VISITORS AND LOCALS AND ENJOY A NIGHT OF FUN, LOVE AND EXCITEMENT AT MOON TOWN, ST. LUCY, BARBADOS KARAOKE AND SEA CAT LIME FROM 8 P.M. SEA CAT WOULD BE SOLD AT HALF PRICE AND RUM PUNCH WOULD BE IN ABUNDANCE. HAPPY HOUR IS EVERY HOUR. DON’T YOU MISS IT.
It was considered a lifeline thrown to the sport of power lifting locally when the Guyana Power Lifting Federation (GPLF) yesterday received a large quantity of weights from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony and 2008 NAPF Caribbean Championship best lifter Randolph Morgan hold one of the 25KG plates yesterday when the sport ministry handed over a quantity of internationally-specified weights to the GPLF. (Rawle Toney photo)
Meanwhile, the weights could not have come at a better time as Guyana is preparing to send a three-man team to the Pan American Power Lifting Championship which is set for August 4-9 in Miami, USA.
North American Power Lifting Federation regional champion ‘Big’ John Edwards will spearhead the team which will also feature Caribbean Championship best lifter Randolph Morgan and Mervin ‘Spongy’ Moses.
President of the Federation Peter Green said that it was due to the showing of Guyana’s athletes at the Caribbean Championships this year that Guyana had won the bid to host the event next year.
However, a date for the staging of the fourth edition of the event has not yet been set due to the fact that Guyana is set to have a busy year where international events are concerned.
However, the sport ministry already has pledged its support behind the GPLF with Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony adding that the event would fall within their calendar of events.
The equipment handed over yesterday was valued at $770,000 and according to Green it might not seem as much to the rest of the world, but to power lifting it is deemed a lifeline.
He added that since the sport unlike many others are not aided by an overseas arm or can make some returns from gates, the high cost of the much needed weights was seen as almost impossible to meet and that is what made yesterday’s presentation so important.
“This has been a culmination of a long dream in power lifting because you see we have the personnel, we have the human resources, but we do not have the equipment so I made a request to the minis ter and the director of sports and I am more than elated to see this has materialized. It means more than so much to this sport right now so we want to give our heartfelt thanks to the sport ministry in fulfilling one of our lifelong dreams,” Green added.
Anthony in his response said that it was the persistent attitude of the association and the way they engaged his ministry that resulted in them making yesterday’s presentation a reality.
Anthony said that the sport ministry contacted the international body who was able to get the prices at a discount and that’s why they have the internationally recommended type of weights.
He is of the opinion that since the local athletes have been competing with distinction with the contemporary weights they had, their performance could only get better using the internationally approved weights.
“With the equipment that we have had, we have been able to produce quite startling results and I think that in itself had encouraged us to help.
“When we talk about sports, it has to be team work, it has to be commitment from the people who are involved, the association, the federation, the athletes themselves and also collaboration from corporate Guyana and the public sector and I think once we have this type of team work, sports would move forward,” Minister Anthony stated.
Stabroek News (Guyana)
The Caricom Secretariat’s Office of the General Counsel recently hosted a three-day regional capacity-building workshop for member states on treaty law and practice in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The course was organized in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) Treaty Section of the Office of Legal Affairs, a press release from the Secretariat said. It was held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General’s office of St Vincent and the Grenadines from July 15-17.
The UN Secretary-General has identified the consolidation and the advancement of the rule of law at the national and international levels as among the Organisation’s most important goals and this training served to further that goal by bringing together officials of the ministries of foreign affairs and justice, private practitioners as well as judges and attorneys general.
Judith Jones Morgan, Attorney General of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Cheryl Thompson-Barrow, General Counsel, Caricom and Annebeth Rosenboom, Chief of the Treaty Section of the Office of Legal Affairs, representing the UN, were among those who delivered opening statements at the seminar.
General presentations were given on international treaty law, participation in multilateral treaties and the depositary practice of the UN Secretary-General, the registration of treaties under Article 102 of the UN Charter and reservations and declarations by officials of the Treaty Section of the Office of Legal Affairs. Caricom institutions, final clauses of treaties, the implementation of treaties in domestic law, and the Secretariat’s practice on registration and depositary matters were covered by Secretariat officials and other specialists in treaty law and practice from the Region.
The final day of the workshop focused on discussing future plans for the Community with respect to treaties and requests from the UN family of offices and programmes that could assist member states to implement treaties on the domestic level, in collaboration with the Secretariat.
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 flowing from the roadmap, and which are ready, could be considered for European Development Fund (EDF) funding in 2010. In addition, the necessary steps will be immediately taken to ensure that institutions are eligible for EDF funding.
Both sides agreed to the establishment of a Trust Fund for Infrastructure in partnership with the European Investment Bank, the most pressing issue being agreement on the proposed governance structure.
Both sides agreed also to the importance of enhancing cooperation between the CARIFORUM states, OCTs and DOMs in the Caribbean region. They also agreed to pursue discussions to identify cooperation possibilities in the areas of civil protection/disaster preparedness and mitigation, building on existing initiatives and in order to avoid duplication.
Assessing
opportunities
To this end, the release noted, a study will be rapidly launched to assess opportunities.
The two sides committed to these agreements when CARIFORUM and regional organisations and non-state actors met with representatives of the European Commission (EC), EU member states and the European Investment Bank last Saturday in Antigua and Barbuda.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Senator Charlotte Tessa Mangal, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs, Saint Lucia and Stefano Manservisi, Director-General for Development, European Commission, the release said.
Meanwhile, enhancing the political dialogue, both at national and regional levels between Europe and the Caribbean, is a cornerstone of relations between the two regions.
In this context, work on a joint strategy for EU-Caribbean relations could start in the run up to the EU-LAC and EU-CARIFORUM summits scheduled to be held in May 2010 in Spain.
The central purpose of the meeting was to discuss the roadmap on regional integration and cooperation which sets out the region’s priorities, resource requirements and implementation mechanisms, including the use of resources of the 10th European Development Fund.
Adverse impacts
In the course of their exchanges on commodities, the CARIFORUM member states drew the EC’s attention to the adverse impacts likely to result from some of the proposals currently being considered by EC negotiators.
In particular, the banana tariff reduction schedule under consideration to be offered to the Central and Latin American banana producers will involve more significant losses for the CARIFORUM countries than the EC seems to have anticipated. However, they agreed to continue discussion on this matter, the release noted.
In regard to rum, the EC undertook to assess all legal possibilities for further extension of the Rum Programme with a view to allowing utilisation of all unused resources of the programme.
Moreover, both sides underscored that regional integration and cooperation are pivotal to the development needs of the Caribbean countries and of particular relevance in the context of the region’s integration into the global economy.
They added that a critical aspect of this is through the implementation of the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
They also emphasised the importance of cooperation and integration in the region’s efforts to confront global challenges, including those of climate change and the economic and financial crisis.
In this context, the two parties agreed that the roadmap on Caribbean Regional Integration and Cooperation provides a holistic framework aimed at ensuring coherence and ownership by CARIFORUM member states of the region’s concrete actions for regional integration, identified needs, priorities and timelines.
A dynamic tool
The roadmap also serves as a tool for aid effectiveness and donor coordination, providing a mechanism for identification of areas of support by the various international development partners.
The release said further that the roadmap is conceived as a dynamic tool, where each component will be further elaborated depending on the progress of regional integration and political will.
Discussions were also held between the European Com-mission and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the commission expressed support for the OECS eight-point strategy for attenuating the financial crisis being coordinated by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).
In this regard, the EC agreed to facilitate the release of existing budget support to the eligible OECS countries; consider possibilities for additional funding from instruments such as the Vulner- ability Flex mechanism for which the OECS will submit a request; and support the OECS efforts under the Caribbean Regional Indica-tive Programme.
LIME could be sending home 150 staff members by the end of the month.
This is the report reaching the WEEKEND NATION following a meeting attended by senior staff at the telecommunications company earlier this week.
When contacted, country manager at LIME, Alex McDonald, said the company was expecting to resume consultation with the Barbados Workers’ Union over staff changes at its business in Barbados.
He said these consultations were not at an advanced stage, adding that LIME would reserve any public comment until the parties had concluded its discussions.
The company, formerly Cable & Wireless Ltd, has gradually been cutting staff over the years. The last cut occurred last April, when the company closed its local contact centre and sent home about 100 staff members.
Earlier this year outgoing CEO Richard Dodd reported that layoffs in Barbados would be bigger than the other Caribbean territories because LIME Barbados made up about a quarter of the overall staff.
At that time he also disclosed that there were 850 employees and about 250 could be severed.
The WEEKEND NATION was unable to reach Sir Roy Trotman, general secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union. (MB)
SPLIT PEAS AND RICE; VEGETABLE CHOWMEIN
MACARONI PIE; FRIED CHICKEN; CREAMED POTATOES
BUFFALO CHICKEN; GRILLED FISH
FRIED FISH; BBQ SPARE RIBS
LAMB STEW; FISH GRAVY
STEAMED VEGS; TOSSED SALADS
Doreen Brady-West, chairperson of the Coalition of Defence for Life. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer The Coalition of Defence for Life continued to advocate for an end to abortions in Jamaica on Tuesday.
The group’s chairman, Dr Doreen Brady-West, spoke on the issue at the Corpus Christi Monastery, downtown Kingston, where, she said, the sanctity of life, the stability of family and support for women were some of the ideas which brought the coalition into existence.
According to her, abortion goes against all those ideals, making the intervention of the group necessary, through talks and a petition, which they presented to parliament, and which, she says, has accumulated over 87,000 signatures.
Speak out against injustice
“This is our alternative to protecting the life of the unborn,” she said. “The Church must not be silent when injustice is being done,” she declared, while noting the contribution of the Church to the abolition of slavery.
Meanwhile, at least one person thinks that even if a woman is raped or is a victim of incest she should still carry the child to term. “We cannot allow the Government to stand on a platform together and present those exceptions because they will use it against us. We have to make sure that we can stand on a platform and say that abortion is wrong in every situation,” declared Rev Monsignor Kenneth Richards.
He says many women who go to Mary’s Child, which takes in girls who have been victims of rape and incest, ranging from age 10 to 16, and want to have an abortion, end up trying their best to keep the child.
At the beginning they are told that they will be facilitated and assisted in bringing the child to term, then after that the child will we offered for adoption if they cannot keep it. However, Monsignor Richards explained that after the birth of the baby 100 per cent of the mothers refuse to part with them, and some find exceptional means of being with their child.
Too young
“Some even run away because of the thought that they are too young to keep the child, just to make sure they get to keep it,” revealed Richards.
This, he says, proves that it is not good for persons to make decisions while they are in trauma, but do so after analysing the situation.
“What we need to do is support persons who are experiencing trauma, especially in that particular situation.”
Commenting on the need for support, Father Richard Ho Lung says the facility that will open in September to house 200 mothers and 200 babies is not just for Roman Catholics, as all mothers in the Corporate Area can access the services.
Two Jamaican companies are among eight in the region that have advanced to the finals of the Pioneers of Prosperity’s Caribbean Awards Programme for small and medium business enterprises (SME).Spatial Innovisions Limited, Land Mapping and Consultancy firm and Totally Male Spa and Club Limited are Jamaican finalists from among a pool of 155 applications from Jamaica.
An impressive total of 580 small and medium business enterprises throughout the Caribbean that entered the competition were whittled down to eight finalists with Jamaica, The Bahamas, Belize, Guyana, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago making up the territories represented.
For being country winners, the (SMEs) are to receive a US$40,000 grant to invest in training and technical infrastructure.
In the regional finals, teams will compete for the prestigious title of Pioneer of Prosperity Caribbean along with a handsome grand prize of US$60,000 at the final awards ceremony in Montego Bay in September.
Karl Samuda, minister of industry, investment
and commerce, addressing the awardees, said they were entrepreneurs of the highest calibre and although capital was important, being an entrepreneur was also about creativity, confidence and commitment.
Silburn Clarke, Spatial Innovisions Limited’s president and chief executive officer, told other operators to live their passion and never give up.
“Its extremely important that your creativity be converted into solutions,” he said.
From dream to reality
Totally Male Spa and Club Limited owner, Sandra Samuels, said entrepreneurship was very challenging, as it meant taking your idea from dream to reality.
In encouraging potential entrepreneurs she said:
“It is important to believe in yourself and stay focused.The people who get on in this world are people who do not talk about the bad circumstances, but look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, make them.”
Mocking Bird Hill Hotel in Portland also received honourable mention for its contribution to sustainable development and ecotourism.
The Pioneers of Prosperity’s Caribbean Awards Programme is a subsidiary of Pioneers of Prosperity, a global programme that seeks to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs in emerging economies.
Left: Audley Shaw, minister of finance and the public service. Right: Omar Davies, opposition spokesman on finance. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer.
The Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) has put the country on high alert for further wage freezes and public-sector job cuts.
Vice-president of the JCTU, Danny Roberts, on Wednesday described Jamaica’s return to a borrowing relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as “inevitable”, and said the consequences of borrowing from the IMF may be grave, arguing that the conditionalities could impact jobs and income.
“We need to brace ourselves for the possibility of a wage freeze, cut in the public sector employment, whether it is done on a phased basis over time, devaluation, higher interest rates and accelerated privatisation of public assets,” Roberts said.
He added that “this is the kind of monetary and fiscal measures at least nine countries have experienced under the IMF since September 2008″.
Finance Minister Audley Shaw on Tuesday told Parliament that Cabinet has empowered him to borrow from the IMF.
Shock treatment
Responding to whether there would be massive job losses in the public sector, Shaw said, “There is no immediate plan for Government to provide any kind of shock treatment to the public sector.”
He also said that he intended to drive down interest rates but did not elaborate on a plan for achieving that goal.
However, the finance minister hinted that the country’s internal creditors were enlightened and may be willing to accept lower rates on coupons.
However, Opposition Spokesman on Finance Dr Omar Davies cautioned him not to use the words of the creditors as a platform for optimism, suggesting that Govern-ment show a credible route towards cutting interest rates.
Meanwhile, Roberts said the Government has to be upfront about the possible conditionalities for the return to the IMF. The JCTU vice-president also said that Government needs to put in place viable structural measures to improve Jamaica’s capacity to earn the foreign exchange.
“It has to take place within the context of a macroeconomic strategy that sees the state playing an activist role in stimulating the economy, promoting decent work and providing the kind of social safety net that protects the poor and the vulnerable,” Roberts said.
Antigua Sun
Minister of Agriculture Hilson Baptiste has given a clear indication that “cutting-edge technology” will be installed at agricultural stations around the island to raise crop yields and boost production.
Baptiste, fresh from the 29th executive committee meeting organised by the Inter –American Institute for Co-oporation on Agriculture (IICA), in Costa Rica said technology to boost agriculture was the main focus of the discussions during the gathering.
This session was dubbed one of the most important for agriculture and rural life in the Americas. Technology, the minister noted, will assist Antigua to secure food security and cut production costs.
“That is the new direction that we will have to take in Antigua and Barbuda,” said Baptiste, “Any country that is serious about agriculture has to consider going the technological route.”
He explained that during the trip, the team of ministers from 34 countries, visited several farms in Costa Rica. “I was thrilled to see the line of production. All the different aspects of agriculture on the farm were controlled by computers.”
Like, Costa Rica, Baptiste noted that, Antigua cannot produce all crops on a large –scale. “We must pick three crops and produce it well….Greenhouse technology will enhance production year –round and reduce the cost.”
But, in order for agriculture to be able to satisfy the national food plan, the minister is adamant “We must stick to standards, food safety and sell our programmes properly.”
He noted that in order for this to happen, the agricultural sector would have to adopt new and modern technology.
He explained that while at the executive meeting in Costa Rica, Antigua was the only country without an agriculture Web site. “Every country has stepped up to the plate technologically…we are losing out in Antigua without a Web site.”
In this connection, a Web site is currently being built for the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environment.
