I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from March, 2014
Jamaica: Vybz Kartel's Sentencing
Active Voice reports that Vybz Kartel's sentencing has been postponed to April 3, and that “the Dept. of Correctional Services is to decide whether Kartel will be allowed to record music in prison, and if allowed, whether proceeds should go to the family of the victim Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.”
Haitian-American Filmmakers’ Web Series Invites Women to Live, Laugh, Love (Part 2)
For Part 2 of our post on the soon-to-be-released web series 3L, Global Voices speaks to Melanie Charles, a Haitian-American jazz vocalist who plays the lead role of Gaelle.
Trinidad & Tobago: Another Minister Bites the Dust
In the wake of the dismissal of the latest minister from the current government, Wired868 chronicles the firings of his colleagues.
Trinidad & Tobago: Minister Fired Over Plane Debacle
The government minister whose deplorable conduct on a flight between Tobago and Trinidad came to public attention, has been fired by the country's Prime Minister.
Caribbean Literature Festivals Up Their Author Ante
Literature lovers the world over will be interested to hear what the Caribbean's two major lit fests – Jamaica's Calabash and Trinidad and Tobago's Bocas – have planned this year.
Trinidad & Tobago Loses First Olympic Medallist
Repeating Islands notes the passing of Trinidad and Tobago's first ever Olympic medallist, weightlifter Rodney Wilkes.
Jamaica: Little Universes
Our minds are as vast and infinite and creative as the uni—scratch that—multiverse. What does that mean for each of us? For our potential and purpose? A science documentary reminds Jamaican blogger Nadine Tomlinson that she, like every other person on the planet, has unlimited potential.
Was Jamaica's Vybz Kartel Found Guilty or To Be Found Guilty?
On the heels of the verdict in the Vybz Kartel murder trial, one blogger raises questions about the track records of the Jamaican police and judicial system.
Trinidad & Tobago: Equal Justice?
The issue for me is equality before the law – and too often…average people come to understand that ‘when you’re big’ you are above the law or will be treated less harshly. Jumbie's Watch blogs about two recent incidents that leave him concerned about justice in Trinidad and Tobago.
Why the Caribbean Should be Interested in the Internet's Future
ICT Pulse explains why the Caribbean should become more involved in shaping the future stewardship of the Internet.
Misogyny Masquerading as Gender Equality in Barbados?
After questionable statements on gender violence from a public official in Barbados, CODE RED says: The Bureau of Gender Affairs has a mandate for ensuring gender equality. It is precisely because of that mandate that Bureau staff should publicly distance themselves from statements that are sexist, deliberately inflammatory and unsubstantiated.
Haitian-American Filmmakers’ Web Series Invites Women to Live, Laugh, Love (Part 1)
Haitian-born, U.S.-based director Francesca Andre has a new web series in the making, which has a lot to say about young women making their way in today's world.
Trinidad & Tobago: Hollick Arvon Prize Finalists
The Bocas Lit Fest Blog has announced that emerging writers from Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago are the finalists for the much-coveted 2014 Hollick Arvon Caribbean Writers Prize, now in its second year.
Trinidad & Tobago: Coup Commission
Do Trinis care dat de report from de Commission ah Enquiry into Abu Bakr coup attempt in 1990 finally out? A Trini Speaks suggests that the release of the findings may be a case of too little, too late.
Jamaican Dancehall Star Vybz Kartel Found Guilty of Murder
Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been found guilty of murder. As the courthouse proceedings were live tweeted, social media exploded with commentary about the justice process and Kartel's fate.
Should Trinidad & Tobago Have Let Lev Tahor Through?
Earlier this month, Trinidad and Tobago sent members of a Jewish sect back to Canada to face child protection charges. Most netizens agree, but one blogger challenges the decision.
Less “Experts”, More Thinkers Needed in Jamaica
Annie Paul publishes on her blog a tribute to the late Stuart Hall by “three of the younger members of the Faculty of Social Sciences” at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, saying: We ought to use the moment of his passing and the local apathy to it...
Trinidad & Tobago: Lara's Poor On-Stage Innings
Wired 868 takes more jabs at cricket hero Brian Lara's public embarrassment at a fete in Trinidad than Michael Holding took wickets when the West Indies dominated the sport.
Bermuda: Discussing International Women's Day
International Women’s Day is important for helping us re-focus our attention to [the] feminist struggle, and it should serve to remind us of that and re-commit to it. catch a fire says it's important to “do more than simply pay lip-service to the idea of International Women’s Day.”
Fathers in the Caribbean Have to Fight to See the Birth of Their Kids
Fathers are still routinely denied the right to witness the birth of their children in Trinidad and Tobago and many other Caribbean territories.
Trinidad & Tobago Carnival in Danger?
By all accounts, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2014 was a rousing success, but a couple of bloggers have concerns about the sustainability of the festival in its current form.
