I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from January, 2014
Trinidad & Tobago: Smoke in the City
With multiple fires at Trinidad's main landfill, citizens who work and live in and around the capital have been trying to deal with the effects of the thick smog.
Why the Caribbean Should Pay Attention to the Net Neutrality Decision
ICT Pulse takes a look at the recent decision about net neutrality in the United States and the potential consequences for the Caribbean.
Critical Cybersecurity Issues for the Caribbean
ICT Pulse names the three cybersecurity resolutions it thinks Caribbean organisations should make this year.
Trinidad & Tobago: Evading Exercise
Diaspora blogger Afrobella lists “the dumbest excuses we make to avoid exercising.”
Journalism, Cuban Style
Iván's File Cabinet shares some of the must-haves if you want to be a journalist in Cuba.
Jamaicans Deserve Details About Proposed Logistics Hub
You are being manipulated. Jamaicans are effectively begging and paying their government for vital information about their country. How can we accept this? Talk of developing an environmentally protected area of Jamaica as a major logistics hub has Cucumber Juice up in arms, as she says key information is not...
Trinidad & Tobago: Crime Fighting?
Yes, the Government is on the crime busting trail again. But, as always, it depends on your definition of ‘crime.’ Wired868 tackles, tongue firmly in cheek, the government's pushing of the Bail Amendment Bill, insinuating that in political speak, there are criminals and ‘criminals’.
Trinidad & Tobago: Hair You Have It
As my hair started to emerge in all its mad curly glory I became overwhelmed by a sense of how completely we have been made to hate ourselves. Tillah Willah says farewell to her dreadlocks and explains how “your hair can teach you a lot about your own complexities.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Little Things Make a Difference
ban-d-wagonist posts a video that offers “simple suggestions on how ordinary citizens can create a better T&T.”
Bermuda: Gambling with Democracy?
catch a fire explains why he got involved in a petition for a referendum on casino gambling in Bermuda, then publishes a follow-up post asking: What does that say for our democracy when people are afraid to sign a petition that they support because they fear consequences from the Government...
Trinidad & Tobago: The Faces of Heroes
Samuel ‘Boy’ Walrond is the most remarkable artist in Trinidad and Tobago that you probably do not know exists. That he has never been nationally recognised for his ability, or…the epic span of his life’s work, is an example of society’s failure to identify and honour its heroes. Repeating Islands...
Is the Vybz Kartel Trial an Opportunity for Jamaica?
Jamaican music has always captured the global imagination, especially when celebrities become outlaws. One blogger suggests that the Vbyz Kartel murder trial holds valuable lessons about legal and social justice.
Jamaica: MLK Recognises the Role of Garvey
Diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp uses the occasion of Martin Luther King Day to agitate for the exoneration of the late Jamaican Pan-Africanist, Marcus Garvey.
Haiti, D.R.: Stateless in the Dominican Republic
jmc strategies blogs about the issue of Haitian statelessness in the Dominican Republic, specifically addressing anti-Haitian sentiment, questionable labour and living conditions, and forced repatriations, while offering solutions to the impasse.
Suriname Gets “An Eye For Art”
Srananart's Blog highlights an exciting new initiative, An Eye For Art: Every fortnight, an esteemed art critic discusses a piece of work from a Surinamese gallery's collection.
Call for Better Crime Fighting Policy in the Bahamas
The government has failed…the prime minister…continues to pass the buck, throwing words and rhetoric at the cycle of violence, instead of mustering common sense and workable responses. Bahama Pundit takes on what it calls the Prime Minister's “disastrous leadership on crime”.
Jamaican Winner of The Voice Sings for Haiti
Just another reason to love Tessanne Chin: she's singing to support a housing programme in Haiti. Repeating Islands republishes the details.
Haiti, Four Years After
Four years after this tragedy, what have we done to change the living conditions of the people who are still living under makeshifts tents? What we have done to effectively rebuild a better country? Wadner Pierre reflects on the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and considers the best way forward.
Jamaica: Measuring the Effect of Shaggy's Charity Concert
Jamaicans got a good show with this year's edition of Shaggy and Friends, but Cucumber Juice wants measurability: This applies to any organization, but especially to charities and public organizations. It’s called transparency.
