Stories about Caribbean from August, 2011
Jamaica: Collaborative Documentary for Independence
“Next year both Jamaica and I turn 50″: Labrish blogs about “a fabulous idea to celebrate Jamaica's independence.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Missed Opportunity re: Teen Video?
Another blogger weighs in on the Granny Quila video: “Yes this girl did a pile…having said that, it would have been a perfect opportunity to show the compassionate side of the State of Emergency, and used as an chance to reach out to disaffected youth.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Saving a Life
Tattoo puts out a moral test because of recent events that allegedly led to the current state of emergency.
Trinidad & Tobago: Thoughts on the SoE
Outlish puts forward four reasons “why…the state of emergency should not be extended”, while KnowTnT.com sums up the first week of the SoE “from a few different angles.”
Bahamas: After Irene
“Not one life was lost in the entire country, what a miracle”: Womanish Words blogs about the aftermath of Irene.
Trinidad & Tobago: The “Granny Quilla” Video
Railing against the current state of emergency, a teen posts a video on YouTube; the government interprets it as racist and containing threats against the Prime Minister - Jumbie's Watch agrees, but B.C. Pires says: “The video is OBVISOULSY [sic] an attempt at comedy…doesn’t work very well…but that doesn’t mean...
Trinidad & Tobago: Eating for Independence
“August 31st is Trinidad’s Independence Day”: TriniGourmet.com posts her menu for this year's celebrations, which she calls “a trifecta of the new, the old, and a new twist on an old favourite.”
Trinidad & Tobago: “The Real Reason” for SoETT
Jumbie's Watch reveals that he has been privy to “the real reason” behind Trinidad and Tobago's State of Emergency, saying: “Until an explanation is presented (promised at the opening of Parliament), I will just continue to support the actions being taken as very necessary at this time.”
Barbados: Wait & See for SoETT
From Barbados, B.C. Pires sees how Trinidad and Tobago's State of Emergency is playing out, and says: “One is reluctant to pre-judge anything; but to every charge of, ‘O, ye of little faith!’ there is, sadly, that it is actually We of Much Experience. But let us wait and see.”
Jamaica: Disrespecting Garvey
President Barack Obama may have lost at least one vote in his re-election bid based on “the White House[‘s] disrespect [for] Marcus Garvey, a national hero of Jamaica”. Geoffrey Philp explains, here and here.
Trinidad and Tobago: State of Emergency, Day 4
With a national state of emergency — declared by the government to combat rising crime — now in its fourth day, bloggers and other social media users in Trinidad and Tobago express doubts about the effects of the emergency measures and respond with humour to the inconvenience of a nighttime curfew.
Bahamas: Riding Out Hurricane Irene
As Hurricane Irene, the first of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, continues to move through the Bahamas, bloggers have been sharing their experiences. Netizens reported very strong winds, extensive damage to property, felled trees and downed power lines. Several roofs were blown off and there were reports of flooding in certain areas.
Guyana: Whole Lotta Love
When her mother falls ill, Guyana-Gyal discovers “the scary side of loving”.
Trinidad & Tobago: More Questions on State of Emergency
As the State of Emergency continues in Trinidad and Tobago, the government's communication efforts about it continue to be muddled at best: Is it limited or national? Is there a solid strategy in place or not? Local bloggers are voicing their opinions, confusion and frustration online.
Bahamas: Sticking Together Through Irene
Havana Times notes that “Hurricane Irene intensified overnight as it churns to the northeast of Cuba, threatening the Bahamas with its 110 mph maximum sustained winds”; over in the Bahamas, Womanish Words says: “Alright, we can do this thing. Lets secure our properties, take our animals inside, stay sober and...
Trinidad & Tobago: Positive Facebook Changes
TECHTT says of Facebook's recent changes: “I really love the tag approval feature and think it will be a big hit as I have seen many people complain about unscrupulous tagging. I hope we see a lot more useful changes…”
Haiti: Grim Housing Situation
Haiti Grassroots Watch investigates whether “the 634,000 people still living in Haiti’s 1,001 camps, and the undoubtedly tens of thousands of others living in unsafe and even condemned structures [will] soon move to safe housing” and discovers an upsetting answer.
Caribbean: Irene's Path
More updates about Hurricane Irene: Havana Times is relieved that its “projected path is taking it further away from Cuba”; Weblog Bahamas acknowledges that she is “a serious threat”; Pwoje Espwa is praying “that Haiti be spared more tragedy” and U.S.V.I. bloggers report on the aftermath of the storm.
Trinidad & Tobago: Honouring Pat Bishop
“Bishop would have wanted the government and corporate Trinidad and Tobago to act on their words, making real investments in sustainable, sensible projects that would educate our intellectual potential, promote our best cultural works and engage so many lost minds in their creative legacy”: Mark Lyndersay thinks that the most...
Jamaica: Obama Rejects Plea for Garvey Pardon
Geoffrey Philp is surprised by the Obama administration's rejection of the request for a presidential pardon for Marcus Garvey on the grounds that “it would be ‘a waste of time and resources’ since Garvey had been ‘dead for ages‘”, saying: “Marcus Garvey has joined the ancestors. So this plea for…exoneration...
Guyana: Supporting T&T's State of Emergency
Demerara Waves reports that Guyana has officially declared its “support of Trinidad and Tobago’s limited state of emergency that has been imposed to quell a spike in drug-related murders and other forms of violence.”
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