Caribbean American Passport News Magazine - August/September 2022

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2022

His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Attends Guyanese Diaspora Engagement Event in Orlando, FL

Please join the Hispanic and Latino community in observing National Hispanic Heritage Month from September15thtoOctober15th.This year’sthemeis Unidos:Inclusivityfor a Stronger Nation. Diversity is strength, and Hispanic and Latino contributions to the culture, the economy, and the future of our nation cannot be denied. Hispanics and Latinos represent one of the fastest growing populations in America, with about 62 million residents. With roots in the Caribbean,Mexico,CentralAmerica, South America, and Europe, Hispanics and Latinos bring forth robust diversity and variation of thought and culture. See below for the White House's Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month 2022:

"Hispanicheritageholdsanindelible place in the heart and soul of our Nation, and National Hispanic Heritage Month reminds us that the American identity is a fabric of diverse traditions and stories woven together. Since the beginning, our country has drawn strength and insights from Hispanic writers, scientists, soldiers, doctors, entrepreneurs, academics, and leaders in labor and government. Ourculturehasbeenenrichedbythe rhythms, art, literature, and creativity of Hispanic peoples. And our deepest values have been informed by the love of family and faiththatisatthecoreofsomany...

In a recent outreach event hosted at Legends Resto & Lounge, President Ali shared his ‘One Guyana’ agenda to over one-thousand Guyanese diaspora members.

Dr Irfaan Ali successfully engaged Guyanese in Florida on his government’s vision for the development of Guyana and has extended an invitation for those abroad to return “home” and contribute to the development of their motherland

In his address, President Ali outlined his “One Guyana” agenda and deliberated on its virtues of togetherness and cooperation during a diaspora engagement on Saturday afternoon.

President Ali also underscored the transformative process being undertaken, detailing its positivity across the country.

President Ali went a step further in his address by inviting his compatriots to return to Guyana to benefit from its developmental opportunities.

“We are building a Guyana in which every single Guyanese will enjoy the fruit of our labor,” the Head of State said

During his address, President Ali also touched on the changes necessary for development, the potential of Guyana as an oilproducing nation and plans by the government to use the incoming funds to enhance traditional sectors and create new ones

He said that all of his energy and that of his Cabinet would be spent on executing this vision, which is intended to benefit not only the current generation, but future generations of Guyanese.

LIFEST

The Vision of a President

things that would stir-up the racial divide among our people.

President Ali delivered an engaging and strong message about his vision for Guyana based on many of the factors that give Guyana the potential to be one the best placed to call home. President Ali talked about our Oil & Gas industry and the billions of potential earnings that will benefit the people of Guyana. He mentioned the Guyana-Norway agreement which provides Guyana with US$250M to avoid the deforestation of large forest sectors in Guyana to protect the world’s oxygen supply. The President also discussed Guyana's abundant supply of fresh water, which is another one of the country’s greatest assets. These three aspects of Guyana’s potential alone would be enough convince the average Guyanese, or even non-Guyanese, of the true potential of Guyana In fact, there were other Caribbean Nationals and U.S Citizens in attendance at the President’s Diaspora Engagement event and many of them showed significant interest in the words of President Ali.

The responsibility of a President is to present his/her vision and also be so convincing about their vision that they can sell it to even the most reluctant listener or members of their political opposition. President Ali delivered his message with passion, precision and strong words that engaged all in attendance and made us all proud. President Ali’s words, while focused mainly on pointing the material assets of Guyana, also showed just how blessed a country Guyana truly is and how Guyana can potentially be the ‘Bread Basket’ of the region.

In 2020, President Ali made very strategic appointments when building his Cabinet of Ministers and Junior Ministers by placing a new breed of young Guyanese in these positions young Ministers with newer ideas and less baggage of the past. This was an impressive and bold move but it was a move towards his vision for a ‘One Guyana’.

Guyana has always been a Nation with great potential, but tracing back to the pre-Burnham and pre-Jagan time there were forces that saw and knew the true potential of Guyana based on our geographic location and our natural resources. These external forces divided Guyana using the power of racial politics. They planted the seeds of racism, then sat back and watched them grow, while every so often doing

One of Guyana’s strongest assets, long before the Oil & Gas sector came alive and even before previous Presidents had wanted to make Guyana the ‘Bread Basket’ of the Caribbean, is our people Our GUYANESE; Our people both in Guyana and within the Diaspora.

President Ali made it clear in the early day/weeks of his administration that the Guyanese people, both within the diaspora and those within Guyana, must serve alongside each other in the development of OUR GUYANA. We, the Guyanese within the Diaspora are excited to see a President stand by his words and come out to the Diaspora under the umbrella of ‘Diaspora Engagement’.

Guyana is, and has always been, in my opinion, a blessed land with unparalleled opportunity. What we need is political leadership that understands our political and racial history and makes efforts to correct the wrongs of our past and engage US ALL in the building of OUR GUYANA.

ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION, ONE DESTINY

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Tony Dyal

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The Orlando Diaspora community had the honor and pleasure of listening to and engaging with Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali during his visit to Orlando on 17th September 2022.

Proclamation on Hispanic Heritage Month 2022

Hispanic communities. All of these contributions help us realize the promise of America for all Americans.

During National Hispanic Heritage Month, we reaffirm that diversity is one of our country’s greatest strengths. We also acknowledge the Hispanic leaders who have stayed in the struggle for equal justice to ensure that everyone in this Nation can contribute their talents and have the opportunity to thrive.

My Administration is committed to the success of Hispanic communities. Since coming to office, we have provided billions of dollars in loans, including to Hispanic-owned small businesses, and are working to increase the share of Government contracts going to underserved businesses by 50 percent. We have helped students, including Hispanic students, earn postsecondary degrees by providing over $10 billion to community colleges and approximately $11 billion to Hispanic-Serving Institutions. My Administration has sent billions of dollars in emergency financial aid grants directly to students and has increased the maximum Pell Grant by the largest amount in over a decade. Additionally, my Administration is providing up to $20,000 in debt relief as part of a comprehensive effort to address the burden of growing college costs. This action will have a significant impact on Hispanic borrowers, given that among Hispanic undergraduate borrowers, 65 percent receive Pell Grants. We have also strengthened rental assistance for families facing eviction and bolstered community health centers that predominately serve Hispanic patients and other patients of color. Our American Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit for 2021, providing critical relief to millions of working families and helping drive a historic reduction in Hispanic child poverty.

As we look ahead, we will continue to build a fair, humane, and orderly immigration system and fight to protect the rights of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and others who call this country home. That means continuing to support a pathway to citizenship for those with temporary protected status as well as farm workers and other essential workers. It means keeping alive the torch of

liberty that has led generations of immigrants to this land seeking new opportunities and a better future. We will also work to strengthen our partnerships with allies across Latin America.

Additionally, we are committed to reflecting the full talents of our Nation through our own Administration. I am proud to have appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, and Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman, as well as Hispanic staff at every level of the Federal Government

This month, we carry on the important work of honoring Hispanic heritage. Let us give thanks to the many generations of Hispanic leaders who have helped build this country and continue to fight for equality and justice. Let us pledge to invest in the next generation of Hispanic men and women who hold the destiny of our Nation in their hands.

In recognition of the achievements of the Hispanic community, the Congress, by Public Law 100-402, as amended, has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating September 15 through October 15 as “National Hispanic Heritage Month.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 15 through October 15, 2022, as National Hispanic Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs that celebrate Hispanic heritage and recognize the impact Hispanic peoples have had on our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

17th Annual Orlando Curry Duck Curry Contest

Curry Duck Curry is an annual curry cookoff presented by Vani’s Triple Star Productions. This family-friendly event was held at Legends Resto & Lounge and vibes for the entire family. Congrats to the winners of the 2022 17th annual Orlando Curry Duck Curry! The team that took home the 1st place trophy in 2022 was 'Split in the Middle' with head chef Lester Sinus. 2nd place went to team 'Duck ah Ting' and head chef Surran Maraj. Team 'Farmer Nigel' won the 3rd place trophy as well as People’s Choice and Best Tent.

The 2022 Winners of the Curry Duck Curry competitionFarmer Nigel "Shut the Duck Up"

This family-friendly event has been growing over the years and one of our favorite parts has always been the tasting of the Duck. This event provides for a friendly rivalry between some of the best cooks in the Orlando area, while the name suggests that the rivalry is between the Trinidadians and the Guyanese, the truth is that the competition is truly about the curry.

The CDC Judges in the tasting room at Legends

Tasa Drums performance on the deck at Legends

Life entertainment and DJ's provide the music

One of the competitors in the Annual Curry Duck Curry Competition

UHEALTH Signs Collaborative MOU with Jamaica’s Minister of Health

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and UHealth University of Miami Health System have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Jamaica’s minister of health to improve the health infrastructure in Jamaica and the Caribbean through education and collaboration.

The Miller School is the first and, to date, the only U.S. academic health care institution to sign an MOU with Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness.

“The signing of the MOU advances and formalizes the relationship which we have been building throughout the years with Jamaica and the Caribbean to provide education and health care services,” said Chad R Ritch, M.D., M.B.A., associate director, UHealth International and associate professor of urology within the Desai Sethi Urology Institute.

Dr. Ritch, who is originally from Jamaica, worked directly with Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, The Honorable Christopher Tufton, D.B.A., to orchestrate the MOU.

While the one-year MOU is aimed at opening direct lines of communication between the countries and determining how best to share knowledge and resources, there are many ways in which the collaboration might benefit Jamaica, UHealth, and the Miller School, according to Dr. Ritch.

“Dr. Tufton has mentioned the need for a U.S. academic health system with the strategic know how that could provide input as they are rebuilding their health care infrastructure, while also enhancing the quality and capacity of health care in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean,” said Dr. Ritch. “That’s one way in which UHealth and the Miller School could help, because we have a long history of building successful hospitals, specialty clinics, and educating medical professionals.”

Another way the Miller School would help is through education, including providing training for Jamaican and Caribbean health care staff at the Miller School, and orchestrating opportunities for volunteer health care staff from the U.S. to provide as-needed, on-site, short-term care for the Jamaican Ministry of Health.

“The first trip we made, we had initial discussions with our Jamaican colleagues here around the need for collaboration The Miller School is a very prestigious academic institution, with the capacity to help us build our health care infrastructure,” Dr Tufton said. “There are many reasons we are a good fit. There is a large population of Jamaicans in South Florida. And the Miller School is ideal logistically, only one plane ride away.

“It was only right that we found a collaboration with the island that will allow with the technology or easy access to medical models, whether in training or in technical exchanges of one form or another,” Dr. Tufton said. “What we are hoping to achieve here with this agreement is the basis for a conversation that can be more specific.” Cont. on pg 8

Barbados-born Rihanna to Headline next SuperBowl Halftime Show

Rihanna will take center stage at February's Super Bowl halftime show.

The singer, who declined to perform in the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show out of solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, will headline the 2023 Super Bowl, the NFL announced Sunday, September 25, 2022, along with Jay-Z's Roc Nation and Apple Music.

Rihanna posted an image on Instagram of an arm upstretched holding an NFL football.

“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn," said Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation is an executive producer of the show, in a statement.

“A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.”

The Super Bowl will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12. After years of Pepsi's sponsorship, the upcoming halftime show will be sponsored by Apple Music.

Rihanna earlier said she turned down a similar opportunity for the 2019 Super Bowl that was ultimately headlined by Maroon 5. At the time, many artists voiced

support for Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who protested police brutality against Black people and minorities by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016.

“I couldn’t dare do that. For what?” Rihanna told Vogue in 2019. “Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn’t be a sellout. I couldn’t be an enabler. There’s things within that organiastion that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way," she said of the league.

In 2019, the NFL partnered with Roc Nation (which manages Rihanna) to help pick performers for the Super Bowl and strategize on the halftime show. The widely acclaimed 2022 halftime show featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige.

With sales of more than 250 million records worldwide, Rihanna ranks as one of the best-selling female artists ever. Her last album was 2016's “Anti."

Rihanna last performed publicly at the Grammy Awards in 2018. In the years since Rihanna has occasionally teased her music return. Earlier this year, she had her first child with the rapper ASAP Rocky.

... cont'd from pg 8

“Since South Florida mirrors Jamaican and Caribbean populations, the work we do there will likely translate into the care we provide here to our local Caribbean community,” he said.

“From the perspective of the University, President Frenk’s vision is for us to be the hemispheric, the excellent, the

relevant University. And that only happens by extending the excellence that exists at University of Miami into all our sister nations in the Caribbean and Latin America,” said Henri Ford, M.D., Dean of the Miller School. “So, this is, to me, just an extension of that commitment and of who we are. It's a pleasure to be able to formalize this understanding.

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to provide funds to combat climate change

The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Tuesday said it had entered into an agreement with the Italian-based Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), to provide US$50 million to help regional countries counter the effects of climate change and support the sustainable development of Caribbean countries.

The CDB said that the financing will expand the pool loans that the region’s premier financial institution already makes available to its Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) for official development assistance in countries such as Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname.

It said the financing will help accelerate the implementation of programs launched by the Caribbean countries aimed at achieving, by 2030, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The assistance will support projects related to the management of water resources, the production of energy from renewable sources, the creation of infrastructure for sustainable mobility, and the protection of oceans, coasts, and biodiversity.”

The agreement was signed by the CDB President, Dr. Hyginus “Gene” Leon, and the Director International Development Finance Officer at CDP, Antonella Baldino, at the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations in New York.

“Climate crisis is a global challenge that requires mutual cooperation and collaboration. To this end, we are honored to join other relevant partners in support of Caribbean countries’ efforts to reach their United Nations SDG commitments,” said Antonella Baldino, the CDP’s chief international development finance officer.

Baldino said that it is a target in line with CDP’s 2022-2024 Strategic Plan that aims to promote sustainable

development and accelerate ecological transition at a global level.

Leon said that the volume of financing needed by the Caribbean countries to achieve the SDGs “will require broad support from a variety of sources, and CDB is committed to creating and strengthening partnerships that will make affordable financing available for our BMCs”.

Under the arrangements, CDB has responsibility for approval and supervision of projects financed through the Program. Projects will be implemented in compliance with CDB’s policies, procedures, and fiduciary standards, as well as social, environmental, and gender safeguards.

The loan to the CDB will allow the Bank to finance sustainable development projects in the following CARICOM countries:

Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname.

The CDP’s Antonella Baldino, (third right) and CDB’s President Dr Hyginus Leon (third left), pose with the respective members of the delegations representing Italy and the Caribbean at the signing ceremony.

Orlando Carnival Downtown team prepares to go to Guyana with a Mas Band for Cricket Carnival

DOWN TO TRUMP!

I almost got a cardiac arrest. First, it was knowing that, on the street where I lived in my youth, armed bandits demanded money from what used to be “Chin shop”. More than 660 years ago, we played cards under the street lamp a few yards from the shop, and all we feared was a police raid. Actually, my first cardiac arrest almost happened when the police, armed with what we call “bull-pestles”, raided. I ran into what was known in those days as ‘Cassava Alley’, flew up the steps of Mrs Pussin’s house, and she made me sit down at her table with her two young grandchildren, put a cup of tea and a piece of bread in front of me, and told me, “They can’t do you nothing. You here to teach the children English.”

The second cardiac arrest came when, a few minutes ago, I thought that, for a change, I would write about the games people play, including cards, dominoes and, more important in day-to-day life, the strategies we use to get what we want from others. I made the mistake of starting with the game ‘All Fours’, which goes back to the 19th century and is still popular in Trinidad and other places where Trinis live and gather. One of the interesting highlights of the game is ‘Kicking Trump’, so it might have been banned in the US if the gentleman of that name had got a second chance. I did a quick search for (and not on) ‘All Fours’ and found, “In the beginning man walked on all fours. Then he met woman. And ever since he has walked erect.”

DIFFERENT TACTIC

That was definitely not the all fours I grew up with or on, and then, after reading a constant stream of “This joke may contain profanity”, I tried a different tactic. I searched for a situation that is known as ‘down to trump’, when an entire suit is nominated as “trump” and outranks the other cards. In general use, it means any sort of action or policy which prevails over all others. As a Bridge player and columnist, I love the idea of a game where No Trump is worth more than any Trump, and Seven No Trumps is the highest you can reach. Maybe the Democrats should start up a Bridge school before the next election.

So I asked Google for “down to trump” and got pure, unadulterated, never-ending Donald Trump. There were a few I liked. “Did you hear that the US bobsled team put Donald Trump’s picture on the front of the sled? Apparently nobody else can make America go downhill faster. How does a Trump supporter explain why he cannot perform in bed? Erection fraud.” This then took me to a Vanity Fair article of October 18, 2021, which started with, “Earlier this year, Donald Trump announced to a room full of Republican donors that his sexual kinks do not involved being peed upon.” Why did he do this? Had someone in the audience raised their hand during a Q&A session and asked, ‘I was just wondering, do you enjoy having women pee on you?’ According to a report from The Washington Post, the ex-president offered the information totally unprompted, which, it has to be said, is a very odd thing to do if you’re trying to assure people you don’t enjoy being treated like a toilet.”

Behind the story, there is a rumour of a tape of Donald Trump, around 2013, “employing a gaggle of prostitutes to perform a golden shower for him on a Moscow hotel-room bed.” The reason I find the story credible is that, in October 2016, just before the presidential election, Michael Cohen,

- By TONY DEYAL

Trump’s lawyer at the time, arranged a payment of $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to stop her disclosing an affair she alleged that she and Trump had in 2006. What made it even more believable is a New York Daily News headline claiming “Stormy Daniels and Melania Trump accuse each other of being a hooker”. In fact, according to the News, “After hearing audio of Melania Trump seeming to call her a hooker, porn star Stormy Daniels accused the first lady of being the one who has sex for money”.

CONS

Having dealt with the ‘pros’, I decided to look at the ‘cons’, which, according to some people, is a group Mr Trump already heads. ‘The six essential cons that define Trump’s success’ by investigative journalist Jonathan Greenberg in The Washington Post include, “To borrow billions, Trump lies to inflate his net worth; To avoid taxes, Trump lies to deflate his net worth; To be a winner, Trump makes losers of those he does business with; To win in politics, Trump makes voters believe that his presidency benefits them; To avoid accountability, Trump makes the media, and truth, the “enemy of the people”; and, to stoke fear, Trump recasts perpetrators as victims.”

In an article ‘Is Trump the greatest conman of all time?’ poet and author Jay Sizemore writes, “Donald Trump’s success as a con artist may be unrivalled. There are many conman success stories throughout history, but few who have been able to sustain their grifts for as long as Trump has managed and, among them, only Donald Trump can claim to have risen to the most powerful role of leadership in the free world. He was elected to the office of President of the United States despite all known examples of his character, utilizing only his celebrity status and a list of empty promises, having a grand sum of absolutely zero political experience or expertise. A successful con, if ever there was one. Trump has had a long history of defrauding people out of money, a habit that has had him brought to court over four thousand times …. The more you dig into the Trump name, the more dirt, corruption, greed, and examples of audacious fraud you are apt to find.”

Yet, despite the pros and cons, Trump still not only has many allies but also tells a lot of them. CNN, in ‘The 15 most notable lies of Donald Trump’s presidency’, includes what is considered “The most telling lie: It didn’t rain on his inauguration.” It did and, like his leadership and presidency, got worse. It poured. CNN says that Trump’s most dangerous lie was that corona virus was under control, and the most ridiculous subject of a lie was the Boy Scouts. Trump boasted that “the head of the Boy Scouts” had called him to say that a speech Trump made at the Scouts National Jamboree was “the greatest speech ever made to them”. This never happened. Obviously Trump was up to his usual scouting for plaudits. If there are any pros in this lie-centious tale, it is what CNN considers “The most traditional big lie: Trump didn’t know about the payment to Stormy Daniels.” Of course, the most depressing lie at the time was that Trump won the election, and worse, that he might be the GOP candidate in 2024.

*Tony Deyal was last seen saying that, unlike Trump, male leaders in the Caribbean don’t have any stormy public reactions to their womanising. It is always weather for leather.

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