Shipwrecked Haitians tell of ordeal as search ends

Reprinted from the Jamaica Observer

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos — The young man was weak and alone when searchers found him on an uninhabited island shortly before authorities ended the hunt for victims of the sinking of a rickety sailboat crowded with people fleeing Haiti's poverty.

Fifteen migrants were confirmed dead, 118 were rescued and about 70 others remained missing when the United States Coast Guard and local officials called a halt to search efforts late yesterday afternoon after a 52-hour operation that covered more than 1,500 square miles (3,800 square kilometers) of ocean.

In the hours before the search came to an end, a Haitian man in his 20s was discovered on an uninhabited island of West Caicos and was flown to Providenciales for medical treatment, a police spokesman, Sergeant Calvin Chase, said.

No details were available on his ordeal, but other migrants began to give a fuller picture of the disaster.

There was no warning when the overcrowded sailboat plowed into a coral reef and began to break apart near the Turks and Caicos Islands. In the darkness, some 200 migrants were plunged into the water, grabbing desperately at anything that might keep them afloat.

Joanel Pierre, a skinny 18-year-old, lifted his gray t-shirt yesterday to display the scratches clawed into his body by drowning shipmates.

"The ones who knew how to swim, swam," he told The Associated Press, speaking quietly and averting his eyes.

"The ones who didn't, died."

Thursday July 30th, 09

No sign of missing Haitian migrants

Reprinted from the Jamaica Observer

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands (AFP) - Hopes dimmed yesterday for finding some 70 Haitian migrants still missing on the third day of search and rescue operations after their boat capsized in open waters off the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Rescuers continued to scour the area at dawn, but said they were not hopeful they would find more survivors among those who left the Americas' poorest country.

Local police, who are being assisted by the US Coast Guard, discovered overnight another body floating in the shark-infested waters, bringing the death toll to 16 passengers. Read full article

Thursday July 30th, 09

MARKET VENDOR: Guyana should declare war on US

RECENTLY, I Market Vendor was struck by the amount of hostility we all have as Caribbean people for one another and wonder whether we will ever be as one.

And while a lot of hostility has been directed at Bubbadus for the perception that Guyanese were being being targeted for deportation and mistreatment, I have to ask a few pertinent questions about Guyana.

Explain to me how a country with such vast resources, gold and other minerals, apparently oil, water, wild hog, wild duck (and other kinds of wild meat) all kinds of seafood and fresh water food, rivers and mountains, savannahs with thousands of head of cattle, majestic waterfalls, rivers and rapids, unihabited islands bigger than Bubbadus, every type of wood known to man and womankind, good woods that last long and never break, good squash players, great cricketers and poor footballers, real bright people (Bubbadus benefit from plenty of them - Massey, Nicolson, Defreitas, Allsop, Ramphal, Drayton (the late) da Silva, Choy, Foster, Mcdonald, Leacock, Rodney and many more - how come this country that got all that is in such a poor state? Continue reading

July 29th, 09

85 Haitians missing after boat capsizes

Reprinted from the Nation News

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos - An overloaded sailboat carrying Haitian migrants sank off the Turks and Caicos Islands, and as many as 85 people were missing, the United States Coast Guard said yesterday.

An estimated 200 people were aboard the boat when it capsized Monday afternoon, said Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Johnson, a Coast Guard spokeswoman in Miami. One survivor said the boat struck a reef as it tried to elude police.

The Coast Guard was optimistic daylight would help it find more survivors.

"We're really hoping we can find as many people as possible," Johnson said.

Rescuers found 113 survivors stranded on two reefs...Read full article here

July 29th, 09

6 000 seeking status

Reprinted from the Nation News

THERE IS A BACKLOG OF UP TO 6 000 Caribbean nationals seeking immigrant status in Barbados.

And to clear up the backlog, up to five review panels will have to be established.

This was revealed last night by Prime Minister David Thompson during a nationally televised Press conference from his official residence, Ilaro Court.

According to Thompson, the backlog was largely the fault of the previous Owen Arthur Administration which had failed to take decisive measures to address the issue. Read full article here

July 29th, 09

PM showers Patterson with praise for role in CARICOM

Reprinted from the Jamaica Gleaner

Political leaders buried their differences on Monday to pay tribute to former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson who was recently conferred with the Order of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Leading the way was Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller.

Golding said Patterson's commitment to Caribbean regionalism was unquestionable.

"No one can question the contribution he has made to Caribbean development. No one can question the quality of leadership he has offered to the Caribbean Community. Read full article here

July 29th, 09

Guyana: 'Evidence in hand'

Reprinted from Stabroek News

GEORGETOWN - Authorities in Barbados are now in possession of documented allegations of ill-treatment of Guyanese deported from the island.

Guyana's Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett told the Stabroek News on Wednesday that the complaints gathered at the ministry and the consulate in Barbados, were forwarded to Bridgetown for attention and she was awaiting word from the authorities in Barbados.

July 24th, 09

OUR CARIBBEAN: Caricom’s thinking on migration

THE PRESIDENT of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, said in Georgetown earlier this week that free intra-regional movement of Caribbean Community nationals was an “essential element” of CARICOM’s Single Market and Economy (CSME).
And so it is. This much emerged as a consensus of Heads of Government at their recent summit in Guyana that received information on a mandated audit on readiness-arrangements for the CSME. That consideration coincided with cross-border controversies over reported hostile treatment meted out to claimed CARICOM illegal immigrants. Read full article here

July 24th, 09

CARIFORUM to refine roadmap on regional integration for EC

by Stabroek staff

CARIFORUM countries (member states of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific states) have committed to further refining the roadmap on Caribbean Regional Integration and Cooperation for submission to the European Commission by September/October 2009.

A press release from the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, said that this version will clearly identify various implementing mechanisms, including funding through regional institutions and national programmes.

And in this context, the release stated, it was agreed that those projects... continue reading

July 24th, 09

Dominican Republic: The Financial Cost of Undocumented Haitian Immigrants

Sunday July 19th, 2009

by Rocio Diaz

The countries of the Dominican Republic and Haiti share the same island, which has commonly been known as Hispaniola ever since its discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1492. During that time, the island was compromised of the same territory and remained that way until 1697, with the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick, Spain ceded the western part of the island to France, which was renamed Saint-Domingue.

This colony was gradually populated by African slaves, and who eventually rebelled against their French colonizers. It was in this manner in 1804 that Haiti was born, becoming the first independent country in Latin America. By 1822, Haiti had total control of the island... continue reading article here

Fewer Guyanese deported recently from Barbados- reports

By Heppilena Ferguson | July 21, 2009 

-but future still hazy, no common regional position

There has been a reduction in the number of Guyanese being deported from Barbados, recent reports indicate, seven weeks after that country enforced an immigration policy which stirred region-wide debate about illegal immigrants.

From the time the David Thompson-led administration announced its policy on May 5, deportations recorded by the local immigration authorities had risen to a total of 53 as at the end of June. However senior immigration sources have said that there has since been a reduction, adding that there is no indication that many of the persons returning from Barbados were deported. Read full article here

Song about Guyanese women creating uproar in Barbados

Listen to the song below:

Madd ft Guyanese Girl - GT Advice(Crop Over 2009)

...and listen to the Bajan woman response and read article below:

Thicky Sweets - Keep Yuh Guyanese Wine(Crop Over 2009)

By Gaulbert Sutherland | June 22, 2009 in Local News

Who sleeps in a church dress and petticoat, prepares sardines and biscuits for dinner, covers their bodies in candle grease, snaps like an alligator and calls immigration in matters of a mate?

I would give you the answer but I’m afraid that I’d be banned for life from the Land of the Flying Fish. Not that I’m in a hurry to get there after the song “GT Advice” but I’ve heard that the beaches are among the best in the Caribbean. But that’s minor and there is always St. Lucia anyway.

So a bit of advice for the Guyanese men: appreciate the women in your lives more and never, I repeat never, go looking for that special someone in Barbados. Unless of course…Read full article here

On the Map DVD's Now Available

Get your copy of On the Map at a Chubbies Video Store near you. Now available at these locations at a price of $28.75...

Chubbies Video Stores, Barbados:
Haggatt Hall- Trimart Supermarket Complex
Black Rock- Stanmore Crescent
Six Roads- Emerald City Complex
Speightstown- Jordans Complex
Sheraton Mall
Oistins Plaza
Warren's- Super Centre Complex
Julie'n- Julie 'n' Mall Bridge Street

No stay, no school

Reprinted from Stabroek news

Education minister takes firm stance against foreign students (Antigua Sun) – A stern warning has gone out to non-national parents who may be pondering getting their children into the school system next term.

If the children are in the country vacationing, the Ministry of Education has firmly stated that they will not be enrolled in any educational institution under the government’s oversight in Antigua and Barbuda.

“This year, September 2009, persons who come to Antigua and Barbuda, we are saying to them please enjoy your vacation and return to your country,” Minister of Education Dr Jacqui Quinn-Leandro said during a press conference on Thursday. Read full article here

Barbados complying with CSME obligations

Reprinted from the Barbados Advocate

Barbados is fully complying with the obligations under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

This was reiterated on Wednesday evening, by Prime Minister David Thompson, as he addressed a business meeting of the Association of Freemasons.

Mr. Thompson said...Read full article

July 19th, 2009

Top artists battle visa clampdown in the UK

Antony Gormley is leading major arts figures in an attack on security controls which prevent star international performers from entering the UK

Leading figures from the art world, including Antony Gormley and Nicholas Hytner, have launched a campaign to reverse stringent visa controls which they claim are preventing top foreign musicians, actors and artists from visiting Britain.

They say that immigration laws introduced last year are restricting artistic freedom and have called on the Home Office to review them. Read full article here

Passports options for Bajans abroad

BARBADOS machine readable passports are to be issued to nationals who apply at this country's embassies and consulates overseas.

An official statement said the Immigration Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would shortly embark on the programme which will see Government extending the issue of the new format.

This will ensure that Barbados complies with the requirement of the International Civil Aviation Authority that all travellers should have a machine readable passport by November 2010. Read full article

July 16th, 2009

Public service critical to integration

– Carrington

Caricom Secretary-General Edwin Carrington says the public service is critical to advancing regional integration arrangements, in his address at the Caribbean Centre of Development Administration (CARICAD) meeting last Wednesday.

“The public service must be made aware of their integral role in advancing the objectives and implementing the decisions of the Caribbean Community,” Carrington told the 29th CARICAD Board meeting held at the Caricom Secretariat. In a press release Caricom said CARICAD focuses through various interventions, on upgrading and strengthening the managerial capability of the public sector for the more effective implementation of public policy across the Region. Read full article

July 16th, 2009

Requiem for the CRNM

The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) has ceased to exist after operating in various organisational configurations since 1995. Its functions are to be transferred to the Office of Trade Negotiations.

It is our view that what is being passed off as a mere rebranding is a triumph of form over performance. 
During its operation, the CRNM completed the Cuba-Caricom trade agreement, the Caricom-Dominican Republic trade agreement and the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreements (the first such agreement). Read full article

July 15th, 2009

Economic union and PM Gonsalves

AS THE communique has confirmed, the just-concluded 30th Heads of Government Conference in Guyana had nothing to say about the much-discussed issue of a proposed economic union involving the independent countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Trinidad and Tobago.

But I happen to know that this subject, one of current concern to many in this country over the lack of public consultation, was discussed, on the initiative of Prime Minister Patrick Manning, at a caucus session during the three-day Caricom summit. Read full article

July 15th, 2009

Remittances to Latin America, Caribbean to drop by 6.9% - World Bank

Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean have dropped significantly in the first half of this year, according to the World Bank, and are forecast to decrease by 6.9% overall.

In a statement on Monday, the Bank said that remittance flows to developing countries are predicted to decline by 7.3% in 2009. The Bank released its updated estimates on the sidelines of an International Diaspora and Development Conference being held in Washington. For the Latin America and Caribbean region, the new forecasts show a -6.9 percent decline in remittances while it was stated too that flows to this region are expected to level off, with a smaller decline in the second half of 2009. Read full article

July 15th, 2009

What is Barbados’ capacity to host a CARICOM national migrant population?

by Annalee Davis

Concern has been expressed about the excessive numbers of CARICOM nationals taking up too many places in Barbadian schools. From 2006 – 2007, 2.3% of students in primary and secondary schools were CARICOM nationals, ie. out of 40,276 students, 930 are CARICOM nationals. From July to December 2007, 1,214 students received student visas (including tertiary) and 181 students renewed their visas.

Statistics all show that while some schools are under capacity, others are over capacity...Read full text here

Islamophobia Claims the Life of Pregnant Woman

Marwa al-Sherbini, a thirty-two year old pharmacist pregnant with her second child, was at a park in Germany one day and asked a man to leave a swing for her three year old. The man responded by calling her names including "terrorist" and tried to pull off her headscarf. She brought him to court, and won the case, resulting in a 750 euro fine for the perpetrator, simply identified as Alex W. He in turn brought the case to court to appeal, and at the courthouse, ran across the room and stabbed al-Sherbini eighteen times. Her husband Elwi Okaz is in critical condition after being attacked by Alex W., as well as mistakenly being shot at by a guard. 

In al-Sherbini's native Egypt there has been an outpouring of sympathy and mourning... continue reading

Obama's Ghana Speech

An excerpt from President Obama's Ghana speech...

We all have many identities — of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division.

We are all God's children. We all share common aspirations — to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families, our communities, and our faith. That is our common humanity.

That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. 

- President Obama

Read Obama's full speech here

Immigrant workers most vulnerable to displacement

Reprinted from Stabroek News

-Commonwealth Parliamentary Association finds

As regional governments seek to prevent social security collapse in the wake of the global economic downturn, immigrant workers are emerging among the groups most vulnerable to displacement.

This was among the findings reported yesterday during the working sessions of the 34th Annual Regional Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), which was told that upholding parliamentary democracy remains crucial to confronting the challenges created by the financial crisis.Working sessions began yesterday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, at Liliendaal. Among the topics discussed were the “Global Economic Crisis and its Consequences for the Region,” “Dealing with the Social Impact of the Economic Crisis,” “Priorities for Spending for Caribbean Governments” and the “Environment and Climate Change.” Read full article here

July 14th, 2009

"No President should fear public scrutiny of his programme, for from that scrutiny comes understanding, and from that understanding comes support or opposition, and both are necessary."  -JFK

Click here to watch JFK's speech on Secret Societies

“We need to consider whether the scale upon which sameness and difference are calculated might be altered productively so that the strangeness of strangers goes out of focus and other dimensions of basic sameness can be acknowledged and made significant.”  

- Paul Gilroy, Author and Scholar of Cultural Studies

Guest Column: Water, food and Guyana

by KEN HEWITT

IN RECENT TIMES, water, food and Guyana have separately occupied the attention of the media but they seem to occupy my mind simultaneously and as inextricably linked.

Barbadians are a supposedly intelligent people. They are aware of the importance of water and know that Barbados is a water scarce country. But you will never guess this by merely observing how we use and misuse water.

Some 15 years ago, John Connell, obviously frustrated by the absurd attitude and behaviour of Barbadians towards the use of water, published... continue reading

July 12th, 2009

Lawyer's appeal to PM

by BARRY ALLEYNE

FRUSTRATED by the slow wheels of justice, a Barbadian attorney-at-law is now pleading with Prime Minister David Thompson to take a personal interest in the welfare of a client who has been imprisoned without trial.

Attorney-at-law Veronica McFarlane has written a personal letter to the Prime Minister in a last-ditch effort to free Cuban national Oslay Rafael Sotero Corbo, who has been in prison here for over a year.

Corbo has been incarcerated since last January, though he has not been sentenced for a crime or been placed on remand by the court system... continue reading

July 12th, 2009

In the Diaspora... "One life: so many bridges, so many lessons"

by Alissa Trotz (Director of Caribbean Studies at the University of Toronto, and editor of the In the Diaspora column)

On a wintry afternoon two days ago, hundreds of mourners gathered at the Weston Pentecostal church in Toronto to pay their last respects to Basmattee Dharamlall, known to us all by her calling name, Desiree, who died at the age of 54 after a prolonged battle with cancer. Born and raised in West Coast Berbice, one of five children, she was a single parent who worked inside and outside the home, sometimes at more than one job, to raise her three children, Tony, Tracy and Aubrey. When I met her in September 2001, she had just arrived in Toronto through a charitable organization that had sponsored an urgent medical visit for her youngest son, then 15 years old. His procedure went well, but a few months later Desiree would be diagnosed with advanced cancer, and remained in Canada for treatment. She was active in all sorts of ways, from the Guyanese community to church groups to the walks for cancer she participated in each year. Read full article

November 24th, 2008

Note: Although this article was published back in November 2008, my recent discovery of it, and its continued relevance require posting on this blog several months later.

Oxford University Speech, March 2001 by Michael Jackson

(From www.allmichaeljackson.com)

Thank you, thank you dear friends, from the bottom of my heart, for such a loving and spirited welcome, and thank you, Mr President, for your kind invitation to me which I am so honoured to accept. I also want to express a special thanks to you Shmuley, who for 11 years served as Rabbi here at Oxford. You and I have been working so hard to form Heal the Kids, as well as writing our book about childlike qualities, and in all of our efforts you have been such a supportive and loving friend. And I would also like to thank Toba Friedman, our director of operations at Heal the Kids, who is returning tonight to the alma mater where she served as a Marshall scholar, as well as Marilyn Piels, another central member of our Heal the Kids team.
I am humbled to be lecturing in a place that has previously been filled by such notable figures as Mother Theresa, Albert Einstein, Ronald Reagan, Robert Kennedy and Malcolm X. I’ve even heard that Kermit the Frog has made an appearance here, and I’ve always felt a kinship with Kermit’s message that it’s not easy being green. I’m sure he didn’t find it any easier being up here than I do! Read full speech here

Chinese succumbs to fall from ministry building

by Gyasi Gonzales (reprinted from the Trinidad & Tobago Express)

A Chinese national who suffered serious injuries after falling several metres off the Ministry of Education Tower, Port of Spain, on June 28 has died at hospital.

The worker, identified as Zun Hua Zheng, 46, who was employed with the Shanghai Construction Group, had been warded at the Westshore Medical Centre, Cocorite, and had undergone two separate operations before he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.

In the meantime, officers of the Central Police Station are investigating the death of another Chinese national.

The Chinese national who reportedly committed suicide on June 27 by jumping into the waters off the International Financial Centre, at the Waterfront, Port of Spain, has been identified as Xiao Su Chao.

July 10th, 2009

Doin' dem Bajan back

by Stabroek staff

There is probably some measure of validity to the point made by President Bharrat Jagdeo that the current travails of Guyanese residing illegally in Barbados may well have a great deal to do with a measure of earned eye pass arising from the fact that many of us are inclined to run down our own country to ‘outsiders.’ That, however, is very much a parochial point, which, we assume, was not intended to become part of the President’s substantive approach to tackling the issue, that issue being the customary coarse treatment of Guyanese travelling to and living in Barbados by our Caricom brothers and sisters and now, the ignominy of wholesale eviction from their island. Read full article here

Miners concerned about illegal Brazilians

by Alva Solomon

-Raise questions about low carbon strategy

The influx of illegal Brazilian miners in parts of the Hinterland and the manner in which they conduct their operations is of major concern to some stakeholders in the local mining industry.

This was among the issues discussed at the 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) yesterday, where a few persons who have been in the mining industry for a number of years noted that the authorities, namely the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs need to get their acts together where foreigners working illegally in Guyana is concerned. Read full article here

House backs AFC motion on Guyanese in the region

by Mark McGowan

After a contentious debate, the National Assembly last evening unanimously supported the AFC’s motion which urged the government to make all possible diplomatic and legal efforts to protect the rights of Guyanese nationals in Barbados and other Caricom states, ensuring there is no discrimination on the basis of nationality.

The debate on the motion was marred by excessive heckling and flared tempers which forced... continue reading

OUR CARIBBEAN: Of sovereignty, immigrants and statistics

NOW THAT the Caribbean Community's 30th Heads of Government Conference in Guyana is over, it is relevant to note that the controversy that erupted over the issue of "sovereign right" by a member state to introduce its "domestic immigration policy" should not have been manifested as occurred as this right was NOT questioned by ANY government of CARICOM. In existence for 36 years, CARICOM is recognised as a "community of sovereign states" committed to regional economic integration and functional cooperation with the creation of a single market and single economy (CSME) under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas as its flagship project. Read full article here 

July 10th, 2009

They gave back to society

WITHIN THE PAST THREE WEEKS, this island has lost two of the most illustrious people to have lived within these shores. The first to leave us was Professor Dr Richard Allsopp, and earlier this week, Mrs Kathleen Drayton died at age 73.

Neither was a native Barbadian, but they came to us from Guyana and both distinguished themselves by dint of hard work, application to duty, and a commitment to a cause which is worthy of emulation by those of us who are yet left to carry on the tasks entrusted to us.

Both Allsopp and Drayton had much in common. They were academics and intellectuals of the highest order... Read more

The breadbasket

During the past weeks, there has been much public discussion about Barbados' immigration policy for CARICOM nationals.

In May, Prime Minister David Thompson declared an amnesty for CARICOM nationals who had overstayed their time, giving them six months to turn themselves in, with a chance of being regularised.

The discourse however, has been mainly about the high influx of Guyanese into Barbados, their alleged ill-treatment by immigration officials and the strain that these illegals put on the island's resources.

Last Sunday, Part 1 of a series looking at the historical journey of Guyana/Barbados relations was published. Part 2 appeared on Wednesday. Today, we bring Part 3

by CHARLES HARDING

GUYANA, with its vast land resources, has always been regarded as the 'breadbasket' of the wider Caribbean... continue reading

Vaca Dam – 120 Belizeans axed for Chinese workers?

The 105-million-dollar Vaca hydro dam project has been hailed as a major investment for Belize, and particularly important in providing jobs for labourers in these increasingly tough economic times. However, reports to our newspaper today claim that roughly 120 Belizeans have been gradually let go for imported Chinese labour—allegations disputed by the developer, the Belize Electric Company Limited (BECOL). Read full article here

July 7th, 2009

Tribute to Kathleen Drayton

The officers and members of the Clement Payne Movement were shocked to learn of the untimely death of Mrs Kathleen B. Drayton, and consider that Barbados has lost one of its truly great citizens, and the Caribbean one of its most outstanding daughters.

The greatness of the late Kathleen Drayton was always clear to us in the Clement Payne Movement, and in the year 2007 our organisation conferred our highest honour upon her - the Clement Payne National Hero Award.

The bestowing of this ‘national’ award on Mrs Drayton was based upon the fact that she had given decades of self-less and exemplary service to the masses of the Caribbean people, and had zealously pursued the twin causes of social justice and national self-respect. Read more

July 8th, 2009

Are remittances pivotal to Guyana's development?

by Tarron Khemraj

Several commentators have recently expressed the view that remittances are important for Guyana’s economic development.  Indeed, one pro-government commentator noted remittances are “pivotal to development” (Misir 2009). Of course, the latter view is not altogether unfounded as there are several cross-country regression studies and reports from international organizations that tend to support that view.  However, I am not convinced by these cross-country studies and will explain why it is misleading to extrapolate the conclusions of these studies to the Guyana context.  I frame my arguments by taking into consideration the underlying structural characteristics of the Guyana economy.  These structures mitigate the long-term positive effects remittances could have in our context.  The key argument of this column is remittances are not pivotal to Guyana’s development but rather are engendered by our perpetual underdevelopment. Read full article here

July 8th, 2009

Caribbean integration

I am really at a loss to understand what is going on with respect to Caribbean integration and the likely costs and benefits to Trinidad and Tobago of the various initiatives. First we have the publication of the Trinidad and Tobago-Eastern Caribbean States Integration Task Force report (chaired by Vaughn Lewis a former prime minister of St Lucia and a UWI professor). This document, for those interested, can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: www.foreign.gov.tt.

Then there was the address to Parliament by Prime Minister Patrick Manning in which he introduced... continue reading

July 8th, 2009

Toying with Caricom's future

HOWEVER sincere they were in pursuing their agenda to advance the progress of Caricom at the just-concluded 30th Heads of Government Conference in Guyana, the region's leaders may have unwittingly succeeded in spawning more disappointment and cynicism.

This observation is made with much sadness and disappointment... continue reading article

July 8th, 2009

What the people say about... Caricom and what it means to them

by Stabroek staff, July 6th, 2009

Photos and interviews by Shabna Ullah

This week on What the People Say we asked persons, ‘What does Caricom mean to you?’ Here are their responses:

Melinda Hughes, teacher
`Caricom is actually to bring people together to share common interests and for me personal freedom because we are able to move from one member state to another freely. On the other hand, ever since the formation of Caricom the objectives that were set were not fully achieved, especially when it comes to free trade and free movement. As such the full meaning of Caricom has not been realized. As a citizen I am looking forward for the day when we would be able to move from one state to another hassle free.’ Read more responses here

Conclusions of the 30th Regular Meeting of the Conference, 2-5 July 2009, Georgetown, Guyana

The Thirtieth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was held at the Guyana International Convention Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, Guyana from 2-5 July 2009. The President of Guyana, His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo presided.

Read all conclusions here

Mother decries treatment of Guyanese girl at Piarco

by Stabroek staff

“She was treated like a criminal,” a Guyanese mother said yesterday as she related the “terrible treatment” her daughter was subjected to by immigration officials last week.

The woman, who requested anonymity, explained that her daughter left last Thursday for Trinidad. Her daughter, Reshma [not her real name] traveled to Trinidad to attend the wedding of a close relative.

However, when Reshma arrived at the Piarco International Airport, Trinidad on Thursday night the immigration official stamped “rejected” in her passport and she was instructed to return to Guyana on the next flight... Read more

July 6th, 2009

Caricom governance proposals for further discussion

by Stabroek staff

Despite a warning by former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson that they needed to do something urgently about implementing decision, Caricom Heads meeting in Georgetown last week are still to take a concrete decision.

The communiqué issued late Saturday night contained just one sentence on governance. It said, “Heads of Government reviewed the governance arrangements of the Community and expect to conclude their considerations on the basis of proposals to be advanced by the Secretary-General and the Task Force on Governance”.

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding (see photo above) had told reporters on Friday that... continue reading

July 6th, 2009

What is fun for lil boy is dead for crapaud

by Alissa Trotz, Editor of the weekly In the Diaspora Column

I woke up early yesterday to check Caricom’s website for the Communique coming out of the recently concluded 30th Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Guyana. Across the region, only the Guyanese media seemed to provide extensive early coverage of key decisions. While they had a homecourt advantage, one wonders why the regional press corps was not more vigilant about ensuring that these regional discussions were given critical attention in their Sunday newspapers. Should this not have been a priority? Read full article here

Bajan men sweet on Guyanese women

by SANKA PRICE

IT'S TRUE: Bajan men love Guyanese women. And Bajan women tend to be somewhat suspicious of Guyanese women.

Just ask Nalini Sukhram, the voice behind GT Advice. Wherever she goes in Barbados, men want to befriend her.

"If I pass a hundred men for the day, 99 want to know my name or want my phone number. I don't know what it is," she said. Read full article here

July 4th, 2009

Antigua to end 'liberal' immigration policy

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, July 3, 2009 - Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer says his country can no longer continue its "liberal" immigration policy and has made it clear that, in absence of a promised study on the impact of free movement on his twin-island nation, it could also not expand the categories of workers who can move there under the Revised Treaty that established the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME). Read full article here

St. Lucia PM suggest softer tone on immigration

Radio Jamaica, Thursday, 02 July 2009

St. Lucia's Prime Minister Stephenson King is urging CARICOM member states to imitate his country's soft approach to intra-regional immigration issues.

The St. Lucian leader says regional heads need to indicate whether they wish to proceed with Caribbean integration.

Mr. King gave his take on the way Barbados is handling the immigration issue.

"The position of Barbados is a little anxious, probably over anxious in its endeavor to demonstrate true nationalism or patriotism. But I think what we need to do is to have a clear understanding,

"We here in St. Lucia have over the years been very kind, very generous to many people throughout the region. Our courtesies extend right through and we have more or less adopted a soft approach in dealing with matters of immigration. We do have situations where we send people back to thei countries but in many instances there is an attitude of great tolerance and courtesy," said Mr. King.

Questions for Team Barbados and the Panelists on David Ellis’ Down to Brass Tacks Programme on Migration, Sunday, June 21 2009

Note: I submitted the article below to the Nation newspaper on June 23rd, since it has not been published I am posting it here.

by Annalee Davis

Current regional debate on the issue of intra-regional migration is expanding the discussion and forcing us to address some of the more complex issues surrounding the state of the CSME and intra-regional Caribbean migration. Given statements made by some of the panelists on Sunday’s Brass Tacks and in the Sunday Sun of the same date, where our Prime Minister denied knowledge of ‘house raids’ in Barbados, I thought it would be useful to pose questions to the panel, the relevant authorities and Team Barbados, in an effort to further contribute to the debate. Read full article here

Illegal migrants 'have rights'

by PHILLIPPE AIMEY

A UNIVERSITY LAW LECTURER says illegal immigrants have rights under the Constitution.

"The constitutional rights of a country are not limited to citizens," says Jeff Cumberbatch of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

Reports coming out of Guyana have accused Barbadian authorities of early morning raids rounding up illegal immigrants and hasty deportations without giving individuals a chance to collect their belongings. Read full article here

P.J. Patterson calls for a Caricom Executive Mechanism

Remarks at the Conferment of the Order of Caribbean Community at the 30th Caricom Heads of Government Conference, July 2, 2009

The greatest threat to the credibility of CARICOM lies squarely in the failure to implement solemn declarations and decisions made Conference after Conference. Surely mature regionalism will remain a pipe dream unless  authority is vested in an executive mechanism which is charged with full time responsibility for ensuring the implementation within a specified timeframe of the critical decisions taken by Heads or other designated organs of the Community.

For how much longer can a final decision be postponed on upgrading the institutional machinery if the Community is not to become comatose? Click here for Patterson speech 

Patterson: collapse not an option

by Stabroek staff

-But Caricom credibility at stake

He wasn’t inscribed as one of the scheduled speakers for the opening ceremony but former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson galvanized the audience last evening at the National Cultural Centre when he warned that the disintegration of Caricom was not an option but that its credibility had been wounded by failure to implement solemn declarations year after year.

Minutes after he was conferred with the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC), at the opening of the 30th Meeting of the Caricom Heads of Government in Georgetown, Patterson also made the long-argued case that an executive mechanism was needed to shepherd the implementation of Caricom decisions. The award – the highest within the Caribbean Community – was bestowed upon Patterson by President Bharrat Jagdeo, the new Chairman of Caricom. Read full article here

July 3rd, 2009