Stories about Caribbean from April, 2010
Trinidad & Tobago: Election Issues
Both KnowTnT.com and Trinidad diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch comment on “the resignation of High Court judge Herbert Volney and early retirement of Acting Senior Magistrate Ramraj Harripersad in order to run for political office in this year's General Election as potential UNC candidates.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Drought
“Here in Trinidad our reservoirs are at record lows. This combined with severe, chronic, bush fires has meant that food prices have continued to inflate”: TriniGourmet.com blogs about the regional drought.
Bermuda: Campaign Finance
“I agree that political funding in Bermuda needs reform but doubt that our politicians – in any of the three tribes – have the stomach to tackle it”: Vexed Bermoothes thinks it's “because the disclosure of campaign contributions is just scratching the surface…”
Jamaica: New Artists
The National Gallery of Jamaica Blog profiles new talent, here and here.
St. Lucia: Getting Kids to Read
“All over the world there is mounting concern among educators and parents that kids are not showing enough interest in reading for pleasure, both in and out of school”: St. Lucia's Caribbean Book Blog thinks that “writers must stand up for the children.”
Haiti: Getting it Wrong
Haitianalysis.com points out all the ways in which a British newspaper columnist gets it wrong about Haiti.
Bahamas: Free Markets & the Environment
Bahama Pundit‘s Larry Smith blogs about Earth Day and free market environmentalism.
Trinidad & Tobago: Checking the Facts
KnowTnT.com‘s Edmund Gall thinks “it would be nice if a couple professional journalists in T&T could produce a weekly fact-check column for the duration of the elections.”
Bermuda: Lack of Governance
Vexed Bermoothes calls the extension of a hotel's lease to 120 years “stunning”, adding: “This is a failure in governance and in accountability.”
Bahamas: Public Education
Weblog Bahamas‘ Rick Lowe wonders if there's hope for the country's public education system.
Barbados: Parliament Action
Barbados Underground reports on the goings-on in the country's Parliament, saying: “The display of disorder…this morning would have saddened all who witnessed or heard it.”
Haiti: Visiting the Capital
Adventures in Life visits downtown Port-au-Prince, while Chronicles of an Unplanned Return blogs about Haiti's school system.
Trinidad & Tobago: Bedtime Stories
Tattoo couldn't care less about the domestic practices of the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister's wife, saying that the talk on the election platforms has nothing to do with “any of the pressing issues that have been raised in the campaign thus far such as: governance, corruption and legal reform.”
Guyana: More than bravado
Signifyin’ Guyana thinks the actions of the country's President have something endearing about them, adding: “I hope it turns out to be a lasting positive part of his legacy…”
Martinique: Hi-tech, High cost
Martinican Bondamanjak is stunned at the price of Apple's iPad on the island. Comments to the post tackle the link between insularity, high prices and limited choice of products, consumer credits and the relevance of such devices considering the digital divide.
French West Indies, Haiti: Immigration then & now
Indiscrétions tells the story [Fr] of a Haitian girl deported from Guadeloupe by the French customs authority, for allegedly presenting fake identity documents at the airport, while Gwakafwika announces [Fr Cr] a conference about Guadeloupean immigration in Haiti from the 1800s to the 1900s.
Martinique, Guadeloupe: Celebrating two great women
Imaniyé pays homage [Fr] to Martinican-born actress, Jenny Alpha, who, at nearly 100 years of age, is the oldest French artist alive, while CaribCreoleNews announces [Fr] two events in memory of Guadeloupe's first female lawyer, communist and feminist activist, Gerty Archimede, who would have turned 101 this year.
Guyana: Jagdeo Wins Environmental Award
Repeating Islands notes that Guyana's President “was one of the six recipients of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEDP) 2010 Champions of the Earth award—the UN’s highest awards for environmental leadership.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Magistrates called to Measure
Jumbie's Watch is “aghast at the audacity of the judiciary in Trinidad and Tobago.”
Barbados: Cyberbullying
Barbados’ Keltruth Corp. is “deeply saddened by the personal attacks made on Johan Bjerkhamn after the most tragic death of his son” and advocates for a cessation of the cyberbullying.
Guyana: Calling for a Vote
Guyana's Imran Khan suggests that there “be a vote in the community” when it comes to the amplification of the Muslim call to prayer: “I am convinced that there will be a landslide victory to cease the amplified adhan…[and] have it continue by a natural human voice only.”
About our Caribbean coverage
Janine Mendes Franco is the Caribbean editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
