Clear Harbour Cares comes to the aid of GNCRC

By Linda Straker

THE charity arm of a corporate citizen has come to the assistance of the Grenada National Coalition on the Rights of the Child (GNCRC) following a robbery at its office, which left the small staff unable to operate.

On Monday, March 24, the staff discovered that the office was broken into and the two computers with sensitive information about children and activities of the Coalition were stolen. The Police were called and the investigation is still ongoing.

Chairperson of the Grenada National Coalition on the Rights
of the Child (GNCRC), Ann Greaves, receiving a computer from
Clear Harbour Cares representative, Michael Hutchinson.

Ann Greaves, Chairperson of the Coalition, said that the robbery had left the office virtually unable to function and made a plea for the corporate body or an individual to donate a system.

“We are very happy to report that the charity arm of Clear Harbour, which is called Clear Harbour Cares, has come to our assistance and on Tuesday presented us with two systems,” said Greaves, who admitted that the offer to assist came after Mr. Gary Bethel, who is a freelance Computer Programmer with Clear Harbour, read about the incident.

The two computers for GNCRC.

Programme Manager, Michael Hutchinson, and Financial and Administrative Generalist, Kahmala Campbell, in the presence of Bethel, handed over the two computer systems to Greaves during a press conference on Tuesday morning.

The press conference was held to inform the media about the activities which the Coalition will be undertaking as it observes April as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month.

The theme for the month of activities is “Empowering Families and Communities to Keep Children Safe”. The main activity for the month will be a paediatrics health care at the Westerhall Health Centre towards the end of the month. There will also be presentations to primary and secondary schools, educating students about the various forms of abuse, as well as discussions on radio and television speaking about the scourge in the society affecting children.

Governments need to capitalise on travel and tourism’s growth potential

Policies need to be implemented to increase tourism receipts and jobs.

This is according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in its 2014 annual economic impact data, released recently.

President and CEO of WTTC, David Scowsill, said it has been another really good year for the sector, but lack of openness from many governments is restraining their country’s Travel & Tourism potential.

“The data underlines Travel & Tourism’s undeniable status as a driver of growth. Some countries have taken huge positive strides with visa facilitation over the past few years. But many countries’ economic contribution from Travel & Tourism is still being held back, particularly due to restrictive visa policies.”

Scowsill also acknowledged that there is real momentum in some countries with visa facilitation, but there is still a lot to do.

“To capitalise on, rather than thwart, Travel & Tourism’s potential to boost visitors, spend and jobs, we would encourage countries to implement progressive approaches to visas, which make it easier for people to travel,” he stated.

The Head further stressed that Governments also need to ensure that they have intelligent rather than punitive taxation measures in place. He added that the WTTC data underlines that Travel & Tourism is a key engine for continued global growth, which governments cannot afford to ignore.

“The year 2013 has been a really good year with strong demand from long-haul markets. 2014 looks like it will be even sunnier, due to rising incomes and falling unemployment in many countries and stronger consumer spending.

“International travel will grow slightly faster than domestic travel, with the expanding middle class, particularly in emerging markets, playing a big part in that.” (TL)

April being observed as Heritage Awareness Month

By Linda Straker

THE Ministry of Culture will be observing April as Heritage Awareness Month as part of Government’s effort to foster a better understanding about the island’s tradition and customs as it pertains to both tangible and intangible heritage.

Senator Brenda Hood, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, said that the idea was already endorsed by the Cabinet and the month of activities will involve educational awareness in various communities as part of building an awareness about the richness of the island’s tangible and intangible heritage.

“The focus will be on everything, from our food and music to our architecture, cultural norms, just about everything that makes us who we are,” she said, while explaining that activities will be linked to the new tourism brand of Pure Grenada. “We have to embrace our pureness and protect it,” she said.

Focusing on the wider benefit of the island’s heritage, Hood said that Grenada is a signatory to the UNESCO Conventions on Tangible and Intangible Heritage and the Ministry will soon be embarking on taking an inventory of the island’s intangible and tangible heritage.

“Such a exercise will provide us the opportunity to know what we have and at the same time have access to funding from UNESCO to either preserve or maintain traditional activities that qualifies for assistance,” the Senator said.

Tangible culture is that which is touchable, whereas intangible culture includes song, music, drama, skills, cuisine, annual festivals, crafts, and the other parts of culture that can be recorded but cannot be touched and interacted with, without a vehicle for the culture.

According to the Convention, Intangible Cultural Heritage means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.

This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.

14-year-old student to appear in court on May 30

A 14-year-old female student, who was engaged in a brawl with a policewoman at the St. George’s Bus Terminus, will be going to court on May 30, 2014.

The student, who is presently on EC$6 500 bail with one surety, was charged with: damage to government property; resisting arrest; wounding; assault on police; disorderly behaviour; and using obscene language in a public place to the annoyance of the officer.

A small segment of the fracas was captured and uploaded via Facebook. The video has had thousands of views and has become the focus of many discussions online and other media such as radio programmes.

Chair of the Grenada National Coalition on the Rights of the Child, Ann Greaves, described the video as very disturbing, and said that a meeting will be held with the top ranks of the Police Force to thoroughly discuss the matter.

In a statement, Acting Commissioner of Police Winston James said that he wishes to confirm that he is in receipt of a complaint in respect of an incident at the St. George’s Bus Terminus, which involves one of his officers and a student.

“The Commissioner wishes to inform the general public that an investigation has been launched into the complaint and assures everyone that it will be one of fairness,” said that statement, which was issued through the Community Relations Department. (LS)

GCF head to deliver memorial lecture at CDB’s annual meeting

Héla Cheikhrouhou, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), is the keynote speaker of the 15th William G. Demas Memorial Lecture at the Pegasus Hotel, in Georgetown Guyana on May 27, 2014. The lecture, named in honour of the second President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), is held during the week of the Bank’s Annual Meeting.

Ms. Cheikhrouhou, a Tunisian national, has spent more than a decade working in multilateral development banks, first in the Latin America and Caribbean region of the World Bank, and then for the African Development Bank (AfDB). While at the AfDB she took a lead role in scaling up green growth and climate resilient investments, with innovative blending of public, private, and climate finance.

“The CDB is placing very high priority on addressing climate change concerns in the interest of safeguarding the sustainable development of our Region. We therefore welcome Ms. Cheikhrouhou whose experience in the area of climate financing will be well received as the Region intensifies its efforts to build resilience to climate impacts, said Dr. William Warren Smith, president of the CDB.

Ms. Cheikhrouhou was appointed as the first Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund in June, 2013. The GCF was established to channel support to developing countries to help limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

The Fund has opened its headquarters in South Korea and is making steady progress towards becoming operational. It is envisaged that the Fund will grow over time into the leading funding facility for climate change actions in developing countries.

CDB’s Annual Meeting takes place on May 28 and 29, 2013. It will bring together Ministers of Finance from the Region along with Governors of Central Banks, economists, executives and academics to discuss issues that are of concern to the Bank’s Borrowing Member Countries. This year there will be a series of seminars dealing with public private partnerships, the green economy, agriculture and climate change, and a multidimensional approach to country poverty assessments.

HCC frowns on advertising of unhealthy foods to children

“Nowhere in the Caribbean are there policies that speak to the advertising of unhealthy foods to children.”

Professor Sir Trevor Hassell, President of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) noted the above, as he outlined some of the main findings of the recently launched Regional Status Report on NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) in the Caribbean. The 80-page Report which was sponsored by the HCC, was launched in Trinidad and Tobago on March 20, during the NCD Child Conference event held there at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The one of a kind Report gives an assessment of what has been achieved in the fight against the NCDs epidemic in the Caribbean, what has not been achieved, and it also outlines what needs to be done to slow the epidemic.

Speaking at press briefing held at Sagicor Headquarters, Wildey, St. Michael, Barbados on Monday to discuss the Report and other landmark HCC initiatives, HCC President Professor Sir Trevor Hassell, noted that the key findings in the Report suggest that there are no national policies against advertising of unhealthy foods to children or against the harmful use of alcohol. Also, no CARICOM country has national policies or major initiatives aimed at reducing salt intake of the population, which has been shown to reduce blood pressure, which is a major cause of heart disease for Caribbean people.

“We also found in the status Report, that with respect to alcohol abuse, there are very few policies, if any at all, around issues of alcohol abuse. Furthermore, few countries have got policies around population salt reduction. This is an important issue, because, as I have said on many occasions, excessive salt or sodium chloride intake contributes significantly to the large numbers of hypertensive persons we’ve got in Barbados, and as you know, hypertension leads to heart disease,” Hassell revealed.

Hassell noted that in terms of inadequacies, the Report highlights the absence of up to date management guidelines for the treatment of chronic diseases. Against this background, he said, there is a “call to action” from the Report, which speaks to recommendations that should be adopted throughout the Caribbean.

The Report advocates for a ban on or at the very least a limit on the marketing of energy dense, high salt foods and beverages to children. It also calls for a reduction in salt consumption and a reduction in the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (including fruit juices), as well as a ban on the use and sale of transfats in Caribbean countries.

The Report, amongst other things, also calls for the development of policies on physical activity and the development, implementation and monitoring of national strategies on the promotion of physical activity.

The full Report can be viewed at www.healthycaribbean.org. (RSM)

Record participation in C’bean tsunami warning exercise

The level of participation in the tsunami warning exercise that took place on 26 March in the Caribbean was unprecedented, compared with similar exercises in 2011 and 2013.

Organised by the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), it revealed the commitment of the countries concerned and a growing awareness of the tsunami threat in the region.

A total of 31 Member States, which include Barbados and 16 of the territories in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions, participated in the third regional tsunami exercise, CARIBE WAVE/LANTEX 2014.

In addition, 230 000 people participated in the test, a 75% increase compared to 2011 and 300% more than in 2013. National Tsunami Warning Focal Points, other International, State, Territorial and Local Emergency Management Organisations, academic institutions, governmental agencies, businesses, health facilities, media and individuals, also took part.

“I welcome the success of this tsunami warning exercise. It demonstrates the maturity of the Tsunami Early Warning System implemented in the region in 2005,” said UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova.

“Co-operation between States and specialised institutions, and the preparation of local populations, is crucial, to address tsunami-related risks, mitigate their impact and save lives. The extent of participation in the test and the smooth execution of the simulation is therefore cause for celebration.”

Two scenarios were developed for this year’s exercise. The goal was to test the readiness of the countries in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions to respond to a distant tsunami.

Alert messages

Previous experience underlines the crucial importance of rapid transmission of information to limit damage and save lives. In addition to the transmission of alert messages, Member States could choose to participate in various activities, including seminars, video conferences, simulations and evacuation exercises.

Over the last 500 years, 75 tsunamis have occurred in the Caribbean. This figure represents about 10% of the entire number of oceanic tsunamis in the world during that period. Tsunamis have killed more than 3 500 people in the region since the mid-19th century. In recent decades, an explosion in population growth and the number of tourists in coastal areas have further increased the region’s vulnerability. (TL/PR)