed the news.

“I have been advised that he has given notice because under the contract I think he has to give three months notice,” Gonsalves said.

“I haven’t spoken to Ian…I like to see Caribbean professionals stick to things (but) at the same time none of us is indispensable.”

Antigua media reported that the resignation was delivered last week and the LIAT Board of Directors is to meet during this week to make a decision on whether to accept it or not.

Gonsalves commended Brunton for making a good contribution to LIAT and said it would be hard to find a replacement if the resignation is accepted.

“If for whatever reason he wants to go we will get someone else…it’s not always easy to get somebody to fill those kinds of positions because a lot of people talk but it’s a very critical job.”

“We will see how that goes, I haven’t spoken to the (LIAT) Chairman Jean Holder either

who is outside the Caribbean, but I have been advised that he has given notice.”

The St Vincent and the Grenadines prime minister refused to say whether, as the head of a shareholder government, he will accept the board’s decision on Brunton’s resignation.

LIAT’s three main shareholder governments are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Brunton, a former chief executive of Trinidad and Tobago state owned Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) was appointed CEO of the Antiguabased Leeward Island Air Transport (LIAT) on August 1, 2012.

His appointment came during a period of massive sustained losses for the airlinea combined amount of almost EC$80 million in losses from 2010–and a deficit of around EC$344 million by the end of 2012.

Brunton has been leading a US$100 million re-fleeting process from ageing Dash-8 aircraft to ATR’s, which is designed to help move the airline back into profit by lowering maintenance and fuel costs.

The captain is reportedly highly regarded as the best man for the job and was the stand out candidate when he took over in August 2012.

The CEO has over 50 years’ experience as a pilot, starting his career in the Royal Air

LIAT Board of Directors is due to meet during this week to make a decision on whether or not to accept the resignation of LIAT Chief Executive Officer Ian Brunton. (Antigua Observer photo)

Force flying military jets, before moving to commercial airplanes at the former BWIA. (Antigua Observer)

San Juan man sentenced to death for 2001 triple murders in Trinidad

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he death sentence was read out three times in a Trinidad Court last Friday to Daniel Agard, 29, who was convicted of the 2001 murders of agricultural consultant John Cropper, 59, his mother-in-law Maggie Lee, 68, and sister-inlaw Lynette LithgowPearson, 57.

Agard stood in silence in the First Criminal Court at the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain with his arms crossed before him, as Justice Prakash Moosai read out aloud the court’s sentence, after Agard was found guilty of the murders, by a 12 member

jury which took 183 minutes to deliberate on a verdict.

There was an audible collective sigh of relief from Cropper’s relatives and friends who were in court when Justice Moosai said on three occasions: “Daniel Agard... the sentence of this court upon you is that you are to be taken from this place, to a lawful prison, and therein to a place of execution. And there you will suffer death by hanging. And may the Lord have mercy on your soul.”

The State was represented by a team of attorneys, led by prosecutor Marissa Joseph.

Daniel Agard (TT Newsday photo)

Acting Inspector Michael Veronique was the complainant in the matter.

Agard of Upper Bushe Street, Maitagual in San Juan, was charged with the triple murders, which took place at Cropper’s Mt Anne Drive, Second Avenue Cascade, home sometime between December 11 and 12, 2001. The bodies of the three were only found at the home on December 13. All three had been bound and gagged and their throats slit.

This was the second time Agard went on trial for the triple murder.

On July 14, 2004, Agard

was sentenced to death alongside Lester Pitman by then Justice Herbert Volney, for the murders of Cropper and his relatives.

However, the two men appealed the decision and the Court of Appeal dismissed Pitman’s appeal on April 15, 2005, but ordered a retrial for Agard.

Pitman was eventually granted leave in July 2006 to appeal to the Privy Council after the Law Lords received a report that he was not mentally competent to make or sign a confession, which he allegedly gave to the police. (TT Newsday)

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PPP/C leads opposition ‘Who's Who in Jamaica Business' magazine launched in latest NACTA poll

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Guyana's Housing Minister Irfaan Ali

Guyana's Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Guyana's Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy

n opinion survey conducted in early August by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) found that the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) leads the opposition in voter support in the event early elections are called to resolve the parliamentary impasse brought about by the November 2011 general elections.

However, the combined opposition enjoys a one-seat majority.

Voters are divided on whether a snap election should be called now, with a majority of voters saying they do not think any party will win a majority of seats in another election.

The poll also found that Education Minister Priya Manickchand; Housing Minister Irfaan Ali; Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy; Attorney General Anil Nandlall; Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh; Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud; Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran; Culture, Youth and Sport

Minister Dr Frank Anthony and Labour Minister Dr Nanda K Gopaul are rated among the top performing ministers of the government.

These and other findings were obtained in the poll that queried voters for their views on a number of policy programmes.

The poll randomly interviewed 520 voters to yield a demographically representative sample (44 per cent Indian, 30 per cent African, 16 per cent mixed, nine per cent Amerindian, and one per cent other races) of the population.

The poll was conducted in face-to-face interviews and was coordinated by Vishnu Bisram, pollster, newspaper columnist, and educator based in New York.

The results of the poll were analysed at a 95 per cent significance level and a statistical sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points was found.

Sampling results based on sub-groups (such as Indians or Africans) have a larger sampling error of about five per cent.

Asked who they feel

is the “best minister”, Manickchand leads with 17 per cent, closely followed by Ali (16 per cent); Dr Ramsammy (11 per cent); Nandlall (10 per cent); Dr Anthony (nine per cent); Ramsaran (eight per cent); Dr Singh (seven per cent); Persaud (seven per cent) and Dr Gopaul five per cent.

Asked if they think the government should call a snap election to resolve the parliamentary impasse that prevents the ruling party from carrying out its planned programmes, 43 per cent said yes, 40 per cent said no, and 17 per cent said they are not sure. Many voters said the parties should try to work together for the benefit and betterment of the nation, expressing a view that they do not think any party will win a majority at the next election.

Asked which party they would vote for if a snap election is called, 46 per cent said PPP/C, 37 per cent said the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and seven per cent said the Alliance For Change (AFC), with 10 per cent undecided.

A

Iranian television channel to open office in Cuba

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ran’s television channel Hispantv, the first Spanish information and entertainment channel in the Middle East, will soon open an office in Cuba, Omar Olazabal, vicepresident of the Cuban Radio and Television Institute, announced last week in Havana.

During the signing of an agreement that will strengthen cooperation between Iran and the Caribbean island in radio and television, Olazabal said that the project has been given a green light and that the correspondent office will operate with Cuban staff.

The agreement

Omar Olazabal

was signed during the Cuba 2013 Radio and Television Festival at Havana’s Convention Center, which ended last Friday. It will serve to renew exchanges between the two nations in that sphere.

“We can offer consul-

tancy, which will include aspects of dubbing and techniques,” explained the Cuban executive.

Iran’s ambassador to Havana, Ali Chegeni, insisted on the need to face the hegemony of information transmitting companies, by way of constant work in favour of truth and joint work between nations.

Hispantv, based on Teheran, began to broadcast on December 2011, with the purpose of strengthening cultural bonds with Spanish speaking countries, and includes a variety of programs, along with slots on political, social and economic issues.

(Caribbean News)

ho's Who in Jamaica Business 2013-2014’, was launched last Wednesday at the JAMPRO office, Trafalgar Road. An impressive group from the Jamaican business sector was present for the occasion.

The 122-page magazine is a new annual business-to-business publication aimed at increasing connectivity in Jamaica, and showcasing the leading organisations and their leadership teams to the local, regional, and international corporate and investment communities.

Guest speaker and Industry and Investment Minister Anthony Hylton, during his presentation, said the publication is timely, noting that it will prove to be an excellent and important resource for business leaders, as well as actual and potential investorslocal, regional and global.

Diane Edwards, newly appointed JAMPRO boss, acknowledged the continuing emergence of the world economy from the global economic crisis. She noted that Jamaica's own emergence would require government in partnership with the private sector to resort to 'out-of-the-box' thinking to formulate creative growth and development strategies.

JAMPRO officials at the launch of ‘Who's Who in Jamaica Business 2013-2014’ (Jamaica Gleaner photo)

"I congratulate Cousins Publishing and the participating companies for sharing a vision of delivering a highquality publication to promote Jamaican business and support foreign direct investment," Edwards said.

Paul Lewis, co-publisher of ‘Who's Who in Jamaica Business’, echoed similar sentiments, noting that the expectations are for Jamaican businesses to use it as an integral tool in making business connections locally, regionally and internationally in order to unleash Jamaica's growth potential and introduce a means of forging meaningful business ties.

"The publication is meant to be disruptive and to encourage competition. Nearly 100 of Jamaica's top companies and organisations - large and small; old and new

- are included. Newer companies, new brands, innovative services, growing businesses, newly merged businesses, institutions of higher education and publicsector organisations are all present," Lewis said.

The magazine will not be available on newsstands. It is currently being distributed across the business community.

It will also be featured in foreign embassies and high commissions in Jamaica, across the world, throughout diaspora associations worldwide, conferences, conventions, trade shows, airport first-class lounges, and locations locally, regionally, and internationally.

A state of the art website-whoswhojamaica. com-is currently in the final phase of development and will be launched in the coming weeks.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

New grading system to be introduced at UWI U ndergraduate students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) will be introduced to a new grade point average (GPA) scheme in the next school year.

Under the new system, the pass mark will be adjusted upwards from 40 per cent to 50 per cent. This means that a 'D' will no longer be accepted as a pass.

The university says all grading bands will also be shifted, with Ato A+ now ranging from 75 to 100 per cent.

Professor Alan Cobley, pro-vice chancellor and chair of the Board for Undergraduate Studies, said the new grading scheme will alter the way students' grades are presented.

However, he said it will not affect the qual-

Professor Alan Cobley, pro-vice chancellor and chair of the Board for Undergraduate Studies

ity of the degree earned.

"The new scheme will change the way in which the performance of students is represented on their transcripts. However, it will not change the standard of the UWI degree," Cobley said.

UWI, in a release posted on its website, said the new changes will be implemented across its campuses and will bring the institution's grading scheme in line with international standards to ensure greater levels of transparency.

The university said it will also be introducing 'grade descriptors', which will be used to explain the skills and knowledge students acquired in each course.

"This method of assessment will guide percentage scores in an approach that is more transparent and objective, while giving a clearer picture of the level of competencies achieved by each student," a release from the university stated.

(Jamaica Gleaner)

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week ending September 19, 2013 | www.caribbeantimesinternational.com

New Canadian envoy takes up post in Guyana

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resident Donald Ramotar last week received the letters of credence from the newly appointed Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr Nicole Giles, as both countries expressed optimism on the completion of the Canadian/Caribbean Community (Caricom) Trade and Development Agreement.

The presentation was done in the presence of Guyana's Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkette and other officials from both countries.

Speaking at the simple handing over ceremony, Ramotar noted that over the years, both countries have shared re-

lations at the bilateral, hemispheric and international levels to the benefit of its people.

Thus, the president said Guyana looks forward to the successful completion of the Canadian/Caricom Trade and Development Agreement, noting that Guyana sees great opportunities in it.

“This will serve as a sound basis to support the initiatives of our respective private sectors in their quest to expand business opportunities.”

He stated that government remains appreciative of Canada’s commitment to ongoing partnerships between the two countries and for the contributions Guyana

President Donald Ramotar welcomes newly-appointed Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr Nicole Giles

has received from Canada over the years to bolster its development.

“We look forward to continue programme of cooperation and to ex-

pand new areas that will seek to enhance relations,” the president indicated.

He also pledged his government’s support for

the new commission.

Meanwhile, Dr Giles stated that her goal is to expand and deepen political, economic, trade and security development cooperations with Guyana.

She was optimistic that the two countries can work together to address regional security challenges.

Dr Giles added that the Canada/Caricom Trade and Development Agreement, which Canada is pursuing, has great benefits for both countries. The diplomat posited that the commercial relationship shared by the two countries has the potential to improve their prosperity.

She noted that Canada’s obligation to

Guyana is evident in the number of Canadian companies operating in the country numerous Guyanese.

“Canada is committed to promoting good quality social responsible practices…our Canadian companies will continue to take a leadership role in encouraging transparency in the extractive sector by requiring enhanced reporting requirements of Canadian companies operating abroad.”

She stated the two countries have enjoyed bilateral relations since 1966, when Guyana gained independence.

Canada’s previous high commissioner to Guyana was David Devine.(Guyana Times)

Trinidadian MP files motion in Parliament for gov’t to fire Canadian firm

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iego Martin West MP Colm Imbert has filed a motion in Parliament calling on the Trinidadian government to terminate all existing contracts with Canadian firm SNCLavalin. His call came five months after the company and 100 of its affiliates were banned from bidding on contracts funded by the World Bank, TT media reported over the weekend.

Imbert’s motion was scheduled for last Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives but, was postponed as debate continues into the 2013-2014 fiscal budget.

In his motion, quoted from Order Papers in the parliamentary Web site, Imbert said the Urban Development Corporation

of TT (Udecott) on the recommendation of the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), signed a contract in February 2013 with SNCLavalin to design a hospital in Penal. “The CCC has also confirmed that the design contract for this hospital project was awarded by Udecott to SNC-Lavalin, on the recommendation of CCC, on a sole selective basis without any competitive tendering,” Imbert said.

He noted that construction of the hospital will cost taxpayers TT$1 billion. Saying “SNCLavalin is presently embroiled in allegations and findings of irregular payments to public officials, misconduct, corruption and bribery in projects in

Diego Martin West MP Colm Imbert wants the TT government to terminate all existing contracts with Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin (TT Newsday file photos)

a number of developing countries,” Imbert called on the TT government to terminate all existing contracts. “Government should also cease and desist from entering into any future contractual

TT’s Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal said the government will deal with Imbert’s motion when it arises in Parliament

relationships with SNCLavalin or any of its affiliates,” he added.

He also recommended that “procurement process for the project as well as future projects should be subject to open and transparent competitive

tendering.”

In a subsequent interview, Imbert also questioned why the due diligence review on SNCLavalin was taking so long.

Meanwhile, TT’s Housing Minister Roodal Moonilal said the government will deal with the motion when it arises.

“Quite a lot has already been said about the SNCLavalin issue, but we are prepared to deal with this motion in great detail when it is brought to Parliament.”

The minister, who is in charge of Udecott, said a due diligence review on the company was still ongoing. The report was initially expected to be completed at the end of August, but Moonilal said

the CCC had requested a further two weeks to complete its review.

He admitted that the government had grave concerns about SNCLavalin’s track record and current status. However, he said once the due diligence review is completed, the government will make a decision on SNCLavalin.

He said too he CCC was assessing SNC’s financial, managerial and technical abilities as well as its Corporate Social Responsibility capabilities to determine whether it is eligible for the contract.

The due diligence review was expected to be completed by this week. (Excerpt from TT Guardian)

Accidents push JUTC's legal claims closer to Ja$1 billion mark

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he Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) finds itself hopping, skipping and jumping on legal fire coals, as its bill for accident claims keeps climbing.

The 22-year-old company, which operates a public transportation system in the Corporate Area, is moving fast to reduce costs arising from legal claims and legal fees, and although it has chopped the number of accidents involving its buses, company officials are still cagey about the overall cost associated with road errors.

"If there is any part of the JUTC that is a nightmare, it is the claims that result from accidents, minor and major," the company's Managing Director Colin Campbell, told Jamaican media last week.

"Right now our claim obligations and legal fees are somewhere in the region of Ja$800 million,

which is huge. That represents outstanding obligations and it grows significantly over every quarter of every year," Campbell added.

Two of the several accidents that have involved JUTC buses, account for more than half the amount, Campbell said, while revealing that the growing legal costs have left the company's managers desperately searching for solutions.

"We had two major accidents in the past—one at Faith's Pen (St Ann) and one at Hellshire (St Catherine), and those two alone account for about a half-a-billion dollars in claims," stated Campbell, a former Cabinet minister in a previous People's National Party administration.

In the October, 2010 Faith's Pen accident, the JUTC bus carrying a church group to a retreat plunged over a prec-

ipice, killing 16-year-old Bridgeport High School student Jodian Henry on the spot.

Another 40 people were injured, 10 of whom spent several days in the St Ann's Bay Hospital before they recovered.

Jeremy Stewart, whom the JUTC said was not authorised to drive the bus, initially fled the scene, but later gave himself up to the Spanish Town police and was charged with vehicular manslaughter.

Stewart also broke his leg in the accident.

Accident victims later filed suit against the JUTC. The Hellshire crash in April last year occurred on that community's main road near the JUTC's Portmore bus depot.

A father and son, Emanuel Wallis, 50, and Christopher Wallis, 19, both of Clarendon, died on the spot when their Suzuki Baleno motor car collided

with the JUTC bus, which fell on top of the smaller vehicle, crushing the two.

"We are dealing with claims now that go as far back as 2007. Some which

have gone to court, some which have been settled through mediation, some which have been settled just through attorney negotiations, some which we

have accepted," Campbell said.

"It is definitely something that we have to clean up," he added. (Jamaica Observer)

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www.caribbeantimesinternational.com | week ending September 19, 2013

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he Canal Number Two Nursery School in Guyana continues to receive overwhelming support for its literacy programme.

The school’s Principal Wandanee Harris told Guyanese media recently that the programme attracted the attention of fathers, who recently joined the school in promoting better reading skills.

Harris said the programme, which was executed during the month of August, saw proud fathers visiting the school where they listened to their children read.

This, she said is a great example of what parents should do; get more involved in their children’s education.

Interest

The kindergarten principal said while mothers would show interest in these activities, it was

Canal Number Two Nursery School Principal Wandanee Harris (left) with her pupils and their fathers, who participated in the school’s literacy programme

surprising to see that fathers too are now coming out. “Maximum tolerance for parents’ involvement in their children’s education at the school level is a sure indicator for school success”, she added.

From the headteacher’s perspective, the inclusion of the 10 Ralph

readers into the literacy programme has positively impacted the curriculum and has truly catapulted reading to a new level.

Young readers

Although only 75 per cent of the young readers were able to move on to the elevated reading,

they learnt easily without any emotional strain.

Harris said it was interesting to note that the strategy used to involve the fathers was a very simple, but effective one.

Each father was required to just listen to his child read from the graded Ralph readers.

Harris said the exercise was quite intriguing, as children were so elated to talk about their father’s involvement.

One father, Jerry Paul, a taxi driver, ensured he got home before his son reclined to bed, just to be read to by his son.

The conclusion of the literacy initiative revealed that children whose fathers were involved in the project performed satisfactorily in school.

Harris said it was remarkable to see young readers can now display a love of reading.

The headteacher said Ian McDonald’s quote, “A

child who develops a love of reading wins a prize that would last and last until the end of time”, is fitting and should be used as a motivation for other educators, who want to make an impact on the community they work in and the children they teach.

“As educators, especially at the foundational level, let us resolve to give each child the gift of literacy”, she said.

Harris said the future of learners lie in the hands of teachers and, therefore, the gift of literacy to every child that enters a classroom must be nurtured and developed.

(Guyana Times)

Trinidadian tops the world in ACCA paper

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wenty-four-yearold Alayna Cloake is well on her way to achieving her dreams and making a positive difference.

Cloake scored the highest mark worldwide (93 per cent) in the ACCA June 2013 exams in Paper P3 (Business Analysis).

On receiving the news of Alayna’s success, Brenda Lee Tang, Head of ACCA Caribbean commented, “We are so very proud of Alayna’s performance.

“Her remarkable achievement is certainly a source of great inspiration for not only accounting students, but for all students to follow their dreams and pursue excellence.

“This is the second global prize received by a Trinidadian. The last, Candel Cuffie, placed first in the world in Paper P4 in the December 2011 exams.

“Our students are performing well, and we expect that there will be more global prize winners in the near future.”

But Cloake’s fortitude has characterised her as

different from many. She revealed, “I am studying the ACCA programme on my own at home, because I experienced the challenges of travelling to classes.”

She continued, “I have a rare health condition called GlutenSensitivity- Other Food Intolerant, which makes it difficult for me to eat various types of foodstuff.”

Cloake’s strength and determination is rooted in her firm spiritual belief–and this, she would like to share with everyone.

Despite her challenges, she proudly states, “I have never failed an exam since I started the ACCA programme in 2009.”

Her main goal is to establish her own business, which would allow her to use her accounting skills and expertise.

She would also like to become a nutritionist to help others. Cloake is currently employed with the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) as an Accountant I. (Excerpt from TT Newsday)

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week ending September 19, 2013 | www.caribbeantimesinternational.com

More Canadian support for cancer treatment in the Caribbean - Scotiabank pledges Cdn$1 million to ongoing efforts

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very year, anywhere between ten and 12 children are diagnosed with cancer or blood disorders in Barbados.

Ranging from 18 months to 18 years old, these young patients face rounds of gruelling treatment to fight their way back to health. For those affected with blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia, it can be a painful, lifelong battle.

However, an additional ally has joined the battle against paediatric cancers and blood disorders, as Scotiabank has pledged Cdn$1 million (Bds$1.87 million) in support for the CaribbeanSick Kids Paediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Project.

The pledge came through Scotiabank’s global philanthropic programme, Bright Future. The bank’s vice chairman Sabi Marwah explained that it was part of their long-standing connection to the Caribbean.

The funds will support the project’s telemedicine programme, which will directly connect Barbadian and other Caribbean doctors with leading paediatric cancer and blood disorder experts at Canada’s world-renowned Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

Chief among these experts are the two Caribbean-Canadian leaders of the project, Barbadian-born Dr Victor Blanchette, who is SickKids’ clinical investigator in the Department of

Paediatrics, and Jamaican-born Dr Upton Allen, who heads the hospital’s infectious diseases unit.

Working with local hospital partners in the Caribbean, the project includes a five-year plan to address the region’s gaps in research, care and education in order to advance the diagnosis and management of paediatric cancer and blood disorders.

our own–with help. So that’s why the project has come about,” she said.

There is still work to be done in improving the survival outcomes for children with cancer and serious blood disorders in the Caribbean. In Barbados, survival outcome rates range between 65 and 70 per cent on average while the figures are lower in other islands.

Ted Garrard, CEO of the SickKids Foundation, pointed out: “When we began a process of assessing what was the current state of cancer care in the Caribbean, we found out that the survival rate for children in the Caribbean is about 50 per cent, whereas in Canada it is between 80 to 90 per cent.”

This is due to a combination of factors. Dr Alexis noted the dearth of doctors trained in childhood cancers, which she admitted could be an emotionally “gruelling” specialization at times. In fact, she is one of just four paediatric cancer specialists in the region, with others in The Bahamas, Trinidad and most recently Jamaica.

Barbadian-based paediatric oncologist Dr Cheryl Alexis, who is the local champion for the project, stressed that it was focused on ensuring that hospitals in the Caribbean are better able to treat childhood cancers at home.

“It’s not about us sending patients abroad. We want to be able to stand on

Other hindrances include limited technological resources, which can make it difficult to diagnose effectively and early, few nurses and pharmacists able to provide specialized front-line health care, and limited data on the effectiveness of treatments and epidemiology of paediatric cancer.

Dr Cheryl Alexis, the local champion for the Caribbean Sick Kids Paediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Project (left), briefs Scotiabank’s director of business support Claire Jordan on the progress of the project.

Treatment at home

Limited resources

Kanigia, a lymphoma survivor, and her father Curtley, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados. (Picture compliments of the SickKids Foundation.)

With Scotiabank’s support, the SickKids project will remedy some of these limitations through telemedicine and using physician envoys and the SickKids International Learner Programme to provide customized, hands-on training to locals.

Medical professionals will also go to SickKids on a regular basis for hands-on training at the Garron Family Cancer Centre at SickKids. Dr Alexis disclosed that this has already started, with two doctors travelling up to Toronto in the chill of winter in January for a week of training in flow cytometry, which she noted is “the way to diagnose now”. (Excerpt from Nation News)

A second chance for high school dropouts in Jamaica

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long-term programme to help high school dropouts and slow learners find their true potential is being implemented in St Ann, Jamaica.

Suzette Douglas, principal and administrator of the Institute for Transformation and Change (INTAC), says 40 boys, who will live in hostels at the institution in St Ann's Bay, will be mentored and will receive skills training.

One of our major visions for the school year 2013/2014 is to mentor 40 boys who will be housed at a hostel on property and will be trained in construction skills of every kind, which will be certified

by HEART Trust/NTA," Douglas told Jamaican media recently.

"We would appreciate, also, placements from the ministry of education of students at all levels who struggle with behavioural issues and literacy," Douglas stated.

She explained that INTAC is a "corrective institution" registered with the ministry of education and is geared towards facilitating adolescents who are deemed to be "deviants" by society and who are "dropouts" from public high schools.

Reaching out

"We also offer coun-

selling to students who are on suspension and send back a report to their school," she explained.

"Instead of them going home for a few days away from school, INTAC will accommodate them during this time at their regular school hours," she added.

Douglas said although schools have been informed about INTAC, only one high school has utilised the service, which has seen students with behavioural problems being reintegrated into the school with much better discipline.

"This institution caters to the whole man in seeking to correct behaviours and academic performances. INTAC is operated solely by individuals who have children's interest at heart and have a passion to transform lives into world changers and kingdom builders," she noted.

Guidance counselling, health and family life education, mentorship and behaviour modification exercises are extended to students in the areas of their delinquency, she related.

The institution also has an evening division, which accommodates all ages, but provides particular attention to adult remedial education, as well as evening classes

Students in a class at the Institute of Transformation and Change in St Ann’s Bay (Jamaica Observer photo)

for CSEC, City & Guilds, Allied Nursing and Prevocational training.

Successful programme

"INTAC has been in operation since September 2010, and since then we have made many progressive strides. We currently use a computer program/software that is called AutoSkill Suite.

This is facilitated by the ministry of health and the Violence Prevention Alliance, which assists us greatly with our remedial training (literacy and numeracy) and has to date yielded great results," Douglas said.

She reported that INTAC employs a unique approach to teaching reading, and boasts 100 per cent success for all students who complete this course of study, achievable up to approximately six months.

"Through our pre-

vocational training, we have past students who are now purusing skills training at HEART Trust/ NTA up to Level Two," Douglas noted.

The institution works closely with the St Ann 4-H Club and the Western Region Island Special Constabulary Force.

"We have, to date, conducted parenting workshops and have made our presence felt

in the PTA meetings of the public schools in this region, informing them of corrective alternatives and the opportunities that are available at INTAC," Douglas further indicated.

While the institution continues to make a positive impact, Douglas explained that the continued support of corporate Jamaica is being sought to ensure further success. (Jamaica Observer)

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By Elfrieda Bissember

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oth Guyanese George Simon and his brother Oswald Hussein, born in the Lokono (Arawak) village of Pakuri (St. Cuthbert’s Mission) on the Mahaica river, live with a continuing commitment to their Amerindian heritage and communities.

Simon, trained in printmaking in London and a leading Guyanese painter since the late 1980’s, began workshops at this time in Pakuri to encourage and stimulate creative activity in the plastic arts among all those who were interested in these possibilities.

His brother Oswald emerged as a significant talent during this period, winning two awards: the First Prize for Sculpture from the major national art competition, the National Visual Arts Exhibition

(NVAE), in 1989 and 1993; Simon himself had won the Judges’ Prize for Painting at the NVAE in 1986.

Additionally, with another promising Pakuri artist, Linus Clenkian, Simon and Hussein showed work at the National Gallery in 1995 in a landmark exhibition, ‘Contemporary Amerindian Art’, marking the World Decade of Indigenous Peoples.

‘Artists of the environment’

What has been significant in this group, is their identification with the elements and features of their hinterland environment over the last twenty years.

A vibrant group show at the Venezuelan Cultural Centre in 1998, Six Lokono Artists, heralded them as ‘Artists for the Environment’; and their inventive and fascinating forms, so often a mixture of challenging fantasy yet

"Tree Root grounded in and #2" (2013) by springing from George Simon the life and habits of forest fauna, and decorated with elements of its flora, have made the convincing case for their authority to express the growing concerns of the wider Guyanese community, and to symbolize the precious natural heritage of the land and its resources celebrated in their work.

Another constant factor has been the commitment to working with young, potential artists in their own and other Amerindian communities, as well as, through Simon, organizing group projects such as the design and painting of murals

students could participate in a useful exercise in skills training.

Developing talent

Simon Hussein’s

"Shaman" (2013)

by Victor Captain

"Owl" (1999) by Oswald Hussein

Exhibiting artists (from right) are George Simon, Oswald Hussein and Victor Captain

T

he Mighty Sparrow has proved himself as the quintessential calypsonian, par excellence, with more than 70 albums to his credit. He is richly endowed with many gifts He possesses an amazing ability not only to put into works and tempo the exploits of society, but to crown it all with showmanship and appeal. His great contribution to the art form has unraveled the mysteries of Caribbean life, leaving the professionally trained sociologist and economist befuddled.

‘Calypso King of the World’

A combination of talent, hard work and opportunity enabled Sparrow's ascendancy to Calypso King of the World.

He brought honor, glory and dignity to an indigenous art form that was once scorned upon by the elite of Caribbean society. He is one extraordi-

nary entertainer who utilises the medium he masters not just to entertain, but also to edify, enlighten, and educate.

Trinidadian broadcaster and advertising specialist, Gerald Agostini, noted that Sparrow’s “music we all grew up with, and even as it is played years later to a new generation it still remains fresh. The work of a true maestro.....a class act!”

“Slinger Francisco is to calypso what Robert Nesta Marley is to reggae. The catalog of his work covers every form of human endeavour, and aptly describes every aspect of the human experience. Now that the term 'icon' has been reduced to the pedestrian, as has the term 'community leader,' the only befitting sobriquet would be 'Cultural Colossus,” said Robert Mayers, financial consultant in Trinidad.

According to Dr Hollis

and cur-

a Burrowes School of Art and University of Guyana graduate and a protégé of Simon's, who taught at Captain's school in 2005- 6.

Nature in fact forms

(the newly built Guyana National Stadium in 2007, the Umana Yana in 2008, and the School of Education and Humanities building at the University of Guyana in 2010), where

rent coexhibitor, Victor Captain, is such an example. A promising painter, he met Simon, a 1994 London University graduate in archaeology, at the Bina Hill Institute at Annai, North Rupununi in 2009, by which time, however, Captain had had a secure interest in art, through participation at the age of ten at a Wild Life Festival organized by the Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve, and later through the teaching of young Makushi artist Anil Roberts,

The Mighty Sparrow (TT Guardian photos)

Liverpool aka ‘Chalkdust,’ “There is no calypsonian alive today on whom Sparrow has not impacted. Most calypsonians when composing think of Sparrow in terms of lyrical measurement, melody, phrasing and delivery. Sparrow, therefore, is the ideal and ul-

timate standard for calypso composition and performance.”

He noted that “Sparrow is an icon that, through much of his life, represented the boldness that youth could and should be. In that regard he is a model to our nation, as

the base for these artists’ inspiration, but also we are to be reminded, of their inherited lore of stories, myths, legends and spiritual beliefs, which in their details are bound up with and illustrated by the myriad elements and qualities of these manifestations of nature.

The artists are currently staging an exhibition in Guyana titled ‘Silent Witness,’ which continues until October 12, 2013, at Castellani House, Georgetown.

(Excerpt from Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

far too many of our youth are switched off too early and live to simply satisfy the status quo and not get involved in shaping their own future.”

Historian Dr Kim Johnson pointed out that “Sparrow came to the fore in 1956, the year that Eric Williams first came to power. It was a symbolic year, because it was the year urban Black Trinidad got ready to take this country to Independence. Sparrow was their cultural arm and everybody—Black, White or Indian—loved Sparrow.”

He noted that “anyone who heard any of Sparrow's great hits, remembered them for the rest of their lives. If I sing, 'always in custody, mih friends and mih family...’, you know what comes next. He is to us like the Beatles for the England and Marley for Jamaica.” (Excerpt from TT Guardian)

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week ending September 19, 2013 | www.caribbeantimesinternational.com

Spotlight on Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy

CaribbeanTales is a group of companies that produces, markets and exhibits Caribbean-themed films for regional and international distribution

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EO of the CaribbeanTales Group of Media Companies, FrancesAnne Solomon, recently announced the official launch of its new video-on-demand brand CaribbeanTales-TV, an online project specializing in Caribbean film and television content.

CT-TV is partfunded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and aims to target youth and educational institutions in the GTA, as well as regional and

Frances-Anne Solomon

global audiences for Caribbean film. The online platform has developed from a year-long collaboration between Solomon and German filmmaker and entrepreneur Cay Wesnigk, CEO of Onlinefilm.org, a press release from the company stated.

“In our present time where youth are commanding and learning from Internet and new media, this is a great way for them to have technological access to Heritage stories,” Solomon stated.

“The Internet is not only the way of the future and indeed the present, it offers Caribbean content creators instant access to Diaspora audiences worldwide. These global Caribbean citizens are passionate and committed followers of

Caribbean culture in all its incarnations, and now also to Caribbean film.”

Solomon continued, “The establishment of these two dedicated outlets confirms the strength of our emerging industry, the viability of its content and its potential in the global market.”

The collaboration has resulted in the development of two distinct online platforms. The first, CaribbeanTalesTV.com, part of the CaribbeanTales Group went live on September 12th and aims to include a Netflix-style subscription component from December 2013.

CT-TV’s inventory draws on 300 titles from the CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution catalogue including new and past work by established and emerging filmmakers including many successful titles, according to the company.

The second, caribbean.onlinefilm.org, part of the Onlinefilm. org network is a usercontrolled, self-distribution platform for content makers to sell work directly to their fans. It offers Caribbean filmmakers the opportunity to introduce their work to European audiences on a pay per view model.

Digital Distribution and Marketing consultant Hessam Ghorbanian of ParastooFilm said, “The subscription model coupled with a strong marketing plan will make CaribbeanTalesTV a very high viewership online channel and the best solution to offer Caribbean films to its niche audiences worldwide.”

CaribbeanTales is a group of companies that produces, markets and exhibits Caribbeanthemed films for regional and international distribution.

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uyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) is one of the biggest steps taken in Guyana to address climate change and promote national development.

Developed countries have historically pursued a development pathway that involved energyintensive industrialisation with heavy reliance on fossil fuels, and conversion of forests and other ecosystems to make way for agriculture, industry and human settlements.

These activities injected high levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere and contributed greatly to climate change.

Within recent years, many countries around the world have begun to recognise the important role of low carbon development as a means by which they can reduce dependence on fossil fuels and manage forests and other ecosystems sustainably, while still pursuing economic growth and development.

Guyana is one such country and has placed great emphasis on balancing economic development and environmental protection.

Guyana is highly endowed with vast forests resources which cover approximately 85 per cent of the country or approximately 18 million hectares. The country has maintained a low deforestation rate over the years attributed to the sustainable nature of forestry operations.

By opting to maintain its low rates of deforestation, Guyana has provided a great service to the world by helping to reduce the high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the atmosphere– thereby reducing the threat of climate change.

Tropical deforestation contributes to approximately 17 per cent of global GHG emissions and addressing this issue has now become one of the global priorities to combat climate change.

The government of Guyana has been exploring avenues by which it can maintain its forests to help in the global fight against climate change while at the same time receive financial resources for doing so.

A study was subsequently conducted that estimated the

Economic Value to the Nation (EVN) of Guyana’s forests, to be approximately US$ 580 million per annum.

This value is based on optimising the use of the forests for logging, mining and other extractive activities.

Based on the findings and national and international developments, Guyana proposed to pursue a new development pathway, which balances economic development and sustainability, and in the process transition towards a low carbon economy. This vision was outlined in its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) launched in 2009.

The LCDS is a national strategy, which provides the overarching framework for achieving Guyana’s long term developmental goals, using nationally appropriate green growth strategies to achieve this transition.

It was developed through a national consultation exercise during which vulnerable groups such as indigenous peoples, forest users and dependent communities, women and youth were engaged in the development of the strategy. A Multi- Stakeholder Steering Committee (MSSC) was established to oversee and guide the implementation of the LCDS. The strategy was revised in May 2010 after comments and feedback from extensive outreach sessions with a wide cross-section of stakeholder groups and communities were incorporated in the document. A further update to the LCDS was done in March, 2013.

The LCDS has three main components.

One of the key ways by which Guyana has been supporting the implementation of the LCDS is through its partnerships with other countries. Funds earned from climate services that the forests provide to the world are invested to create a low deforestation, low carbon, climate resilient economy.

On November 9, 2009 Guyana and Norway signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in which Norway committed to providing Guyana up to US$ 250 million by 2015 for avoided deforestation.

Under the MoU, contributions from Norway are channeled towards supporting priority projects identified in the LCDS. To date, Guyana has earned three payments from Norway totalling US$115 million.

This agreement is the first international commitment of financial support to the LCDS. Guyana has made significant progress to date in the implementation of the LCDS. In 2009, eight priority projects were identified in the LCDS to serve as pilot projects and once implemented; the model and lessons learnt will be amplified to other areas within that specific sector.

Implementation of these projects commenced along with a number of new projects as identified in the LCDS Update.

Guyana’s LCDS can be seen as an innovative approach to combating climate change while si-

multaneously promoting economic growth and development.

It is a workable model that could be adopted by many developing countries as they phase into a low carbon path of development.

Investment in low carbon economic infrastructure

This includes: the development of hydropower systems to reduce reliance on petroleum based fuels; the upgrading of sea defences to protect against current and future impacts of sea level rise; improved roads and drainage and irrigation to unused, non-forested lands; and improved hi-tech telecommunications facilities to facilitate the development of low carbon businesses such as call centres.

Investment and employment in low carbon economic sectors

This will target investment in commercial production of fruits and vegetables, particularly in areas such as the intermediate savannahs, aquaculture and the export of fresh and frozen seafood; sustainable forestry utilising the high internationally accepted standards of sustainable yield harvesting; and wood processing to produce high value products.

Investment in communities and human capital

This will ensure that indigenous and other hinterland communities, as well as other citizens including the urban poor, will have expanded access to improved social services such as health, education/vocational training, low carbon electricity, clean water, and employment that does not threaten the sustainability of the forest resources. (Prepared by the Office of Climate Change in Guyana)

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uyana took centre stage at the recently concluded Global Beyond 2015 Youth Summit in Costa Rica where it lobbied the United Nations and International Telecommunications Union to involve more youth in its decision-making processes while underscoring the importance of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in the development of the world.

As the Global Beyond 2015 Global Youth Summit came to an end last Wednesday, its youth declaration, setting priorities for the “Future We Want”, was presented to Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla, who will take the collective message of the world’s youth to the United Nations General Assembly later this month.

The summit was held from September 9 to 11 and Guyana’s representative was Evening News Editor and Journalist Michael Younge.

More than 180 countries fielded representatives who participated in several round table discussions, debates, competitions and discussions about the use of ICTs and their role in aiding the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as well as other objectives related to sustainable development.

The summit themes were “Get Ahead”, “Be Healthy”, “Be Safe and Change your World”, all of which aimed at harnessing the

to have participated in the summit and was humbled by the declaration sent to the UN by the youths present at the forum, which he described as “remarkable”.

At the summit, President Chincilla congratulated the participants for sounding their voices and sharing their solutions for dealing with issues which are still critical to achieving equity and improved access to education, information, the Internet and development.

Enlightened forum

Evening News Editor Micheal Younge at the Global Youth Summit in Costa Rica

collective creativity and concerns of the youths present in San Jose.

Younge speaking during the full session of the summit, reported on the outcome of one of the thematic workshops hosted on day one. In his address, he underscored the importance of negotiating for success and the need for the United Nations to work more closely with youths to remove the barriers that are restricting access to the Internet in countries that are hit by underdevelopment, poverty and affordability issues.

Younge said that he was happy

“I was surprised at how much I learnt at the summit about ICTs and my colleagues and I were appreciative that the ITU invited us to take part in the dialogue on the way forward. President Chinchilla’s commitment to youth and children is remarkable and I am happy that she will be lobbying the UN on our behalf,” Younge said.

Guyana’s representative said too that youths have to also understand the dangers of utilising the technology and should seek to do so with the aim of improving their marketability, building global and digital enterprises, improving the collective social and economic standing of their communities while assisting and influencing world leaders to advance progress and positive change.

Guyana was the only Caribbean country that participated fully and vocally in all of the sessions. (Excerpt from Guyana Times)

Women in the spotlight at Jamaica’s Speaker Series A

distinguished collection of leading and influential women in Jamaica will make keynote addresses at the 2013-2014 Leaders-to-Leaders (Jamaica) second in a five-part Speaker Series.

The series begin on Monday, September 23, at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, under the theme 'Closing the leadership Gap, why women can, and must help rule the world.'

Among the women down to speak are Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, Opposition Member of Parliament; US Ambassador to Jamaica Pamela Bridgewater; Kelly Tomblin, Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Public Service Company; Pat Ramsay, philanthropist, mentor, thought leader, and founding-president, International Women Forum, Jamaica Chapter, and Paula Llewellyn, Director of Public Prosecutions.

Dr Dana Morris Dixon, former acting president of Jamaica's trade and investment promotions agency (JAMPRO), and currently group director at Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS), will host/moderate the discussions.

The speaker series brings prominent leaders to the stage

Mountains, first week and public buses

Pamela Bridgewater and Paula Llewellyn (Jamaica Observer photos)

to share with others their knowledge, experience, including tips for competing in the global marketplace, managing people and assets, and creating and sustaining organisational value, said Dennis Morgan, the Speaker Series conceptualiser.

"Leaders-to-Leaders Speaker Series is a tremendously refreshing and edifying collection of empowering presentations and frank talks, which our audience appreciate and thoroughly enjoy, especially the opportunity to gain valuable perspectives, identify

new trends shaping local and international commerce, within the Jamaican context .

Leaders-to-Leaders (Jamaica), is a Jamaica-based business entity, committed to improving and sharing knowledge, fostering business relationship Jamaica. The series start in July and ends in March of the following year. Speakers invited to participate are among some of Jamaica's most accomplished and distinguished leaders and change agents. (Jamaica Observer)

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By Anu Dev

ell I’ve survived my first week of actual schoolwork! Can I still say schoolwork?

“University work” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Sure it’s only supposed to get even more intense from now, but for now I’m just relieved to have made it through my first week.

I’m also still adapting to living in Trinidad. Over here I’m definitely seeing why they came up with the phrase “as changeable as the weather”. It’s really lovely dressing to deal with the morning’s heat and then coming out of class two hours later to be greeted by a sudden and quite violent downpour. The raindrops are really larger than ours! One really nice thing about living on campus is that classes are literally five minutes walking- distance away.

That’s a pleasant change from having to leave home one and a half hours early to get to QC. And as all West Coast commuters know, the traffic at the bridge usually makes you want to pull your hair out. (I’ve been told it’s a sign of progress: we’re getting New York- style traffic jams.)

But another personal achievement for me is that on Friday I used the public buses! (Hey! I only used a minibus a couple of times in the last term at QC – to prepare me for this!) And I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable and efficient everything was: they’re big and air conditioned. (That’s a New York-like innovation I wouldn’t mind in Guyana!) And Curepe Junction, where I had to go to buy my textbook, reminded me so much of Regent Street. I felt like someone teleported me back to Georgetown. But then I heard the sing-song Trini accent everywhere and I realised I was actually in Trinidad.

I snuffed out the reflex to amble over to QC to checkout how things are going. There I go again! Three QC references so far. It’s hard to let go of somewhere you’ve spent seven years of your life at. Well, we have to move on, don’t we? But there will always be the old school ties: there are three other QC grads ahead of me and they’re been wonderful.

But university life’s quite different from high school life in so many ways. There’s no bell at 12 to let you out for lunch (freedom?).

Classes start from eight and end at seven in the evening on some days.

But of everything, the biggest difference is freedom.

Freedom. There’s so much of it. It’s a bit frightening really. I keep getting that nagging feeling that I need to ask permission for more decisions. There’s been no epiphany on how to deal being treated like an adult.

After all those years listening to adults, seeing them making their own decisions, having responsibilities, it’s a bit disconcerting knowing I’m at that stage of my life.

Living on my own, cooking my own meals, doing my own laundry.

I can understand why someone once wrote about “Escape from Freedom”. It’s seductive having everything done for you. But ultimately debilitating.

At UWI med school, there’s a heavy emphasis on the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model of learning, where students when confronted with a problem have to come up with their own learning objectives for self-study.

With great power comes great responsibility (*dramatic music*).

But it’s only been two weeks. I’m enjoying it so far and I hope I’ll still be enjoying it when they start piling on even more work on us. As promised. They did say our university years will be the best years of our life, right?

Bollywood

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week ending September 19, 2013 | www.caribbeantimesinternational.com

Vidya Balan shedding extra kilos for her next film with Emraan

B

ollywood's favourite yo-yo dieter Vidya Balanis is at it again.

This time the actress is on a dieting spree to shed the pounds for her next venture with Emraan Hashmi.

Vidya had cut a rather full figure in her last film with the actor, 'Ghanchakkar', where she played a loud mouth Punjabi housewife.

But in the upcoming Mohit Suri project produced by Vishesh Films, Vidya will portray a florist working in a posh hotel chain and the actress is in a bid to quickly lose the pounds to fit the prim mould of the character.

A source close to the film told Indian media that, "The filmmakers did not ask Vidya to lose weight, but she knew that the role demanded that she be trim. She is an intelligent artiste who puts in a lot of effort to portray characters convincingly, so she is on a strict diet and exercise regime". (TOI)

Deepika eager to work with Salman

A

ctress Deepika Padukone says she is keen to work with superstar Salman Khan, but is waiting for something special to bring them together on screen.

Deepika had an acting debut offer from Salman, which happened way before she was chosen by Farah Khan for 'Om Shanti Om'. However, she declined it then, as she felt she was not ready to face the camera.

"He offered me my first film when I was too young and I was not ready to be in front of the camera. I will always be grateful to him. Just the fact that he offered me a film was a great thing. It is taking a long time for us to come together on screen, so I think there is something special waiting for us," Deepika said.

The actress, who will be seen alongside south superstar Rajinikanth for the first time in 'Kochadaiyaan', said she admires his child-like enthusiasm.

"I worked for three days with him. I took back from him his simplicity, hu-

mility and child-like attitude on sets.

Despite achieving so much success he is so excited, enthusiastic and energetic even today, this is something that is inspiring to see," she said. (TOI)

B

B

ollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, who is said to be dating actress Katrina Kaif, doesn't

want any kind of interference even from his parents when it comes to choosing his would-be-bride.

"First of all, I want to make it clear that mummy is not looking for a bride for me. I am doing it for myself," said the 30-year-old actor, on the sets of a reality show to promote ‘Besharam’.

The actor's mother and actress Neetu Singh, who was also present, is happy with her son's decisions and said she just wants Ranbir to be happy.

"I don't think that in today's times, mothers look for suitable brides for their sons. He will do it on his own. It's his life. We only want them to be happy," said Neetu.

Directed by Abhinav Kashyap, ‘Besharam’ is set to release on Oct 2 and it sees Ranbir teaming up with his parents-dad Rishi and mom Neetu-for the first time on the big screen. (TOI)

Pamela Chopra to celebrate Yash Chopra's birthday every year a year to host Shah Rukh as ‘HAPPY NEW YEAR’ is still in the making.

(TOI)

Sridevi's daughter flooded with film offers

S

ridevi's little girl, Jhanvi Kapoor seems to have a lot more on her plate than shopping. The 16-yearold has been stepping out with her mother for many on-trend red carpet outings, but it is not just the fashionistas who have been watching the teenager closely.

The precocious fashionista has now caught the eye of talent scouts down South and film offers galore for the school student. A source from

tempts.

Ruling out retirement from films, Esha, who tied the knot with a businessman last year, said she will neither join politics like her father Dharmendra and mother Hema Malini nor campaign for any political party in the coming elections. (TOI)

‘My mom won't look for a bride for me’- Ranbir Kapoor

Shah Rukh Khan retorts to Salman Khan's invitation ollywood superstar Salman Khan, recently made headlines when, at an event, he mentioned that he will gladly welcome his contemporary Shah Rukh Khan, if he wants to promote his upcoming film on popular reality show 'Bigg Boss'.

With this statement everyone was waiting to hear what would be SRK's revert on it. Now, we hear Shah Rukh has retorted to Salman's invitation and recent comments.

At a press event, when an entertainment channel spoke to SRK about Salman's invitation, he was quick to reply that he will definitely promote his movie on the reality show.

However, the only glitch is that Salman will have to wait for almost

A

ctress Esha Deol has suggested opening of dance bars in India on the lines of Bangkok to curb rising crime against women.

Talking to reporters in Chhattisgarh earlier this week, the Bollywood actress said such a move will not only satisfy men, but also ensure safety of women.

Dance bars should be opened in India on the lines of Bangkok to prevent sexual harassment of women, Esha said.

The 31-year-old ‘Dhoom’ star, who is a trained Odissi dancer, was in North Chhattisgarh to perform in the ongoing 'Chakradhar' cultural festival.

Welcoming the death sentence awarded to four convicts in the Delhi gang rape case, she said, "the minor accused in the case should also be given capital punishment."

Urging women to become self-reliant, she suggested them to forcefully counter eve-teasing or molestation at-

the family told Indian media that, "Sridevi has a major fan following down South and she is well connected in the industry and Jhanvi has been getting a lot of of-

fers from Southern producers planning Hindi projects."

The source added that the offers include projects starring other star kids from the Southern film industry.

"She has been offered a film opposite Ram Charan, Chiranjeevi's son and also another film with Nagarjuna's son Naga Chaitanya. But her parents believe that she is too young to start in the industry," said the source. (TOI)

P

amela Chopra, wife of the legend, Yash Chopra, wants to celebrate the late filmmaker's birthday every year by announcing a new initiative to mark the occasion.

Pamela has taken up an initiative to celebrate his birthday in a unique manner. Yashji's production house will celebrate the occasion with a new initiative on September 27.

"It's entirely Pamelaji's idea. She was keen that Yashji's birthday becomes an important day for everyone at the production house. So as far as we know, every year, there will be some kind of activity on his birthday—it could be a charity event, a film announcement or anoth-

er special event—in his memory. She has apprised everyone at Yash Raj Films of her wish and it will, of course, be complied with," an industry insider said.

This year, a big event is being planned.

"Details are a bit unclear right now, but things will be finalised in a couple of days. Her sons, Aditya

and Uday, are privy to all the details and execution plans. But like all other initiatives by the production house, not many people are aware of the exact nitty-gritty," added the insider. One of the activities will be the launch of a line of saris that are inspired by the filmmaker's body of work. (TOI)

26

hollywood

www.caribbeantimesinternational.com |week ending September 19, 2013

Jennifer Aniston obsessed with fiancé’s cousin

J

L

ily Collins is the world's 'Most Dangerous Celebrity,' according to a study to indicate the sites that are risky when searching celebrity names on the web.

According to the study by McAfee, the 24-year-old actress has been ranked as the most dangerous celebrity to search for online, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Avril Lavigne, Sandra Bullock, Kathy Griffin and Zoe Saldana were others in top five while 'Mad Men' star

Jon Hamm was the sole man in the top 10. (TOI)

Alec Baldwin asked pal Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for advice on marriage split

A

lec Baldwin reportedly turned to his pal, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, for advice after his split from Kim Basinger.

According to a diary that is said to be owned by Kennedy Jr, the '30 Rock' star called him to talk through his relationship problems and his concerns for their daughter, Contactmusic reported.

The secret diary also says that Baldwin was directing his first movie when Basinger presented him with divorce before moving to L.A, which is a town that he hates.

Kennedy reportedly added that he gave Baldwin "encouragement" based on his own divorce from his first wife, Emily, in 1994. (TOI)

Robert Pattinson hints at why he broke-up with K-Stewart

R

obert Pattinson has apparently given away the reason behind his split with cheating girlfriend Kristen Stewart, asserting that he doesn't tolerate people who double cross him.

During an interview with Australia's 'Sunday Style', the 'Twilight Saga' star said that there's not very much that really bothers him and he is really good at trusting people, but once someone breaks his trust, it's over, Fox News reported.

The 27-year-old actor said that he doesn't ever feel the need to forgive or expect people to be forgiving for that matter.

Pattinson asserted that he judges

people on their actions and if they do something he can't be bothered to deal with, then he just cuts them out. (TOI)

Gwyneth Paltrow says she's addicted to sex

G

wyneth Paltrow has confessed that she is addicted to sex.

The 'Shakespeare In Love'

star, who is married to Chris Martin, told chat show host Chelsea Handler, that she was a really normal person until she started to hang out with Handler all the time, the Daily Star reported.

Paltrow said that she was inspired by all the fun Handler was having in her life.

The 40-year-old actress was on the chat show to promote her upcoming film, 'Thanks For Sharing,' which deals with sex addiction. (TOI)

Mark Wahlberg graduates from high school

M

ark Wahlberg, who dropped out of school in the ninth grade, has revealed that he has successfully bagged his high school diploma.

The 42-year-old actor told People Magazine that his four children served as the biggest motivation for him because he didn't want his kids to think that they have an option to leave their education, just because their father did.

The 'Ted' star, who took online classes, asserted that getting his diploma is a huge accomplishment and re-

lief for him.

Wahlberg added that he did think at one point that he should have completed his education when he was actually in high school, as it's so much harder at his age to go back to studies. (TOI)

ennifer Aniston is apparently obsessed with her fiancé’s famous TV documentary-making cousin, Louis Theroux.

Sources have revealed that the 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S.' star, who is engaged to Justin Theroux, loves watching clips of Louis on the internet, the Daily Star reported.

The insiders stated that the 44-yearold actor has only met her fiancé’s cousin a couple of times, but she was hanging on to his every word.

The sources also said that Aniston now tells Theroux that his cousin

should make a speech at their wedding.

Theroux has even joked that he feels threatened by his fiancée’s obsession. (TOI)

Scar-Jo claims she isn't 'jealous girlfriend type'

A

ctress Scarlett Johansson has reportedly confessed that she has never been overly posses-

sive when it comes to relationships.

The 28-year old 'Iron Man 2' star, who recently announced her engagement to French former journalist Romain Dauriac, confirmed that she is "not the jealous type who does background checks", the Daily Express reported.

Johansson was previously married to Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds from 2008-11. (TOI)

Amanda Holden says Cowell's baby will be first person he loves more than himself

‘B

ritain's Got Talent’ judge Amanda Holden believes that Simon Cowell will not be as narcissistic after the birth of his baby.

The 42-year old British actress said that the 53-year old music mogul's baby with socialite, Lauren Silverman, will become the first person he loves more than himself, the Daily Star reported.

She added that at the moment, maybe he loves his 36-year old pregnant gal-pal, but he will surprise everyone, including himself with the depth of his love for his baby.

Holden believes that Simon will change after the birth of his baby and will probably call the baby Simon Jr. if he's a boy or Simone if it's a girl. (TOI)

Kim Kardashian is letting Kanye West take control

K

anye West is taking control of Kim Kardashian's career.

The reality TV star is reportedly accepting her partner's influence, and she is moving away from her family's brand as she builds her own management team.

A source told the New York Post newspaper: ''Kim wants to set herself apart from the Kardashian PR machine and Kanye West advised her to build her own team.''

It has also emerged the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star is ''loving'' the direction Kanye is pushing her inbut she is still trying to keep her paparazzi connections.''

Speaking to RadarOnline.com, an insider said: ''Kim is letting Kanye revamp her entire lifestyle right now and she's loving the changes he's making, but she is still the same old schemer that she's always been! ''Kim isn't going to ever stop secretly texting the paparazzi or the people she knows that can help her stay famous.'' (TOI)

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week ending September 19, 2013 | www.caribbeantimesinternational.com

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as Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, Sandals Resorts International, Jamaica and Caribbean Airlines were among the top tourism industry stakeholders to emerge victorious from the World Travel Awards Caribbean & North American Gala Ceremony on Saturday evening. The event welcomed guests from across the region.

Joining guests of honour were Antigua and Barbuda Governor General Dame Louise Lake-Tack and Prime Minister Dr Baldwin Spencer, and at the event were government ministers, chairmen, and presidents from the region’s premier travel companies. In all, nearly 400 top hospitality industry insiders were in attendance.

World Travel Awards celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year and is acknowledged across the globe as the ultimate travel accolade, celebrating those companies, organisations and brands that are pushing the boundaries of industry excellence in product and service.

The Gala Ceremony had a lineup of stars, from co-hosts Walt Wiley and Samoya Kirby, to legendary band The Burning

Antigua’s Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer was one of the guests of honour at the World Travel Awards Gala Ceremony held at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa Saturday evening.

Antigua and Barbuda, walked away with the coveted title of Caribbean’s leading honeymoon destination (A&B gov’t FB photo)

Flames, as well as the sensational Passion de Dance enter-

taining the guests.

“Sandals Grande Antigua

Resort & Spa is honored to open its doors to the World Travel Awards for this distinguished occasion,” said Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, chairman, Sandals Resorts International.

“It is our pleasure and sincere privilege to extend Sandals’ rich tradition of hospitality to our fellow leaders of the travel industry and invite all to enjoy our beautiful beachfront setting and all the amenities this wonderful resort has to offer.”

In the North America section of the event Las Vegas was the big winner, taking the title of North America’s Leading Destination. The title of North America’s Leading Airline went to American Airlines, while the trophy for North America’s Leading Hotel Brand went to Marriott Hotels & Resorts.

Voters from around the world also selected a resurgent New Orleans as North America’s Leading Sports Tourism Destination and South Beach Miami as North America’s Leading Beach Destination.

Headline Caribbean Awards winners included Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos, which took the title of Caribbean’s Leading Beach Destination, while Jamaica walked away with the ti-

tle of Caribbean’s Leading Destination.

Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand once again went to Sandals Resorts International; Caribbean’s Leading Boutique Hotel went to Hermitage Bay, Antigua; and Caribbean’s Leading Golf Resort went to Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile industry leader Caribbean Airlines took the title of Caribbean's Leading Airline.

Special praise was also heaped on hosts Antigua and Barbuda, which walked away with the coveted title of Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination.

Graham Cooke, president and founder, World Travel Awards said: “The Caribbean and North America are fiercely contested regions for our World Travel Awards, and these Award winners continue to serve as an example of the most luxurious and innovative brands with unique hospitality products and services.

Tonight’s recipients strive to set the highest possible bar to raise the standards of excellence in travel and tourism and it has been an honour to hold our ceremony here in Antigua.”

(Caribbean News)

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escribed as one of the longest serving mayors in Jamaica, Cecil Charlton, who served both the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party as mayor of this south central highland town in the late 1960s, 70s and 80s, has left many reminiscing and paying tribute to his life and work.

The colourful Charlton, who had a range of business interests and for decades was a major player in the horseracing industry, died at the Hargreaves Memorial Hospital in Mandeville last Thursday. He was 88 years old.

Dr Gilbert Allen, former Custos of Manchester remembers Charlton as an "outstanding personality". "(He was) one who gave himself totally to the development and progress, not only of Manchester—the parish in which he lived—but in a wider sense to the nation as a whole. He was a successful businessman, a dedicated politician and one who had a social conscience. He served Manchester faithfully and long and has left indelible footprints on the history of our parish," he said.

Custos Sally Porteous said that she met Charlton in the 1970s and found

Former Mayor of Mandeville Cecil Charlton (right) with politician KD Knight (centre) and daughter Jackie Charlton-Stephenson at a function at the Cecil Charlton Hall—a conference room adjoining the Manchester Parish Library named in his honour while he was still active as Mayor. (Jamaica Observer photo)

him to be a "great man".

"He had tremendous knowledge of people and loved life. He had a wonderful sense of humour and he was always interested in what you had to say. He was a fiercely loyal man to Jamaica

and I always admired him for that. He was very quick to give advice when I was Councillor for Mandeville. He was one of Jamaica's most colourful politicians and I shall miss him greatly," she said.

Mandeville businessman Calvin Lyn, who was a member of the Manchester Parish Council for a period while Charlton was in office, said that as a public servant he really had the people at heart.

He said that Charlton "mixed and mingled" with the people and during activities such as independence celebrations he was "really a live wire (as he would) dance and prance".

Manchester Chamber of Commerce president Wendy Freckleton was a child when Charlton was Mayor, but she remembers that he and her father, a businessman in the parish, were close friends.

"We will always remember him for the love he had for his parish and for serving his countrymen with pride and dignity," Freckleton said.

Jean Anderson, sister to former Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga, said that even when she and Charlton had different political affiliations it never affected their friendship or respect for each other.

"We have shared many experiences together over the last 40 years. He was a man of conviction," she said.

(Jamaica Observer)

Star of the Week

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ecently crowned Miss Bartica Regatta 2013, Faydeha King developed a love for pageantry at an early age.

At the age of 15, Faydeha won the Miss Corriverton Pageant title and later went on to be a runway model with veteran fashion designer, Sonia Noel. The years of experience she gathered with Noel motivated Faydeha to participate in the 2012 Model Search competition. She then decided to compete in the 2012 Miss Jamzone Pageant, emerging first runner-up, before moving on to the 2012 Miss Guyana Universe Pageant where she was crowned fourth runner-up. The 20-year-old beauty of Scotsburg, Corriverton, Berbice, believes that pageantry is not only a venue for showcasing beauty, talent and education, but also builds self-esteem and provides a platform to make a difference. A graduate of the Skeldon High School, Faydeha has completed one year of A-level studies at School of the Nation’s Sixth Form in New Amsterdam. During her reign as Miss Bartica Regatta 2013 she hopes to focus on youths and visit schools to talk about the harmful effects of bullying.

Faydeha is also an active member in a newly formed youth group, the New Youths Foundation, created by the eight contestants of the 2013 Bartica Regatta. The organisation seeks to provide for the less fortunate and will offer assistance and training on how to counsel youths who have been abused in their homes or bullied at school. Faydeha continues to pursue her passion for pageantry, using the platforms it provides to raise awareness on various social issues.

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Captain Sammy believes Windies Moore, Abbensetts capture sprint double at Guyana’s IGG trials moving in right direction

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est Indies Test captain Darren Sammy said he was extremely delighted with the steps his side have taken in achieving their goals in the longest version of the international game. West Indies are now the fifth-ranked Test side in the World, following the latest update of the ICC Test Rankings table.

It comes in the wake of an historic, 24-run victory for Zimbabwe in the second and final Test of their series against Pakistan on Saturday at the Harare Sports Club.

The two-Test series was drawn 1-1 and the Pakistanis, ranked No. 4 before the series, conceded five ratings points, dropping them behind Australia and West Indies.

Top five

“One of our goals has always been to be in the top five by 2015,” Sammy said. “As a Test team, we have worked really hard in the last three years, and to achieve that goal two years early is a plus for us.

Sammy said: “We now have to continue working harder in order for us to keep moving forward.

Massive praise must go

side was targeting the climb into the top-five at the end of their upcoming Test series against New Zealand on the road in November-December– but they have now achieved the target three months ahead of schedule.

Rankings

to our head coach Ottis Gibson and his staff for creating the atmosphere where we as players can go out and work hard for each other and our fans in the Caribbean and everywhere else.

“This is a massive step in the right direction and we will continue to strive for excellence for the cause of putting West Indies cricket back on top of World cricket. The journey continues.”

Gibson, at a media conference last week in Barbados, said that his

The Test Rankings table, unlike the ICC One-day International Rankings table, is updated only after the conclusion of current series.

West Indies face India in two Tests in November before flying to New Zealand for a series of three Tests.

The Windies last visited India in NovemberDecember 2011, when they lost a three-match Test series 2-0–the drawn third match was the dramatic Mumbai Test that ended with the scores level. (Excerpt from WICB)

Essequibo cricketer given emotional send-off in Guyana

H

undreds of m o u r n e r s turned out last Friday to pay their final respects to former Guyana and Essequibo cricketer, Shivanandan Madholall, who passed away a week ago following a brief period of illness. The lefthanded batsman, who represented Guyana at the Under-15 and Under-19 levels, as well as Essequibo at both the junior and senior levels, was 30.

At his home in Reliance on the Essequibo Coast, several persons paid tribute to the fallen cricketer, who was popularly known as “Rocky.” During his time, Shivanandan played for the Reliance Sports Club, as well as the Cotton Field Wild Oats softball team.

Ato Christiani, representing the Essequibo Cricket Board, coach Vibert Johnson, Dianand Chetram of the Reliance Sports Club and former Essequibo batsman Elroy Stephney all made moving tributes, with the recurring theme be-

Members of the Cotton Field Wild Oats softball team and Reliance Sports Club form a guard of honour as they pay their last respects to their late teammate, Shivanandan Madholall (Photo: Avenash Ramzan)

ing the shock passing of Shivanandan at such a young age.

They all reflected on his playing days, noting that he was a very good cricketer, who knew the game well.

The eulogy was delivered by elder brother and sports journalist, Ravendra Madholall, who reminisced on the life of Shivanandan, stating that he was both a brother and a friend.

Following those tributes, Shivanandan’s remains were taken to the La Union foreshore for cremation.

Prior to the lighting

of the pyre, his teammates from Cotton Field Wild Oats and the Reliance Sports Club formed a guard of honour as they paid their last respects.

Shivnanand comes from a family with a rich cricketing history.

His brothers Rovendra, Ravendra and Narendra all represented Essequibo at the Inter-County level. Rovendra went on to play for Guyana.

He leaves to mourn his father, mother, siblings, wife and two children, ages three years and four months.

D

espite being disorganised and lackluster, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) pulled off a less than mediocre Inter Guiana Games (IGG) trials on Saturday at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary. From having scratch start sprint events to using the whistle to start every race, in addition to having just one time keeper, the AAG couldn’t have done any worse to show disorganisation of trials to make a national team.

However, the performances by some of the athletes aided in overshadowing the downfall of the poorly organised meet.

The Boys 100 metres ended dreadfully for Tevin Garraway, who was suffering from some hamstring niggles.

He aggravated the injury while ahead at the 90 metres mark, which allowed Kevin Abbensetts to dip for win in a time of 10.6s. Garraway clocked 10.8s for second despite the hamstring pull.

400 metres bronze medalist at Carifta, Jason Yaw, recovered from a bad start after being boxed in during the scratch start event to win the Boys 400 metres in 50.1s to outlast Quacey Simpson, who clocked 50.4s for second, and Selwyn Foster, who was timed at 50.9s for third.

Abbensetts then returned to win the Boys 200 metres to capture the sprint double as he defeated Yaw, who placed second, and Vancooten third. No time were recorded for the event due to time keeping issues.

Alita Moore was an easy winner in the Women’s 200 metres at the IGG trials at the Police Sports Club ground in Guyana

IGG 800 metres silver medalist, Ornesto Thomas, won the Boy’s 1500 metres, clocking 4:28.5s. Kevin Nicholas was second in 4:31.2s.

The Men’s 5000 metres saw top junior distance runner from the Rupununi, Samuel Kaiton, falling to second in the event as Nicholas returned to take the win in a time of 17:37.0s.

Kaiton was clocked at 17:54.5s.

Meanwhile, on the distaff side, Alita Moore produced some sensational sprinting, capturing a sprint double in the Women’s 100 metres in 11.8s and the 200 metres in 24.9s. Carifta 200 metres bronze medalist, Tirana Mitchell, was second in both events, clocking times of 12.2s in 100 metres and 25.5s in the 200 metres.

IGG 400 metres gold medalist, Jevina Sampson, returned to action and stated her intentions for the remainder of the year by comprehensively winning the 400

metres at the trials in a time of 59.9s, defeating Mearisha Carter, who clocked 1:03.4 for second, while Shomane Daniels finished third in 1:04.4s.

Two-time Carifta gold medalist, Jevina Straker, dominated the middle distance event winning the Girls 800 metres in 2:20.5s and the 1500 metres in 4:58.6s.

Carifta gold medalist, Cassey George, who was suffering from a niggling hip injury, finished second to the more experienced Straker in both events, clocking 2:25.s in the 800 metres, while turning in a time of 5:10.1s in the 1500 metres.

The Girls 3000 metres was won by Claudice McKoy in 11:26.4s, leaving Cassie Kirton to take second in 12:10.1s.

Linden’s multi-talented athlete, Parish Cadogan, captured a field double, easily winning the Boys high jump in 1.70 metres and the triple jump in 12.86 metres. (Guyana Times)

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www.caribbeantimesinternational.com | week ending September 19, 2013

CAREBACO gold for young St Thomas football scores big Guyanese in U-13 Singles with fans, sponsors in Jamaica

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henomenal young badminton player, Priyanna Ramdhani, copped gold last Friday evening in the Girls Under-13 Singles at the Caribbean International Junior Badminton Championships (CAREBACO) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, extending Guyana’s medal haul at the event to eight.

This is now the fifth year in a row Priyanna has medalled at the prestigious Caribbean Championships.

It was Guyana’s second gold medal at this year’s event.

Abosaide Cadogan won the Girls Under-11 Doublesm, defeating Erisa Bleau of Suriname 21-17, 21-11.

The diminutive Priyanna defeat-

Hail the champ! Priyanna Ramdhani is lifted by teammates after she copped gold in the Girls Under-13 Singles

ed Jamaican Shezelle McTyson of Jamaica 21-11, 21-13 in the final, and also followed up with a silver medal in the Under-13 Mixed Doubles.

She teamed up with

Leon Cassie of Trinidad and Tobago, but lost at the final hurdle to the Dominican Republic pair Edison Ramirez and Mileiki Munoz 2117, 21-13.

(Guyana Times)

Guyana Football Federation promises to complete FIFA Goal Project

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Howard McIntosh (fourth from left) sits with GFF president Christopher Matthias (third from left) and other GFF officials

IFA will continue to support the Guyana Goal Project according to its Development Officer Howard McIntosh, during a press conference last Friday, at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) headquarters in Campbellville.

“The performance in relation to the goal programme, which was a programme put together as far back as 1999

by FIFA with some specific objectives that is to get each of the 209 associations to first and foremost have a head office and second a technical centre.

“In the case of Guyana we have had a goal project that has been around for that amount of time, unfortunately in the Caribbean that has been the performance record, very poor,” McIntosh noted at the press conference.

He added: “What I can say, a number of discussions have been held (on the goal project) emphasising the seriousness of the

project, emphasising FIFA’s commitment to the project, and the GFF in turn have expressed their commitment to the project but one thing I think can be said confidently is that something will be happening on the goal project within the next couple of months.

“That particular project has a serious level of commitment; the funds have been committed to the project. So there is no question of the funds being committed, it’s just a question now of how we move it along, and based on the discussions with the goal project committee thus far they (GFF) are serious about getting it done,” McIntosh noted.

Guyana was among the first set of countries to be identified for the for the Goal Project initiative in 1999.

However, in 2013 the GFF, which no longer has Colin Klass at its helm, has not yet completed the first phase of the project although other Caribbean

countries have completed three phases.

McIntosh, who admitted to receiving reports of the goal project from the previous GFF administration, revealed that thus far out of the US$400,000 that was initially allocated only US$120,000 was used to date.

“I need to make something clear so there is no misunderstanding, funds expended on the goal project do not come to the federation, those monies are not spent through the federation...Any money spent on the goal project and the special project are spent directly with the contractor and the consultant; all the contracts are directly with the contractor and the consultant on the recommendation and management by the GFF,” McIntosh noted.

Meanwhile Guyana will be primed for a US$500,000 special project funding in aid to develop smaller projects in various aspect of the sport. (Guyana Times)

he curtains came down on a successful season with the presentation and awards ceremony for The Captain's Bakery and Grill St Thomas Major League, James Robertson Knockout competition and the Dr Ferguson Division Two league at the Village Green Restaurant in Morant Bay on August 28.

Principal of The Captain's Bakery and Grill, Captain Horace Burrell, lauded the St Thomas FA for the introduction of night football. He reflected on the night of the final, reiterating that the crowd is the largest he has seen at a Major League final.

“I must congratulate the St Thomas FA for a well-run season and, of course, the night football initiative that has been a big hit with fans. I have been to these games and I must say it's a most wonderful experience, and I can only see it getting bigger and better.

Other parishes should also find creative ways to engage the interest of the fans, and the Captain's Bakery and Grill will always applaud initiatives like this," Burrell told Jamaican media earlier this week.

Burrell also directed

St Thomas Football Association president Wayne Thompson (left) and principal of The Captain’s Bakery present the Captain’s Bakery and Grill St Thomas FA championship trophy to captain of Bath Sports Club Anthony Francis (centre) at a presentation ceremony held at the Village Green Restaurant in Morant Bay recently. (Jamaica Observer photo)

praise to two other major sponsors—Members of Parliament James Robertson and Dr Fenton Ferguson—for their sterling contribution to the development of the sport in the parish.

The JFF president said that, based on the high quality of the football product in St Thomas, his company will remain a benefactor.

Meanwhile, the James Robertson Knockout Trophy went to Port Morant United, while the Dr Fenton Ferguson Division Two, Baptist Alliance.

But the big winner on the night was Bath Sports Club who was presented with The Captain's Bakery and Grill Trophy and

Ja$100,000, runner-up Port Morant United collected Ja$60,000, third place and Ja$30,000 went to Delta Force YC and Fourth Place to Seaforth Sports Club and Ja$20,000.

The mid-season honours went to Seaforth.

The top goalscorer award went to Otis Ffriend of York United with 13 goals.

Long service awards were presented to Richard Strachan with over 10 years of service on the executive of the FA, outstanding contribution by a coach award went to Michael Bennett and Wilton Maxwell was awarded for outstanding contribution to the youth programme.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Gordon’s coach wants more access to Hasely Crawford Stadium

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oach of Trinidad and Tobago’s 400m hurdles world champion Jehue Gordon says Gordon’s success has come despite having challenges with using the Hasely Crawford Stadium to train.

Dr Ian Hypolite said Gordon has not been able to use the facility in the first three months of the year. “At the start of the year we did not have the use of the stadium. We have had to beg and transport hurdles from the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium (in Marabella) to St Mary’s Grounds (in Port-of-Spain) that we use an alternative venue.

“In an event where technical precision is necessary we have had to improvise and could not get started with 400m hurdles until April.”

Speaking on TV6s Morning Edition in Trinidad last week, Hypolite said while preparing to leave to compete overseas, an official

Dr Ian Hypolite (TT Newsday file photo)

at the Hasely Crawford Stadium turned off the lights during a training session. He added that misunderstandings within the track and field fraternity are also contributing to the difficulty of doing well at home and he’s hoping Gordon’s success will help to change the scenario.

“Athletics like anything else in Trinidad and Tobago is fraught

with internal conflicts, conflicts among the persons involved.

Sometimes that becomes manifested in the worst ways and I think that that contributes to the immense difficulty of trying to produce here…We will definitely like to see a change in that.” Hypolite, who was the head coach of TT’s delegation to the World Championships in Moscow, Russia in August, added that his concern is not just for Gordon, but with other athletes.

Another of Jehue’s coaches Edwin Skinner said many of the junior athletes are denied use of the Hasely Crawford Stadium in the beginning of each year as the facility is closed for Carnival events. He is optimistic that with the success of Olympic men’s javelin champion Keshorn Walcott and Gordon, who both train at home, there will be a prioritisation of venues in the country of athletes. (Excerpt from TT Newsday)

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week ending September 19, 2013 | www.caribbeantimesinternational.com

Shelly-Ann gives back to Jamaica

Sprint Queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (c) poses with the seven Pocket Rocket Foundation awardees (l-r) Carlton Collins, Brenton Bartley, Tahjia Lumley, Kimone Shaw, Shavar Scott, Rojaire Bingham, and Jovaine Atkinson. (Bryan Cummings/Jamaica Observer photo)

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even high school student athletes in Jamaica received scholarship grants from celebrated Jamaican sprint queen ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce during a presentation ceremony at Devon House in Kingston, Tuesday.

The grants, valued at more than Ja$100,000 each, will go towards the students' tuition, lunch money and other costs associated with their schooling.

The grants were a part of Fraser-Pryce's effort to assist Jamaican student athletes through

her Pocket Rocket Foundation.

In handing over the scholarships, FraserPryce urged the students to believe in their ability to excel in the fields of academics and sports as they grew into productive citizens.

"Whatever you want in this life you can achieve if you just believe. You have to make sacrifices," Fraser-Pryce said.

The Pocket Rocket Foundation is supported by her major Corporate Sponsors Nike, Sagicor and Grace Foods.

(Jamaica Observer)

Guyana’s women team competes for the... from back page

Cup Qualifier.

From their lowly ranked position of 18th in the Americas in 2010, Guyana now finds itself among the region’s elite teams as they enter the PAHF Cup seeded the lowest of eight teams. The competition includes world beaters Argentina (ranked 2 in the world), USA (10), Chile (18), Canada (23), Trinidad (27), Mexico (30), Uruguay (50) and Guyana (58).

Guyana finds itself in pool A with pretournament favourites Argentina, Canada and Trinidad.

The Guyana team will conduct some light training on the artificial pitch until their first match against Canada on Saturday. Guyana will then face Trinidad on September 22 and Argentina on September 24 to complete the pool round.

Asked about Guyana’s expectations, Fernandes indicated that the top teams in the competition were beyond the reach of the others.

In his opinion winning a medal in this competition would not be a realistic objective

as there are world class teams in the competition who train twice per day on artificial pitches with a professional coaching staff of several persons. Fernandes opined that the Guyanese team needed to aim toward securing wins against some of their opponents in an effort to continue its upward drive and improve its global ranking.

“Rome was not built in a day,” remarked Fernandes, adding “so we need to improve incrementally, especially given our severe handicap of not having proper hockey facilities in Guyana”.

Full squad: Alysa Xavier, Ulrica Sutherland, Tiffany Solomon, Marisha Rodrigues, Vanessa Pires, Trisha Woodroffe, Marzana Fiedtkou, Leigh Sandison, Ashley DeGroot, Chantelle Fernandes (Captain), Gabriella Xavier, Kerensa Fernandes, Samantha Fernandes, Cora Towler, Aliyah Gordon and Janella Munroe. The Manager is Rawl Davson, Coach Philip Fernandes and Assistant Coach Peter DeGroot.

Sunil Narine keen on challenge

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- as TT’s Red Force ready for battle in India

op Trinidad and Tobago off-spinner Sunil Narine is keen on the challenges, which will face the national T20 cricket team, dubbed the Red Force at the forthcoming Champions League T20 tournament in India.

At a recent function at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair, Narine said, “I’ll like to do good for Trinidad and hopefully we can give a good showing of ourselves.

“It’s the last time that Trinidad will probably be in the tournament so everyone is keen to giving a good performance of themselves.”

The 25-year-old, rated atop the world rankings in the T20 format, was asked what areas of his bowling he’s working on.

“Just doing the basics right and continue doing what I have been doing,” Narine replied.

Concerning the team’s expectations, he noted, “I think we’ve always given a good showing of ourselves. It’s just to continue doing the good work that we’ve been doing. And I think the guys are really keen for this tournament.”

And, for himself, “I haven’t really set specific goals, but whatever the

A smiling Navin Stewart gets some assistance from teammate Samuel Badree to fix his tie at Piarco on Monday. The players were preparing to leave for London with the TT Red Force. (Abraham Diaz/TT Guardian photo)

team requires me to do, I’ll try to do it.”

One of the newer faces on the TT team is wicket-keeper Nicholas Pooran, who made a name for himself at the recently-concluded Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

“It’s a challenge for me going to school and (playing) cricket, but my main focus right now is to do my best,” he said.

As far as the Champions League is concerned, “I just want

to go there and do the best of my ability, perform and hopefully get a contract somewhere, you never know.”

Pooran has had experience in India, having visited with the Trinidad and Tobago Schoolboys team earlier this year.

“I’ve been to India earlier this year,” he said. “The experience was great, not only cricket-wise, but the way the people live.”

A hard-hitting lefthander, he admitted that

he will be focusing on consistency, and shot selection, in India.

The Red Force 15man squad left for India Monday ahead of the 2013 Twenty20 Champions League, which bowled off Tuesday. TT, captained by Denesh Ramdin, will play their opening match of the main draw on Sunday against the Brisbane Heat at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi. (Excerpt from TT Newsday)

Blairmont lad cops Cricketerof-the-Year award in Berbice

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l l - r o u n d er Deveshwari Prashad was voted Blairmont Centre Cricket Club (BCCC) Cricketer-of-the-Year when the West Bank Berbice entity held its second annual awards ceremony last Thursday evening in Guyana.

At the event, the executive of the club honoured outstanding players and some cricket enthusiasts for their contributions to the game.

However, the lion’s share of last Thursday night’s awards went to 18-year-old Kevon Jawahir, who copped the bowler-of-the-year, allrounder, junior cricketer-of-the-year and emerging player-of-theyear prizes.

The packed auditorium, inclusive of Region Five Chairman, Bindrabhan Bisnauth, officials of the Berbice Cricket Board, club members, sponsors and other cricket officials, club president, Shabeer Baksh, was told that the

Deveshwari Prashad (right) collets the Cricketer-ofthe Year trophy from President of the BCCC Shabeer Baksh. In the background is Hilbert Foster

period January 2012 to July 2013 was a successful one, despite numerous challenges faced by the organisation.

“The club is definitely on the upward side since its resuscitation in 2010. This club has risen to ratings of being unmatched by any other club in the West Berbice area and has been amongst some of the better clubs in Berbice. The period 2012/ 2013 has been a successful year, both on and off field,” Baksh said.

He said he was pleased to see the young

budding cricketers of the club, and urged those who were not honoured this year, to strive to be there next year.

Guest speaker Bindrabhan Bisnauth, praised the BCCC on its remarkable achievements since the club was resuscitated, calling it a model organization, which every other club and national sport organisation should emulate.

The Regional Chairman advised the younger members of the club that discipline is the foundation of suc-

cess and that no sports person has ever been successful without discipline.

Meanwhile, Jawahir, speaking on behalf of the awardees, said that being a member of the BCCC was a special privilege. He outlined that the club not only develops cricketers, but well-rounded individuals with special emphasis on discipline and personal development.

He expressed gratitude to the management of the club for its recognition of his and his peers’ contribution, pledging that they will strive for better.

The club also presented four retired teachers and cricketers for their outstanding contribution to the club.

Those awardees were teachers, Bibi Ishak, Koearlall Rambarran, Rudolph Muckunlall and Thofa Alexander; the former cricketers were Hazrat Saqid, Zalim Khan, Moses Shamlall and Adrian Amsterdam.

(Guyana Times)

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Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

INTERNATIONAL WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

Guyana’s women team competes for the first time in Pan-American Hockey Federation Cup -faces Canada this Saturday in Argentina

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uyana’s national women’s hockey team left the country Wednesday for Mendoza, Argentina, to face their toughest opposition yet to compete in the PanAmerican Hockey Federation Cup, which is a qualifier for the hockey World Cup scheduled for Hague, Netherlands, next year.

The team has been preparing since early last year for the event and will be the first time that Guyana is appearing in a PAHF Cup. After returning to international competition following nearly two decades of absence, the Guyana women’s team entered the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2010 ranked at the bottom of the Pan American rankings.

According to head coach and president of the Guyana Hockey Board

(GHB), Philip Fernandes, the team did not qualify for a spot in the competition, but managed to secure a place after Cuba withdrew from the tournament. After entering the competition as the lowest ranked team, Guyana emerged sixth place out of the eight teams.

Their performance in Puerto Rico permitted Guyana to then enter the PAHF Challenge in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July 2011.

The Guyanese ladies were surprise finalists, registering victories against Paraguay and Bermuda, a draw with hosts Brazil and lost only to eventual winners Uruguay.

The top two finishers in the PAHF Challenge qualified for the prestigious PAHF Cup, which is the region’s World continued on page 31

Guyana’s national women’s hockey team will face Canada on Saturday in Mendoza, Argentina (Kerensa Fernandes FB photo)

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