Stories about Caribbean from May, 2009
Trinidad & Tobago: Why the Enquiry?
Trinidad & Tobago diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch has his eye on developments with the Commission of Enquiry into the local construction sector, and fears that nothing with come from its findings: “Why then are we spending millions of dollars for this enquiry? Is the report to be used in place...
Barbados: Budget Speech Reactions
Barbadian bloggers weigh in on the Prime Minister's much anticipated 2009 Budget Speech.
Jamaica: Dead and Gone…Where?
“You know crime is bad when there’s nowhere to put the bodies”: Jamaica Salt explains.
Guyana, Cuba: Day Against Homophobia
“What did it mean that there were no openly lesbian women where I lived in Guyana, a little over 20 years ago?” asks Signifyin’ Guyana, as she acknowledges the recent International Day Against Homophobia; Repeating Islands, meanwhile, notes that the occasion was recognized in Havana.
Caribbean: Bloggers React to Walcott's Withdrawal
St. Lucian-born Derek Walcott is truly a West Indian man. He has been embraced by literature lovers of countless other regional territories who identify with his writing and see the nuances of the Caribbean come alive in his work. Which was why his Nobel Prize win for Literature in 1992 seemed like a regional victory - and why his withdrawal from the tight race for the coveted position of Oxford Professor of Poetry has left a bad taste in many bloggers' mouths.
Trindad & Tobago: Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
Trinidadian bloggers This Beach Called Life and Jumbie's Watch take issue with the President's “apology” over the Integrity Commission debacle.
Haiti, Dominican Republic: Repercussions
Wadner Pierre republishes an article from Haiti Liberte that examines the repercussions of the decapitation of a Haitian man by another from the Dominican Republic.
Barbados: Budget Speech
Barbados Underground says that expectations are high for the Prime Minister's 2009 Budget Speech, adding: “There are times when political partisanship should give way to bi-partisanship in the interest of the national self. This is such a time.”
Jamaica: Bolt Takes to the Street
Girl With a Purpose congratulates Jamaica's Usain Bolt on his impressive win at the 150 meter Manchester Street Race.
Guyana: Prayer Calling
“It is an injustice being blatantly perpetrated upon thousands and thousands of Guyanese on a daily basis and one against which many feel helpless”: Imran Khan takes issue with the custom of amplified calls to prayer, calling it “noise pollution”.
Haiti: Flag Day
Today is Flag Day in Haiti. Real Hope for Haiti offers some insight into the history of the celebration, while The Livesay Weblog ruminates on the country's recently concluded elections.
Dominica, Cuba: Bird Festival
“I just discovered—to my absolute delight—that the VII Festival of Caribbean Endemic Birds is being celebrated throughout the region”: Repeating Islands provides details.
Aruba, U.S.A.: Hubble Engineer
Repeating Islands profiles Dr. Edward Cheung, an Aruban of Chinese descent who is the Principal Engineer of the Hubble Space Telescope Service Project.
Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago: CLICO Investigations
“Bad judgment or criminal wrongdoing?” asks Barbados Free Press of the CLICO debacle, adding: “The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has launched a criminal investigation into the house of cards known as CLICO and has hired one of the most respected forensic investigators in the world: Robert Lindquist.”
Jamaica, Dominican Republic: Whale Watching
“Most well meaning individuals who seek out whale watching and other ecotourism activities are not aware of the potential danger that wildlife watching can cause”: Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish expains.
Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago: Gayle Reactions
Reactions to controversial comments made about Test Cricket by West Indies captain Chris Gayle, from Guyanese blogger Imran Khan and Barbados-based Trinidadian B.C. Pires.
St. Lucia: Walcott Reactions
As St. Lucian Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott withdraws from the race for Oxford Professor of Poetry, Repeating Islands posts an update: “The nearly unanimous response…from newspaper reporters, commentators, and bloggers has been one of regret and of condemnation of the tactics that pushed him to that decision.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Seeing the Signs
“It matters not how many skyscrapers, malls, American chain restaurants or chemical plants a country has…if [it] possesses at least five or more of these signs of underdevelopment and tyranny, then it is still a third world country at the very core”: Alien in the Caribbean sees many of those...
Grenada, Taiwan: Loan Repayment
As Taiwan takes Grenada to court over the non-payment of a loan, Blah Bloh Blog comments: “Cynical Grenadians like myself are wondering if we can’t offer up former Prime Minister Keith ‘Is me damn money’ Mitchell as a form of restitution…”
St. Lucia: Walcott Withdraws
Repeating Islands reports that St. Lucian Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott “has withdrawn his candidacy for the post of Oxford Professor of Poetry citing a smear campaign designed to sully his reputation.”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Police Power
As “charges of police brutality have again taken centre stage with more public protests” in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Abeni says: “It is important for them to work towards fostering a better relationship and not operate as being above the law.”