I am a writer and media producer based in Trinidad and Tobago. Follow me on Twitter @JanineMFranco.
Latest posts by Janine Mendes-Franco from June, 2010
Cuba: Cameras & Memory
Generation Y says that the “dozens, hundreds of cameras scattered throughout the city” are creating content that “will be stored in the visual memory of this country.”
Jamaica: Charges to be Laid
YardFlex.com cites a news report that claims Jamaican police are “reportedly making arrangements to lay charges against Ochoa Ogilvie, son of Justin Ogilvie, a top associate of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.”
Bermuda: Free & Fair
“The Parliamentary Registrar estimates that 2,000 Bermudian voters are registered in the incorrect constituency”: Vexed Bermoothes thinks the figure is alarming, noting that “inaccurate voter rolls lead to inaccurate elections.”
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: The Hunt for ‘Dudus’
Trinidadian blogger This Beach Called Life comments on the situation in Jamaica as the search for alleged drug trafficker ‘Dudus’ continues: “Once there is a market for drugs and arms there will always be those who are willing to fill that need. A plaster on the sore always feels good...
Cuba: Breathing the World Cup
“In Cuba, with a lack of good sporting events, we eagerly await the Cup”: Iván's File Cabinet blogs about his World Cup picks.
Barbados: Trafficking Rating
Keltruth Corp says: “It seems that the human trafficking situation in Barbados is getting worse, and that the Government of Barbados is doing little to remedy the situation”, while Barbados Free Press adds: “This is the worst abuse because it makes powerless and vulnerable people victims…”
Jamaica, Barbados, U.S.A.: Unstoppable Spill?
Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish doubts that President Obama “is getting good advice when so much information is out there about grave concerns from scientists about whether this oil leak can be stopped”, while from Barbados, B.C. Pires observes: “If the calamity had occurred at the other end of the Caribbean...
Jamaica: Thanks, Dad
In honour of Father's Day this Sunday, Irie Diva is “taking a small moment to say thanks dad, good fathers are few and far in between and I am blessed to have you in my life…”
Cuba, U.S.V.I.: Oil Spill Effects
As Cuba readies itself to face the effects of the BP oil spill, News of St. John wonders whether the Virgin Islands will be next and Pancier's Photo Blog declares: “Enough talk folks. Fix it and clean it up. 58 days is much too long…”
Jamaica: On Tivoli
Active Voice blogs about the man shortage in Tivoli Gardens following the crackdown on the area in the search for ‘Dudus': “The female population is getting antsy because of the sudden disappearance of their menfolk, go-getting women are hitting on JDF soldiers…”; Barbados Underground, meanwhile, says: “The Tivoli Dudus Coke...
Guyana: Free to Criticize
Diaspora blogger Stella Ramsaroop republishes a column she wrote for a Guyanese newspaper in which she says: “If the people of Guyana want to continue down the road of true democracy, then it is time to tell your government to back off the nation’s free press.”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Viva the Vuvuzela
Abeni remembers when the ICC Cricket World Cup came to the Caribbean: “The conch shells, bugles, horns, drums etc which were integral to the Caribbean cricketing experience [were no longer] allowed” – which is why she declares, “Viva the vuvuzela!”
Cuba: Ferrer's Trial Date
Uncommon Sense highlights the case of Cuban prisoner of conscience Darsi Ferrer, who is set to stand trial later this month.
Trinidad & Tobago: R.I.P. “Bookmann”
Artzpub acknowledges the passing of artist, bookbinder and blogger Richard Bolai, who “had written on and photographed…aspects of Trinidad and Tobago's art culture.”
Jamaica: Waiting for ‘Dudus’
As ‘Dudus’ remains at large, bloggers comment on the upset the search for him has caused…Chez Hsia: “Someone needs to step in and provide the social services that Dudus was providing, or else the cycle will just begin anew…”; Active Voice: “The problem is that even in times of uneasy...
Jamaica: Art & Ammo
Art has a place in the search for ‘Dudus”; Annie Paul explains.
Trinidad & Tobago: In Through the Out Door
Outlish is a new online magazine targeted at young adult Trinbagonians. It showcases people who are going after their dreams and features fresh perspectives on issues that readers obviously relate to, because its popularity is soaring. We find out what makes Outlish the newest "in" thing by talking with its founder and Editor-in-Chief, Karel Mc Intosh...
Trinidad & Tobago: Watchful Eye
This Beach Called Life is keeping a close eye on the weather.
Jamaica, Guyana: Passing on the Classics
“Any list of Caribbean classics ultimately has to be the responsibility of Caribbean people wherever we are. And we’re not only responsible for creating a canon, but also for passing it on…”: Guyanese diaspora Charmaine Valere weighs in on Geoffrey Philp's question as to what constitutes a Caribbean literary classic.
Haiti: Profiting from Disaster?
The Haitian Blogger suggests that “Haiti's calamity is a windfall for everyone, except Haitians living in Haiti in the camps.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Budget of the People?
KnowTnT.com applauds the new Finance Minister's initiative “to design a ‘dialogue process’ for all stakeholders to voice their opinions on the Republic’s budget”, saying: “He leads a process (if genuine) of true participatory/contributory governance.”
