I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from April, 2014
Trinidad & Tobago: The Implications of Style
When you see your reflection, are you seeing you or an amalgamation of your racial, historical and social complications? Tillah Willah blogs about the “self-schism that exists [and the] ways that this affects [her] as a black woman living in the west.”
Does the Caribbean Sanction Violence against Children?
A blog that discusses issues of violence, sexual assault and child abuse is infuriated at Caribbean governments' response to recent allegations of child exploitation in some state institutions.
Robert Antoni Wins 2014 Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
Jamaican diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp reports that Robert Antoni, author of “As Flies to Whatless Boys”, has won the 2014 One Caribbean Media Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, while Repeating Islands republishes a review of his novel, here.
Spare the Rod, 10 Tips From a Peaceful Parent
After people applauded the discipline in a viral video of a mother hitting her child in Trinidad, our Caribbean editor felt compelled to share her thoughts on peaceful parenting.
Trinidad & Tobago: Green Business
ICT Pulse puts forward six suggestions to make offices greener.
Guyana: The Walter Rodney Enquiry
Two different narratives are taking hold in Guyana when it comes to the Commission of Enquiry into the death of political activist Walter Rodney: Barbados Underground reports that the Guyana Trades Union Congress is looking after its interest in arriving at the truth, while propaganda press, which is not in...
Grenada, Antigua: Life Lessons
Kara Stevens, blogging at Groundation Grenada, shares five lessons about finances and life from Lessons her “Superhero Antiguan Grandpa”.
Caribbean: The Writing & Politics of Gabriel García Márquez
The literary fraternity is only just starting to adjust to the idea of life without “Gabo” – the inimitable Colombian-born author who was beloved by the world – Gabriel García Márquez, who passed away last Thursday in Mexico City. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, García Márquez left...
Jamaica Names Poet Laureate
Jamaican diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp is thrilled to hear that Mervyn Morris has been named Poet Laureate of Jamaica by the country's National Library, saying: It speaks to the years of commitment to his craft and the guidance that he has given and continues to give to poets and to...
Caribbean: Kids & Technology
Caribbean diaspora blogger Tobias Buckell says that the biggest surprise about living with five year olds is “their uptake of [tech] devices.”
Trinidad & Tobago: End of Traditional IT?
ICT Pulse, in reading the latest McKinsey survey, wonders if the IT department – as we know it – is on its way out.
Trinidad & Tobago: Lack of Accountability
The main issue now arising in relation to the Beetham Water Recycling Project…is the complete failure of our country’s system of Public Financial Management. Afra Raymond takes on the government's “unpardonable failure to account for that mammoth sum of Public Money.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Bocas Lit Fest Embraces Audio Technology
Technology is permeating even literature festivals! The Bocas Lit Fest blog announces the debut of Festival Radio, which will bring the festival experience to a global audience via a live audio stream, an on-demand audio magazine and archival material available through SoundCloud.
Indians in the Caribbean
Active Voice reviews Gaiutra Bahadur’s book Coolie Woman: The Odyssey of Indenture and wonders whether “banning words or proscribing them ever achieves the desired outcome”: Should we be trying to sanitize history or recording it in all its ugliness for the benefit of future generations? Can we ever liberate the...
Exploring Trinidad & Tobago's Digital Divide (Part 2)
In the second installment of our post about the digital divide in Trinidad and Tobago, Global Voices talks with Kenfield Griffith, CEO of mSurvey, the company that conducted the research.
Trinidad & Tobago: Lessons from a Health Scare
Trinidadian diaspora blogger Afrobella shares her mammogram diary in hopes that her experience can help other women.
Bermuda: Go Fly a Kite!
In Bermuda, kites plays an important role in the island’s cultural heritage. Repeating Islands says that Bermudians are gearing up for the 2014 Kite Fest.
Trinidad & Tobago Water Recycling Project Not “Crystal Clear”
Despite the attributes presented by this project, there are grounds for serious concern as to the process adopted and the actions of the various public officials involved. Afra Raymond has concerns about the plan by the Water and Sewerage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, in conjunction with the National Gas...
Jamaica: Social Art
It can only create a healthier cultural environment if multiple independent spaces, encouraging social interaction and supporting creative practice were operating. ART:Jamaica blogs about the importance of social art spaces.
Using Workout Apps in Trinidad & Tobago
“A lot of people are into the fitness craze,” writes T3CHTT, who shares some of the fitness apps he's used, considering that he “like[s] keeping track of [his] activities and sharing them on twitter.”
Exploring Trinidad & Tobago's Digital Divide (Part 1)
A progressive new company is changing the face of data collection in the Caribbean, starting with a project in Trinidad and Tobago that examines the country's digital divide.
