NationWIDE

NationWIDETHE OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SAINT LUCIA

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WHAT’S INSID

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The difference between truth and lies resides in fiction. To say Saint Lucia isn’t Simply Beautiful would be a pure lie. And to say it’s not attracting more visitors every year these days, is an even bigger lie. The figures tell the whole story -- and not even slicing or chopping the Tourist Board’s juicy round figures will change the facts behind them. The simple truth is that Saint Lucia is simply so beautiful that it continues to attract repeat visitors. Never have local hotels done so well on the international stage, winning awards after prestigious top awards. Never has this island been so well-marketed overseas. Never has Saint Lucia been so often referred to as “a must see destination”. Confidence has been restored and investors are again expanding their local plants -- and their horizons. More new hotels are being built. More Big Name tourism businesses are coming and looking our way. Europe’s biggest cruise line has adopted Saint Lucia as its home port, starting later this year. The world’s largest credit card company recently selected the island’s landmark Pitons for display on its website homepage. And a US $200 million five-star hotel is now on the cards for Choiseul. There are always down periods in tourism. But to suggest that two bad first months will spoil the rest of any year is simply a loud expression of lack of vision. With General Elections on the horizon, the political opposition can naturally be expected to oppose any and every thing the government does well. But denying the stark truth by ignoring facts and selecting figures will not change what is into what’s not. Disagreement will not change the facts seen in the photo above or contained in the article about the island’s performance on Page 4. Visitors choose to continue coming to Saint Lucia, again and again, not because of what local opposition politicians say, but because they have been convinced by the truths sold to them by travel agents like the one in the special feature on Page 12. Opposition there will always be, but governments will always have to walk the walk while their opponents talk the talk. Also in this edition, on Pages 6 and 7, is a an abridged version of a recent all-embracing interview the Prime Minister did with RSL’s Shelton Daniel on his ’90 Minutes’ program, including answers to questions from callers and in e-mails from listeners. This issue of Nationwide again updates the nation, the region and the world on all we can, in these limited pages, about what the Government of Saint Lucia has done at home and abroad, in the name of country and people, in the past fortnight. Read and Enjoy – and remember to view NationwideTV on NTN and browse the Nationwide website at stlucianationwide.com

Youth and Sports Councils Not Politically Affiliated - Page 2

Prime Minister Thanks Outgoing Taiwan President - Page 3

Telecoms Minister Opens Cyber-Security Conference - Page 3

Government Pays Tribute to All Women on Their Day - Page 4

Acting PM Says: New Tomazo Bridge Coming Soon! - Page 11

The Diplomatic Courier - Page 11

SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

Happy Reading! Happy Viewing! Happy Browsing!

Saint Lucia is Still Simply Beautiful!

The visitors just keep on coming because:

NationWIDEPage 2 Saturday March 19, 2016

Editorial

Simply Outrageous!‘Politics’ is wrongly

blamed for many things, including the way too many politicians here be-have in Simply Beautiful Saint Lucia. But every per-son has control over and responsibility for what he or she says, including (and especially) politicians as-piring to ministerial office.

The outlandish attack on the Saint Lucia Tourist Board earlier this week by a young Opposition Sena-tor aspiring to become the island’s Tourism Minister spoke volumes.

Not once offering a sin-gle shred of evidence to back his wild claim that the Tourist Board is lying to the nation about the real state of the tourism indus-try, he accused the persons responsible for promot-ing and marketing Saint Lucia of “cherry picking” the figures to “fool” Saint Lucians.

Here was a wannabe Tourism Minister, in the presence of the wannabe Prime Minister who prom-ised him the position, vi-ciously attacking the very same institution he will have to work with if his ambitious dream comes true, accusing its officials of deliberately lying to the nation, the region and the world, about the true state of the island’s tourism in-dustry.

Worse still, the overly as-piring senator is a regional public relations manager of a leading regional hotel chain, while his equally aspirant leader was not

only the head of the same Tourist Board, but also our Tourism Minister for five years.

That the salivating sena-tor will have called the Board after his onslaught to ask the officials he had just publicly condemned as liars to disregard his attacks on their integrity as “just politics” is (as cor-rectly noted by the Director of Tourism) simply “disin-genuous”.

But worse, to rain so much spit on the same body that has so successfully pro-moted and managed the island’s tourism business in the past four years, all in the name of “just politics”, is simply outrageous.

Never mind the Board immediately called a press conference to wipe his saliva, the spewing senator has since told the press he stands by his claims and won’t with-draw a word.

Nonetheless, as the say-ing goes, “Every dark cloud has a silver lining.” This sorry episode, bad as it was, has also been a clear and early indication -- a sure eye-opener -- for the movers and shakers who drive tourism here, ahead of the upcoming General Elections. The is-land’s tourism stakehold-ers have clearly seen just how genuine this coun-try’s major Opposition party plans to be, should their stake – and that of the rest of Simply Beauti-ful Saint Lucia – ever fall in their ugly hands again.

The Saint Lucia National Youth Council (NYC) has partnered with JetBlue

Airways’ Pilot, Neil Justin to launch the #FullPotential proj-ect.

Pilot Justin is a Saint Lucian and has been working with Jet-Blue for 11 months. The initial phase of the programme will work to inspire and empower youth of Saint Lucia through a series of presentations and oth-er activities targeting secondary and primary school students.

On Tuesday (March 15th), Neil Justin, the JetBlue crew mem-ber, together with members of the executive of the Saint Lucia National Youth Council visited the Entrepot Secondary School, the St. Mary’s College and the Canaries Primary School.

First Officer Justin spoke to the students on his journey becom-ing a pilot and answer questions that they may have on careers in the aviation industry.

“I am committed to giving

Pilot Justin is a Saint Lucian who’s been working with

JetBlue for 11 months.

the island,” said Pilot Justin. Pilot Justin’s volunteer work

is in line with JetBlue Airways’ encouragement of its crewmem-bers to volunteer and give back to the communities they serve in a meaningful way.

The 2nd Vice President of the Saint Lucia National Youth Council, Mr. Tevin Shepherd noted: “We are excited about this partnership with Pilot Jus-tin to inspire the young people of Saint Lucia to think and be positive.

“We look forward to strength-ening our relationship with Pi-lot Justin and JetBlue Airways to promote positive youth devel-opment in Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean.”

The event was organized by the Saint Lucia National Youth Council in partnership with Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority and the lead-ing regional aviation Facebook group- Aviation Lovers- Helen and Beyond.

back to my country, Saint Lucia. I look forward to this partner-ship with the NYC. I’m particu-larly excited about meeting and interacting with students across

NYC launched successful #FullPotential project with local JetBlue pilot

The South Castries Youth & Sports Council has reaf-firmed that it is a youth group

with no political alignment to any political party in Saint Lucia.

The council says its main man-date is to serve and develop young persons of both South and South East Castries constituencies and fostering partnership with all in-volved stakeholders.

In a statement following allega-tions of political alignment by persons associated with the oppo-sition UWP, the youth group said in a statement that “The main rea-son for organizing to meet with all political candidates in South and South East Castries, is for young persons and political candidates

to be in a neutral, controlling and comfortable environment.”

“The objective,” it says, “is to al-low young people in the constitu-encies to ask questions, to discuss issues affecting young persons in the community and giving the can-didates the platform to articulate their different plans for the con-stituency they seek to represent.”

The Council says it is disap-pointed by the “lack of political maturity shown by prospective candidates” who boycotted its debates. However, it says, it is “also satisfied with the level of discourse that has been generated from its efforts to change the po-litical landscape in South Castries -- and (by extension) St Lucia.”

The group’s statement says: “The high level of public debate, support and encouragement for the debates has indicated that this level of politi-cal activism and advocacy is needed in St. Lucia’s political framework.”

Responding to claims it had not made proper arrangements for the planned debates, the group says that for the debate between Dr. Ernest Hillarie and Mrs. Mary Isaac, it ”took all necessary steps to ensure prepara-tion for this activity took place in a professional and diplomatic manner.”

The Council reiterates that it “has taken the decision to dia-logue with all political candidates from both political parties, as it continues to serve young persons in South & South East Castries.”

Youth Council reaffirms political neutrality

In observance of the Interna-tional Women s Day 2016, the embassies of Spain, Mexico

and the Alliance Française pro-pose a cultural celebration in Saint Lucia with a triple objective.

First, the embassies plan to cel-ebrate the International Women Day (IWD) with a cultural activ-ity, emphasizing the role of wom-en in the Arts.

At the same time, they propose to commemorate the IWD, by stressing the importance of the empowerment of women as a ba-sic pillar of social development (as indicated in Sustainable De-velopment Number 5 of the New

Development Agenda of the UN). Thirdly, the plan is to promote

the creativity of local artists (men and women), giving them a space and a subject (Women s role) to cre-ate their own artistic expressions.

This cultural event, entitled “She.lc”, will take place on March 22nd at the National Cultural Center of Castries, at 7 pm.

The proposed cultural action will be divided into two parts: An exhibition of paintings and pho-tographs that will be exposed at the hall of the NCC; and a show with Saint Lucian artists with a single subject: “women”.

During approximately two

hours, the artists will play Span-ish, Mexican, French and English songs dedicated to women and pieces of dance and theatre with the same subject.

All the artists come from the fol-lowing Saint Lucian associations: Headphunk, YouthSPAC, C-PAF and Silver Shadow Dance Academy.

They will be coordinated by Ms. Kentillia Louis.

The project has been also en-dorsed by the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Human Services and Gender Relations and has been included in the Calendar of Ac-tivities in observance of Interna-tional Women's Day 2016.

Opposition Leader Dr. Gale Rigobert has been invited to address a high level confer-

ence convened by the National Dem-ocratic Institute (NDI) of the USA, which is chaired by former US Sec-retary of State Madeleine Albright.

The conference entitled #Not-TheCost, is carded for New York and will focus on ‘Violence against women in politics as a deterrent to the full and free participation of women in politics and a violation against their human dignity.’

Violence against women in-cludes harassment, discrimina-tion, psychological and physical abuse. But Dr. Rigobert is voicing concern about the “Violence of Si-lence”, which she sees as one of the

French, Spanish and Mexican embassies to host special Women’s Concert on March 22

worst forms of violence.The Opposition Leader says that

generally, policymakers, leaders, politicians and persons in author-ity look on at the horror of the vio-lence perpetrated against women, but (they) say (and do) nothing.

At the #NotTheCost conference in New York, Dr. Rigobert will explain and expound on what she describes as “literary violence”, which can include “emotional and psychological onslaughts against women in politics, through ar-tistic expressions, music, art and dance.”

According to Dr. Rigobert, the level of acceptance by those in au-thority and the public in general is the greatest challenge to effecting

change and recognizing the full parity of women in politics”.

Dr. Rigobert asserts that “as an evolved people, Saint Lucians should find violence against women repugnant and should de-nounce it vociferously.”

“But,” she adds, “it should not stop there, as citizens must also undertake, with boldness and fearlessness, the necessary legal and regulatory changes”.

The #NotTheCost conference will conclude with the launch of a “Global Call to Action” to identify, develop and implement strategies and best practices to stop violence against women in all its manifes-tations, including violence against women in politics.

Opposition Leader to address US women’s conference on the ‘Violence of Silence’

NationWIDE Page 3Saturday March 19, 2016

Sunset Bay will break ground following ap-proval on the relocation of

the Choiseul main road. A new US$200 million (EC $540 mil-lion) foreign investment in the Choiseul/Saltibus constituency is poised to raise the standard of living for residents of that community and spur economic growth in Saint Lucia.

Sunset Bay Saint Lucia, a luxury resort, is ready to break ground, pending approval by

$540 Million Luxury Resort Coming to Choiseul!

the Development Control Au-thority (DCA) on the relocation of the Choiseul main road.

Minister for Tourism, Heri-tage and Creative Industries and Parliamentary Representa-tive for Choiseul/Saltibus Hon. Lorne Theophilus, said the road relocation is necessary to com-plement the overall eco-friendly design of the new property.

"The developers have indicated that they are ready to go. They’re actually waiting for the DCA to

give the approval,: he said. Minister Theophilus said that

the 25 acre property will not negatively impact the environ-ment.

The Tourism Minister and MP explained that "incorporated in the design of this hotel is where persons have specific access to the beach.”

He explained that “As a criti-cal part of any development which takes place now, we do an Environmental Impact Assess-

ment so that we ensure that, for example, the mangrove which is in that area will be unaffected."

The new Sunset Bay Saint Lu-cia plans to have 40 villas and about 110 rooms on property.

Sunset Bay will break ground following approval on the relocation of the Choiseul main road.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Ken-ny D. Anthony held a

final meeting with the outgo-ing President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Ma Ying-jeou, at the Radisson Fort George Ho-tel in Belize City, Belize.

During the visit, Dr. Anthony held a bilateral meeting as well, with the Prime Minister of Be-lize, Dean Barrow.

The St. Lucia PM also attended a round table discussion with Pres-ident Ma; Prime Minister Barrow; Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Timothy Harris; and Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves.

The highlight of the trip, however, was a bilateral meet-ing with President Ma, during which Dr. Anthony thanked the Taiwanese leader for his friend-ship and support.

According to an ancient Chinese axiom, “Meeting old friends in far-off places is one of life’s greatest moments.”That moment

was realized, when Taiwan’s Ptresident Ma Ying-jieu met Saint Lucia’s PM Dr Kenny D. Anthony, in Belize on Thursday.

Specifically, the Prime Minis-ter spoke of assistance given to Saint Lucia by Taiwan in cul-

ture, community transforma-tion, health, technology, and education.

Both President Ma and Prime Minister Anthony remarked on the close friendship they have developed over the years, mir-roring the friendship between their two countries.

Said Dr. Anthony, “It is never easy to say goodbye to a friend. But that is what we must do.

“You are representing your country, as President, but you are also a friend. A reliable friend and a trustworthy friend.

“In our country, you have changed lives. Politicians are re-ally remembered for their abil-ity to impact on the lives of oth-ers. The test is very simple.

“I look back on the time I have spent in office and I ask myself: ‘Have I changed the quality of the lives of the citizens of my country for the better?’ In Saint Lucia, you have certainly im-pacted on the lives of our people,

and you are fondly thought of.“When history reflects on

what you have achieved in terms of international relations, in Asia and beyond, you will be remembered as a great man and a man of peace.

“I have no doubt that history will be kind to you when that time comes.

“On behalf of the Govern-ment and people of Saint Lucia, I want to thank you. Not just as one leader to another, sharing views, sharing ideas. I want to thank you as a friend.”

The two leaders also discussed the extension of Taiwanese aid in the field of national security.

Taiwan is rated by many indi-ces, including those furnished by the FBI and World Bank, as one of the safest nations on the planet, with exceedingly low crime levels.

PM Anthony thanked outgoing Taiwan President for helping change Saint Lucian lives

The Saint Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) has re-

sponded to what it con-siders unfair and un-warranted criticism by United Workers Party (UWP) Senator Domi-nic Fedee.

Director of the SLTB, Louis Lewis, described Fedee’s statements as “malicious” and seek-ing to create an impres-sion that the Tourist Board has been with-holding data.

Lewis admitted that tourism numbers were down for January and February, but ex-plained the SLTB did not intend to hide it, as those figures were simply not yet available when the report was being prepared.

But despite the lower figures in the first two months of the year, the SLTB Director says the 2016-2017 cruise ship season “is expected to record a better perfor-mance because of the information received about the number of vessels coming here.”

In reflecting on the performance in 2015, the SLTB director re-vealed that cruise ship arrivals were over 677,000 passen-gers, while 2014 saw a growth of an additional 25,000 persons.

This, he explained, is one of the island’s highest performances and there has been an increase in the num-bers over the past four years.

Lewis also rejected claims made by Fedee about cruise ship fig-ures not being made available to the public. He said that in fact the data is always publicly available and easily verifiable.

Touching on the over-all performance of tourism, Mr Lewis said Saint Lucia recorded a two percent growth, with record numbers being posted in the first four months of the year.

The SLTB Direc-tor said Saint Lucia is performing fairly well when compared to oth-er Caribbean countries.

Tourist Board Director says

UWP Senator’s attack was ‘malicious’

A three-day regional meeting on Cyber Security and Cy-

bercrime ended here yes-terday. This meeting was co-hosted by the Govern-ment of Saint Lucia, the Commonwealth Secretari-at, the Caribbean Telecom-munications Union (CTU) and CARICOM IMPACS.

Te l e c o m mu n i c a t i o n s Minister Senator Dr James Fletcher delivered the fea-ture address at the opening

Ambassador Ray Mou (left) met Dennery North

MP Shawn Edward while touring projects in the constituency funded by the Government of Tai-wan under the Constitu-ency Development Pro-gram.

Ambassador of the Re-public of China (Taiwan) to Saint Lucia, H.E. Ray Mou, visited the Dennery North constituency Tues-day, as part of a tour of projects funded by the Government of Taiwan under the constituency Development Program (CDP).

The tour is one of sev-eral that the Ambassador will make to view proj-ects financed by Taiwan through the CDP.

Parliamentary Repre-sentative Hon. Shawn Edward said the tour was organized not only to ac-count for the funding made available, but also to give residents an op-portunity to express their

personal gratitude to the ambassador.

The touring party vis-ited Richfond, Grande Ravine, Belmont and Aux Lyons. In all of these com-munities new concrete roads and drains were constructed, replacing dirt tracks that had ex-isted for years.

The residents warmly

received the MP and the Ambassador, expressing satisfaction with the proj-ects undertaken.

Minister Edward, in turn, pledged to contin-ue to work diligently to improve the lives of resi-dents and to transform communities.

A number of CDPs have been undertaken in Denne-

ry over the last four years. Taiwan also collaborat-

ed with the Government of Saint Lucia and the Na-tional Lotteries Authority to rehabilitate the La Res-source playing field.

The facility is now equipped with lighting, proper drainage, seat-ing stands, and changing rooms.

Ambassador Ray Mou (left) met Dennery North MP Shawn Edward while touring projects in the constituency funded by the Government of Taiwan under the Con-

stituency Development Program

Taiwan Ambassador visits Dennery North projects on CDP tour

of the regional cyber secu-rity conference yesterday.

Yesterday, Ministers with responsibility for National Security and for Telecom-munications joined the meeting to approve a high level action plan and re-ceive expressions of inter-est by resource providers and development partners to support the implementa-tion of the plan.

The Opening Ceremony of the High Level Ministe-

rial Segment of the Meeting, which took place yesterday at the Bay Gardens Hotel, was addressed by the Exec-utive Director of CARICOM IMPACS, the Head of the Law Development Section of the Commonwealth Sec-retariat and the Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union.

Saint Lucia’s Minister for Public Service, Sustainable Development, Energy, Sci-ence and Technology, Hon.

James Fletcher, delivered the Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremony.

The Caribbean Stakehold-ers Meeting on Cyber Se-curity and Cybercrime at-tracted a number of experts from international organi-zations, such as Microsoft Corporation, Interpol, the United States Federal Bu-reau of Investigation (FBI), the US Department of Jus-tice and the Organization of American States (OAS).

Saint Lucia hosts crucial regional Cyber Security meeting

NationWIDEPage 4 Saturday March 19, 2016

The Vieux Fort South Con-stituency Council, last Sunday, held a staff rec-

ognition ceremony at the Vieux Fort Town Square, with council-ors, community philanthropists and staff of the constituency council in attendance.

At the ceremony, Prime Min-ister and Parliamentary Repre-sentative for Vieux Fort South, Dr. Kenny D. Anthony con-gratulated the recipients, and the Vieux Fort South Constitu-ency Council on its exemplary service.

“We have to try hard to create a country where people are not left out," Dr. Anthony said. "I want to applaud the council for its outstanding work. You make this country what it is, and I am so proud of you all."

The Prime minister noted the importance of celebrating the

Prime Minister Dr. Kenny D. Anthony congratulated the council on its exemplary service.

Saint Lucia's lead tourism promotions and marketing agency, the Saint Lucia Tour-

ist Board (SLTB), said the tourism sector has grown exceptionally in the last four years.

The most encouraging increase has been in stay-over arrivals. (Stay-over arrivals impact almost every other sector category.)

Between 2012 and 2015, the is-land recorded a 12 percent overall increase in arrivals, from 287,000 to nearly 350,000 arrivals.

The United States, the largest and fastest growing source of stay-over arrivals expanded from 38 percent to 44 percent of total arrivals over the last four years. In 2015, Saint Lucia welcomed 152,738 visitors - the largest num-ber of US arrivals ever recorded, while UK, the second largest mar-ket, accounted for an average of 72,170 arrivals per year over the last four years peaking in 2014.

The Caribbean, the third largest market with the exception of Au-gust, logged increases in arrivals every month of the year resulting in a 13 percent increase in overall arrivals and an average of 18 per-cent market share over the four years. Arrivals from the Caribbe-an produced the largest number from that market in 2015 record-ing an impressive 62,745 stay-over visitors.

Last year, Saint Lucia recorded an impressive 344,908 stay-over arrivals - an increase of 2 percent over the previous record breaking year.

According to Tourism Minister Lorne Theophilus, “the island recorded increases in stay-over arrivals every month during the first two quarters of 2015, with the best performances being re-corded in January and May. The months from January to April and June and October of 2015, gener-ated the highest numbers ever re-corded for these specific months, while the figures for March were the highest number of visitors ever recorded in any one month period.”

Other encouraging trends in-clude comparable growth in the cruise sector. This sector con-tinues to enjoy steady increases and has contributed to the direct impact of tourism sector growth, as well as having a tangible posi-tive impact on other sectors. This growth coincided with an annual increase in cruise calls, although it was generated by 52 additional calls between 2012 and 2015.

All of these trends are contrib-uting to what may be the most encouraging areas of growth - an increase in total expenditures by visitors during their stay.

Minister Theophilus said the “trend of visitors spending more while in Saint Lucia results in economic growth and it also means that various other sectors are directly benefiting from the tourism sector reflecting the true fiscal contribution of the tourism sector to the overall Saint Lucian economy.”

These gains are a result of the hard work and dedication of scores of industry employees, and can also be attributed to new and innovative strategic marketing ef-forts targeted at key sectors of the island’s source markets.

The Saint Lucia Tourist Board, along with the Ministry of Tour-ism and the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority worked tire-lessly over the past four years to drive an increase in airlift. Ad a result, seating capacity from the island’s main market, the US, in-creased by 12 percent in 2015 due to carriers like American Airlines, Jet Blue, United Airlines and Del-ta, taking advantage of the strong demand for the island. More spe-cifically, the island saw the in-troduction of direct service from New Jersey on United Airlines in 2013; from New York on Delta; and from Boston on Jet Blue in 2014; and in December last year a new flight out of Chicago on Unit-ed Airlines was introduced. Sun-wing from Canada also returned from October 2014 to March 2015, providing direct service from To-ronto, and is closely linked with the new Royalton Saint Lucia (for-merly Smugglers Cove), which is scheduled to open later this year.

Capacity was also increased from the UK, following the intro-duction of service on FlyThomas-Cook, direct from Manchester – a gateway that was unavailable for nearly a decade.

Over the last four years, a more strategic airlift policy approach was adopted, which was more in keeping with the total number of visitor arrivals and afforded better load and yield factors. The US and UK markets have seen increases in airline seat capac-ity, while the Caribbean market, which prior to 2012, had one of the largest number of seats yet smallest loads, received the great-est cut in seating capacity fol-lowing changes to LIAT’s Carib-bean schedule. All other markets maintained a relatively consistent number of seats over the four year period.

With the CTO declaring 2016 the Year of Romance in the Caribbe-an, Saint Lucia’s tourism product maintains its strong appeal – the breathtaking attractions, state of the art accommodations, warm and hospitable people, excellent service delivery and delectable renowned cuisine continues to resonate with visitors.

Total visitor expenditure for the first half of 2015 was estimated at over US$414 million; a 12 percent increase from the same period last year. That impressive growth trend looks set to continue in 2016 with early projections set at 2.8 percent.

The stay-over arrival potential as well as on island expenditures look to be in position for even more growth as Saint Lucia tour-ism officials are preparing to wel-come over 700 new hotel rooms to the island’s accommodations in 2016.

Tourism reaffirmed as Saint Lucia’s lead industry!

The sector is the country’s primary engine of growth, stimulating economic activity, encouraging foreign and local investment, and

creating employment.

achievements and tireless dedi-cation of staff of the constitu-ency council.

The award categories and re-cipients were Female Worker of the Year – Etheline Ruben; Male Worker of the year - Gerard Epi-phane; Overall Best Employee

for 2015 – Stephen Lollol; Best Foreman of the year – Clement Perpie; Best Kept Public Facility in the Constituency – La Res-source; Academic Proficiency Award – Pinky Joseph; Mayor’s Choice Councilor of the year award – Billie Jn Baptiste.

Vieux Fort Council Awards Staff

Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony met with a contingent from the wom-

en’s rights group Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia (RYVSL), in commem-oration of International Women’s Day (March 8).

RYVSL Director Petra Jeffrey-Nelson, and Secretary Catherine Sealys presented the Prime Min-ister with a declaration advocat-ing for an improvement in the mechanisms used to protect women and children.

The Prime Minister welcomed the delegation, thanked RYVSL for its work, and encouraged he group to continue with its inter-ventions at the community and national level. He also noted that there is more work to be done.

"As a nation we have come a

long way in the treatment of our women and the place that our women enjoy in society. We have had many notable Saint Lucian women in the legislature, judicia-ry, and serving at the highest level in well-respected international organizations," Dr. Anthony said.

"It is fitting and, in fact, essential that we should seek to ensure an environment in which all of our citizens can flourish. This is a gov-ernment that does not shy away from responsibility, and we accept the responsibility to protect and advance the cause of all Saint Lu-cians, without reservation.

He continued: "In that regard, I thank Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia for sharing their concerns. A num-ber of those issues – reinforcement of our family law, and protection

for victims of sexual assault, for instance – resonate with ordinary Saint Lucians. They are at the fore-front of my mind as well. We must put better mechanisms in place. But we must also engage our com-munity in dialogue. We must ini-tiate frank, open communication with our women, and our men to better understand how best to pro-ceed, particularly when it comes to drafting and enacting sensitive social legislation.”

The mission and mandate of RYVSL is to speak out against domestic violence, rape, physi-cal and sexual abuse of women and minors and to advocate for change in the system of gover-nance specifically in the social, judicial and public systems that affect women and children.

PM meets Women's Rights group

Today, I salute all women, especially those of Saint Lucia. Some strides have

been made in recognizing, strengthening and respecting the rights of women. But there is a long way to go. There is so much more to do. Collectively, we have to fight against the violence committed against women in all its manifesta-tions.

I give thanks to the women who have shaped my life over the years. I thank and respect the women who fight, support and promote the Saint Lucia Labour Party. There are so many but I want specially to mention three. I pay respect to our two female parliamentar-ians, Emma Hippolyte and Al-vina Reynolds, two powerful,

PM pays Tribute to Women

dedicated and committed wom-en. I extend greetings and respect to my former Press Secretary, Jadia Jn Pierre. She has been a wonderful friend, an exceptional, brilliant and strong woman. They have all made me proud!

The government that I am hon-

oured to lead is proud to see the many women in leadership roles in our country. It will con-tinue to do its part to encourage even more women to participate in the governance and develop-ment of our country.Happy In-ternational Women's Day to all!

(Following is the full text of a statement issued by the Prime Minister, Dr Kenny D. Anthony, to coincide with International Women's Day, March 8, 2016.)

Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony met on International Women's Day with Ms Catherine Sealys (left) and Mrs Petra Jeffrey-Nelson, two leading members of Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia, an

organization promoting and defending rights of women and children here.

NationWIDE Page 5Saturday March 19, 2016

Following significant rain-fall on the morning of Wednesday, March 16th,

2016, the Saint Lucia Met Office calls on citizens to pay close at-tention to weather conditions over the next 24 hours.

The Government of Saint Lucia advises commuters to continue to exercise caution after signifi-cant rainfall on the morning of Wednesday, March 16, 2016.

At approximately 7:00am, a weak surface trough caused

isolated moderate to heavy showers over the north- eastern section of Saint Lucia. Heavy rains caused isolated flooding rendering the Tomazo Bridge temporarily impassable. Flood waters have subsided and the debris has since been cleared.

The Saint Lucia Meteoro-logical Office recorded a total rainfall of 149mm in the Barre de L’Isle area. The department warns while weather conditions have improved, there is a likeli-

hood of more rainfall within the next 24 hours.

The National Emergency Man-agement Organisation (NEMO) urges the citizenry to remain extremely vigilant. NEMO en-courages all Saint Lucians to continue to listen to weather re-ports for further updates.

Meanwhile Acting Prime Min-ister Honourable Philip J Pierre disclosed the procurement for the reconstruction of the Tom-azo Bridge is in the final stages

Met Office urges caution and vigilance!

Islands in the Caribbean test-ed a regional tsunami warn-ing system on Thurdsay,

March 17.The purpose of the test is to

identify possible weaknesses in the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Re-gions, which was established in 2005, established under the aus-pices of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO).

The exercise will simulate a double scenario: a major earth-quake off the coast of Venezu-ela and another off the north-ern coast of the Dominican Republic, and will feature ficti-tious messages sent by the Pa-cific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) to the countries taking part in the exercise.

Countries can choose to ex-tend the test at the local level by disseminating the alert via sirens or loudspeakers.

Caribbean tests tsunami early warning system

Acting Prime Minister Honourable Philip J Pierre, has reiterated

concerns over the emotional and mental state of citizens ex-periencing depression and oth-er ailments, which have been proven to significantly contrib-ute to suicidal thoughts and ten-dencies.

To this end, the Government of Saint Lucia continues plans to intensify its engagement with civil society to find solu-tions to the rising incidence of suicides.

In a recent interview, Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony

remarked, "We have to identify persons who are in distress in our community, we have to reach out and touch them and, somehow, see whether we can offer them the opportunity to share their pain, their anger and distress, dissuade them from taking that tragic solution."

Saint Lucians are urged to uti-lize the National Health Service helpline by calling telephone number 203 from a mobile or landline device.

The Government of Saint Lucia wishes to extend condolences to the families grieving the loss of their loved ones. (See Page 10)

Citizens urged to use helpline

In preparation for the severe dry spell predicted for 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture

is encouraging farmers to look to crops that will produce a sat-isfactory yield, regardless of a limited water supply.

Agronomist at the Ministry of Agriculture, Thaddeus Con-stantine, said that drought-resistant cultivars can prove very useful during periods of low rainfall, as they need to be watered a lot less than the cul-tivars usually planted by local farmers, but cautioned that ag-riculturalists should be vigilant when sourcing the right crops for the season.

“We had the introduction of one potential crop in the drag-onfruit, when the Taiwanese brought it in a few years ago. A lot of people saw it as a problem waiting to happen, however, it can be a great solution because it would allow farmers to earn some income in the peak of the dry season.”

A Curriculum Specialist within the Technical Vocational Education

and Training (TVET) Unit at the Ministry of Education has announced that the Ca-ribbean Vocational Qualifica-tion (CVQ) is now accessible at secondary school level.

Marie Solange Augier said that only 20 percent of sec-ondary school leavers are able to access tertiary level education, and a high per-centage remain unemployed due to the lack of a certified skill. As a result CVQ, the

technical, skill based qualifica-tion, has been introduced at sec-ondary schools.

“We want to ensure that the students are now coming out with skills because you may realize that, for example, even the Sir Arthur Lewis Commu-nity College is limited in terms of the qualifications that they offer. They offer associate de-grees but what about all those students that want to get into specific areas.

Under the CVQ program, stu-dents are doing jewellery making using seeds found in Saint Lucia.

They are also doing fabric de-sign. Some students that are doing crop production, that is specific in agriculture and there are students doing gen-eral construction. Some schools that have also shown interest in electrical installation. So they are targeting those areas at the foundation level."

With the introduction of the qualification at secondary school level, CVQs are now part of the Caribbean Quali-fication Framework which aligns them at grade level with CSEC/ CXC.

Agricultural Extension Offi-cer, Elvis Herrelle said there is a wide range of drought resistant crops to choose from.

“There are some crops that can be grown during the dry spell with less water. Beans do well under stressful conditions. But we should not just restrict it to vegetables. Cassava does very well also. I remember a couple years ago the Mong Bean was introduced to our cropping

system. It never took off, so maybe we need to reintroduce the Mong Bean. Okra is another crop that does very well. De-pending on your location you could strategize and use da-sheen as one of those crops.”

Farmers have also been alert-ed to the fact that the protection of infrastructure and irrigation equipment will also prove of great importance during the season.

CVQs available at secondary schools

Agriculturists prepare for dry spell

Consumers in Saint Lu-cia will pay less for both gasoline and diesel as of

Monday, March 14. This reduc-tion is reflective of the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) prices of products imported by the sup-pliers of petroleum products

during the review period.Gasoline will be sold for $0.43

less, at $9.25 per gallon. Diesel will be sold for $0.28 less, at $8.45 per gallon. The retail price of kerosene and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) - 100lb, 22lb and 20lb cylinders - remain unchanged.

The Government of Saint Lucia continues to subsidize the 20lb and 22lb LPG cylinders at a cost of $7.98 and $8.50 per cylinder, respectively.

The next adjustment will be made on April 4. Below is a schedule of the retail prices for petroleum products:

Petroleum Product Existing Price New Price ChangeUnleaded Gasoline $9.68 per gallon

$2.13 per Litre$9.25 per gallon$2.03 per Litre

Decrease by $0.43Decrease by $0.10

Diesel $8.72 per gallon$1.92 per Litre

$8.45 per gallon$1.86 per Litre

Decrease by $0.27Decrease by $0.06

Kerosene $5.40 per gallon$1.19 per Litre

$5.40 per gallon$1.19 per Litre

Unchanged

LPG: 20 Pound $22.73 per cylinder $22.73 per cylinder Unchanged22 Pound $25.28 per cylinder $25.28 per cylinder Unchanged100 Pound $153.54 per cylinder $153.54 per cylinder Unchanged

Bulk $1.41 per pound$3.10 per kilogram

$1.41 per pound$3.10 per kilogram

Unchanged

Gas prices further reduced

The Tamazo Bridge was submerged by the sudden flood, but it was soon cleared following early government intervention.

The region wishes to avoid scenes like this, but cannot erase the possibility -- thus the need for readiness.

NationWIDE NationWIDENationWIDEPage 6 Saturday March 19, 2016 Page 7Saturday March 19, 2016

‘I LOVE THIS COUNTRY DEARLY AND WILL ALWAYS DO MY BEST FOR ALL!’Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony appeared on Radio Saint Lucia’s ‘90

Minutes with Shelton Daniel’ on March 12, 2016. The Prime Minister spoke in several capacities – as MP for Vieux Fort South for nearly 20 years, as Leader of SLP for a similar period, during which he led three administrations as Prime

Minister and Minister of Finance and served once in opposition as Leader of the Opposition. Dr Anthony is currently in the fourth year of his current

term as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Social Security and he responded to questions ranging across all his ministerial

portfolios. Following is an abridged text of the entire interview. Q. Why do Governments

you lead always get a bad press?

A. Maybe because his-torically some in the press here have never disap-peared. But this does not mean the media is fettered. One key factor, however, is that the media environment has changed dramatically and we no longer have to rely on tra-ditional media like in past, because of emergence of new and social media. For example, I have over 5,000 Facebook ‘friends’, so the playing field is more level today because no news-paper here can reach so many people immedi-ately, in such a short space of time. In that sense, no media house dominates anymore. So, we have to be comforted that social media has provided new tools that level the play-ing field. So, therefore, we should not be threatened. Besides, we are also look-ing for alternative routes to get our messages across -- and we are in fact suc-ceeding at doing that.

I am a child of the South, so I did not grow up in and with the modernity of Castries. That’s why there has always been uncertainty before, as to who I am. People simply did not know me…

There have been dramat-ic changes in the economy and ownership patterns here have also changed dramatically. The truth is that many of our older families may have felt they came to the end of their economic cycle and diversified elsewhere. There’s been an environ-ment of change, so the pri-vate sector needs to make sure they understand and appreciate our anxiety to protect the poor, to en-hance the economy.

Who would have thought we would have gone into the Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP)? But we did because we have to do what we have to do, to keep the economy afloat.

Q. You are the prime Min-ister. But tell us about yourself as a Member of Parliament (MP) and District Representative for Vieux Fort South…

A. I have developed an extraordinary relationship with people of Vieux Fort South. I got to know them.

I go to their homes. I meet them in the field. They know I will be there every Wednesday -- once I am on the island. But people still want to see more of me…

My constituents know me. I’m always amused when I hear about how ‘arrogant’ I am sup-posed to be. But people in my constituency know me and how close I am and always try to give a helping hand in all circum-stances.

There is something you have to understand. The people of Vieux Fort have had reason to feel very marginalized over the years. The land around them was sold without them being able to buy and own a piece. So, we have had to change this by introducing policies that will give the people the land so they can have a piece of land.

The support and comfort Vieux Fort people gave me when the SLP lost the 2006 Gen-eral Elections was immense and when it’s been like that you just cannot let them down…

Q. There are improvements in unemployment figures (a 10% drop among youth and almost 5% in three months…) but you have repeatedly warned we are not yet in a position to applaud or relax. What will it take to make you feel good about our employment figures? How long you see us having to wait?

A. There was a time when I was desperate to bring unem-ployment here down to below 10%. It’s never been done. We nearly did it in 2006 with a registered rate of 12.5%, but it’s never been down to below 10% since independence.

We inherited a very difficult situation after winning the 2011 General Elections. I have never hidden the fact that we have a serious unemployment situation. You just can’t hide it. It can be seen. What I’ve said, however, is that we cannot solve it overnight because you will need investment from both pub-lic and private sector to tackle it.

Investment is gathering mo-mentum, but there will be gaps because that’s how it is these days. Look at USA... We will work to keep our figures going down, but if and when we get to 15%, then I can start to think of single digits. But that will take a lot.

In the short term, we have to rearrange our approach and the CIP is one of the new features. I understand people’s concerns, but if we don’t take those steps and take advantage of those measures, we will lose down the road. Q. You and your government inherited an economic mess, like you said. So, what went

wrong under the UWP admin-istration?

A. Let’s be fair. The world eco-nomic crisis of 2008 happened while the UWP was in office. However, it is us (the SLP ad-ministration) that felt the brunt of it. The IMF also went into An-tigua and St. Kitts and Nevis. But apart from the financial cri-sis there was also a credibility is-sue, as the government was not trusted by investors.

They also found themselves in a bind because they claimed that ‘Kenny Anthony killed the banana industry.’ They got into office and couldn’t do anything with or for bananas. They only let it get more disease. There was no real strategic approach. Not that they did not have a few good projects -- like employing youth in agriculture.

But we have started turning the curve. Look at tourism to-day and we are seeing the bene-fits of creating the environment and giving the encouragement for expansion I the tourism in-dustry...

Q: What are the fruits of the fiscal consolidation measures you undertook? And will the Public Service unions under-stand -- this time around -- as you prepare for negotiating a new agreement for a new trien-nium?

A. There were those who rec-ommended I should have taken us into the hands of the IMF, but I knew the consequences would have been dire for Saint Lucia. An IMF structural adjustment program would have led to re-covery, but the pain between prescription and recovery would have been too much. So, I had to think of it and take vari-ous factors into consideration -- like our ability to sustain the pain of that transitional process, its implications for future finan-cial discipline and consider-ation of your social partners, in-cluding the trade unions. There would also have been implica-tions for the Eastern Caribbean Monetary Council. I decided I would not take Saint Lucia down that road and would try to grow the economy.

One of my greatest regrets was the refusal by the trade unions to accept nothing less than 0% over three years. Costs would be high and debts were also already high at 76%. Then, there was the cost of the Public Service. So we had to do things -- like depending more on the Value Added Tax (VAT).

We were determined to re-

duce the deficit. We had to stop owing more than we earning. Investors started to lose confi-dence when they had seen our debts rising, so we had a huge task to bring that deficit down to restore confidence and send signals to investors that we can manage this. After all, there hadn’t been any investment here in the previous years.

We are on course today -- and if we hold strain, in the next few years we will see results. So we have to maintain the existing trajectory. We are returning to growth and that is helping re-duce the deficit.

Look at Jamaica. It does not matter if the government has a big or small majority -- they still have an IMF program to address. Once VAT settles here and adjusts to people’s spend-ing, it will help.

We will have to give the unions all the figures and they are welcome to get external help to address those figures, but they must understand that we have to have some austerity.Q. Judicial problems have aris-en even though you are limited by the separation of powers regarding the IMPACS Report. But you still get criticism re-garding the report. Do you feel a sense of helplessness for be-ing blamed for things that were and are entirely out of your hand?

A. Having to address the IMPACS Report and its conse-quences is the most difficult is-sue I have ever had to handle. Forget the cultivated Opposi-tion hostility to the government. But this has almost brought us on a collision course with the USA. We blame the USA, but we have to take some blame too for having allowed it to hap-pen, and to continue, without putting mechanisms in place. Yes, the Opposition is behaving like they were not involved and seeking to exonerate themselves and now you hear the man who is named to be next National Security Minister saying what you have to do with ‘trouble-makers…’ We have to know it’s a structural problem. You are right that the Office of the Di-rector of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has saddened me tremen-dously, but I will not bring the office into disrepute.

Q. What’s the state of play with the staffing of the DPP of-fice?

A. If the DPP is on pre-retire-ment leave, we cannot fill the positions until she is gone. The

positions are advertised and both are made by the Re-gional judicial and legal ser-vices Commission -- and not by us. Both posts have been advertised and we hope we can fill them soon.

Q. What’s the word on the French supposedly pres-suring Saint Lucia over IMPACS or concerns about our justice system?

A. There’s been much com-mentary on the French boy-cotting Saint Lucia… It’s not unusual for French military units not to be here for in-dependence, because it has happened before.

But there is an issue that concerns France a lot. There is a French national at Bordelais and every time there’s been a hearing to do the preliminary rounds, the case has had to be post-poned due to lack of certain documentation. The French aren’t saying to let him go, but they want a trial to de-termine where this is going. They have made represen-tation. But the problem they don’t understand is that Saint Lucia is not France and our English judicial system is different; and they don’t understand the government simply can-not give instructions to the DPP or to judges. It would be improper to do that be-cause the defense will have a proper reason to complain that there has been political interference.

The gap is indeed too long between charge and trial. But the French have to un-derstand that I can’t do it for them or for their Frenchman and not for Saint Lucians. That would transgress the constitutional purview of another department.

I understand the French position, but they must un-derstand too that I simply cannot do what they want to see. It is totally out of my hands.

Q. What do you do, Mr Prime Minister, when you simply get all the blame and blows for everything?

A. It’s a battle to educate people on issues, to prevent them from being misled -- and it requires patience be-cause it will not be a battle won overnight. Judicial Re-form is also a very compli-cated issue and we are at a

time when we do need judicial review in this part of the world. But we can’t do it on our own because Saint Lucia is part of a regional system.

Why do we have so many re-mands? It’s a complex problem. But I assure you that we are indeed thinking and talking about regional judicial reform, as we speak.

Q. What before elections?A. The Saint Lucian electorate

has become very sophisticated. You can no longer wait in elec-tion year to build projects. They take umbrage to this.

Remember, in the dying days of last administration they paved the roads going into Cap Estate, but that did not win Spi-der the seat.

We will do our constitutional duty. We will have a budget to authorize the expenditure for financial year.

I don’t believe in doing things to entice voters and they know what these things are. We have announced many projects over the years –n that we announced in earlier years -- that will come into fruition this year, but to say I want to announce any big proj-ect, I will not do that.

If there are new major projects, I prefer to see turning of the sod before making announcements about them. We have learned. We have changed the face of Saint Lucia. We are beginning to look good. I still like what I see, but we still have more to do. The Saint Lucian electorate sim-ple cannot be bribed. We have to be honest with them and do what we have to do.

Q. How long you see a 65-year old Kenny D. Anthony going?

A. Windows and doors are closing and I don’t want to over-stay my time. But I want to see the healthcare issue resolved. The solutions will require ad-justments and discomfort, but we will have to rely and depend on people.

Time is approaching to say goodbye to political life, but there are things on the hiorizon we will want to see -- like join-ing CCJ this year.

Q. Your final comments…A. I am 100% Lucian. I love

this country dearly and I know I fall short sometimes, but I am proud of my people and my country and I will always do my best for all.

PHONE CALLS TO THE PRIME MINISTER

Dr Anthony also fielded calls during the interview and an-swered all questions, as in the following abridged version:

Q. Tell us about the latest with Free Laptops for students and the recent renaming of the for-mer Margot Secondary to the Jon Odlum Secondary School.

A. I am overjoyed each time I travel around the country and see our students with their lap-tops. I have insisted that once they have access to laptops, it makes them equal to all others everywhere. But what is impor-tant is that we have to make it possible for them to be able to afford it. We have to do it across the system and give it to every-one.

Renaming of the Marigot School after Jon Odlum wasn’t my decision, but a proposal of the outgoing MP (Dr Robert Lewis) that Cabi-net supported. But, as I said at the ceremony, I miss Jon -- and the time will come when his contribution will have been appreciated. He was an immense influence in and on the constituency.

Q. Who are the corrupt poli-ticians referred to in the IM-PACS Report?

A. I can’t tell you because it will contaminate the proceed-ings…

Q. When you mentioned Mi-chael Chastanet and the Chas-tanet Family last weekend in Dennery, everyone was up in arms. But you remember what Sir John said in 1996 and 1997 about you ‘Kenny An-thony wanting to bring back the Massa slavery system of the Barnards…’? Nobody said anything at that time. There was nothing wrong when it was the UWP that did it… You remember?

A. It’s good you remember, but many people choose to have short memories.

Q. How soon will you open the new national hospital?

A. We making new strides. Contracts are being awarded, so we are on target for June or July. You don’t just want to transfer Victoria Hospital to the new one, but training can and will make the difference.

St. Jude has provided its chal-lenges too, but I have instructed that there should be no further construction as the job needs to be done and the people need to be sent to a real hospital..

Q. What about Universal Health Care (UHC)?

A. Resolving major issues of health care will have to be a number-one priority for us.

Q. What’s the future for wages here, in light of the economic conditions?

A. I want to thank Lucians for all the sacrifices they have made over the years and I could not have done it without the sup-port and understanding of the people. The trade unions and us in the government need to rec-ognize that.

The people of Saint Lucia re-ally deserve my thanks. We will keep wages under constant review and we know workers have it hard. But we have to see how the economy works.

Q. Why should electorate re-turn SLP to office?

A. We made certain promises to restore the face of Saint Lu-cia and we have done that in infrastructure. We promised to address unemployment and we have created NICE and bor-rowed close to the $100 million, like we said we would.

We promised it would have been a difficult way back and we have brought back investment. Unemployment is going down. We have maintained numbers in the public sector and restored stability to St Lucia.

We will present our plan for Saint Lucia that will be clear. We have a vision for the future. The East Coast highway from

Gros Islet to Dennery is only one.

We must manage CIP to deal with unemployment, so people can feel confident that we can manage this country responsibly and with character. UWP has been rudderless and only providing constitutional opposition, but has been rendered immaterial to the political process.

Q. Saint Lucians must re-member that it was ‘Jook Bwa’ that started calling ‘Mike’ and ‘Allen’ Chas-tanet ‘Go Chas’ and ‘Ti Chas’. Now he’s calling them household name…

A. I am aware that some have attacked me on that statement re Chastanet. I maintain a personal relationship with Michael Chastanet and we greet and meet as always. But when he descends into having his program to attack the government and he engages in the politics of the UWP against us, we have to respond.

I understand the issue of blood and water... I don’t expect him to not support his son. Look at my former Press Secretary (Jadia Jn Pierre-Emmanuel) and her father. But when you are manipulating the politics from behind you become fair game.

So I don’t see why some are so upset or surprised about what I say about the Chastanets.

E-MAILS TO THE PRIME MINISTER

The Prime Minister also answered questions sent to the program by listeners through e-mail:

Q. On Hermangild Fran-cis’ statement…

A. If this man is already been told he will be the next Minister of National Security and he is already telling us he will behave the same way, when it is that which brought us to where we are today... That’s how irrelevant they have become and haven’t learned anything

Q. On Le Paradis possi-bilities…

A. We have had several discussions with several potential investors and right now there is some discussion with one taking place. But the main owner died and his shares went to his family and we are hoping to get that poten-tial investor on board. But I cannot promise because it is not in our hands.

Prime Minister Dr. Kenny D. Anthony

‘Who would have thought we would have gone into the Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP)? But we did because we have to do what

we have to do, to keep the economy afloat…’

‘In the short term, we have to rearrange our approach and the CIP is one of the new features. I understand people’s concerns, but if we don’t take those steps and take

advantage of those measures, we will lose down the road…’

NationWIDEPage 8 Saturday March 19, 2016

The Eastern Caribbean Tele-communications Authority-ECTEL, joined the world

in observing World Consumer Rights Day, on Tuesday March 15. To this end, ECTEL invited con-sumers and consumer advocate groups to undertake activities that advance their rights and welfare.

ECTEL for its part will con-vene a series of activities to mark the occasion. The activi-ties include the airing of a series of Public Service Announce-

ments (PSAs), in three Member States, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia. The PSAs were produced under the Caribbean Communications Regional Infrastructure Proj-ect-CARCIP, which was imple-mented in these Member States and which among other things developed new regulations for consumer rights and protection. The seven PSAs, which will also eventually air in the other EC-TEL Member States, focus on

digital demand, service choice, service contract, lodging service complaints, broadband quality of service, spam and phishing.

Staff from ECTEL will also en-gage students in Castries as part of outreach activities aimed at familiarising consumers with the new consumer regulations devel-oped under the CARCIP project.

In a statement issued by ECTEL in honour of World Consumer Rights Day, the regulator notes that: “The theme of “Fix Your

Phone Rights” which was used in 2014 is still relevant today.

“ECTEL therefore calls on con-sumers to recognize that while the theme for this year is “anti-biotics off your menu,” attention must remain on the wide range of rights and responsibilities related to the electronic communications sector,” the statement adds.

World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) is an annual occasion for celebration and solidarity with-in the international consumer

movement. It marks the date in 1962 when US President John F. Kennedy first outlined the defi-nition of Consumer Rights.

WCRD is an opportunity to pro-mote the basic rights of all con-sumers, for demanding that those rights are respected and protect-ed, and for protesting the market abuses and social injustices, which undermine them. It was first ob-served on 15 March 1983, and has since become an important occa-sion for mobilising citizen action.

ECTEL observed World Consumer Rights Day 2016

ICT week 2016 was ob-served here this week fol-lowing an opening confer-

ence at the Bay Gardens Hotel, which attracted over 100 for-eign participants from around the world. Participnts in-cluded heads of regional and international organizations, government ministers, police commissioners, attorneys gen-eral, directors of public pros-ecution, and ICT personnel.

The week’s main activities in-clude a Caribbean Stakehold-

ers Meeting II (CSMII) and the 32nd Executive Council of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU).

At the CSMII stakeholders will discuss cyber security and cybercrime. The principal ob-jectives of that meeting are to agree upon a regional approach to cyber security; to develop a comprehensive regional action plan; to obtain ministerial sup-port for and commitment to the action plan; and to identify fi-nancing options.

It is expected, by the end of the meeting, that delegates will devise a clear action plan to garner com-mitment from international or-ganizations, donor countries and development agencies to support the implementation of these plans.

There will also be a workshop on ICT for persons with disabili-ties (specifically the blind and deaf) on March 16.

ICT Week is a collaboration be-tween the Government of Saint Lucia and the Caribbean Tele-communications Union.

Saint Lucia hosted ICT Week

The Ministry of Education is determined to increase student interest in the sci-

ences via the annual National Science Fair.

CAMDU National Science Curriculum Officer, Gianneti George said because science is all around us and constantly in-fluences everyday life, it should be embraced from an early age.

"Everything that happens around us involves science. We know about science associated

with the human body, but take, for instance, rainwater harvest-ing. Where you place the gutter-ing to collect the water, where you place your drums, the rate at which the drum fills, and whether you need one drum or two, is all science, mathematics and technology."

This is the third year that Saint Lucia's National Science Fair will be held at the Derek Walcott Square. Ms. George said the cen-tralized venue encourages visi-

tors, both local and international."We love that venue because

it is festive, it is out in the open, and it is very centralized so we get a lot of visitors - not only parents and other schools, but also cruise ship passengers. We have had a lot of people from all over the world visiting our fair and being very impressed with the quality of projects that the students are displaying." The fair will be held from March 16 -18, at the Derek Walcott Square.

National Science Fair in March

The National Mental Well-ness Centre held the of-ficial launch for a new

solar photovoltaic (PV) system , today, that will enable it to oper-ate on renewable energy.

The hospital, which provides specialized services to citizens suffering with mental illness, now has the capacity to generate twenty-five kilowatts (25 kW) of renewable energy.

The achievement is a major mile-stone that will enable continued operations at the hospital in the

event of a national power outageThe increase in the country's

renewable energy capacity is consistent with government's aim to increase generation of renewable energy penetration into the national grid by 35 per-cent by the year 2020; and also demonstrates the commitment of the Government of Saint Lucia to equip important state institutions with renewable en-ergy capacity while maintain-ing critical services to the most vulnerable citizens in times of

need. Currently the island has approximately 500 kilowatts of solar PV capacity installed.

The system at the National Mental Wellness Centre was funded by the Republic of China (Taiwan) under the Sustainable Energy from Concept to Action Project, as part of the solar en-ergy component.

Previously, on Feb. 26, the gov-ernment launched a 25 kilowatt PV system at the National Emer-gency Management Organiza-tion (NEMO).

Wellness Centre saves on light bills with solar energy!

The hospital now has the capacity to generate twenty-five kilowatts of renewable energy.

Commonwealth minis-ters, policymakers and cyber security experts

are in Saint Lucia this week to discuss improving cyber secu-rity in the region.

The three-day meeting pro-vides a platform for participants to address challenges and de-velop a coordinated regional ac-tion plan to prevent cybercrime and improve cyber security, and includes the creation of a virtual platform to share expertise and best practices.

“Drawing on our strengths as one Commonwealth, we have the opportunity to tackle cybercrime and ensure tech-nology platforms are secure. We can then direct precious resources to helping societies flourish,” said Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Jo-sephine Ojiambo.

The Commonwealth Cyber-crime Initiative conducted assessments in five Common-wealth

Caribbean countries (Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and Bar-bados), and found an increase in cybercrime. It noted a high number of incidences in the pri-vate sector and found that cases remain unreported because of perceived reputational damage and lack of capacity.

Cybercrimes reported in the region have included the theft of US$150 million from the Bank of Nova Scotia in Jamaica in 2014; while in 2015, individu-als claiming to be local ISIS supporters hacked government websites. In that same year, tax authorities in the region were infected by ransomware, which blocks users from accessing their systems and demands money.

ICT Adviser at the Common-wealth Secretariat Tony Ming, explained that the emergence of e-commerce, e-government and other technologically-en-abled services in the Caribbean has opened up new avenues for

economic activity and for cy-bercriminals to exploit.

"Insider threats have ac-counted for over 50 percent of all security breaches. This, in conjunction with the exponen-tial growth in internet usage and mobile devices, has cre-ated new vulnerabilities and will require industry-strength cyber security to protect im-portant digital assets.”

The issue of cybercrime in the Commonwealth was first addressed by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) at its ministerial confer-ence in St. Philip, Barbados in 2011. The CTU recommended a regional strategy for cyber security. This resulted in the Declaration of St. Philip, Bar-bados on Caribbean Collabora-tion on Cyber Security, which was ratified in 2013.

Bernadette Lewis, Secretary General of the CTU, welcomed the opportunity to partner with the Commonwealth Sec-retariat to advance the region’s development.

Francis Forbes, Executive Director of the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security said that strengthening CARICOM’s re-silience to cybercrime is one of 14 strategic goals outlined by the CARICOM Crime and Se-curity Strategy (CCSS).

"Cybercrime is considered a Tier I risk, which can result in serious damage to vital infra-structures and can undermine economic health," he said. "The CCSS represents a comprehen-sive and integrated response to tackling common cybercrime risks and threats facing CARI-COM Member States.”

Attendees included ministers responsible for legal affairs, ICT and national security; and attorneys from the Carib-bean and international orga-nizations such as Interpol, the Council of Europe, the FBI and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Policymakers discuss improving cyber security

The meeting observing ICT Week 2016 started Monday and ended yesterday.

NationWIDE Page 9Saturday March 19, 2016

The Ministry of Physi-cal Development, Hous-ing and Urban Renewal

wishes to inform the public that the Crown Lands Rectifica-tion Program launched Nov. 24, 2015 will officially commence in May, immediately following the publication of the Crown Lands Rectification Regulations.

The aforementioned regula-

tions will prescribe the process-ing fees, the composition of the Land Rectification Committee (i.e. Committee appointed to deal with contentious rectifica-tion applications) as well as cat-egories of land that are deemed eligible for rectification.

The public is also asked to note that in interim, the Crown Lands Office has already commenced

preliminary investigations of the submitted applications. This is in an effort to ensure imme-diate processing of applications following the publication of the proposed regulations.

The Ministry takes this oppor-tunity to thank the public for its continued interest as it con-tinues its efforts to implement a vital and significant policy.

Crown Lands Rectification Program Launched

Farmers have been advised to be proactive, yet pru-dent, during the dry sea-

son. In the face of the prolonged dry spell which has been pre-dicted for the coming months, agriculturalists have been ad-vised to take all necessary ac-tions to safeguard themselves.

Recently, Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony urged the nation to do all that it could to conserve water, and to use the precious resource wisely. Now, the Ministry of Agriculture is imploring farmers to do what

Farmers encouraged to safeguard cropsthey can to ensure that their ag-ricultural yield is protected.

Elvis Herelle, Extensions Offi-cer at the Ministry of Agriculture said there are measures farmers can use to safeguard their crops. "One of the things that we can do to encourage water [retention] in the soil is to encourage the infiltration of the water, so very little ploughing should be done because ploughing will cause whatever water that had entered the soil to evaporate."

Mr. Herelle also encouraged farmers to find easily-accessible

raw materials that will aid in keeping agricultural lands at conditions conducive to crop growth. "There is need to mulch. Pretty soon there will be an abundance of seaweed along the shores, so our farmers need to harvest that seaweed and start to mulch the soil. That is the only way to reduce the evapora-tion that can take place." Pres-ently, reductions in agricultural yield are being reported across the region. The reduced output has been linked to low levels of precipitation throughout 2015

The Ministry of Infra-structure, Port Services and Transport wishes to

inform the general public that Stantec Consulting Inc. will be conducting random interviews with members of the general public as part of a Social Impact Assessment for the north-south link road feasibility study.

The interviews will be con-ducted throughout the month of March, commencing March 9.

Interviews will be done in com-munities within the north, east and south west of the island, primarily from Gros Islet to La-borie. The objective of this exer-cise is to assist in the assessment of the impact of a potential new road in the north east quadrant of the island.

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Port Services and Transport re-quests the kind co-operation of the public in this exercise.

North-South link road feasibility study launched The Saint Lucia Manufac-

turers Association (SMA) staged its third Biennial

Quality Awards ceremony at Sandals Halcyon's Mirage Con-ference Room, Saturday, with scores of industry leaders in at-tendance.

Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Ken-ny D. Anthony presented the President’s Award for Excel-lence to Mrs. Paula Calderon, Managing Director of Carib-bean Awning Production Com-pany Ltd.

Following the ceremony, the Prime Minister congratulated local manufacturers for an out-standing event.

Said Dr. Anthony: “The Manu-facturers Association must be applauded on several fronts. Putting on such a fabulous awards evening is a fine way to recognize the efforts of its mem-bers over the past two years, and the winners are truly deserving of their awards.

“During the 2015 budget ad-dress, I pointed out that there were signs of recovery in the sector. During the first half of the last calendar year, there was a 1.8 percent increase in pro-duction. For the year, there was an increase of 6.3 percent. That growth was driven in part by higher levels of domestic and export demand, especially for food and food products, paper products, wood products, and furnishings.

“This significant improvement also comes as government has put further measures in place to support small and medium manufacturers. It is gratify-ing, therefore, to see our local manufacturers spreading their wings, and exporting Saint Lu-cian produce not only to the rest of the Caribbean, but all the way to Asia and the Pacific. Great strides are being made, and as our economic recovery contin-ues, it appears the best may be yet to come for local producers.”

Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Awards were presented in the areas of Leadership, Implemen-tation of Standards and Best Practices, Product and Custom-er Service Quality, Human Re-source Development, and Social Responsibility.

The Minister’s Award for In-novation was presented to Mr. Richard Du Boulay, who re-ceived it on behalf of Du Bou-lay’s Bottling Co. Ltd. Du Bou-lay’s also captured the Lawson Calderon Eco-Manufacturing Award.

Addressing the gathering on Saturday evening were Ronald Ramjattan, OBE, President of the Saint Lucia Manufacturers Association; Hon. Emma Hip-polyte, Minister for Commerce, Business Development, Invest-ment and Consumer Affairs; Mr. Richard Du Boulay, Second Vice President of the SMA; and featured speaker, Mrs. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Di-rector of the Caribbean Export Development Agency.

The Saint Lucia Manufacturers Association presented awards for leadership, standards implementation, and product quality,

among others.

SMA Awards Top 2016 Quality Manufacturers!

The Society of Trust and Es-tate Practitioners (STEP) will be hosting the 2016 STEP Carib-bean Conference (CC16) in Saint Lucia this year.

STEP is a professional body that provides members with lo-

Saint Lucia to host STEP CC-2016 Conference next month

cal, national and international learning and business networks.

For over 16 years, the steering committee for the STEP Carib-bean Conference has been meet-ing to produce one of the world’s best attended and most talked

about trust conferences. The STEP Caribbean region, part of the larger STEP worldwide asso-ciation, is fast becoming one of the most influential and largest regions in the STEP world. For the first time ever, the former STEP worldwide chair, Helene Lewis, was from the BVI, mark-ing a turning point for the glob-al association.

“Not only has STEP World-wide recognized the impor-tance of the region in the global trust sector, but this conference has become one of the must at-tend events of the year," Ms.

Lewis said. “Every year for the past fifteen years, we welcome the world to one of our member jurisdictions, and every year they turn up in droves for the conference.”

This year’s conference in Saint Lucia, promises to be no excep-tion. Conference chair, Natalie Augustin said delegates will come away from the conference fully equipped to deal with the on-going turbulence of the sec-tor on a macro scale.

“Our delegates know that they are going to be connected with senior colleagues, speakers who

are clearly thought leaders in their areas of expertise, and a host of new business connec-tions and opportunities,” Au-gustin said. “We look forward to welcoming the region and the world to Saint Lucia.” The CC16 conference will be held from April 25 - 27.

For a list of participating juris-dictions, the steering committee, conference program, speakers, to register for the conference, or to become a sponsor or exhibi-tor, please visit: www.stepcarib-beanconference.com or contact kerryharrismail@gmail.com.

NationWIDEPage 10 Saturday March 19, 2016

Experts have urged, after a three-day Pan Ameri-can Health Organiza-

tion/World Health Organiza-tion (PAHO/WHO) meeting, that control of mosquitoes that transmit zika, dengue and chi-kungunya must be ramped up in the Americas.

The new Technical Advisory Group on Public Health Ento-mology is looking at ways to strengthen vector control pro-grams in the countries, includ-ing specific measures for Ae-des aegypti, the mosquito that transmits zika, dengue, chi-kungunya and yellow fever in the Americas. The group ended its first meeting today after re-viewing a series of measures focusing on integrated vector management measures, which include various tools and strat-egies to cut the toll of vector-borne disease.

PAHO advises strengthening vector

control programsThe group is chaired by Dr.

Karen Polson of the Caribbean Public Health Agency, and in-cludes experts in entomology, vector control, neglected dis-eases, epidemiology, insecticide resistance management and re-lated fields. It advises PAHO’s Director, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, on ways to strengthen surveil-lance, control and elimination of vector-borne diseases.

“Vector control is the best way we have of combating these dis-eases,” Polson said. “Entomol-ogy and vector control works, if used and applied correctly by countries.”

WHO vector control expert, Dr. Raman Velayudhan, said: “We have two Aedes mosquitoes that transmit four diseases, and we don’t have much in the way of weapons against them. Dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and now zika are growing problems.”

He added that challenges in Aedes control include the mos-quito’s adaptation, human move-ment, surveillance, resistance to pesticides, and its resilience.

Autochthonous, or local, zika virus transmission has been re-ported in 31 countries and terri-tories of the Americas, noted Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri, PAHO’s Epi-demic Alert and Response chief. So far, increases in microceph-aly cases and other neonatal malformations have only been reported in Brazil and French

Polynesia, although two cases linked to a stay in Brazil were detected in two other countries.

“Our most important tool to combat zika—and at the same time, dengue and chikungu-nya—is control of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that trans-mit these diseases. Since these mosquitoes live in and around houses, this will take a concert-ed effort with intensified com-munity engagement to reduce the number of mosquitoes in the Americas. We are also looking

urgently at improving control methods including insecticides and other new technologies,” said Dr. Luis Castellanos, chief of Neglected, Tropical and Vec-tor-borne Diseases at PAHO.

The Technical Advisory Group’s recommendations are being compiled for PAHO lead-ership, and they will be used next week at the global Vector Control Advisory Group meet-ing in Geneva to consider emer-gency response and vector con-trol tools for Zika Virus Disease

Scientists consider intensified vector control measures to combat Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya in the Americas.

The Saint Lucia Re-nal Association in association with the

Ministry of Health, Well-ness, Human Services and Gender Relations will hosted a public health fair today, in observance of World Kidney Day.

The fair provided blood pressure, blood sugar, and urine testing, as well as consultations.

Ahead of the fair, Health Ministry officials revealed what was to be expected.

"We will be having a grand health fair on the grounds of the Ministry of Health," Consultant Nephrologist Dr. Merle Clarke said. "We will be available to answer any questions that you may want to ask about kid-ney health, diabetes, hy-pertension and general health. We are encourag-ing everyone to come out."

This year, the obser-vance focuses on pre-venting kidney disease in children. As a result, the Saint Lucia Renal As-sociation hosted several activities during Kidney Week (March 7 - 11) under the theme Kidney Disease in Children, Act Early to Prevent It.

World Kidney Day 2016 observed here

Proceeds from a Celebrity Sports Day will help fund those unable to afford treatments for Renal Disease.

The national health helpline has grown increasingly popu-

lar among those seeking psychological assistance.

The helpline was launched last year in response to an increas-ing trend of suicide. It is geared towards toward assisting persons dealing with mental, social and emotional issues.

Since it commenced op-erations, between July 2015 and Jan. 2016, the helpline has recorded a total number of 239 calls.

According to a recent statistical report, of the 239 calls (some from re-peat callers), 49 were char-acterized as high risk, the majority from males.

The five leading reasons include suicidal ideation, relationship issues, stress, family-related issues, and

"Members of the asso-ciation have been visiting schools to raise awareness about the importance of kidney health, so we are placing special empha-sis on the little ones," Dr. Clarke said. "We do think that it is very important that the children know about the importance of their kidneys and the dan-gers of kidney disease. The intention is for them to go home and tell their parents about it, make the parents more aware. If children know, parents know; then the country knows that we need to take care of our kidneys."

Additional Kidney Week activities included a schools essay competition, launched ahead of the ob-servance in February; and a fundraising and awareness outreach Celebrity Sports Day on Sunday, at the Beausejour Indoor Facility.

The funds will be used to help those who can-not afford treatments for Renal Disease. There are currently 98 patients on dialysis with several on a waiting list.

World Kidney Day is ob-served annually on the sec-ond Thursday in March.

National Health Helpline gains momentumunemployment. Other callers listed substance abuse, mental illness and financial constraints as reasons for seeking help.

The majority of calls originated from the fol-lowing six constituencies: Gros Islet, Castries South East, Babonneau ,Castries North, Castries East, and Dennery.

Callers have stated that the anonymous and con-fidential nature of the free service is encouraging, as they feel more comfort-able talking to someone they don't know, enabling them to discuss feelings and concerns in a way that may differ from talking with friends and family members. Immediate sup-port during a crisis has also been shown to greatly reduce occurrences of sui-cidal ideation and distress.

The helpline aims to help alleviate the distresses that individuals face.

The helpline continues to put much effort into alleviating the distresses that individuals are faced with, by informing per-sons of the available re-sources for assistance in the most effective and ef-ficient manner. Referrals are made to government agencies such as the Cri-sis Center, the Division of

Human Services, the Na-tional Initiative to Create Employment (NICE) and other similar organiza-tions.

The national health helpline is accessed by di-aling 203. It provides a 24-hour service manned by a team of health profession-als trained in crisis inter-vention techniques.

Saint Lucia has record-ed no confirmed cases of the Zika Virus to

date, despite several cases reported in the region.Se-nior Medical Officer with the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Human Services and Gender Relations, Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, said Saint Lucia is prepared to respond should any inci-dences occur.

"We have strengthened early detection and sur-veillance for both micro-cephaly and Guillian Barre Syndrome at our second-ary care facilities, and we have trained our health-care workers both at com-munity health centres and at the different hospitals in early detection practices," Dr. George said.

"So far, all weekly sam-ples that have been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for testing, have come up negative. Nevertheless, the

Ministry of Health con-tinues its preparation and response to Zika in collabo-ration with the Solid Waste Management Authority, the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association and the constituency councils."

Eradication campaigns have been planned for all communities, while Fort North, Dennery, Babon-neau and Gros Islet have had widespread source

reduction exercises. The ministry has also pushed up the date of the annual Vector Awareness Week observance.

Normally held between May and June, the minis-try will host the 2016 Vec-tor Awareness Week from March 14 - 19. Activities will include a school poster com-petition, a motorcade and marches round the island.

Dr. George said despite

the reduction in rainfall the aim is to ensure there is a reduction in the breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti. Consequently, the Environ-mental Health Department continues house to house entomological surveillance and targeted fogging ex-ercises for areas with high mosquito indices.

"We also continue to work quite closely with our re-gional partners: PAHO, CARPHA and the OECS for continuous updates and re-gional planning," she said.

The Ministry of Health is pleased with the public's response, Dr. George said. She called on the public to continue monitoring their premises and reduce the breeding sites of the Aedes aegpti mosquito.

All measures employed to reduce the impact of Zika also work to reduce the impact of Dengue and Chikungunya on the local population.

Saint Lucia prepared for Zika

NationWIDE Page 11Saturday March 19, 2016

The Diplomatic Courier

Young people from the USA studying medicine in Havana have warmly

welcomed the visit by President Obama to Cuba next week and say they hope that the rapproche-ment between the two countries is mutually beneficial.

“I hope that during this visit March 21 and 22, there is an open and sincere dialogue, with agree-ments that are good for the two peoples,” Jontay Darko, a 5th year medical sciences student at the Salvador Allende Faculty in Ha-vana, told Granma International.

The faculty forms part of the Latin American School of Medi-cine (ELAM), which has gradu-ated more than 24,000 health pro-fessionals from 84 countries, in its over 15 years of existence.

Jontay is from the city of Chica-go and describes Cubans as kind, friendly, warm and communicative in their interpersonal relationships.

She enjoys the feeling of being cared for on this Caribbean island and admires the everyday acts of courtesy she witnesses, such as peo-ple extending a hand to help others cross the street or get off a bus.

She notes that she has not felt hatred or bitterness on the part of Cubans towards people from the U.S. and on telling them where she is from, she is warmly received.

It was through the Baptist church in her home city that she accessed the scholarship to study in Cuba -- and affirms that, be-sides training in a profession, she has become a better person through the experience. She rec-ognizes herself as more flexible in character, she is much more economical -- and has discovered that the most valuable things in life are not material objects.

Jontay admires her teachers for their high academic standards and their teaching ability, which caters to all students. She is sur-prised by their readiness to assist students in any way they can to make their stay in Cuba all the more pleasant.

On finishing her degree, she hopes to return to her country to provide health services in Afro-American communities. To do so, she will need to take several addi-tional exams to validate her uni-versity degree in the U.S. and then specialize in Family Medicine.

Jontay’s friend, Shaneen Whyte, hopes to study the specialty of Allergy-Immunology. She comes from Tampa, Florida and be-

gan her studies in Cuba just six months ago. She has just complet-ed a full course in Spanish, and says she is very excited to have mastered the language.

“I was always curious to learn about the Revolution,” the 24 year old noted, adding, “My maternal grandfather was born in Havana and my parents in Jamaica. I have Caribbean blood flowing through my veins and my biggest dream was to move here. Now I speak Spanish, I can understand the way of life of Cubans.”

Over the coming months, Shannen will take classes in core high school subjects to ensure she has a similar level of knowledge to Cubans and students from other nationalities, which will serve as a base to cope with university, providing her with the necessary skills to undertake higher education studies.

At ELAM, she shares a dorm with a score of students from oth-er countries, which is a very posi-tive experience, given her interest in learning about other cultures. In her free time, she takes classes in Caribbean folk dance with arts instructors.

She recognizes the prestige of Cuban public medical services, structured to provide coverage to 100% of the population, while also assisting people in need around the world through conventions and solidarity programs estab-lished by the Cuban government.

Patrick Daley, aged 27, has simi-lar views. He is also undertaking his pre-medical studies and notes his joy on being able to respond to reporters’ questions in Span-ish. He reveals that until a few months ago, he understood prac-tically no Spanish at all.

The young man from Baltimore promises to devote much time to the study of medicine when he begins the first year of his degree in September. His goal is to help poor people in his own country, who are lacking the means to ac-cess private medical institutions.

In the short time that he has been living on the island, he has visited other provinces and was struck by the city of Santiago de Cuba, due to its geography and the warm welcome he received.

His favorite pastimes include spending time with friends sit-ting on the Malecón seawall and visiting the heritage sites of Old Havana.

He concludes by expressing his eternal gratitude to the Cuban people for the opportunity to un-dertake university studies in their country -- and to train to be a fu-ture health professional.

Young Americans studying in Cuba looking forward to positive

vibes from Obama’s visit!

Looking forward to the Obama visit resulting in better ties between the USA and Cuba are American students at ELAM (left

to right) Shaneen Whyte, Patrick Daley and Jontay Darko. Photo: Orlando Perera (ICAP)

by Nuria Barbosa León, Granma International

In observance of the Interna-tional Women s Day 2016, the embassies of Spain, Mexico

and the Alliance Française pro-pose a cultural celebration in Saint Lucia with a triple objective.

First, the embassies plan to cel-ebrate the International Women Day (IWD) with a cultural ac-tivity, emphasizing the role of women in the Arts.

At the same time, they pro-pose to commemorate the IWD, by stressing the importance of the empowerment of women as a basic pillar of social develop-ment (as indicated in Sustain-able Development Number 5 of the New Development Agenda of the UN).

The National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) of

the USA applauds and supports a resolution sponsored by Illi-nois State Rep. LaShawn K. Ford which calls on President Obama to set up a commission to study the legacy of slavery and pro-posed reparations for the de-scendants of African slaves in America.

The resolution passed unani-mously in the bi-partisan House Restorative Justice Committee and is scheduled to go before the full Illinois House of As-sembly in April. If it passes the full house, Rep. Ford and a group of his colleagues plan to deliver the resolution person-ally to Pres. Obama. Ford char-acterizes the resolution as a call from a state to the federal gov-ernment for reparations for the crime of African enslavement in the United States.

“HR 1011 is a measure that comes as a result of many coali-tions of fighters working to help make America great. America can never begin to reach its fullest potential until it breaks completely from the chains and legacies of slavery by making every American whole,” said Rep. Ford.

In June, 2015, NAARC wrote to Pres. Obama calling on him to use his executive powers to es-tablish the John Hope Franklin Presidential Initiative and Com-mission on Reparatory Justice for People of African Descent in America.NAARC argued that this commission could lay out the full scope of reparatory jus-tice utilizing the international human rights standard of full reparations i.e. the creation of policies programs and projects that would address key aspects of repair—cessation and guar-antees of non-repetition, restitu-tion, compensation, satisfaction and rehabilitation.

The John Hope Franklin Com-mission would set up an inter-agency working group to coor-dinate government resources directed toward these mea-sures.

The National African Ameri-can Reparations Commission (NAARC) is comprised of 15

Thirdly, the plan is to promote the creativity of local artists (men and women), giving them a space and a subject (Women s role) to create their own artistic expressions.

This cultural event, entitled “She.lc”, will take place on March 22nd at the National Cul-tural Center of Castries, at 7 pm.

The proposed cultural action will be divided into two parts: An exhibition of paintings and photographs that will be ex-posed at the hall of the NCC; and a show with Saint Lucian artists with a single subject: “women”.

During approximately two hours, the artists will play

Spanish, Mexican, French and English songs dedicated to women and pieces of dance and theatre with the same subject.

All the artists come from the following Saint Lucian associa-tions: Headphunk, YouthSPAC, C-PAF and Silver Shadow Dance Academy.

They will be coordinated by Ms. Kentillia Louis.

The project has been also endorsed by the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Human Ser-vices and Gender Relations and has been included in the Calen-dar of Activities in observance of International Women's Day 2016.

French, Spanish and Mexican embassies to host special Women’s Concert on March 22

Obama called upon to establish US Slavery and Reparations Commission

prominent scholars, attorneys, historians, health care profes-sionals, journalists and racial justice activists from across the USA.

Dr. Ron Daniels, convener of the NAARC and President of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW) commended Rep. Ford and his colleagues in the Illinois State Legislature for their “bold, courageous and innovative” resolution and de-scribed it as “a major advance” for human rights in America.

“HR 1011 complements the NAARC’s call for establishment of the John Hope Franklin Com-mission and, most importantly, it recognizes the urgent need to address the lingering social, economic, biological, psycho-logical and cultural injuries in-flicted by the monstrous crime of slavery in this country. We call on other State Legislatures across the country to follow the example of Illinois and pass similar resolutions,” he said.

Kamm Howard, a member of the NAARC and leader of the National Coalition of Blacks in America (NCOBRA) Chicago Chapter, in presenting testimo-ny supporting Rep. Ford’s reso-lution said that HR 1011 could assist the nation in synchroniz-

ing with international human rights standards and social jus-tice norms.

He also noted that in 2001 at the United Nations World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) the international com-munity declared that slavery, the slave trade, colonialism and apartheid were crimes against humanity and that since 2001 many reparatory justice actions have taken place across the USA and the world.

In its January, 2016 visit to sev-eral cities in the United States, the UN’s Working Group of Experts for People of African Descent expressed in its initial report “serious concern” about the contemporary human rights situation of African Americans.

“The colonial history, the lega-cy of enslavement, racial subor-dination and segregation, racial terrorism, and racial inequal-ity in the US remains a serious challenge as there has been no real commitment to reparations and to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent,” said the UN group of experts. “The dangerous ideology of white supremacy inhibits social cohesion amongst the US popu-lation…..past injustices and crimes against African Ameri-cans need to be addressed with reparatory justice.”

The United Nations has de-clared the decade 2015-2024 to be the International Decade of People of African Descent, un-der the theme ‘Recognition, Jus-tice and Development’, aimed at addressing the ongoing chal-lenges of people of African de-scent around the world.

Meanwhile, the Caribbean Community of States (CARI-COM) formed a Reparations Commission in 2013 and very recently sent a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron of Great Britain and also to the heads of government of France, Spain, Portugal, the Nether-lands and Denmark calling for a “dignified dialogue” to begin in the first half of 2016 to ad-dress issues of native genocide and reparations for people of African descent in the former European colonies of the Carib-bean region

US President Barrack Obama

NationWIDEPage 12 Saturday March 19, 2016

SELLING ST. LUCIA IS GOOD BUSINESS!TTG prizewinner Anna Drewitt visited St Lucia on a fam trip. She explains to

Charlotte Cullinan how the ‘responsible’ tour changed the way she sells the island

Within weeks of re-turning from a fam trip to St Lu-

cia, agent Anna Drewitt had already made several book-ings -- and in each instance, ‘responsible tourism’ helped to seal the deal.

While Drewitt has sold nu-merous trips to St Lucia in her role as The Co-operative Travel Frome’s branch man-ager, her insight into the is-land’s sustainable offering came courtesy of an eight-day fam in December 2015.

Organized by the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, it built upon the knowledge Drewitt had already gleaned after completing a Travel Founda-tion online training course about the island.

She explains: “I’ve sold St Lucia lots before, but since returning I’ve really focused on the ethical and community-focused side of things. I talk about the street food that customers can try, the tours to see plantations which help local farmers, and all the things they can do to support communities.”

This alternative angle has already helped Drewitt to se-cure two bookings.

She says, “It gives the desti-nation an edge and a differ-ence to a normal Caribbean holiday in a five-star, all-in-clusive hotel. It really brings it to life and customers are genuinely interested, as re-sponsible tourism is a topical issue. When I talk about my experiences, they get really excited about visiting.”

Atlyn Forde, the Saint Lu-cia Tourist Board’s Direc-tor of Marketing, UK and Europe, says the trip was designed to showcase the di-versity of the tourism prod-uct in St Lucia.

According to her, “We in-cluded a variety of excursions that support and generate in-come for local communities and villages across the is-land. We hope the agents can then encourage visitors to ex-plore and connect with com-munities as this gives them a more authentic experience of St Lucia.”

Drewitt says tasting the is-land’s cuisine is the perfect introduction to St Lucian life and recommends customers book on a B&B basis, to al-low them to enjoy food from roadside vendors and restau-rants. Her top tip is to head to the Friday Night Gros Islet Jump-Up Street Party and pe-ruse the popular food stalls.

“There is so much choice of fish and meat, and it all smells amazing. I had some lovely vegetable noodles that only cost about £1,” she re-calls.

While a DJ played Carib-bean tunes, Drewitt chatted to other tourists and locals who were soaking up the at-mosphere.

“It’s really busy -- and such good fun. Everyone is very friendly.”And there are oth-er activities she encourages customers to experience.

At Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, she enjoyed rum tasting, sampling sugar cane and learn-ing about the distilling process and why spices are added. She was then impressed by the skin-softening properties of the Sulphur Springs volcanic mud baths in Soufriere, which boasts the title of the world’s only drive-in volcano.

“We saw all the springs bub-bling and had a really knowl-edgeable guide who explained everything. The mud is meant to make you look years young-er,” she says.

The island also offers a plethora of bird-watching and rainforest experiences. Drewitt recommends heading to the Castries Waterworks Reserve, where zip-lining and guided tours and trails are available with eco-adventure specialist Rainforest Adventures.

Drewitt won her place on the trip through a TTG prize draw after completing the Saint Lucia Local Lowdown online train-ing, developed by the Travel Foundation.

She says, “I’d definitely recom-mend it, as it only takes about 20 minutes and is interactive, with quotes and information from lo-cal people which makes it easier to remember.”

She found the wealth of in-formation beyond the standard fare of Caribbean beaches and hotels particularly useful.

According to Drewitt, “You learn about St Lucian culture and what customers can do to support local people -- and it brings the food to life. It’s fabu-lous for learning about different areas, too.”

The training is divided into seven modules. These focus on introducing the island, trans-port, flora and fauna, food and drink, the people and the envi-ronment. It also describes the traditional souvenirs, arts and crafts available.

Members of the team left Saint Lucia with everlasting memories of a visit to a place they will want to sell the world over, over and over again.

Drewitt heeded the advice and brought some spices and hot sauces on her trip to the large Castries Market.

She says, “I’d recommend spending an hour there, as there’s a great atmosphere. There are so many stalls, and you can get some lovely baskets and tropical outfits for chil-dren.”

During the trip, she visited and stayed in many of the is-land’s resorts.

For families, she highly rates Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa in the south, which has adult-only and family-friendly wings.

According to Drewitt, “It has a brilliant kids’ club, a fun water park with slides, a petting zoo and activities like paintballing and kite-surfing. Plus, it’s only a 10-minute transfer from He-wanorra International airport, which is great after a long flight with children.”

For couples and honeymoon-ers, she suggests the west coast’s “absolutely stunning” Jade Mountain resort.

“Some rooms have one open wall with an infinity pool over-looking the Pitons. The staff are very friendly and the food is fantastic,” she says.

Drewitt was impressed by the environmental policies evident at the properties she visited.

“Keeping their island home as sustainable as possible is a real-ly big thing for the hotels. They do a lot – from information in the rooms on saving water to using seasonal food and local fruits,” she explains.

Prior to the trip, most of Dre-witt’s St Lucia bookings were for couples, but she now plans to promote it to families.

“It would be perfect for chil-dren and is ideal even for babies and toddlers,” she says. “There is lots they can learn about the local area through activities in the kids’ clubs.”

Drewitt says one of her main selling points is ‘a taste of St. Lucia’.

The visiting sales agents were quite taken-in by the island’s coastal villages and their pristine beaches, yellow sands and

blue waters.

Traditional fishing is still very much alive on the island and fishermen still make their own nets the old way.