The STAR Newspaper May 05 by STAR Publishing

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The Star (St.Lucia)

SATURDAY, may 05, 2018

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Medical advice to Dr. Anthony: Shut Up On St. Jude!

Open Wide On Jack Grynberg!

• Tel: (758) 450-0021 / 31 / 728 1000 • Fax: (758) 450-0092 • Email: info@bluewatersslu.com • Website: www.bluewatersslu.com

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02 LOCAL

A-M u s i n g s Musings are thoughts, the thoughtful kind. For the purpose of these articles, a-musings are thoughts that might amuse, entertain and even enlighten.

Perfidy By Michael Walker

may 05, 2018 THE STAR

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’m off to Holland, or as the country is officially titled ‘The Netherlands’ next month to see my dear old buddy Tom Chou. I’m sure you remember him, Dear Reader; he was the Ambassador from Taiwan for an extended period, about six years, and the best friend Saint Lucia ever had, although the present Ambassador, Douglas, is showing all the signs of being just as dedicated to good, mutually beneficial relations between Taiwan and our island nation. Tom will be giving an important speech in July in The Hague, the capital of The Netherlands on the policies, breadth and depth of Taiwanese Aid to nations all around the world. I shall attend and possibly lend my voice in expressing the benefits that Taiwan has bestowed upon its friends through the decades. Taiwan is a true friend to its diplomatic allies. Taiwan embodies Loyalty, Trust and Reliability. Perfidy might be the word that best characterizes those nations that have enjoyed Taiwanese support for decades but have fallen to the bribery of the Chinese dollar, or Yuan as they call it. Perfidy is the quality of being faithless, disloyal or even treacherous—a description that might well be applied to the leaders of the Dominican Republic who this week opted to break relations with Taiwan and sell their souls to China. I remember well the day Tom explained to me the more or less secret agreement between the two Chinas not to steal allies from each other through dollar diplomacy. The world has breathed more easily ever since the inception of this policy. However, in the past couple of years China has reneged on the deal and has vigorously renewed its illegal poaching through bribery and corruption. I am well informed that China offered US$3.1 billion to the Dominican Republic for so called loans and investments. The population of this island nation is just over 10 million. As I am not sure whether we are talking American billions or British billions— in the USA a billion is 1,000,000,000 (one thousand millions) but in Britain a billion is 1,000,000,000,000 (one million millions)—I cannot say how much each citizen of the Dominican Republic can expect to receive from this windfall profit from the sale of their country, but I am absolutely certain that the ‘powers that be’ in that impoverished nation will not go hungry, thirsty or lacking in any other way. Aid, especially lots of it, has a way of disappearing; the more there is, the faster it disappears. Enough said on that topic. Diplomatic life is really a bit of theatre. Ask yourself: When did you last count the embassies in Saint Lucia? The Brits don’t

have an embassy. Neither do the Americans, the Canadians or the Germans for that matter. They have devised other channels of communication. Similarly, despite its lack of formal diplomatic relations, tiny Taiwan asserts itself in other ways: Take the question of visas for example. Holders of a Mainland Chinese passport enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 64 countries and territories, ranking the Chinese passport 74th in the world. The Taiwanese passport, on the other hand, has one of the most improved ratings globally since 2006 in terms of the number of countries that its holders may visit without a visa. As of January 2018, Taiwanese nationals with rights of abode in Taiwan had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access, according to the Foreign Ministry of Taiwan, to 167 countries—more than twice the number of Mainland China—ranking the Taiwanese passport as around 30th in terms of global travel freedom. Clearly diplomatic recognition is NOT a factor. The diplomatic missions of Taiwan include embassies and representative offices. Taiwan only maintains a handful of full-fledged diplomatic missions abroad. In countries with which Taiwan does not have diplomatic relations, semi-official intermediary bodies, whose heads are nonetheless appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, are maintained for routine matters that would otherwise be handled by embassies or consulates, such as passport and visa issuance, public affairs, economic, cultural, and educational cooperation, etc. These offices are usually titled 'Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office'. Owing to the One-China policy practised by many states, very few countries allow Taiwanese missions to operate under the country's official name. Similarly, many countries maintain missions in Taipei, such as the American Institute in Taiwan, which function as de facto embassies but under another name. These establishments use the term ‘Taipei’ instead of ‘Taiwan’ to avoid implying that Taiwan is a different country on a par with the ‘Peoples Republic of China’ or that there are ‘two Chinas’. Taiwan even competes in the Olympic Games under the banner of Taipei instead of Taiwan. Taipei, if you did not know it, it the capital city of Taiwan. It is all such a ridiculous game, but nevertheless a painful experience for Taiwan. I am forever amazed at the tolerance and forgiveness the Taiwanese display, no matter how badly they are treated. And, after all that, Taiwan’s GDP real growth rate was ranked 4th out of 210 countries. Enough said about that too!

For more information on the Dominican Republic switching its diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, see page 21 and also The STAR Businessweek, page 3.

GIVE MOM WHAT SHE REALLY WANTS: LOVE, APPRECIATION and A GIFT FROM COURTS!

ourts Saint Lucia invites the public and its valued customers to celebrate mothers in grand style! Courts invites you to enjoy a range of activities making up part of this year’s calendar of events as it provides unique, fun and interactive sessions. With the increased focus on health and wellness, Courts and subsidiary brands Courts Optical and RadioShack will host a series of events at the Courts Soufriere branch and the Marisule Complex respectively. These include health screenings, product demonstrations, food sampling and a live game show. Courts Soufriere in-store product demonstration — May 5th: Today the store comes alive as guest Chef Earland Charles showcases the use of various small appliances available for sale while you can sample a variety of treats Be part of this in-store initiative, compliments Courts, authorized dealers of the world’s best brands: Oster, Black & Decker

treats during Courts' live product demonstrations facilitated by Chef Pascal. Chef will Courts Marisule Complex, Saturday —Saturday May 12th: demonstrate the proper uses of a wide variety of small appliances How well do you know your from brands like Oster, Black mom Game Show! At 9 & Decker, Morphy Richards a.m. Courts takes the fun for valued customers. A fun to Marisule with an exciting interactive session that you don’t trivia gameshow. Three lucky want to miss! persons, along with their mother,s have been selected Health Fair: RadioShack from an online photo contest. commemorates this Mother’s The pair will be asked a series Day under the theme 'Healthy of questions testing their Mom. Healthy Life!' A health fair knowledge about each other featuring a qualified nutritionist and the team with the highest and other medical professionals, score will emerge as winners. will provide customers with This exciting, fun and bonding guidelines for healthy living plus experience is sure to be a memorable one, capped off with free health screenings. It doesn’t end there; Courts amazing prizes from Courts. Optical, providing value you can This competition will also be see, will continue providing free streamed live on Courts Saint eye screenings all under one Lucia’s Facebook page so be roof! sure to tune in to support your Courts provides several favourite mother and child opportunities to engage its team! customers and enhance their In-store product demonstration shopping experience. Find the perfect gift for mom this with Chef Pascal Mother’s Day by joining Courts If you need help selecting as it takes a moment to show it the perfect Mother’s Day gift, cares! do so while sampling tasty and KitchenAid.

SRDF ENDORSES DENTAL HEALTH CARE MISSION

Soufriere residents were treated to free dental treatment last weekend.

team of ten dental practitioners from Washington DC, USA, has arrived in Soufriere on a dental mission. The team, headed by Terry Victor, has decided to come to spend a few days on the island, in Soufriere, providing free dental services to both children and adults. The team expressed its extreme pleasure to be of service to the community. Dr. Terry Victor also seemed quite elated to inform all present that this experience was particularly special for him, since he was born in Saint Lucia. The team was stationed at the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation’s boardroom from Saturday 28 to Monday 30 April. 2018. The latter date was utilized to cater exclusively for primary school students. Mr. Solomon, Operations Manager, stated that he was thankful for such gestures of benevolence. He emphasized that the difficulty with which quality, affordable healthcare is obtained here underscores the significance of this act of philanthropy. The SRDF is a non-profit company. Its mandate is to undertake social, cultural, human resource, tourism and infrastructure development in the Soufriere area. The organisation, which was established in 1993, generates revenues from its operational sites: the Sulphur Springs Park, Gros Piton Nature Trail, Comfort Centre, Soufriere jetties and 88.5 Soufriere FM.

THE STAR

may 05, 2018

LOCAL

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Urgent: We Need An End to Plastic Pollution

n Sunday, April 22, 2018, the international community collectively celebrated Earth Day, under the theme 'End Plastic Pollution'. In Saint Lucia, volunteers came together to participate in activities which celebrate the Earth and advocate for sustainability and a reduction in plastic pollution. The morning’s activities started off with a cleanup of the coastal areas of the Pigeon Island National Landmark (PINL), the Pigeon Island Causeway and Seabed off PINL from Beach 1 to the cemetery. This was coordinated by the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) in collaboration with Sandals Resorts Saint Lucia and Sea Adventures Inc., aided by volunteers comprising SLNT members and staff, The Landings staff, Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) Saint Lucia members and Saint Joseph’s Convent students. The group on the Causeway picked up a significant amount of litter, much of which was unsurprisingly made of plastic. Additionally, the seabased clean-up crew, which consisted of divers from Sea Adventures Inc. and Sandals Resorts, collected several bags of garbage. In all, 70 bags of garbage were collected on land, and 92 bottles and 22 pieces of plastic were collected in the ocean. Cleaning up the Pigeon Island area is an effective way to reduce the amount of litter and plastic waste temporarily. However, it is far from the most efficient long-term solution. Despite the clean-ups and environmental education campaigns, the areas continue to be polluted within a matter of days, and the problem continues. In the absence of greater, more influential action, like legislation or physical structures in place to address the issue, it will persist as it has been doing for decades. It is regrettable that the Saint Lucian society has allowed a culture of littering and disregard for the environment to grow to the point where persons brazenly throw trash out of vehicle windows, into the streets, into the water and into the bushes, expecting that once it is out of their hands, it is no longer a problem and will not affect them. This is far from the case, however, as this trash ends up clogging drains which leads to flooding, collecting in rivers and affecting water quality, and being deposited in the oceans where it harms marine life, leading to reduced populations of fish and turtles. These are just a few of the effects of improper garbage disposal, which is why more impactful steps need to be taken. In the meantime, volunteers will come together to clean up these areas and play their part in reducing the amount of improperly disposed garbage in the environment. In the evening on Earth Day, the Saint Lucia National Trust, with the support of Massy Stores Saint Lucia, hosted Sòlèy Kouché at PINL and in Soufriere, where a candle-light procession from the primary school to the Soufriere Waterfront took place. Speakers at the Soufriere venue—SLNT Councillor Nadia Cazaubon and Michael Bobb of the Soufriere Marine Management Area, painted a clear picture of the need to address the issue of plastic pollution and implications it has on our marine ecosystem and humans. Meanwhile, the feature speaker at the PINL venue, Ms. Yvonne Edwin from the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, delivered an insightful address, quoting statistics showing how dire the situation of plastic pollution in the oceans will become within a few decades if left unaddressed. Ms. Megumi Kawaguchi, a Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) volunteer, also delivered a thought-provoking, interactive address, prompting the audience to think about how many plastic products they use each day. Another address was given by Laurah John from Jua Kali Ltd., who pointed out that Saint Lucians are ready for a new environmental movement, as many played their part during the resource recovery pilot programme by bringing in plastic and glass products

which they had collected instead of throwing away, in the hope of disposing of it in a more positive manner than just having it end up in a landfill. One common message echoed by the speakers throughout the evening’s activity was that each person has a part to play and should start making small personal changes toward a more sustainable future, then build on it over time. Whether that action is to carry a reusable bag to the supermarket instead of using plastic bags, or to use a reusable bottle instead of single-use plastic bottles, or even holding on to plastic products until they can be recycled, instead of throwing ithem in the trash right away, each action can make a big difference in securing a more sustainable future for ourselves and the generations to come. As the dance piece by Richard Ambrose Dance Theatre Project reiterated: we are all instrumental in keeping the Earth alive.

Earth Day Clean-up Crew.

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may 05, 2018 THE STAR

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St Jude Could Do With A Little Less Politics A Little More Remedial Action Keryn Nelson

e hear it all the time: “Proper healthcare is a human right.” One would think that with all the noise already made about the St. Jude Hospital and with the plans set forth by the current administration, it would now be a smooth sail to adequate healthcare for the 70,000 patients the facility was meant to serve, but the waters surrounding the dream situation grow stormier and stormier. It’s a well known story, still it bears repeating: When the hospital burned down nearly nine years ago, killing three, its operations were moved to the George Odlum Stadium— temporarily, it was emphasized. Alas, it seems we turn into Humpty Dumpty when it comes to words meaning whatever one wants them to mean at any given time. We continue to haggle over the number of messages conveyed by “as soon as convenient”. We were ready to draw blood over what Kenny Anthony meant in 2001 when he promised that he would invest $100 million into the private sector “immediately after taking office”. A minister of education boldly told the nation “immediately” did not

Was it the Stephenson King administration that held office at the time of the fire and started building a “temporary” replacement reconstruction not long afterward? Was it due to “lack of foresight” on the part of the Anthony government? Was it mismanagement of funds by project managers? Unqualified engineers who greenlighted a project deserving of a gigantic, red X? Whatever the reasons, there can be no denying the poor and sick are suffering the consequences and, by all indications will continue to pay in the worst way for some time to come. In 2017 the United Workers Party administration stated their intentions for St Jude after a technical audit was conducted: it would be bad business as Minister Guy Joseph addressing media personnel on usual at the makeshift hospital, the immediate future of St Jude hospital. since the audit had declared The prognosis was not encouraging, not where the the reconstructed walls and Medical and Dental Association is concerned. Neither the opposition St. Lucia Labour Party. hallways below demanded standards and unsafe. Meanwhile, the politicians service of the thousands who mean what they imagined it continued to do what they do live in the south of the island. As best, even as blood pressure did; certainly not right off the for the “state of the art facility” levels rose among restless bat! And now it seems our promised several times between citizens. politicians on both sides of the 2011 and 2016 by the Kenny fence consider “temporary” Last week, on Wednesday, Anthony government, it’s as sick April 25, the previously related synonymous with, well, as the George Odlum Stadium, “whenever”! Saint Lucia Medical and if from an apparently uncurable Dental Association seemed to The resurrection process ailment, while arguments fly this throw petrol on the fire that started a year after the St. way and that as to who is most Jude fire. No matter, the sports threatened the “half-finished” cupable, who is accountable stadium that is itself falling St. Jude. “These deplorable for the millions on the medical apart at the seams continues circumstances in which we are bridge to nowhere. to pass for a hospital at the expected to deliver healthcare

services to the public account for the poor quality of our healthcare delivery outcomes and increasing numbers of unwarranted deaths, all continuing to spiral out of control,” said the SLMDA President, Dr. Alphonsus St. Rose in a public statement. The Association’s concerns were emboldened when the opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party issued its own barrage of criticism at the Chastanet administration. The party underscored that the government had since July of 2016 stopped work on the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project and “as a result of the conditions in the Stadium people are literally dying”—a fact, they said, that was “confirmed by medical professionals” but which St. Jude Hospital officials countered on May 2. In a brief interview with the STAR, a spokesperson unsurprisingly confirmed staff had grown wary of existing frustration surrounding the situation but no deaths had occurred that might be linked to conditions at the makeshift hospital. On April 26 Prime Minister Allen Chastanet reacted to conclusions by a group comprising MDA personnel and an architect that had toured the St Jude Reconstruction site, including that the half-complete structure could and should be

completed by 2019. Chastanet divulged that, as advised by an outside technician, hospital reconstruction could continue as is, where a few corners would need to be cut, but the facility would be of low standard. Said the prime minister: “What happens is, as you start building and you start saying, ‘Okay, maybe we shouldn't cut the corner here, we should cut the corner here,' it adds to the cost and that's exactly what was taking place before.” He reminded that already some $118 million had been spent on the reconstruction, not all of it fully accounted for. On Monday April 30, Economic Minister Guy Joseph revealed that the forensic audit was still underway. “No accounts were done for St Jude for the entire duration of the project,” he said. “Most hospitals take two to three years to be completed. But here you had a hospital under construction for six years, with no end in sight. Any right-thinking person would’ve undertaken a proper assessment of an inherited structure before going forward.” He promised that within the next 30 days the prime minister will provide Saint Lucians with detailed updates on what has taken place so far and what will transpire in the immediate future.

WASCO: Victim of Mindless Vandalism T

he Water and Sewerage Company Inc. WASCO strongly condemns the vandalism of its infrastructure following the damage caused to the red main above the Castries River. The caution comes just one day after renovation works were conducted on the line over the weekend. Technicians conducted the repairs on Saturday afternoon, following a comprehensive assessment of the situation. The main supplies water to residents in

Lower Entrepot, Lower Chabot, Sunbilt, Cedars, Patterson’s Gap, Marchand, New Village, Leslie Land, Lower Pearts Gap and Waterworks. WASCO’s initial assessment, following new reports that the line had been damaged again, suggest that vandals may have stolen some of the brass replacements that were installed on Saturday. It is suspected by WASCO that the damage was done at some point during Saturday afternoon and early Monday morning.

Sadly this is not the first time that vandals have damaged the red main and WASCO wishes to strongly advise the public against the intentional destruction of company property. Further, WASCO wishes to stress that it is illegal to vandalize or destroy company property and that anyone caught defacing company infrastructure will be made to feel the full extent of the law as stated in section 90 of the Water and Sewerage Act chapter 9.03: “A person shall not willfully 1 (a) Cause any pipe, valve,

cock, cistern, bath, sink, pan, water closet or other apparatus belonging to, or connected with, the waterworks to be out of repair, or to be so used or contrived in such a way that the water supplied to such person is likely to be wasted, misused, unduly consumed or contaminated; (b) cause any pipe belonging to or connected to a pipe of the waterworks to be used or manipulated in such a way as to occasion or allow the return of foul, noxious, or impure matter

therein; (c) remove, tamper with any gauge, meter, measuring instrument, level, mark, or any other appliance forming part of the waterworks; (d) damage any part of the water works or sewerage works; (2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction for each offence to a fine of not less than $3000.00 or to imprisonment for a period of not less than six months or

both and to a further fine of not less than $50.00 for each day during which the offence continues. (3) In the event any damage results to waterworks or sewerage works from the commission of any of the offences mentioned in this section, the court may, in addition to the punishment imposed under subsection (2), order the person convicted under that subsection to pay compensation to the service licensee’.

THE STAR

may 05, 2018

LOCAL

www.stluciastar.com

Canaries To Have Free Wi-Fi!

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

A coastal scene.

From left to right: Ambassador Douglas Shen, Hon. Stephenson King and Hon. Dominic Fedee celebrate free Wi-Fi in Canaries.

The Taiwanese government contributed almost US$4 million, save for the $0.72 million provided by the Saint Lucian government, for GINet. The embassy was also able to provide the assistance of information and technology professionals to work on the project. Residents who attended the launch testified to connecting their devices as soon as it was available, while students from the Canaries Primary School were elated to be included in the proceedings. Esther Bosquet assured, “Children from rural areas will have access to the Internet to make more effective use of those devices for educational purposes.” This is just one aspect of GINet which also aims to satisfy the G20 Summit in Germany last year which campaigned for global fast Internet by 2025. Concerning the latter, Ambassador Douglas Shen was happy to announce that, “Saint Lucia is moving steadily toward that goal”. He explained that GINet will help Saint Lucia remain competitive and “keep local businesses connected to their global customers”. From Canaries, GINet will be launched in Micoud, Vieux Fort, Dennery and Castries in the coming weeks and ultimately seventy wireless access points will be implemented around the island.

3. The small hotel complex at the bottom of the picture is

By Michael Walker

new inter-active series of programmes from IETV to engender pride in our nation by promoting literacy and local general knowledge. The series can be viewed on channels 118 (FLOW), 102 (Karib analogue), 32 (LIME) and on NTN.

a. Sandals Halcyon. b. East Winds Hotel. c. Hotel Calabash. 4. The area immediately inland is called a. Marisule. b. Bois d’Orange. c. Corinth.

7. The beach is protected by a. a rocky breakwater. b. a wooden jetty. c. hotel security. 8. North of the hotel complex lies a. Trouya Peninsular. b. Choc Bay. c. Cas en Bas.

1. The hotel complex that climbs 5. Between the two hotel the hillside is called complexes there are

9. The mountain to the north behind the hotel is called

a. Le Sport. b. La Toq. c. Windjammer Landing.

a. a few private residences. b. no private houses. c. some factory shells.

a. Mount Gimie. b. Mount Parasol. c. Mount Pimard.

2. In the distance you can see

6. The sandy beach lies at the foot of

10. The small rock off this peninsular is called

a. Labrellotte Point. b. Pigeon Point. c. Anse Galet.

a. Lapin Island. b. Rat Island. c. Barrel o’Beef.

a. Pigeon Island. b. Dominica. c. Maria Island.

Answers: 1 c, 2 a, 3 b, 4 b, 5 a, 6 a, 7 a, 8 a, 9 c, 10 c.

of the urban and rural digital By Claudia Eleibox divide and low home Internet penetration rate.” On behalf of the prime was hopeful last year when minister, Stephenson King trying to organise a STARsponsored essay competition. underscored the need to bridge the gap in the digital divide. I thought it would have been “The question is: Why should encouraging to parents and anyone in the north have more students to purposefully seek accessibility to Internet than out a newspaper and read someone in the south or east it, even just for one issue. or west, or from Canaries?” I was even more sanguine Quoting Barack Obama, he that aspiring, young writers addressed his own question: would participate. And so they “The internet is not a luxury, but did. There were competitors a necessity.” from communities of which Presently free Wi-Fi access I was previously unaware. is available to the community of But unfortunately, part of the Canaries from the Old Church criteria was that students had to submit their essays via email Building, which is expected to become an art and culture and so there were even more gallery in the coming months. wishful writers who, although Both the Internet service and willing to participate, did not gallery coincide with the Village have access to the Internet or computers. Some teachers and Tourism initiative endorsed by the prime minister in his parents struggled to send as 2018/2019 budget address by many submissions as possible investing in infrastructure and on their behalf but others just the people of communities. couldn’t. Mr. Domnic Fedee, the Of course, next time we Minister for Tourism and will be more considerate. parliamentary representative The STAR Businessweek for Anse la Raye and Canaries, recently reported on the expectations of the Government proudly celebrated with the community the fact that Information Network (GINet) Canaries will be the first of which the Embassy of the Wi-Fi village, not Rodney Bay Republic of China, Taiwan and or Castries. “I believe that the Government of Saint Lucia launched the first installment on Taiwan is the most significant diplomatic friend that Saint Wednesday in Canaries. Esther Lucia has had in the last twenty Bousquet, who delivered the opening remarks as permanent years,” he said, with his eye on the Taiwanise presence. secretary in the Department of “Your friendship is felt in our Public service, noted: “GINet is communities.” meant to address the problem

Another Violent Death In The City!

olice are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of 30-year-old Dwayne William alias “Zoe Zoe” of Bois Den, Jacmel. A report of shooting was referred to the Criminal Investigations Department in Castries, about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 29, 2018. Dwayne William was on Jeremie Streeet, Castries, when he sustained a gunshot wound to the face. He was declared deceased at Victoria Hospital. This is the seventh recorded homicide for the year 2018. The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force invites anyone with information in relation to this incident to contact the nearest police station, or the Criminal Investigations Department on 456 3770.

06 local

may 05, 2018 THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

If You Thought Traffic On Our Roads Was Deadly, Think Again!

any who fly into Saint Lucia, knowing what awaits them: the sunkissed, slow-paced life of the tropics, would describe as“exciting” their soaring over and around green mountains and the descent to the tarmac outside the tiny airports. But for some, while Helen appears seductively beautiful from afar, darkness awaits. Just a week after the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) provided journalists with a training session on the proper ways to report on Human Trafficking cases, United States President Donald Trump appeared alongside Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari during a press conference. In his address Trump stated: “There are more instances of human trafficking, smuggling and slavery in the world today, than there has ever been.” It may be a tough one, to envision the imagery associated

with human trafficking as a possibilty within our borders but in 2014 another ugly truth was unveiled about “Paradise Found”. Here, too, it turns out, human trafficking is a concern. In 2017 Saint Lucia was listed among a group of countries in a study conducted by the International Organization for Migration as being linked to the trafficking of children. For the unaware, human trafficking involves the act of stripping a person of his or her rights, transporting or holding him or her hostage in a specified location, and using force or threats to have them conduct forced labour or tasks of any kind. Human smuggling on the other hand, refers to the illegal transmission of a person into a country’s borders. Although not extensive, Saint Lucia’s recorded history with the crime has listed India, China, Cuba and Russia as likely trafficking perpetrators. In

Can you tell who is a victim of human trafficking? The police offered several indicators during a recent meeting with representatives of the local press.

2014 six Russian and Ukranian nationals who were employed here as sex workers, were rescued by the police and subsequently assisted with return to their home countries after not wanting to co-operate with the police. A case involving 65 Nepali and Indian nationals who in 2015 were told they would be taken to “America” but were instead brought to

Saint Lucia for hospitality training made headlines. The government finally assisted the students in returning home, following a near-secret court resolution. Local police have indicated that with the increasing number of cases, courses have been undertaken to better handle human trafficking cases and the government has since

made amendments to Saint Lucia’s legislation to criminalize the activity—both changes assisting with the improvement of the country’s international reputation. On a tier ranking from one to three, three being the best—an indication of a country’s full compliance with anti-human trafficking recommendations—Saint Lucia is currently at tier 2. That is to say, the island does not meet the minimum standards for the eradication of human trafficking; however, efforts to do so are underway. Other cases of trafficking and smuggling into Saint Lucia have been detected and up-ended by police, although they remain unpublicized, say the cops, for confidentiality and safety purposes. Indicators of trafficking, according to the police include: employees within a business establishment seeming unwilling to answer non-work-related questions,

such as ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘Are you enjoying your time in Saint Lucia?’ A person being trafficked may also be observed transiting daily only from their “home” to their workplace, never making a detour. It may also be a person who appears to work unusually long hours, with apparent signs of physical abuse; and a less conspicuous red flag: he or she is grossly underpaid. The RSLPF has indicated its commitment to doing more work in order to adequately curb human trafficking and to avoid an influx or infestation of perpetrators. The police have advised that in the event a case is detected, they should be contacted via phone or letter. Concealment of the informants’ identities is not a problem for the police. See article on page15 titled: “Hundreds of human trafficking victims freed in 13 countries after vast Interpol operation”.

--- KN

THE STAR

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may 05, 2018

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may 05, 2018 THE STAR

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To The Creator Who Knows Best, Size Does Not Matter! Peter Josie

daresay the behaviour of some MPs and their hacks, in and out of Saint Lucia’s parliament, must represent an intellectual feast, even to amateur students of animal behaviour scientists. I claim no such interest, even though I sometimes catch myself comparing the way some humans carry on with the antics of cows and dogs. Which is why I’ve noted that some politicians are happy only when they are unhappy. Animals, on the other hand, live to be cheerful and energetic and protective, whether of their young or of their handlers. Like some humans, cows hardly sleep at night. They seem unable to discern day from night. They feed by day as by night; as some humans do. They perform bodily functions

round the clock, as do humans of a certain age. I have been reliably informed that some humans spend the daylight hours sleeping and awaken at nightfall, presumably to carry out their preferred activities in the dark. Dogs seem to follow a similar pattern. They catnap round the clock and at night stay wide-awake. Why do you suppose there is so much barking going on while you toss and turn in bed? Sleeping dogs don’t bark. Not even in their dreams. A close observation of the parliament will reveal that like cattle and canines, some parliamentarians seem to lose a sense of time especially when close to a television camera or microphone. These are to MPs, as grass is to cows and dog-chow to canines. When parliamentarians lock horns, as do bulls often, might their motivations be similar? And when a heavyweight MP refers to a regular-size colleague

as a poodle, is he actually seeking to pick a presumed safe fight in hopes of being allowed a place closer to his master’s feet? Dogs are very possessive creatures. They will deny another access even when the master isn’t all that friendly with the larger hound. Still, the vexed countenance of the one hurling insults seems a desperate cry for the master’s lost love. That may also help explain the demonstrated anger and hatred during the last election for a certain father and his son. It’s uncanny how close we get to understanding human behaviour when we more closely observe animals. What is more, there is a religious dimension which seems to emphasize certain animals in bible stories. It appears that those who first recorded God’s words, and others who afterwards translated them into various languages, had a fine sense of humour, unlike so many of

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Now which would you want to cosy up to? The big guy on the left or the little feller on the right?

our MPs. Perhaps those early writers may have been slow of speech or smaller than average. What other reason could there be for God to choose little boy David as the one to bring Goliath to his knees? Might the moral here be that to an all-knowing God, size does not matter? The choice of David to rule over Israel has nearly always been my favourite political story from the bible. God had spoken to Samuel and directed him to forget King Saul, to go to the house of Jesse the Bethlehemite, and select one of his sons to be anointed king of Israel. Several sons passed before Samuel and he chose Eliab, one of the seven. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” Samuel asked Jesse whether there were any others. Jesse replied that the smallest tended the sheep in the pasture. Samuel asked to send and fetch him. As soon as David arrived, God directed Samuel saying: “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” The moral to these bible stories is worth repeating. God does not judge on outward appearances as man does.

He judges inwardly; at the heart. Bearing in mind the large number of people on this island that profess Christianity, shouldn’t plus-size politicians take a hint and look more kindly upon small-statured folk, rather than judging them inferior based on their height and size? In a recent private conversation I remarked to a friend that I had initially supported Hermangild Francis as the UWP candidate for Ansela-Raye/Canaries constituency, thinking him an easier win for the UWP. I did not know Dominique Fedee all that well, and even though Hermangild and I were not particularly close, his family was known to me and that was my cue. Prior to the polls, certain well known political activists in the Ansela-Raye constituency assured me that Dominique Fedee would win the seat for UWP. I am wiser after the fact, and I hasten to add that size had nothing to do with my earlier choice. The long introduction, dear reader, was meant to gently guide you towards the message in Holy Writ as far as the stature of Guy Joseph and Dominique Fedee is concerned. Since these two are fluent speakers both in and out of parliament, I dare not compare them to either Moses or Jeremiah with their biblically

recorded speech challenges. The example serves merely to remind us that we fall short of the glory of God when we judge others by size only. This is a good place to add that we should be guided by millennia of distilled wisdom and knowledge filtered through the ages in the Holy Bible. Too many people search for a greater meaning in the simple messages of the good book, rather than embracing the simple morals they impart. One final thought: If some politicians and their hacks do not believe that the bible is the revealed word of God, shouldn’t they at least try to view it as man’s historical and universal search for enlightenment and a useful life instead of dismissing its simple human stories as false, and refusing to learn from them? We are aware that the Christian bible has been used to institute and strengthen slavery. Shouldn’t MPs who know better be firmer advocates of the truth? What, pray tell, do these agnostic MPs use to guide them spiritually and morally when serving the people who elected them? Shouldn’t these MPs better reflect divine wisdom not to judge other people only by their measurements? Whatever happened to Dr Martin Luther King’s “content of character” yardstick?

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Anse la Raye and Canaries MP Determined to Offload “most neglected constituency” Status By Joshua St. Amee

amai kotez ou sortir? Nous sortir Anse la Raye! The line is from a once popular kweyol song by a vocal group known as The Cecilian Rays. Translation: “Children, where are you from? We are from Anse La Raye!” The song suggests the community pride shared by residents of Anse la Raye and Canaries, once especially appreciated by visitors for their Friday night fish fry. As I walked around Anse la Raye on Thursday afternoon, I could not help but notice the sidewalks were clean, no boney dogs strayed. Even the drunk and disorderly, that in times past too often mistook the roadside for beds, had disappeared. The only noise came from a group of individuals I had engaged on life in their village, each one

determined to have his say as loudly as possible. They shared a common view, however; and yes, it was that theirs had for too long been Saint Lucia’s most neglected community. No matter the party in office, one man assured me, nothing changed for the better. His line was countered by several other voices that sang the praises of the current parliamentary representative, Mr. Dominic Fedee, but most insisted there still remains “much to be done”. Dr. Desmond Long, Fedee’s predecessor, said: “Well, I wouldn’t say it has totally been neglected. There have been some works that have gone on there. The Vanard road has been constructed. That was something I fought hard to get. We didn’t have the opportunity or the time to get it done but it has been done and that’s what matters. There’ve been issues of flooding that we dealt with. Getting jobs for the people

was always the most pressing concern. It still is. We always found it difficult to entice regular business. The village is largely dependent on tourism but village tourism, as such, has been going on at a very slow pace. It still had not developed to expectations by the time my term ended.” Dr. Long added: “Especially important for us was the training of individuals. We had the programme for young people, preparing them to get into farming. Even with the NICE programme we were able to train a lot of persons— persons who didn’t have a level of education past primary school. I was very pleased, finally, to get several into farming and the hotel industry.” Dr. Long retired after one term in office. Mr. Dominic Fedee talked about having to address “a lot of infrastructure that was deteriorating” with a community centre and the Jacmel pre-school having been

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Residents of Anse la Raye and Canaries may feel forgotten but the government promises better circumstances.

out of commission for years. He said, “The health centre in Anse la Raye is a makeshift one and has been in a state of disrepair. With $10 million approved, construction on the health centre will begin later this year. "Thanks to Taiwanese funding, a lot of anti-flooding initiatives have been completed.” Fedee also acknowledged that getting jobs for his constituents was almost a mission impossible, for several reasons including lack of

skills, education problems and a disinclination to do regular work. "We focused on youth unemployment, because this is a cancer that has been eating away at the very fibre of the constituency. We’ve worked very hard and almost one hundred youth have been placed in jobs. We also did training with national institutions to get the youth to take up jobs that were coming on-stream. Despite this, we still have a very long way to go.” He added; “The fish fry has been dormant for many years.

But recently it has been brought back. The re-launched event is benefitting the fishermen, vendors, labourers and the whole community. We’re also looking forward to the village tourism initiative, so that the constituency can be part of the tourism mix. "Anse la Raye has now become a hub for a number of national festivals. We’ve held the Rum and Food Festival, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers twice and this will also be the second consecutive year of West Coast Jazz.”

American Airlines is Launching 8 New Non-stop Routes to the Caribbean By Alexander Britell

n the biggest flight expansion to the Caribbean in several years, American Airlines has announced plans to launch eight new non-stop routes to the Caribbean this year, along with a huge expansion in frequencies from Miami. Beginning in December, American, the world’s largest airline, will launch a new Saturday service across the region. It will include flights from Charlotte to both North Eleuthera and Abaco; flights from Dallas-Fort Worth to Aruba; from Miami to St Vincent; and from Chicago to Aruba, Grand Cayman, Nassau and Providenciales. All of those new routes will launch on December 22, with Charlotte and Dallas flights set to operate year-round and

Saint Lucia is one of the Caribbean islands to experience American Airlines upgrades this year.

Chicago flights to operate in the winter tourist season. American Airlines will also be operating an expanded daily service from Miami to Barbados, Curacao, Grand Bahama, Puerto Plata, Port of Spain, Santo Domingo and Saint Lucia, beginning on December 19 for the winter season. It’s a huge statement from American, which has seen a significant increase in competition in the Caribbean from carriers like Southwest

Airlines and JetBlue, both of which have been on massive expansion pushes to the region in recent years. The Miami-St Vincent service is particularly notable, making it the first regular service by a US-based carrier to St Vincent and its new Argyle International Airport (Air Canada and Caribbean Airlines were the first carriers to launch flights to Argyle in the last year). ---Caribbean Journal

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Sandals Does It In Saint Lucia For The Fourth Time! Claudia Eleibox

ast June the management of local Sandals Resorts was happy to announce a fourth, yes, fourth, investment in Saint Lucia. The declaration, made by the main man himself, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, was accompanied by Jamaica’s prime minister Mr. Andrew Holness offering his enthusiastic endorsement. At the ground-breaking ceremony this Wednesday, Saint Lucia’s minister for economic affairs, Mr. Guy Joseph, further confirmed that Sandals didn’t just “talk the talk but also walked the walk”. Also in attendance was Fr. Michel, deputy Archbishop in Saint Lucia, who showered his special blessings on all present, including construction workers. It is anticipated that it will take 24 months to build the new resort, although it remains conjectural whether it will share with Grenada the brand name, Sandals La Source. Sandals Resorts International was founded in Jamaica and it’s the only island with more Sandals hotels and more Sandals rooms than Saint Lucia. It has been 25 years since the first Sandals investment in Saint Lucia and, as managing director Winston Anderson said, “It’s only fitting that we celebrate our past as we reaffirm our commitment to Saint Lucia. We can see Saint Lucia becoming our key investment outside of Jamaica." Anderson also revealed that Sandals’ contribution to this island’s economy is “well over US$75 million in payroll and direct contributions; over EC$200 million.” An ebullient Anderson promised: “This will grow to well over US$100 million. We’re the largest employer in the sector and we are very proud of the fact that out of 1,800 team members here, over 98% of them are Saint Lucians.” Prime Minister Allen Chastanet happily confirmed: “This investment represents 36,000 new guests visiting. By itself it represents 10% increase for arrivals in Saint Lucia and in terms of

Cabinet Ministers and Sandals executives signal the official start of Sandals number four!

going to put in place that are going to help mitigate against natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes," Jones

announced. He then promised the mayors of Castries and Gros Islet: “For the first time on a construction site here, you’re going to see a truck wash. The last thing you want are vehicles messing up the roads and causing chaos in the community. There will be a lot of silt movement when construction is up and running; it’s bound to happen. So you’re going to see silt traps which will eliminate the waste water run-off going into the ocean.” The construction phase is expected to employ some 1,200 Saint Lucians under the guidance of Senior Project Manager Mark Harding. The fourth Sandals resort in Saint Lucia, according to Jones, will be ready for a ribbon-cutting ceremony by December 2020. The government pledges its support to the company. Only half jokingly, the economic affairs minister said he was looking forward in the near future to a local Beaches (one of Sandals’ brands) resort.

CHAMBER, INSURANCE COUNCIL AND SLHTA JOIN FORCES

Mark Harding (blue hard hat), Senior Project Manager and his team at Wednesday morning’s ground-breaking ceremony.

expenditure, just taking it at $250 per person, we’re talking about US$75 million in additional expenditure per year that this property is going to bring.” The prime minister believes that having four Sandals resorts in Saint Lucia speaks volumes about the island as a destination and makes the prospect of attracting other major brands more viable than ever. The tourism minister, Mr. Dominic Fedee, reiterated the consensus that Saint Lucia

benefits significantly from the “dynamic marketing approach” for which Sandals is especially admired. But although Sandals has been a major player in making Saint Lucia recognizable to the world, the prime minister also believes it is Saint Lucian citizens that secure the investments made here. “The people that have to take the greatest amount of credit for the achievement here today are the 1,800 Saint Lucians working for Sandals,” he said. “It’s because

of you that Mr. Stewart has so much confidence in Saint Lucia.” According to Director of Corporate Services Jeremy Jones, Sandals not only promises to enhance Saint Lucia’s tourism image worldwide, and boost local employment and the island’s economy with an exceptional resort, but the company will remain environmentally responsible. “We have some new construction methods we’re

hree major business organisations will join forces to host a Disaster Mitigation Symposium focusing on Business Continuity and Insurance solutions on Tuesday, May 8th at the Financial Centre Building, Point Serpahine. Spearheaded by the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, the one-day symposium will look at how business can mitigate against the increasing threats posed by, natural weather phenomena like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis through disaster preparedness, business continuity plans and insurance. Also supporting this all-important symposium through financial support are key insurance players on the island including SAGICOR, Grace Kennedy, NAGICO and Massy Insurances. These firms will have a strong presence in the provision of industry experts to lead the discussion and information-sharing sessions. The Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Brian Louisy points out that increasing the knowledge and understanding of insurance and insurance options will go a long way in helping businesses plan and strategize. Also, selecting adequate and appropriate insurance packages and knowing exactly what they cover is important to businesses. It has become obvious that too many persons are not sufficiently informed about the subject and, as such, do not take the appropriate insurance and level of coverage. Statistics show that only one in four businesses opens its doors after disaster strikes, while only 20% of buildings in the Caribbean region are insured, and only 20% of those are adequately covered. Recent information out of Dominica suggests that close to 90% of homes insured were drastically under-insured. This places the recovery after an incident under even more pressure. The Chamber is pleased with the response of the insurance industry to the idea of the symposium, as well as the response so far from the business community. The Chamber invites all persons to be a part of this discussion of national importance. If you are interested in attending please contact the Chamber at 452-3165 or email info@stluciachamber.org.

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Doctor’s Advice To Kenny & Company:

Shut Up On St. Jude— Open Wide On Jack Grynberg! U

ndeniably, government after Saint Lucia government has dropped the healthcare ball, despite titillating election promises, despite altogether avoidable patient deaths. Truth be told, I cannot recall a time when the island was not in dire need of adequate medical facilities. As far back as the early Eighties, the consensus was that Victoria Hospital had run its course and needed, at the very least, a total make-over. In 1988 a desperate Romanus Lansiquot, in his capacity as health minister, had raised via numerous sponsored walks and other strategies, one million dollars in the name of improvements to the hospital. I remember well his confiding in me that Prime Minister John Compton had promised him, if he raised a million dollars, to provide additional funds for repairs to the old facility, if not to construct another, altogether new. Yes, that was some 30 years ago. And Lord alone knows where the money went! Meanwhile there was St Jude hospital, generally praised although, as it later turned out, quite possibly a killer in disguise. Who knows how many unsuspecting Saint Lucians went there to be successfully treated for a broken arm, a sprained ankle, an ulcer or a cutlass wound then returned home to die not long afterwards from asbestos poisoning? Not until the hospital burned down, ostensibly because of faulty wiring (the standard cause for nearly every local

fire) was the hidden asbestos exposed. I need add the hospital was not insured. No need to detail the rest of the sick story. Suffice it to say that after a year of seeking to resurrect St Jude (patients were moved to the nearby George Odlum Sports Stadium—three to a funeral home), the Kenny Anthony government that had been maliciously campaigning for salutary action on the part of its cash-strapped predecessors months after the fire took over responsibility for the island, including its health. Five years later, millions of dollars having been unaccountably spent, not to mention at least three highly publicized hand-on-chest promises, Saint Lucians are still without the "state of the art hospital” they were led to believe they would have before the end of 2015. The Allen Chastanet government took office on 6 June 2016 and soon afterward declared the St. Jude structure a sub-standard monstrosity monitored and created by inept individuals not nearly qualified to undertake the task they’d been given at great cost to the public purse. Further work was suspended while the new government pondered a way forward. The now opposition Labour Party had much to say about the work stoppage but little about why the “state of the art hospital” it promised was at best half done. The latest related brouhaha involves—of all people—the Medical and Dental Association as protesters in the name of healthcare for the people. Perhaps coincidentally, the more vocal and conspicuous

of the group include the husband of a former attorney general associated with Kenny Anthony’s Labour government, reportedly at war with the present administration for diverse reasons; an architect associated with a firm long considered synonymous with Labour administrations, especially those led by Kenny Anthony—alas, now complaining about being shut out by the Chastanet government in favor of contractors aligned to the yellow flag; the wife of a former minister in the Kenny Anthony administration; an individual who seems to spend an inordinate amount of time publishing on Facebook angry prescriptions for sick and shutout Red Zoners. One of the activistdoctors, perhaps anticipating the obvious, this week issued the following: “I know people are going to ask, ‘Why now?’ Just let me just [sic] say to everybody: We [his fellow medic-activists] have been working behind the scenes. Perhaps we are being seen a lot more now but this is just part of a continuous plan to improve healthcare for the people.” Yeah, right. Working behind the scenes? When? With whom? Does that mean the MDA shares responsibility for the controversial St. Jude structure? Does it mean the MDA stood silently by while the last Kenny Anthony administration served empty promises to Saint Lucians, knowing full well they would not, or could not, be delivered before the end of 2015—if at

Victoria Hospital has undergone several operations over the years, and many are of the view it should long have been put to sleep. Alas, still the facility remains in service, regardless of quality.

all? Consider this Facebook entry by one of the now out of the closet activist-doctors. It is written in the peculiar style of FB’s literary politicians: “Is it true that the plan is to use the OKEU for those who have Platinum Insurance policies and tourists while Victoria Hospital will be given a paint job and be kept to attend to those who can only afford subsidized care and unable to pay? Isn’t it true that all services transferred to the OKEU hospital shall be returned to Victoria Hospital? Nancy Charles, let him know [him?] that I was born in this land and I go die in this land; politicians may try to victimize me but no one, I mean no one shall run me off this land. St Lucia is our homeland and India is theirs [theirs?]. We won’t tolerate the disrespect being displayed toward our fellow colleagues. Tic tock, tic toc . . .” What does any of that have to do with healthcare? Sounds to me more like a personal gripe from a hate dispenser!

Now I am not saying doctors should be denied their constitutional right to dissent for whatever reason, including over matters related to healthcare in Saint Lucia. But I dare to say they have, as doctors, a particular responsibility. To illustrate my concern: say Allen Chastanet were to fall unconscious outside his Government Buildings office and had to be rushed to a local medical facility. And say he could not be revived. What would be the reaction of at least half of this politically polarized nation of ours if it should turn out the local doctor who penned the above-reproduced Facebook posting had attended to the sick prime minister? Doctors, even when they protest, should always be perceived first as doctors. Not as campaigning politicians in disguise. I suggest the MDA guerrillas would be far more effective and credible if they would, reminiscent of Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,

collectively determine to suffer the sacrifice of cutting their regular fees by half; make house calls in our most deprived areas; offer free services to the elderly and babies . . . I believe the press and populace would greedily embrace such a move. Besides, it would work wonders for the MDA membership’s credibility, not to say the sincerity of their abruptly undertaken cause. Such a move might even set the politically ambitious halfway toward accomplishing their dreams. As for our government, nothing in what I’ve written above should be taken to mean other than that we the people are in desperate need of a hospital that is more than a building. We cannot afford the luxury of lengthy and seemingly pointless discussions with countless parties, home and abroad, not when our people are sick and dying for lack of medical attention. No Saint Lucian woman should have to die at a roadside in the process of bringing a baby into this world, however selfish and hypocritical. One such occurrence must be more than enough!

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Hundreds of human trafficking victims freed in 13 countries after vast Interpol operation Interpol officers in Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Curacao, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and Venezuela took part in Operation Libertad.

early 350 victims of modern day slavery across the Americas and the Caribbean have been freed after an operation by Interpol to spot human trafficking. In a statement Monday, Interpol said more than 500 police officers in 13 countries — Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Curacao, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands and Venezuela — worked to arrest 22 people during Operation Libertad. "Operations like this show the power of Interpol providing a platform for the 13 participating countries, but what sits behind these numbers is the human story," Interpol Executive Director of Police Services Tim Morris said. "Whether it is someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter, there is an intensely personal story that is usually, unfortunately, accompanied by a lot of suffering.” Operation Libertad, which was funded by Canada, was planned for more than two-and-a-half years and carried out by Interpol's Global Task Force on Human Trafficking. The victims, which included men, women and children, were

found working in night clubs, farms, mines, factories and open-air markets, according to the release. Many of those who have been identified as victims are believed to have been migrants seeking work. The rescue operation puts a spotlight on issues trafficking victims face even after they've been freed from their traffickers. Sarah Paoletti, professor and director of the Transnational Legal Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, said people who fall into labor trafficking, like many of those rescued, are often trapped in a web of unending debts. And in some cases freedom from trafficking can translate into visa violation and deportation. "If you leave the person you were promised to, you go from being a migrant to being unlawfully present," Paoletti said. "You don’t earn the money back let alone making money to send to your family back home, and you end up in an even worse position." Denise Brennan, professor and chair of the department of anthropology at Georgetown and author of "Life Interrupted:

Isolation in both removing travel documents and in proximity to towns and cities were both tactics used by traffickers busted by Interpol. In Guyana, young women were found working as prostitutes next to extremely remote gold mines from which they could not escape, investigators said. "I was concerned when I read about the conditions of how off-the-grid those people were," Brennan said. "Those conditions can lead to employers exploiting with impunity with no one watching. It can be both a technique to abuse and This photo made available by Interpol on April 30, 2018 shows an Interpol officer writing documents during a raid on night clubs in Georgetown, Guyana, on April 7, intimidate." Brennan and Paoletti said 2018. Nicola Vigilanti/Interpol via AP that the real work for these victims Trafficking Into Forced Labor Victims rescued in the a lot of fear of what's going on often starts after they're freed. in the United States," said Interpol operation have been next," Brennan said. "Now the hard work that the victims who are also provided with social services Many of those freed in the begins because they're probably suffering from a momentous and NGOs that have helped operation had travel documents leaving with no documents, no breach of trust can also provide support, according to taken from them in order for money, no contacts and in many feel apprehensive of law Interpol. Paoletti and Brennan their traffickers to maintain ways they’re in the hands of law enforcement. stressed the victim-centered power. enforcement or social service "You have people who approach, which goes beyond In one case in Saint Vincent providers or government officials," are scared, whose trust is the moment of freedom for and the Grenadines, victims at Brennan said. broken, who might not have those who have experienced a factory were stripped of their "Now, after having their trust clean underwear, or even know human trafficking, is crucial passports and never received so profoundly ruptured when in a where they are. And strangers to successfully preventing rewages, forcing them to depend situation of trafficking, they have are saying, maybe not in their trafficking. on their handlers for housing, no choice but to trust those who own language: 'Don’t worry "Leaving a situation of transport, food and the most are giving assistance." about it. Trust me.' A lot can go trafficking doesn’t just offer up basic necessities, according to wrong," Brennan said. relief. It can actually still invite Interpol. --- Kalhan Rosenblatt

CARIBBEAN GRAINS TAPS SOCIAL MEDIA TO ENHANCE BAKING INDUSTRY

aribbean Grains Limited is using social media to deepen the interest of Saint Lucians in the art and business of baking. Recently, the Vieux Fort-based flour mill company organised a Facebook contest to win a free baking lesson. The successful competitor was Natasha JordanVenner from Castries, who earned the privilege of joining sixteen other participants from local bakeries at a training session held on Saturday, April 28, 2018, at the Flour Mill in Vieux Fort. The contest and training were part of Caribbean Grains’ efforts to advance expertise and increase the products available in Saint Lucia's baking industry. Ms. Jordan-Venner, who

describes herself as a part-time baker, is grateful for the new knowledge she acquired at the training session. “In the Caribbean, every recipe we use, always ask for lukewarm water. What the Chef said made sense. We already live in a warm climate. Most of our recipes come from the US or Canada where climates are cold and bakers have to raise the temperature of their water. The water in the Caribbean is actually fine. Actually, using cold water gives us more time to control what we do with our recipe. And I see it worked well.” The latest training session by Caribbean Grains was conducted by renowned French

baker and consultant, Ali Medjahed from Mustique, who said the training involving Ms. Jordan-Venner focused on the choices of baking ingredients made by the company. “She was very happy to win the contest. My word of advice was choose your products right all the time. Make sure you use Caribbean Grains flour. It’s actually a Saint Lucian product. We have our seventh flour that would permit her to do anything she wants— from bread to cakes, pastry, and savoury. I am sure she had a great time and received a lot of information. She will also receive a lot of recipes from us and we will keep in touch by

Chef Ali Medjahed (centre right) with participants at the Caribbean Grains baking training session.

email.” Caribbean Grains Sales and Marketing Director, Decosta Pierre, said the training conducted by the company is geared towards increasing the knowledge of bakers for the long-term improvement of skills in the baking industry. The company is also planning a research exercise to ascertain where assistance is most

needed in the industry. “Caribbean Grains is embarking on an island-wide study to see where the baking industry is at and where it needs to go. We have realised throughout our training that there are a lot of shortcomings. There are a lot of practices that do not allow the bakers to become consistent, hence the reason why we have embarked

on this type of training. In the months to come we will embark on a lot more training but a lot of it will focus on developing the industry.” Caribbean Grains commenced operations in Saint Lucia in November 2016. More information on the company can be found online at facebook.com/ caribbeangrains.

16 HEALTH

KIM’S KORNER

TRADE UNIONISM. GARBAGE.

Basketball: Elevate Your Game (Part 2)

ast week we looked at lower limb injuries. This week we focus on upper limb injuries. Although not as common as lower limb injuries, they can affect a person’s performance and keep them benched. The most common problems are: Shoulder Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursa—fluid-filled sacs between muscles and bones, reducing friction and improving the gliding movement of muscles. The most common cause of bursitis is through injury, either by falling directly onto the arm, repetitive pressure on the shoulder (as in throwing overhead), poor posture or bone spurs or calcium deposits. Infection can also cause bursitis but this is unusual in the shoulder. Inflammation results in a reduction in space causing pain and irritation of the bursa. Treatment: Reduce the inflammation and rest. Using the PRICE protocol as soon as symptoms are experienced is very effective, but in severe cases a cortisone injection may be required. Prevention: Always warm up. When in training always take breaks when doing repetitive tasks, maintain good posture and, of course, stop any activities that cause pain. Rotator Cuff Tendonitis: The rotator cuff is a group of four small muscles that aid in the stability of the shoulder. Repetitive movements and overuse can cause inflammation of the tendons. Pain can be felt at rest but most often when performing overhead tasks such as throwing and shooting. As well as pain you may experience stiffness and difficulty raising the arm above shoulder level. Treatment: If pain is severe it is advisable to seek advice

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from your physiotherapist or healthcare provider to ensure that you are correctly diagnosed and the right treatment. Prevention: Ensure that you strengthen the rotator cuff muscles. Isometric and resistance exercises are ideal. Elbow Bursitis: Like the shoulder, the elbow contains bursae, and pain and obvious swelling around the elbow is a sign that your bursa may be inflamed. As fluid accumulates in the bursa, it may become difficult to bend the elbow and the fluid may need to be aspirated. Prevention: Strengthening the arm, wrist and shoulder and a stretch routine should be included in your daily exercise programme. As basketball involves repetitive movements, ensure that you become an expert at using both arms, relieving the pressure on your dominant side. Elbow tendonitis: As with golfers and tennis players, basketball carries the risk of elbow tendonitis due to the repetitive movements of dribbling and passing. Symptoms are often felt around the elbow and in the forearm and even activities such as turning the arm and shaking hands may be painful. Treatment: Ice and rest are recommended in the early stages and a tendon cuff may

help to relieve the symptoms. Prevention: Strong muscles around the upper arm and forearm can help to ensure good movement and protection around the elbow. Wrist sprains: Falls are all part of the game and a fall onto an outstretched arm can result in damage to the ligaments of the wrist. Treatment: If the sprain is mild, ice and a compression bandage may have you back in action in no time but more severe sprains and tears may require rest and immobilization. Prevention: It’s hard to avoid falls but having strong wrists and quick reflexes may minimize the damage. Fractured fingers: These are usually caused by finger jams, when players collide or when catching the ball awkwardly. Even a small fracture can affect the way you play so a cast to realign and protect the digit may be necessary. As in any sport, the best course of action is prevention so remember to include various types of strengthening exercises into your training programme. If you are unsure what exercises to include, visit a physiotherapist for a full assessment and personalized exercise programme and advice on posture and a good training routine.

Kim Jackson is a UK-trained physiotherapist with over 20 years' experience. She specializes in musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction, including back pain and sciatica, stroke and other neuro conditions plus sports physiotherapy, having worked with local, regional and international athletes and teams treating injuries and analyzing biomechanics to improve function and performance. She is registered with the Allied Health Council and is a member of PASL. She currently works at Bayside Therapy Services in Rodney Bay, www.baysidetherapyservices.com

This island needs to address proper garbage disposal that takes into consideration neighbours and the environment.

hen I am asked why the 2018 Labour Day (May Day) activities were so low-keyed, I reply with three simple letters: LSE. By this I do not mean the London School of Economics; far be it from me to draw such a prestigious institution into the excuse that has become Labour Day observances in Saint Lucia. For my part, there are too many imposters within the trade union movement who have no love for the working class of this island. Too many are not prepared to make any sacrifices for the benefit of workers. In addition, today’s practitioners seem to lack the energy necessary for celebrating the Labour movement minus political hacks. It’s an uncomfortable fact that the love, sacrifice and energy that George Odlum, Frances Michel and others brought to the

Labour movement in the 1970s is rapidly dissipating. So-called trade unionists, who dance only when directed by their party bosses, have regrettably infiltrated the movement. An equally disturbing matter not connected to May Day is the poor disposal of garbage by too many on this island. Flies from the Vieux Fort garbage dump continue to be a nuisance to the patients at the makeshift hospital. Fly control is not rocket science! The government has to decide soonest when it will begin building a new hospital in the south. Once this happens its best experts need to identify a new site for a garbage dump. Within two to four weeks such a site should be ready and the present horror totally covered and rendered pest-free. It’s also high time that Saint Lucians stopped placing used shopping bags

with garbage on the roadside on collection days. This is so uncool! In fact, that practice should be made illegal, if it hasn't already. Every household must be encouraged to place its disposable plastic garbage bags into non-disposable heavy-duty plastic barrels or half barrels on garbage collection days in such a way as to frustrate the efforts of stray dogs. It seems an abused cultural practice for those who live in nice, expensive homes to place plastic bags at the roadside on garbage collection days, only to have the dogs beating the dump trucks to the feast. And since we like to be in style, the owners of these new garbage bins should also be encouraged to paint them in decorative colours, for obvious reasons. ----Peter Josie

PRIME BLUE JAZZ EDITION AT SHACKAVILLE

Shackaville Bistro and Bar will host Choiseul’s special jazz events this year.

his year’s Saint Lucia Jazz Festival will be infused with another elaborate twist. Today, Saturday May 5th, La Pointe, Choiseul will be embellished with the fine talent of several local artists. The event—aptly christened the “Prime Blue Jazz Edition”—will feature local legends such as Meshach. Also making an appearance for the evening will be upcoming talent like the jazz band Wendell Richards and Friends, plus Mighty & Surbance, The Derek

Yarde Project, Idation and Hyper Active Jugglers. The live performances will be at Shackaville, a locallyowned bistro and bar built upon a land terrace perched atop a hill overlooking the beach, boasting magnificent views of the ocean. Jimmy Haynes, host of the momentous event and proprietor of the establishment, remarked, “This is a historic occasion. It definitely will place La Pointe on the map. I am very grateful to the sponsors who

have come onboard with us including the Choiseul/ Saltibus parliamentary representative.” Prime Blue Jazz Edition is proudly sponsored by Heineken Light and is set to commence at 8pm. Transportation to and from Shackaville will be available with buses leaving Soufriere, near the Catholic Church, at 7.30 p.m. Tickets are being sold at Pier28 Bistro & Lounge in Soufriere.

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18 entertainment

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The Saint Lucia Jazz Festival Is Back

Will it be a hit or will it miss this time round?

hile I consider myself a staunch music lover (does a person exist who isn't?), I cannot honestly say my love for the art form encompasses jazz. I mean, aside from learning Esparanza Spalding's rendition of ‘Sunny Side of the Street’ for a cabaret workshop once (because the lower notes were less intimidating), I have to sift through my memory for anything else that is jazz. And even then, what comes is shamefully mainstream; nothing to impress the music connoisseur. All this to say that although my love for jazz is half-assed, Saint Lucia’s Jazz Festival was one of few events I looked forward to. Unsurprisingly it had nothing to do with the actual music. My teenage self looked forward to the appearances of international acts such as John Legend, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, Trey Songs, among others.

I remember, too, when the festival lost its thunder, and artists—who some would argue lacked “relevance”—would headline the festival. Then, in 2016, the government dropped the clanger: Saint Lucia Jazz Festival would be no more. Instead, the Soleil Saint Lucia Summer Music Festival was ushered in. I can't say that I was not puzzled by the notion that having a six-month long seemingly smaller version of the festival that was deemed not profitable was the better choice over just revamping the existing Jazz Festival in some way. But 2017 came nonetheless and brought with it the Saint Lucia Jazz, Roots & Soul, Carnival, Blues and Arts & Heritage Festivals. Through the grapevine, I heard the turn-outs were unimpressive. But what else would anyone expect? They were new! I did make it to one event: Breakfast with Brandon, featuring musical protégé Brandon 'Taz' Niederauer

Will the numbers rake in this year for Saint Lucia's Jazz Festival?

and, let me tell it, the boy can perform! It was pretty great. Sadly, however, I never made it to the Blues event that night at Sandals Halcyon where he was to do his full performance, despite that I had planned to. Suffice it to say, circumstances beyond my control detained me. Now, this year's Jazz Festival is upon us and it looks hefty. Artists like Barbara Cadet, Destra, Lalah Hathaway and a swathe of other local, regional and international talents are slated to perform. Save for the 200 Facebook users who

“liked” the Soleil Festival Facebook post promoting the event, commenters did not seem particularly impressed, mainly with the show locations. They fumed that hotels were benefitting while the poor man was pushed out of jazz. They seemed to be mourning the demise of events like Jazz on the Square. Well, I am here to tell you, serious lovers of jazz, that you may want to save yourself some fretting. Culture Minister Fortuna Belrose explained at Monday's pre-cabinet meeting

that community events are still taking place. She listed Jazz in La Pointe, Choiseul, today, May 5, and in Anse la Raye. Not to mention The Events Company of Saint Lucia has invited everyone to “Go Bananas for Jazz' this weekend, with a packed schedule of events, some free, at Banana Countree on the Rodney Bay strip. And SLASPA’s Teatime Jazz is happening on Friday May 11, from 1 p.m. at La Place Carenage. It appears, also, that organisers have found a middle ground between keeping

things jazzy and catering for locals who just want a good time. Belrose says the pinnacle event—Jazz at Pigeon Island on Sunday, May 13—will be a day of pure jazz up until 7 p.m. when soca and calypso will take over. In the senator’s words: “Sunday is pure jazz up until 6:30-7 and then they will move into a prelude of the carnival. We're trying to cater for both segments.” She also expressed hopes the public will this time around turn out in large numbers. --- KN

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ArtReach and the Castries Underground returning to the narrative, let us agree that there is a tendency in this town to avoid the obvious. very city has its seedy Perhaps it is part of our jabal edges, its dark fringes, psychosis: a syndrome which dim lit crossroads where allows us to simultaneously the needy and the nebulous acknowledge and ignore the converge. Castries is no elephant in the room, even exception. When the regular stores close, the real, insomniac if she is wearing nothing but fishnet stockings and scarlet trading begins: food, alcohol, stilettos. drugs, flesh. So, at the risk of restating Nothing new. In fact, not the not so obvious, we could so long ago, at certain hours use a good dose of honesty after sundown, it was not just in this town: a detoxification, window-shopping on lower whether by purge or enema, a Laborie Street. It was weed, riddance from the body politic women, girls, boys, and a few of the fear and facetiousness things in between. And the car-driving customers—whose that is corrupting not just our numbers would surprise you— capital city, but every aspect of were not all male either. Maybe the national psyche. Bravo then, to the boldness this is still the case, in a city of the CDF—that last bastion of where so little changes. our underfunded culture—for So, imagine, last Friday daring not once, but twice, to night, sometime after dark, a transform a downtown back convergence of audience and alley into a temporary theatre, art, exactly one block due west and having the audacity to of the city’s infamous pick-up stage therein, an evening of point. An assembly—of all brave, bold, unapologetic poetry. things—in the name of poetry. Last year, the event Not so ironic, perhaps, given featured the work of veteran that our christian history is poet Kendel Hippolyte. This year, replete with liaisons of poets, it was some other writer. Not prophets and prostitutes, so important. The point is that including the immortal it happened successfully, yet Magdalene. again, and if allowed to grow, Yes, we digress, but could become a model for urban pleasurably so, and before

By Adrian Augier

and human renewal. The Castries City Council collaborated. Yes, I know they have changed their name, but consider this my objection to the overthrow of local government, and to the pall of partisan politics shadowing public administration. Far more important, is the commendation due to the Cadet Street business collective who willingly embraced this enterprise. Some supplied electric power. One opened up bathrooms. Another gave cash. All agreed to the closure of the road, surrendering their loading zones and parking spaces. Instead of the usual afternoon exodus, the roadside cafés, bars and restaurants remained abuzz with evening traffic. By 7 p.m. the powerwashed street appeared suitably poetic. A persistent drizzle conveyed its scepticism to a struggling moon. A forgotten alley, devoted to dysfunction by day and virtually abandoned by night, was transformed into a rodent-free urban theatre, complete with covered seating, dressed tables, projection screen, technical booth, and lighting truss rising toward the overcast sky. Move over Manhattan. The

Cadet Street Theatre is open for business. With power issues largely sorted, the stage came suddenly alive. The sound was on cue. The lighting, somewhat less so. But, with a decisive thrust from its expansive host, the programme built steadily through a first-half of innovative pieces, including several mixedmedia interpretations of works by the featured poet. The early content was youthful and suitably brave, poignant and personal. There was poetry, spoken word, dance, pan, cello, violin—all sincere and unapologetic—suggesting strongly that if young people would vote as they should at general elections, they could elect a whole new cohort of legislators more suited for governance in this century. Most important, the people came, many with umbrellas. They sat and stayed and listened: accountants, insurance executives, business women, musicians, managers, bus drivers, retirees, vendors, fellow artists, musicians and young poets. Many of these would only be caught dead in Castries after dark. The featured poet occupied the second half, delivering content which ranged from

acute patriotism to provocative, painful politics. No doubt, he rubbed a raw nerve or two, but not once did anyone ask: don’t you think that line, that poem, that statement is too political? To which I would have remarked: what use is art, what use is poetry if it is not political; if it is unconcerned with injustice; if it does not lament the corruption of the human condition; if it will not resist degradations of spirit and landscape; if it does not speak truth to power; if it does not rail against things rank and gross in nature? The only purpose of art is truth. Its primary fuel is thought. Its most powerful vehicle is unrepressed expression. To surrender any one of these is to surrender the right to think, to express, to demand the shaping of a better, different future. So enough already with the political politeness, the cultured cowardice. Let us either embrace or evict the jabal in the room. Let us at least admit that her six-inch red stilettos both frighten and excite us. If we are ever to address the malignant psychoses in our society, we need to stop being so damn scared all the time; scared of our own unblemished truths.

That is the daily battle. The wider war is to save art itself from annihilation, and that requires a more enlightened distinction between genuine culture and our new, insistent regression into a mania of unrooted events. In this spirit, let there be big, brave, unsinged thanks to the CDF crew, to fellow performers, to the city, the Cadet Street businesses, sponsors, citizens, all who conspire in this enterprise to save the city from nightly oblivion, to save the living arts. Thanks indeed, for a full house, a full night, a full heart, and as the rain subsided, the sad crescent smile of an April moon. Adrian Augier is an awardwinning poet, artist and producer and an ANSA Foundation Caribbean Laureate of Arts and Letters. He is also a development economist, an independent senator, and Saint Lucia's 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year. In October 2012, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies for his contribution to regional development and culture. For more information on this writer and his work visit adrianaugier.blogspot.com.

Applications and Nominations are now open for the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2018

LUDTERA would like to inform the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals that the applications and nominations are now open for the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2018. This year’s theme is ‘Literacy and Skills Development’ and the programmes and individuals who promote literacy around the world will be awarded. This is an opportune moment to celebrate, recognize and shine a light on any Saint Lucian organisations, institutions or individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of literacy in Saint Lucia. Since 1967, the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes have rewarded excellence and innovation in the field of literacy. Over 485 projects and programmes undertaken by governments, NGOs and individuals around the world have already received recognition and support for their

excellent work. Through two prestigious prizes, UNESCO supports effective literacy practices and encourages the promotion of dynamic literate societies to close the literacy gap of approximately 750 millions of people. UNESCO distinguishes between two Literacy Prizes that are given to five laureates: — The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (2 awards) was established in 1989 and is supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea. It gives special consideration to programmes that focus on the development and use of mother-tongue literacy education and training. — The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (3 awards), was established in 2005 and is supported by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. This prize recognizes programmes that promote adult literacy, especially in rural areas and for out-of-school youth, particularly girls and women.

Each of the prize winners will receive a medal, a diploma and US$20,000. All applications should be submitted to nominating entities, such as the National Commission for UNESCO, in the country of the programme. In Saint Lucia, the contact persons as listed on the National Commissions Website on unesco.org: http://saintlucia. comnat.unesco.org/ are; President: The Honorable Dr Gale Rigobert Secretary-General: Ms Marcia Symphorien Saint Lucia National Commission for UNESCO Address: Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development, Youth and Sports, 5th Floor, Conway Business Centre Conway, Castries Phone: 1 (758) 468 5272/3/4/5 or 758-4527286 Fax: 758-4517133 E-mail: slunatcom@yahoo.com Applications can also be submitted to an NGO that is in an official partnership with UNESCO. Applications can

be submitted via the online platform. All programmes and projects must meet the selection criteria below, in order to be taken into consideration: 1. Relevance to the themes – The programme/project is pertinent to the areas focused by the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes and the specific theme of this year. 2. Relevance to individuals and societal needs and robustness – The programme/project is relevant to the individual and societal needs in a given context; it is robust and effective in its design, delivery, structure, management, monitoring and evaluation. 3. Quality of teaching and learning – This involves interrelated dimensions such as the effectiveness, the efficiency, the equality, the relevance and the pertinence . 4. Impact – This relates to both positive and negative changes made by a programme/project, to

beneficiaries, communities and broader societies. Changes include both intended and unintended ones demonstrated by qualitative and/or quantitative evidence. 5. Innovative features – These are concerned with new/original ideas, solutions, approaches, methods, devices and perspectives or new ways of adapting traditional ones which can add value and make a concrete impact. 6. Sustainability – This pertains to lasting benefits and impacts of a programme/project beyond the life cycle of the current programme/project. This may involve the concrete activities of a programme/project designed to ensure sustainability of its results and impacts, and the contributions to enriching literate environments in which learners can acquire, use, sustain, and advance literacy skills and the availability of future plan. In addition to these criteria, the project/programme

should: • be ongoing and a proven record of innovative work in the field of literacy for at least three years • have not been awarded the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes in the past five years • promote literacy through effective and innovative projects or programsme. The deadline for submitting applications for nominations is June 5th, 2018 at midnight, Paris time. The deadline for nominating entities to submit their nominations to UNESCO is June 17th, 2018 at midnight, Paris time. The nominations will be assessed by an independent international jury, composed of six experts on the basis of the selection criteria above. Based on the recommendations of the international jury, the DirectorGeneral of UNESCO will select the finalists and award the prizes on September 7th, 2018 on the occasion of International Literacy Day.

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National Security Minister Concludes Successful Meetings with Police

inister for Home Affairs, Justice and National Security Senator the Honourable Hermangild Francis is pleased to have held productive discussions with members of the northern division of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2018 at the Finance Administrative Centre at Pointe Seraphine. The police in the north of the island came out in

significant numbers to take advantage of the platform where the minister had invited them to: “Ask me anything as long as it is not derogatory.” Minister Francis, who last week met with police officers from the south, addressed several issues during his preamble and fielded several questions posed by the officers. The minister also took time to highlight welcomed initiatives for the police under the new

financial year 2018/2019 such as the construction of a new Gros Islet Police Station, a new Police Headquarters to be built at La Toc and the expansion and modernization of the communication systems of the RSLPF. Other agenda items and mutually shared concerns centred on discipline in the RSLPF, the new Use of Force Policy, the Ethics Policy, an update on the CARICOM IMPACS Report and Succession Planning in the Force, among others. Minister Francis appealed to the officers to be mindful that good work morale and professional ethics must complement the provision of state resources to get the job done effectively. Members of the northern division of the police force at the meeting with Minister for Home Affairs, Justice and National Security.

THE SUPER 6 AND POWER PLAY PRIZE WINNERS REVEALED!

Calypso Legacy Comes to Saint Lucia

Mighty gabby.

he wait is OVER! Andrew Piltie and Tracy George are the latest Super 6 jackpot and Power Play top prize winners! The two gentlemen are no strangers to the winning circle as they both have won the jackpots before.

on the numbers 9-10-24-25 Power Pick 3 which he purchased from Shell #1 Service Station in Vieux Fort. The excitement finally set in when the two gentlemen were issued with their prizes at the official cheque handover on May 4th 2018 after the SNL live draws program. Mr. Piltie and Mr. George have both been In 2013, Mr. Piltie was the lucky winner of the Power playing the lottery for years and encouraged customers Play top prize and on the 16th of April 2018, he was the to continue to play as they too can be winners just like proud winner of Super 6 with the numbers 3-9-12-13- them. When each gentleman was asked what they 16-17 and the free ticket letter M when the jackpot was would do with their winnings, Mr. Piltie said “invest in a whopping $500,000 which he purchased from BCJ my children’s education” and Mr. George mentioned “I Enterprises in Choiseul. would finish build my home.” Tracy George, having won the Super 6 jackpot in 2010 was not surprised when he realized he was the holder of the winning Power Play ticket. Mr. George won the Power Play top prize of $124,000 on April 14th 2018

The SNL team once again congratulates Andrew Piltie and Tracy George on their winnings and encourages gamers to continue to play as there are still bigger jackpots and more chances to win.

For more information on our games visit our website www.stlucialotto.com or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StLuciaNationalLottery/

St. Lucia National LotteryChanging Lives!

De Ashanti.

t is being billed as a night of nostalgia and an event that is expected to set the pace for the 2018 Calypso season after a phenomenal 2017. “Legacy” will feature some of the most celebrated calypsonians in Saint Lucia’s rich calypso tradition. They include former monarch and the undisputed people’s king, De Ashanti, with a repertoire of hits spanning several decades including “Sufferers Song (Malayway)”, “Jail”, “Juicy Lucy”, “Shanti Tell Dem So”, “Growing Population” and more. The stage of the National Cultural Centre will also be graced by a number of other monarchs including the reigning sovereign Pep, TC Brown, Herb Black, Educator and Alpha, among many others. And, as a special treat, organisers will be presenting back on stage, for the first time after many years out of the arena, Lady Spice who is Saint Lucia’s first female Calypso Monarch. The fiery Lady Spice made a huge splash on the calypso scene in 2000 with her performances of “This Woman Vex” and “Looking for a Man”. To top off this special Calypso treat, Legacy will feature a Caribbean Calypso icon, with roots in Saint Lucia—the Mighty Gabby out of Barbados. Gabby won his first Calypso crown in Barbados in 1968 with the song "Heart Transplant" and went on to win several titles. He scored his first Road march in 1979 with "Burn Mr. Harding" and has created memorable hits such as "Cadavers", “West Indian Politician”, “Dr. Cassandra”, “Jack"—which takes on the tourism industry for giving preferential treatment to foreign visitors’ use of the beach—and "Boots"—which took on the government's prioritizing spending money on an army. Legacy will unfold majestically this evening from 8 p.m. at the National Cultural Centre with pre-show steelpan entertainment. The cost is EC$30 advance and tickets are limited. This event is sponsored by PCD with Johnnie Walker Black and Campari, and St. Lucia Distillers with Chairman’s Reserve, JP Chenet and Piton Beer. It is powered by Yello.

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Regional Project aims to make Caribbean Fisheries Climate-Smart

isheries experts from Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines met in Kingstown, St Vincent on April 25 and 26 to explore options for a climatesmart fisheries monitoring system and a related fisheries and environment database. The experts met at a twoday workshop organised by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) to support the roll-out of the FisheryRelated Ecological and SocioEconomic Impact Assessments and Monitoring System project. The project is an initiative under the Regional Track of the Caribbean Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR), funded by the Climate Investment Funds through the Inter-American Development Bank, and managed by the University of the West Indies’ Mona Office for Research and

Innovation. This data-driven project under the PPCR recognises that Caribbean fisheries are under serious threat due to climate change, and focuses on information-strengthening to facilitate climate-smart planning for the sector. Across the region, coastal erosion is compromising important fish landing beach sites. Rising sea levels and more intense storms are causing major damage to fish habitats and reducing fishery access and assets. Recognising the complexity of these problems, and the need for a comprehensive response and greater collaboration among stakeholders in the sector, the workshop focused on developing a shared understanding of the impact of climate change on the ecological and socio-economic components of fisheries

systems across the Caribbean. This shared understanding is an important first step in supporting participants to explore options for a climatesmart fisheries monitoring system and related fisheries and environment database. Jullan Defoe, Senior Fisheries Officer from Dominica said data was critical for fisheries management: “After the devastation of Hurricane Maria, Dominica discovered that there was a serious data void. The gaps in the availability of relevant data and information in some instances have hampered strategic interventions in the emergency recovery phase. The most critical outcome of this project will be a comprehensive ecological assessment. This is something that Dominica absolutely needs in order to recover, and more so as we aim to become the first climate-

Workshop participants map the pathways of climate change impact on ecological and socio-economic components of three fisheries systems (reef, mangrove/ seagrass and pelagic ecosystems) as a part of activities at the two-day PPCR Caribbean fisheries workshop in Kingstown, St Vincent.

resilient country in the world.” Over the two-day event, participants worked to select pilot study sites for local project activities and discussed the development of a climatesmart monitoring system. They also examined options for

Taiwan Has Terminated Diplomatic Relations with the Dominican Republic

epublic of China (Taiwan), Ministry of Foreign Affairs: On May 1st, the Dominican Republic and China announced the establishment of diplomatic ties. This was the result of China’s efforts in offering vast financial incentives for the Dominican Republic to end their 77 years of diplomatic relations with Taiwan. It also follows China’s actions last year in establishing diplomatic relations with Panama. The Republic of China (Taiwan) government is deeply upset by China’s actions. To protect both the nation’s dignity and sovereignty, the government announces the termination of relations with the Dominican Republic, effective immediately. This extends to the immediate termination of all cooperative projects and assistance. Our embassy officials and staff at technical missions will also be repatriated. President Danilo Medina of the Dominican Republic has ignored our long-term partnership, the wishes of the people of the Dominican Republic, and the years of developmental assistance provided by Taiwan, to accept false promises of investment and aid by China. Since 2016, President Medina has made two trips to China for talks on establishing diplomatic ties. Given these interactions, MOFA has long recognized the instability of relations between Taiwan and the Dominican Republic. MOFA has followed their engagements closely. In order to clearly express the importance attached to the bilateral relations, the government dispatched then-

Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee in July 2017 in an attempt to strengthen ties. In August and October of the same year, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Maria Liu also visited the Dominican Republic for discussions. Initially, this appeared to stabilize ties, as seen by the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in February. However, in recent weeks, we started to notice growing signs of the Dominican Republic’s willingness to establish diplomatic ties with China. We emphasize that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the Dominican Republic—in 1941—successive administrations in our two countries have worked together to forge closer cooperation. Successful projects have included efforts to increase rice production under the leadership of Yin. T. Hsieh that led to the Dominican Republic’s becoming an exporter of this staple crop. Taiwan has worked together with the Dominican Republic to build the Silicon Valley of the Caribbean, the Santo Domingo Cyber Park, among others. Taiwan has also provided assistance in establishing an emergency response center to improve security and increase tourism. Recently, Taiwan has also built a new care center for disadvantaged children. All of these projects have enjoyed the full support and affirmation of the people of the Dominican Republic. We strongly condemn China’s objectionable decision to use dollar diplomacy to convert Taiwan’s diplomatic allies. Beijing’s attempts

at foreign policy have only served to drive a wedge between the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, erode mutual trust, and further harm the feelings of the people of Taiwan. Furthermore, MOFA wants to use this opportunity to remind the international community of the lack of follow through for China’s promises to former diplomatic allies of Taiwan. This is exemplified by China’s failure to deliver on a pledge of US$1 billion in assistance to Costa Rica to build a refinery and $400 million to construct highways, when it established relations with the country in 2007. More recently, since establishing ties with Sao Tome and Principe in December 2016, it has failed to uphold its pledge to provide US$140 million in aid. Agreed-upon plans to build an airport and deepen a harbor have also been shelved. As former US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson once said: Beijing “encourages dependency using opaque contracts, predatory loan practices, and corrupt deals that mire nations in debt and undercut their sovereignty, denying them their long-term, self-sustaining growth.” Developing nations should be aware of the danger of falling into a debt trap when engaging with China. While Taiwan faces serious diplomatic challenges, the government will not bow down to pressure from Beijing. Taiwan will work with friendly nations to uphold regional peace and stability and ensure our rightful place in the international community. Our diplomats around the world will continue to fight for Taiwan’s dignity and rights.

strengthening communication to improve knowledge, awareness and practices for climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction responses in the Caribbean fisheries sector. The workshop took steps towards establishing a CRFM

PPCR project working group, to support work under the Fisheries sub-component of the Regional PPCR. Dr. Susan Singh-Renton, Deputy Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat, underscored the importance of having this project working group: “The Caribbean faces a number of common challenges, and so it makes sense for us to work together as a group. The working group will allow experts who have good local knowledge to commit to the project for a period of two years…and as the project evolves, members will have opportunities to learn about the new methods and tools required for climate smart fisheries monitoring and management.” The CRFM is coimplementing partner for the Fisheries Sub Component of the Regional PPCR.

ST LUCIA MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE

he local manufacturing industry’s leading advocacy group, the Saint Lucia Manufacturers’ Association, assembled earlier this week for the group’s annual general meeting— marking its 16th year of service to the development of a dynamic and indigenous manufacturing sector on the island. Expressing the Government of Saint Lucia’s intention to strengthen the role of advocacy groups like the SMA through the introduction of more sustainable financing mechanisms, Prime Minister Honourable Allen Chastanet and Minister for Commerce, Industry, Investment, Enterprise Development and Consumer Affairs, Honourable Bradley Felix joined the general assembly in welcoming the newly elected Executive Board of the Saint Lucia Manufacturers’ Association. Reserving a special moment to revisit key victories of the past year, Immediate Past President Richard Du Boulay of CPJ (St. Lucia) Ltd. and Executive Director Paula James discussed the introduction of the deferred VAT system of importation—a major legislative win for the group which has already been instrumental in decreasing the hurdles of manufacturing in a largely importbased economy like Saint Lucia’s. The SMA also recently concluded its Quality Awards—an annual event recognizing exemplary initiatives by its members in the areas of Leadership, Implementation of Standards and Best Practices, Product and Customer Service Quality, Marketing Strategies, Human Resource Development, Social Responsibility and Eco Manufacturing.

Winning members were also specially acknowledged at this week’s AGM with Baron Foods taking home the overall award for excellence and Saint Lucia Linen winning the award for Innovation and EcoManufacturing. Marguerite Desir, newly elected President of the St Lucia Manufacturers’ Association, along with her executive members, have committed to working with all manufacturers to ensure continued and improved best practice and delivery of excellent products and services both for the local and international markets. She further expressed that evidence has shown, by way of international accolades, that Saint Lucia’s manufacturers produce world-class products and we need to further develop and promote them globally. The 2018/2020 Executive members of the SMA (listed below) have pledged to lead a pro-active and member-focused organisation in the pursuit of meaningful opportunities for Saint Lucia’s indigenous manufacturing industry. President: Mrs. Marguerite Desir Harris Paints (St. Lucia) Ltd. 1st Vice President: Mr. Nicholas Barnard - St. Lucia Linen Services Ltd. 2nd Vice President: Mrs. Margaret Monplaisir - St. Lucia Distillers Ltd. Secretary: Mr. Ronald Ramjattan Baron Foods St. Lucia Ltd. Treasurer: Mr. Jason King - St. Lucia Distillers Ltd. Assistant Secretary: Mrs. Pauline Gomez - Top Stone Fabrication Ltd. Public Relations Officer: Mr. Christian Wayne - STAR Publishing Co. Ltd.

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EZECHIEL JOSEPH SAYS FISHERMEN SHOULD PRACTISE CAUTION

n the aftermath of the last reported drowning of two fishermen from Vieux Fort in March, the Minster for Agriculture, Fisheries, Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Co-operatives, Ezechiel Joseph spoke on the situation. “It is unfortunate, and I want to extend to the family our sincere condolences, but I am hoping it is a lesson for other fishermen that they should be out there with the respective gear that they have been advised to go out with.” He added “I am sure you have heard that the fishermen are being asked to go out with safety gear and they have been trained in that regard, but some of them are not listening. We have a lot of laws, but it is just a question of people not adhering to the laws”. Laws outlining the use of safety equipment while fishing are found in the “Fisheries Regulations Saint Lucia Statutory Instruments of 1994, No.9” under regulation 4. It reads:

Every vessel shall carry on board(a) A bailer capable of removing water from the vessel; (b) A hand-held compass or other compass approved by the Chief Fisheries Officer; (c) Not less than 13.64 litres of fresh drinking water stowed in a closed container for each person on board the vessel less than 7.62 metres in length overall or 22.73 litres per person on a vessel 7.62 metres and over; (d) One set of oars and one main sail; (e) A battery-operated waterproof flash light; (f) Non-perishable rations stowed in a waterproof container, sufficient to sustain each person for at least 5 days; (g) A small glass mirror capable of being used as a reflector; (h) At least two flares suitable for use at night; (i) At least two flares suitable for use in daylight; (j) A sea anchor of a size and design appropriate to the vessel; (k) At least one lifejacket for each person on board the

The recent deaths of two fishermen should serve as a warning to those in the job.

vessel; (l) A radar reflector. Regulation 5 outlines the penalty for not adhering to these aforementioned laws: “Any owner, master or charterer who contravenes the provisions of Regulation 4 shall be guilty

of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.” Last year, during the hurricane season, the Caribbean experienced powerful hurricanes which caused heavy

rainfall and rough seas and also devastated some islands. The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season forecast released last month from Colorado State University calls for the number of named storms and hurricanes to be slightly above historical

averages, but less than last year. A total of fourteen named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes are expected this season. In speaking to a number of fishermen from Anse la Raye on Thursday (who all wished not to be named), they all indicated that they don’t venture out when warnings are issued although one did say that sometimes he feels tempted to, and may take a chance if winds are not too strong, because this is his livelihood and he has to provide for his family. They all indicated that when they go out to sea, they do so with all the required safety equipment. (Hopefully this is so!) In the case of any emergency at sea, the possibility of loss of life as we have seen in Saint Lucia would be remarkably less if each fisherman was adequately equipped. So, with a predicted busy hurricane season almost upon us, let us hope that they all take heed. ---Joshua St. Aimee

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PRIMARY STUDENTS GET DIGITAL MEDIA TIPS TO PARTICIPATE IN “A.C.T. NOW SAINT LUCIA” CLIMATE CHANGE CAMPAIGN

FLOW partners with SALCC Media Students to pass on knowledge

orty-five students from primary schools around Saint Lucia acquired tips on how optimize the use of their smartphones to develop quality media content on climate change. The training session took place on Friday May 4th at the Financial Centre Building. The activity was in support of the A.C.T. Now Saint Lucia challenge to primary schools. The training was delivered by mobile personnel from FLOW, one of the sponsors of the primary school component. Assisting FLOW were Digital Media students of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Schools fielding teams in the competition are Plain View Combined, Ave Mara Primary, Ciceron Combined, Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary, Riviere Dorée Anglican Combined, Laborie Girls’ Primary, Patience Combined, Banse La Grace Combined, Augier Combined, and Derisseaux Combined. Of these nine, seven were able to

“Mobile technology seems to be tailor-made for your generation, because of how quickly you master these modern gadgets. Mobile phones have caused the youth journalism movement to take off where young people are now engaging in advocacy, interacting and sharing with their peers in other countries, and, in exciting ways, are participating in important conversations about what’s happening in their world,” Mr. Doxerie concluded. The A.C.T. Now Saint Lucia campaign is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Government of Saint Lucia, with funding support from the Government of Japan, Omar Combie of SALCC discusses media information with interested primary school students. through the Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership participate in the digital media waste disposal practices and a brief overview on the global Specialist in the Department (J-CCCP). training. climate change impacts in challenge of climate change of Sustainable Development, The primary schools One of two age-specific their community. They must and how the phenomenon encouraged the students to challenge will conclude on May challenges under the campaign, then produce a maximum specifically impacts Small research the role played by their 11th with the submission of it targets primary school three-minute video outlining a Island Developing States like counterparts all over the world, videos. It was made possible teams, of maximum five, who solution to the problem. Saint Lucia. in educating their families and are charged with researching Ahead of the training The presenter, Mr. Vincent peers on behaviours which help with the support of the Ministry the relationship between session, the students received Doxerie, Communication lessen climate change impacts. of Education.

Saint Lucia Football Association supports vaccination for national players

he annual observance of Vaccination Week of the Americas was launched by the Ministry of Health and Wellness on Monday April 23rd. The theme ‘Strengthen Your Defence, Get Vaccinated, Vaccines Work,’ has drawn strong support from St. Lucia Football Association (SLFA). On Saturday April 28th the Association, in collaboration with the Community Nursing Service, organised a health fair to provide education on vaccination to female and male national players. The importance of vaccines was highlighted by Nurse Julietta Frederick-Cassius, Manager for the Expanded Programme on Immunization. “In addition to vaccines being our best defence against many diseases, it is

the best preventative strategy in sustaining elimination or irradiation of vaccinepreventable diseases among our population and keeping those diseases off our shores.” Social and Development Officer for the SLFA, Karen Fowell explained why the Association fully endorsed this activity. “Part of the St. Lucia Association’s social agenda includes health promotion. So today we are collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Wellness on a very important initiative: vaccination and a healthcare fair. The healthcare fair will focus on affording some of our national teams, male and female, the opportunity to become familiarized with health issues that could affect them in their lives and throughout

the game. Additionally, in celebration of Vaccination Week, we are partnering with the Ministry of Health to ensure that our national teams are vaccinated because most times they are due to travel to tournaments and we, as an institution, want to ensure that we promote health and healthcare to our players.” Fowell encouraged other associations, coaches and referees to participate in the vaccination drive organised by the Ministry of Health. Her message was echoed by Jamil Joseph, Coach for the National under-15 Football Team: “Basically what we’re trying to do is to get players vaccinated, keep healthy. So we want to bring it out to the wider public so players and sportsmen and sportswomen can get

Footballers learned about the importance of vaccination and other health services that are important for their sport.

vaccinated and stay healthy.” One member of the Saint Lucia Women’s Football Team, Samara Edward, was grateful for the education received at the health fair: “And we are grateful

that we are there; the SLFA has put that in place. It shows that they are not just interested in us as footballers but they also care about our health.” The health fair was held

at the office of the SLFA in Vide Bouteille. The Ministry of Health encourages all persons to get vaccinated to protect themselves from vaccinepreventable diseases.

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MOVING TO FURNISHED HOUSE

ITEMS BELOW FOR SALE AT 7 MONGIRAUD STREET, CASTRIES (MORRIL’S FURNITURE BUILDING) STARTING APRIL 30

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Kitchen Aid Fridge 25.8 CUFT 1yr $12,429 $9,429 Grey washing machine 1.5 yrs $7448 $5199 Adjustable sofa bed 1yr $3129 $2200 Samsung 48” Smart LED TV 1yr $3,429 $2899 Radio Shack full motion TV wall mount1yr $229 $179 Entertainment table (hardwood) $2700 $1755 Bookshelf (hardwood) $1250 Picnic Hamper 1yr $249 $125 Kitchen Aid mixer (Green apple) 1yr $1,319 $923 Char Broil Gas Barbeque $589 $350 Garden benches (2) $299ea Transformer 1000 Watts 1yr $244 $199 Cuisineart 4 pc nonstick Bakeware set 1yr $298 $199 iMAC 2 yrs $799 Hammock $35 Drums (2) $25ea Washing tubs $20 White plates round $5 White plates square $8 Chopping boards 1yr $35 White hand towels $5 White bath towels $15 Blue towel set $25 Green towel set $25 Wooden desk $699 Other desk $199 Computer stand $20 Other items

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Garrot Regular Big Bread $2.00 Garrot Whole Wheat Big Bread $3.00 Bread Rolls Whole Wheat Parcel *5 $3.75

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Even as States Legalize Marijuana, Racial Disparities in Weed Arrests Persist

Black people continue to be arrested at a higher rate than their white peers

riday April 20th—4/20—a day of stoner jokes, and, yes, lighting up. And with the recent legalization of marijuana in states like Vermont and California, it’s going to be an even happier holiday for some. But one thing that may get lost amid the smoke is that there is still an ongoing war on drugs that disproportionately targets people of color. Research shows that there’s a clear racial discrepancy in who is arrested for marijuana possession, and that discrepancy even exists in states that have legalized marijuana. As of January, weed is currently legal in nine states and Washington, DC. But laws still exist in some of these states that bar public consumption of marijuana, ban marijuana sales, and prohibit marijuana use for people under 21. A recent report by the pro-legalization Drug Policy Alliance found that even as arrests in states that legalized pot decline for black and white people, black people are still more likely to be arrested. Marijuana legalization hasn’t ended racial disparities in arrests. Take Colorado, one of the first states to legalize pot back in 2012, and the first state to allow recreational marijuana sales in 2014. According to a 2016 report from the Colorado Department of Public Safety, the arrest rate for black people for weed-related offenses is still nearly three times that of whites. While marijuana arrests in general have decreased, this hasn’t affected all groups equally. “The decrease in the number of marijuana arrests by race is the greatest for White arrestees (51%) compared to Hispanics (33%) and African Americans (25%),” the report notes. As Vox’s German Lopez has explained, these disparities exist in other states that have legalized marijuana and reflect the presence of racial bias in the criminal justice system. The difference isn’t explained by black and white marijuana use rates, since surveys show that black and white Americans use the drug at similar levels. But that data didn’t stop a Republican legislator in Kansas from arguing earlier this year that black people respond “the worst” to marijuana “because of their character makeup, their genetics.” There is a concern that the recent wave of legalization will leave black Americans behind. Racial justice activists, many of them black women, argue that for real change to occur legalization must include a change in how drug laws are enforced by police officers, and have incorporated the issue into the broader conversation about race and policing. And black people are also working to increase their presence among those starting marijuana businesses in states that allow sales. “As white people exploit the changing tide on marijuana, the racism that drove its prohibition is ignored,” Vincent M. Southerland, executive director of NYU Law’s Center on Race, Inequality and the Law, and Johanna B. Steinberg of the Bronx Defenders recently wrote for the New York Times. “So are the consequences for black communities, where the war on drugs is most heavily waged.” --- Vox Media

More states are legalizing weed, but a drop in marijuana arrests isn’t translating into a smaller racial disparity between blacks and whites. Kevin Cummins/Getty Images

Invitation for Bids SAINT LUCIA

email chmathurin@gosl.gov.lc and inspect the bidding documents during office hours 0900 hours (9:00am) to 1500 hours (3:00 pm) daily from Monday to Friday at the address given below (*) from April 24, 2018.

SAINT LUCIA - DISASTER VULNERABILITY REDUCTION PROJECT

5. The Invitation to Quote in English may be collected by interested eligible bidders at the Project Coordination Unit, 2nd Floor, Finance Administrative Centre, Point Seraphine, Castries, Saint Lucia. The document will be made available from April 24, 2018. The document will be sent by Courier to bidders overseas.

Source of Funding: IDA Credit #5493, SCF Loan # TF017143, SCF Loan # TFO17101 Contract Title: Procurement of GEONET Cast Americans (GNC-A) Satellite Downlink and Data Processing System SLUDVRP-W-S-MNRW-01-15 Reference No. (as per Procurement Plan): SLU-DVRP-W-SMNRW-01-15 1. Saint Lucia has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds toward payments under the contract for the Procurement of GEONET Cast Americans (GNC-A) Satellite Downlink and Data Processing System. 2. The Department of Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders to submit a price quotation for the delivery, installation, configuration and training of a GEONET Cast Americans (GNC-A) Satellite Downlink and Data Processing System, as specified below. Items Quantity Desktop Computer 1 FAZZT Professional Client 1 DVB-S-S2 receiver 1 Low Noise Block Downconverter (LNB) 1 Antenna 1 Installation and Configuration Delivery of training on installation of the equipment 3 persons Delivery of training on configuration and use of the platform 11 persons The time for delivery, installation and configuration is four (4) weeks and delivery of training is four (4) weeks. 3. Bidding will be conducted through Shopping procedures as specified in the World Bank’s Guidelines: Procurement of Goods, Works and Non-consulting Services under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants by World Bank Borrowers” dated January 2011 (and revised July 2014) (“Procurement Guidelines”), and is open to all eligible bidders as defined in the Procurement Guidelines. In addition, please refer to paragraphs 1.6 and 1.7 setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. 4. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from the Project Coordinator, Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project, Department of Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation,

6. Your quotation in duplicate and in English language, should be accompanied by adequate technical documentation and catalogue(s) and other printed materials or pertinentinformation (in English language) for delivery of installation and configuration of the equipment in accordance with the Technical Specifications and Terms and Conditions of Supply. A profile of the company should also be included as part of your quotation. 7. Bids must be delivered to the address below (**) on or before May 23, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. (1330hours). Electronic bidding will not be permitted. Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the bidders’ designated representatives and anyone who choose to attend at the address below [*** ) on May 9, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. (1400 hours) 8. The address (es) referred to above are: *The Project Coordinator DISASTER VULNERABILITY REDUCTION PROJECT. Department of Economic Development Transport and Civil Aviation 2nd Floor, Finance Administrative Building Pointe Seraphine, Castries, Saint Lucia Telephone: 758-468-2413 Fax: 758-453-0417 Email: slupcu@gosl.gov.lc **The Secretary (Submission of Bids) Central Tenders Board Department of Finance Finance Administrative Building Pointe Seraphine, Castries, Saint Lucia ***Meeting of the Central Tenders Board Central Tenders Board Department of Finance Finance Administrative Building Pointe Seraphine, Castries, Saint Lucia

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President Trump is actively hurting the US-Mexico-Canada World Cup bid

S President Donald Trump is not helping the combined US MexicoCanadian World Cup bid. Not at all. On Monday, in a jointpress conference with Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, Trump asked for African countries, and others, to support the campaign for the three North American nations to land the 2026 edition of the world’s biggest sporting event. “I hope all African countries and countries throughout the world—that we also will be supporting you, and that they will likewise support us in our bid along with Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup,” he said. “We will be watching very closely and any help that they can give us in that bid we would appreciate.” It was widely inferred that the last sentence was a thinly veiled threat. Because it came in the context of a Trump tweet on Thursday in which he all but demanded global support for the bid, in exchange for American “support” for them. It was unclear what he meant by the latter, or how he conflated it with a United Nations gripe. Trump seemed to put Buhari on the spot by asking for Nigeria’s backing for the US bid.

This is problematic for all sorts of reasons. Firstly, it violates a FIFA rule against government interference into domestic soccer affairs. The US is the leader of the triplebid—60 of the 80 games, including the opener and the final, would be played stateside—but its portion of the bid is handled by US Soccer, under the domestic soccer federation’s authority. It is no business of the government’s, and in the past, FIFA has come down hard on similar interference. In 2014, for instance, Nigeria, of all countries, was suspended from international competition by FIFA for two months because of government interference. Then there’s the fact that Trump famously insulted African nations yet now expects their loyalty, even though the only rival bid to North America’s comes from Morocco. It’s fairly standard for nations to back bids from their own continent. Whatever help Trump believes he’s contributing is more likely to backfire than actually buttress the bid. This isn’t a partisan point. And it isn’t even necessarily about the violation of FIFA rules — which are unlikely to result in

significant punishment for the bid. This is about antiAmerican sentiment. The biggest issue with the United States-led bid is that it includes the United States. You’ll recall that when a series of law enforcement raids swept through FIFA meetings almost three years ago, putting a fair few of the game’s power brokers behind bars, or at least expelling them from the sport, the FBI and Department of Justice were the primary forces. A lot of soccer nations haven’t forgotten that. And they’re not exactly grateful. For the first time, every soccer federation will have a vote in assigning the 2026 World Cup, after that privilege was stripped from the notoriously bribe-able Executive Committee, which has since been replaced by an expanded FIFA Council. And a lot of them still harbor resentment toward the US for shattering the lucrative status quo and ushering in an era of increased scrutiny and accountability. Aside from that, a lot of senior soccer officials grate under the same government interference FIFA has outlawed. National soccer federations tend to be fiefdoms, and life

FIFA has outlawed government interference. Does US President Donald Trump know this?

at the top of them usually remains cushy for longtime administrators of the sport. Those administrators won’t welcome pressure from their own governments because the president of the United States has suddenly taken an interest and made their votes a bargaining chip in the greater game of international relations. In truth, the only hope Morocco has ever had in landing this World Cup is that voters would rather like to deal a blow to the United States for political reasons, an urge outweighing the obvious superiority of its bid.

Why Bill Cosby may not spend any time in prison

ased on his conviction this week on three assault charges, comedian and TV star Bill Cosby could be sentenced to 30 years in prison. But legal experts said the 80-year-old certainly will spend less time than that behind bars, and there's a very real possibility that he may not ever be incarcerated. Why? Well, it's mostly to do with his defense team's plan to appeal the guilty verdict—likely on the grounds that the decision to allow five other accusers to testify in the trial unfairly prejudiced the jury. Cosby's attorney, Tom Mesereau, will probably ask the court that his client be given home confinement during the appeal, which could take months or even years, CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson said. "I think he'll ask the court and do whatever he needs to, to have his client remain out at liberty until these issues are decided, whether it was appropriate to allow all those

Bill Cosby (right) was convicted of three counts of indecent assault but the judge still allowed him to walk out of the courtroom.

accusers to testify, and how prejudicial and unfair would that be," Jackson said. The decision on Cosby's bail is up to Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O'Neill, who oversaw the case. His prior rulings suggest he may allow Cosby to remain on home confinement. On Thursday, O'Neill dismissed the prosecution's plea to revoke Cosby's $1million bail and remand him to jail. "I'm not simply going to lock him up right now," the judge said, citing his age and his track record of appearing at

every hearing for two and a half years. "You are making a very big deal of something where there is a very high bail and he has appeared at every appearance," O'Neill said. For now, Cosby is not permitted to leave his Pennsylvania home. If he does leave the state for another home, it would have to be arranged ahead of time and he would have to wear a GPS monitoring device, the judge ruled. If O'Neill does allow Cosby to remain free during appeals,

and the legal action lasts for years, then there's a question of whether the comedian's age and health will make that sentence moot. Cosby's appeal is likely to focus on the five "prior bad acts" witnesses who testified that Cosby drugged and assaulted them in the 1980s. Prosecutors said these witnesses showed that Cosby had a common pattern or scheme in his assault of Andrea Constand. Comments on "Good Morning America" Friday by Cosby representatives Ebonee Benson and Andrew Wyatt previewed some of the possible appeal arguments. Benson and Wyatt, who are not attorneys, said that the "prior bad acts" witnesses unfairly prejudiced the jury on issues that were not related to the actual charges. "They also had a huge amount of prejudice and bias by having five women also testify to crimes which he was not on trial for," Benson said. "These women have no evidence. They went to no authorities," Wyatt said.

Because the bids aren’t exactly competitive. North America offers a ready-made World Cup, with most of the stadiums and infrastructure ready to go—a proposal free of risk or the controversy that inevitably follows the towering cost of construction. Morocco has it all to build, proposing to spend almost $16 billion on 14 new or refurbished stadiums and other things, when its nominal gross domestic product only just exceeded $103 billion at last count. Indeed, in its bid inspection, FIFA found Morocco’s offering so shaky "(Prosecutors) parade these five distracters in to tell stories and talk about the drug habits they had." But Michelle Madden Dempsey, a criminal law professor at Villanova University, said she thought Cosby's attorneys had a very weak case on these questions. "Was it prejudicial to Cosby's case in the sense that it hurt his chances of getting an acquittal? Sure. But it needs to be unfairly prejudicial (for a successful appeal)," she said. Dempsey said these witnesses had clear probative value, which means they were useful evidence to prove something important in the trial. "So did it hurt (Cosby's) case? Of course it did. But that's what evidence of guilt does to guilty people. It hurts your case," she said. "I think he's got a very weak appeal with respect to the other acts witnesses." Though Cosby faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele indicated he would not press for that sentence. "He was convicted of three counts of (indecent assault), so technically that would be up to

that it returned for an unusual second visit. Which is to say nothing of an anti-homosexuality law in Morocco that is in violation of FIFA’s human rights requirements. The race for the 2026 World Cup is one between a jet ski and a paddle boat. All that can sink the North Americans is the growing animosity towards America. But Trump is the very face of anti-Americanism in 2018. Polls demonstrate clearly that the world’s opinion of our country has declined sharply since he’s taken office. The best thing to do for Trump, and indeed all American politicians, is to lay low. This product doesn’t need selling. And it especially doesn’t need public pressure from the very person who has likely damaged its chances the most. It’s hard to say why Trump is getting involved in the bid. Perhaps he sees another opportunity to pick up a PR win. Or maybe he views it as a chance to test his foreign policy muscle. The nationalist messaging is perhaps a play for his political base. But whatever Trump thinks he’s doing, he’d better re-think it. That is, if he actually cares about bringing another World Cup to our shores. ---- Leander Schaerlaeckens 30 years. However, we have to look at a merger of those counts to determine what the final maximum will be," Steele said. Legal analyst Areva Martin said the judge's rulings so far suggest he will give Cosby a much reduced sentence. "I think the fact that the judge yesterday allowed him to walk out of that courtroom, did not remand him immediately to jail, gives us a sense about what this judge is likely to do when he gets to the sentencing hearing," she said. Judges can take any number of mitigating factors into consideration when issuing a sentence, she explained. "He will be able to take into consideration Cosby's age, the status of his health, the philanthropic work that he's done over the last several decades, the fact that this is his first criminal conviction— all of those will be factors that the judge can take into consideration when sentencing him." A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Some women who say they were also assaulted by Cosby believe he should spend time in prison. ---CNN

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$700 Monthly Call # 452-2609

House for Rent at Carellie, Castries Three Bedrooms, One bathroom Master bedroom with air-condition Hot and Cold water Granite on Countertop Land for Kitchen garden Contacts: 716-6714 / 287-0258 714-1883 / 285-2363 Email: leandakiki@gmail.com

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SAINT LUCIA IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE (CIVIL) Claim No. SLUHCV2006/0704 Between: FIRSTCARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL BANK (BARBADOS) LIMITED FORMERLY CIBC CARIBBEAN LIMITED

Claimant v. 1. MONA DONAVAN 2. LUCIUS GERMAIN GIRARD

Defendants

NOTICE IS HEREBY given that by virtue of Judgment of the High Court dated the 22nd day of February, 2009 against the Defendants herein and Writ of Execution returnable on the 11th day of May, 2018 there will be put up for Sale and Adjudication by the Sheriff or his Officer to the Highest Bidder in the High Court House, on Peynier Street in the City of Castries on the 08th day of May, 2018 at ten o’clock in the forenoon, the following immovable property of the Defendant to wit:SCHEDULE BLOCK 1052B PARCEL 645 ALL that piece or parcel of land situate at Corinth Estate in the registration Quarter of Gros Islet and measuring SIX THOUSAND (6,000) SQUARE FEET or FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SEVEN POINT FOUR (557.4) SQUARE METERS and shown on Plan of Survey by A.J. Hippolyte License Land Surveyor dated 10th day of November 1994 as Drawing No. GI 3932 K and lodged with the Survey Office St. Lucia as Record No. 193/98 on the 09th day of April 1998 and also shown on the Map Sheet as Block and Parcel No. 1052B 645 and bounded as follows: On the NORTH by a Road, on the SOUTH partly by Block 1052B Parcel No. 644, on the EAST by Block 1052B Parcel No. 742 and on the WEST by Block 1052B Parcel No. 652 or howsoever otherwise the same may be bounded. Together with all the appurtenances and dependencies thereof. TITLE: Deed of Sale by Antoinette Allain to 1) Lucius Germaine Girard and 2) Mona Donavan executed before Veronica Barnard Notary Royal on the 15th day of November 1999 and registered at the Land Registry of Saint Lucia on the 22nd day of November 1999 as Instrument no. 4979/99. The property is subject to: i)Hypothec in favour of the Judgment Creditor for the sum of $352,500.00 registered as instrument no. 5094/99 ii)Judicial Hypothec in favour of the Judgment Creditor registered as Instrument No. 2667/2009

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Brand new red, leather 3-piece living room suite Also brand new vintage victorian living room suite.

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Furniture can be viewed at home on millennium Hwy. Contact Cell: 488 0905/ 717 2196 Tel: 453 3594

FOR RENT Two Rooms Kitchen Bathroom with hot and cold and Bath Tub

The Court Office is at La Place Carenage, Jeremie Street, Castries, Saint Lucia, telephone number (758) 453-1916, fax number (758) 453-2071. The office is open between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays and 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Fridays except public holidays. The office can also be contacted via email at stluhco@eccourts.org

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Lovely view of the stadium. $2,000.00 water included

CALL: 724-2888

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Upset Price $300,000.00 …………………………….. Signature

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