Stories about Caribbean from August, 2008
Barbados, Antigua: Peter Pays for Paul?
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
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
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
“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
“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.
Dominica: Bring Down The River
“It's the rivers that set Dominica apart”: Steve's Dominica explains.
Barbados: Environmental Management
“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
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!
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?
“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?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Trinidad & Tobago: Fruit Fiesta
Trinidadian blogger Lifespan of a Chennette turns the spotlight on some indigenous Caribbean fruit: “You never know when you might need this kind of information.”
Jamaica, Canada: Caribana
Jamaica's Abeng News Magazine posts images from “the biggest street fête in North America”, Toronto's Caribana.
Bahamas, Guyana: Carifesta Buzz
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
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.”