Promote region as one

Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), the Hon. Beverly Nicholson-Doty’s wish for the Caribbean tourism sector is that all countries commit to promoting the region as one destination throughout 2014.

“That we would each commit a percentage of our annual tourism budgets towards the marketing of a strong Caribbean brand so that the Caribbean Tourism Development Company, which we own jointly with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, can bolster our campaign for the region’s benefit.”

According to her, there is a major opportunity awaiting the region in both traditional and emerging markets.

She recalled that at the recent State of the Industry Conference, it was noted what the region needs to do to successfully pursue new sources of business while also solidifying our mainstay markets.

The Chairman is also urging governments in the New Year to come together to address the onerous taxes that suffocate our sector.

“While we will not soften our stance on requesting the British authorities address the Air Passenger Duty in a manner that is equitable, we cannot ignore the effects some of our own tax regimes are having on intra-regional travel.

“Allow me to challenge those who work in the industry to embrace your important role in this critically important sector. We need to truly deliver on the experience in the New Year, knowing full well that seemingly small acts of kindness can create a big impact in giving visitors reasons to recommend our destinations to others. Let us enter 2014 as proud nations and territories of the Caribbean, ready to work together in harmony to achieve results we richly deserve,” she expressed. (TL)

Caribbean urged to explore renewables to address energy costs

There is a call for regional collaboration to promote greater use of renewable technology in the Caribbean.

This comes from Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, to the recent Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum.

He said there appeared to be a “disconnect between understanding that renewable energy technology will facilitate less dependence on traditional sources of energy and fossil fuels … and the ability to implement and pursue a renewable energy agenda”.

According to Ramdin, electricity and energy costs in the Caribbean are generally very high and for the majority of islands, “the effect on the cost of almost all goods and services is high, ultimately undermining economic growth and investments”.

Addressing renewable energy experts from around the world, Ramdin expressed the view that the “Caribbean is capable of solving some of its own problems in this sector”, having adequate natural resources which can be channelled to its advantage.

“Sun, heat, water and wind, all offer opportunities. In spite of this, renewable energy does not appear to feature prominently on the priority list of many of our policymakers,” said Ambassador Ramdin.

The senior OAS official also called on policymakers and leaders to be pro-active on the issue. In this regard, he has called for the consideration of the establishment of a shared platform or service to exchange knowledge; examine best practices; identify investment, financing and technical assistance options; and put specialised services and opportunities on the table for wider consumption, consideration and execution.

Caribbean faces significant challenges from multiplicity of hazards

THE Caribbean by virtue of its economic, geography and socio-political development faces significant challenges from the communities that are established in exposed areas to vulnerability in construction, to some of the weak risk management and planning institutions.

That view was expressed by the Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Mr. Ronald Jackson.

However, he was quick to add that this was not a standard across all of the territories, noting that some countries were improving in their capacities in this area – among them Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

“There is this issue dealing with what we call the underlying drivers of risk which leads us to very high exposures to risk and you would have heard about the fact that the Caribbean region is the second most vulnerable region in the world… The Caribbean faces very high vulnerability to a multiplicity of hazards seismic and other natural hazards including man-made hazards.”

“There is high risk exposure from the efforts of the Caribbean governments to prosper the people. We depend on the coastal zones for a lot of our revenues for livelihoods and so that increases our risk. And, we are faced with the rapidly changing climate which we have very little or no control over but we have to deal with the outcomes,” he pointed out.

Jackson also acknowledged that some of the major challenges which the region faces speak to accessing disaster reduction financing.

“There’s also a developing shift in donor policy where we are seeing more centralisation on our focus; also on NGOs, which is impacting on the capacity of governments to deal with both funding from national budgets and from donor support and there is certainly what we recognise as little investment going towards the building and strengthening and sustaining of humanitarian response capacity.”

He further acknowledged that given the potential impacts of climate change which we already see unfolding, there’s a lot of resources going into mitigation and adaptation but very little going into dealing with the problem which certainly the Caribbean will continue to face by virtue of the outlook that has been presented by the IPCCC and others.

“The Caribbean Resilience agenda is threatened therefore by its level of exposure, its dependence on coastal resources as well as the existing health of the Caribbean eco-systems,” he added. (TL)

Global plan to address disabled community’s needs on the horizon

THE needs of the dis-abled community will be brought into sharp focus in 2014, as countries prepare a global plan of action to address these.

Expected to be presented for consideration by the World Health Assembly in May, the seven-year plan of action is based on the conclusions and recommendations of World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Report on Disability 2011 and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The 2014-2021 Plan of Action will provide a roadmap for WHO Member States, the WHO Secretariat, and international partners to work together to improve the health, well-being, and human rights of people with long-term disabilities, as well as those who have functional disabilities related to non-communicable diseases, ageing, or injuries.

PAHO/WHO Globally, half of people with disabilities cannot afford the medical care they need. They are 50 per cent more likely than people with-out disabilities to incur catastrophic medical costs that force them into poverty.

Many people with disabilities lack access to the assistive devices and the rehabilitative services they need. An estimated 360 million people, for example, suffer moderate to profound hearing loss, but the production of hearing aids barely meets ten per cent of global needs, and three per cent of the need in developing countries. Some 200 million people need eyeglasses or other visual aids, but have no access to these. Some 70 million people need wheelchairs, but only 5-15 per cent are able to get them.

In addition to addressing obstacles and improving access to health services and programmes, the Plan of Action will also seek to strengthen and expand rehabilitation services, especially community rehabilitation and assistive technologies; support the collection of internationally comparable data on disabilities; and promote multidisciplinary research on these issues.

“Disability is a global public health problem, an issue of human rights, and a top development priority,” said Dr. Armando Vásquez, PAHO regional advisor on disability and rehabilitation.

“People with disabilities have more unmet health and rehabilitation needs than the general population. They suffer inequities and violations of their rights, and are at higher risk of falling into poverty,” he added.

Unfair reality – Those who have contributed least to the climate change problem are facing its most severe impacts

Deputy Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Juliette Riley, believes that unless substantial and sustained action is taken immediately in respect to climate change, the consequences for the world will be catastrophic.

She also lamented to the UN that the painful irony is that those who have contributed least to the climate change problem are facing its most severe impacts.

“CARICOM calls on parties to the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Warsaw to undertake the work necessary to ensure that the world is on track in 2020 to meet the below 2 degrees global goal for temperature increase.

“In this regard, CARICOM believes Warsaw must achieve the following: The establishment of an international mechanism to address loss and damage from climate change impacts; clarity from developed countries on climate finance pathways to ensure that finance meets the $100 billion by 2020 target; and in this regard a speedy operationalisation of the Green Climate Fund; meaningful progress towards closing the pre-2020 mitigation ambition gap to minimise and avoid the potentially
catastrophic impact of climate change,” she highlighted.

Ambassador Riley stressed that CARICOM believes the Samoa Conference in 2014 will present a pivotal moment for the integration of SIDS’ sustainable development aspirations into the broader global development agenda.

“It will also be an invaluable opportunity for the international community to enhance its commitment to the pursuit of a more integrated approach to the creation of enabling environments in support of the sustainable development of SIDS. We anticipate an outcome that reinvigorates the commitment of the international community to a global partnership that enables SIDS to eradicate poverty, build resilience and improve their quality of life.”

The Deputy Permanent Represen-tative further noted that CARICOM welcomes the designation of 2014 as the international year of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as a means of mobilising support for the conference, and renewed the region’s pledge to remain engaged in that process. (TL)

WI TEAM OVERHAUL ON THE HORIZON?

Disappointed.

That sums up how West Indies captain, Darren Sammy, feels after the regional side fell to yet another humiliating defeat against New Zealand on Sunday.

The West Indies capit-ulated to 103 all out in its second innings of the third and final Test in Hamilton, leaving New Zealand with a target of just 122 runs. The hosts easily overhauled the meagre total for the loss of two wickets.

Sammy told the media after his team’s horrific performance that he was quite disappointed with the performance, especially as the wicket was a good one to bat on.

“We were thinking anything above 200 on the last day; with the wicket spinning, it would have been a very interesting game. I guess again we are singing the same song. To come here with good batting conditions, it is not a 103 pitch, def-initely not. But credit must go to McCullum and his boys. They looked like they had a plan for each and every batsman, and the way their bowlers bowled on that wicket, it put us under a lot of pressure and we just didn’t have a response,” said Sammy.

The West Indies’ woeful performances in recent time are cause for concern for the usually optimistic Sammy. The St. Lucian admitted that there will be tough decisions to be made and some conceded that some careers, including his own, may just be on the line.

“There are tough decisions to be made by the coach and the director of cricket – some careers are on the line, could be mine as well, you never know. We cannot continue like this. In any organisation, you need to show graft and commitment. The coach keeps saying if we do the same thing, don’t expect a different result,” he said.


Sammy bemoaned the fact that the West Indies seem unable to perform well for a prolonged period of time. He pointed out that the team usually plays well in one innings, but doesn’t back it up in the next.

“You watch us play when we play well and you say, wow, we are moving forward. But then we take two steps forward and then two or three steps backwards, so I think we are not really moving forward. Before we went to India, we were on the back of six consecutive Test wins, New Zealand included. Then we had that tour in India, got beaten miserably. We came here, we escaped in Dunedin, fighting hard where our backs were against the wall. In the last two Test matches, especially here, we had a good first innings total,” said Sammy.

Sunday’s defeat meant that the Caribbean side lost the three-Test series 0-2, following a defeat by an innings and 73 runs in the second Test, which ended two Fridays ago at the Basin Reserve in the New Zealand capital of Wellington. Rain forced a draw in the first Test, which ended three Saturdays ago at University Oval in the South Island city of Dunedin.

The West Indies will now try its luck in the One-Day International Series, which began on Thursday, December 26, in Auckland. (PG)

‘Regional integration must start at grassroots level’

Former long-standing Barbados Member of Parliament, Hamilton Lashley, believes that regional integration cannot be achieved through the efforts of politicians, but by ordinary Caribbean people.

He was speaking at a recent reception at the Divi Southwinds Resort for the visiting Clarke Road United Youth Development Unit from Trinidad and Tobago. The Hamilton Lashley Foundation organised the tour to Barbados and he noted that such relationships augur well for the regional integration movement.

Founder of the Hamilton Lashley Foundation, Hamilton Lashley
(second from left), receives a donation from Coach of the
FirstCaribbean Bank Clarke Road United Youth Development Unit,
Simboodath Beepat. Also in the photo is Gregory Small (left),
Assistant Technical Director of the Foundation and Rodney Simpson
(right), Technical Co-ordinator and Coach at the Foundation. 

“We are very much hoping that this could develop into a very lasting relationship and not a temporary one. Today when we talk about relationships, most relationships in these modern times tend to end in what we call a divorce. We are hoping that this marriage of both teams will augur well for the Caribbean integration movement,” said Lashley.

He made the point that there is the prevailing belief that the Caribbean will be united through the efforts of political parties and the politicians in the Caribbean.


“I tend to take a dissimilar view and my view is that the Caribbean will be united, most likely in our lifetime, but not through the political efforts, but more so through the grassroots interactions and through sports and culture.

The Members of the Clarke Road United Youth Development
Cricket Team with Coach Simboodath Beepat (far back left)
and Ravindra Ramnanan (far back right) . 

“In actual fact, the movement of the Caribbean people in the region clearly should have signalled to the politicians of the region over a period of time that a United States of the Caribbean is not a fleeting illusion and can be a distinct reality if we follow  the trend that has been started by ordinary persons in Barbados and throughout the region interacting with each other,” he pointed out.

The former Member of Parliament for St. Michael South East in Barbados made the point that it was the young people in the region who had a very important role to play in the process.

“The road will not be easy – it will be filled with criticism; the road will be full of ups and downs, but at some point, there will be a nexus, there will be a balance. Each and every one of you are future leaders, and you are the ones who will be given the awesome responsibility of making sure that we as Caribbean people are united as one,” said Lashley. (PG)