Pepperpot 05 08 2016

Miss Yvonne Webber of St. Anslem, Barima River, Region One displays her freshly harvested turmeric rhizomes

â–ş Page XXI

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Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

Philip Moore Artists’ Retreat & Maroon Sculpture Walk

At Yukuriba Heights

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oving along before leaving The Trail To Rupununi,I want to return briefly to that member of the team Harban Singh, mainly because looking back, I’ve decided he’s a character – yeah, Harban Singh is definitely a character. I always visualize him... hands akimbo standing below my cabin (...was my first cabin at Yukuriba Heights, built high off the ground with steps visitors from the city called ”the ship’s ladder” while Amerindians, first time they saw it, always questioned: “Ms Joan, you frighten tiger or wuh?); that’s how I remember Harban Singh... looking up at me, declaring, “we going to make a movie, Joan”. ...happens that we are going to make a movie; it was promised since 1989 in the final paragraph of the obituary I wrote following Capt Roy Bowen’s death that year: “a video film entitled “the Life & Times of Capt. Roy is expected to be released in 1990.” Looking back on it, that claim at the

In the picture (left) with Ministry of Infrastructure Engineer Ronley Marcus, Kelvin Stephens and tree-spotter, Lloyd Bennett...am inspecting a disappointing job done on the Yukuriba access road by the contractor; this is not what we expected the road to look like at this stage, even before the heavy rains...Harban Singh poses (right) with one of the Trail To Rupununi pontoon sections. time was over ambitious. However, without the attrition and irritation of so many years battling to withstand the erstwhile PPPC government in court, as well as their affiliated land grabbers, we could’ve made that movie by now. Finally, the movie will be made and Harban Singh naturally, will be featured in this film as will be the Trail To Rupununi; Before The Road To Brazil.

Fortuitously, Yukuriba Heights’ Media ► Continued on page III

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

Philip Moore Artists’ Retreat & Maroon Sculpture Walk ► From page II

and Communications Representative Amanda Wilson, happens to be a filmmaker.

I distinctly remember Capt Roy’s alarm...his words to me after I put on the siren in my throat and screamed to discourage settlement of the Trail to Rupununi ‘s advance guard – “Camo?” (Capt. called me Camo...short for Cambridge) “You gone mad?” ...can’t remember my response, but had I thought of it at the time the response would’ve been – No, Capt. Roy, I’ve not gone mad, but it seems to me that “Capitalism” is getting ready to unleash some madness with major plans to establish an asylum right here on Yukuriba Heights.

From hindsight....can’t tell you how much I’ve thanked my maroon ancestors for the foresight to release my scream that day; chasing away Harban Singh and his confusion.... Today...am only looking forward to a sanctuary for creative minds at Yukuriba Heights, even though...can’t help wondering from time to time, WHAT IF...?

However, enough of all the retrospection...want to leave Terry Fletcher and that pioneering team of Trail To Rupununi adventurers, at Kurupukari , where they managed to establish a pontoon crossing and are about to move on Southward to the Rupununi and the Brazilian Border at Lethem; they’ve got a hell of a story to tell replete with pictures of that which was Before the Road to Brazil....other stories I’ve heard about Singh’s aberrations justify my description of him as “a character” but those must be left now to be told by his fellow Trail To Rupununi adventurers. ...want to deal with WHAT IS! What will be happening at Yukuriba in the future; The Maroon Sculpture Walk leading the visitor into a Yukuriba Creative Community experience.

As described before, The Maroon Sculpture Walk...first of its kind in the Caribbean and part of The Philip Moore Artists’ Retreat, will be created by artists of all ages and nationalities invited to be a part of a memorial dedicated to the Maroons Of The Amer-

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icas in this United Nations Designated Decade For People Of African Descent. It will bring together a unique collection of original permanent creations that marry art, history and conservation. Every sculpture along the trail will reflect maroon life.

The Julian Mayfield Foundation is the patron of Yukuriba Creative Farming Community. Julian Mayfield, novelist , essayist, playwright and actor, was a Senior Special Political Advisor to President Forbes Burnham. The Julian Mayfield Papers are housed in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; New York Public Library, Archives & Manuscripts; archives. nypl.org/scm/20734. I am Julian Mayfield’s widow.

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Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

Points of Departure The politics of shaping a cultural identity (Pt. 1)

By Dominique Hunter A few weeks ago, before Mercury went retrograde and threw the entire world off its axis (at least mine anyway), I was moved to pay a visit to the archives here at the Guyana Chronicle. To say that I went there with a master plan to implement the groundwork for uncovering some remarkable story buried deep within their collection of aged papers, would be giving myself undue credit.

The truth is, in the weeks leading up to our Independence month I simply recognized the need to reflect on and contemplate

the “progress” we’ve made thus far regarding our cultural identity. And hoped that perhaps somewhere in the process of reflecting we could possibly find the answers to questions long forgotten.

For quite some time I’ve had my own ideas about the cultural shift that occurred “back then” and of course, these could easily be dismissed as uninformed or completely inaccurate. But it’s hard for me to imagine a more clouded vision of cultural identity than the one Guyanese are currently burdened by. It’s disheartening to think of our dependence on validation from “outside”

as this perfect cultural model that we’ve trained ourselves to take cues from. We’ve been subject to a special kind of slow torture, one that simultaneously casts a confusion spell every time we get too close to figuring things out.

But despite my own cynicism about our current situation, it was important for me to shelve those opinions and seek out accounts closer to historical facts of the time. I wanted a better understanding of the concerns and proposed solutions of our creative minds during the pre-independence period. I wanted to at

least try my luck at making sense of this vacuous space we’ve found ourselves in 50 years later. And maybe, somewhere along the way, an explanation could be offered up as to why after all this time and with all the modern conveniences we could ever dream of, we still can’t seem to get it right.

It was (and in many ways still is) quite a challenge, as a millennial, to truly understand the general mood among creative practitioners 50 years ago. Our country was on the cusp of removing the shackles of colonialism and, for the first time, shaping an identity independent of British influence. Wiping the slate clean became top priority and those individuals were at the forefront, leading the charge with calls for an entirely new cultural identity.

But how did they tackle the issue of shaping a cultural identity for a space filled with such diverse cultures, and what were the repercussions of that undertaking?

One of the buzzwords at the time seemed to be “integration.” Papers were being written and lectures were delivered emphasizing the importance of integration at the delicate stage of our rebirth as an independent nation.

In an April 5, 1966 column

in the Guiana Graphic titled Revolution inside the Caribbean, the columnist Lucian wrote: “These papers and lectures deal with economic integration in the region, political ideology, the strategies of economic development, social stratification and cultural pluralism.”

The papers and lectures Lucian referred to in his column were a part of the weeklong Third Conference of Caribbean Scholars hosted at Queen’s College and the University of Guyana (the first of which was launched at the University of Puerto Rico in 1961 followed three years later by the second conference at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica).

The objective of this discourse was to propose, and later implement, ideas for sustainable frameworks in which meaningful works could be accomplished in their respective fields.

As with most discourses of this nature, the challenge is always getting the wider public to understand the value of having these conversations.

In order for this to happen, it is important that those discussions are properly launched beyond university walls and away from environments that threaten to have them shelved

in dusty, under-utilized libraries.

There is a very real danger of great ideas being birthed and buried in the confines of those spaces simply because they are only discussed among academics in universities, effectively shutting out John Public.

This culture of exclusion is at the root of the public’s inability and unwillingness to actively participate in deliberations that will ultimately shape their experiences as citizens. This was one such concern that Lucian expressed in his writings, fearing the collapse of this structure that promised to provide sustainability across the board.

In next week’s article I’d like to venture a bit further into his idea of “cultural pluralism,” or the concept that minority groups can exist on their own terms within a larger society without compromising their own cultural identities.

Questions of whether or not this concept of cultural pluralism is still applicable to us will be addressed, as well as its connection to/ distinction from the late Stuart Hall’s concept of multiculturalism.

(Points of Departure is a four part series inspired by the preindependence writings of several columnists of the then Guiana Graphic. The series is intended to reflect on key areas of cultural development and planning that were in discussions leading up the country’s departure from its British colonizer. As the name suggests, those discussions will be used as indicators to track the initial course of ideas proposed by thinkers of the time to present day realities.)

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

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An adopted home, interracial marriage, and working mother …

How Suzanne Plummer managed it all

By Akola Thompson From a young age, now 53-year-old Suzanne Plummer moved from home to home before finally settling in Albertown, Georgetown with her adopted family.

Before being adopted, Suzanne explained, she had been a “painfully shy child” with low self-esteem but her growing interest in reading and competitive sports coupled with the abundance of love from her adopted parents, saw her becoming a more self-assured young woman.

Following closely in her adopted parents’ steps with regard to social works, Suzanne became very active and was constantly picked to represent Guyana at many events overseas such as the Canada World Youth and World Assembly of Youth. At 17, she even did a six-month youth exchange program in Canada before finally securing her first job at the Ministry of Health.

Seeking to empower herself and gain a solid education, Suzanne enrolled in Chritchlow Labor College where she succeeded in all areas, except Mathematics and as such, did not get to graduate.

At the time she had begun selling Insurance and while she went back to Chritchlow in order to rewrite Mathematics, after two months, she became disheartened and dropped out.

“The timings clashed with some of my Insurance activities and I was making good commission at the time, so I consoled myself, stupidly, that I was making money and the Diploma didn't matter. I wish I had paid more attention,” she said.

After selling insurance for 10 years, Suzanne began working at Hotel Tower as a Restaurant Manager, and thus began a 25 year old career in the field.

Currently, she is employed at Bob Evans Farm Inc. as Manager in Training.

“I enjoy working here,” she said, “I like the customer service aspect most about my job. I have a good relationship with guests and staff.”

Work life aside, Suzanne explained how at the age of 24, she and her husband Derek Plummer got married and are now in their 30th year of marriage.

With her husband being of East Indian descent and her, African, Suzanne said that when they first got together, everyone would stare at them. “I guess they weren’t accustomed to the tall Coolie boy and the short Black girl,” she said.

While many whispered behind their backs, she said, she quickly formed a close relationship with her in-laws, a relationship which still remains strong to this day.

However, being accepted into the family did not stop outside forces from targeting them, she said.

One time, she and her husband went to her husband’s family’s house in Wakenaam for a wedding. They were there for two days with other friends and were treated hospitably, however, one of the uncle’s begun banging on the door to the bedroom they were in late one night, shouting, “I want the

black Burnham girl outta deh.”

She became so frightened by the racial slurs and loud banging that they immediately left, even after the host and other guests tried to dissuade them.

Suzanne said while things are definitely better than they were in past years for interracial couples, there is still much work to be done to truly breed acceptance.

“We need to be more tolerant of others and enlarge our circle of love. Too often we love our family and friends but show little or no compassion or tolerance to strangers or others who are different.”

Speaking about her children, Suzanne said that when they were born, “I would make up special songs for each of them.

It didn’t matter that I couldn’t sing I always tried for them. I taught them hymns and Sunday school songs and read to them at night. I wanted to be the best that I could for them.”

Being very faith based, Suzanne explained that going to school and church was non-negotiable in their home. Only in sickness or in the event of something extremely important would she allow one to miss church. “If you could go to party and stay out late you could go to church,” she said, adding that her two eldest children are both University graduates while the youngest currently attends Bishops High School.

One of her regrets was never being able to teach her children to cook as she herself was not very domesticated. “I was also not very good at plaiting the girls hair; they had long thick hair. When I sent them to school with one hair style, they came home with another.”

While Suzanne tried her best to stay at home, the fact remained that she was a working mother and as such, often had to balance too many things at a time.

“Once, I was attending a board meeting at the YWCA and I suddenly remembered my baby had to be picked up by a certain time. When I reached to the day care, the caregiver was at the gate with my daughter, the place was locked up and everyone had left. I felt very embarrassed. I made sure that this never happened again,” she said.

For many years, in an effort to ensure her children had the things they needed, Suzanne sacrificed and often left herself wanting as her children’s needs were more important than her own. At one point she only owned one working shoe, one walking sneakers and one church shoe, continuously saving money so as to send her children to private school.

“When I enrolled them, at the time I felt that they had a better chance of doing well as they were late starters. It was sometime during that period that my younger daughter said that since they were going to private school, like this fridge only had ice and water.”

While they never lacked food, they Suzanne Plummer with her husband and children could never afford to stock up their fridge and many times, she and her husband went She believes that conscious efforts should be made at the without to ensure that the children ate. community and village level in an effort to have youths from Despite the many sacrifices she was already making, Suvarying backgrounds and ethnicities interact at an early age. zanne along with her husband decided that she would build “We should celebrate our differences. I always told our a new home as she had inherited houses from her adopted children that they had the best of both of their parents and I parents and wanted to do the same for her children. do believe that, I hope they do.”

While Suzanne and her family are by no means rich, Of course, her marriage has had its challenges, but she they certainly are more comfortable than they have been credits her husband as being a good man who is a great pro- in years. Owing their success and happiness to their strong vider and father to their children who are aged 28, 25 and 14. faith and love for each other.

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Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

By Subraj Singh

Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood

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irst published in 1965, Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is now considered a classic of the non-fiction genre of literary works.

With literary non-fiction now becoming noticeable in the literary landscape of Guyana (Gaiutra Ba-

hadur’s excellent Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture is one of the factors that has revitalized the conversation regarding a category for non-fiction books in the Guyana Prize’s list of awards), it is prudent to return to the past and observe those seminal works of literary non-fiction that

have been regarded as the forerunners of works being produced today. In Cold Blood certainly ranks high in this canon of literature.

The book presents the curious and morbid case of the Clutter family – four of whom (Herbert and Bonnie Clutter, along with their teenage children, Kenyon

(Penguin Books, 2000) and Nancy) were brutally gunned down in their prosperous home in Holcomb, Kansas. The murders were particularly shocking because a motive for the murders was initially difficult to uncover, as there were no definite suspects, and because the entire Clutter family was well-liked, well respected and considered to be the ideal, successful American family.

Capote’s book offers a unique glance at the crime by providing large doses of the backstory – presenting each of the Clutters to the reader and, in a very literary form, outlining the last day of their life while simultaneously giving depth to each of them

by thoroughly presenting their personalities and characteristics based on their interactions with people in the community. Thus, the characters are made intimately human and their tragic demise is made all the more real and disturbing because of this.

Shockingly, Capote employs the same tactics when dealing with the two men who committed the murders: Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The lives of these men are offered up to the reading in extreme detail. In this way, we learn of Smith’s childhood abuse and of Hickock once being a star athlete who had the potential for college. De-

tails such as these coupled with the voices of friends and family ultimately makes the killers as human as the Clutters. There are subtle moments in the book, such as when Hickock makes an authentically funny joke and you, the reader, laugh at it only to ponder moments later why you laughed at something a mass murderer said over fifty years ago. Such is the skill of Capote.

The book itself works as a thriller. It is tense and riveting, from the beginning – where the key characters are presented – up to the end in the courtroom scenes that are so taut with tension and so well written that they read as though they belong in a movie. Also commendable is the restraint and discipline found in Capote’s writing.

The night of the murder and the events that actually transpired, for example, are tantalizingly withheld from the reader until the second half of the book and yet, everything leading up to that point remains interesting enough so that the reader never loses focus.

As a work of non-fiction, Capote also manages to transport the reader back in time to rural America in the late 1950s.

Images from old days, such as Nancy and her boyfriend at the river-side or the killers hitchhiking on country roads or the awful treatment of children in that era, are almost foreign to the Millenial mind.

Thankfully, Capote is remarkable at representing the era, managing to take the reader there and keeping him/her trapped in that place until the last page of the book.

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

VII

Mother’s Day

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Hello Everyone, hope this week has treated you well.

Since today is Mother’s Day, I decided to write on its importance and on a mother – child relationships in relation to mental health. I’d also like to dedicate this piece to my own mother, Tracy Vieira, who’s been there for me more times than I could ever write about.

So, how did Mother’s Day come about?

It was first celebrated in 1908 by a woman named Anna Jarvis who at the time held a memorial service for her mother who had passed away.

She also trademarked the phrase “second Sunday in May” where it is annually celebrated in over 46 countries around the world. However, it is important to note that it isn’t always celebrated on this day. For example, in England, Mother’s Day is in March.

Why is it important to celebrate?

Truthfully, I cannot think of a more thankless job; I should say jobs, as mothers are usually also chefs, alarms, pharmacies/ nurses/ doctors, nannies, drivers, guards, teachers, cleaners and so much more. It has no pay raises and no vacations, and usually very little notice. A mother is expected to be there at all times.

The truth is, and you don’t have to be a mother to know this, but mothers need encouragement too. They need to know how important they are and the good job they are doing. That’s what today (but truthfully every day) is for.

The mother and child relationship is undoubtedly one of the most important. It is our mom that teaches us how to nurture and love.

There is the attachment theory proposed by John Bowlby in 1958 which suggests that a child’s emotional, physical and cognitive development depends on the relationship with their mother.

A child does not feel safe or secure unless in the presence of his/her mother. The attachment theory proposes that babies form attachments easily- first to the mother who feeds them but also to other comforting items such as teddy bears or blankets. The mother/child relationship will determine how serious these other attachments are.

For example, a child who does not receive good comfort from the mother will gravitate to the comforting items for a longer period. These are the ones who are attached to their toys until an unusual age.

In regards to addiction, the theory believes that these children are the ones who will most likely grow up with a substance abuse problem- switching their coping mechanism from toys to drugs.

Therefore, the relationship is a lot more important to our development and general well- being than we think.

I would also like to give a shout out to all the secondary mothers out there. You know who you are. You are the ones who love, guide and protect other children as your own. I’m lucky to have countless of these inspirational women in my life.

They too deserve praise and kind words today (and every day) We tend to take our mothers for granted as we believe a mother is “supposed” to be happy doing all these things as we hear that being a mother is one of the most rewarding jobs there is.

However, it’s time we take the day for them.

Let’s cook and clean for them, treat them today and make sure to let them know how much you love and appreciate them. I’m very grateful to be given the opportunity today to show my mother just how much she means to me. What are you going to do with yours?

Thank you for reading. Please continue to write in to caitlinvieira@gmail.com OR come in to see me at Woodlands Hospital. For issues with drug and alcohol – Monday’s at 4:30. For general mental health issues- Wednesday’s at 4:30 in the outpatient department.

Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!

If you’re not great with words, read this poem to your mom/ secondary mothers. It is one that is very special to me as it reminds me of the relationship I have with mine:

More Than A Mother

by Kari Keshmiry When God set the world in place, when He hung the stars up in space, when He made the land and the sea, then He made you and me.

He sat back and saw all that was good, He saw things to be as they should.

Just one more blessing He had in store; He created a mother, but whatever for?

He knew a mother would have a special place to shine His reflection on her child's face.

A mother will walk the extra mile just to see her children smile.

She'll work her fingers to the bone to make a house into a home.

A mother is there to teach and guide, a mother will stay right by your side.

She'll be there through your pain and strife, she'll stay constant in your life.

A mother will lend a helping hand until you have the strength to stand.

She'll pick you up when you are down, when you need a friend she'll stick around.

A mother is one who listens well, will keep her word; will never tell.

A mother never pokes or pries but stands quietly by your side, giving you the strength you need, encouraging you to succeed.

A mother is one who can be strong when you need someone to lean on.

You're more than a mother to me; a reflection of Him in your face I see, a love that knows no boundaries.

I'm glad that you chose to be all this and more to me.

You share a love that knows no end, you're more than my mother, you are my friend.

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An infected tooth

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t is quite possible for a tooth with an old restoration, filling, or crown, to be infected while symptom free. That is, there is no pain or sensitivity to pressure or temperature changes. The only obvious warning is a characteristic

mouth odour that is quite unpleasant. The pain of a typical tooth infection is the result of pressure build-up of the gaseous and liquid by-products of the infection. Those by-products, when forced through to the apex of the tooth’s root and into the supporting bone,

cause an abscess.

In the painless, infected tooth, pressure develops, but the by-products of the infection establish drainage out through the leaking, decaying filling, and supporting bone does not become involved. No evidence of infection will be present on an x-ray film. The

tooth is really a dead one. Left untreated, exudates from the infection tooth drain into the mouth and on into the stomach, contributing to an illness possibly on a senior patient with a less efficient immune system. The only treatment that will save infected roots from extraction is a root canal.

Infected tissue is removed, and root canals are filled with a product called gutta-percha that prevents another infection. For strength and permanence, posts may be placed in those canals and a crown may be applied if necessary to protect from decay or future fracture.

Because a toothache patient is often desperate many would go to the pharmacy where pain killers and antibiotics are sold to fight the suspected infection. But this is not the correct thing to do for many reasons. The pain of an infected tooth is difficult to relieve without the proper analgesic, even with a narcotic pain-killing drug. The antibiotic takes days to reach infected tissue and will only delay proper treatment while allowing for a more serious infection that involves supporting bone. Besides, the

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

dentist is the only trained professional who can decide the treatment procedure in accordance with the stage and development of the infection. For example, a dental abscess has three stages with a different treatment for each stage.

A toothache is considered an emergency and all dentists should atDr. BERTRAND R. STUART, DDS. tend to the patient without delay or cost tremendously. appointment. Often, it is Once the problem necessary to anaesthetise, of a serious toothache is open and drain an infected resolved the next step a tooth. Once pulpal drainage patient should take is to has been established, pres- request a thorough densure that creates extreme tal examination to learn pain is immediately relieved, where his or her next dental pain stops, and the infection problem is likely to be. An drains (pus) and does not infected tooth is no fun for spread into supporting bone. anyone. Fortunately, it can Of course, there are other be prevented. My advice is options. If root canal therapy to check with your dentist with a post and crown cannot at least every three months be afforded, an extraction to ensure your mouth is in can be done, which no doubt good standing. If you cancan be an expensive mistake not afford braces, bridges since the tooth should be re- or dentures, at least do not placed failing which multiple go through the suffering of problems can result obvious- a serious toothache. ly sending up the corrective

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

IX

How Wilkie was freed of rape in 1965

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woman who was raped and robbed by three (3) men in 1965 told investigators that she had identified the appellant by the side of his face and his voice.

At the jury trial, she added: “I recognised the appellant Wilkie by his voice, his rising cheek bone, straight nose large ears and a cut on the nose bridge between eyes.”

However under cross-examination she admitted, “ I did not give such a detailed description either to the police or to the magistrate at the Preliminary Inquiry.”

As a consequence, on appeal, the Guyana Court of Appeal, allowed the appeal and quashed the conviction and sentence. Wilkie was freed.

The facts of the case dis-

the gate, looked at him and recognized him by his high cheek bone.

Later, as a result of a report, the appellant was arrested and taken to the station where the victim subsequently confirmed that he was one of her assailants.

At the trial in the High Court, she said that she recognized the appellant by his rising cheek bones, straight nose, large ears and a cut on his nose-bridge between his eyes, but she admitted in cross-examination that she had not given such a detailed description either to the Magistrate or to the police, but had told the Magistrate that she had only seen the side of his face.

The Guyana Court of Appeal constituted by Chancellor Kenneth Stoby, Justices Luckhoo and Cummings at a

closed that on September 14, 1965, the woman was sleeping in a room with her four children whilst her husband was out at work. About 5 a.m., three masked men entered the home, covered her face and proceeded to rob and rape her.

The next day, whilst the victim was sitting on her neighbour’s step, she saw a man who came up close to her and asked her to allow him to pass.

She said she recognised his voice and she went to

trial in May, 1967, held that the verdict of the jury was unreasonable because (i) it was clear that identification of the appellant was really by voice since she did not see his face as it was covered and she only saw the side of the face when the men were leaving ; (ii) although there may be circumstances in which it may be proper to convict by the mere identification of a voice, this was not such a case, and (iii) it was the duty of the trial Judge to have stressed to the jury (which he

had not done) that what was originally a “voice” identification became, at the trial, a “features” identification .

Mr. C. A. Massiah represented the appellant, while Mr. C.A. G. Pompey, then Senior Crown Counsel, appeared for the respondent.

Delivering the judgment, Chancellor Stoby, said the main issue was identification.

There was no doubt of the house being broken and entered , of the robbery and of the rape.

Chancellor Stoby noted that several grounds of appeal have been argued, but in view of the decision to which the court has come it is only necessary to deal with the main ground, and that is, that the verdict of the jury was unreasonable.

The principle on which the court proceeded in a matter of this kind where a ground of appeal is that the verdict is unreasonable is well-known and has been set out in a number of cases.

After analyzing a number of cases, Chancellor Stoby added, if one analyses very briefly the evidence of identification in this case, this is what took place: The man who entered the victim’s house had his face covered; the woman’s face was covered after the three men entered.

In the Magistrate’s Court she told the Magistrate that she only saw the side of the face of the man who she alleged raped her.

In the High Court, when giving evidence, she said that she recognized the appellant because of his rising cheek bones a, straight nose, large ears, and a cut on his nose bridge between the eyes.

In cross-examination when it was pointed out to her that she had not said that in the Magistrate’s Court , and indeed had not given that

description to the police, she repeated that she recognized him because of his high cheek bones, the cut on his face , his large ears, and so on. She admitted that she did not give that description to the police and she admitted that she did not give those details in the Magistrate’s Court.

Accordingly to the Chancellor, obviously then, there are certain disturbing circumstances about the identification. It is quite evident that

By George Barclay the identification was really by voice that she came to the conclusion that the appellant was one of the three men who had raped her because of his voice.

“Since she did not see his face, since her face was covered and since the only time she had an opportunity of

seeing the side of his face was when the men were leaving, it is quite clear to us that what aroused her suspicion was the tone of his voice,” Chancellor Stoby declared, as he allowed the appeal and set aside the conviction and sentence.

Justices Luckhoo and Cummings concurred.

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Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

Making The 50Th R E M U S N O C Anniversary Celebrations Safer And Richer In this offering, we will revisit two issues related to the 50th Anniversary Independence celebrations.

The first is the elimination or at least containing the resurgence of high- profile crime countrywide and the other is securing the gains

which were made during the Georgetown and countrywide clean-up campaign.

In robberies to-day, the criminals are armed with firearms which they have no hesitation in using in a reckless manner, almost always shooting to kill.

These murders are embellished and elaborated in the West Indian and Guyanese communities abroad.

Quick action needs to be taken. The Guyana Consumers Association (GCA) has suggested to the Private Sector that they urgently ask

Government, Opposition and the Police to a meeting to address the issue and work out a Plan of Action in both short and long term.

For the short term, the GCA, among other things, feels that for the next ten weeks we should have in-

CONCERNS:

tense.

Police patrols and presence when visitors come in.

The Police do this exercise quite successfully during the Christmas holiday season. Then the newly-elected Local Government bodies countrywide should be involved in the anti-crime drive. Our political leaders have to play an essential role in this effort. The community Police and vigilante groups have to be resuscitated or organized countrywide and crash training should be carried out. The Police have to be prepared and resolute in using firearms according to their Regulations, especially against armed bandits and criminals, and should be able to do so without fear of political or other sanctions. The public must be disabused of the growing assumption that the Authorities are more concerned with the welfare of the criminals than of the victims or the public. An intense and concerted educational campaign has to be carried out to cultivate the belief in the public that harbouring or in any other way succouring criminals is against their interest.

This column has complimented the Authorities on the achievements so far of the clean-up campaign. The drainage has improved in many parts of Georgetown and much of the accumulated garbage has been removed. A great deal of excess grass and vegetation has been cleared.

The drainage of the City and the countryside has to be maintained. Many of the drains and canals have been cleared but the culverts are still clogged up. In the Belair Gardens and contiguous Subryanville area, for example, though great relief was provided when the drains were cleaned, flooding will still re-occur since the culverts are all choked. Government and the M&CC could well use this area as a pilot project for culvert-cleaning since it is comparatively simple to do so, and it is strategic in that it would provide immediate relief to the populous Kitty-Campbellville district as well.

PAT DIAL There are one or two areas of downtown Georgetown that still needs to be immediately addressed: Around the Plaisance and UG bus terminals at Regent and Avenue of the Republic and the northern drain outside the Guyana and Trinidad Insurance Company still flood at the lightest of showers inconveniencing thousands of people every day.

The problem seemed to be caused by some small blockage of the drain and if the City Engineer uses any of his old experienced workers they would be likely to solve the problem.

Another improvement which could easily be done is to use the excess earth cleared from the canals to build up the road shoulders and the very low parapets.

This would save the roads from deterioration and make them safer for motorists and pedestrians.

The clean-up campaign was largely done by private contractors. The City Engineer must now deploy his staff to do the maintenance, especially cleaning the drains and weeding the parapets which is well within their remit. Except the gains are maintained, the City could quickly revert to its sorry state.

If these two issues are successfully addressed in the short term, the 50th Anniversary celebrations would be a greater success providing a happy experience to all visitors.

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

XI

Gadinelli’s ‘El Dorado’ shows he means business T

By Telesha Ramnarine

Gadinelli

much more than Georgetown. So in the song, I included Lethem, Bartica, Essequibo and so forth. I visited all these other places and stayed for months

ERRENCE Lavon Telford-Hicks, 25, was born to Guy-

at a time in some of them. So I can connect to the song. Listening to it tells

anese parents in the United States of America (USA),

a story from beginning to end.”

but for all his life, he felt he never belonged there. His heart has always been in Guyana.

Gadinelli, who still have lots of family members in Georgetown and

Linden, started off singing R&B music but soon after found that this was

Perhaps it’s because of the stories his grandparents told

not his passion. “I wanted to get more in touch with the Guyanese culture.

him about Guyana, or his regular visits here that propel him to want to do

I needed to reach out in some sort of a way. My focus now is international

something for the country through his music. “I never really felt American…

Soca with a Latin vibe.”

if that makes sense. I’m a history freak. I love history. That drew me back BREAKTHROUGH

also,” he told the Chronicle in an interview a few days ago.

The 25-year-old, also known as “TJ” and “Gadinelli” on stage, is currently focusing on becoming an international Soca artiste and is here this

Gadinelli said he got his breakthrough in music when he was just about

time around to perform with founder of Wildfire Entertainment Jonathan

10 years old in a community center for youths in the USA. There, he began

Beepat on the Golden Children Project for the upcoming Independence

doing African drumming and realized that with this talent, he could do so

festival.

much more.

Gadinelli’s song, called El Dorado, which he will be performing on In-

He had entertained thoughts of becoming a teacher and football coach,

dependence Day, is already out there with fans providing positive feedback

among many others, but decided to pursue music in honour of an uncle, the

to the singer.

now deceased David Telford, who was murdered back in the 1990s.

“This visit to Guyana is quite different, although I come here at least once

His uncle was an aspiring rapper but never got to see his career succeed.

a year. In the past it was just about pure fun and no work. But this time is

“So I wanted to help live out my uncle’s dream. He continues to live in his

different. Each day I have to keep focused on work.”

nieces and nephews,” he expressed.

Commenting on his song, he said: “I wanted to do something for Guyana.

Along with his music ambitions, Gadinelli intends to obtain a degree

I wanted to go deeper than the 50th Independence. I wanted to let people

in Ethic Studies and a minor in Spanish, while pursuing his dream of

know about Guyana on the whole. I wanted to share that the country is

marrying a Guyanese girl.

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Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

‘I am a better woman because of my son’

- A young woman explains why she chose to become a young mother than aborting her baby

G

By Akola Thompson rowing up in a life in which she wanted for many things, when now 26-year-old Samantha Robinson found out she was going to become a mother at 20, she became worried as to the life she would be able to provide for her child.

“I was unprepared on every level,” she said, “financially and emotionally- I was a child myself.”

Despite realizing that she was still trying to figure out life, Samantha convinced herself that abortion was not an option for her as her mother, whom she has a very close relationship with, encouraged her to have her son and give him a chance at life.

So, deciding to listen to her mother, Samantha remained in Kitty, Georgetown, taking care of her two younger siblings while her mother, who is a single parent and the breadwinner of the family, continued running her business which was located in Mahdia.

Upon, Ethan Robinson’s birth, her now five year old son, Samantha vowed to always put her son first, despite how she may feel and what she would lose as he was what mattered now.

For the first few months, Sa- Samantha Robinson mantha struggled to make ends meet and provide a loving home for her son but six months after her son’s birth, they lost their home to arson. To this day, they still do not know who burned their house down and the reason behind the act.

With nowhere to live and the daily struggle of surviving, Samantha left Guyana to visit her son’s father in Barbados. The plan she said was to visit for six months and return but when the time came for them to return home, she left Ethan behind.

The two parents, for the welfare of their child made the decision to have their son remain in Barbados so that he could be better provided for.

“It was the biggest, saddest sacrifices I ever had to make in my entire life on this

earth thus far but at the same time it was the best decision for Ethan,” said Samantha.

At the time, both her son’s father “was studying at UWI,” she said, so his mother would normally do everything for Ethan while they sorted themselves out.

Upon her return home, Samantha said that she faced judgment from many people, especially women who wondered how she as a woman and mother could leave her son in another country.

Many still judge me, she said, they believe it was an easy decision but over the years I’ve had sleepless nights in which I just cried for my son but I continued living happy because I knew he was taken care of.

“Those who choose to judge and continue to judge me for my decision were not the ones who were trying to help me out of the situation I was in at the time, so I tried my best to ignore it all and try to better myself so that I myself could provide a life for my son down the line,” she said.

With the option of going back to school now open to her, Samantha returned to Carnegie, the school of Home Economics and completed her culinary courses where she graduated with credits. She shortly after opened her own food business and does catering from home.

Currently, Samantha is in Barbados spending time with her son as she wanted to spend mother’s day with him and let him know that she will always be there for him.

“My son wasn't a mistake at all. Despite what I have been through, I don’t regret my decision.

“I love being a mother and being a better woman because of my son,” she said, “my only interest is to provide for him and make sure he is happy and well taken care of.”

Ethan Robinson

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

WIZ PHIL

XIII

– the unlikely rapper

W

By Nafeeza Yahya

hen rap music is mentioned most people associate it with violence, explicit lyrics, or “dissing’ someone but “Wiz Phil” is changing that. He uses rap to propel positive messages to combat social ills such suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence among others.

His real name is Phillip Anthony Geer, and he classes as an up and coming singer/songwriter/producer and compose. He lives with his parents and sister at their home in Nigg village on the Corentyne Coast.

The young man has been taking the social media by storm with his catchy raps about everyday social problems. He has caught the attention of the organizers of the 50th Anniversary celebrations and is slated to perform live on May 20th at the National Stadium.

Geer, the son of a Pastor, said his love for music started in the church at an early age as he was part of the choir. As he got older, he started playing several instruments and did his first recording at age 16 and decided that this was his calling.

From then to 2016 he has over forty tracks under his belt with several compilations including one with popular Jamaican artist Shawn English, Life over death, a track about suicide.

“I started to do recording around 16; I started doing covers then I wanted to produce my own music and help other artiste produce their music.

“Back when I started, it was only a mike and a computer

in a small space at my home, but as my love grew for music I expanded.”

Whiz Phil now has a well-equipped studio and has his own production label WizPhil Productions Inc and writes all of his songs himself. He records them and then posts them on his YouTube channel WizPhil music. In some instances he produces his own videos as well.

“I wrote and recorded lots of songs but not all are on social media. One of the first that was made public was ‘Dem ah real’ based on fake friends 2014.” This was done with several other talented artiste from Rose Hall Town including Abel

and Ado. Wiz Phil has performed at several shows in his hometown of Berbice as well as Georgetown. He does his own promotion as well but is hoping that the copyright laws are implemented soon.

“I believe that the copyright law should be implemented; that will be a great thing. You will actually get value for your work. You can actually make something off your music and reinvest into promoting more and it can be air played internationally.

He is also calling on the local radio stations and local DJs to do their part to promote local artists.

Even though Wiz Phil loves rap he also does dancehall, Hip Hop and a combination of each as well. In fact, he is currently working on a hip hop track for the 50th anniversary as he was selected to do same based on his recent performances.

Wiz Phil said he gets his motivation and inspiration from real life events and looks to see how he can make a difference in at least one person’s life. His most recent song, Life over Death, was inspired by the recent spate of suicide in Guyana.

“I was browsing through Facebook one night I saw so many people committing suicide…so I collaborated with another artiste, Shawn English, and we did that one. I hope we can save lives with that song. I hope people listen to the song and feel that life is really worth it”.

When Geer is not busy recording or performing he manages their car detailing service “Clean Freaks” along with his father.

Wiz Phil

– At a glance Where do you see you see yourself ten years from now?

I see myself as a decent artiste where I am recognized for my work. I want to get my music out there where I can help others to feel motivated where they can know that they can accomplish stuff. I want to represent Guyana.

Favorite Quote Big dreams have small beginnings Relationship status Single, currently focusing on myself and music Advise to young people Get someone you can

talk to; things happen for

reason. Tell yourself that you can, and will be better; do something that makes you happy.

Pushpanjali XIV

F

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

or the past 16 years, the Indian Commemoration Trust has been hosting Pushpanjali to mark the anniversary of the arrival of the first set on Indian indentured labourers on May 5, 1838. Today, we share some photos from this year’s event, which was held Thursday last at the Indian Monument Gardens. Other photos, by Adrian Narine, are on Page 24.

Aunty Chalma, 89, engages Channle Six owner CN Sharma in conversation, as historian Tota Mangar walks by. Aunty Chalma is believed to be the oldest surviving worker of the Leonora Sugar Estate. She was honoured by the Indian Commemoration Trust

16

Pandit Pooran Seeraj, of Land of Canann, East Bank Demerara, performs a Taan song. Taan singing, a skilful technique in Hindi classical music is almost obliterated in Guyana and Pandit Seeraj is among a handful who still engage in this type of singing

The Indian Commemoration Trust this year honoured a number for persons for their contribution to its work. They included: Nadira Narine, Secretary of the Indian Commemoration Trust; Mrs Maraj, Berbice cultural and religious activist; Former Magistrate K. Juman Yasin (whose wife received the award for him); Ambassador Rudy Insanally, former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Kanayalal Kirpalani, businessman; historian Tota Mangar; and electrician Hemant Persaud

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

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Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

Sunday

Nostalgia A walk to the USA to enrich Guyana’s reputation In May 1966, these five lads, seen here looking at their tour map, planned to walk from then British Guiana to the USA (criss-crossing eight South and Central American countries to get there), in a tribute to the new sovereigh nation Guyana.

The leader of the daring group of Roman Catholic friends, Martias Nero, said they aimed to demonstrate that the youths of Guyana had stamina and an adventurous spirit. He said: “We hope that with God’s help…we can enrich the reputation of our country”

First wedding in a Gov’t office The first wedding to be held in a Government of Guyana office (except the registrar’s office, of course) took place on May 5th, 1966 at the Ministry of Housing and Reconstruction on Waterloo and New Market Streets.

The wedding, according to Muslim rites, was witnessed by Minister Neville Bissember, who is partly seen in the photo congratulating the couple, Magbol Ahamad and Bibi Noojahan, of Wakenaam Island, both of whom were working at the Ministry.

They were not aware that the Registrar’s office could only perform the civil ceremony, and not the Muslim religious rites, and so they decided to get married at the office where Ahamad worked as a Town and Country Planning Officer

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

XVII

‘Detainees Day’

On May 12, 1966, Opposition Leader Dr Cheddi Jagan, who led a march to Public Buildings in the city, is seen here handing over to Parliamentary Secretary David DeGroot, the bulky pile of signatures, said to be 70, 000, calling for the release of 13 PPP detainees at Sibley Hall. Assemblyman Mooner Khan is seen in the background

Biggest ever welcome for Mohamed Rafi

On May 11, 1966, a massive crowd gathered at the country’s main airport, then called Atkinson Field, to welcome Indian playback singer Mohamed Rafi. The gathering was said to be the biggest ever welcome for an entertainer

The man chosen to raise the Independence flag

On Sunday, May 8, 1966, it was announced in the Guiana Graphic newspaper, that former Queen’s College cadet, Desmond Roberts, then a second lieutenant in the Army, was chosen for a permanent place in the history of this country; he was selected to raise aloft the five-coloured national flag at midnight on May 25, 1955 to herald the birth of the new nation of Guyana. The modest and unassuming Roberts, at the time, had already served in the British Guiana Volunteer Force and was among the second batch of recruits taken into the Guyana Defence Force

Up goes Freedom Arch

On May 8, 1966, the aluminium arms of the Independence Arch at the Head of Brickdam were set up. The monument was a gift from Demba to mark the country’s Independence

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Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

Brazil scientists seek to unravel mystery of Zika twins (Reuters) Scientists struggling to unravel the mysteries of a Zika epidemic in Brazil hope they can learn from cases of women giving birth to twins in which only one child is afflicted by the microcephaly birth defect associated with the virus.

Jaqueline Jessica Silva de Oliveira hoped doctors were wrong when a routine ultrasound showed that one of her unborn twins would be born with the condition, marked by stunted head size and developmental issues.

"When I found out one of them had microcephaly, the ground fell out from beneath me," the 25-year-old said as she sat on the sofa of her home in the city of Santos.

"You always hope that they will be born well, thinking that it could be a mistake by the doctor or in the ultrasound."

Her son Lucas, who she holds in her arms, was born healthy in November. His twin sister Laura, whose head is visibly much smaller, requires regular treatment by a team of neurologists and physiotherapists in nearby Sao Paulo.

With two young children already, Oliveira - who suffered the symptoms of Zika early in pregnancy - knew that life would be difficult with a child with developmental problems. Her husband, the family's only breadwinner, brings home just over 2,000 reais ($566) a month.

"I thank God for giving her to me... I would never abandon her," Oliveira said, adding she had never questioned why only one child

was born with microcephaly.

"The doctors want to study them so they can see what protected Lucas in case it can help other children."

CLUES TO NATURE OF DISEASE Cases of only one twin developing a disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes, have been widely documented. Medical research has focused on the interaction between the environment and genetic issues.

Lucas and Laura are one of five cases of Zika twins scientists are studying in Sao Paulo.

Similar cases of newborn twins - one with and one without microcephaly - caught the attention of doctors last year in northeastern Brazil, where the mosquito-borne Zika was detected for the first time in the Americas. The divergence in twins was one reason why researchers began to suspect the presence of a new disease.

Brazil has since registered nearly 5,000 confirmed and suspected cases of microcephaly associated with Zika, according to the Health Ministry. The outbreak, and its impact on pregnant women, has cast a shadow over the upcoming summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on August.

The Zika outbreak is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the hardest hit so far. It is likely to spread to all countries in the Americas except for Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization has said.

Last month, the U.S. Cen-

ter for Disease Control and Prevention officially confirmed that infection with Zika in pregnant women is a cause of microcephaly and other severe brain abnormalities in babies.

A team from Sao Paulo University studying the five cases believes they may hold clues to the nature of the disease itself and hope to have results from their investigation in a year's time.

"The importance of these twins... is that they could give us some very important answers," said Mayana Zatz, director of the Human Genome Research Center at the university.

"How can we explain that one of the twins was not affected: did they have a gene that protected them? Do they have a different genome that disposes them to the infection or not?"

Recent studies have shown evidence of Zika in amniotic fluid, placenta and fetal brain tissue. Zatz said the placenta of one twin may be permeable to Zika, while the other may not, barring the virus from attacking the fetus.

Another possibility is that the virus penetrates both placentas but that the neurons of one baby are resistant, while the other's are not.

"The third possibility that we want to investigate is that certain genes predispose the child to microcephaly, and they are altered by the presence of the Zika virus," Zatz said, noting that around 15 genes are believed to govern microcephaly.

Jaqueline (L), 25, holds her five-month-old twins, Laura (R) and Lucas at their house in Santos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil April 20, 2016. (REUTERS/Nacho Doce)

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Apple's Tim Cook to visit China for government meetings – source (Reuters) Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook plans to visit Beijing later this month to meet high-level government officials, at a time when it is facing some setbacks in its most important overseas market, a source familiar with the matter said.

Cook has frequently traveled to China since taking the helm of Apple five years ago, but his latest visit comes during a critical period.

From weakening smartphone sales to the loss of an iPhone trademark dispute and the suspension of some of its online entertainment services, the U.S. technology giant has been facing a flurry of problems in recent weeks in its second-largest market after the United States.

That has raised concerns over Apple's growth momentum, as the company reported last week its first quarterly revenue drop in 13 years.

Last week, billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn said in an interview with cable television network CNBC that he had sold his entire stake in Apple, citing China's eco-

nomic slowdown and worries about whether the government could make it very difficult for Apple to conduct business.

During his China visit, Cook plans to meet senior government and Communist Party leaders - including officials in charge of propaganda, said the source, who declined to be named as the plan is not public yet.

Apple did not respond to Reuters' requests for comments.

In recent weeks, the company has wandered into the crosshairs of the government's ongoing campaign to control Web content and ensure localization of data storage.

Apple's online book and film services were shut in China last month, cutting off a potential source of income, following Beijing's introduction of regulations in March imposing strict curbs on online publishing, particularly for foreign firms.

Under President Xi Jinping, China is also trying to shift away from its dependence on foreign technology, especially in critical sectors like banking and insurance.

Foreign businesses have staunchly opposed new regulations that they say threaten to cut them out of such industries.

Harsh censorship also has shut down the online services of many foreign tech companies, sparking outcry from overseas governments and business groups.

The Chinese government could "come in and make it very difficult for Apple to sell there," Icahn said in the interview with CNBC last week.

Apple's refusal to cooperate with the U.S. authorities to provide source code to help them crack open the iPhone that was linked to a mass shooting in San Bernardino also has raised skepticism among some Chinese officials.

In China, Apple has been asked by authorities in the last two years to hand over its source code but the company refused, according to Apple's top lawyer.

Despite growing concerns over its China business - Apple reported its revenue from Greater China, which includes Hong Kong and

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks about the Apple TV during an event at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California March 21, 2016. REUTERS/STEPHAN LAM

Taiwan, dropped 26 percent last quarter - Cook has been optimistic.

"I see China as may not

have the wind at our backs that we once did but it's a lot more stable than what I think is the common view

of it," he said during the company's earnings call last week. "We remain really optimistic on China."

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Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

Even brief bursts of exercise may help inactive people with diabetes (REUTERS HEALTH) Diabetics who sit at a desk all day may be better able to control their disease by getting up every half hour for a few minutes of light exercise, an Australian study suggests.

Researchers put 24 overweight and obese inactive adults with diabetes through

a series of tests. They wanted to see how different activity levels would affect blood test results that can show when the body isn’t doing a good job of converting food into energy.

When these people interrupted prolonged sitting with three minutes of walking or resistance exercises like

squats or leg raises, they had lower levels of sugar, the hormone insulin and the protein c-peptide in the blood – all of which can be elevated when diabetes isn’t well controlled.

“Humans are designed to move,” said lead study author Paddy Dempsey, a researcher at Baker IDI Heart

and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia.

“Our biological systems function optimally when we are regularly moving and physically active,” Dempsey added by email. “The prolonged periods of sitting that now characterize much of our day to day lives – especially our working lives – are missed opportunities for healthy movement.”

Globally, about one in 10 adults has diabetes, according to the World Health Organization. Most have type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity and aging and occurs when the body can’t make or process enough of the hormone insulin.

While previous research has linked inactivity to an increased risk of developing diabetes and having worse symptoms of the disease, less is known about the types and amounts of exercise that may be able to counter some of the ill effects of sedentary time.

For the current study, Dempsey and colleagues monitored signs of diabetes in the blood after three separate three-day experiments: a normal sedentary day, or days when participants interrupted their desk time every 30 minutes with either three minutes of walking or resistance exercises like squats and leg raises.

The rationale was to try routines that didn’t require special equipment or huge amounts of space that could easily be performed in an office or home, Dempsey said.

Compared with sitting alone, brief bouts of walking and resistance exercises were both linked to significantly lower blood sugar, insulin and c-peptide.

Another diabetes sign – elevated triglycerides or fats in the blood – was significantly lower with resistance exercises but not with walking, the researchers report in the journal Diabetes Care.

One limitation of the

study is that the brief experiments can’t show the long-term effects on diabetes of brief bouts of exercise, the authors note.

It’s also possible that outside the lab setting, other factors such as stress might influence how much these bursts of activity impact diabetes symptoms.

Still, people with diabetes should take the findings as a reminder to avoid long periods of sedentary time, especially after a meal, said Bethany Barone Gibbs, a researcher in health and physical activity at the University of Pittsburgh who wasn’t involved in the study.

“The good news is, you can break up your sitting with a short walk or doing resistance exercises in place like squats and calf raises,” Gibbs said by email.

“So, if you can’t leave your desk or don’t want to leave your (television) show, you can do some squats, calf raises, etc. in place,” Gibbs added.

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XXI

SPICES CULTIVATION

IN GUYANA

S

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

pices have a profound influence on the course of human civilization and are integral part of the culture and religious activities of the people of Guyana.

Realizing the potential of spices in the country, the National Competitiveness and the National Strategy for Agriculture in Guyana have established and recommended national and regional policy guidelines which represent the cornerstone for the development of the agricultural and marketing sectors in the country.

The diversification of the agriculture sector with explicit reference to the development of non-traditional agricultural products such as nutmeg, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, etc. and value added agricultural commodities have acquired high priority positions. This spices programme seeks to satisfy the national policy of the country by developing the spices industry in Guyana.

Though the country does not grow many spices, the presence of the spices industry is relatively strong.

Curry powder, garam masala, jeera powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder etc. are manufactured in Guyana with the imported whole commodities.

The major players in the local spices industry include Edward. B. Beharry & Sons Co. Ltd, and Rick & Sari.

Some of the famous brands of the manufactured spices are Indi madras curry powder, Indi garam masala, Indi jeera powder etc.

Presently, spices such as black pepper, ginger, and

A farmer and her family of St. Anslem cleaning fresh turmeric rhizomes

Mr. Charles D’Andrade of Kamwatta, collected turmeric planting materials from NAREI Extension Officers at Kumaka Extension Centre, Region One

turmeric are grown in an organized way due to the climatic and soil factors prevailing in the country which are congenial for these commodities. The hinterland regions of the country are more suited for spices cultivation. The spices project started in June 2008, with the objectives to train manpower in spices research and development, reduce spices import, capitalize on the existing market in Guyana and most importantly improve the economic livelihoods of the hinterland communities.

Turmeric is one the major spices grown in Guyana since in the 1960, primarily in Barima Waini, Region One. It was not grown in an organized way largely due to the lack of knowledge of the agronomic practices and processing requirements. Turmeric is ready to harvest in about eight to nine months and yield 15-25t/ha.

According to Region One famers, tons of fresh turmeric rhizomes were dumped because nobody at that time knew how to process the rhizomes. The National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute NAREI in 2008 set up pilot plots and did extensive training on the production technology of spices throughout the country. Today Guyana is producing turmeric on a semi commercial scale.

In an effort to stop history from repeating itself and avoid the spoilage of turmeric rhizomes NAREI imported a turmeric factory from India, which is soon to be commissioned at Hosororo, â–ş Contiuned on page XXII

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Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

SPICES CULTIVATION

IN GUYANA â–ş From page XXI

Region One. This factory will be used to process the fresh turmeric rhizomes and at the same time provide jobs for a number of persons from the Region.

The idea of having a processing factory is creating a buzz among the people. Many are happy that their labour and time would not be wasted planting turmeric. This processing facility would allow for the washing of the fresh turmeric rhizomes, removing of extraneous matter, boiling, drying, and polishing.

In excess of 50 farmers from various communities of Region One such as Arukamai, Barima River, Aruka River, Hotoquai, Kaituma, Morwhanna, Hobodia, Yarakita, Aruau, Koberimo, St. Anslem, Kachi Kamo, Black water, Kamwatta, Wauna, White water have benefitted from planting materials, technical advice and training. They are now cultivating approximately 75 acres of turmeric. Production is expected to increase by 50 percent with the operationalization of the factory and imports will reduce by at least 25 percent by 2020.

Turmeric is very important in our everyday life because it can help prevent prostate cancer.

The anti-inflammatory properties in turmeric are great for treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Turmeric can be used in the treatment of diabetes by helping to moderate insulin levels. Research has proven that simply

Miss Maria D’Andrade of Kachi Kamo, Waini River in the presence of NAREI Extension Officer Mr. Charles Romascindo collected her turmeric planting materials

Miss Desiree Floyd of Kamwatta, Region One 1 cleared her field for turmeric cultivation

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

Turmeric cultivation at Kachi Kamo, Waini River

XXIII

Turmeric cultivation at St. Anslem, Barima River

using turmeric as a food seasoning can reduce serum cholesterol levels. Its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents also help strengthen the immune system. A strong immune system lessens the chance of suffering from colds, flu and coughs.

If you do get a cold, a cough or the flu, you can feel better sooner by mixing one teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of warm milk and drink it once daily. Turmeric is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent and can be used as an effective disinfectant. If you have a cut or burn, you can sprinkle turmeric powder on the affected area to speed up the healing process. Turmeric also helps repair damaged skin and may be used to treat psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions. (Contributed by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institue. Photos by Ramnarace Sukhna)

A sample of turmeric processed & polished by NAREI

Mr. Philip Daniels of Koberimo, collected turmeric planting materials from NAREI Extension Officers at Kumaka Extension Centre, Region One

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Pushpanjali

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

Patrons of Pushpanjali 16 view exhibits of the open-air museum at the Indian Monument Gardens. The displays tell the story of how Indian indentured workers were brought to these shores

Dancers of the Indira and Nadira Shah Dance Troup during a performance

Rudro Jayanta Bhagawat, dance Instructor of the Indian Cultural Centre, performs with senior dancer Preiya Methuram

Nadira Shah performs an Indian classical dance.

Shah is one of the choreographers of the annual dance production Nrityageet

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Pompeii, Bourbon jail, to gain from $1 billion culture handout in Italy

(REUTERS) The ancient Roman city of Pompeii, an island jail built by the Bourbons and the home of Botticelli's Venus are among dozens of cultural sites due to share in a 1 billion euro ($1.15 billion) cash injection, Italy's culture ministry said on Monday.

Caring for centuries worth of art and architecture has caused headaches for successive Italian governments as economic stagnation squeezed funding for the arts and restoration projects were dogged by bureaucracy and bad management.

Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said the 33 projects constituted "the biggest operation on our cultural heritage in the history of the republic", referring to the period since a 1946 referendum sent Italy's royal family into exile.

One of the biggest windfalls is due to go to an 18th century prison on the tiny Tyrrhenian Sea island of Santo Stefano, which was closed in the 1960s and has been slowly decaying ever since.

The ministry said in a statement the prison, whose cells were built in a horseshoe shape around a watchtower to make prisoners feel they were always being watched, would receive 70 million euros for restoration and development.

Pompeii, where work to secure a city preserved under volcanic ash for more than 1600 years was long delayed by corruption and mismanagement, will get 40 million euros.

A further 40 million euros will go to works on the Uffizi museums in Florence, home to masterpieces by Sandro Botticelli and Caravaggio. The historic center of L'Aquila, destroyed by an earthquake in 2009, will get 30 million euros.

The 29 other projects include extending the Pinacoteca di Brera gallery in Milan, completing restoration at the Palace of Caserta, near Naples, and finishing an auditorium in Florence.

The ancient city of Pompeii

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WhatsApp judge wins little love in Brazil; but respect in his hometown

(Reuters) Judge Marcel Montalvão joined some of Brazil's top politicians as one of the country's most-hated public figures when he ordered a 72-hour shutdown of WhatsApp this week, abruptly cutting off

the messaging service for some 100 million users.

But none of the young women staring at their cell phones and tapping away on the now-restored WhatsApp in a patch of shade outside Montalvão's courthouse in

the small city of Lagarto were among the haters.

Even as the judge prepared to rule on cases involving their loved ones in a courthouse compound that is heavily guarded and sits behind a high, electrified fence,

the women expressed understanding for a man known locally as fiercely dedicated to fighting crime.

"It was a pain at first.

We use zap-zap all the time," said Marcielle Santana, 26, using the universal slang term in Brazil for Facebook-owned WhatsApp. "But you have to respect him. He's going after drug gangs, pedophiles. That's more important than a little time without zap-zap."

Montalvão ordered Brazil's main telecom operators to block WhatsApp on Monday for 72 hours after

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016 it failed to produce for the court messages supposedly

traded between members of Brazil's most powerful drug gang.

In March, he ordered the imprisonment of a Brazil-based Facebook executive for failing to comply with a previously attempted block on WhatsApp. The executive was jailed and freed after a day.

This week, Montalvão's order was lifted by a higher court about 24 hours after it went into effect. A similar temporary block of the messaging service occurred last December after a ► Contiuned

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WhatsApp ◄ From page XXVI

judge in Sao Paulo state ordered it shut for failing to share information in a criminal case.

WhatsApp officials have repeatedly argued they cannot turn over to judges material that they do not possess. Their encrypted messaging service does not store user-generated content on any servers, they say.

The block of WhatsApp ignited such an outcry in Brazil that a congressional commission on Wednesday recommended a bill that would bar authorities from blocking popular messaging applications.

Facebook Inc's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg also weighed in, calling on Brazilians to demand that WhatsApp never be blocked again.

Nancy Andrighi, a minister at Brazil's National Council of Justice, a federal watchdog over judges, on Tuesday gave Montalvão two weeks to explain his decision to block WhatsApp. If the council finds the judge abused his power, it could take disciplinary action against him.

Despite all that, Montalvão's reputation in Lagarto and the surrounding area remains positive even after his nearly year-long battle with WhatsApp and Facebook - principally because of his hard-line stance against surging crime, often linked to drug gangs, in the city.

FROM CLASSROOM TO POLICE PROTECTION Montalvão, the son of shoe shiner, spent 20 years as a schoolteacher in the Sergipe state capital Aracaju, Montalvão.

He told a Lagarto radio station last year that he became a judge in 2004 after deciding that teaching was not doing enough to help young people.

Montalvão declined on Thursday to give an interview to Reuters about the WhatsApp case, citing judicial secrecy and the delicate security situation surrounding the arrival that day of eight gang suspects to his court.

The area, part of Brazil's impoverished Northeast, grew rapidly during the two terms of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, thanks to a commodities boom and surging government spending during his eight years in office that began in 2003.

But crime grew along with the population, as the rural poor flocked to jobs at expanding food processing plants and with the opening of a large medical faculty of the Federal University of Sergipe. Lagarto is now home to 103,000 people, a jump of 25 percent over the 2000 Census.

Not all has changed, though.

Despite the glittering medical campus and neat downtown shops, churches and government buildings, horses graze on roads near the courthouse, which sits beside manioc and coconut fields and overgrown empty lots. Vultures circle overhead in the strong tropical sun.

"We're still in the country, but we aren't the little, dusty northeastern town that everybody has in their mind," said Rilley Guimarães, Lagarto's municipal secretary of Industry, Commerce and Tourism. "The attacks on Lagarto have been offensive."

Montalvão's willingness to take on criminals, including the PCC, the notorious São Paulo-based drugs, guns and extortion cartel, has earned him death threats.

He lives under 24-hour police protection and spends much of his time wearing a bullet-resistant vest, said Eduardo Maia, president of the Lagarto chapter of Brazil's bar association, the OAB. Maia was partly supportive of Montalvão, saying that the judge was facing the same challenge raised by Apple Corp's refusal to help the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation access encrypted messages on an iPhone used by one of the shooters in an attack in San Bernardino, California.

"Under Brazilian law, Montalvão's order was perfectly legal," Maia said. "WhatsApp and Facebook weren't providing or storing information that our Internet laws require them to keep, and for them to criticize the judge for that is rather arrogant."

The problem, Maia said, is whether that law can be "met by any company, and was the order proportional to the problem the judge was trying to solve?"

"I don't think so," he said. "But that debate is going on everywhere."

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Women's wisdom crucial to beating climate change, researchers say (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In the Indian commu-

nity of Mahewa, when monsoon floods come, women start to eat and drink as little as possible.

But the change has nothing to do with the availability of clean water and food. Instead, it's about minimizing visits to the toilet at a time when floods make the trip harder and riskier, according to Virginie Le Masson, a researcher at the London-based Overseas Development Institute.

Such realities are a reason why women's views are crucial to developing policies that actually work to reduce disaster risks and deal with climate change, she said at the launch this week of a report on gender equality and climate goals.

Bringing women into decision-making in places like Gorakhpur district in India's Uttar Pradesh state – where Mahewa is located – is often perceived as slowing down processes and making them more politically complicated, she said.

Organizations carrying out development projects in India sometimes see efforts to include women as something that "creates chaos (and) disturbs the peace in the family", said Reetu Sogani, an Indian researcher on traditional knowledge, gender and climate change who helped lead the work in Gorakhpur.

Even women share that view sometimes. "What is the need for women to step out and participate when men are there?" some participants in a Gorakhpur focus group told researchers.

But when women were included in planning projects - like one in Gorakhpur to combat flood risks through things like better drainage, smarter agriculture and safer buildings - much more got done and the changes lasted longer, Sogani said.

In fact, participants in the project estimated that without women's involvement, only 10 to 20 percent of what was actually achieved would have happened, she said.

"It is largely because of women that the project has been sustainable so far, as well as effective in resilience building," the report said.

Ensuring women are involved in efforts to adapt to climate change and reduce disaster risks will be critical as the world ramps up funding to a promised $100 billion a year from 2020 to help poor countries adapt to climate change impacts such as floods and droughts and to adopt cleaner energy, experts say.

"If we miss this, are we going to perpetuate the status quo, where women can't access toilets or do the kinds of things they need to do?" asked Sam Bickersteth, head of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network, one of the backers of the new report based on case studies from India, Kenya and Peru.

MOVING TO CITIES Particular attention should be paid to women's involvement in climate change adaptation efforts in the world's burgeoning cities, as migration brings greater numbers of struggling rural families to urban areas, Bickersteth and others said.

In some ways, a move to the city can offer new opportunities for women, from a greater choice of jobs to easier access to public transport, healthcare, policing and schools, said Andrew Norton, director of the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development.

But women also face new pressures, including an inability to grow their own food, which can weaken food security, Le Masson said. Women who at home might have had a say in things like wood and water collection and farming may end up participating less in decision-making in cities, Songani said.

Ensuring women have a real voice in efforts to adapt to climate change in their communities, and benefit from them, will take hard work, the researchers said.

"Just inviting women to meetings or supporting them to make more money will not make transformative changes," Le Masson said. In Kenya, for instance, women struggle to start businesses because they rarely own land, and so have no collateral to get loans.

Creating durable shifts that enable women to adapt equally will require everything from getting supportive men to start conversations about why women should have a share of power to ensuring donors fund projects for longer periods, she said.

If these things don't happen, efforts to build genuine resilience to growing climate pressures are unlikely to succeed, the experts said.

"Solidarity matters for resilience, and extreme inequality undermines that, whether gender or otherwise," Norton said.

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Scarred Yazidi boys escape Islamic State combat training TAUGHT TO HATE A 16-year-old boy taken from the same village south of Sinjar recounted similar treatment. He spent two months in a religious school where Islamic State taught its ultra-hardline ideology which labels most outsiders as infidels and has been denounced by senior Muslim authorities.

“They told us, ‘You are Yazidis and you are infidels. We want to convert you to the true religion so you can go to heaven’,” said the teenager, who withheld his name and wrapped his head in a scarf, fearing retribution against his brother and father still under Islamic State rule.

(Yazidi boy Emad, 5, looks out of his family’s home at a refugee camp near the northern Iraqi city of Duhok April 19, 2016. (REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah) (Reuters) When nine-year-old Murad got the chance to flee from Islamic State – the group that repeatedly raped his mother and slaughtered or enslaved thousands from his Yazidi minority – he hesitated.

So powerful was the indoctrination during his 20-month captivity in Iraq and Syria that the boy told his mother he wanted to stay at the camp where Islamic State had trained him to kill “infidels”, including his own people.

Now in the relative safety of Kurdish-controlled territory, Murad’s mother told Reuters how she had struggled to persuade her son – like other Yazidi boys being prepared for battle – to escape earlier this month with her and his little brother.

“My son’s brain was changed and most of the kids were saying to their families ‘Go, we will stay’,” she said, declining to give her name. “Until the last moment before we left, my son was saying ‘I will not come with you’.”

Yazidi boys appear to be part of broader efforts by Islamic State to create a new generation of fighters loyal to the group’s ideology and inured to its extreme violence. The training often leaves them scarred, even after returning home.

Islamic State, known by its opponents in Arabic as Daesh, captured Murad, his mother and brother in August 2014 at their village near the Iraqi town of Sinjar. During that offensive, the radical Sunni Muslim group massacred, enslaved and raped thousands of Yazidis, whom they consider to be devil-worshippers.

The United States launched air strikes against the militants partly to save the survivors and last month said the attacks on Yazidis, whose faith combines elements of Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam, and other groups amounted to genocide.

More than a third of the 5,000 Yazidis captured in 2014 have escaped or been smuggled out, but activists say hundreds of boys are still held.

Dressed in a long brown skirt and matching headscarf, the mother described how Murad had finally agreed to escape, allowing people smugglers to spirit the family by a convoluted route to a refugee camp near the northern Iraqi city of Duhok where they are living now.

Murad, wearing a jersey of the Spanish football club Real Madrid, sat with his mother on the floor of a spartan trailer in al-Qadiya camp, twiddling his thumbs and resisting answering questions.

BATTLING THE INFIDELS Most of the time Murad’s mother managed to stay with her two sons as Islamic State shuffled them around cities and towns in its “caliphate” spanning the borders of Iraq and Syria. These included its de-facto capitals Mosul and Raqqa, as well as the ancient city of Palmyra which has since fallen to Syrian government forces.

“They were teaching the children how to fight and go to war to battle the infidels,” the mother said, adding that those to be killed included Shi’ite Muslims, the peshmerga forces of Iraqi Kurdistan and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.

Islamic State dressed the boys in the same long robes they wore, and trained them how to use guns and knives. “They were assessing them for how well they had learned to fight.

Daesh then showed the families videos of killing. Among them they saw their sons also taking part.”

Islamic State also forced Murad to pray, study the Koran and sit through extremist religious lessons, according to his mother, who said she had been beaten as well as raped by at least 14 men.

The teenager said he was made to work in a sweatshop with other boys, sewing military clothes for the fighters.

Around 750 other children have escaped in recent months but a few thousand more remain missing, according to Yazidi activists Khairy Ali Ibrahim and Fasel Kate Hasoo, who document crimes against their community.

Twenty-five children who escaped from Islamic State training camps have since passed through Qadiya, 10 km (6 miles) south of the Turkish border, but only six remain, they said. The rest have sought refuge in Europe, joining the wave of migrants fleeing conflict across the region.

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Five ways to reinvent prom looks that#Slay will break the Internet #PromBeautyBomb #FabulousAndFleek

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illennials are breaking the rules, and not following the old, themed events, proms are becoming exponentially popular with each passing year.

Self-designed dresses are breaking the Internet, so why not customized personal styled makeup? I remember a client of mine last year, right here in good old Golden Guyana, who attended her Masquerade themed prom mask-less and chose to wear her make-up as a mask. It was all the rave. It's easy to remove a detachable mask, who would dare cover their beauty with makeup? It's daunting, dangerous, fearless, brave and downright crazy! It's only for the women of the future, who will refuse to go with the flow...she is the flow.

Anyone can show up at Prom looking like a Bel Air Superficial Instyle Chick... you know a B.A.S.I.C. Be a bombshell not a BASIC. Basics don't break the Internet. They look cute, comfortable and collected. There the ones who keep calm and carry on.

If you want to be remembered as the phenomenal woman Maya Angelou preached about, then you'll have to do more than just look cute.

There is No BOX, the world is a sphere; it's the way God intended. Yet entry corporate level jobs put us in a cubicle! Throughout your academic life as a

minor, you've learned and adhered to set rules, only to realize that they're merely guidelines. Rules exist to avoid and prevent confusion and chaos. There are wrong ways of applying makeup, but once you e develop the knack it's onto take it a step further. You can use glitter, eyeliner on the cheeks, add stickers, and temporary tattoos. Be artistic, get creative. Be an individual.

Be classic. It's ok to use staple beauty looks but spice it up and individualize it.

A classic isn't old; it's timeless. Embrace the classics and add your own little flare.

Take hints from the Celebrity makeup geniuses. The annual MET GALA in New York is one of Fashion's biggest and most celebrated events. It embraces creativity, and sets trends. Take notes from the experts. I use snapshots of Makeup Artists who inspire me, and use Pinterest to my advantage. It creates a collage and helps to identify your personal style.

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THE EPA AT WORK

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Conserving and managing the use of biodiversity

ontinuing our look at the Environmental Protection Agency, we turn our attention to it work in relation to biodiversity. Conserving and managing the use of our biodiversity is a major focus of the EPA. It is empowered to do so, under the Environmental Protection Act (1996). Another major responsibility of the EPA is to advance progress on national commitments under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), its Protocol on Biosafety and Protocol on Benefits Sharing and Access to Genetic Resources. The CBD is an international agreement to which Guyana has been a Party since 1994 and the EPA is the national focal point for the CBD and its two Protocols and is therefore required to lead the process to enable our country to meet its obligations under these agreements.

cision to accede to the two (2) supplementary Protocols of the CBD; the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits arising from their utilization.

Biodiversity Research The EPA, through its BMD grants access to Guyana’s genetic resources through a research application system referred to as the National Biodiversity Research Information System (NBRIS). Essentially, researchers need to apply to the EPA through the NBRIS for a Biodiversity Research Permit. Applications are reviewed by the National Biodiversity Committee which may approve or not approve the application based on the information provided by the applicant.

Researchers whose applications are approved are issued with a conditional Biodiversity Permit. Researchers are required to pay an application fee and a Permit fee when an application is approved.

National Protected Areas System The EPA has been instrumental in the advancement of Guyana’s National Protected Areas System (NPAS), through the implementation of the Guyana Protected Areas Systems (GPAS) Project which was funded by the Government of Germany through the KfW Entwicklungsbank (German Development Bank). The EPA successfully coordinated and managed Phase I (2006-2011) and Phase II (2012-2015) of the Project, with a budget of EUR 2.56 M and EUR 5.0 M respectively. Throughout the Project, the Agency benefitted from invaluable support in project management and supervision from the GFA Consultancy Group, contracted by the donor.

The GPAS Project essentially, laid the groundwork for a protected areas system in Guyana.

Community conservation livelihood sub-projects in and around protected and potential protected areas were supported under the Project to reduce reliance on biodiversity within these areas. The Project also aided the development of legislation for Protected Areas; Guyana has since passed and enacted its Protected Areas Act (2012). The Project also enabled the expansion of the national protect► Contiuned on page XXXII

National Biodiversity Policies, Strategies and Action Plans What exactly is it that the EPA does to conserve and manage the use of biodiversity? Efforts towards these goals is managed under the EPA’s Biodiversity Management Division (BMD) and range from recommending policies to identify, monitor and manage biological diversity to advising on strategies, plans and programmes to conserve and manage these resources.

To accomplish these objectives, the Division engages in the design and implementing of projects to create National Biodiversity Policies, Strategies and Action Plans; National Biodiversity Regulations, and National Biodiversity Reports to the Convention.

Since its establishment in 1996, the EPA has led the process to develop National Biodiversity Action Plans (NBAP) I and II and recently, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). Similarly, the EPA has implemented the national component of a number of Regional Biodiversity Projects to develop the National Access to Genetic Resources and Benefits Sharing Policy and the Biosafety Policy.

The EPA was the driving force behind Guyana’s de-

Staff Quarters constructed at Kaieteur National Park under GPAS Project (Phase II)

Chronicle Pepperpot May 8, 2016

THE EPA AT WORK ► From page XXXI ed areas system since it supported the demarcation of boundaries, community consultations and management plans.

As such, the government legally established Shell Beach and the Kanuku Mountains as two new Protected Areas, in 2012.

Another important contribution of the GPAS project was institutional and infrastructure development for protected areas management. Among infrastructure support was the construction and furnishing of the Protected Areas Commission and Wardens Buildings in Kaieteur National Park.

Further, a Shell Beach Protected Area Management Plan was also supported which provides the current example for management plan for other protected areas.

The Protected Areas Act (2012), allowed for the establishment of a Protected Areas Commission with a mandate to establish and manage a National Protected Areas System. Under Phase II, EUR 4M was contributed towards the establishment of the now existing Protected Areas Trust Fund (PATF) to provide long term financing of the NPAS. Implementation of Phase III of the GPAS Project is now the responsibility of PAC, with a total budget of EUR 4.8M.

With the PAC now the Agency with the mandate for Protected Areas Management, the GPAS Project Implementation Unit of the BMD, is being transformed to a Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) Unit.

The MEA Unit will oversee and guide national efforts towards meeting national obligations under international biodiversity related conventions, and in the development of projects funded by the Global Environmental Facility under these conventions.

Wildlife Management Wildlife is also a focus of the BMD, particularly its sustainable use and conservation locally. As such, reports of issues related to wildlife use and treatment are investigated and addressed. Reports received by the EPA are generally related to illegal hunting, cruelty to wildlife and wildlife nuisance. Apart from wildlife complaints, education awareness activities are ongoing on protected species in Guyana. Support is also given to local conservation research and data analysis efforts. To strengthen its wildlife conservation efforts, the EPA collaborates with relevant agencies and organisations at the national

and international levels in areas of research, information-sharing and the address of human-wildlife conflicts.

The nature of wildlife conservation effort at the EPA is often spontaneous, requiring an immediate response to complaints.

In a recent case of trapped jaguars (Panthera onca) in

Region 2, the EPA was required to make an immediate response to secure and relocate the animals.

It is also usual for awareness on the handling and housing of wildlife to be done with urgency to address a specific wildlife issue. A current issue being addressed is cruelty to Iguanas; the EPA has guidelines on conditions under which these animals are to displayed for sale and has been conducting awareness in Region No. 4, 5 and 6 on these

XXXIII guidelines to advise iguana traders how to house and hold Iguanas while on sale.

Assessments are also done from time to time to determine how environmental conditions affect wildlife survival.

Recently, an assessment was done in Region 9, on the effects of the dry season on the Arapaima (Arapaima gigas) based on which a plan of action was developed to increase survival during the dry seasons.

The EPA has been making steady progress on its responsibilities for conservation and sustainable use of our country’s biodiversity.

As it continue its work it will keep to its core approach of participation and consultation since, our country’s biodiversity belongs to us all and as such it is our collective responsibility to do all that we can to ensure that it is used sustainably.

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Time for Hrithik and Kangana to end their war: Akshay (Indian Express) Akshay Kumar Friday expressed hope that Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut would end their nasty war as soon as possible.

When asked about their big war that has shook Bollywood, Akshay quipped, “The war is not happening in Bollywood. It is happening right in my building.(Akshay and Hrithik reside in the same building).

On a more serious note, Akshay said, “It’s time for both to end it. I hope it happens soon. It’s been going on for some time and everyone is having fun at their expense.”

Akshay was speaking at the song launch of his upcoming movie Housefull 3. Abhishek Bachchan who too was present at the launch said that he too wanted both Hrithik and Kangana to end their war.

The feud between Hrithik and his "Krrish 3" co-star turned nasty after they slapped legal notices on each other.

Hrithik, who was the first to send the legal notice, has demanded that she apologise in a press conference and clear the air about their alleged affair which he firmly refutes. A defiant Kangana had said she was not a "dim-witted" teenager and refused to apologise. She instead shot off a counter-notice to Hrithik warning him to take back his notice or face a criminal case.

Thursday, Vidya Balan had come out in strong support of Kangana Ranaut expressing her admiration for the Queen actress for standing for herself against Hrithik.

Ranaut, who has delivered power-packed performances in female-centric films like “Queen” and “Tanu Weds Manu”, will invite women across the country to share their inspiring stories.

Kangana, brand ambassador of Reebok India, will feature in the brand’s #BeMoreHuman campaign, through a video where she is inviting women to showcase their struggles and victories and get recognised worldwide for their courage and fighting spirit.

“I am thrilled to partner with Reebok on this unique journey and look forward to encouraging millions of women to share their inspiring stories. I was a small town girl with big dreams and I had the courage and conviction to fulfil them. I am not the only one who has battled all odds and come out on the top,” Kangana said in a statement.

“I truly believe in the limitless potential that every woman possesses to be fit physically, mentally and socially. I hope my story can help them come out and share their own,” she added.

The fully integrated marketing campaign that was released on International Women’s Day saw Kangana inspire women across the country with her powerful personal story and fitness journey.

The stories will be evaluated by a prominent panel including Kangana. Some of the best stories will be brought to life through webisodes and will be promoted on all popular digital platforms. The stories will also be felicitated by Kangana herself at a grand awards night hosted at the end of this year.

Dave Thomas, managing director, Reebok and adidas India, said:“”Reebok India is committed to driving women’s fitness in the country and to being the leading women’s fitness brand. Our #BeMoreHuman campaign is an endeavour to inspire every Indian woman to be better physically, mentally and socially”.

Hrithik Roshan

Kangana Ranuat

'Kardashian' stars hit Cuba

(Reuters) Reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her musician husband Kanye West were spotted leaving a restaurant in Havana on Thursday (May 5). They are on the island, together with other members of the reality show clan to shoot scenes for the reality show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." They are accompanied

by Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian and her friend Malika Haqq, who stars in the spinoff series "Dash Dolls." Kim and Kanye's daughter, North, has been pictured riding with her mother in a pink convertible. Former Cold War foes the United States and Cuba formally agreed to restore diplomatic relations last July.

Arsenio Hall sues Sinead O'Connor over Prince drug accusations (Reuters) Comedian Arsenio Hall has filed a defamation lawsuit against the singer Sinead O'Connor, who accused him of supplying drugs to music legend Prince, whose death on April 21 has prompted speculation about an overdose.

The $5 million lawsuit, filed on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, refers to O'Connor as a "desperate attention-seeker" and claims Hall and O'Connor have not spoken in 25 years.

Prince was discovered on April 21 at Paisley Park, his home-studio complex in a Minneapolis suburb. A law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told Reuters prescription opioid drugs were found at the scene, and Minnesota media said the painkiller Percocet was found in his system.

Results from an autopsy could take weeks to be released publicly, authorities have said.

On Monday, the Irish singer, whose biggest hit was her 1990 version of the Prince song "Nothing Compares 2 U," posted a note on her Facebook page claiming Hall supplied drugs to Prince for years.

Comedian Arsenio Hall is shown in Los Angeles, California, October 19, 2015 and Irish recording artist Sinead O'Connor is shown in New York, December 14, 2011 in this combination photo. (REUTERS/Joshua Roberts, Eduardo Munoz/File Photos) "Two words for the DEA investigating where prince got his drugs over the decades... Arsenio Hall," the post said.

O'Connor also claimed Hall, a former late-night talk show host, "spiked" her with an unknown drug years ago at a party.

Hall's lawsuit said O'Connor's statements had quickly gone viral, causing "substantial harm" to his reputation.

"O'Connor's heinous accusations that Hall engaged in this criminal conduct are despicable, fabricated lies," the

complaint said.

Attempts to contact representatives for O'Connor were not immediately successful.

Prince had been scheduled to meet with a doctor specializing in addiction treatment the day after his death, a lawyer for the doctor said on Thursday. Federal authorities, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, also said on Thursday they had joined the investigation of the singer's death.