· August, 2008

Stories about Caribbean from August, 2008

Barbados, Antigua: Peter Pays for Paul?

  20 August 2008

Barbados Free Press is not convinced that the CARICOM arrangement is beneficial, referring to an article about the recent double-murder in Antigua to make their point: “The ‘Caribbean Brand’ for tourism…was a disastrous policy created…as part of the effort to prop up the pretense and phony benefits of CARICOM. According...

Grenada, Anguilla: Integrity Legislation

  20 August 2008

The new Grenadian Prime Minister announces his intent to “set up an Integrity Commission to ensure integrity in public life”. Corruption-free Anguilla comments: “If he is really serious, then one of the most corrupt, failed states in the West Indies may yet be turned around. If it is just empty...

Trinidad & Tobago: Visa Teaser

  19 August 2008

Applying for a South African visa gets Caribbean Free Radio thinking about international travel and visa restrictions – and she is determined that “the country (she) plans on founding one day” will be different: “From a passport page-hogging stigma signifying ‘our country deems people from your country deeply suspect and...

Haiti: Future of Film

  19 August 2008

“It would be impossible to understand Haiti without knowing its music, art, and dance”: Haiti Innovation thinks that film-making should be no different and has high hopes for Haitian cinema.

Guyana: Carifesta Hopes

  19 August 2008

“As I make my way there very conscious of Guyana's problems, and still very irritated by the lack of information available about Carifesta goings-on, I nevertheless will take every opportunity offered to revel in the arts”: Signifyin’ Guyana thinks the regional festival means more than political grandstanding.

Barbados: Environmental Management

  19 August 2008

“We don’t have much to sell to the tourists on this island except our natural beauty, and lately that beauty is becoming difficult to see with walls of condos blocking the seaview and garbage piles taking care of the rest of the island”: Taking a cue from Brazil, Barbados Free...

Bahamas, Guyana: Regional Travel

  19 August 2008

After traveling for an astounding 14 hours to get to Guyana for the Carifesta celebrations, Bahamian blogger Nicolette Bethel says: “The biggest barrier to Caribbean integration is the difficulty of moving around in the region.”

Jamaica: Woman Power!

  18 August 2008

Jamaica has done it again! If there was any doubt after Usain Bolt's 100m Gold Medal that this Caribbean nation is a powerhouse of Track and Field, the female Jamaican sprinters made sure to underscore the point by placing first (Shelly-Ann Fraser) second (Kerron Stewart) and...second (Sherone Simpson) in the final of the Women's 100m in Beijing.

Trinidad & Tobago: Regional Integration?

  18 August 2008

“Trinidad and Tobago would seek economic integration by 2011, and political integration by 2013, with any or all of the nine members of the Organisation of East Caribbean States”: Notes from Port of Spain is astounded by the news, saying: “Nobody even knew this was under discussion. It's exactly the...

Trinidad & Tobago: Dengue Meggie?

  18 August 2008

Attillah Springer refers to a photo of the Minister of Health “looking for all intents and purposes like he’s giving the people of Trinidad and Tobago a great big meggie”, and wonders “if the meg means that he was only kicksing about there not being a dengue outbreak or that...

Bermuda: Peace Rally

  18 August 2008

FreshieBlog thinks that Bermuda's upcoming peace rally “will be a positive event”, but warns “that peace rallies won't be sufficient too stop the violence. Criminals need to know that they will be caught and prosecuted, and that requires police & prosecutors.”

Grenada: Carnival is Over

  18 August 2008

Blah Bloh Blog‘s wide range of photos and video offers a comprehensive overview of Grenada's recently-concluded Carnival celebrations.

Guyana: Poems of a Fat Black Woman

  18 August 2008

Signifyin’ Guyana posts excerpts from Guyanese poet Grace Nichols’ “sexy little collection”, which “tell of a fat black woman's trials and tribulations, as well as her moments of triumph in a foreign land.”

Jamaica: One Gold; Two Silvers

  17 August 2008

Abeng News Magazine is thrilled to report that “Jamaican women sprinters set a new record placing one, two, two in the 100 meters at the Olympics in Beijing, on the birthday of the island's first national hero, Marcus Garvey.”

Caribbean: Lightning Bolt Strikes Beijing

  17 August 2008

This post is going to be as long as Jamaican Usain Bolt's sprint to 100m-dash Olympic glory was short and ever-so sweet - because Caribbean bloggers still have not come down from the high that Bolt's amazing win has created.

Haiti, Cuba: Tropical Storm Fay

  17 August 2008

Haitian blog Pwoje Eswpa says that Tropical Storm Fay is beyond the island, but “we are drenched and the winds are still pretty strong”, while Cuban diaspora blogger Babalu is concerned about the approaching storm.

Bahamas, Guyana: Carifesta Buzz

  15 August 2008

In the midst of criticisms about the host country not being prepared for Carifesta, Bahamian blogger Nicolette Bethel says: “Guyana stepped in when we in The Bahamas relinquished our commitment to host, and, despite having had only one year to plan the festival in, took the plunge anyway.” She adds:...

Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Stating the Facts

  15 August 2008

A freelance writer pens an Emancipation Day article for The Jamaica Observer that suggests “slavery was good for the black man”, prompting The Modest Goddess to point out “the staggering amount of evidence that contradicts (his) writing.”

About our Caribbean coverage

Janine Mendes-Franco
Janine Mendes Franco is the Caribbean editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.