Poverty & Social Development: A Caribbean Perspective

Posted on Tue, Feb. 28, 2006
Dominican Republic cuts crime with aid of Miami firm

The Dominican Republic has launched an anti-crime initiative that has cleaned up its grittiest neighborhoods, but bigger challenges lie ahead.

BY FRANCES ROBLES
frobles@MiamiHerald.com

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - It wasn't so long ago that the Bodega Carolina in Santo Domingo's Capotillo neighborhood sold goods through a little slot in the bolted shut door.

It was too dangerous outside to let the customers inside.

''We started keeping the door closed after a guy ran in one day and jumped behind the counter, shooting,'' said the store's owner, Mery Berroa. He died there, shot dead by the hoodlums who chased him.

These days, the doors to this mom-and-pop grocery store are propped open.

Just a year after taking office, President Leonel Fernández has made security a cornerstone of his administration. Using an anti-crime campaign designed by a Miami consulting firm and a Florida International University professor, this country has begun taking back barrios once besieged by drugs and lawlessness.

After a pilot program was launched last fall, Capotillo, a neighborhood of 33,000 people that saw 32 murders in the first half of 2005, had just three from August to December. In December, no one was murdered. Now the program has been expanded to 12 more neighborhoods, and cities across the nation are clamoring for more.

''The police brought peace,'' Berroa said. ``We can sleep now.''

Experts say the Dominican Republic is setting a precedent by throwing open the doors of its police department to international specialists from Miami, New York and Colombia. But the question remains whether the nationwide anti-crime offensive can stand the test of time and politics.

''It's a country besieged,'' said FIU's Eduardo Gamarra, a longtime friend of Fernández who was hired to design the program with a team of Newlink Communications consultants.
``The president has had a tremendous problem trying to run a country run amok.''

Among the challenges:

• The country's 32,000-member law enforcement agencies were beset with corruption, including no-show jobs, drug dealing and extortion. The head of the National Police acknowledges that at least 100 officers were fired, 30 in Capotillo alone.
'They were right there -- doing their own business charging `tolls' to the drug dealers,'' said Victor Rojas, 38, the owner of a metal shop. ``They'd ask you for extortion money, and, if you refused, they'd rob or kill you. Now you see police in cars, on foot and on motorcycles.''

• The police department's 911 system was so archaic and chaotic that often no one answered the line. When they did answer, dispatchers often did not have any cops with patrol cars to send out.
For two months, there was no phone at all: Verizon suspended service because of an overdue $4 million bill.

• For two decades, the Dominican Republic has been a transshipment point for South American illegal drugs headed to the U.S. market, often with the complicity of the government. The nation's former security chief is a fugitive in Spain, charged with aiding a drug trafficker.
The first move in tackling drug-infested neighborhoods was profound. The Interior Ministry fired police officers and brought in new ones who had to meet certain criteria to qualify for the new job and the 100-percent pay raise.

The 1,500 officers assigned to the Democratic Security program were screened to weed out the short-tempered and trigger-happy. No one with a history of abuses, violence or corruption accusations need apply. The cops had to fit a ''psychological profile,'' have a high school diploma and be no older than 38.

The idea is not just to flood the neighborhoods with officers, but officers trained on crime scene investigations, community relations and victims' services.

''We are not the same police as before. The repressive police who did not want to be side-by-side with the people, defending them,'' Col. Juan Geronimo Brown Pérez said. ``The results speak for themselves.''

Police chief Gen. Bernardo Santana Páez said there was just one murder in the last three weeks of January, when the Democratic Security Program was expanded to include 12 more neighborhoods.

''The problem is now everyone wants the program in the entire country,'' Santana Páez said. ``This is not something that can be done overnight.''

Residents were mixed on the purchase of a dozen Harley Davidson patrol motorcycles that cost $17,000 a piece -- the amount a regular cop earns in almost 14 years. Ostentatious and not nearly nimble enough to chase criminals up hills and through alleys, the Harleys are likely the most controversial part of a widely accepted program.

Even Gamarra says they were ''overkill.'' But to Interior Minister Franklin Almeyda, they have the right look and sound.

''Someone on a Harley looks like a cop . . . an officer riding the all-terrain motorcycles they used before looks like a delinquent,'' he said. Almeyda said he doesn't know the cost of the program he helps run but said it will cost $1.7 million for retraining the police. Equipment such as forensics labs and cars are expected to cost another $3.7 million.

Santana Páez said the police department is expecting a $125 million international loan soon to help offset the costs.

He said he did not have estimates for the next phase of the program: overhauling necessities such as schools and hospitals.

Las Cañitas neighborhood leader Pablo Vicente is leery.

''We've advanced . . . but there are a few unmet promises,'' Vicente said. ``They promised to improve the health system, create recreation centers and offer incentives to small and medium businesses as a way to develop the area, and we still haven't had those demands met.''
But Santana Páez argued that at least the police part of it is having a positive impact. ''The program is working,'' Páez said.

Dominica earns prestigious eco-tourism designation for second straight year

02-27-2006

ROSEAU, Dominica: The Caribbean island of Dominica has received Benchmark designation as a Green Globe Destination for the second year in a row from the prestigious eco-tourism organization, Green Globe 21. Dominica became the first country ever to receive this designation in October 2004.

“We are extremely pleased to have earned this prestigious designation from Green Globe 21,” stated Yvor Nassief, Dominica’s Minister of Tourism.

“Dominica remains committed to the promotion and development of sustainable tourism and this recognition helps us promote our island as one of the world’s leading eco-tourism destinations while also helping us to protect its pristine natural beauty.”

Green Globe 21 requires all of its 442 total participating operations and communities to be independently assessed and certified annually by independent auditors to ensure their compliance with Green Globe 21’s standards.

The participating companies and communities must meet those standards in 9 key performance areas, such as energy consumption, solid waste production, social commitment, resource conservation, sustainability policy and more. Dominica has achieved Best Practice results in 8 of the 9 performance areas.

“I am delighted that Dominica has achieved Benchmarked status,” said Cathy Parsons, Chief Executive Officer of Green Globe Asia Pacific International.

“Dominica is an inspiration to all those people committed to environmentally sustainable tourism. They have demonstrated through a variety of initiatives that they can make a difference to reducing their environmental impact. The commitment they have shown by participating in the Green Globe program and by their achievements sets an example for others to follow.”

In addition to the national designation, five hotels on Dominica have also achieved successful benchmarking status from Green Globe 21. They include 3 Rivers Eco-Lodge, Tamarind Tree Hotel, Garraway Hotel, Fort Young Hotel and the Hummingbird Inn.

Green Globe 21 is the global Benchmarking, Certification and improvement system assisting the international travel and tourism industry to attain sustainability.

Green Globe 21 provides a certification system that responds directly to the major environmental problems facing the planet, including the greenhouse effect, over-use of freshwater resources, destruction of biodiversity, production of solid and biological waste and social issues.

Developed by the World Travel & Tourism Council and established in 1994, Green Globe 21 is based on Agenda 21 and principles for sustainable development endorsed by 182 heads of state at the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit and provides companies, communities and consumers with a path to sustainable tourism.

As of 2006, there are participants on all continents and in over 50 countries worldwide.

OAS urges active involvement in information society

02-27-2006

WASHINGTON, USA: The citizens of the Americas must become active participants in the information and knowledge society in order to take full advantage of its benefits.

Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin of the Organization of American States (OAS) stressed this view while addressing the Fourth Assembly of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), in San José, Costa Rica.

He said member states and stakeholders must ensure that the peoples of the Americas do not to miss the opportunity to play a leading role in the emerging Innovation Economy.

Information and communication technologies, being so pervasive -- cutting across nations and politics and transforming all economic and social sectors -- bring drastic changes in professional and private life on a global scale, said Ramdin, who argued that the practice of governance, economic development, security, social and political interaction must adapt to this new environment.

“Access to ICTs has an enabling effect on knowledge creation and dissemination, empowering people and communities, regardless of their physical location and levels of income” and has begun to drive sustainable economic development and growth.”

The Assistant Secretary General told participants them that information technologies also promote more effective use of development resources and foster transparency.

“In the information age, we can no longer see economic development simply as the intermingling of capital, labor, and material. It is increasingly clear that successful companies and communities “are those that recognize and incorporate information, knowledge and technologies as critical ingredients of economic and commercial activity.”

Ramdin noted that the CITEL Assembly will be crafting a plan of action to move the discussions from the digital divide to the knowledge society, adding that this means an increased focus on the specifics of implementation and on ways to promote and expand digital opportunities. “We must be steadfast in moving from principles to action.”

Emphasizing that "capacity building" in the use of technologies is indispensable to the formation of a truly inclusive information society, he said this involves programs jointly created and implemented by governments, the private sector and civil society and include continuous updating of the educational actors.

Ambassador Ramdin pledged the support of the OAS and CITEL to efforts to tackle the challenges and to provide the forum to bring together valuable partners in generating innovative thinking and creative activities in the field of ICTs and maintain a continued policy dialogue on these issues.

Gender, Development, and Advocacy


Description Contents Additional information

SERIES: Focus on Gender
ISBN: 0855985526 STOCK CODE: 00255527
AVAILABILITY: In print
FORMAT: Paperback (pp: 112) 245 x 190mm
PUBLISHED: Dec 2005
PRICE: £9.95

buy here
read online (PDF or Word file)

SUMMARY
Advocacy for gender equality occurs at all levels of society - from grassroots women demanding community-level change, to coalition-building to promote change to international trade laws. Articles in this collection chart the experience and successes of gender equality advocates from contexts including Pakistan, Australia, and southern Africa.

CONTENTS
Editorial- Advocacy training by the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS- A guide to feminist advocacy- Politics at work: transnational advocacy networks and the global garment industry- The African Women's Protocol: a new dimension for women's rights in Africa- Advocacy for an end to poverty, inequality, and insecurity: feminist social movements in Pakistan- Gender networking and advocacy work in Uganda: controlling the agenda and strategies of resistance- A voice of our own: advocacy by women with disability in Australia and the Pacific- Resources: Publications- Websites- Electronic resources- Organisations

Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health

Policy Development and Indicators 2005

Author: UNFPA, PRB
No. of pages: 368
Publication date: 2005
Languages: English
ISBN: 0-89714-660-3





Available in the following formats:

PDF:
http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/524_filename_country_profiles_2005.pdf

Web:
http://www.unfpa.org/worldwide/


"Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health: Policy Development and Indicators 2005" covers the areas of socioeconomic health, adolescent reproductive health, gender equality and reproductive health commodity security. Indicators for ICPD Goals as well as MDGs are identified by special symbols. Information is also given on differences within countries between urban and rural areas, best performing and worst performing administrative regions, by education, and different income groups, where available. This report is published every two years with updated policy descriptions and indicators. A web version is also available on the UNFPA web site at http://www.unfpa.org/worldwide/, where it is updated as new information becomes available. This web version also allows users to display comparisons between countries.

HEALTH:
AIDS Stigma, a Major Hurdle in the Caribbean
Dalia Acosta

HAVANA, Feb 27 (IPS) - The discrimination that people living with HIV face on a day-to-day level in the Caribbean results in frequent violations of their basic rights and is a major hurdle to the implementation of anti-AIDS programmes, say U.N. officials..

"Prejudice based on religious, social or other reasons are exacerbated when HIV is thrown into the mix.

This is one of the big obstacles to the fight against AIDS in the Caribbean and the rest of the world," Miriam Maluwa, representative of UNAIDS for Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas, told IPS. In the region, there are women who have free access to the antiretroviral drugs that slow or inhibit the reproduction of HIV, the AIDS virus, but who do not show up for treatment in order to avoid the stigma of being identified as seropositive, she said.

People living with HIV/AIDS fear losing their jobs and their homes, not to mention the effects of the stigma on their young children, said the UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) delegate.

Another hurdle to fighting the epidemic, she said, is the "limited social commitment." "People are afraid to work with people living with HIV because they don't want to be lumped in together with them," added Maluwa, who has a long history of involvement in human rights issues.

She noted that Cuba "has the smallest number of people living with HIV and the smallest number of people who die" as a result of AIDS. But she also pointed out that last year there was a slight rise in the number of cases detected, arguing that prevention efforts among society at large and among the highest risk groups should be stepped up.

Although those living with HIV in Cuba report that they feel stigmatised, all HIV/AIDS patients have free access to antiretroviral drugs, and their jobs are guaranteed, unless they present a risk to the patient's health. Maluwa talked to IPS during a four-day visit to Cuba in late February, where she met with authorities, people living with HIV and U.N. representatives.

Some 24,000 people died of AIDS in the Caribbean last year, and 300,000 are living with HIV, according to the UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update, published in December 2005. In the Caribbean, the region hardest hit in the world by HIV/AIDS after sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS has become the primary cause of death among the 15-44 age group, and the disease is mainly spread through heterosexual sex and prostitution, with poverty and sexual inequality playing a strong role.

The situation varies considerably from country to country, according to UNAIDS and WHO (World Health Organisation) statistics. Average HIV prevalence stands at around one percent of the adult population in Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Suriname, around two percent in the Bahamas, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, and three percent in Haiti. In Cuba, meanwhile, prevalence is under 0.2 percent.

Although the Caribbean was the only area in the world where the AIDS rate did not grow last year, a comprehensive approach is needed, that includes prevention, treatment, care and support, said Fritz Lherisson, director of the regional UNAIDS office based in Trinidad and Tobago. At a press conference in the office of the resident coordinator of the U.N. system in Havana, Lherisson said the epidemic can be prevented, and underlined that "we know how to do it." But, he added, what is needed is a "change of attitude."

The need to foment cultural, social and legal changes and to modify people's way of thinking is especially urgent given the fact that there are Caribbean island nations, like Jamaica, that still have laws on the book which prohibit homosexual relations and even provide for penalties.

"Many men who have sex with men live a double life," said Maluwa on her first official visit to Havana. "They have a home, a wife, children. They live, pretending to be what they are not, for fear of stigma and discrimination as a result of their sexual behavior."

Although she acknowledged that the problem is not so pronounced in Cuba, she said the AIDS prevention programme aimed at men who have sex with men must be "consolidated and expanded." Gay men account for around 12 percent of HIV/AIDS cases reported in the Caribbean overall, although the real number could be much higher. But in Cuba, 80.4 percent of the 6,827 cases reported between 1986 and 2005 involved men, most of whom had sex with other men.

By contrast with other countries in the region, "there is a good working relationship with people living with HIV," Raúl Regueiro, national coordinator of work with homosexuals in the National Center for the Prevention of STDs/HIV/AIDS, told IPS.

Regueiro stressed the need to expand prevention efforts geared towards bisexual men, based on activities already being carried out in provinces in eastern Cuba. The project that works with gay men in Cuba forms part of a much broader programme put into effect by the Cuban government with support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (26 million dollars for the 2003-2008 period) and from the office of the U.N. system in Cuba.

UNAIDS can support the monitoring and evaluation of efforts by the Cuban government, to see how they can be further expanded and "document what has been done in the country, to share it with other countries both within and outside of the Caribbean region," Maluwa told reporters.

The Role of the IMF in Well-Performing Low-Income Countries

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Steven Radelet

02/21/2006

This working paper discusses how the IMF can respond to the changing economic and political priorities in many low-income countries, particularly within the current lending environment. Today, the IFM faces challenges as the borrowers that faced financial crises in the 1970s and 1980s are achieving macroeconomic stability and no longer need IMF financing. In cases where IMF financing is no longer needed, especially in “mature post-stabilizer” countries, the author suggests that the IMF may still play several important roles, including providing technical advice and assistance, playing a signaling role on macroeconomic conditions for government officials, donors and the private sector, and acting as a domestic political cover for maintaining responsible macroeconomic policies. The author urges the IMF to maintain engagement with mature stabilizers, however in a less prominent way, through other various activities such as nonfunded formal programs with upper credit tranche conditionality, and engaging in surveillance and monitoring to allow countries to have greater government ownership of their economic policies. The author argues that the IMF’s goal should be to graduate into an intensive surveillance role in low-income countries.

In a related paper (A Stability and Growth Facility -Working Paper 77), Nancy Birdsall and Kemal Dervis propose an IMF Stability and Growth Facility to help high-debt, mostly middle-income countries maintain credibility in the markets through fiscal discipline, in part to reduce their debt burden, while also addressing longstanding social needs.

Crime, the economy and youth: Facing our priorities
published: Sunday February 26, 2006


Don Robotham, Contributor

MERCIFULLY, THE election of the president of the (People's National Party (PNP) is over. However disappointed, it is the duty of all parties to fully accept and respect these results and not play dangerous destabilising games either publicly or, more likely, behind the scenes. A new Prime Minister is about to take office. We must, therefore, shift our attention from personalities to the national priorities which this new leadership must address.

CRIME AND GARRISONS

Without doubt the number one challenge which the new regime faces is the issue of crime. In the last three months, important actions seem to be under way at last. Major 'dons' have been removed from the scene without regard to political affiliation. Operation Kingfish has also put pressure on key drug smugglers. In addition, the recruitment of overseas officers to strengthen the leadership of the police force has gone forward, albeit far too slowly and bureaucratically.

The new model community policing complex in Grants Pen has also been completed.
It is urgent that all these efforts be stepped up. The Proceeds from Crime Bill and its implementing executive agency must be pushed through and operationalised without delay. And there are still other dons to be subdued. On the basis of this, the process of de-garrisonisation of our inner-city communities can be approached with seriousness.

No one is so naïve as to believe that dismantling can be accomplished overnight. What the nation wants is not miracles but the firm enunciation of a different, non-partisan, anti-garrison line backed up by practical deeds at the highest levels of political leadership.

THE ECONOMY

The second critical area for action is the economy. Indeed, in this area, a statement is urgently needed, today not tomorrow. The new Prime Minister must personally reaffirm the continuation of existing macroeconomic policies. This statement must be unambiguous and blunt.

We must continue with stringent control on public expenditure and the efforts to reduce our budget deficit and debt burden. Recent events in the economy have been quite positive - except for the sphere of employment generation. But all of this will collapse if we deviate from the current path of macroeconomic stability. There are signs - for example in the doubling of Housing Trust loan levels - that Mr. Patterson is eager to sweeten his departure with some populist goodies which could wreck the upcoming budget. Any such effort must be resisted at all costs.

The one area for a serious new initiative in economic policy is in small and medium-size (SME) business development. Some facilities for this already exist at JAMPRO and elsewhere. But they are in need of concentration, upgrading and re-staffing. This is not about any fantasy such as making ghetto youths into millionaires via a microenterprise boom financed by the state. Nor is it necessarily a matter of soft loans at all. Often what is required is broader business assistance in cutting though bureaucracy, in export guarantees and in technical, marketing and other infrastructural support. As this is an area of real vibrancy in our economy and a critical one for employment expansion, an institutional refocus of the SME sector is called for.

YOUTH POLICY

In crime and economic policy it is mainly a matter of implementing existing policies with vigor and consistency. In the social arena, however, an entirely new approach is urgently required. The chief issue here is the high unemployment rates among our youth and the crisis of educational performance in general and of young males in particular. Along with the growing economic inequalities and the consequent sense of injustice and alienation, these are the chief social forces feeding our high homicide rate.

We have about 671,500 persons in the 15-29 age group. The average unemployment rate for this group is about 30 per cent. We are thus talking about 150,000 young people (making allowance for those pursuing education and other activities). Moreover, there probably is another 100,000 who, although employed, receive very low wages. The majority are female. Of all the youth unemployed (15-29), 74 per cent have no educational certification of any kind, although 27 per cent have four years or more of secondary education.

These poorly educated youth live primarily in rural areas, where unemployment, underemployment and poverty rates are highest. This is the reality which lies behind continued rural-urban migration, as well as the spread of criminal gangs and banditry to the countryside. This is also the group which demonstrates and blocks roads at the drop of a hat.

It is urgent that the new Prime Minister act speedily and comprehensively to address the social disabilities and alienation of this group. We need to put together a social programme targeted at the youth population ­ especially at young males in the 15-24 age group, rural and urban. Such a programme must not be implemented on a community basis or it will simply be subverted by the dons and captured by the party machines. It must be a national programme with individual access, bypassing the rotten tribal community power structure.

SOCIAL INCLUSION

We should begin with youth who are already employed, but lack the English and math to obtain formal certification ­ about 100,000 persons. The programme should be organised and administered outside of HEART. HEART must focus on what it does best: formal training.

The aim of this programme would be social inclusion, very broadly conceived. Number one in such a programme would be a strong educational component which should include moral and civic content as well. Over time, as we consolidate programmes, we can expand them to take on the broader mass of youth, linking with a system of apprenticeship and job placement.

Programmes to assist our youth are not simply a social benefit ­ helping to reduce alienation, desperation and crime. They constitute a critical economic investment as well. Our new Governor-General has already begun to rally the nation to put our youth at centrestage.

The new political leadership as well as the Opposition must support these efforts fully and go further. A major policy initiative, backed by significant resources, is required.

Benevolent societies to manage rural water systems
BY CLAUDIENNE EDWARDS Observer staff reporter
Monday, February 27, 2006

A number of rural communities will soon have benevolent societies in place to manage the parishes' water and sanitation systems, according to Linnette Vassel of the Ministry of Water and Housing.

The benevolent societies will be established under a Government of Jamaica and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loan agreement. The IDB is lending the government US$10 million to facilitate its plan to provide potable water for all by 2010.

To this end, Vassel said the first two benevolent societies of the ministry's pilot project would be launched later this year at Five Star, St Elizabeth and Whitehorses, St Thomas. She told the Observer that the programme would eventually be expanded, but that the pilot would include four benevolent societies, covering approximately 15 communities in St Elizabeth, Clarendon and St Mary.

The Five Star Development Benevolent Society, she explained, would comprise the five communities of Fives Pen, Cotterwood, Content, Sellington and Shrewsberry, while the benevolent society in St Thomas would comprise the districts of Whitehorses, Botany and Pamphret. She was speaking on Tuesday at a workshop at the Knutsford Hotel in Kingston.
"The government intends to expand this modality through the establishment of a rural water supply company, so that the work that we are doing is going to be merged with the work of Caribbean Engineering to set up a rural water supply company that will focus on community-managed water systems, as well as systems managed by the parish councils and so forth," Vassel explained.

She said the benevolent societies would be patterned off those set up under the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF). Vassel said that similar water supply systems for rural areas had been set up in such Latin American countries as Colombia, Uruguay and Costa Rica, in South Africa and Tanzania and in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Desmond Munroe, the Water and Housing Ministry's chief technical director of water, said that women had an important role to play in the management of the water and sanitation systems to be established in rural communities. Women who used a major portion of the water supply for domestic chores had a key interest in its proper management, Munroe said.

"Gone are the days when men were paramount in the management of water supply systems.... now these systems cannot run properly without a number of interests, and key to these interests is women, who continue to use most of the water through washing and cooking and all of these domestic affairs," Munroe said.

Dominican PM Praises Cuban Energy

Havana, Feb 26 (Prensa Latina) Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, has expressed his interest in promoting and implementing the Cuban energy program in his country.

After visiting the westernmost province of Pinar del Rio on Saturday, Skerrit said, "Cuba has a lot of things to teach and I hope other countries imitate it for the benefit of humanity."

Skerrit visited a group of homes of Pinar del Rio´s Bolivar community, opened last August by Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and praised how the community -built for hurricane victims- has raised the people´s standard of living and reduced power consumption.

After receiving a comprehensive explanation in a rural power substation at Sandino municipality and in the Eliseo Caamaño power generating plant, of the provincial capital, that operates 20 generators, Skerrit stated the possibility of spreading the Cuban experience in his own country.

"That could save half of what the country is currently consuming in electricity so we can allot more funds to build hospitals and schools," noted the Dominican premier.

Cuba and Dominica established diplomatic relations on May 18, 1996. Up to now, about 238 Dominican youth have graduated here, while 15 Cuban collaborators are working in that nation.

Cuba Expands Caribbean Solidarity

Havana, Feb 26 (Prensa Latina) Cuba continues expanding its solidarity throughout the Caribbean and encouraging regional interchange, so it stands as one of the most active promoters of integration, local press highlights Sunday.

Supporting new projects of cooperation with other countries, is keeping permanent contacts with authorities in the region in order to strengthen links in very important fields such as student formation and medical facilities.

Sunday papers have underlined that on his current visit to the island to review plans for joint cooperation, Dominican Commonwealth Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit met with President Fidel Castro and referred to the initiatives encouraged by both nations in the fields of education and public health.

Similarly, he praised Operation Miracle, a project created by Cuba and Venezuela to offer ophthalmologic assistance to poor people in the region, and appreciated the Cuban people's support and solidarity.

This visit will strengthen excellent existing links and constitutes a new sample of both governments' firm will to maintain and develop bilateral relations, official sources remarked.

SANTIAGO, Feb. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Juan Gabriel Valdes, head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti said on Friday that UN police force should remain in the Caribbean country for another two or three years.

"The fundamental aim of the UN in Haiti is to consolidate the development and professionalization of an autonomous police force,which will allow the country to have its own state security forces, and no longer need outside help," Valdes told La Segunda newspaper.

Valdes, a former Chilean Foriegn Minister, met with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and the current Foreign Minister Ignacio Walker on Thursday to discuss how Chile can contribute to Haiti's future.

Chile's contingent is authorized to stay until July 30, and so president-elect Michelle Bachelet and the next session of legislators, who take office on March 11, will have to decide whether the Chileans will stay any further.

"The fundamental thing is to maintain international support, which will need troops at first," said Valdes. "Later technical and financial support will be needed for around 20 years," he added.

Haiti's president-elect, Rene Preval, will also have to give his permission for the UN forces to stay, once he is in power, Valdes said. Enditem

Migration hinders Caribbean development says IMF
Researchers says Caribbean has lost 70 per cent of skilled workforce


Feb 23, 2006: WASHINGTON - International Monetary Fund (IMF) researchers have identified migration as the greatest threat to regional development particularly since the loss in the region's most skilled workers wasn't generating sufficient remittances to offset the decline.

The team of IMF economic researchers who authored the working paper, has also suggested that there was a significant economic impact of the high emigration and brain drain on Caribbean economies.

The paper says Caribbean countries have lost 10-40 per cent of their labour force to emigration to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member-countries.
"The migration rate is particularly high for the high-skilled," it says.

"Many countries have lost more than 70 per cent of their labour force, with more than 12 years of completed schooling - among the highest emigration rates in the world."

The paper also says the region is the world's largest recipient of remittances as a per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), constituting about 13 per cent of the region's GDP in 2002.

"Simple welfare calculations suggest that the losses due to high-skill migration outweigh the official remittances to the Caribbean region," it says. "The results suggest that there is, indeed, some evidence for brain drain from the Caribbean."

The paper says the majority of Caribbean countries have lost more than 50 per cent of the labour force in the tertiary education segment and more than 30 per cent in the secondary education segment (nine to 12 years of schooling).

For instance, it says, the tertiary educated labour force in Jamaica and Guyana has been reduced by 85 per cent and 89 per cent, respectively, due to emigration to OECD-member countries.

Though Haiti has the lowest aggregate emigration rate - about 10 per cent - in the region, its tertiary-educated labour force has been reduced by 84 per cent due to emigration to OECD-member countries.

In fact, the paper says, almost all Caribbean nations are among the top 20 countries in the world with the highest tertiary-educated migration rates.

"The magnitude of these migration rates suggests that, potentially, emigration can have large impacts on the local labour markets and on the welfare of those who stay behind in the Caribbean countries," it says.

It says that the total losses due to skilled migration - which includes the "emigration loss," externality effects, and government expenditure on educating the migrants - outweigh the recorded remittances for the Caribbean region on average, and for almost all the individual Caribbean countries.

Copyright © 2005 Trans-Caribbean Marketing Company, MyCaribbeanNews.com and The New Executive TIMES (Caribbean) Magazine.

Student leaders seek to raise money, get computers for Caribbean students
By Brian Davidson
Thursday, February 23, 2006


Sometimes, it's easier to pay for one student's education than others.

While the town pressures the state to provide $2,000 per public school student, four Andover High School seniors are helping a school that asks less than $6.50 per month to support each of its pupils.

The school, "Centro Educativo Luz En La Barquita" in the Dominican Republic, consists of 200 students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Students rely on outside sponsorship to cover their 220-peso-per-month enrollment fee.
"Even that much is a lot for some of the families," said Andover student Shallane Agramonte, who is working on the fund-raising project along with AHS classmates Pedro Vasquez, Aparna Qazi and Jannell Lauria.

AHS guidance counselor Aixa de Kelley, who told the four students about the Dominican school, had been sponsoring one of its students already, and is serving as the project adviser for the effort.

"It is a very, very poor neighborhood in the Dominican Republic," said de Kelley, of the Santo Domingo area where the school is located.

Centro Educativo Luz En La Barquita has only six classrooms for its 200 students and is forced to run two school sessions per day due to a lack of teachers.

There is a single computer in the entire building, used for administrative purposes only.
"We want to send at least six computers with the educational software necessary for each grade level so that each classroom will have one," said Vasquez.

Although the students are still in the early stages of their project, having just recently sent out letters to more than 250 local businesses, they have received donations of three computers and $250 so far.

"They hope to raise enough money to visit as well," de Kelley said of her advisees, "so that they can meet some of the students and do community service at a children's hospital that we've been in contact with near the school."

For de Kelley, Vasquez and Agramonte, a visit to the Dominican Republic would be extra special, as all three are of Dominican heritage, and rarely, if ever, have an opportunity to visit.

"It's been about four years since I've been back," said de Kelley, whose sister lives there and also sponsors a student at Centro Educativo.

If all goes to plan, the AHS group will hand deliver the donated money and computers to Santo Domingo around April vacation time in the Andover Public Schools - although not during that week, as it coincides with a holy week in the Dominican.

"Even if we don't raise enough to visit, anything we send will be a huge support and a great success," said de Kelley.

The greater Caribbean – A natural space for integration
Thursday February 23 2006

On 30 Jan., six Caribbean countries launched a free trade area to bring to fruition the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), an integration project, which seeks to incorporate the remaining Caricom countries by 2008.

This Free Trade Zone endeavours to promote the exchange of services, goods and qualified personnel among those territories, which in turn strengthens common economic growth. The establishment of this CSME is an historic event that will lead to an improved standard of living and sustainable economic development within the region.

The implementation of this sub-regional integration initiative among the islands of the English-speaking Caribbean is consistent with the trend in other sub-regions in the greater Caribbean; that’s how the Central American integration process has advanced successfully, to the extent that it is the sub-regional group with the most trade directed toward the countries involved in its integration scheme.

According to the most recent study conducted by ECLAC, 28 per cent of all Central American exports are destined for member countries, while Caricom records 17 per cent.

The greater Caribbean has witnessed a positive change in its trade scenario – recent statistics show an increase in intra-regional trade indicators, however, they continue to be much lower than those in other regions like Asia and Europe, where such indicators exceed 50 per cent of the total trade.

Greater dynamism in trade at the intra-regional level undeniably brings about an increased tendency to export goods with added value and/or manufactured goods; it offers the possibility of expanding markets and building leadership in neighbouring markets and it in turn becomes a learning base to gain experience in trade and serve as a conduit for conquering more sophisticated and demanding markets in terms of quality.

Understanding the greater Caribbean as the area that encompasses all the countries that make up the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), with the common link being their natural border with the Caribbean Sea, having a population in excess of 230 million inhabitants whose annual imports average 242 billion dollars, with a per capita purchasing potential of US$945, the region becomes the best scenario for conducting business and for boosting this natural space for integration.

Although integration in the greater Caribbean must be based on the deepening of trade, it must also involve a governmental interest in fortifying trade ties beyond sub-regions, in addition to a strengthening of institutions, macroeconomic coordination and improved infrastructure.

Some countries in the region have played a rather active role in this regional market expansion process. Such is the case of Trinidad & Tobago, where the government has shown its firm commitment to building that process, not only supporting the sub-regional initiatives – Caricom – but it has continued to simultaneously negotiate bilateral free trade agreements, reinforcing its trade ties with Central America and Cuba.

Even though we have made significant progress in the field of trade, that trend is not enough to consolidate intra-regional trade as the driving force behind growth and development.

The greater Caribbean still has the opportunity to enhance its economic growth using as a channel, a trade integration process throughout the entire Caribbean Sea.

Manuel Madriz, trade director at the Secretariat of the Association of Caribbean States. The opinions expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS. Comments can be sent to: mail@acs-aec.org.

Haiti poses challenges for CARICOM

02-21-2006

by Sir Ronald Sanders

The victory by Rene Préval in Haiti’s presidential elections poses challenges for the member countries of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM).

Sir Ronald Sanders is a business executive and former Caribbean diplomat who publishes widely on Small States in the global community. Reponses to: ronaldsanders29@hotmail.com


After the former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide accused the United States of orchestrating his removal and forcing him into exile in February 2004, CARICOM, as a group, declined to recognise the interim government of Mr. Gerard Latortue.

It was well known that the regional grouping was divided on how to treat with Haiti. In the end, the view prevailed that the Latortue regime would not be recognised and Haiti would not be allowed access to the councils of CARICOM.

Preval’s election victory changes all that and CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington is reported to have said: “We are ready to receive Haiti back into the institutions of the Caribbean Community." But, he added, “We will now sit with Haiti to discuss the conditions of its re-entry into CARICOM."

Importantly, Mr Carrington drew attention to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which includes provisions for the Caribbean Single Market (CSM) to which Haiti is not a signatory.

He said: “"We now have to sit with Haiti on this and other issues, including how are they prepared to come on board with the Revised Treaty and what is the process of acceding to the various elements of the Single Market."

It is Haiti’s accession to the CSM that poses the greatest challenge to CARICOM. Haiti with a population of 8.3 million is the poorest country in the Hemisphere. Its people are 3 million more than the rest of CARICOM combined.

Both its economic and political conditions have caused many of its people to flee from its shores in search of a better life.

While the United States has been the main target of their refuge, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas have also experienced the illegal entry of Haitians into their countries. Recently, groups of Haitian refugees have turned up in Jamaica, Antigua and Dominica.

The election of Mr Préval, by just over 51% of the population, does not speak to a united country. Haiti continues to live on a political powder keg. And, the political manipulation of its desperate economic circumstances is the match that could ignite it any time.

In any event, Haiti is a far way from the establishment of democratic institutions, and even farther away from the kind of widespread respect for them that would underpin their maintenance.

Consequently, CARICOM’s first duty of care to a member of its community is to welcome back into its fold the constitutionally elected government of Rene Préval in elections which have been endorsed by the Organisation of American States.

Having done so, CARICOM should take the lead in the international community in raising the financial and other help that Haiti urgently needs if the unwelcome flight of its people to other countries is to stop.

This will call for a serious diplomatic effort, and may well require the creation of a special CARICOM Task Force devoted to working with the Haitian government and international donor and financial community for at least two years to create the machinery for financing and managing projects in Haiti.

Among these should be health care, particularly HIV/AIDS, education and human resource development, infrastructural projects that would encourage foreign and local private sector investment, and, very importantly, the building of democratic institutions supported by legislation and enforcement machinery.

In this regard, CARICOM might enlist the help of Canada in a joint effort to engage the US government at the earliest opportunity in the peaceful and progressive development of Haiti.
Reports from the Dominican Republic, Haiti’s neighbour, reveal that some 800 US troops landed at a port city in the Dominican Republic, barely 80 miles from the Haitian border, last Thursday. Ostensibly, they are there for “New Horizons”, a military exercise that is to extend for several months.

Nonetheless, the US government has congratulated Mr Préval on his election and State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, said “We look forward to working with the new government to help the Haitian people build a better future for themselves."

CARICOM should take the US government at its word, and act as an honest broker to unlock aid for Haiti that has already been approved from the US and other countries and agencies, and to develop a programme for additional aid.

Neither democracy nor development, including the flight of Haitians seeking refuge, will come unless generous assistance is forthcoming.

And, CARICOM countries, however, determined they may be, as they have said, “to end years of isolation and bring Haiti into the Caribbean family to which it belongs by geography, history and common ancestry”, should require considerable advancement by Haiti in its economic and political conditions before it is encouraged to join the Caribbean Single Market.

After all the Single Market goes well beyond a free trade arrangement between groups of countries; it is a deep form of integration that makes a single space of all the countries’ markets and allows for the free movement of goods and services, the right of establishment by nationals of the participating countries and free movement of certain categories of workers.

The countries that enter such a Single Market, while conscious of the importance of “geography, history and ancestry”, must also be alert to the need to fulfill other obligations such as the provision of funding under the Regional Development Fund (RDF) for disadvantaged countries and sectors where Haiti would be amongst the neediest.

Also, it may be an opportune time for CARICOM countries to revisit the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas to create principles of democracy, rights, and obligations to which every member state must adhere as a basis for entry, and for continued membership. All CARICOM members, including Haiti, should sign it as a precondition for entering the CSM or remaining a member.

CARICOM countries must do all they can to improve conditions for Haiti as a member of the Caribbean community. And, Haiti must also play its part.

L’UNESCO soutient un projet d’e-gouvernance dans les Caraïbes

21-02-2006 (Kingston)


En collaboration avec le Centre d’administration du développement des Caraïbes (CARICAD) et le Département des affaires économiques et sociales des Nations Unies (UNDESA), l’UNESCO organise un ensemble d’activités de renforcement des capacités en matière de gouvernance électronique dans les Caraïbes.

Dans le cadre de ce projet, trois séminaires nationaux ont été organisés à la Dominique et Saint-Vincent-et-les-Grenadines, qui se concluent par un séminaire de deux jours démarrant aujourd’hui à la Grenade.

Consacrés au développement de politiques nationales, de stratégies et de plans d’actions sur l’e-gouvernement dans les Etats membres du CARICAD, les trois séminaires nationaux ont permis de mettre en évidence des questions relatives à la gouvernance locale et à la participation des citoyens dans le processus de développement des politiques.

30 participants venant de différents horizons (représentants des gouvernements locaux, responsables politiques, citoyens) se réuniront aujourd’hui à Saint George’s (Grenade) afin d’examiner et de débattre l’utilisation d’une approche de « politiques factuelles », c’est-à-dire fondées sur des données, permettant de mettre en place un système d’élaboration de politiques publiques transparentes, pertinentes, efficaces et centrées sur les citoyens.

Ces activités sont organisées dans le cadre du projet de l’UNESCO sur l’utilisation des TIC comme moyen d’améliorer la gouvernance locale en Afrique, Amérique latine et les Caraïbes, qui soutient la mise en place de composantes d’e-gouvernance des stratégies d’action d’e-gouvernement dans les pays de la région des Caraïbes. D’autres activités concernent la promotion et le lancement d’actions destinées aux responsables politiques de la CARICOM (ministres et cadres supérieurs de l’administration) sur lesquelles ont travaillé les services techniques et consultatifs du CARICAD.

Par ailleurs, un manuel en version papier et multimédia sur l’élaboration de politiques factuelles est en préparation. Ce manuel servira de base au développement de politiques nationales et de plans d’action d’e-gouvernement afin d’offrir des services en ligne centrés sur les citoyens. Le projet prévoit également l’examen des politiques, stratégies et plans d’action sur l’e-gouvernement adoptés par les Etats membres, afin d’évaluer notamment dans quelle mesure les questions relatives à l’e-gouvernance ont été prises en compte.

Ce partenariat avec le CARICAD fait suite au projet mené en collaboration avec l’Université des Indes occidentales (UWI) concernant l’organisation d’une formation spécialisée en ligne sur la gouvernance électronique locale, destinée aux directeurs, responsables, politiques locaux et aux représentants communautaires de la CARICOM. Un premier cours réunissant 30 participants vient de s’achever et l’UWI recrute actuellement les candidats pour un deuxième cours.


Info sur les contact(s)

Contact(s)
Alton Grizzle, Bureau de l’UNESCO à Kingston

Bureau de l’UNESCO à Kingston

Liens de référence

Université des Indes occidentales – Cours sur l’e-gouvernement
L’UNESCO et le renforcement des capacités pour l’e-gouvernance
Centre d’administration du développement des Caraïbes (CARICAD)
Département des affaires économiques et sociales des Nations Unies (UNDESA)

Mon Feb 20, 2006
Pres. Preval tries to build bridges

Haiti's President, Rene Preval, has been holding consultations with politicians and potential candidates for the Senate and lower chamber in an effort to garner support to secure a majority in Congress.

Mr. Preval was declared winner of the presidential elections last week.

And a former regional diplomat is urging caution as the Caribbean moves to re-admit Haiti.

Former Antigua and Barbuda high commissioner, Sir Ronald Saunders, supports the re-entry of Haiti into the Caribbean Community (Caricom), however he does not believe that Haiti is ready to be a member of the Caricom Single Market.

'Major brain drain' - IMF says Caribbean has lost 70 per cent of workforce
published: Monday February 20, 2006

WASHINGTON (CMC):

AN INTERNATIONAL Monetary Fund (IMF) working paper has suggested that there is evidence of high emigration and brain drain from the Caribbean.

The paper says Caribbean countries have lost 10-40 per cent of their labour force to emigration to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member-countries.
"The migration rate is particularly high for the high-skilled," it says.

"Many countries have lost more than 70 per cent of their labour force, with more than 12 years of completed schooling - among the highest emigration rates in the world."

REMITTANCES

The paper also says the region is the world's largest recipient of remittances as a per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), constituting about 13 per cent of the region's GDP in 2002.

"Simple welfare calculations suggest that the losses due to high-skill migration outweigh the official remittances to the Caribbean region," it says. "The results suggest that there is, indeed, some evidence for brain drain from the Caribbean."

The paper says the majority of Caribbean countries have lost more than 50 per cent of the labour force in the tertiary education segment and more than 30 per cent in the secondary education segment (nine to 12 years of schooling).

For instance, it says, the tertiary educated labour force in Jamaica and Guyana has been reduced by 85 per cent and 89 per cent, respectively, due to emigration to OECD-member countries.

SERIOUS IMPACT

Though Haiti has the lowest aggregate emigration rate - about 10 per cent - in the region, its tertiary-educated labour force has been reduced by 84 per cent due to emigration to OECD-member countries.

In fact, the paper says, almost all Caribbean nations are among the top 20 countries in the world with the highest tertiary-educated migration rates.

"The magnitude of these migration rates suggests that, potentially, emigration can have large impacts on the local labour markets and on the welfare of those who stay behind in the Caribbean countries," it says.

It says that the total losses due to skilled migration - which includes the "emigration loss," externality effects, and government expenditure on educating the migrants - outweigh the recorded remittances for the Caribbean region on average, and for almost all the individual Caribbean countries.

Overseas territories in the Caribbean - a part, yet apart

published: Sunday February 19, 2006


David Jessop, Contributor


THEY ARE in places no more than 100 miles distant. Some are members, or associate members of CARICOM. They have close cultural, linguistic and family ties that spread across the Caribbean. They are a part of the region, yet apart.

They are the British and Dutch overseas territories in the Caribbean and their cousins, the French the Départements d'Outre-mer (DOM).

The British overseas territories (Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos) are almost all in a process of a form of constitutional advancement that does not necessarily imply a desire for independence. With the exception of Montserrat they are quietly some of the wealthiest small islands in the world with GDP figures that in certain cases exceed or are better than those of most developed countries.

The Dutch overseas territories are also in a similar economic situation but are in a state of constitutional flux. Under a new political structure, agreed with the Dutch government in late 2005, the federation of the Netherlands Antilles will be dissolved by July 2007. Curaçao and St. Maarten will each become autonomous territories of the Netherlands. Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba will become 'kingdom islands', a newly-created status that has still to be defined in detail. Aruba was already a state apart from the Federation with its own status.

In contrast, the DOM (Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Guiane) are Europe in the Caribbean. They are remote parts of France sending elected representatives to the French Congress and the European Parliament. They are formally, in the language of the European Commission (EC), the 'outermost regions' of Europe and as such have special provisions enshrined in an article of the European Treaty.

This recognises that because of their 'remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, as well as economic dependence on a few products', the DOM are 'permanently' and 'severely restrained in their socio-economic development' - a legal definition of special and different that the rest of the region would be glad to have.

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION

As a consequence, Europe has adopted three well-funded priorities for action for the DOM.

These are:

To promote accessibility.

To improve competitiveness through the creation of an economic environment that favours the establishment of businesses.

To prioritise regional integration in a manner that develops trade in goods and services with neighbouring countries with the ultimate objective of integration into the surrounding geograph-ical area.

Yet, irrespective of the unusual, range of ties that the overseas territories and the DOM have to Europe, they are all faced with a challenge for which there is no precedent.

The creation of an economic partnership agreement (EPA) between the independent Caribbean and Europe (and the Caribbean Single Market and Economy ­ CSME) will potentially have the economic effect of isolating the Overseas Territories from the independent Caribbean.

It will create different trade relationships with Europe and with neighbours in the region.

Paradoxically, after 2008 in the case of the DOM, an EPA will have the reverse effect. As a part of Europe, albeit remote, the DOM will then be subject to the phasing in of the same trade reciprocities as are agreed for Continental Europe.

At a policy level, Europe's draft communication on the Caribbean seeks to encourage as 'a part of the wider integration process', cooperation between the independent Caribbean, the DOMs and overseas territories. This, the document suggests, will be in the field of trade but also in other areas of common interest, such as migration, transport, health, justice and security.

LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT

The European Commission has given some thought to the detail but regards the matter as complex. It is already struggling to find ways to incorporate some form of variable geometry into an EPA that takes account of the very different levels of development of CARICOM members.

This, it is suggested, makes it less than likely that Europe will want to find a way to incorporate the overseas territories into an EPA unless specifically requested to do so. It also has to recognise that in the case of the British and Dutch overseas territories, it cannot act without the agreement of the member states concerned. However, the EC has held a seminar for the DOM and Overseas Territories and is engaged in a direct dialogue that will involve direct exchanges with the Development Commissioner on these and other issues.

In the independent Caribbean these are not matters much considered. At the level of an EPA, the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery is aware of the issues but as yet has undertaken no specific studies or consultations and is not seeking to incorporate any special language or provision into a draft EPA relating to the DOM or any overseas territory. For its part, CARICOM is aware of the difficulties posed by Montserrat, which as a full member and if the U.K. were ever to agree, could become a part of the CSME and then potentially of an EU/Caribbean EPA.

In the overseas territories, the implications of an EPA or the CSME have not been widely considered. Notably, the British Virgin Islands is considering the implications of both, but most other British Overseas Territories are hoping that greater clarity will be forthcoming from London and Brussels on the issue.

Much better prepared are the DOM. In all three there is concern and a gradual move to try to seek economic advantage from a changed economic relationship using European regional funds to try to identify opportunities for economic integration with Caribbean neighbours.

ECONOMIC ISOLATION

It is easy to argue that for the most part trade between CARICOM members, the Overseas Territories and the DOM is minimal and that as such the CSME and EPAs are of little consequence, enabling the DOM and overseas territories to continue in economic isolation. But the reality is that Europe and the independent Caribbean are about to take far-ranging decisions that may effect overall competitive environment in which all nations in the region operate.

There will be negotiations on trade in services involving potentially the liberalisation of financial services and tourism, matters close to the economic heart of all Overseas Territories. The DOM will undergo a sudden integration into regional economy as a result of a trade arrangement with Europe. More generally, the negotiations will also lead over time to a new economic future for the region in which all are located.

No one would argue that the initial impact of the CSME or an EPA on the non-independent Caribbean other than the DOM would be great. Despite this, it is startling how little thought or research has gone into the ways in which the independent and for the time being non-independent Caribbean will relate to one another in the future.

David Jessop is the Director of the Caribbean Council and can be contacted at david.jessop@caribbean-council.org. Previous columns can be found at www.caribbean-council.org

French Caribbean seeks closer ties with Caricom
Saturday, February 18th 2006

The French Caribbean territories of Guadeloupe, Martini-que and French Guiana are seeking closer cooperation with Caricom, Vice President of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, Marlene Melisse says.

Melisse said this cooperation would allow them to optimise on available resources and to assist in a number of priority areas identified.

Melisse visited Guyana yesterday and met Caricom Secretary-General Edwin Carrington. She told the media at the Office of the Head of the EU Delegation to Guyana that her visit was in keeping with decisions taken at the first seminar on 'the Development of Regional Cooperation in the Caribbean through European Funds' held in Martinique in November last year.

At yesterday's meeting four main priority areas were identified: HIV/AIDS, inter-connectivity in terms of transportation and communication, natural disasters, and trade and investments. The knowledge of more than one language in the Caribbean region where at least four languages are spoken was also seen as important.

Melisse said her visit to Guyana made possible through the EC Delegation in Guyana had two purposes. In the first instance it was to discuss the modalities for strengthening cooperation between the French Overseas Departments and the EC Guyana delegation concerning the EDF/ERDF coordination and future EC-funded Caribbean regional programmes. Secondly, it was to discuss with Carrington the modalities of the cooperation framework with Caricom/ Cariforum.

The 24 million euros EC-funded Caribbean regional programme covers Guade-loupe, Martinique and French Guiana for the period 2000 to 2006.

The programme seeks to establish close coordination with the EDF to mobilise funds to help promote greater economic, social and regional cohesion of the French territories in the Greater Caribbean area particularly with neighbouring countries such as Guyana and Suriname. It also includes cooperation with Caribbean regional organisations such as Caricom and Cariforum.

Speaking about the number of common points identified in Martinique between Cari-com countries and the French territories and her visit to Guyana, Melisse said one of the areas in which both Guyana and other Caribbean territories, including the French, could benefit was through a weather radar network which would forecast natural disasters to which the Caribbean region is prone.

She said French Caribbean Territories are trying to strengthen their management capacity to minimise the effects during and after natural disasters would have occurred.

In terms of commerce and integration, she said it was important to know the environment in which they operate. (Miranda La Rose)

Caribbean to lobby UN for price cut in AIDS medication

Observer Reporter
Saturday, February 18, 2006

THE Caribbean region, including the Dutch, French and Netherlands Antilles will present a unified approach for the reduction in the cost of HIV/AIDS treatment to the United Nations, at its General Assembly meeting slated for May/June in New York.

The region will also lobby for a new global approach to the pandemic that will include a reduction in stigmatisation and discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS.

This was decided at Wednesday's Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) regional consultation convened by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston. PANCAP is an umbrella body of 77organisations, whose core focus is HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care.

At the brief press conference held after the consultation on Wednesday, Dr Edward Greene, assistant secretary general of Caricom and chair of PANCAP, said the recommendations to be put forward to the UN will come directly from the consultation.

At the same time, Dr Luiz Loures, director of Global initiative UNAIDS (Geneva), said: "There is no way to control HIV/AIDS if we continue to operate at the level of prices we operate at today. Countries pay not only the price of the drug itself, but also prices tacked on for profit by the pharmaceutical companies."

He said there were an estimated 500,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS in the region.
Suzette Moses-Burton, National AIDS Programme Co-ordinator, St Maarten, and chair of the Caribbean Coalition of National AIDS Co-ordinators underscored the need for regional advocacy to lower the prices of HIV/AIDS drugs. "We Dutch countries have access to HIV/AIDS treatment, but the prices are European prices. We would like to see regional advocacy so that we can access drugs at reasonable prices," said Moses-Burton.

Dr Loures said that of the US$8.5 billion spent in 2005 on HIV prevention, care and treatment, US$500 million was available to fight the pandemic in the Caribbean region. He also singled out the Bahamas and Barbados as countries in which the numbers of HIV/AIDS infection were decreasing.

He noted that while the $8.5 billion spent in 2005 represented a noticeable increase from the US$300-million spent in 1996, and that there were case decreases in some countries, there should be no complacency, since the pandemic still outran the approach to prevention and treatment. "The present decreases in HIV/AIDS cases in some countries should be seen as a motivation to proceed with a bold regime to revert the epidemic," said Dr Loures.In addition to the cost of HIV/AIDS medication, stigmatisation and the funding of public education programmes were two other areas that presenters said needed more attention.

Dr Douglas Slater, Minister of Health for St Vincent and the Grenadines, said it was necessary for government to be able to fund or gain access to funds for necessary HIV/AIDS care and prevention or public education programmes, and pointed to the importance of regional collaboration in this regard. "If we cannot deliver to our citizens, we are worst off. We (in the region) have to harmonise policies, programmes and financing so that we are better prepared to face the challenges of HIV," said Dr Slater.

According to Dr Slater, who is the chair of the regional Co-ordinating Mechanism for Global Fund Programme of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), about one per cent, or 6,000 of the OECS population, was infected with the HIV virus.

Meanwhile, Rachel Charles, representative of Hope Pals in Grenada, an organisation of people living with HIV/AIDS, said stigmatisation and discrimination have directly impacted on the number of individuals seeking HIV/AIDS treatment in her country. She recommended that there be individual country approaches and a regional attempt at engineering and instituting legislation that would in effect, lessen the occurrences of stigmatisation and discrimination.

"Stigmatisation and discrimination have prevented people from coming forward for treatment. We need legislation that would provide for environments, which will allow people to seek treatment," said Charles.

She also mentioned discrimination against children infected with the HIV virus as one of the negatives of the current predominant culture.Deputy chief executive officer of the Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (CRN+) also stressed the need for regional co-operation on this issue. "We would like to see the political commitment of all governments in the region to enshrine the human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, since stigma and discrimination are rampant in the region," she said.

Dr Greene, who also stressed the importance of regional agreement on this issue, insisted that HIV/AIDS should be seen as a public health issue similar to measles, thus eliminating much of the stigmatisation that hampers treatment and care of persons with the disease.

Effects of transnational policing in the Caribbean explored
Web Posted - Fri Feb 17 2006

THE conditions of contemporary society may push the police further and further down the road towards transnationalisation.

This is the assertion of Dr. Benjamin Bowling, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the King's College School of Law, London. Dr. Bowling was recently exploring the topic Sovereignty versus Security: The Development of Transnational Policing in the Caribbean Region at a seminar conducted in connection with the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), at University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

Dr. Bowling has conducted a great deal of research in the Caribbean while on sabbatical leave, and he shared the results of a study he conducted on transnational policing, at the seminar.

All the indications are, that local communities ... will increasingly feel the effects of global insecurity. Consequently, we will see police officers increasingly sharing intelligence with their overseas counterparts and increasing numbers of officers posted overseas. We will also see increasing numbers of overseas police and intelligence posted..., many of whom will be invisible to the untrained eye..., Dr. Bowling maintains.

Giving a tentative definition of "transnational policing", Dr. Bowling notes that it is "those organised forms of order maintenance, peacekeeping, law enforcement, crime investigation and prevention, surveillance of suspect populations and information-brokering that transcend national boundaries".

Asking the question as to what then is the appropriate model for the development of transnational policing, the answer Dr. Bowling noted, lies in the theory and practice of global governance. Globalization, he observed, has not only created transnational organised crime and transnational policing, but it has also created transnational communities and movements for international human rights and global justice.

According to Dr. Bowling, transnational organised crime has emerged as one of the most pressing concerns of the late modern, post-Cold War era and has given new impetus to the development of transnational policing. Globalization and the de-regulation of capital, trade and businesses have mag-nified the potential for clandestine trade and criminal activity, according to Dr. Bowling. The general public, he also notes, has become increasingly anxious about organised crime groups and their involvement in ex- tortion, drugs trafficking, money laundering and murder.

Transnational organised crime is not experienced globally or transnationally, he however pointed out, but manifests itself in the context of locality.

The bombing of the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11, 2001, the bombs in Bali on October 12, 2002 and October 4, 2005, in Madrid on March 11, 2004 and July 7 in London 2005, underlined the significance of international terrorism and brought home the concept of a "new world disorder" in which persons could all expect to feel the effects of transnational organised crime, terrorism and other forms of security.

Dr. Bowling maintains, however, that policing is an expression of national sovereignty, since one of the things that makes the nation state is the ability to monopolise the use of legi- timate coercive force with-in its borders. Dr. Bowling, however, went on to explore whether countries in the contemporary Caribbean will have to make a toss-up between their sovereignty or their security, as trans-national policing continues to develop.

Posted on Fri, Feb. 17, 2006

Mr. Préval wins Haiti's presidency

OUR OPINION: NEGOTIATION, COMPROMISE GOOD LESSON FOR HAITIAN POLITICS

Haiti's new president has his work cut out for him. René Préval was the clear choice of the Haitian people. Yes, a smoother election and vote count would have been preferable. But, ultimately, negotiation and compromise sealed Mr. Préval's victory. This ended an electoral crisis and the potential for violence.

For the first time in years, Haiti has reason for hope. While deep-rooted problems won't disappear overnight, a legitimate government, backed by the international community, could begin to address security, the economy and other challenges.

Mr. Préval will stand an better chance of turning the nation around if he can rally Haiti's political and business leaders, even those who opposed him, to unify behind a common agenda. The electoral crisis provides a good lesson in how to resolve political differences for the sake of the greater good through negotiation and compromise.

A clear majority

Though exit polls appeared to show that Mr. Préval had won a clear majority, his margin fell below 50 percent as the count neared an end. Urgency mounted after thousands of ballots appeared in a Port-au-Prince dump, raising suspicions of vote fraud. Largely peaceful protests threatened to spiral out of control.

In fact, electoral authorities had found problems with large numbers of missing, invalidated and blank ballots. Negotiations ensued among officials from Haiti's interim government, its electoral council, the U.N. mission, Mr. Préval's party and international diplomats. The solution that assured Mr. Préval's win used an electoral loophole to proportionately allocate blank votes -- most of which were believed to be unused ballots mistakenly included in the count -- among the 33 candidates.

Sensible approach

A former president, Mr. Préval will have a chance to show how much better he can do now outside the shadow of his former ally, ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. One thorny issue involves disarming violent slum gangs, many of which appeared to support his candidacy, that terrorize much of Port-au-Prince and hurt commerce. In an earlier interview with The Miami Herald, Mr. Préval described a sensible approach combining police action along with ''massive social investment'' that would provide jobs and isolate the ``criminals.''

Mr. Préval will not lack issues to tackle. Haiti needs to clean up its police force and judiciary; to get tons of illegal weapons off the streets, with U.N. help; to rebuild all basic systems, from education and healthcare to utilities and roads. Haiti needs to heal its fractured society.

Netherlands Antilles NGOs face funding crisis

02-17-2006

by Nikola Lashley
Caribbean Net News Curacao Correspondent
Email: nikola@caribbeannetnews.com

CURACAO, Netherlands Antilles: The Dutch government has described the handling of AMFO's (Antillean Co Financing Organisation) accounting as "jiggery-pokery" and confirmed that an annual budget of 9.5 million euros (US$11.2m) has been suspended until all monies given to AMFO could be properly accounted for.

AMFO is responsible for distributing funds for social projects designed to alleviate poverty and promote culture, throughout the Antilles, which also includes providing money for school meals for the islands' poorest children.

The problem for Holland is that AMFO's directors are appointed by project organisations on each of the 5 islands, known as "Platforms" and so cannot be held accountable to the Dutch Government and, although their bookkeeping is questionable, the individuals who form the supervisory board are beyond reproach and can be neither fired nor suspended.

The current structure of how the funds are distributed to the NGOs in the region was created four years ago and it was decided that the then 1,000 plus NGOs who were requesting financial support directly from Holland should be consolidated into independently run "Platforms".
These Platform companies fall under the supervisory control of AMFO, who in turn would approve necessary funds for the various project proposals.

Holland has now demanded that an emergency operational audit be carried out of AMFO's bookkeeping prior to releasing more funds, as well as the total reorganisation of AMFO's current management board that is directly responsible for the current lack of financial control.

It is considered by the Dutch government, given AMFO's uncertain position, that this entire process is likely to take some time. But the victims of this financial debacle are the islands' neediest groups.

Catering companies providing school meals say the situation for them is desperate, as there is only sufficient funding for the next four weeks. This was confirmed by Curacao's Platform manager Mr Doran.

If money is not made available, the kitchens will be unable to supply hot school meals for its poorest children and many other projects including youth programmes, and services for the elderly will simply fold.

When questioned about Holland's moral obligation to continue to fund these small projects, their representative, who asked not to be named, hinted at the possibility of temporarily by-passing AMFO by working in collaboration with an intermediary management team, to temporally fund existing projects, but stopped short of making any promises about the future of the projects involved.

The representative added that Mr Pechthold, the Antillean interior minister in Holland, could not jeopardise his political position for what clearly would appear as unlawful support of AMFO's financial ineptitude.

Firm conditions for debt restructuring

Thursday, February 16, 2006

CURACAO – The Upper and Lower House state inextricable conditions for the next Round Table Conference. Both parliaments are willing to come to a form of debt restructuring, only when further interpretation is given to crucial tasks like maintenance of law and order, effective financial supervision, and sound government in the Statute. A well supported motion with this implication was proposed in the Upper House last night and two Lower House motions will follow tonight, when the members will meet to discuss the closing statement of the Start Round Table Conference (Start-RTC).

One of the motions has more or less the same implication of the Upper House motion, but it goes one step further. Before March 15th, the government has to indicate which are the tasks of the Realm in the new situation; what will the interpretation be for realm-island; and prove that the ‘national government’ status for St. Maarten is ‘desirable and sound’. Minister Alexander Pechtold of Kingdom Relations (D66) must also indicate how the collaborations should be, and which regulations have to be adjusted. The motion has a majority of the VVD, CDA, LPF, and SGP and will pass. Ruud Luchtenveld (VVD): “The precondition for a new political structure is that it is efficient and workable, but must also offer guarantee for an adequate persuasion of government duties and maintenance of law and order. It should also be clear that the Netherlands does not assume the debts of the Antilles.” He says that refinancing under the declining of the authority to take out new debts can be considered.

He furthermore announced that he will propose a motion in which the government is requested to also discuss the admittance regulations for underprivileged Antillean young persons in the coming RTC. This motion has no majority yet, but is supported by the LPF and Luchtenveld hopes to get more support during the debate. After all, many Dutch cities are being faced with the ‘consequences of underprivileged young persons that come to the Netherlands’ and the motion Sterk was therefore already passed in the Lower House in December 2004. “Besides, the Antilleans’ share in the criminality statistics is very high.”

During the handling of chapter IV (Kingdom Relations) of the budget, minister Pechtold had a lot to endure last night in the normally quiet Senate. The Netherlands is way too nice, said the D66-party. “The Dutch cabinet has to take charge more aggressively and rule crystal clear and unambiguous. Up till now, the cabinet has been diplomatically very sensitive and especially was keeping good relationships. That strategy does not work.”

The debate that started at 13:30 lasted till 01:30 after midnight. “This is the first time that there was a fundamental discussion about the Realm in the Upper House”, said Egbert Schuurman (ChristenUnie), who proposed the motion. The Dutch government is indeed busy with the political changes in a controlling and procedural manner, but has not made it clear to the parliamentarians what her own opinion is. What is the Kingdom, what does it mean for the Statute? We have asked the government not to reassess or renew the Statute, but to come up with a completely new Statute that is adjusted to the demands of this era.”

OECS to ask ECCB to conduct analysis on its contribution to Regional Development Fund (40/2006)



BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, FEBRUARY 16TH 2006 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis is to approach the Basseterre-based Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) to conduct the necessary analysis to determine the exact amount that the OECS Member States can contribute the Regional Development Fund.

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas speaking to reporters on the outcome of the recent 17th Inter-Sessional Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, at his monthly Press Conference, said that St. Kitts and Nevis is committed to enter the CSM by the end of June, but that it was important that the Regional Development Fund be established “so that we can access in order to receive technical and financial assistance in areas where our own situation would have been negatively affected in becoming members of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.”

He said while it was agreed that each Member State of the CARICOM Single Market will make contributions to that Fund, “we have not yet specifically outlined how the funds will be managed, what will be the prevailing conditions and circumstances which will dictate how you borrow and how much you actually contribute to the Fund.”

“My own position in that meeting, I must emphasise, is that we have a situation that is not only typical to St. Kitts and Nevis, but typical to all member territories of the Caribbean and that before we can agree on the amount that we will contribute to that Fund, St. Kitts and Nevis, and I urged the rest of the OECS, to ensure that our own Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, be asked to carry out the necessary analysis to determine how much we can contribute without having any negative effect on our already very serious indebtedness that we have in our various countries,” said Prime Minister Douglas.

“I am asking the Central Bank to do an impact analysis to determine in what ways can our already adverse debt situation become worse, if we were to contribute so much dollars to that Fund,” said the St. Kitts and Nevis leader.

He said the matter will be placed before the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Monetary Council, which meets in St. Kitts on Friday when the Finance Ministers of the Eastern Caribbean who have membership in the Central Bank, are going to formally request the Central Bank to do this analysis.

“We are also asking that we would have special and differential arrangements for borrowing from that Fund, that there would be a lowered interest rate paid by us compared to the More Developed Countries that are members of the Caribbean Community,” said Prime Minister Douglas.

Photo: St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Hon. Denzil L. Douglas at his momthly Press Conference. (Photo by Erasmus Williams)

Copyright © 2005 By The Government Of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) & Nevis

Education, Santander announce pact
February 16, 2006

SAN JUAN (EFE) – Education Secretary Rafael Aragunde and Banco Santander Puerto Rico President José González announced Wednesday a collaboration agreement to begin Thursday a program of financial education and information about university options for high school students.
With the support of the Education Department, Banco Santander Puerto Rico will offer a program of workshops to some 350 students in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade in 10 public schools included in the improvement plan of the educational regions of the island.

The workshops are a combined initiative of the program Contigo of Santander, which provides advice on the management of personal finances and the importance of savings; the PreUniversia portal, with information about offers of study, employment, and professional careers; and the non-profit organization Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Puerto Rico.

The high schools that will benefit from this initiative are: María Cadilla in Arecibo, Rosalina C. Martínez in Guaynabo, Miguel Meléndez Muñoz in Cayey, Germán Rieckehoff in Vieques, Doctora Conchita Cuevas in Gurabo, Eva y Patria Custodio in Las Marías, Juan A. Corretjer in Ciales, Armstrong in Ponce, Blanca Malaret in Sabana Grande, and Berwind in San Juan.

"Our wish is to present new opportunities that support the academic progress of our students, but we also seek that these novel forms of learning be practical teachings for their daily life. With this alliance, the public school students will receive expert advice that will help them be good administrators of their finances," Aragunde said.

González said in a press release that "Santander is convinced that education is not only the source of knowledge and innovation, but also one of the most important motors of social and economic development of society".

Furbert's 'national vision'

By Stuart Roberts

New Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert last night called for a radical overhaul of Bermuda's political system.

In his first public speech since replacing Grant Gibbons, he said a Political Commission was needed to scrutinise the political process.

His platform also included:Fixed General Election dates;A referendum on Independence; Parliamentary recalls;Bipartisan Parliamentarian Committees

Mr. Furbert was speaking to Warwick constituents at a UBP Town Hall meeting, in which he declared he had a new vision for a new generation.

He said Bermuda's political situation was in need of a dramatic overhaul. "This is a priority," he said. "In the past centralised, top-down Government was the norm throughout the whole world. The days of 'Father knows best' Government may be over. Yet the world and our people has advanced beyond this form of government, the way we conduct the people's business has not progressed with the times. "Today our people are better educated, better informed, better equipped and willing and able to play a larger role in shaping of our country."

He added: "I believe that Bermuda right now needs a national vision. To achieve this vision we support fixed election dates, referendums for certain divisive issues such as gangs or Independence, Parliamentary recall by popular or citizen petition on politicians that are corrupt or unfit between general elections, bipartisan Parliamentarian committees that put the best and the brightest of the UBP and the (Progressive Labour Party) PLP working together to solve the challenges facing our Island."

To do this we need to form a Political Commission that will look at the workings of our political process so that at the end of the day the people are served better and will always come out on top."He said the masses of Bermuda could no longer be expected to sit on the side-lines and wait for a general election, or worse yet, social unrest for their voices and concerns to be heard and acted upon. "More and more of Bermuda's critical issues will not be decided by Parliamentarians, our Senators, our Cabinet and even our Premier," he said.

"The movement toward making fundamental decisions through direct voter participation either by referendum, or by petition is irrefutable. We must empower our people to shape the direction of our country. No political party has a monopoly on good ideas."

The Opposition Leader said he would create great opportunities for the best and the brightest of both the PLP and the UBP and focus on creating solutions rather than divisions.

A new approach was needed because the traditional ways of doing things was giving Bermudians diminishing returns, he said. "We need a common vision, goal and purpose," he said. "Someone once said leadership is the ability to translate vision into reality. Our country, our people are in desperate need of vision and in desperate need of action."

Mr. Furbert said Bermuda was sinking into a moral decay where a growing perception of corruption in high places coupled with Government's unwillingness to admit or accept responsibility demanded that honest, capable Bermudians took action."

When we look at some of the prevailing conditions in Bermuda, the rise of health care costs, the rose in the cost of living, the overwhelming lack of affordable housing, the rapid decline in tourism, the pressing needs of our seniors, our people are crying out for a vision," he said. "Our people are crying out for action."

The state we find ourselves in demands leadership that can see beyond now into a preferred future. Leadership that has the skill to turn vision into reality," he said.He said his vision was a source of hope and a source of personal discipline."

Vision sets you free of the limitations of what your eyes can see and allows you to actuate the liberty of what your heart can feel. Vision generates hope even in the midst of despair and provides endurance in tribulation," he said. "I can see a Bermuda where we live out Martin Luther King's dream where one day we will not be judged by the colour of our skin, but by the contents of our character."

He said he saw a Bermuda where international partners had necessary local skills to run operations, where seniors lived out their golden years in paradise and where housing was affordable. Pledging victory in the next election, he promised his supporters an end to divisiveness, cronyism, selfishness and irresponsibly.

"We will restore hope, ours is a new beginning and a new vision," he said. "Vision with action can change the world."

Hall takes office - New Governor-General embraces youth - Commits to building social capital

published: Thursday February 16, 2006

Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter


PROFESSOR KENNETH Hall, former Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, was last night installed as the fifth Governor-General of Jamaica, during a lavish ceremony held at King's House, St. Andrew.

His Excellency Kenneth Hall succeeds Sir Howard Cooke, who served as Governor-General for almost 15 years.

The new Governor-General will be joined at King's House by his wife, Her Excellency Mrs. Hall, former Senior Research Fellow at the Allister McIntyre Centre, UWI.

"This is both humbling and an uplifting experience," he said.

In a well-crafted inaugural speech, the newly-installed Governor-General, who hails from the parish of Hanover, confessed that he never dreamed that he could become Governor-General, noting that such a thing was outside of the range of persons from his social background.
"I feel that what is conferred upon me today is an honour and recognition of the contribution of the generation of which I am a part," he said.

ENGAGE THE YOUTH

He pointed to the need for the society to find meaningful ways of engaging the youth.
"It is the youth that possess many of the special attributes that will form part of our transformational agenda." He said today's youth are the most educated and conscious youth cohort in Jamaica's history.

"They are energetic, enthusiastic and full of innovative ideas, which means that they are the foundation of the future Jamaica," the 64-year-old Governor-General added.

He said he intends to be Governor-General of all Jamaica regardless of social status or political affiliation.

As part of his agenda, he said his office would be an "active participant in forging national consensus, in building social capital and projecting a self- reliant, self-confident Jamaica."
In his address, Sir Howard, described his successor as an "able and astute younger man."
"I welcome the Governor-General and his First Lady ... The Most Honourable Mrs. Hall to King's House."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson said the new Governor-General comes to the office at a time of constitutional reform. "And I am certain that his skills and experience will serve him well in the execution of his duties."

Mr. Patterson also told the gathering of government officials, a contingent from the UWI and other dignitaries, that the Governor-General will bring something special to the office.
"I believe that in this age of globalisation, our Governor-General will bring to bear on the affairs of the state the perspective of one who has seen our country both from within and from without," he said.


HIGHLIGHTS OF HALL'S CAREER

2004

Conferral of Order of Jamaica

2003

Appointed Chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)

1996

Pro-Vice Chancellor/Principal of the University of the West Indies, Mona

1994

Deputy Secretary General CARICOM.

1984

History Professor, State University of New York at Oswego.

FORMER GOVERNORS-GENERAL
Sir Kenneth Blackburne - Aug. 6-Nov. 30, 1962
Sir Clifford Campbell - Dec. 1, 1962-Mar. 2, 1973
Sir Florizel Glasspole - June 27, 1973-Mar. 31, 1991
Sir Howard Cooke - Aug. 1, 1991-Feb. 15, 2006

POVERTY UNACCEPTABLE
Web Posted - Thu Feb 16 2006

While Barbados has eradicated extreme poverty and hunger, the level of relative poverty, which is said to currently exist in this island, is still unacceptable.

As such, Minister of Social Transformation Hamilton Lashley contends that intervention designed to break the cycle can therefore not be seen as optional.

His comments came at the opening ceremony of the consultation arranged by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) at the UN House yesterday morning. Following the World Summit on Social development in 1995, Barbados re-focused its efforts on the eradication of poverty.

This saw the Government declaring its eradication as the number one goal on its developmental calendar. This declaration was made while being cognisant of the fact that Barbados is a small island developing state with a fragile economy, which is subject to both external and internal shocks, some by way of natural disasters, Lashley said.

To this end, he said that fundamental shifts have had to be made at the policy and programme levels to safeguard against increased levels of poverty and to ensure that past gains are not eroded.

Likewise, he said inter-agency and inter-ministerial collaborations have been taking place in an effort to create equal opportunities for all persons to allow for meaningful participation in the social and economic development of this country.

Government, the minister said in an effort to sustain the social provisioning for the most vulnerable in society, embarked on a number of programmes, including the Poverty Eradication Fund, the Welfare to Work Programme, the Fatherhood Initiative and the Community Art Career Programme. Making reference to the Poverty Eradication Fund, Minister Lashley maintained that all of the cases are investigated and that contrary to the belief in some quarters, only those that are really in need receive assistance.

Whether it be the payment of house rent or the payment of water bills; our field officers go into the field and visit these households, and then report to the Committee, which comprises of a group of highly responsible persons headed by the director of finance. They are all experts in their various fields of endeavour, who make the final decisions and not the minister himself. Hence, if it becomes public that someone has been assisted through the poverty fund, you can be seriously rest assured that that case was a genuine one, meeting the necessary criteria, he explained.

In addition, he said the poverty fund also supports organisations whose programming fit in with Government's poverty eradication programme. He pointed out that via the fund, a number of community based organisations are given the opportunity to introduce and sustain programmes of training in the arts, information technology and other skills, thus helping to provide community members with opportunities to realise their full potential.

Success, the minister noted, has also been reaped in the Welfare to Work Programme, which was adopted by the Welfare Department in 2000. Starting with a welfare roll of 10 000 persons through collaboration with a number of private sector and non-governmental organisations in skills training and personal development workshops, which have resulted in job placements the roll now stands at 7 000.

Of great importance, he said, is the fact that some of these persons, most of them single mothers, have been able to individually or collectively open their own businesses. With this in mind, he said that the fathers have not been left out. Through a programme also run by the Welfare Department known as the Fatherhood Initiative, some 1 726 men, who were involved in domestic violence, deprived access to their children, involved in custody disputes or were not maintaining their children, have benefited from the programme.

Mr. Jay heard many topics

By Alan Markoff, alan@cfp.ky

Wednesday 15th February, 2006 Posted: 15:03 CIT (20:03 GMT)

Sir Michael Jay, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s top civil servant who visited here last week, got to hear about a wide range of issues impacting Cayman during his visit.

Besides meeting with elected Government officials, Mr. Jay attended a breakfast held at the Governor’s house last Thursday morning and met with civil society members.

Invited to the breakfast were various people heading non–governmental organisations and others who had specific knowledge or responsibilities with regard to issues important to Cayman.

Pastor Al Ebanks, who heads the NGO Working Group on constitutional modernisation, said each invited member of the public had a chance to talk about the issue they knew about.
For the most part, Mr. Jay just listened, Mr. Ebanks said.
“He had very little to say. He was really there to listen.”

Nothing new of significant importance was discussed in Mr. Ebanks’ opinion, but Mr. Jay did walk away with a better knowledge of the issues facing Cayman.

“It was just the kind of conversations we have every day here between ourselves.”

The breakfast and informal chat only lasted about one hour. Some of the topics discussed included constitutional modernisation, the environment, human rights and Immigration.
Constitutional modernisation was one topic that the elected People’s Progressive Movement government steered clear of during its discussions with Mr. Jay.

Instead, it will wait to discuss the subject with an FCO team headed by senior constitutional expert Ian Hendry in March. That team will resume the constitutional talks that were suspended last year before the general elections.

One person who said he spoke about the constitutional modernisation process at length with Mr. Jay was Leader of the Opposition McKeeva Bush, who noted that he had already met with Mr. Jay once before, in October 2004 after Hurricane Ivan hit Cayman.

In addition to constitutional modernisation, Mr. Bush said he discussed the issues of security, disaster preparedness and immigration. The latter issue was not included on the agenda list of topics sent out by the Governor’s Office prior to Mr. Jay’s arrival.
“He said he had heard immigration was a big topic,” Mr. Bush said.

But it was the topic of constitutional modernisation that Mr. Bush said he spoke most about with Mr. Jay.

“I told him we didn’t aspire toward independence, but that there had to be some changes in the Constitution,” he said, adding that Cayman needed to avoid a situation where the Government could become all–powerful.

Mr. Bush said he told Mr. Jay that Cayman also needed a reasonable human rights bill that would protect people’s rights without upsetting the country’s heritage and Christian background.

He also stressed that Cayman did not want any meddling in its affairs by the European Union.
Mr. Bush said afterwards the reason constitutional talks were halted last year was because of an attempt to link the acceptance of the European Union Savings Tax Directive to the UK’s cooperation with constitutional modernisation process.

“It’s a fact that the British Treasury Department was trying to leverage the Constitution and moving it forward against the European Union Savings Tax Directive,” he said. “They told me that if I agreed to that, they would make it easier to get the Constitution approved.

“I told them they couldn’t leverage one against the other and walked away from the talks.”
Mr. Bush said the FCO subsequently denied such an offer, saying the British Treasury had no power to facilitate constitutional matter with the Overseas Territories.

“I have no doubt though that they confer with one another and that there were collaborations against us.”

Mr. Bush also spoke to Mr. Jay about the People’s Progressive Movement’s suggestion that the constitutional modernisation process requires a referendum.

“I told him that if they call for it and lose [acceptance of the Constitution put forward for referendum] then we should have a fresh mandate of the people,” Mr. Bush said, explaining that meant new elections.

Funds for disaster preparedness
Wednesday, February 15th 2006

Government has announced that it is to seek international assistance to repair crucial drainage structures and dredge four rivers. This comes in the wake of the declaration of two severely flooded areas as disaster zones. The two areas are Region Two (Pomeroon catchment area) and Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice). This is a bold step as the previous attempt last year to seek international funds for flood disaster ended in failure. However, the current approach appears to be better conceived.

Almost a year to the day the UN, had launched in February 2005 what was described as a Flash Appeal for 3 million US dollars for Immediate Relief Needs and Humanitarian Transitional Needs in Guyana. In its appeal document the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that 2005 was the largest disaster to hit Guyana in the last century. The situation was described in great detail - 200,000 people affected (39% of the population), 5000 in temporary shelters, 92,000 people with water in their homes and so on. But the appeal fell on deaf ears. It was reported that the sum contributed was only about 10% little more than US $300,000, but this was never confirmed.

The reasons for the failure must be analysed. First there was donor fatigue in the field of humanitarian assistance. And Guyana was a very small case in the year which included the tsunami. But there were also failures on the Guyana side. There was a certain lack of clarity. The Guyana government never made it clear what they were confronting, whether it was so to speak a "regular" occasional flooding disaster or the result of a massive climate change deluge. The latter would have attracted more attention. Moreover it appears that the appeal was not specifically supported by Guyana's diplomacy . Editorially it had been suggested at that time that there should be special approaches to certain Middle Eastern States, especially in view of the fact that Guyana is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Countries.

This time around the appeal while apparently coordinated by the UN is apparently directed inter alia to specific aid agencies. More importantly, the appeal is for infrastructural works and a distinction is being made between the medium and longer term. Still it is not clear that sufficient is being done in terms of image to attract assistance on the scale which Guyana will eventually require.

It is considered that on the projection of Guyana's special needs salience should be given to the following points. First, there must be clear recognition that Guyana's problem is part of the worldwide cycle of damage now being inflicted on human communities by climate change. Last year Katrina pierced the levels of denial or lack of interest at the highest levels in the US government, henceforth climate change is on the agenda.

During the year there were an increasing number and more intense hurricanes and typhoons than there had been for 75 years. The year was the hottest ever recorded. There were devastating floods in Africa and Asia. Drought and floods are becoming part of the uncertain weather pattern of sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, Australia and in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Moreover, the rapidly melting ice caps accelerated sea level rise threatening island states, low lying countries like Bangladesh and of course the Guyana coastland. Guyana, although not yet gravely affected, must be seen to be in this pattern of climate dislocation and destruction.

Second, it must be shown that the flooding disasters are destroying the levels of development which over the years have been painstakingly achieved and that in consequence resources are being diverted and growth is being negatived.

Again this is part of a worldwide pattern. Scientists meeting in the UK in February 2003 in an International Symposium on Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change asserted that the damage inflicted on Africa by climate change could greatly exceed the increased quantum of economic assistance being given.

An even more dire prediction is the calculation by some scientists quoted by Oxfam that the costs associated with overcoming climate change disasters could exceed global economic output within a few generations. In short the global economy would cease to grow. Guyana should be projected as a small state endeavouring to mitigate climate change impacts so that it can maintain current levels of development and can continue to grow.

Third, one must ensure that the concern with the medium term e.g. dredging of rivers and repair of conservancies and so on does not slip into a piecemeal approach but is seen to support comprehensive long term planning. In this longer term it is imperative that attention be given to sea level rise which is already affecting the sea defences. Where the climate change leading to heavy incessant rainfall could not have been predicted sea level rise can be measured and its effects predicted long in advance.

Such precise predictions were available as long as 16 years ago in the R.F. Camacho's report on "The implication of sea level rise for the coastlands of Guyana". Since then scientists have observed that with ice caps subject to more than anticipated melting, sea level rise is being accelerated.

The Commonwealth Report on Climate Change which incorporates Camacho's findings points out that sea level rise is complicated by the fact that "affected societies - dependent on their resources - have choices.

They can retreat, accept the losses and adapt to changed circumstances or they can erect sea defences and/or design (or strengthen) structures to face a higher sea level." In the case of Guyana Camacho concluded that without a long term - 30 to 40 year-programme (16 years have now gone) for raising and strengthening coastal protection and improved drainage there could be a serious loss of agricultural land, agri-industry, housing and infrastructure. He outlined a phased programme, the first phase costing US $22 million over five years (estimates made in 1988).

Camacho's study underlined two key points of importance: "The first is that anticipatory planning and a staged programme of works accompanied by continued monitoring and feasibility analysis are much preferable both to doing nothing and suffering the costs of flooding - or to belated, once for all construction projects. Second, it is possible, using local experience and expertise in constructing sea defences and drainage systems, to improvise relatively inexpensive but effective protection."

Sea level rise needs to be taken seriously as what is at stake is a problem of territorial integrity, every bit as serious as the claims of neighbours - perhaps moreso because what will be lost is the economic heartland of Guyana.

As with the problems of preserving Guyana's territorial integrity, the mobilising of resources and international opinion will require well conceived and focused diplomatic effort. And as with the earlier diplomatic campaign it is most likely that Guyana will gain the support it requires for its own projects if it is seen to be in vanguard of the diplomacy on climate change. In view of the devastation which Caricom partner states suffer from hurricanes and flooding it should be possible to develop co-ordinated foreign policy approaches.

It is certain that there are new funding opportunities opening up within the context of the Kyoto Protocol which is now operational and to which Guyana adheres. This is also true of the raft of agreements entered into by the 200 countries who participated at the Montreal Conference last November which is starting to shape a second stage to Kyoto. In all such approaches to donors it will almost certainly be found that donors will be most responsive to a long term plan.

The aim should be to project to donors an image of Guyana as a small state valiantly and efficiently tackling climate change problems which threaten its survival and which are not of its own making.

The historian Rodway in his history of British Guiana wrote: "Every acre at present under cultivation has been the scene of a struggle with the seas in front and the flood behind. As a result of this arduous labour through two centuries a narrow strip of land along the coast has been rescued from the mangrove swamp by an elaborate system of dams and dykes."

The struggle must now be resumed and in earnest.

Educación continúa reduciendo la brecha digital


La Secretaría de Educación continuará este año fortaleciendo los programas puntuales como forma de reducir la brecha digital y elevar la calidad de la educación dominicana.
La afirmación la hizo la licenciada Alejandrina Germán, titular de la cartera educativa, quien dijo además que la formación docente y el uso de las tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TICs) han sido para la gestión que encabeza ejes fundamentales en procura de lograr una educación de calidad.
Germán citó como hecho palpable que la dependencia haya posibilitado la adquisición de más de 20,000 computadoras personales y sotfwares educativos a maestros de todo el territorio nacional.

Por igual, se ha trabajado fuertemente en la red de conectividad de la Secretaría de Educación, agregó, así como en la instalación del Portal Educativo, acciones que reflejan el firme compromiso de construir una sociedad que camina hacia un desarrollo sostenido en todos los ámbitos.

No obstante, dijo reconocer las limitaciones que aún persisten en el sistema educativo dominicano debido a que la República Dominicana forma parte del concierto de naciones pobres.

Al hablar en la apertura del Congreso Internacional “Edutec 2006”, Germán destacó que pese a esas limitaciones se ha avanzado mucho en materia educativa.

Precisó que desde su despacho se trabaja de manera incansable en los procesos de transformación de la educación dominicana en procura de lograr una calidad y modernidad en un mundo cada vez más exigente.

En ese contexto, dijo que el programa de formación de maestros en el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación representa una acción de primer orden para la gestión.

Afirmó que esas acciones permitieron que la República Dominicana quedara en primer lugar entre los países de América Latina que participan en el Programa de Actualización de Maestros en Educación” que se desarrolla en alianza con la Fundación Cisneros.

Igualmente resaltó el hecho que más de 200 maestros y maestras hayan terminado la novena edición en línea, “Calidad en Educación Básica”, lo que entiende constituye un gran avance para la educación dominicana.

Febrero 15, 2006

RD es sede de la Asamblea General de la OEA


Una misión de la Organización de Estados Americanos inició en la Cancillería una serie de reuniones de trabajo con la Comisión Oficial del Gobierno Dominicano para la preparación de la XXXVI Asamblea General del organismo hemisférico, que tendrá lugar del 4 al 6 de junio en Casa de Campo, La Romana.

La misión oficial de la OEA está encabezada por Arturo Garzón, coordinador de la Asamblea General, y compuesta por Ana O’Brien, jefa de Protocolo; Juan Carlos Gómez, jefe de Servicios de Documentos; Luiz Coimbra, especialista de Servicios de Información Pública; y Carlos Álvarez, especialista de Servicios de Sistemas y Redes Computarizadas.

La representante en el país de la OEA, doctora Bertha Santoscoy, explicó que las reuniones y visitas a Casa de Campo y Altos de Chavón, donde se dará apertura formal a la asamblea, tienen por objetivo definir la logística, mecanismos de seguridad y otros dispositivos relativos a la reunión.

Precisó que en el cónclave participarán 34 países del hemisferio americano miembros del organismo y representantes de unos 50 países observadores de otras partes del mundo.

El presidente Leonel Fernández, el canciller Carlos Morales Troncoso, como representantes del país anfitrión, y el Secretario General de la OEA, José Miguel Insulza, tendrán a su cargo la apertura de la asamblea.

Durante el desarrollo de la Asamblea tendrán lugar, paralelamente, una serie de encuentros y actividades, entre ellos el Foro Económico del Sector Privado, que reunirá a empresarios de los países miembros del organismo.

La Comisión Organizadora de la Asamblea por la parte dominicana fue creada mediante el decreto 669-05, del 12 de diciembre del 2005 y está integrada por los subsecretarios de Relaciones Exteriores José Manuel Trullols, Alejandra Liriano y Clara Quiñones.

Igualmente forman parte de la misma el director de Información, Prensa y Publicidad de la Presidencia, Rafael Núñez, y los embajadores Luis Bogaert, Michelle Cohén, Francisco Nadal Rincón y Nicole Morales de Bogaert, entre otros.

Febrero 15, 2006

(c) Copyright 2004.

Agriculture Investments In Developing Countries Reach New High
World Bank Strategy Has Contributed to Reversing Downward Trend


Press Release No:2006/259/ESSD
Contacts:
Sergio Jellinek (202) 458-2841
sjellinek@worldbank.org
Kristyn Schrader (202) 458-2736
kschrader@worldbank.org

WASHINGTON, February 6, 2006—A newly-released status report shows that
World Bank lending to the agriculture sector increased sharply to $2.1 billion in the last fiscal year. With 65 new projects that had agriculture sector components, FY05 (July 2005- June 2005) lending showed a 40 percent increase over FY04 lending of $1.5 billion. Among agricultural sub-sectors, the irrigation and drainage sub-sector was the strongest, accounting for just over $1 billion, or almost 50 percent of lending, and an increase of $300 million over FY04 figures.

“With 70 percent of the world’s poor living in rural areas and relying on agriculture as their major source of income,” says Ian Johnson, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development, “strengthening the agriculture sector has strong implications for the growth of developing country economies.”







© 2006 The World Bank Group

House Speaker to address Caribbean peers
Wednesday February 15 2006

Speaker of the House D. Gisele Isaac-Arrindell is down to address colleagues at the 25th anniversary of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States in St. Kitts today.
At the historic event, Isaac-Arrindel will present a paper on gender democracy and good governance, using the Antiguan experience.

The OECS is this week celebrating its silver anniversary.
It was 25 years ago that the Treaty of Basseterre was signed to establish the sub-region and a number of activities are planned to mark the milestone.

The highlight of the gathering is the conference of Speakers and Presidents of regional Parliaments slated for today and tomorrow at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).

Topping the agenda at this meeting will be the topic on good governance and democracy.
A St. Kitts/Nevis official noted that the topic heads the list, not just regionally but internationally, and a lot of aid is attached to countries that practice good governance and democracy so the donors are ensuring that everything is done under the theme of good governance.

The official explained that it was extremely important for each country to be able to show that the OECS has a democratic process high on its agenda.

The role of the Speaker in Parliament is to have a link between civil society and Parliament and to ensure that all elected people in Parliament can have their say, within the confines of the rules, for the benefit of the public.

© SUN Printing & Publishing LTD 2003-2004.

Interview with Colette Lespinasse, Coordinator of the Haitian NGO Groupe d’Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés (GARR) (Support Group for Repatriates and Refugees)

More and more Haitian women leave their country in search of a better life, particularly in the Dominican Republic. Many of these women migrate on their own. Have the funds that they have sent to their family helped in the development of the poorest country in the Americas? Have roles changed in Haitian homes? Colette Lespinasse looks into the feminization of the actual Haitian migration just a few weeks before general elections are held in Haiti.


INSTRAW: Historically, Haiti has always been a land of migrations. How has the profile of the migrant evolved? At present, how many Haitian men and Haitian women live and work abroad?

At present, it is estimated that more than 2 million Haitians live abroad. The greater part of the diaspora, approximately one million persons are in the United States. The second most important destination is the Dominican Republic where it is estimated that between 700 to 800.000 Haitians live today. The remaining of the diaspora is distributed between Canada, the Antilles, France and the rest of the world.

In the beginning, it was mostly farmers who migrated to the Dominican Republic. In the decade of the 50’s and the beginning of the 60’s, Haitian professionals began to escape from the Duvalier dictatorship and sought refuge in the United States, Canada and other French-speaking countries in Africa. This diversification process was pursued to the point that migration affected henceforth all levels of the Haitian population, the upper, middle class and popular neighborhoods as well. For most of the Haitian population, migration became the way out of extreme poverty, a difficult economic situation, insecurity and political instability.


INSTRAW: At the international level many women are now migrating on their own, while before they did so in the company of men. Are Haitian migrant women following the same trend?

Absolutely, it is observed that the migration of women to the Dominican Republic, for example, grows in number. Initially, Haitian women migrated to join their families. Twenty or thirty years ago, it was mostly men who migrated to the neighbouring country to work as sugar cane cutters. Sometimes there were women but most of them came with a man.

On the other hand, besides the reunification of families, we see that now more and more Haitian migrant women go into the Dominican labour market on their own, and neither accompanied nor searching for men. Today they work in the agricultural sector, for example as gatherers, in the domestic sector in Dominican homes, and mainly in the informal sector as vendors.

Contrary to men, it is also noted that these Haitian women make great efforts to maintain their relationship with family that remains in Haiti. In addition, there is the phenomenon of the single-parent family in Haiti. More than 50% of families in Haiti have women as heads of households, who must face alone the needs of the family. Therefore, there is a considerable social burden on their shoulders.


INSTRAW: Has the evolution of the distribution of economic responsibilities caused by migration resulted in a change in the distribution of domestic roles between women and men in Haitian homes?

No, neither the tasks in homes nor society’s perception have changed. Even women’s perception of themselves remains unchanged. A survey carried out in collaboration with a women’s NGO in Dominican Republic called « Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitianas » (MUDHA) showed that repatriated women whose husbands had migrated still considered them as heads of households even if they left for 9 months and returned for just 15 days.

The neighbourhood also considered them as such. And when the husband returned after being absent for a year, he automatically became again the head of the household even if it was the woman who provided everything during his absence. It’s the society; it has not changed, even if women undertake many more responsibilities.

INSTRAW: This large diaspora that works abroad sends money to the families that remain in Haiti; is this continuous transfer of funds, acting as a lifeline, that keeps afloat the economy of what is known as the poorest country in the Americas?

It is, in effect, the transfer of these sums of money that helps numerous Haitian families to survive. At present, the funds sent by migrants constitute for Haiti the main source of currency. It has increased considerably during the last years, with the total global amount fluctuating between 800 million and 1 billion US$ for the year 2004. Another important indicator of this phenomenon in Haiti is the proliferation of agencies specializing in the transfer of international currencies who try to capture the flow of money.

Nevertheless, even if these funds are essentially used for housing, for children’s education and for food for the families who receive the money, the real repercussions on the macro economy of the country are not felt. In effect, there is not one organization that could propose projects to contribute to an economic set off in Haiti through the use of its funds.


INSTRAW: Could it be stated that these transfers of funds, besides improving the wellbeing of certain people, do not mean a lasting progress in terms of human development for the whole of the Haitian population?

Certainly for some families evidently there is improvement; however, this causes gaps in families of certain communities who have access to these funds and in those that do not have access. Also, this causes a change in attitude and in food regimes, especially amongst young people who do not have access to these funds.

INSTRAW: In a few more weeks, Haitian voters will be called to the ballot boxes to elect their President of the Republic after almost two years with a transitional government. Of the thirty candidates in contention, there is only one woman candidate. Does this reflect the weak participation of Haitian women in the political life of their country?

That depends on the level in which you find yourself. In terms of participation in the electorate, the last elections proved that there is a real improvement. On the other hand, actually there is only one woman amongst the 37 candidates to the presidency. I believe that it’s symptomatic of the Haitian reality where the space for decisions in general and the political space particularly are controlled by men. Within the Government, even when there is a Ministry on the Condition of Women and Women’s Rights, one does not feel that this is translated into the decisions that are taken.

However, in reference to municipal and legislative elections, women candidates have made efforts to regroup and network, either through the political party to which they belong, with the objective of building up, providing mutual assistance, and also in searching for resources for the electoral campaign.

INSTRAW: How do you see the organization of these elections which have been postponed several times? Will it be a positive step towards the improvement of the wellbeing of the Haitian population and in particular the wellbeing of women?

These elections could contribute greatly to help us out of the political instability in which we find ourselves, but they may throw us into more political turbulence. These elections are of capital importance. The stakes are extremely important. As of this moment, many people are ready to vote, but they are skeptical in relation to the organization of the elections. There are many uncertainties at the logistic, the organizational and the security level as well.

If these two parameters are brought under control, if everything is well organized, if the role of every person is respected and if the people feel that the environment is secure, I believe that many Haitians will vote. If the opposite happens, there is a risk that there will be a high level of abstention.

Interview made by Laurent Duvillier. To have access to the full interview, click on the following link:
http://www.un-instraw.org/revista/index.php?lang=en&display=interviews&id=1027

The Elderly Policy Council presses for regulation

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

CURACAO – The government subsidizes a few old peoples’ homes, but does make demands upon the care that the elderly people receive. The Elderly Policy Council has sent a draft-island ordinance to the Governing Body (BC) in June last year, in which they state the regulations for the old peoples’ care and conditions for subsidy eligibility. But the BC didn’t do anything with it.

“Standards have to be laid down for the type of care in the old peoples’ homes. It is now up to the BC and the Island Council to handle this matter as soon as possible”, was the reaction of the Council on communications of the ombudsman that there are many complaints about the old peoples’ homes. The residents of one of the homes didn’t get served ham with pineapple, salads, zult and ayaka’s for dinner last Christmas, but just rice with one sausage.

Ombudsman Fred Wiel will send a letter to the BC today complaining about the failing elderly policy and announcing that he will pay the subsidized institutions a visit. All together, there are a few hundred old people that depend on this care and each person pays 35 to 90 guilders per day. The more expensive homes do not have this many complaints as the cheaper ones. “I have received complaints from several people, especially about the food, like only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, never fruit, and no special food during the holidays. People that cannot eat independently are not being helped.” Out of fear for revenge against their family members that are receiving care in one of the homes, many of the people that complained want to remain anonymous.


Tags: Social Policy Caribbean Affairs Health Policy Institutional Strengthening

Group calls for prison reform

By JIMENITA SWAIN, Guardian Senior Reporter
jimenita@nasguard.com

The Grand Bahama Human Rights Association is attempting to apply pressure on the government to seriously address the issue of Prison Reform as the situation at Fox Hill Prison would only "get worse and not better."

"What we have seen in the last few weeks is but a tip of the iceberg. Human beings, be they prison officers, prisoners and/or immigration detainees, will not forever put up with continuing inhumane and degrading treatment," said the Association Chairman, attorney Frederick Smith.

He charged that the Association is alarmed over the many reports that it has received from some families of individuals on remand and convicted prisoners at Fox Hill Prison that indicate that prisoners are being denied their fundamental rights and are being abused.

As a result of the claims, Mr Smith said the organisation made a request "to visit the prison for the purpose of directly interviewing prisoners and determining for itself the legitimacy and credibility of the complaints regarding abuse and conditions at the prison." He noted that the press release issued was not solely to reflect the concern for abused prisoners.

"The Association is painfully aware that, for many years, prison officers have also complained about the abuse that they have suffered by being subjected to working in a prison which has been described as "Fox Hell" and the "Black Hole of Calcutta".

In addition, the human rights activist said prison officers have also complained about their status within the public service, the conditions of their employment, salaries and morale problems due to various leadership crises.

"More particularly, the Association does not in any way condone or turn a blind eye to the violence perpetrated against prison officers in the recent breakout leading to the tragic death of Prison officer Bowles," he said.


Tags: Caribbean Affairs Institutional Strengthening Social Policy

How Countries Get Rich

Download (PDF, 75 KB)

C. Peter Timmer
02/13/2006

In an address to the Economic History Association in 1980, Richard Easterlin famously asked "Why isn't the whole world developed?" Frustrated with economic theorists and their models of perfect markets, Easterlin focused on differences in educational levels across countries and the importance to the development process of institutions and historical path dependency.

In this CGD Brief, How Countries Get Rich, C. Peter Timmer revisits this question, beginning with the contention by Adam Smith that peace, low taxes, and good government will lead a nation to prosperity. Timmer updates this view by analyzing the role that investments in education, technology and trade have made in the rapid progress of countries like South Korea, Singapore, and Brunei. He concludes that the "miracle" of getting rich lies in creating a durable set of institutions--some public, some private--that encourage the "Smithian conditions" as well as economic openness for long periods of time.

CGD Expert
> Peter Timmer

Research Topics
> Economic Growth
> Governance/Democracy

© 2005 Center for Global Development.

Tags: Policy Analysis Economics Institutional Strengthening international development

Mobilizing Caribbean journalists for Education for All


14/02/2006 (Saint Lucia) - Some 15 journalists from seven Eastern Caribbean States will participate in a two-day workshop on Education for All. The workshop starts today in Saint Lucia. The aim is to sensitize journalists to the six Education for All goals.
"We hope that it will equip journalists with the tools, knowledge and information to boost their interest in covering education issues," says Ushio Miura of UNESCO Kingston.

The workshop is jointly organized by UNESCO and the Association of Caribbean Media Workers. The participating countries are Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and St VincentThe Saint Lucia workshop is one of several UNESCO initiatives to involve media workers in the Education for All movement.

An online workshop on writing, reporting and investigating the goals of Education for All is taking place from 14 February to 1 March. Forty-five journalists from 14 countries worldwide will join this initiative. It is organized by UNESCO and in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU). The training is building on the Education Makes News - An EFA Media Training Resource Kit, produced by UNESCO and ABU in 2004.


Links:

Online workshop for journalists on Education for All

Education Makes News - An EFA Media Training Resource Kit
This kit consists of an interactive CD–ROM with a printed handbook. It will help journalists to acquire better understanding of international Education for All initiatives.

Tags: Caribbean Development capacity building Institutional Strengthening international development Knowledge Management

CTO unveils an ambitious agenda for caribbean tourism
Tuesday, February 14, 2006

In keeping with the theme “Tourism: the Business of The Caribbean” from its annual Conference of last October, the Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Hon Pamela Richards, indicated that CTO will continue to focus on a much more business like approach to tourism development over the course of the next several years and will be encouraging all of its members to proceed along the same lines.

She predicted that as a result of these efforts, increasing visitor expenditure should easily keep pace with the 3.4% per year rate predicted by the World Travel & Tourism Council for the next ten years to reach $32 billion by 2015. According to preliminary estimates of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, visitor expenditures reached $23 billion in 2005 with stayover visitors growing by 3.6 percent to reach 22.5 million and cruise passenger visits declining by 2% to 19.8 million.

Referring again to WTTC data, Commissioner Richards noted that the Caribbean is more dependent on tourism than any other region in the world and in order for the region to extract the maximum benefits from tourism on behalf of its citizens, it has no choice but to take a much more business like approach to its development compared to what has been done in the past. In addition, CTO, in conjunction with its private sector partner, the Caribbean Hotel Association, with whom it recently signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and Coordination, is in the final stages of establishing a Business Development Unit that is intended to raise funds to promote greater awareness of the Caribbean brand globally as well as deliver expanded services to the members of both organizations.

The Chairman explained that the Caribbean Tourism Organization in accordance with its new thrust will focus on seven areas, namely, improving data collection, mining and management, expanded training and development opportunities for all staff in the tourism sector, the development of a world class consumer site for the Caribbean, development of a world class membership site that will focus on best practices, an expansion of public relations activities, expanded promotion of its consumer web address and commitment to private-public sector sustainable development and cooperation. She noted that all 32 Members of CTO will are being encouraged to focus on these areas also.

Progress on all of these new initiatives will be reviewed during the Organization’s annual Caribbean Week which is scheduled for New York during the week of June 11-17. This year’s events are expected to be much more visible than any of previous years. Some of the activities now planned for the week include a Caribbean Gospelfest, an expanded Celebrity Chef program, a Caribbean Vacation Mart and Fair at the South Street Seaport, and two weddings.

The first of the seven areas of focus will come in the area of the development of data systems that will provide better intelligence for promotion and product improvement activities. Governments are finding that with better and more timely processing of Immigration card data from both incoming and departing visitors, patterns of opportunity and concern are highlighted much more easily and use of resources can be more targeted that ever before. CTO has already designed an Immigration card with a number of core questions. In those Caribbean destinations that do not require mandatory completion of an Immigration card, officials are exploring the use of a tourism card to capture data in the most efficient manner.

Training and development according to internationally recognized standards is the next area of focus. CTO recognizes that in a world that is increasingly going to the Internet to find information on destinations, hotels and attractions, it is most important that all tourism facilities throughout the Caribbean can be purchased with confidence and the adoption of internationally recognized standards provide that confidence. The Chairman pointed out that this applies both to the training of staff and to the standards for the physical plants.

Since more and more consumers are accessing information about the Caribbean from a web site, it is imperative that the Caribbean web site be of world class quality. The creation of the site will be a joint CHA-CTO effort and it has already begun with the identification of those world class destination sites that consumers indicate are among the world’s best. Once that has been achieved, the full development of the site will continue and is expected to be completed entirely by June of this year. In addition to the provision of information, the site will feature a booking engine for Caribbean vacations and provide additional ecommerce opportunities for consumers to purchase a variety of Caribbean products and services over the coming months and years.

The Chairman also pointed out that a key initiative of both CTO and CHA will be the completion this year of a membership site that will provide focus on the delivery of information on “best practices” garnered from both within and outside the Caribbean. She noted that this was clearly the best way to accelerate the rate of improvement of products and services across the Caribbean.

It is clear that CTO believes that good public relations will be its principal tool in its marketing arsenal. As explained, there is a growing belief that the fastest way to get the best of the Caribbean exposed to the traveling public is to enable those individuals and media with the greatest consumer credibility to tell the story of the Caribbean. This will also include a number of programs through which the Caribbean brand will be associated with other complementary brands and programs that are intended to enhance the awareness and brand image of the region.

In addition, all of these marketing initiatives will begin to expose the Caribbean’s new logo which has already been unveiled and its new web address which is to be unveiled at a later date.

As will be guessed, the final area of focus for the CTO will be private public sector cooperation and coordination in everything that is done with a constant eye on sustainability. With regard to the latter, the CTO’s conference on sustainable development which is scheduled to be held in Puerto Rico in April will focus on Sustainable Development and Economic Progress. The theme is intended to address the oft expressed myth that Sustainable Development and Economic Progress are sometimes mutually exclusive.

Both the Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and its Secretary General, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, acknowledge that this agenda is ambitious but they clearly believe that it is the only path to sustained growth and economic progress for the Caribbean. There is renewed interest in investing in the tourism plant in the Caribbean from regional and well as other global investors and this augurs quite well for the future. Capital investment in the tourism sector was estimated at $8.5 billion in 2005 and is expected to reach $15.3 billion by 2015 with the sector continuing to be the leader for capital investment in the region.

Much of this new investment is bringing a good mix of uniquely Caribbean as well as internationally recognized brands to the Caribbean which is perfectly in keeping with CTO’s long term vision for the region. High end brands, high end boutiques, condo hotels, spas, golf course developers, marina developers as well as niche market specialists such as dive operators, honeymoon and wedding specialists continue to emerge in the Caribbean as a part of these new investments.

Airline service is also growing in support of this new interest in the Caribbean such that air fares are much more attractive than in previous years from many key markets. In the cruise sector, 2005 saw a rebalancing of the deployment of cruise ships many of which entered the Caribbean after September 2001. The small decline in the cruise business in 2005 largely reflected this redeployment of vessels even though the Caribbean is expected to remain the world’s leading region for cruises for many years to come.

One of the aspects to which CTO and CHA will continue to pay special attention is sustaining productive partnerships with travel professionals who continue to support the Caribbean. Alliances with tour operators and travel agents are being strengthened and refocused to maintain partnerships that are mutually beneficial.

Overall, the Caribbean Tourism Organization sees a growing and sustained change in vacation patterns from simple sun and sand seeking to vacationers looking for life enriching experiences. In this regard it will be recalling and employing the theme “Life Needs The Caribbean” in conjunction with the Caribbean Hotel Association, its principal partner. This theme which was first developed by a joint private/public sector coalition for the Caribbean after September 11th 2001 clearly resonates with the new travelers and is expected to be the Caribbean’s new theme for many years to come.

Theodore Koumelis - Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Tags: Innovation capacity building Caribbean Development

Caribbean Trade Reference Centre launches in Nevis
Monday February 13 2006

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – Nevis’ Permanent Secretary of Education Elvin Bailey has issued a challenge to all and sundry to maximise the use of the Caribbean Trade Reference Centre, which is being housed at the Charlestown Public Library.

He made the call last Wednesday while addressing a brief ceremony to officially launch the centre at the Public Library.

“My challenge to you, to me, to all of us, is to make ourselves sufficiently familiar with this tool, so that when it becomes fully interactive, you can tell us, you can tell them (the world) what you think so that you could make that tool and the (Caricom) Single Market and Economy, the World Trade Organisation and all of those organisations, better organisations,” Bailey said

He added that the time has come whether we (as a people here on Nevis) want CSME to take effect, adding that, “we have come of age and that coming of age is particularly critical in the issue of information and access to the information. We do not, by virtue of our standing, get an opportunity to input on the development of these decisions, but we sure have an opportunity to input on the impact that it has.”

The permanent secretary noted that there is very critical information to be had from the trade centre for research material and as a resource tool.

“This Caribbean Trade Reference Centre links us to the world. How we impact the world at large will depend on how we become familiar with this tool. The challenge to you therefore is to use it, not abuse it but use it to become fully familiar with it, so that you can make meaningful discussion to the on going debate about Caricom, CSME, free trade areas, present and future, and about world trade arrangements and agreements,” he said.


Tags: capacity building Caribbean Development Policy Making Innovation

Sunday 12th February 2006

28,000 AIDS victims in country

SOME 28,000 HIV/AIDS victims are living in Trinidad and Tobago, the result of which “has created a veil of silence surrounding this epidemic built on fear, shame, rejection and discrimination.” This was according to Patricia Belmar, Deputy Technical Director of the National AIDS Co-ordinating Committee, at the Youth Forum Prize Distribution Ceremony of the Voice of One — Overcomers’ Club, at the Transformation Centre, Railway Road, Dow Village, California, on Friday, who added, “there is no cure for HIV/AIDS but there is hope.”

She told the gathering that the Prime Minister’s Office collaborated with the Club and sponsored the Verbal and Visual Expression Youth Forum and the “country has come a long way in addressing HIV and we are now beginning to see some positive signs of our prevention and advocacy efforts and treatment, care and support initiatives.” Statistics show that from 1996 to 2004 there has been a 50 percent decrease in reported deaths due to AIDS; from 2001 to 2004 , there was a 44 percent decrease in reported AIDS cases; and from 2003 to 2004, there was a 16 percent decrease in reported new HIV cases.

Belmar said that “these reports should not result in a laissez faire attitude and lead us into a false sense of security that concerted action is no longer needed because approximately 40 percent of new infections occur in females, and females outnumber males in the total of new infections within the age group 15-24.”

“It is a clear reality that our young people find themselves directly in the path of the epidemic and effective interventions such as the Verbal and Visual Expression Youth Forum are essential to us overcoming it,” Belmar added.


Tags: Health Policy Caribbean Development Public Policy Social Policy

Renewed cultural policy to go to Cabinet soon

Web Posted - Mon Feb 13 2006
By Allison Ramsay

A new piece of legislation, called Antiquities and Relics is being added to Barbados cultural policy document which has been in the making for the last two to three years and is expected to go to Cabinet next month.

An official in the Cultural Section told the Barbados Advocate that this particular piece of legislation will include underwater heritage since both land and sea heritage needs to be protected, especially Barbados coral reefs. The official also said that Barbados cultural programme for Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 is on stream and the programme for the event may be revealed shortly.

It was stated that a Cultural Action Team (CAT) has been formed and it comprises of officials from the Division of Culture, the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) and other private practitioners.

The source stated that the effort will be one co- ordinated response for the country in terms of planning the cultural aspect of CWC and the finalisation of the programme will go through CAT and be approved by the Local Organising Committee (LOC).


Tags: capacity building Policy Making Institutional Strengthening Caribbean Affairs

Office of the Prime Minister

CARICOM Heads Applauds Patterson's Service to the Region

KINGSTON(JIS)
Monday, February 13, 2006

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government have applauded Jamaican Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson for his contribution to the region and have hailed the regional statesman for his integrity, describing him as a quintessential Caribbean man.

In an emotional farewell at the 17th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago yesterday (February 10), the Heads spoke of Mr. Patterson's contribution to the region and his "sacrificial service" to the peoples of the Caribbean.

Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur said that the region was feeling "an overwhelming sense of loss" at Mr. Patterson's retirement, while Prime Minister of St. Lucia Dr. Kenny Anthony hailed the Jamaican Prime Minister as a "quintessential Caribbean man" who had ensured that the Caribbean dream remained alive.

Meanwhile, President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, praised Mr. Patterson for his "quiet, calm dignity and professional integrity" and announced that Guyana would be conferring on Mr. Patterson that nation's highest honour, the Order of Excellence. President of Trinidad and Tobago, Professor George Maxwell Richards also hosted a farewell function for Mr. Patterson last evening at his residence.

Mr. Patterson thanked his colleague Heads for their unstinting support through the years, their friendship, cooperation and respect and urged them to give the same support to his successor.
At the final press briefing following the Inter-sessional meeting, Mr. Patterson expressed confidence in the political leadership of CARICOM, stating that he was certain that the leadership would continue to work relentlessly to ensure that the purpose for which the Community had been established, would be accomplished. The Prime Minister said CARICOM was a bold and courageous initiative that had provided a mechanism through which the political, social and cultural interests of the region had been well represented at the highest levels.

Although expressing disappointment that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) was not the final appellate Court for more Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, he expressed the hope that in time these countries would come to realize the "compelling necessity" of such a Court.Also, Mr. Patterson said, the Regional Development Fund would be critical to the future of the region. "I wish the Community long life and sustainability as it seeks to satisfy the needs of the Region's people," he said.


Tags: Caribbean Affairs Policy Making

How Reproductive Health Services Work to Reduce Poverty

Reproductive illnesses and unintended pregnancies undermine economic development by weakening and killing adults in the prime of their working lives, by disrupting and cutting short the lives of their children, and by placing heavy financial and social burdens on families. In most developing-country settings, much of the loss of life and human productivity that is due to poor reproductive health could be prevented with affordable and cost-effective programs.

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Tags: Health Policy capacity building Monitoring and Evaluation international development

Portia's vision and plans
Sunday, February 12, 2006


Following is an edited version of pnp presidential candidate Portia Simpson Miller's address to an economic forum in Montego Bay last Wednesday, February 8.

A recent imf publication on emigration and the brain drain, with focus on the Caribbean shows that approximately 85 per cent of Jamaica's tertiary-educated labour force with more than 12 years of schooling had emigrated from the island to the developed countries. This does not include those who have left for Cayman and other islands in the Caribbean.

The report further indicates that Jamaica is among the top 20 nations of the world in terms of emigration rates.

This serious problem arises at a time when we are seeking to strengthen our human capital. We are concerned, because our substantial investments in training our best and brightest people end up as subsidy to the developed countries to which they have migrated.

Our high migration levels tell a story: we clearly have to do some things differently. Of course, every country exports labour, skilled and unskilled. But when we are exporting as much as 85 per cent of our tertiary-educated labour force, we have to do some serious rethinking of our labour market and overall social and economic strategies.

Something has to be done to convince bright, young Jamaicans that Jamaica is a place where they can live their dreams. Something has to be done to ignite passion in the hearts of young Jamaicans to want to stay here, contribute here and build their families here.

Something has to be done for these tertiary-educated Jamaicans and others to see Jamaica as their paradise too. There must emerge the Jamaican dream - a credible, livable Jamaican dream.

It is my mission to help to facilitate that dream; to provide a ladder to the dream; to be the person who would help to fire up the imagination of our people - our most valuable resource - to believe that Jamaica can be their land of promise and land of opportunity.

The pilgrims left England for America and built their dreams, but you should not have to leave Jamaica to build your dreams.I am convinced that we can do it right here at home. We can have safe, peaceful, harmonious communities characterised by love, sharing and caring for each other and participating in a shared vision.

We can have globally competitive corporations. We can have globally competitive service centres and small businesses. We can have globally competitive clusters of excellence known around the world for different types of expertise. We can have innovative, cutting-edge scientific and technological enterprises pulling talent to Jamaica rather than exporting it.We can harness our enormous creative talents and energise our creative people to further dazzle a world hungry for our cultural offerings.

We need to create an entrepreneurial revolution in Jamaica. That is the only way to deal with the jobless growth phenomenon of market globalisation. You cannot deal with the economic problems of Jamaica if you don't deal with the issue of unemployment. The level of employment is among the most critical economic issue facing the country today.

If we do not solve this problem, then every other aspect of the economic equation will be adversely affected. There will be social and political instability and the continued emigration of our most skilled people. The imperatives of globalisation demand that we focus fiscal, training and developmental polices toward building an entrepreneurial culture. Waiting on factories and large businesses to open will continue to frustrate our people.

Businesses will open up, but they will not necessarily provide enough of the jobs, which we need in this labour-surplus economy, unless they are based on the entrepreneurial creativity of our people.

Clearly, in this new environment more people will have to think in terms of creating their own employment, and my administration is committed to providing the support necessary to make it happen. A major, sustained emphasis on technical and vocational training is one such area of support. We plan to significantly expand technical and vocational training, with the active involvement of the private sector, to ensure this training expansion addresses their business needs.

Indeed, our initiatives in education and training will be closely aligned to our economic strategies. Education is the linchpin of economic growth and the catalyst to maximise our productive outputs. Our wealth will therefore come from the creativity, innovativeness and productivity of our people. My administration will also intensify the expansion of the Jamaica labour market information system (jalmis) to facilitate the interaction between job seekers and those seeking talents.

This comprehensive data bank on the labour market will also be valuable to international companies seeking skills in Jamaica or seeking to establish business here. It will thus serve as a means of showcasing our human capital.

We have to utilise information and communications technology to harness the benefits of globalisation, and the labour market information system, properly positioned and promoted, will be one important means of doing so.

This system would also prove invaluable in helping national planners to disaggregate information on employment, underemployment, the informal sector, as well as labour movement.

The information and communications technology revolution has created enormous opportunities for our country. We are determined to accelerate the expansion of the ict industry in Jamaica and to capture a larger share of the huge market for outsourcing from the United States and Europe.

But we are not stopping there, we will be going after the market for high-end ict skills and other high-level professional skills. With our excellent training programmes and a sophisticated Caribbean technology institute right here in Montego Bay we can capture a sizeable portion of this market.

With the expanded training, which we would facilitate, and greater coherence between employment needs, training delivery and curriculum design, our human resources will be significantly improved.

We will strengthen and enhance our scientific and technological capacity and the development of innovative industries. We have to increase value-added products, and thereby reduce our dependence on other people's ingenuity. We have an abundance of our own.

My administration will encourage and facilitate the building of a passion for research and development. This has been a weakness in the Jamaican business context. In this regard, we will have to create specific incentives to boost research and development. What we are talking about is a people-centered approach to economic development.

One that not only harnesses the creative and psychic energies of the people, but one in which the overarching objective is the development of people. It is an economic development by the people and for the people.This is also a central plank of our growth and development strategy about which I have spoken on many occasions. Critical to our economic development thrust will be a strong programme of integrated rural development.

If we ever hope to eliminate poverty and to release the full potential of the Jamaican people, we have to focus on rural development. Available data indicate that 72 per cent of the poor live in rural Jamaica, and agriculture is their main source of employment and income.

Women comprise 62 per cent of the adult population in the rural areas and as someone deeply concerned about the welfare of women, I have to prioritise rural development, agricultural diversification and expansion of agro-industrial production in order to correct this social imbalance.

An important part of our economic development strategy will be community governance and local government. I firmly believe that at the base of all that we do must be a community focus. Community-based entrepreneurs and civil society organisations must be adequately represented and involved in the decision making process.

Laws and regulations will be both developed and revised to strengthen community governance and local government.

I am a firm believer in the bottom-up approach to governance. I believe that out there in the various communities are the creative, wealth-building ideas, which this country needs to give us the strong economic growth required for sustainable development.

I believe that the people in the communities know what is in their best interest and our role as leaders is to give the people the mechanisms through which their ideas can come to the fore. And then we have to facilitate the implementation of those ideas.

I reject the view that the answer to the country's problems rests exclusively with any one set of individuals. We have to start listening to the people. We have to start engaging the people. We have to start drawing on their wealth of experience and wisdom.

Even the multilateral and bilateral institutions like the World Bank and usaid have made a significant turnaround in their approach to development issues and working with communities. They have found that the top-down approach has not worked and that community-oriented solutions are the most sustainable ones.

And to demonstrate our seriousness with this community-oriented, people-centred approach to economic development, we will be instituting a participatory budget process, which will involve communities as a well as various sectoral interests.

The country's budget is a critical tool of economic targeting and I believe that if we are to deepen democracy and to make it meaningful, then people should participate and have a say in the critical decisions which affect every Jamaican. It cannot be imposed without their participation.We will take the budget to the people.

We will ensure that adequate data, analysis and information sharing will be an integral feature of the process so that participation of the people will be meaningful.

The People's National Party has a glorious and honoured tradition of global involvement and that will continue under my administration. We are an island economy, but we cannot be an island unto ourselves. Small developing states like ours have no option but to be integrated into the global economy.

The World Trade Organisation is a reality we cannot wish away. We have to work with the wto and support the wto rules-based system because without it we would be left to the dictates of the most powerful.

What we have to ensure is that the wto's agenda is not hijacked or that there is no stalling on the critical developmental issues which face us. There is so much which hinges on international trade negotiations and it is absolutely important that Jamaica maintains a high profile in the global arena and in all the important theatres where the key issues are being discussed.

For example, with the elimination of preferences for sugar and banana, coffee offers opportunities for increased foreign exchange earnings. However, this opportunity lies in value-added activities such as roasting or other product mixes using coffee, not simply the export of green beans. But under existing trade arrangements, the export of value-added products would be faced with higher tariffs, which could render the product non-competitive.

Unless we engage in tough trade negotiations with both bilateral and multi-lateral partners, these barriers to the entry of value-added coffee products will hinder the trade in these goods, and by extension, act as a disincentive to further investments in these value-added activities and with it the loss of valuable jobs.

Our efforts to deepen regional integration will be accelerated under my administration. Everything will be done to ensure that Jamaica exploits all the benefits under the Caribbean Single Market immediately, and from 2008 the Caricom Single Market and Economy - and I have every intention of being prime minister up to 2008 when the csme becomes a reality!
Our involvement in Caricom will be an integral part of our strategic approach in navigating the high seas of globalisation.A stronger, more integrated Caricom will mean a stronger Jamaica, better able to maximise the opportunities unleashed by globalisation.

But we must make sure that we benefit from the csme arrangement. My administration will therefore establish a major csme institution with high-level leadership charged with the mandate to make sure Jamaica reaps benefits from the csm within the shortest possible time.

I personally will be actively promoting brand Jamaica, not only to overseas constituencies but to Jamaicans in the Diaspora to whom I will be making a major pitch, not just for remittances for consumption, but for investments in productive activities.

It is estimated that Jamaicans in the Diaspora have an earning capacity of some us$4 billion. We want to pull a significant portion of that for productive investments here on the rock. They are willing to join hands with us under the right environment.

In terms of foreign policy, we will continue to respect territorial integrity, the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states, the principle of ideological pluralism and the promotion of human rights.

Significantly, too, we will be pressing the development agenda as identified in the millennium development goals of the United Nations. Issues of poverty, underdevelopment, injustice and inequality are some of the critical underlying factors fueling international tensions.

As Africa increases its own participation in the global system and continues to expand its trade and investment, I intend to strengthen economic and trade ties with the mother continent.

The western countries and Asia are paying increasing attention to Africa. We in Jamaica and the Caribbean who have ancestral ties to Africa can afford to do no less, for both cultural and hard economic reasons. Interesting economic developments are sweeping across Africa, and these have been both noted and highlighted by the imf and the World Bank. My administration wants to seize the historic moment.

These are just some of the key elements of what I consider to be a "people-centred" economic development programme. It starts with communities. I have repeatedly argued that if we can fix our communities, we can fix Jamaica. We have developed a seven-point programme to do this.

One, we will address the problem of jobs and income generation through an elaborate programme to develop profitable businesses in communities.Two, we will ensure adequate social services, facilities & amenities in every community to support our entrepreneurial revolution over time.

Three, we will make sure that there is adequate financing for this expansion of entrepreneurship throughout the communities in Jamaica.Four, we will address the scourge of poverty by strengthening our poverty alleviation programme through our growth and development strategy. In this way we will address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable among us.

Five, we will give real meaning to community empowerment by strengthening community governance and giving real power and resources to local government.

Six, we understand the threats and opportunities of globalisation and so we will ensure that our trade and foreign policies address Jamaica's development needs, in particular, the entrepreneurial needs of communities.

Finally, we will actively pursue a "bottom up" approach to national policy, planning and decision-making. In so doing, we will make sure to that the average citizen in every community in Jamaica has an opportunity to influence the important national and regional decisions that will affect their lives.

No economic programme can work if the people's hearts and minds are not into it.It is only when people have a sense of belonging; only when they know that they do matter and that they have a voice in their own development; only when they trust the political process and believe that their political leaders are genuinely interested in a just, inclusive and equitable society, that their creative energies will be unleashed.

A society that is not inclusive and just; a society marked by gross inequalities and imbalances is not a society that will produce the kind of economic growth that is desirable.We must commit ourselves to build a society where the fruits of development are shared by all; not a lopsided society with a few who have and the majority who are on the margins.

I am committed to building an inclusive, just and equitable society; a society which respects everyone, irrespective of class, colour or gender. It must be a society which places a premium on ethics and character; A society which abhors corruption and elevates merit; a society which protects the weak, the vulnerable, the young and the old and persons who are physically and mentally challenged.

We want to return to the days when the community took the responsibility for its children and when everybody was truly his or her neighbour's keeper.

Remember when we could walk the streets freely, not only in the rural areas but in the urban communities? When we could dance all night to the pulsating rhythms of the sound systems without fear of violence? We want to return to those days.Remember the days when our children played with energy in their school yards without any thought of being hurt by another student?

When the teacher, pastor, postmistress, justice of the peace and policemen and women were respected and honoured in the entire community? We want to return to those days.I am not just expressing an empty nostalgia. I am expressing a vision for what we can still become.

I am saying, we have done it before and we can do it again.If we build a society with strong economic and spiritual foundations, we can soar way beyond our better past.I am committed to that vision. I ask all of you to embrace that vision with me. Jamaica's best days are ahead.

Jamaica not only Caribbean country with crime problem
Diane Abbott
Sunday, February 12, 2006

The violence in Jamaica gets a lot of coverage. But it is not the only Caribbean territory with this problem. A recent murder in Guyana was particularly chilling. Ronald Waddell was an Afro-Guyanese lawyer, politician and talk show host; one of the most well known men in the society and a ferocious opponent of the current Guyanese government.

Last Monday, he was gunned down in cold blood outside his home by men armed with AK 47s. And this was not a random criminal act. The killers planned it carefully. They appeared to have been watching Waddell for some time. They set up the attack with a getaway car parked on a nearby highway so they could not be trapped by a cordon in Georgetown.

A bright light illuminated the victim before he was killed, and it is possible that tracer bullets were used. The killers shot up the tyres of Waddell's car to make sure he could not escape. Then they emptied their rifles into him.

I was in Guyana last summer and I spent time in the Georgetown suburb of Subryanville, where Waddell was murdered. So the scene is very vivid to me. But what makes the murder chilling is the suspicion that it was not criminally, but politically motivated. This killing may be just another episode in the brutal racial politics of Guyana. People call Jamaican politics tribal, but Guyanese politics is tribal in the crudest sense; Afro-Guyanese versus Indo-Guyanese.

Fomented by the British, this rivalry has crippled development. When the Afro-Guyanese were in power (under Forbes Burnham) most talented Asians had no choice but to emigrate. And now that the Indo-Guyanese are in power many black Guyanese feel that they have no option but to get out. There are, however, exceptions. Sonny Ramphal became attorney general under Burnham (and went on to become a distinguished secretary general of the Commonwealth), and the current prime minister of Guyana is a black man.

But what struck me on my recent visit was the totality of the political and economic power in the hands of one ethnic group, i e the Indo-Guyanese.

Waddell was an outspoken black man and a leading Opposition politician. He had spoken out in support of black gunmen in the east coast village of Buxton. The long running violence in this particular Afro-Guyanese community has been little reported outside Guyana. But it is a highly emotive and symbolic issue in the country itself.

In a period of over a year, 50 people, including eight policemen, were killed by gunmen who had taken over this community. Many people, among them leading Afro-Guyanese commentators, said the gunmen were mere criminals. Waddell insisted that they were an "Afro Resistance Army".

Waddell himself had several run-ins with the law; once for his alleged participation in the storming of the Office of the President in 2003 and also for involvement in various street protests. His television programme had been taken off the air three times following complaints by the government.

The context to Waddell's killing is the activities of what are alleged to be government death squads. Partly in response to what was seen as black-led criminal violence, there emerged in Guyana "death squads" which were executing alleged black criminals. These "death squads" were said to be responsible for over 400 extra-judicial killings.

Opponents of the government insisted that these "death squads" were actually organised by the government itself in the shape of the minister of home affairs Ronald Gajraj. These allegations reached such a pitch that in 2004 the government had to set up an inquiry "to determine whether and to what extent there is evidence of a credible nature to support the allegations that the minister of home affairs, Mr Ronald Gajraj, has been involved in promoting, directing or otherwise engaging in activities which involved the extra-judicial killing of persons".

The inquiry cleared the minister, but not before one of those publicly making allegations about "death squads" was assassinated himself. And the allegations have not gone away.

Ronald Waddell's mother is firmly of the view that the government is involved in the murder of her son. "It is all political, and high political involvement is in this," she was quoted as saying. Most local commentators do not believe this. But they do not rule out a political connection; as one journalist put it "the connection is less likely to emanate from a formal party structure than from a renegade group".

Ronald Waddell's son said in a tribute to his late father "The vast majority of Indian people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings who abide in our land".

This is undoubtedly true; but there can be no doubt that, although statistically Guyana has a smaller problem with violence than Jamaica, it is every bit as serious.

If elections pass muster, Haiti can reenter Caribbean fold

15-member Caricom kicked out Haiti after President Aristide ousted

Saturday, February 11, 2006; Posted: 2:12 p.m. EST (19:12 GMT)


PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) -- Haiti will be allowed to rejoin the 15-member Caribbean Community if the recent presidential and parliamentary elections are deemed free and fair, the group said.

Haiti's membership in the group, known as Caricom, was suspended after former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted in February 2004. The group had refused to recognize Haiti's interim government and Caribbean leaders accused the United States and France of being accomplices in Aristide's ouster.

Election workers in Haiti were still tallying the vote on Saturday, but early results showed former President Rene Preval in the lead.

"If it is certified that the elections have indeed been free and fair, then Caricom stands ready to readmit Haiti into the institutions of the regional integration movement," Patrick Manning, Caricom chairman and Trinidad's prime minister, said late Friday.

Foreign leaders generally praised the elections, although the U.S. State Department said the Organization of American States needed to work with Haitian authorities to quickly correct problems, such as voters' names not appearing on registration lists.

Manning said that Haiti would likely rejoin the group at its summit in July in St. Kitts, and that he would attend the inauguration of Haiti's new president.

His comments came after Caricom ended a two-day meeting in Trinidad.

The group also agreed to set up a US$120 million (euro100 million) regional development fund following last month's launch of the Caribbean Single Market. Less developed Caribbean countries will tap the fund to help their economies compete in the market -- which allows for the free flow of goods and professionals between member states.

AP-ES-02-11-06 1323EST
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Tags: Policy Analysis Caribbean Affairs

Posted on Sat, Feb. 11, 2006

Haiti's next leader faces tough agenda

By Andrew Selsky
ASSOCIATED PRESS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haiti's likely next president, René Préval, faces a crowded and demanding agenda if he is to have a chance of resuscitating this Caribbean nation from dire poverty.

He must move quickly to stem gang violence that is causing manufacturers to close their doors, eliminating thousands of jobs in the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation. And he will have to negotiate with parliament, his party is expected to be weak, to name a Cabinet and prime minister and pass legislation.

With 1.1 million votes counted, Préval held 50.26 percent, Haiti's electoral council announced late yesterday. Turnout has been estimated at 1.75 million, or half the registered voters.
"The chances to go to a second round are 50-50," Jacques Bernard, director general of Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council, told The Miami Herald.

But one electoral adviser who has been monitoring the vote count said he expected PrŽval would wind up with 53 percent, well above the simple majority he needs to avoid a run-off against the second-place finisher.

A candidate running third said he wants the electoral council to investigate reports of fraud, claiming some people voted several times. International observers have praised Tuesday's elections as free and fair.

If Préval wins, he will have to open negotiations with opposition parties in parliament with little support from his Lespwa Party, which means hope in Creole. The gang violence fueling job losses must be stopped, and he must assure the poor he will be effective.

"Everything in Haiti is broken, and everything needs fixing," said Robert Maguire, director of the international affairs program at Trinity University in Washington. "One of the most immediate tasks is reconciliation and dialogue among Haitians."

Préval, an agronomist, has not announced any specific plans for addressing Haiti's problems, beyond pledging to improve security and create jobs, the same promises made by all the major candidates in the election.

Préval's tenure as president from 1996-2001 was less than stellar. His efforts at agrarian reform failed because poor people were not given enough land to live

Looking for a unified Caribbean currency in 2006
published: Friday February 10, 2006

THE CSM was officially signed off last week, with the larger six Caribbean territories coming immediately aboard and the remaining ones making pledges to join in six months.

While I believe that regional development is the only way to go forward, an interesting issue that will have to be settled soon is to develop a timeline towards the establishment of a Caribbean currency, as it is obvious that this has to happen if the region is to see itself as a seamless region of goods, services and opportunities.

The issue will become even more pressing when the Cricket World Cup comes to our shores in March 2007 and we face the prospects of visitors having to use several different currencies as they travel around the islands and Guyana. There are now several national currencies being used in the various CSME- destined territories: the Jamaican dollar, the Trinidadian dollar, the Barbadian dollar, the Guyanese dollar, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, and even more currencies.

CSME CURRENCY

Does the cricket lover, who decides to move between islands, carry U.S. dollars or will a special CSME currency be created for that purpose, with all its attendant difficulties in doing so? What would be the rate that is used in that case, given the wide differences in regional exchange rates? Would the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank be given the central role in this currency operation since it has the most experience in operating a multi-country-use currency?

The onus is, therefore, on the region to ensure that such issues are sorted out well ahead of February so that all visitors can enjoy themselves, to be able to travel hassle-free and not have to worry about the inconvenience of changing currencies according to the territory they happen to be visiting.

What I would not like to see is the U.S. dollar become the designated currency of choice, as is likely to be the case in the absence of the steps I have indicated, since this would send a powerful message about the CSME financial unity.

Public Health-minister interrogated on dengue

Saturday, February 11, 2006

In the past, to persuade the population of the danger of mosquitoes, campaigns were conducted with posters. A refresher course is currently well in place.

ARUBA – The AVP wants to know whose decision it was to keep the serious situation around the outbreak of dengue silent for so long. Two AVP-parliamentarians, Richard Visser and Andy Lee have a list with 19 questions for Booshi Wever, minister of Public Health and Milieu. It’s unbelievable that Wever didn’t take action earlier. “That is a decision against the public interest.”

Visser and Lee want to know whose decision it was to keep the big number of dengue cases a secret. What actions is the minister going to take against this person? The AVP wants to see numbers of the amount of registered dengue cases between 1999 and January 2006. The party also wants to know how the numbers are going to be published in the future.

More questions: What’s the exact definition of a dengue-epidemic; who determines it and is it being maintained in Aruba; what is the reason for no longer keeping track of the cases of dengue registered; is there enough equipment and manpower to get the epidemic under control; why didn’t the minister take action when it became clear that there was a disagreement between the minister and the Dengue Outbreak Team; how and how often did the Public Health Administration and the several instances involved with dengue contacted each other; who informed the minister of the dengue outbreak and when and what did the minister decide to do at that moment; how does the minister think to protect the society, namely the vulnerable groups like the elderly and the children.

First of all, without numbers, it is impossible for the Dengue Outbreak Team to take appropriate measures. The current situation is more serious than in the past years, due to the many rainfalls of the last months, and this is something to be concerned about.

Visser and Lee want a copy of the dengue-protocol, so that they can get an idea of what is going on.

In case of an epidemic, the public had to be approached more aggressively, because getting rid of standing water can prevent further spreading of the virus. The cases of dengue have to be published on a daily basis; more campaigns have to be conducted and the intonation of the campaign should be more acute. Director of the Public Health Administration, Trevor van Gellecum highlights the seriousness of the situation, even though he doesn’t see the need for this frightening effect.

The dengue virus is being taken across by the Aedes Aegyptii mosquito. Dengue is found in certain areas of the tropics or sub-tropics. The Caribbean, including Aruba is one of them.

The mosquito lays her eggs in standing water. The disease can be wiped out by exterminating the mosquito and by avoiding the breeding places to develop. In classic dengue cases, it takes 5 to 8 days after the infection for the symptoms to show, which are headache, fever, pain behind the eyes, back pain, and pain in the legs and joints.

The headache is often heavy and becomes worse with movements. Additional symptoms are sleeplessness, listlessness, lack of appetite, unpleasant taste in the mouth, and weakness.

It sometimes also comes with rash on the chest and on the inside of the arms and it itches and the skin peels. A second time infected with the dengue virus may be very dangerous, because it can cause internal bleeding. The seriousness of the internal bleeding disorder depends on the timeframe between two infections. The longer the time, the more dangerous it can be. The last time Aruba experienced an epidemic, which is 19 years ago, 24.000 people got infected, so the chance of a dangerous second dengue for this group of people is big and very alarming.

According to Van Gellecum, the current virus in Aruba is different and harmless. It causes fever and rash just like dengue. In this case, the rash comes before the fever, while in the case of dengue the sequence is reversed and the fever is higher.

The Yellow Fever Service and Mosquito-control (GKMB) has already conducted two spray-campaigns over the entire island, one in December and one from January 18th till February 2nd. However, during their house visits, the GKMB still finds many mosquitoes and larva.

Especially the saucers underneath planters, vases with flowers, and plant cuttings in water are breeding places for mosquito larva. The GKMB warns that mosquito eggs stay alive for a long time, until there is moist again for new larva to develop. The GKMB hopes for more collaboration of the population. With her 21 employees, the GKMB cannot be everywhere at the same time and we cannot stop the rain from falling. They really need the cooperation of the population.

February 10, 2006
Strengthening Latino philanthropic leadership in Washington, DC

IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno helps to kick-off the new Latino Federation of Greater Washington


Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno yesterday called on the local private and public sectors to work together on community-based initiatives aimed at improving the education, health and economic development of the Latino community.

Moreno was the keynote speaker at the kick-off event of the Latino Federation of Greater Washington, an initiative of the Council of Latino Agencies (CLA) that seeks to expand Latino leadership and participation in organized philanthropy in the Washington DC area.

“Mindful of the changing face of the U.S. population, we all have a responsibility to ensure that in the decades ahead, this community, the largest ‘minority’ in the U.S. today, will be better engaged in all aspects of philanthropy; as donors, as volunteers, as grantmakers, and as grantees—both within the United States and vis-à-vis Latin America,” said Moreno.

The IDB is a founding sponsor for the proposed Federation and has been a steadfast supporter of local Latino and Caribbean organizations through its IDB-DC Solidarity Program, which has provided more than $2.3 million in community development grants to local non-profit organizations over the past eight years.

In addition to providing grants, donated equipment and technical assistance to local organizations, the IDB-DC Solidarity Program has built a network of about 500 volunteers, including IDB staff members, their families and retirees, that participate in community service activities throughout the year.

“Through the Bank’s Solidarity Program we have tried to reflect our own sense of corporate responsibility and commitment to these communities,” said Moreno. “For many of us the Washington DC area is a home away from home. We live and work here, our children grow up here, many of the IDB family retire here, and all of us enjoy the benefits of this wonderful city and metropolitan area. It is not only our corporate responsibility but our civic responsibility to be part of this community.”

Yesterday’s event, which included the participation of community leaders, private sector representatives and executive directors of local non-profit organizations, also featured speeches by Washington DC Mayor Anthony Williams and Eugenio Arène, executive director of CLA.
Arène said he hoped the IDB’s visibility and its role in the Latino Federation of Greater Washington would help attract significant contributions from both the private and public sectors.

“At this point, Latino non-profit organizations are competing against each other for a limited number of dollars,” said Arène. “Currently only 1.5 percent of foundation grant dollars are targeted to Latinos. The Federation’s strategy is that together we can empower the Latino community, as well as the Hispanic non-profit community, to broaden our base to attract the philanthropic dollars we deserve.”


Link: IDB-DC Solidarity Program

En inauguración de Expo Ferretera
Presidente Fernández afirma ferreteros contribuyen al desarrollo de economía


El Presidente Leonel Fernández afirmó este jueves que el sector ferretero contribuye al reactivación y al desarrollo de la economía nacional.

El mandatario se expresó en esos términos al encabezar la ceremonia de inauguración de la VII Expo Ferretera Internacional 2006, organizada por la Asociación de Ferreteros, en el hotel Dominican Fiesta.

Dijo que esta es una actividad muy importante, ya que se relaciona con un sector trascendente y dinámico como es el de la construcción.

“Nuestra presencia aquí es para brindarles todo el apoyo, por la reactivación y la dinamización de la economía, en sentido general”, expresó Fernández.

El doctor Fernández recordó que el año pasado el reporte de construcción contribuyó nuevamente al crecimiento del Producto Interno Bruto

Anunció que se reunió con varios representantes de la Federación de Comerciantes de Venezuela (FEDECAMARA), quienes mostraron interés en invertir en el país, en turismo, electricidad y alta tecnología, utilizando los recursos acumulados del Acuerdo de San José y a través del Banco de Exportaciones (BANDEX) de esa nación sudamericana.

El primer mandatario manifestó que esto demuestra que hay un mayor acercamiento cada vez más entre República Dominicana y Venezuela, en relación al comercio, la inversión y un crecimiento del contacto entre ambas naciones.

El Presidente de la República cortó la cinta para dejar inaugurada la feria de ferreteros que se desarrollará hasta el 12 del presente mes.

Durante el acto, habló el presidente de la Asociación de Ferreteros, Luis de los Santos, quien dijo que este sector está en los actuales momentos beneficiándose con la estabilidad cambiaria producida en el pasado año y las tasas de interés de los préstamos.

Dijo que el Tratado de Libre Comercio representa una de las mejores oportunidades de crecimiento para los ferreteros, ya que frente a una mayor competitividad obtendrán mejor precio y facilidades de financiamiento.

En la actividad estuvieron presentes el secretario administrativo de la Presidencia, licenciado Luis Manuel Bonetti, el presidente del Grupo Corripio, Luis Manuel Corripio, la embajadora de México, Isabel Tellez Aquino Doñé, Cambell Curi, representante de Cemex y Rolando Espinal, de Metaldom, entre otros.

Dirección de Información, Prensa y Publicidad de la Presidencia

Febrero 10, 2006

Gender Responsive Budget Initiatives Brochure

This brochure briefly details the objectives and vision behind gender responsive budgets. Examples of implementation tools such as gender aware policy appraisal and gender-disaggregated public expenditure incidence analysis are also illustrated. The brochure further highlights pioneering initiatives in various countries, using diverse approaches.

Gender Budgets Brochure.pdf

2 pages

e-Conference: Building Bridges Between Women Entrepreneurs Worldwide

Event Type: Online Discussion

Date: 06.02.06 – 28.02.06

Location: International

Details
EVE-olution jointly with the World Bank Institute (WBI)'s Business, Competitiveness, and Development Programme is hosting an e-conference on "Building Bridges Between Women Entrepreneurs Worldwide," 6-28 February 2006.

The e-conference format offers a platform for interactive and provocative discussions on issues facing women entrepreneurs worldwide, as well as provides an opportunity for participants to share ideas, experiences and best practices.

The e-conference will serve as a tool to give voice and visibility to women entrepreneurs and associations of women entrepreneurs worldwide, in particular to those from developing and emerging countries.

Sponsored by: EVE-olution and the World Bank Institute (WBI)'s Business, Competitiveness, and Development Programme

Contact: Diletta Doretti
e-mail: ddoretti at worldbank.org

For more details, visit the event web page.

capacity building Public Policy Knowledge Management Innovation international development

Pension Reforms and the Development of Pension Systems: an Evaluation of World Bank Assistance


Pension systems are a critical tool in reducing poverty among the elderly. But an aging population, poor administration, early retirement, and unaffordable benefits have strained both pension balances and overall public finances, lending urgency to the call for pension reform.

Over the past two decades, the Bank has supported a wide variety of reforms through lending operations and analytical and advisory activities in 68 countries, and helped build institutional capacity to strengthen pension administration. The World Bank's basic approach was to recommend the establishment of a multi-pillar pension system, provided sound macroeconomic conditions and an adequate financial sector were in place. This evaluation presents the first comprehensive assessment of these activities. It sums up what has been learned and offers recommendations to strengthen future reform efforts.

Browse or download the Complete Report
View Powerpoint Presentation

capacity building Institutional Strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation Poverty Reduction Strategies

A Case Analysis of INFOMED: The Cuban National Health Care Telecommunications Network and Portal

Ann C Séror, PhD
Department of Management, Faculté des Sciences de l’Administration, Université Laval, Pavillon Palasis-Prince, Cité Universitaire, Québec, QC G1K 7P4, Canada

Corresponding Author:
Ann C Séror, PhD
Department of Management
Faculté des Sciences de l’Administration
Université Laval
Pavillon Palasis-Prince, Cité Universitaire
Québec, QC G1K 7P4
CanadaPhone: +1 418 525 5102
Email: ann.seror [at] mng.ulaval.ca


ABSTRACT
Background: The Internet and telecommunications technologies contribute to national health care system infrastructures and extend global health care services markets. The Cuban national health care system offers a model to show how a national information portal can contribute to system integration, including research, education, and service delivery as well as international trade in products and services.
Objective: The objectives of this paper are (1) to present the context of the Cuban national health care system since the revolution in 1959, (2) to identify virtual institutional infrastructures of the system associated with the Cuban National Health Care Telecommunications Network and Portal (INFOMED), and (3) to show how they contribute to Cuban trade in international health care service markets.Methods: Qualitative case research methods were used to identify the integrated virtual infrastructure of INFOMED and to show how it reflects socialist ideology. Virtual institutional infrastructures include electronic medical and information services and the structure of national networks linking such services.
Results: Analysis of INFOMED infrastructures shows integration of health care information, research, and education as well as the interface between Cuban national information networks and the global Internet. System control mechanisms include horizontal integration and coordination through virtual institutions linked through INFOMED, and vertical control through the Ministry of Public Health and the government hierarchy. Telecommunications technology serves as a foundation for a dual market structure differentiating domestic services from international trade.
Conclusions: INFOMED is a model of interest for integrating health care information, research, education, and services. The virtual infrastructures linked through INFOMED support the diffusion of Cuban health care products and services in global markets. Transferability of this model is contingent upon ideology and interpretation of values such as individual intellectual property and confidentiality of individual health information. Future research should focus on examination of these issues and their consequences for global markets in health care.


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Caribbean Affairs Health Policy capacity building Policy Analysis Monitoring and Evaluation

New OAS Director promises assistance in shaping new St. Kitts and Nevis economy


BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, FEBRUARY 7TH 2006 (CUOPM) The new Director of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Office in St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Starret Greene is promising to give the Federation all the assistance it can in shaping the new national economy.

Mr. Greene, responding to words of welcome from St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, said he was delighted to be a part of the OAS activities in the Federation.

He noted that the Federal Cabinet was recently given a presentation by the OAS Office of Trade Tourism Competitiveness on the governments initiative to establish a National Investment Promotion Agency and he has already written to Ambassador Her Excellency Roslyn Hazelle and is eager to see the OAS respond positively to this initiative.

Mr. Greene gave the assurance that he will devote his energies to ensure the fulfillment of that request.The OAS official said the Governments decision to close the sugar industry and transit from sugar production, sounds familiar as the country of his birth, Antigua and Barbuda, made that decision many, many years ago when his father was a cane cutter and labourer for many years.

I know what that is doing to the psyche of the people, but I can assure you that through the Department of Integral Development, the OAS has already begun to prepare initiatives as a response to this development and that is going to be one of my major responsibilities, Prime Minister, said Mr. Greene.

He said he was delighted that Prime Minister Douglas has placed confidence in the OAS to assist St. Kitts and Nevis, the Sugar Transition Office and the related ministries in areas where assistance would be needed.

Copyright © 2005 By The Government Of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) & Nevis

Caribbean Affairs.
Institutional Strengthening.
Policy Making.

Bush's bill gives V.I. more Medicaid money
By JOY BLACKBURN
Thursday, February 9th 2006

President Bush on Wednesday signed a bill into law that will provide a major cash infusion to the territory's medical assistance program for the poor.

A small provision in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which cleared Congress Feb. 1, gives the Virgin Islands an additional $2.5 million in Medicaid dollars this year and an additional $5 million next year.

The increased funding level then will become the territory's new baseline for federal Medicaid funding.

"I'm very glad that we were able to get these additional dollars and sorry that it came in such a terrible piece of legislation that hurts Americans," V.I. Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen said Wednesday afternoon.

Ironically, the provision that increases Medicaid funding to all the territories is contained in legislation that curbs federal spending by some $39 billion over the next five years, targeting Medicare, Medicaid and some social programs.

Christensen said that because Medicaid funding to the territory already is so low, she does not think the Medicaid spending cuts contained in other parts of the bill will affect the Virgin Islands.
"We're below the radar screen," she said.

Each state or territory shares the costs of Medicaid with the federal government. However, while the states are not limited on federal reimbursements, all the territories are subject, by law, to a cap.

In the Virgin Islands, that cap had been set at about $6.9 million this year. The cap strains the territory's health care system and causes eligibility requirements for the Medical Assistance Program - the territory's Medicaid program - to be set far below the federal poverty level to restrict the number of residents who qualify for the limited resource.

While the new legislation does not remove the cap, it raises it, giving the Virgin Islands a total of about $9.4 million this year and about $11.9 million in Fiscal Year 2007. In later years, the baseline for Medicaid funding will remain at that level, with annual adjustments for inflation.

The chief executives at the territory's two hospitals, who had expressed guarded optimism as the bill was batted around between the U.S. Senate and the House, said Wednesday that they hope the hospitals will get top priority when the money is doled out.

"Obviously, any increase in health care funding to the territory is definitely good news because it will help us to be able to improve the quality of care in the territory," said Gregory Calliste, chief executive officer at Luis Hospital.

"I honestly didn't think it would make it," said Rodney Miller, Schneider Regional Medical Center chief executive officer. "We're pleased with the relief and can't wait for it to come. We'll be reaching out to the health commissioner."

Neither Calliste nor Miller knew how much of the money might make its way to the hospitals to pay outstanding bills owed by the Medical Assistance Program, but both said they are eager to meet with V.I. Health Commissioner Darlene Carty about it.

The V.I. Health Department administers the Medical Assistance Program. The Daily News was unable on Wednesday to reach Carty for comment and more information on how the money would be used.

Christensen said she suspects that the additional money, at least initially, will go toward paying outstanding bills rather than liberalizing the program's eligibility requirements. However, she said that she hopes as the increased funding is sustained, the program will be able to offer assistance to more Virgin Islanders.
The provision also provides additional Medicaid dollars for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Christensen and delegates from the other territories have pushed unsuccessfully for years to completely do away with the Medicaid cap.

"We can definitely see that the delegates' work paid off," Miller said. Calliste said he hopes those efforts to remove the cap altogether will continue.

Christensen characterized the provision as a joint effort by herself, Delegate Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, Delegate Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa and Congressman Dan Burton of Indiana.

- Contact Joy Blackburn at 774-8772 ext. 303 or e-mail blackburn@dailynews.vi

© 2005, Virgin Islands Daily News

Capacity Building Poverty Reduction Strategies Health Policy.

Ministry of Education

Education Ministry Allocates $2.6 Million to 14 Inner-City Schools
KINGSTON, (JIS):Thursday, February 09, 2006

A total of 14 primary and all-age schools in inner-city communities in Kingston and St. Andrew and St. Catherine, were today (Feb. 8) presented with cheques totaling some $2.6 million toward interventions to improve numeracy and literacy.

The beneficiary institutions are Chetolah Park, St. Anne's, St. Michael's, Trench Town, Holy Rosary, Denham Town, St. Andrew, Seaview Gardens, Seaward, McAuley and Homestead primary schools, and Greenwich, Rennock Lodge and Whitfield All-age and junior high schools.
The allocation was made under the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture's Inner-city Schools Improvement Project, and ranged from a minimum of $114,400 to $327,250.

Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson, who handed over the cheques to the school principals at the Ministry's National Heroes Circle headquarters in Kingston, explained that the inner-city project was guided by the principles that every child can learn and every child must learn, and that all children deserved to learn in comfortable facilities.

"So when we begin to do an assessment of the education system and we looked at the physical facilities of some school, the learning infrastructure, the teaching and learning supports, we realize that they tended to be quite uneven and.if we are not careful, we will violate both principles," she said.

The Education Minister informed that the government was working through the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) to upgrade these schools. "We believe that the physical facilities to which children are exposed or asked to learn does two things - they feel it is a reflection of themselves and they also feel that it is the value that we place on them. If they are in dilapidated conditions, it is very difficult for them to exhume the level of self-esteem and self-worth that is a critical component of learning," she pointed out.

Minister Henry-Wilson urged the principals and leaders to capitalize on the recommended interventions under the inner-city project and complement these initiatives by working with parent teachers associations and communities.

Co-ordinator for the Inner-city Schools Improvement Project, Margaret Brissett-Bolt, explained that the programme was conceived when data revealed that the attendance rates at some of these schools was below the national average; there was a high percentage of pre-trained teachers; inadequate or excess capacity; poor infrastructure; under-performance of students; frequent vandalism and break-ins; and little or no parent or community participation in school activities.

"The Inner-city Schools Improvement Project proposes a broad outline of interventions to address the problems experienced by 23 selected schools in the inner-city communities," she informed.

Among the interventions, she noted, was a programme of personal development with emphasis on attitudes and values; grades 1,2,3,4 and 7 literacy and numeracy programmes; the establishment of resource centres and cultural activities; staff development; improvement in physical support facilities; provision of additional basic furniture and equipment, among other things.

In terms of achievements, Mrs. Brissett-Bolt informed that some 11 primary schools were upgraded and repaired with nine receiving new classroom blocks; all schools have been painted with roofs fixed and windows replaced; resource and technology rooms built, equipped and upgraded; libraries have been repaired and training conducted for teachers in numeracy interventions, among others.

Montserrat’s housing problem continues to suffer from mismanagement

02-08-2006

by Karen ‘Lioness’ Allen
Caribbean Net News Montserrat Correspondent
Email: karen@caribbeannetnews.com



BRADES, Montserrat: Montserrat’s Self-Build Housing Grant Scheme (SHGS), which has been discontinued since 2004, has now evolved into an issue rife with allegations of mismanagement and eventual abandonment.

The Department for International Development (DfID) picked up that irregularities had occurred in the administration of the scheme. As a result, DfID contacted PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and requested that they conduct a detailed process review of Phase II and III of the SHGS and the allocation of grants to individuals displaced by the volcanic crisis.

PricewaterhouseCoopers determined that discrepancies in the scheme became evident around Phase III when DfID stopped its meticulous scrutiny of the project and imposed a policy, by the then Secretary of State, to allow the Government of Montserrat (GoM) to maximize local decision making, at the same time justifying the effectiveness of DfID project management and suggesting that this problem would have been identified earlier had DfID’s management continued.

According to the Montserrat Self-Build Housing Phase III Project Memorandum, in which key details and justifications for Phase III are set out and agreed between DfID and GoM, the aim of the scheme is to provide “households in need with up to 100% of the costs of materials to build their own houses….”

After agreeing to the terms and conditions dictated in the Project Memorandum, the GoM established and implemented its own unauthorized process and procedures for the scheme.
In PWC’s final report of October 2004, it stated that the Land Development Authority (LDA) reported in April 2004, that 288 applicants had been approved at a cost of EC$12.9 million, which began in August 1998.

However, expenditure on Phase III was reported, by the LDA, as having reached EC$7.9 million as of April 2004 with 133 grants being awarded. Phase III was approved around April 2002.
The main findings of the PWC final report indicated that 100 of 292 successful grant recipients failed to provide information to show that they met the eligibility criteria. In two cases, grant amounts were paid directly against applicant’s mortgages, as opposed to being put towards materials.

“Throughout…the project there are people who would appear not to qualify for grants who have been awarded grants and there are also people who would appear to qualify…who have received less grant than…they may have been entitled….”

The report also identified several cases, which placed Government officers in situations that led to a potential conflict of interest.

According to PWC, on 5 August 2003, the Chief Minister wrote to the Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment (MALHE) requesting that certain senior government figures be awarded a Self-Build Materials Grant.

This was despite the Permanent Secretary’s advice that several of these persons did not qualify for the Self-Build grants. This is just one example of a significant number of grants given to applicants who did not qualify, to include individuals from the LDA.

PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded that every management system for Phase III was incompetent, pointing out the questionable lack of records and documentation of the entire project. In the end, PWC determined, with regards to Phase II and Phase III, DfID and GoM poorly managed and administered the project.

On 14 November 2005, the LDA held a public meeting to announce the launch of its new housing scheme, ‘Vision 2010’.

During this meeting, Permanent Secretary of MALHE, Mr. Eugene Skerritt, admitted that the ministry was “standing at a crossroad in a pursuit for Montserrat’s future housing development”, further admitting that quite a large number of the population still had no housing or substandard housing.

Permanent Secretary Skerritt requested that the public think of innovative ideas that the ministry can develop into real ideas for the people.

During the Vision 2010 public meeting, the ministry disclosed that a recent review of the 2001 – 2006 Housing strategy revealed that a “self sustaining housing market is far from being achieved.”

When questioned by the attending public, MALHE representatives stated that access to financial resources remained the first on their list of things preventing LDA from addressing Montserrat’s housing needs, admitting then that the ministry was still in discussions with DFID representatives at that time.

On 7 February 2006, Caribbean Net News contacted the Permanent Secretary of MALHE, Mr. Eugene Skerritt, for the date when the ministry would resume approving housing grants under the scheme.

Mr. Skerritt informed Caribbean Net News that the ministry is in the process of finalizing those grant applications that were already submitted. However, current negotiations with DfID representatives dictated that the European Union has only committed to housing the mentally challenged and some vulnerable of the existing population.

As far as monetary funding goes with regards to Montserrat’s housing grant scheme, DfID only agreed that the sixty houses scheduled for construction during the Lookout Phase II project be sold and apply the money received from the sale of these house to Montserrat’s housing grant scheme.

Once these funds have been depleted, MALHE would have the burden of identifying and utilizing financial resources of its own accord to address Montserrat’s housing crisis. This approach is due mainly to the GoM agreeing to a declining grant and aid framework.

With DfID’s refusal to extend additional financial support beyond their established agreement, this crisis has now evolved into a burden for the GoM to shoulder, a burden the Government now admits it can’t bear.

Copyright © 2003-2006 Caribbean Net News

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Caribbean Affairs Institutional Strengthening.

Plan for distribution of federal funds announced
February 9, 2006

SAN JUAN (EFE) - Several government agencies and the Office of the Commissioner for Municipal matters announced Thursday an action plan to distribute millions of dollars in federal funds, earmarked to assist in areas such as housing, health, family, and permanent improvements in municipalities.

Nevertheless, according to Ángel Castillo, municipal affairs commissioner, federal grants were reduced by $6 million this year, since the amount to be distributed will be $72 million instead of the $78 million distributed during the previous year.

This reduction in federal funds will bring about municipal budget adjustments; in fact, Castillo Rodríguez anticipated that a new reduction could be announced at any time.

Now that the federal government has announced new budget cuts, "we must be prepared for that," said Castillo Rodríguez, adding that they will be lobbying against any reductions in federal funding.

He insisted that those federal funds are the only funds that smaller municipalities use to make permanent improvements to their infrastructure.

Copyright © 2000-2006
PRWOW

President plugs fund at CARICOM meeting
Friday, February 10, 2006

PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo has urged other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government to urgently move to implement the Regional Development Fund to push the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) said he yesterday, at the 17th Inter-sessional Conference of CARICOM heads at the Hilton in Trinidad and Tobago, flagged the implementation of the fund as a necessity for the success of the CSME.

President Jagdeo, in his intervention, called on heads to urgently settle issues and details surrounding the RDF by technical and ministerial officials but said the time has come for heads themselves to settle the outstanding issues, the agency reported.

He noted that there have been prolonged discussions and reports on the RDF and there is now need for immediate action, GINA said.

The fund is critical because it will provide an important financial mechanism for ensuring an equitable development and successful regional integration process, it said, noting that it is expected to provide financial or technical assistance to disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors.

Guyana has been identified to benefit from funding to be provided by the RDF.
The President’s intervention, GINA said, may have placed the issue on today’s caucus for discussion by the heads.

The agency said he yesterday also raised the issue of the free movement of skills provided for within the framework of the Single Market, noting the maltreatment meted out to Guyanese and the undesirable working conditions that prevail in work schemes in some member states of the community.

GINA said he called on member states to create within the CARICOM Secretariat a database where various complaints made on such issues could be monitored and investigated to establish a level of accountability on this issue.

President Jagdeo also highlighted growing concerns about the region’s security, pointing once again to the technical reports and discussions held without many concrete initiatives implemented to date, the agency reported. In this respect, it said, he mooted the idea of a regional intelligence-sharing mechanism.

Mr Jagdeo also met St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves on the expansion of Guyana’s access to his country’s rice market.

It was indicated that a team from St Vincent and the Grenadines will visit Guyana next week to follow up on the discussion initiated, GINA said.


Copyright GNNL November 2005

IMF team says after latest Article IV Consultation: ‘St. Lucia’s Debt Management Best in the OECS’

Contact: Prime Minister's Press Secretary

Friday, February 3, 2006 - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has again commended the prudent fiscal management of the Government of St. Lucia. This time, it's for having “the best record of prudent public debt management” in the OECS -- an accomplishment that has been welcomed by the island’s Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

This latest commendation from a leading global financial institution follows the conclusion of the most recent Article IV Consultation with St. Lucia undertaken by the Directors on the IMF Executive Board.

The consultation is an annual assessment of each member-country undertaken by IMF staff missions from the Washington-based institution. The latest for St. Lucia took place on December 21, 2005.

The previous Consultation took place in July 2005, after which the IMF staff mission reported that economic activity had gained momentum, rising to 4% in 2004 from 2.9% the previous year.

The mission also indicated back then that growth was projected to exceed 5% in 2005 and to accelerate in 2006, in the run-up to the island's hosting of the Cricket World Cup in 2007.
Both these predictions have come true, with the country topping the 5% growth rate increase for 2005 and the island experiencing an unprecedented construction boom.

According to an official report following the latest Article IV consultation in December 2005, the IMF Directors “commended the authorities for their record of prudent public debt management.”

They also described St. Lucia’s record as “the best within the ECCU.”

The ECCU (Eastern Caribbean Currency Union) governs the single common currency of the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States), the EC Dollar.

The IMF Directors also commended the St. Lucia Government “for the progress made in fiscal consolidation over the past two years.”

The visiting team noted that “a restrictive trade regime, high cost of capital and labour market rigidities appear to have delayed structural change.”

But they also acknowledged that after experiencing a prolonged period of slow economic activity from the 1980s to the immediate aftermath of the bombing of the World Trade Centre in September 2001, the island’s economy “has picked up since 2003.”

They pointed out that “real GDP growth was 4% in 2004” and predicted “it is expected to exceed 5% in 2005 and 2006.”

The IMF team reported that “central government’s fiscal policy has tightened markedly since 2003 and deficits have narrowed.”

Assessing the handling of the island’s public debt, the international financial and monetary inspectors said: “The rapid rise in public debt in recent years has slowed with total public debt reaching almost 68% of GDP by end of fiscal year 2004/05.”

They noted that “the current account deficit is set to widen through 2006,” but indicated that it “should begin to narrow thereafter as investment demand eases.”

Looking to the future, the IMF Directors recommended “a combination of revenue and expenditure measures”, which they said were needed “to strengthen the underlying fiscal position.”

These include “rebuilding petroleum tax revenues and converting the petroleum tax into an excise tax,” as well as “limiting the growth of the civil service wage bill.”

The team also recommended “eventually introducing a modern system of VAT and excise taxation.”

The IMF Directors considered that “to boost St. Lucia’s growth potential, the investment climate should be strengthened, competitiveness enhanced and outward orientation of the economy further decreased.”

The IMF is expected soon to release a Public Information Notice (PIN) containing its findings after the latest assessment by its team to St. Lucia.

Prime Minister Anthony, who has stewarded the country’s finances since 1997 as Minister of Finance, Economic Development and International Financial Services, has welcomed the latest findings and declarations by the IMF.

He said on Friday: “I am very pleased with the report.”

Dr. Anthony said St. Lucia “needs to continue along the path of economic reform,” adding that warning that “we must not waver, even in the face of the global challenges which continue to marginalize us.”

ST. LUCIA: House of Assembly passes law to join Caribbean single market

Feb. 9, 2006, 1:13PM

By The Associated Press
© 2006 The Associated Press


CASTRIES, St. Lucia (AP) _ St. Lucia's House of Assembly has unanimously approved a bill that paves the way for the island to join the Caribbean Single Market Economy.

The bill has to be passed by the country's Senate and governor general, which was considered a formality. St. Lucia will join the Caribbean Community's single market in June, said Prime Minister Kenneth Anthony.

St. Lucia would have been ready to participate in the single market in January _ when the first six countries joined _ but had decided to "share solidarity" by waiting for the other East Caribbean states, Anthony said on Feb. 8.

All but two of the Caribbean Community's 15 members were to join the single market, which was designed to allow goods, services and skilled workers to move more easily throughout the region.

Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad launched the single market in January. The Bahamas has decided to stay out of it due to fears the free movement of professionals would over run its work force, while Haiti has been suspended from the community because of political instability.

Leaders from St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent, Antigua and Dominica have said they will join the single market between March and June.

Drip irrigation system saves farmer's crops
published: Thursday February 9, 2006

George Henry, Gleaner Writer


MALVERN, St. Elizabeth:

JUST WHEN John Harrison was beginning to lose hope, the former salesman-turn-farmer received assistance in acquiring a modern drip irrigation system that worked wonders for his crops.

Mr. Harrison, after retiring from his sales job at Desnoes and Geddes Ltd., started out with a few heads of cattle, but realised that rearing animals alone was not sufficient. So he decided to start planting callaloo, sweet pepper, cabbage, pak choi, melon and tomatoes on his small farm at Park district in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth.

But he soon found out that it was not helping either, as the traditional farming methods did little to produce the desirable yields. This caused him to lose interest in farming.

However, this changed when he found out that the drip irrigation system could improve his production. The farmer said he subsequently sought assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

"I was fortunate to get some assistance from USAID, which has given me renewed interest in farming," said the excited farmer. He stated that the drip irrigation system he currently uses includes the use of soluble fertilisers with low water consumption. The new system he said improved his tomato production by 90 per cent.

FUTURE EXPANSION

With the significant improvement in yield, the St. Elizabeth farmer said he intends to expand his farm. The proud farmer is now encouraging his colleagues to try the system, which he advised, can be used on any type of soil, provided proper research is carried out and there is an adequate supply of water available. He said although it is expensive in the initial stage of use, Mr. Harrison said it is a good investment.

In the meantime, Mr. Harrison, like other farmers across the island, complained that the cost of fertilisers and other chemicals was very expensive. He is recommending that farmers be given a subsidy on these items.

Dodge recommends economic medicine
Web Posted - Wed Feb 08 2006
By Shawn Cumberbatch

CANADA'S top banker has prescribed what he believes is some old, but necessary medicine for the Barbados economy.

Saying the economic health of this country and as well as his own health were both vulnerable because of their very open status, Governor of the Bank of Canada, David Dodge, urged the introduction of important policy measures to resolve global imbalances.

Speaking yesterday during an address to the Barbados International Business Association, the central banker said while specific policy measures would vary from country to country, there were common principles that policy makers all over should follow.

He suggested because of its open economic status, Barbados should adopt appropriate fiscal policies, the promotion of well-functioning labour and product markets, the provision of a well-functioning social safety net, policies that allow for an efficient and sound financial system and a monetary policy focused on low, stable, and predictable inflation.

We also need a commitment by all countries to a renewed international monetary order and a willingness to play by the rules of the game, he said

Mr. Dodge conceded his pronouncement did not represent a new prescription for global economic health, but happenings on the international economic landscape warranted urgent action.

According to him, Imbalances are persisting, and if they aren't resolved in an orderly way, we face the threat of great disruption. That is particularly true for countries with very open economies such as Canada and Barbados. An orderly resolution of imbalances is in all of our interests. The Governor said while Canada and Barbados did not have much in common where their climate was concerned, the pair relied on good economic performance globally for good performance domestically.

He noted recently the global economy had been delivering that performance and was expected to record real growth of about four per cent or better through to next year.

It would be nice to think that this solid growth could endure forever. However, we all know that the global economy is subject to a number of risks, and policy-makers in international forums spend a lot of time thinking about how best to handle those risks, he said.

Mr. Dodge said global imbalances were characterised by the large and persistent current account deficit in the United States mirrored by large current account surpluses elsewhere, especially in Asia and in many oil-exporting countries.

Given that Canada and Barbados depend on international trade and global financial stability for economic growth, we both have a major stake in seeing that global imbalances are resolved in an orderly way, the official noted.

The governor had some specific advice where the amount of public debt compared to GDP was concerned, saying fiscal policy dictated a clear need for countries to focus on having a sustainable ratio of public debt to GDP.

This would give confidence to businesses and consumers that the value of their money will not be eroded over time, either by high inflation or by excessive taxation. Where a sustainable public debt-to-GDP ratio is now absent, it should be achieved. Where it is present, it should be maintained, he said.

Debt situations in Caribbean countries need to be addressed
Web Posted - Wed Feb 08 2006

THE debt crisis in some Caribbean countries is reaching alarming proportions and they are being told to fix it. This is one of the worrying signs confronting Caribbean economies and which has drawn the attention of the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank.

Yesterday top CDB officials met with the local press to review the performance of regional economies in 2005. CDB President, Dr. Compston Bourne and Country Economist Kelvin Dalrymple said there are serious public debt and public finance issues facing the Bank's Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs).

The debt situation is very critical in several countries, Dr. Bourne told the media.
The ratio of debt service obligations to current revenue is very high, he further said, while noting that this means that the fiscal capacity to undertake other expenditures is reduced.
Dalrymple said that in 2005 the region continued to struggle with public debt and public finances management.

The Economist who had earlier reported that real GDP in the BMCs as a group slowed in 2005 when compared to 2004, said that many of these countries are still above the 60 per cent debt/GDP level.

He maintained that debt sustainability is a large part of the agenda going forward. As such, a closer scrutiny has to be made with respect to debt management.

Acknowledging that CDB and CARTAC were among institutions helping the region to address these difficulties, the problems are serious and their solution require strong and sustained effort by the authorities in each country.

Dalrymple said that as a group, Caribbean countries recorded a slower growth in 2005.

As to whether the economies are in crisis, Dr. Bourne said he does not think so. They are in trouble, but if action is not taken to arrest some of the trends, particularly on the fiscal side, then they will be in crisis, he added.

Dalrymple attributed the lower GDP to slower growth in tourism, and a decline in output of agriculture and manufacturing.

Increases were recorded in construction, financial services, and in mining and quarrying.
Hurricane-related re-building of public and private structures... and preparations for the Cricket World Cup in 2007 accounted for a significant part of the growth, said the Economist.

The countries are still grappling with lack of production possibilities, he said while noting that a number of sectors are either into decline or growing moderately.

It is a concern for those countries and the bank, and therefore, much work has to be done in diversifying the regional economies.

Looking ahead, Dalrymple said that growth in construction will continue.
Construction is a foreign exchange using sector and he suggested that more of the region's capacity be invested in foreign exchange earning activities to enhance the earning of foreign exchange.

He also anticipates more growth in tourism, although there will be some constraints on cruise passenger arrivals.

Fuelling innovation in Jamaica

published: Wednesday February 8, 2006


ON JANUARY 1, 2006, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) came into being and early last week, leaders of several of the territories came together to ratify and mark this historic development.

But what does this mean for the business executive who must be able to interpret the demands of the market within the CARICOM Single Market (CSM) or the wider global village?
The CSME is a single but important reminder of all the forces that are constantly driving the need for Jamaican businesses to innovate in order to compete in today's global market place.
Consumers have far more access to information, thus expanding their choices of service providers and increasing their expectations.

Business people in Trinidad have prepared themselves, probably better than most other CSM business leaders, by retooling their manufacturing industries and taking calculated risks by investing heavily in other CSM territories in order to broaden their territorial reach to these consumers.

Jamaica has been a major recipient of these investments and Jamaican business people have felt the press of this growing regional competitor.

Staying abreast of the latest in business innovation and other leading management ideas is an absolute requirement that must be met (it is no longer an option) by anyone who is serious about staying in business.

An outstanding opportunity to stay abreast of innovative ideas is the upcoming seminar from a professor from Harvard Business School, Clay Christensen, who is one of the world's leading authorities on business innovation and who will be presenting on the subject on February 16 at the Jamaica Pegasus.

THREE CATEGORIES OF CONSUMERS

According to Christensen, there are three categories of consumers that companies can look at to find opportunities for innovation and new revenues.

The first category is non-consumers. These are consumers who lack the ability, money, access, or convenience to accomplish an important job for themselves.

The solution is to provide a simpler solution at a lower cost, focusing on volume.

Examples of new revenue streams include Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) where consumers in Jamaica now have the ability to make unlimited long distance calls for as little as US$25 per month.

The second set is under-served consumers. This group represents consumers who use a product but are frustrated with its limitations and are, therefore, willing to pay for enhancements which offer the features that are most important to them.

For this example, the number one frustration to both American consumers and corporations when outsourcing to India is the difference in culture.

Although cost-effective, certain specialised services need to be more closely managed, but remain cost prohibitive when the service is provided from within the U.S. itself (over 4.5 million Americans still work in call centres today!).

With its large number of well-educated professionals, the Caribbean can definitely position itself to offer 'Nearshore' services.

According to Geoff Seyon, chief executive officer of Franklin Winston, a leading U.S. business consulting and nearshore services firm, "Having spent two years managing over 700 people in India for the world's number one U.S. business and technology consulting firm, it is clear to me that the India model has major issues in delivering high-end services.

The Caribbean, however, has so much more to offer because of its cultural and geographic affinities to North America. And of course, which U.S. manager would ever refuse a trip to Jamaica any time of year? This is why I have established my own firm to focus exclusively on services from the Caribbean."

The third group is comprised of over-served consumers.

These consumers have stopped paying for further improvements in performance that once commanded high premiums. In this case, the solution is to provide a service that meets the basic needs of the customer.

For example, instead of local distributors importing more expensive brands, they can partner with local manufactures to support Jamaican production of local, basic canned food items.

Not only can these brands be consumed locally, but can also be exported to other regions of the world. With the rate of change in today's business environment, accessing and quickly leveraging ideas such as the ones that were outlined above is essential.

PROVIDING IDEAS ON INNOVATION

Fortunately, one does not always have to leave Jamaica to be exposed to leading edge concepts.
Through a company called Knowledge Works Consulting, local executives now have access to online e-Learning and audio/video conference and seminars from Harvard Business School Publishing in the Caribbean.

While the Harvard Business School approach to e-Learning is well tested and found to be effective, coordination by Knowledge Woks Consulting does provide good assistance to users in the business community.

The best business thinkers who write and speak on wealth creation always start with ideas, not with the buying and selling of products and services.

NARROW THE FOCUS

They will often cite Steve Job's idea to create the mass-market personal computer (PC) known as Apple, Bill Gates's idea to create and 'give away' his operating system on which most PCs run, or the simple idea of the 'Pet Rock' creator to convert a very common commodity, stone, into customised 'pet' to which consumers would flock.

But ideas tend to germinate in trained minds and innovative ideas are those that have the biggest impact on the future.

Getting some world-class guidance on innovation can begin to put Jamaica in the right position to compete in the CSM and a globalising world.

I believe that tremendous opportunities exist for Jamaican business leaders who become focused on innovation to remain relevant in an ever-changing marketplace and to grow their operations.

I would suggest that now is the right time to narrow our focus on innovation. It is a focus that all sectors - business, government and other categories of our society - need to adopt.

Aubyn Hill is the chief executive officer of Corporate Strategies Ltd., a restructuring and financial advisory firm. Respond to: writerhill@gmail.com

Future of the Caribbean Lies in Integration

Havana, Feb. 7 (AIN) Delegates in Havana at the 8th International Meeting of Economists agreed that the future of the Caribbean lies in its integration.Worldwide renowned experts reached that conclusion during a workshop entitled "The Caribbean: Facing the Challenges of the 21st Century."

Among the personalities that took part in the discussion were Carolina Anstey, with the World Bank; Antonio Romero, with the Latin American Economic System; and Tania Garcia, with the Cuba's Juan Marinillo Center.

Among countries in the so-called Great Caribbean, there is evident uneven development that prevents nations from coordinating common economic policies, explained the Cuban expert. In addition, the insufficient intra-regional trade in the Caribbean worsens the situation, while the US and Europe serve as the major markets for the area, said the expert.

Tania Garcia pointed out the need to create autonomous integration able to face the global economy and regional imbalance. Both Erick Toussaint, with the International Debt Observatory in Belgium, and Lazaro Paris, with Bolivia's Indigenous Movement agreed on the need to denounce the policies of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which they described as outrageous.

According to the experts, the two institutions have become mechanisms which seek only to meet the US' economic and political interests and those of its European allies.

Copyright ©2004 National News Agency CUBA (AIN)

Haitians, UN Volunteers ready for key elections


BONN, 06 February 2006 – When Haitians head to the polls tomorrow to vote in the country’s first round of presidential and congressional elections, they’ll be capping the year-long efforts of UN Volunteers in helping the country reach this vital stage.

As part of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, known by its French acronym MINUSTAH, UN Volunteers working with the mission’s electoral division have been stationed in the country’s ten departments to coordinate the electoral process.

Together with the Organization of American States and the country’s Provisional Electoral Commission, they established and managed election registration bureaus—fixed locations and mobile—to register an estimated 3.5 million Haitians. In the capital city of Port-au-Prince, some 1.5 million voters were registered. Now on the eve of the elections, UN Volunteers in the capital are readying the ballot counting centres, as well as putting together all voting material, from ballots to voting boxes.

UN Volunteers also supported awareness raising activities to educate the population on the electoral process. This involved distributing pamphlets in Creole and French describing registration and holding presentations at schools and other public areas to introduce and discuss the elections.

By all accounts, the lead-up to tomorrow’s elections was difficult. Rampant violence and rioting postponed the vote on several occasions and at times threatened to derail the process. For UN Volunteers, working and living conditions posed many challenges, from the threat of violence to logistical obstacles.

A message sent earlier today by the UNV Executive Coordinator, Mr. Ad de Raad, to UN Volunteers in Haiti recognized the commitment and dedication of all involved in the elections. “You have played a vital role from the very beginning, establishing the Provincial electoral offices, organizing and supervising the registration, establishing polling centres, and the poll itself,” wrote Mr. de Raad. “Your role in making this happen, especially in the countryside, where people and the electoral messages are hardest to reach and deliver, is something to be proud of.”

Mr. de Raad equally acknowledged the efforts of UN Volunteers working outside of the elections. “For all of the UN Volunteers indirectly involved, your support in other areas of the mission's work cannot go unmentioned, as we know that the electoral countdown in recent months has intensified your own work… we know it has not been easy.”

Currently, 174 UN Volunteers are in Haiti involved in a range of activities to promote peace and cooperation, economic sustainability and the rule of law. Beyond the UN mission, they also support activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Food Programme.

UN Volunteers engaged in election activities are expected to continue their work in preparation of the second round of voting scheduled for mid-March.

When Money Doesn’t Help

February 6, 2006


Two new working papers examine problems with aid delivery. In An Aid-Institutions Paradox, Todd Moss, Gunilla Pettersson, and Nicolas van de Walle show how aid can undermine institutional development, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aid Project Proliferation and Absorptive Capacity, by David Roodman, uses a mathematical model to show how the marginal utility of aid can decline as aid increases and projects proliferate. Both papers suggest possible solutions.

Related Expert(s)

David Roodman
Nicolas van de Walle
Todd Moss

© 2005 Center for Global Development.

Historic Caribbean tourism agreement to be signed in Antigua

02-07-2006


ST JOHN’S, Antigua: Jolly Beach Resort, Antigua will be the venue for the signing of an historic agreement between the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) on Tuesday.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the three major tourism organisations in the region will enhance a recently formalised partnership between the CTO and CHA which emphasises cooperation in tourism marketing and promotion; the preparation of a single Caribbean web site for consumers and membership; joint research on aviation issues, cruise tourism, hotel operating study, and joint efforts in human resource development and training.

According to Kim Osborne, Small Tourism Enterprise Project Officer at the Organisation of American States, the Memorandum of Understanding between the OAS, CTO and CHA will focus on joint programmes to develop the tourism product throughout the region.

Areas of co-operation will include the financing and development of small hotels, a joint approach to improvements in the standards of skills and training of personnel in the hospitality sector, and of great importance the development of regional quality standards for hotels and other tourism facilities and attractions and a regional approach to monitoring and compliance of regional standards.

The historic signing ceremony will gather top tourism officials including Dr. Sherry Stephenson, Acting Director, Organisation of American States Department of Trade Tourism & Competitiveness, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and Berthia Parle, President of the Caribbean Hotel Association at a reception being hosted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda at the end of the first day of a three day symposium.

Over fifty participants from across the region will attend the symposium which will seek to develop “a Strategic Approach to Rationalising Standards Development, Monitoring and Compliance in the Caribbean Tourism Sector” with Vanderpoole-Wallace, Stephenson and Parle as resource persons.

Other key experts in tourism and standards development will present at the Symposium including Camella Rhone, Director of the Caribbean Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), Mary Helen Reece, former Director of Standards and Licensing with the Tourism Product Development Co. Ltd of Jamaica, Sharon Pascal, Dominica’s Director of Tourism, Bonita Morgan of the CTO and representatives from the Federation of Tour Operators, the Pan American Health Organisation and private consultants specializing in quality standards.

Lorraine Headley, Director of Product Development at the Ministry of Tourism highlighted the importance of the expected outcomes of the Symposium and the Memorandum of Understanding.

“We are extremely honoured to be the host country for this significant gathering. Standards development is critical to Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism product and is a major thrust for tourism development in 2006 and beyond. The consistency of standards across the region is particularly critical as we anticipate the influx of visitors in 2007 travelling to a number of Caribbean countries during their visit to the region.”

Miss Headley continued, “As host country we have been given the opportunity by the OAS to invite a number of stakeholders including the Antigua Hotels and Tourist Association, the Antigua and Barbuda Bureau of Standards, the Barbuda Council and representatives from the tours and excursions sector. This will provide us with a platform to move forward with the improvement of standards across sectors.”

Participants of the Symposium will also be provided the opportunity to visit Curtain Bluff Resort and the Nelson’s Dockyard during a field trip organised by the Ministry of Tourism to highlight best practices in quality standards exemplified in successful tourism facilities

Tufton questions jump in number of youths not seeking work
BY BALFORD HENRY Observer writer
Tuesday, February 07, 2006


SENATOR Christopher Tufton wants the Statistical Institute (STATIN) and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) to explain why official figures show that while unemployment is being reduced, the number of young people not seeking work continues to grow.

Tufton, speaking in the State of the Nation debate in the Senate on Friday, said that according to the Labour Force Survey, of over 665,000 persons listed in the age group 14 years old and over, 325,000 or nearly half of that figure were listed as "not seeking work". This, he said, has increased from 288,000 in 2002 and 301,000 in 2003.

"For me it is not coincidence that, as this category expands, the official unemployment statistics are declining," the Opposition Jamaica Labour party senator said.

He said that many of the "well trumpeted" foreign direct investments were merely a change in ownership and, while they were welcomed in terms of preventing a shutdown of the businesses, "let us not fool ourselves into believing that these investments" are creating new jobs.

Said Tufton: "More evidently, we exist in a country where the most common sight on any street corner in rural or urban Jamaica are young men with very little to do, doing actually nothing, yet the statistics coming out of the government agency conveys an impressions that we are solving the unemployment problem."

Tufton made it clear that he was not casting aspersions on the credibility of the figures provided by the official research agency, STATIN, as it relates to the definition they use to collect the data."I am, however, challenging the interpretation of these numbers based on the very definition that is used," he said.

Tufton said that the definition of the Labour Force used by STATIN includes all employed persons as well as persons who, although unemployed, were looking for work, or wanted work or were in a position to accept work."The figure in October, 2005 stood at 1.19 million people.

However, many questions arise when the status of persons 14 years old and over, who are not in school, are not homemakers, have not indicated that they stay home to take care of others, are not incapacitated and unable to work, but are not employed and are listed as not seeking work.

The persons, according to the definition, are outside the labour force and, therefore, are not included in the unemployment statistics," said the senator.

He said that of a population of over 665,000 people who are 14 years old and older, 325,000 were in the "did not want to work" category and placed outside the labour force.

"I believe they are collecting and grouping data based on specific definitions," Tufton said. "However. given these definitions of what constitutes the labour force, that is 'someone actively seeking work,' in an environment with all the ills listed earlier, people can be frustrated out of this category and, therefore, not considered as unemployed although they are not gainfully engaged. In fact, I believe many have."

"I see it every day. A 19 year-old youth, no skill, no job, no hope, no job search; an 18 year-old girl, same thing; or a 20 year-old youth selling sweets or washing cars on the roadside, as far as he is concerned he is employed. He is not actively seeking work. That is the reality that we face.

© 2000-2001 Jamaica Observer.

Illegal immigrant problem growing out of proportion~ Issue on agenda for meeting of Lt. Governors ~
Monday February 6, 2006 - Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, N.A.

PHILIPSBURG--The problem of illegal immigrants in the Netherlands Antilles is growing out of proportion and Justice Minister David Dick and his team will be discussing it at a meeting of Lt. Governors to be held here in St. Maarten Thursday and Friday.

While there are no reliable estimates of the number of undocumented persons in the Netherlands Antilles, it is believed in some circles that in St. Maarten alone that figure could be in excess of 20,000.

“There are too many illegals in the Antilles. Something must be done,” stated Herbert Coffi of the Justice Department. He is in charge of implementing the government’s immigration policy.
Immigration is a responsibility of the Central Government, but the implementation of immigration policies takes place on the island level. “This system never worked as it should.

Now we are trying to set up a new system that should give better results,” Coffi said.
And, contending that, basically the measures must prevent illegal transportation of people and international terrorism through the Antilles, he said immigration control was a complex matter that must take into consideration, “legal, social and economic aspects.”

It is hard to say how big the illegal immigration problem is, said Coffi. “Because they are illegal there are no official figures. During the grace period given in 2001-2002 about 8,000 illegals registered in St. Maarten. Those were the ones that had some sort of documentation,” he explained.

He continued: “You have to take into consideration that there is still a group that didn’t register and that they have family on the island who also didn’t register. So if you extrapolate the figure of 8,000, the estimation is that in St. Maarten there are about 20,000-30,000 illegals.”

New instructions for the immigration service were drawn up in 1999 and publicised in 2002, but never implemented. According to Coffi, Dick has decided to make this one of his primary issues.
But in the meantime changes were made in the administrative justice ordinance (LAR).

Immigrants acquired the right to go to court to appeal a decision of the government not to grant them a permit to reside in the Netherlands Antilles.

“In the court decisions the judge often criticised the way the applications of immigrants for permits were handed. Also the Judge decided, based upon international procedures, that an illegal immigrant who has stayed for more than five years in a country could almost not be denied a permit,” he explained.

In addition, he said, the court ratified the decision of the government about the income an immigrant must have to obtain a permit to stay in the Antilles.

Coffi emphasised that the instructions for the immigration service now had to be adapted according to decisions of the court that had become jurisprudence.


Copyright ©1998-2005 The Daily Herald

February 6, 2006

Haiti's bitter history of hope
For 200 years, the island nation has fought repeatedly to create a democracy. Will it be disappointed again?

By Laurent Dubois, LAURENT DUBOIS is an associate professor of history at Michigan State University and the author of, among other books, "Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution."


ON JAN. 1, 1804, the victorious Gen. Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaimed Haiti's independence. As he did so, he called upon his countrymen to avenge their slaughtered dead by destroying the French citizens who remained on the island.

He warned his followers that failure would cost them, for when it was their turn to descend into their tombs, their bones would be rejected by the unappeased spirits of their ancestors. Dessalines later justified the massacre of whites as a necessary act of purification meant to banish the terror of slavery forever from the island. "We have paid back these true cannibals — crime for crime, war for war, outrage for outrage," he declared. "I have avenged America."

As Haiti prepares for an election Tuesday — the 20th anniversary of the overthrow of the brutal and corrupt dictatorship of Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier — it is clear that the past still weighs heavily on the nation. Looking back on two centuries of Haitian history, it sometimes seems as if the country's post-independence story is just an endless series of courageous but ultimately failed attempts to create something better, an unstoppable cycle of hope followed by political violence and disappointment.

It is natural to look to the past to understand what has gone wrong with Haiti, to search for the roots of the contemporary crisis in earlier moments of upheaval and violence. But it also may be useful to tell a different kind of story — one that seeks in Haiti's history sources of hope, examples of triumph and democracy — if only in order to confront the present with something other than resignation. Cries for democracy resonate throughout Haiti's history.

In 1791, the enslaved men and women in what was then the world's most profitable colony executed a brilliantly planned uprising and won their freedom under the leadership of the former slave Toussaint Louverture, among others.Together with some local whites who supported emancipation, they elected delegates to represent the colony in revolutionary Paris.

Among the delegates was Jean-Baptiste Belley, a survivor of the Middle Passage from Africa to the New World. In a famous 1797 portrait, Belley wears the uniform of a French deputy and gazes upward, presumably envisioning the future of a world no longer dominated by chattel slavery. His remarkable journey is just one part of the epic through which Caribbean slaves dramatically expanded the possibilities of democracy in the modern world. Many radical revolutionaries in France supported the destruction of slavery, but, in 1801, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to reverse emancipation.

He sent tens of thousands of troops to re-enslave the people of Haiti. Among his troops were Polish soldiers who had allied with the French in the hopes that it would help them create their own nation in Europe. But once in Haiti, some Poles realized they were on the wrong side of the war and defected to Dessalines' army. In the wake of independence, these Poles, along with some other whites who were considered allies, were embraced as citizens of Haiti. When, in his Constitution, Dessalines declared that all Haitians would henceforth be known as black, he greeted these whites into the black race.

Since 1804, Haiti has repeatedly produced democratic movements. There were 19th century peasant movements against corrupt rulers who threatened the independence of small farmers.

The U.S. occupation of 1915-'34, aimed at protecting U.S. financial and strategic interests, generated widespread resistance on the part of peasants who were drafted into forced labor details, as well as students and intellectuals appalled by the racism of their occupiers.

In 1986, students began an uprising that ended the 30-year dictatorship of the Duvalier family. During the following years, the grass-roots movement called Lavalas ultimately secured the democratic election of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1990, though the victory was short-lived.

Throughout Haiti's history — though these moments are usually overlooked — there have been some governments that have sought and sometimes succeeded in assuring relative political stability, especially at certain points in the 19th century and in the decades after the U.S.
occupation.

Why, then, despite all the hope and effort, have Haiti's political institutions repeatedly failed to sustain democracy over the long term? Beginning with Louverture, leaders have faced extraordinary challenges. Politically isolated by all the major powers of the day, including the U.S., and aware that former colonists were still clamoring for re-enslavement, the nation's leaders agreed in 1825 to pay an indemnity to France, starting a devastating course into the now all-too-familiar problems associated with massive foreign debt.

Meanwhile, in a landscape scarred by a plantation economy that had consumed hundreds of thousands of slaves and created long-term problems of deforestation and soil erosion that would only worsen over the years, many Haitians struggled to construct a new order based on independent farming. But their efforts to secure autonomy and dignity were often undermined by local elites and, later, foreign corporations.

Throughout the 19th century, foreign merchants repeatedly intervened in Haitian politics in pursuit of economic advantage. In the 20th century, the U.S. government supported the Duvalier regimes as a counterweight to Fidel Castro's government in nearby Cuba.

With some important exceptions — notably the 1994 invasion that reinstated Aristide — external pressures and interventions have generally sapped the strength of truly democratic movements within Haiti.

Haiti can still have a democratic future.

It won't get there, however, unless there are big changes in the way the international community, and particularly the U.S., deal with the country. Haiti's poverty has historically been worsened rather than improved by national and international financial policies.

Years of dictatorship and turmoil have created a large diaspora whose future is tightly bound to that of Haiti. While much needs to change inside the nation, it also is vital for foreign governments and international institutions to develop policies based on comprehension of and respect for Haiti, both of which have been lacking over the last two centuries.

Is there hope for Haiti? When I feel most pessimistic about the answer to this question, I remind myself that on that island 200 years ago, men and women trapped in one of the most brutal and oppressive social systems in history rose up in pursuit of freedom, and won.

Grenada Ministry of Education to launch CETT
02-06-2006

by Kishawn ThomasCaribbean Net News Grenada Correspondent
Email: kishawn@caribbeannetnews.com

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada: The Ministry of Education in Grenada will officially launch the Caribbean Centres of Excellence for Teacher Training project (CETT) on Friday 10th February 2006 at the Grenada Grand Beach Resort.

The project will be officially launched by Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell. In attendance will be Professor Errol Miller, regional director of the Caribbean CETT, who will be in Grenada to participate in the official launch and to sign contractual agreements with the Ministry of Education.

The Caribbean Centres of Excellence for Teacher Training is a project which targets the improvement of reading achievements in students at the primary level (Grades 1-3). This project is administered by the University of the West Indies, operated in collaboration with teachers’ colleges across the region and funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

In Grenada, much of the ground work in preparation for full implementation of CETT-Grenada has been put in place. Through the work of two Reading Specialist attached to the project, CETT has begun giving direct support to teachers of Grades K-3 across eighteen (18) selected schools.
The CETT-Grenada Project has already distributed individual class libraries to all eighty-seven (87) classes in project school and is in the process of installing computer hardware and supporting software at these schools sites.

A critical component of the CETT Project is the establishment of a wireless Wide Area Network which promises to bring connectivity to all project schools, the T.A. Marryshow Community College, the Ministry of Education and the University of the West Indies.

Such a network is in the process of being installed and will undoubtedly strengthen and enhance teacher and student collaboration and online learning.

Copyright © 2003-2006 Caribbean Net News

CYP head urges youth development plan

Jenny Gabruch

Sunday 5th February, 2006 Posted: 19:40 CIT (00:40 +1 GMT)


Cayman needs a strategic youth development plan in order to streamline programming and provide more effective services for young people.

hat was the main message of Mr. Charles Henry, Regional Director of the Commonwealth Youth Programme’s Caribbean Centre, following a week–long visit to the Cayman Islands where he met with various youth organizations, government officials and agencies.

“I could see an opportunity for Cayman to lead the Caribbean,” he said after a meeting with media representatives Thursday.

Mr. Henry, who concluded his stay here Friday with a visit to Cayman Brac, said a strategic approach is vital for the country to move forward.

“The issue of youth development is critical to national development,” he said.

He praised the work being done by the country‘s faith–based organizations as well as the commitment shown by professionals and volunteers working with young people. But he noted a more coordinated approach between all stakeholders – from government departments to schools to church groups – would improve delivery of youth services and benefit the country.

For example, many schools in the Caribbean region – including Cayman – have instituted zero–tolerance policies to deal with gangs and violence but alternative measures also need to be in place to help stem the problem. He noted the region is lacking in school guidance counsellors to tackle the issue from a prevention standpoint.

Mr. Henry also suggested government look at reorganising structures in place to make the delivery of youth development services more timely and relevant.

He added policymakers need to put actions behind the well–worn words that ‘the youth are the leaders of tomorrow’.

“They are the citizens of today. They have needs and rights as any other citizens – as well as responsibilities.”

Kyle McLean, the CYP’s regional youth caucus representative for the Cayman Islands, said young people also need to take action.

“The youth need to get on board. We need to make sure that we get out there and make our voices heard.”

Katherine Whittaker, Deputy Director of the Department of Youth and Sports, encouraged young people to step forward, noting Mr. Henry’s visit helped spur interest and involvement.
“It has been a very, very productive week indeed.”

Established in 1973, the Commonwealth Youth Programme is an intergovernmental agency set up to address social, educational and economic needs of young people across the Commonwealth.

The CYP Caribbean Centre is headquartered in Georgetown, Guyana.

This page lists FREE resources for methods in evaluation and social research. The focus is on "how-to" do evaluation research and the methods used: surveys, focus groups, sampling, interviews, and other methods. Most of these links are to resources that can be read over the web. A few, like the GAO books, are for books that can be sent away for, for free (if you live in the US), as well as read over the web.

Link: http://gsociology.icaap.org/methods/

YOUTH MINISTER REMAINS FIRM TO THE CAUSE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.
Monday, February 06 2006

Youth Minister Senator Emmalin Pierre remains firm that she can assist in youth development. There was talk within circles recently when the Minister was appointed to a senior position by Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.

But during a sitting of the Senate on Friday, the Youth Minister said if one is seriously thinking about the future of young people and rebuilding the country particularly after two hurricanes, it must be realized that they play an important role in the process.Pierre said given the importance of young people and the work which needs to be done for youth development projects to become a reality, she fully supports the National Reconstruction Levy which was implemented at the end of January.

And reflecting on Grenada’s experience during and after hurricanes Ivan and Emily, a call was made by independent Senator for Business Aaron Moses to treat the subject of disaster preparedness seriously.Senator Moses said hurricane experts have already predicted a hectic Atlantic hurricane season for 2006, and he believes the whole question of addressing vulnerability to hazards has to become a central and integral feature of any disaster planning process.

With the hurricane season only four months away, Senator Moses stated that disaster management must permeate in everything that is done in the country.

Aprender de la experiencia. El Capital Social en la superacion de la pobreza


Irma Arriagada (Editora)
LC/G.2275-P
septiembre del 2005
Libros de la CEPAL Nº86

ISBN: 92-1-322717-5
N.Venta: S.05.II.G.93


Resumen

Este nuevo libro de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) contiene una selección de estudios sobre el capital social y los programas de reducción de la pobreza, elaborados como contribución a los debates del Seminario internacional "Capital social y programas de superación de la pobreza: lineamientos para la acción", realizado en Santiago de Chile los días 11 y 12 de noviembre de 2003, con el auspicio del Gobierno de Italia en el marco del proyecto "Capital social y reducción de la pobreza: Uso potencial de nuevos instrumentos en política social".

Los trabajos se organizan en tres secciones. En la primera se presentan dos estudios que proporcionan un panorama general y conceptual sobre el capital social y su relación con los programas de reducción de la pobreza. Junto con un análisis conceptual de los enfoques de capital social, se examinan sus interrelaciones desde la perspectiva de las estrategias de vida y de los problemas de clientelismo.

En la segunda sección se dan a conocer los estudios nacionales de Argentina, Brasil, Chile y México. El estudio de México se concentra en el Programa Oportunidades, pilar de la política social mexicana. En el estudio de Chile se analizan los programas de Chile Solidario, Chile Barrio, Seguridad Ciudadana en las poblaciones de La Legua y La Victoria, y los programas del Instituto de Desarrollo Agropecuario (INDAP) de apoyo a productores rurales pobres.

En el caso argentino, se examinan seis programas sociales implementados a partir de la década pasada: Fondo Participativo de Inversión Social (FOPAR), Programa de Atención a Grupos Vulnerables (PAGV), Programa de Mejoramiento de Barrios (PROMEBA), Programa Social Agropecuario (PSA), Plan Trabajar y Plan Jefes y Jefas de Hogar Desocupados (PJHD).

Finalmente, en el estudio brasileño se analiza el Presupuesto Participativo de Porto Alegre y la aplicabilidad del concepto de capital social.

En la última sección se recoge la experiencia derivada de los estudios nacionales y en una matriz de análisis se sistematizan algunas propuestas para mejorar el diseño de los programas de reducción de la pobreza en el nivel local, desde el enfoque del capital social.

Download:
http://www.cepal.cl/publicaciones/DesarrolloSocial/5/LCG2275P/lcg2275e.pdf

• We Want Your Opinion
  Public Consultation on IDB Strategies and Policies
  
  The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is preparing a set of strategies and policies to guide the Bank’s work in various fields of development in the years ahead. As part of this process, the Bank has initiated a series of consultations to obtain comments and suggestions from different sectors. Please send your comments to the e-mailbox listed in the Consultation Plan corresponding to each of the documents below or to consulta@iadb.org.
  
  Among other questions, the IDB is interested in opinions on the following:
  
  * Do the strategies and policies respond to the needs of the region?
  * Are they applicable and pertinent to real-world conditions in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean?
  
  When submitting comments on any of the strategies or policies, please include your name, country and organization and refer to the strategy or policy on which you are sending comments.
  
  Tentative Schedule of Consultations on Sector Operational Strategies and Policies (October 2005)
  
  * Operational Guidelines for the Development and Consultation of IDB Sector Strategies and Policies
  
  Strategy/Policy: Disaster Risk Management Policy
  Document: Draft
  Deadline: March 21, 2006

Handbook


Preparing National Strategies to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals: A Handbook

The UN Millenium Project has electronically launched its UN Millennium Project's Handbook on preparing MDG-based national development strategies as called for in the outcome document of the 2005 World Summit. The Handbook translates the recommendations of the UN Millennium Project and lessons learned through the project's country advisory work into a user friendly "how-to" format that can assist countries initiating their own MDG-based strategies.

Download:
http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/handbook111605_with_cover.pdf

Send your comments and suggestions to:
handbook@unmillenniumproject.org

Super Centre supports food safety
Web Posted - Fri Feb 03 2006
By Nigel Wallace


AS one of the island's major distributors of food, Super Centre (SC) has embarked upon a quest, with the Ministry of Health, to ensure that their staff are properly trained in all aspects of food handling, preparation and storage to reduce the incidence of food related illnesses. Yesterday, February 2, a presentation of a Dell Laptop and Multimedia Projector was provided to the Ministry of Health by SC with the goal of as- sisting the growing Food Safety Programme (FSP).

According to Deputy Chief Health Environmen-tal Officer, Mr. Desmond King, the Ministry of Health along with the Pan American Health Organi-sation and the Barbados Community College, have created a manual and an 18-hour certification programme for all individuals working in the food industry.

Mr. King noted that the present goal is to train 4 500 food handlers by March 2007, and while World Cup Cricket is the visible finish line, the programme promises to be ongoing as more infor- mation and more food handlers become available. With the programme already under way, Mr. King noted that as of the end of January, 1 059 food handlers have already been trained, and with the goal of training 50 food handlers per week, Mr. King expects the target to be easily met.

Representing SC at yesterday's presentation was Human Resources Officer, Training and Development, Mrs. Lee- Ann Mendes, who stated that from 2004-2005, 200 SC staff members had received training in this programme. Ms. Mendes noted that her organisation was thrilled with their partnership with the Ministry of Health and was pleased to assist with the presentation of some technology to further aid this worthy initiative.

Mr. King wants the public to understand that the programme is available to all interested members of the private sector, and interested organisations can feel free to contact the Environmental Health Department of the Minis-try of Health to sign up for the FSP.

SINGLE MARKET LEGISLATION PROTECTS SOVEREIGN RIGHTS
(3 February 2006)


(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas Establishing the Caribbean Community Including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) sets out the framework for the operation of the Single Market and will undergird the activities of participating Member States.

General Counsel of the Caribbean Community Secretariat, Dr. Winston Anderson, who made this observation, noted that the Revised Treaty was now the most important Agreement which 12 CARICOM countries had signed on to, giving weight to the various regulations that now govern the Single Market.

He said that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) which preceded by eight months, the formal launch of the Single Market was an important institution for the benefit of all CARICOM citizens. The General Counsel explained that the provisions set out in the Revised Treaty allowed for CARICOM citizens to appeal cases they consider unfavourably executed in their homeland, as well as seek redress in civil matters using the CCJ in its Original Jurisdiction.

Noting that the Revised Treaty outlined several primary rights of CARICOM nationals, including the Right to seek employment in other Member States, the General Counsel said that this clause applied only to the five categories of Skilled workers identified. These included University Graduates, Media Workers, Artistes, Musicians, and Sports Persons.

Dr Anderson further stated that the Right of access to land which was also another primary right outlined in the Revised Treaty was confined only to CARICOM nationals seeking to provide a service or establish a business in another Member State. “Access but not ownership is granted,” said Dr. Anderson.

He deemed the introduction of the CARICOM Passport as a significant achievement for the Community, and a means of CARICOM citizens exemplifying that they belong to a community of nations similar to the European Union (EU).

On 1 January, the CARICOM Single Market was launched following which the formal signing ceremony took place on 30 January in Kingston, Jamaica. The first Member States to implement the Single Market were Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Six Other member States, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have signed a Letter of Intent to join the Single Market by the end of June 2006.

With respect to the three other Member States, The Bahamas is not yet a part of the Single Market arrangement while Montserrat, a British Dependency, awaits the necessary instrument of entrustment from the United Kingdom government in order to participate. Haiti has not completed its accession to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and is therefore not a participant in the Single Market.

CONTACT:
Carolyn Walcott cwalcott@caricom.org

© 2005 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.

US Embassy invites funding requests for cultural projects
Sunday, February 05, 2006

THE US embassy in Kingston has issued a call for proposals for funding of cultural projects under the 2006 Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation programme.

The fund was started in 2001 to help developing countries preserve their cultural heritage, said the embassy, adding that it also demonstrates America's respect for other cultures.The submission deadline for proposals is February 28 to the embassy's Office of Public Affairs.

Grants typically range from US$15,000 to US$30,000, sometimes more.

The embassy's contact for more details is cultural affairs specialist Angella Harvey.

Information on previous awards is available online at:

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/culprop/afcp/

© 2000-2001 Jamaica Observer

UWI launches programme to develop young leaders, promote Caribbean integration
Career & Education
BY TYRONE S REID Observer staff reporter
Sunday, February 05, 2006

THE University of the West Indies (UWI) has launched the UWI STAT Ambassadors Corp , a programme the university hopes will contribute to the development of youth leadership and integration in the Caribbean.

The UWI STAT (Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow) is a regional programme administered by the Institutional Advancement Division (IAD) of the UWI vice-chancellor's office and was developed in partnership with the Guild of Students of the university's three campuses - Mona, Cave Hill in Barbados and St Augustine, Trinidad.

Professor Nigel Harris, vice-chancellor of UWI, said the new UWI STAT electees will serve as regional ambassadors of the Vice Chancellor and will work with alumni chapters of their respective campuses and provide feedback on student life and topical issues such as the CSME, HIV/AIDS, disaster mitigation and preparedness.

"The UWI STAT programme is designed to recruit exceptional students who are committed to giving service and exercising leadership to their country and to the Caribbean community," he said.

"They are expected to do so in the tradition of the great leaders our university has spawned, individuals who through their knowledge, volunteerism, promotion of Caribbean pride, culture and values have established the platform for what we must become tomorrow," he added.

The ambassadors will contribute to youth leadership and promote interest and understanding between the students of the present, past and future of the university while seeking to preserve its traditions.

© 2000-2001 Jamaica Observer.