Stories about Caribbean from June, 2008
Trinidad & Tobago: Silence that Kills
Four Fingers and a Thumb 2.0 speaks out against political tyranny and the passivity that allows it to continue. “A dictator in the world,” she says, “is like the abusive father in the community that no-one wants to report.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Poetic Port of Spain
Trinidadian blogger Sweetlime dips into the newly published Echo of Basho. He discovers that even though haiku and Port of Spain are as distinct as “oil and water”, authors Alec de Verteuil and Dawn Glashier have melded them beautifully.
Bermuda: Statistical massage
Bermuda blogger Vexed Bermoothes comments on the government's announcement that it will now release tourism statistics quarterly, instead of monthly. In his view, it's a situation “ripe for abuse.”
Jamaica: Kingston On The Edge
From Jamaica, Active Voice reviews KOTE (Kingston On The Edge), a visual arts festival, where she says “For a brief moment in time we were treated to the kind of vibrant effervescent atmosphere we ought legitimately to expect from a well-connected and functioning art scene.”
Barbados: New laws
The Barbados Free Press is cautiously encouraged by news that the government promises final drafts of Integrity, Freedom of Information and Defamation laws by the end of the year.
Trinidad & Tobago: Glass Towers
A Trinidadian blogger fears that what sets the island apart is being lost among the tall buildings going up in Port of Spain. Why does the glass have to be half empty or half full? asks why do “we deny our people the right to our waterfront? Where is the...
Barbados: New Consumer Watchdog
Barbados Underground welcomes the emergence of a new consumer organisation in the island. The blog says Barbados Consumers Watch “will advocate using the novel approach of the electronic channels of Facebook and blogging” in serving the needs of the public.
Guyana: Death of a President
Ruel Johnson's Fictions notes the passing yesterday of Arthur Chung, the first President of Guyana, at the age of 90. He held the post from 1970 to 1980, and was “the first ethnic Chinese President of a non-Asian country.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Soca Sweet No More
A loud party in the neighbourhood forces Why does the glass have to be either half empty or half full? to think about her favourite types of music. As the blaring continues, she remembers why her native Trinidadian soca is not at the top of her list.
Bahamas: Words of Advice
WeblogBahamas thinks the late Tim Russert's advice to his college-bound son should be adopted by Bahamians, especially the part about not cultivating a sense of entitlement.
Trinidad & Tobago: Praise Song
Four Fingers and a Thumb 2.0 is stirred by a hymn being played by a steelband, reminding her of the “magically bizarre wonderful place” that is Trinidad.
Barbados: Solar Power
Barbados Underground makes the case for solar power, and says for the “first time in history, cost-competitive solar power is now within the planning horizon of every utility in the nation.”
Barbados: Caribbean Football Falters
Living in Barbados comments on the fortunes of regional football teams, as qualification matches begin for World Cup 2010.
Trinidad & Tobago: Wildlife in Peril
The re-introduction of the Blue and Gold Macaw to Trinidad's Nariva Swamp some years ago was a triumph for environmentalists. Why does the glass have to be half empty or half full? is outraged at the news that the successful breeding programme has been endangered by poachers.
Trinidad & Tobago: Watching (out for) Whales
Life from a caffeine hyped point of view takes issue with some of the justifications being made for the resumption of commercial whaling—and recalls the day she found herself “holding a whale” off the southeastern coast of Trinidad.
Bahamas: Crime on the Agenda
Rick Lowe of Weblog Bahamas continues his analysis of the crime problem and the failure of the judicial system. “The law”, he says, “needs to be allowed to take its course, free of political influence, plain and simple.”
Haiti: Jean-Juste Charges Dropped
Blog de Port-au-Prince is happy to report that all charges against Father Gerard Jean-Juste (the Catholic priest who is a prominent supporter of Famni Lavalas, the political party of ousted Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide) have been dropped.
Bahamas: Unfair Reporting
“I smell the stink of patriarchal collusion”: Bahamian blogger Womanish Words takes issue with the mainstream media's reporting of a brothel raid.
Trinidad & Tobago: Life and Death
Notes from Port of Spain shares his thoughts on death.
Jamaica: Crime Solution
As Jamaicans clamor to re-institute the death penalty, My View of JamDown from Up So says: “In Jamaica we don’t merely try and convict criminals. We try and convict poor people and the poorly-connected. We need to stop the gimmicks, nonsense, and short-cuts and begin to prosecute all criminals big...
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Juneteenth
Jamaican Geoffrey Philp remembers Juneteenth, “the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.”
About our Caribbean coverage
Janine Mendes Franco is the Caribbean editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
