THE Barbados Defence Force (BDF) has been heralded for its work in Barbados and regionally over the past 38 years.

Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite while speaking at the BDF’s 38th anniversary parade and sunset ceremony at St. Ann’s Fort on Saturday evening, noted that the relevance of the Force has been questioned from time to time, as there have been no perceived threats to national security of the island.

He reminded however, that with the changing global society, Barbados has to be vigilant and ever cognisant that it is not immune to home grown or external threats to its sovereignty.

Brathwaite stated that an upsurge in gun crime and violence and the increase in illegal firearms in this country are most likely as a result of an increase in transnational organised crime in relation to drug trafficking. “Over the past two years the BDF, through its maritime element, the Barbados Coast Guard and the land forces of the Barbados Regiment, has conducted or assisted the Civil Power in various counter-narcotics operations. These operations netted over 11 400 pounds of compressed marijuana in excess of 28 000 marijuana plants and 370 kilogrammes of cocaine with a combined street value of over $36 000 000. A total of 17 vessels were seized and 51 persons apprehended.”

“Can you imagine the destruction that, if those drugs were allowed to enter our country, could have been wreaked on some of our citizens, especially the youth – the future of this nation?” he queried.

He noted that the BDF will be called upon to support the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) in ensuring public safety. “You the men and women of the Force must stand ready to answer such a call, to quell this scourge, this menace to our society. You must stand together, stand and be counted as part of a strong Force, a vanguard which will allow a few miscreants to threaten this small island and dictate to the masses with their deviancy.”

Brathwaite also highlighted the valuable assistance also rendered by the BDF at major national events such as Crop Over activities. “In the future, these patrols could be extended to include general anti-crime patrols,” he revealed.

Additionally, he pointed to the BDF’s contribution in the area of disaster preparedness, response and recovery, locally and across the region as a result of natural hazards. As well as their role in the 50th anniversary of Independence celebrations; partnering with the Probation Department in the rehabilitation of persons sentenced to community service; affording job attachments to students of tertiary institutions and the Barbados Youth Service – to name a few.

The BDF’s role in the hosting of Exercise TRADEWINDS in 2017 was also highlighted and its self-sufficiency during difficult financial times was also commended. “You are a critical factor in maintaining public order. You are a valued part of the national fabric of these 166 square miles,” he said. (JH)

There is concern that enough attention is not being paid to community policing in this country.

The concern has come from Chairman of the Caribbean Association of Safety and Security Professionals (CASP) Barbados Chapter, Oral Reid, a former deputy command in charge of community policing in the Royal Barbados Police Force, who contends that law enforcement around the world has continued to embrace community policing because it is critical to the achievement of safety and security among citizens.

“If you look at what has happened certainly over the last 10 years, looking on as an observer from the outside, we have seen a substantial reduction in the number of community police officers deployed in various jurisdictions around Barbados, in various districts, station areas around Barbados and I am concerned that this is not a positive thing,” he said.

Reid added, “No crime can be solved without the support of the members of the wider community and if members of the wider community are to make a contribution to the police, it has to as a consequence of a carefully constructed and carefully negotiated sense of trust in order to share information with the police.”

Contending that no police agency has been able to solve greater than 90 per cent of its crime without the support of the members of the wider community, he maintained that the emphasis on engaging with members of the public is critical.

“So when you see that you have a reduced number of community police officers, then it is telling you that the organisation would have compromised its ability to be able to be given the support that is needed by members of the wider community, and hence you would hear an increase in the number of public appeals because the organisation is not attracting the level of support from the members of the wider community,” he added.

With that in mind, he said even where the police department does not have the requisite resources needed to execute its duties, it can still perform its job if it embraces the concept of community policing and forms meaningful alliances with neighbourhood watches and other none governmental organisations.

“Community policing as a philosophy is a concept that if supported by station commanders and divisional commanders, is a concept that would see an increased engagement with members of the wider community. It should be the responsibilities of station managers to ensure that neighbourhood watches or as I would prefer it to be called, community safety partnerships, are encouraged because community safety partnerships are critical to engaging with the wider community in the fight against crime,” he said.

He made the point as he contended that unless there is a multi-service approach to dealing with crime and the causes of crime, this country will continue to be presented with challenges. (JRT)

There is a need for persons to be made fully aware of the link between food, nutrition and non-communicable diseases.

That’s according to Professor of Nutrition, California State University, Dr. Gail Frank. Speaking to The Barbados Advocate recently, Frank insisted that persons have to be more mindful of what they eat and the impact that poor eating habits can have on their health.

“In the US we have a MyPlate – a visual of the portions and the types of food that should fit on a healthy plate and to a large extent the chronic diseases motivate what that plate looks like. Barbados can create and implement a healthy MyPlate and the beauty in Barbados is that you have wonderful flavours and tastes where you don’t need the high salt, or high sugar. But, there are a lot of fried type foods, so that is maybe an area that needs to be looked at, zeroing in on how frequently people eat those,” she said.

With that in mind, Dr. Frank said that the local food industry can create products that are very tasty and satisfy the cultural taste buds of the people, but which do not increase the calories that persons consume. She made the point while contending that over last the 30 to 40 years Barbados’ health problems and mortality reflect what we are seeing in other populations across the world.

“One is we are all gaining too much weight and that weight can bring on type 2 diabetes. The management of that, the reduction of that and other morbidities, other illnesses is crucial for Barbados to address, to see how we can stop the advancement of these chronic diseases,” she said.

The Professor of Nutrition’s comments came as she lamented that for some people in Barbados and the Caribbean, where rum is one of the major items produced, the majority of their calories are consumed through alcohol.

“That’s not helping their health status and it is hard to legislate a very economic important item like that, but I think that is a seriousness that needs to take place. Also important is the education of children, young males and females on how to create their plate and begin to seriously moderate the alcohol intake, the fried foods and truly enhance the fruits and vegetables. We want them to recognise that the average plate should be a little over half fruits and vegetables, which means you have a small amount of protein whether it is from chicken, fish, beef or pork and the remainder would be grains,” she added.

She contended then there is a need for a multi-pronged approach to ensuring good nutrition among people. That approach, she said, is a social ecological model (SEM) that starts the conversation among people, industry, schools, the church, the grocery stores among others, to start getting persons to change eating habits and eat healthier.

“It begins the conversation and under the SEM no one segment has total ownership. But if one segment feels they have all the answers and they defy contact and communication with the others it will not work very well,” she said. (JRT)

BRIDGETOWN became a temporary hub for Caribbean culture on Sunday when the delegates who are participating in the 13th edition of the Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts (CARIFESTA), paraded through the streets.

The parade, which moved off from Queen’s Park at 3:30 p.m., created a colourful, festive and entertaining spectacle for the scores who lined the streets to be a part of the historic occasion.

The delegates from 26 regional territories used drums, whistles, trumpets, flutes, steel pan, their hands and voices to create music.

Dressed in their national colours, the delegates danced, jumped and pranced as they made their way to Kensington Oval for the opening ceremony to signal the start of the biggest festival in the Caribbean.

While all the delegates represented their countries in their own unique and special way, there were those that definitely stood out.

It was almost impossible not to take a second glance at the Haitian men and women, who wore creative and appealing costumes as they told a story of the journey to the historic Haitian Revolution.

The culture of Bermuda, which reflects the heritage of its people who are chiefly of African and European descent, was told in a very “loud” way. From start to finish, the Bermudians drummed and jammed all the way down the road, fully entertaining the spectators, singing folk songs at the top of their lungs.

The Guyanese were definitely out in their numbers. The delegates from the South American territory wore costumes that painted a memorable picture of a multifaceted culture.

The delegates from the host country went above and beyond to show-off the nation’s rich culture and heritage. The Barbados Landship, stilt walkers, King and Queen of the Crop and dancers, all played their respective roles in creating a memorable street party that was enjoyed by many spectators who waved and proudly nodded their heads in agreement. The colours worn by the Barbadian delegates were spectacular.

The last time CARIFESTA was held in Barbados was in 1981. (AH)

THE Barbados Physical Therapy Association (BPTA), which has been in existence for the past 20 years, has a new executive and is currently going through a rebranding exercise, with the hope of increasing its visibility on the island.

President of the Barbados Physical Therapy Association, Dr. Nicola Yard, recently acknowledged the above, noting that the Association is seeking to highlight the wide-ranging work of physical therapists across the island, with the ultimate goal of increasing awareness about the profession and by extension the Association.

Her comments came as she unveiled the BPTA’s new logo during a recent press launch held in the Boardroom of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). During that press launch, it was announced that graphic designer Jawade Elibox was the winner of the BPTA’s recently concluded Logo Competition, the aim of which was to come up with a new design that will be used on all correspondence going forward as the Association rebrands and promotes itself.

“The Association has been around for twenty years, but as I mentioned before, it does not seem as if many people know about the Physical Therapy Association and that is what we want to change,” Yard stated.

“So we set up some goals that we are trying to achieve, starting with increased public awareness. So we did a blood drive last year.

We’ve done an activity for children with disabilities and we are just trying to increase our visibility, but at the same time assist in areas of society that need us,” she added.

Yard stressed that the Association consists of a group of therapists who have come together to try to educate others about the profession of physical therapy, while also seeking to improve on their education as well. Greater awareness is needed about the Association and its work she said, as many Barbadians have a limited view of what physical therapy involves.

“I think that most people think about physical therapy and think along the lines of massage – and that is what we are trying to rule out. That’s not all [we do]. I know a lot of people think about physical therapy and they think either about something that is broken or they think about sports, but there are so many other areas that we deal with. You have physical therapists working with paediatrics, working with geriatrics, working in aqua therapy, working with strokes, working with persons with cardiopulmonary issues or working with amputees. There is such a wide range of things, so many areas that people are unaware of,” the President stressed, noting that the BPTA will be working to better educate, inform and assist the Barbadian public, going forward.

THE hard work and sacrifice have paid off.

In a ceremony yesterday morning, Minister of Education Ronald Jones officially announced that this year, students from four institutions have copped a total of 45 scholarships and exhibitions.

In the final tally, sixth form Queen’s College (QC) students captured the lion’s share of awards, with 15 scholarships and 11 exhibitions. Harrison College gained 11 scholarships and five exhibitions while the Barbados Community College took home two exhibitions and Christ Church Foundation, one exhibition.

The announcement was made yesterday in the auditorium of the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, where most of the beaming winners were in attendance flanked by proud family members.

Minister Jones also revealed that at least ten of the exhibition winners would have gained scholarships if they had applied themselves even more in the Communication Studies and Caribbean Studies. By gaining a 2 in one of the Units rather than a 1, it took them out of the running to be a scholarship winner. He encouraged students to attach the right level of attention to these subjects.

Chief Education Officer, Karen Best, said she was extremely happy about the results, and predicted, after filtering the results in the first year, that the scholarships would surpass last year’s figures. A few of the students are already overseas pursuing studies, while a small number said they will defer their scholarship or exhibition for a year. Last year, there were nine scholarships and 18 exhibitions.

While commending the top performers that have qualified for scholarships and exhibitions, Minister Jones noted that the more recent schools with sixth forms are still settling down. He reminded that his Ministry has been expanding its sixth from portfolio, moving past the “elitist and class-based” environment that was found at Harrison College, Queen’s College, Combermere and Lodge, which in the past were the only four secondary schools offering sixth form studies.

“By September we will have 11 schools doing six former post-secondary education. All contributing to the pool of success,” he said, noting that results for CAPE in Units 1 and 2 are generally high in Barbados.

While commending the effort of the teachers, he said how they go about teaching is an important factor, particularly for younger teachers.

“Junior teachers in some of our secondary schools who get good results as opposed to some who have been there for 30 years and when you try to examine the difference between a teacher of three to four years getting children to respond for success, you know what the difference is?” he queried. “You create that love and bond for the subject. It comes through the teacher. They exude that confidence and love for the subject,” he said.

Students expressed plans to pursue studies in mechanical engineering, accounting, actuarial science, medicine, aeronautical engineering, biomedical science, to name a few. They will be travelling to prestigious universities far and near including the Howard University, University of South Hampton, the University of Waterloo and the University of the West Indies among others. (JH)

Scholarship winners
Harrison College
Carlos Andrew
Clementine Chee-A-Tow-Forter
Daveed Gittens
Sian Hallsworth
Lashaina Holford
David Johnson
Karishma Karnani
Destini Lynch
Afeefah Lunat
Dominique Persaud
Kyron Richards

Queen’s College
Alana Applewhaite
Dominique Bovell
Shannon Boxill
Kamar Clarke
Dominique Ellis
Gabrille Farnum
Adara Haynes
Tré Hollingsworth
John Hunte
Joshua Jones
Hailey Laurayne
Zaria Layne
Tiffani Lynch
Nia Marshall
Emma McIntyre

Exhibition Winners
Harrison College
Nicholas Atwell
Jameelah Bhana
Jada Jones
Shaquille Thomas
Maurice Walkes

Queen’s College
Chanelle Bowen
Aliyya Boyce
Shane Carter
Shanice Cox
Latisha Edwards
Simone Jean-Marie
Maisha King
Tia Mahon
Emilee Mustor
Toria Small
Teri Williams-Niles

Christ Church Foundation
Azaria Forde

Barbados Community College
Cara Cumberbatch
Brittany Gibbons

It was a “wow” moment for hundreds of youth as they had the rare opportunity to view the partial eclipse, yesterday.

Thanks to the United States (U.S.) Embassy in Barbados, the participants of the CARIFESTA Youth Village at the Barbados Community College (BCC) were able to safely observe the memorable spectacle.

Minister of Youth, the Hon. Stephen Lashley took the opportunity to also view the eclipse at the BCC noting that it was a “once in a lifetime occasion”.

He admitted to members of the media that he was just as anxious as the young people to take a glimpse.

“The question was posed whether you should allow children to go and view the eclipse because of the dangers of looking at it with unprotected eyes. The interesting answer given was that you should allow children to do this with protection, because who knows what the experience may bring. It could result in a scientist… someone wanting to find out more about the solar system.”

“It is good to encourage them to be inquisitive. We have been talking a lot about innovation; how we could have more young people involved in science and technology and this occasion is all about inquiring and finding out more about our universe, and I think that is good for our young people,” Lashley stressed.

Public Affairs Officer (PAO) at the Embassy, James Rodriguez not only distributed the special eyewear to those interested in viewing the eclipse, but also shared the importance of wearing them. (TL)

The Barbados Physical Therapy Association (BPTA) has been successful in its search for a brand new logo, which adequately represents the non-profit organisation in its re-branding exercise.

The new logo was officially unveiled during a recent press launch held in the Boardroom of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), which also served to announce the winner of the BPTA’s logo competition.

A new banner displaying the logo was revealed by President of the Barbados Physical Therapy Association, Dr. Nicola Yard and BPTA Public Relations Officer, Marita Marshall, following the announcement that graphic designer Jawade Elibox was the winner of the BPTA’s Logo Competition, which ran from June 21 to August 9 this year.

Elibox received a prize of $250 compliments of the BPTA, as well as prizes from sponsors, including one Samsung tablet from Game Xpress, three months membership from Cross Fit 246, one voucher from Fresh Vitamins and one spa voucher compliments of the Beautiful Me Day Spa.

BPTA President, Dr. Nicola Yard meanwhile noted that the Association is seeking to highlight the work of physical therapists island wide, with the ultimate goal of increasing awareness of the profession.

“Most people do not know about the Association, so we decided that we wanted to do something to increase our visibility and make sure that our presence is felt in society. The logo change came at the right time to help and assist with our re-branding and it does do a good job,” Yard commented.

“We decided that we wanted to have this competition just in time for our 20th anniversary which is in September. We wanted to make sure that it was launched just in time, so that everything going forward now has the new logo,
which is fitting and which suits us as an Association,” she added.

PRO Marita Marshall meanwhile noted that it was not an easy task making a final selection from the entries received and as such, BPTA members were allowed to vote for the final one.

Graphic designer Jawade Elibox told The Barbados Advocate it took him about three to four days to come up with his visually appealing, winning design, which he too was proud to display.

The new head of the Paediatrics Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Dr. Angela Jennings, plans to push the department forward towards
being a beacon of excellence.

Jennings’ comments came following a handing over ceremony that took place at the QEH yesterday morning.

“My aim, or my mandate really, is to make this department a beacon of excellence within the island and the wider Caribbean,” she said.

Jennings told The Barbados Advocate that in order to achieve this goal, their focus is two-fold, as they want to improve their equipment and train their staff to
ensure they are on the cutting edge.

The new head acknowledged that undertaking this position is challenging, but she is “thankful for the opportunity to move this department forward”.

She added that she is humbled by the confidence that her colleagues have shown in her, adding that she is committed to the task at hand.

The doctor went on to note that donations continue to be a tremendous help to them.

“We come here for a lot of the big donations, but that does not negate from the smaller donations in terms of people donating their time and effort in ways like volunteering, and sitting and talking with the children that are here. But on the big scale, our donations are progressing quite nicely as there’s a lot of interest from corporate Barbados and other organisations that are always willing to help us as we go forward,” she said.

In terms of finding ways for the average person to assist with the development of the Paediatrics Department, and by extension the QEH, Dr Jennings encouraged the general public to continue to assist the organisations such as the Canadian Women’s Club and other charities who state that they are raising funds to assist with the development of the QEH, through attending and supporting their planned events.

Youngsters locally and those from across the region have gained greater exposure to various styles of dance through the Children’s Dance Day event.

One of the activities of Carifesta XIII, this whole day event comprised a number of free workshops conducted at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Dance Studio.

Tuesday’s first session was a landship and maypole class which was taught by representatives from the Pinelands Creative Workshop. It saw the participation of 15 dancers from the Antigua Creative Dance Theatre and youngsters from local dance troops including Barbados Dance Strides, Barbados Dance Theatre, Of Another Nature and Dance Place.

Founder and choreographer of the Antigua Creative Dancer Theatre, Sephra Peets spoke positively about the class.

“We really did not expect what we were a part of just now but it was really enjoyable and I know the dancers had a fantastic time. They learnt something new, the landship dance and the maypole. We have seen the maypole but through the class they learned quite a bit.”

Cultural Officer for Dance at the NCF, Alicia Payne-Hurdle also gave positive feedback. She additionally said she was pleased overall with the response to Children’s Dance Day and other upcoming dance workshops this week.

“My hopes for the workshops today are to expose young children – Barbadians and others, whether they have dance experience or not, give them an opportunity to come and try new styles, try different cultures, just be informed and maybe in the future those who have never danced before would want to continue to dance and those that have danced would have the opportunity to experience something new,” stated Payne-Hurdle.

Other genres of dance taught during classes on the Day were ballet by Laura Alvarez (Cuba), Caribbean dance by Geraldine Lynch (Barbados), tap by Nicole Thomas (United States of America) and ring games: Dancin’ Africa by Jennifer Sealy (Barbados) as well as Caribbean contemporary by Chris Walker (Jamaica).

The CARICOM National Exhibition is now opened to all art enthusiasts.

The artwork, according to Assistant Secretary General of the CARICOM Secretariat, Dr. Douglas Slater, reflects the wide diversity of creative expressions existing in the countries of the Caribbean region.

Addressing Monday’s official opening of this Caribbean Festival of Arts - CARIFESTA XIII event, which is being held at the Barbados Community College (BCC), he observed that some artists have made statements about various aspects of the environment.

“They reflect the sea, the land and other aspects of our enchanting beauty of our environment. This is very important because it is, in fact, the main treasure of our region, our environment from which we extract our livelihoods, our food and the creative industry that we are involved in,” he stressed.

“Others find creative expression in the hardships our people experience in their quest for survival throughout the centuries, and it is depicted in many of the pieces at this exhibition. Some explore the many intricate qualities – each medium, such as wood, paint, fabric, metal, photography and all these allow them to manipulate these materials to create a rich, vibrant and powerful pieces work, which excite emotions, spark debates on art, inspire others but generally add to the vast plethora of art emerging from the region and seeking to impact the world.”

The Assistant Secretary General believes that the magnificent paintings, photographic and mixed media works on show should engage the attention and excite all visitors during the week.

Dr Slater highlighted that Haiti is well known globally to have artists of outstanding merit, and he expressed that no CARIFESTA is complete without the vivid and vibrant artwork from this island nation.

“Their use of available materials demonstrate that art can be created once the determination and imagination are present,” he pointed out.

“The representations from Anguilla, Bermuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Martinique, as well as Trinidad and Tobago; add to the richness of these exhibitions.” (TL)

A MAJOR study will be conducted in Barbados of the top 1 000 students from this year’s Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE), commonly known as the 11-Plus exam.

This was revealed on Monday by Minister of Education, Ronald Jones, who was addressing this year’s scholarship and exhibition winners at the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College.

According to the Minister, the survey which will be undertaken in a few months, will seek to conduct a deep analysis of all the sociological implications in this group and to determine peculiar characteristics that allow those students to stand out. He noted that the over 3 000 students who sat the exam would be too many to study in their entirety, adding that the results of the first 1 000 will be very close.

The Minister also expressed the importance of early nurturing through early childhood education.

Pointing to the new nurseries to come on stream including Government Hill Nursery, one to be located in Holder’s Hill, Sayers Court and Deacons, which he said will complete the cycle for nursery education, without competing against private day-care centres.

“So that by 2019 all of our three years old would be in a nursery and early education environment ... given the needed stimuli,” he said. (JH)

Patients of Ward B6 of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) now have a television to enjoy while they recuperate.

The television set and accompanying wall bracket were donated to the Ward by the Kiwanis Club of Barbados South. The presentation occurred recently in the QEH’s Boardroom.

Speaking prior to making the donation to the surgical ward, President Zelma Daisley explained that the idea to do so was conceptualised following a visit to B6 by Immediate Past President, Trevor Alleyne. It was while there that Alleyne noticed the absence of a television and spoke to the Club about giving one.

Daisley added the day’s donation follows a blood drive conducted in January by the Club. Forty persons on that occasion gave blood to the Blood Collecting Unit.

She expressed a hope that the members of B6, along with the patients, are very appreciative of it and “I know that seeing the television set and they can view it would at least boost their spirits that they can be well onto a speedy recovery”.

Speaking on behalf of the QEH, Director of Nursing Services Henderson Pinder said he was moved by their generosity. He added that he wants to see more service clubs or persons partnering with the QEH in the future. He also commended the Kiwanis Club of Barbados South for helping in the area of the blood drive.

He additionally gave the assurance to the President that the television will be placed in a select location prior to her demitting office in September of this year. (MG)

FLOW Barbados has enjoyed an excellent relationship and partnership with The Barbados Advocate and is committed to ensuring that that arrangement continues in earnest.

This coming from new Managing Director of FLOW Barbados, Jenson Sylvester and FLOW Barbados Director of Communications, Marilyn Sealy, during a courtesy call at The Barbados Advocate’s Fontabelle office, yesterday with Managing Director and CEO of The Barbados Advocate, Anthony T. Bryan.

Bryan shared with the new Managing Director some of his observations related to the growth and development of the telecommunications market over the years. To that end, Bryan maintained that an excellent infrastructure was important for success. To that, he insisted that knowing your market was also a key element to finding success, especially in this market. This, he added, included building and maintaining a relationship with the customer base, which the company has.

Sealy added that the courtesy call was the first one with the media that had been done to date.

Sylvester, the former Vice President of Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) Business who was previously acting in the role of Managing Director, has been working with CWC in various capacities for the past seven years, and officially took up the post earlier this year.

“We are very pleased to have Jenson lead the team in Barbados and he has been given a clear mandate of delivering an unsurpassed customer experience. Already he’s made a significant impact and we’re very pleased to have him on board in an elevated role. Jenson is a keen young leader and he knows this business intimately.

“FLOW has an exciting future in Barbados with an advanced portfolio of mobile, video, broadband and fixed-line services and products. Under Jenson’s leadership, we will now renew our push to deepen customer relationships through value propositions and an improved customer experience,” Garry Sinclair, FLOW’s Caribbean President, said at the time of the announcement of the appointment.

Sylvester, who was born in the United Kingdom to a Barbadian mother and Grenadian father, spent more than a decade managing complex IT outsource solutions in the United Kingdom, India and throughout the Caribbean, with a focus on leading teams to provide long-term Managed Services-based technology solutions to both the private and public sectors.

He holds a Master of Science in Technology Information Systems from Kingston University, London and has participated in several executive-level training programmes.

Before joining the local business unit, he was CWC’s Regional Director for IT Solutions, driving the evolution of C&W Business across the region as it embraced a converged ICT landscape where technology is the key differentiator and enabler within enterprise.

Senior Business Development Officer with the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), Alison Sealy-Smith, says there is a need for a national performing arts company.

She stated this while responding to a question posed during Monday’s Carifesta Symposium at the Arts Lecture Theatre at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus.

She pointed out that over the years efforts have been made to have such a company established but to no avail.

“We are still without one. We are still at a point where we are attempting to do world class theatre and we are doing it with people who have to put in eight and nine hour days at work and then come to work. So we need that.”
Sealy-Smith was one of three members of the panel who addressed the topic, “Theatre, Heritage and Innovation”. Each panellists spoke about different aspects of heritage events which were staged by the NCF.

Sealy-Smith was interviewed by Theatre Arts teacher, Julie Williams, about her role as producer and director of the musical, “Mirror, Mirror, Show Me A Hero”. The other panellists were historian, Morris Greenidge, who shared how he selects which stories to tell the public for the Crop Over heritage walks and Bus Tour, and writer and director of “Bussa to Barrow and Beyond”, Sonia Williams, who spoke about her role in the creation and execution of the play.

Cultural Officer for Theatre Arts at the NCF, Amanda Cumberbatch said she is hopeful that through Monday’s event members of the public would “go away with the sense that certainly they can come to the theatre more.” Additionally, “That people can see the connection between history, culture and art, I think that is the simplest way to put it and that when you really mull over that, it would encourage more people to come out and support art and to come to art events. There is much to be learnt, much to be gained from that.”

The Canadian Women’s Club of Barbados have once again made a generous donation of equipment, valued at Bds$16 000, to the Paediatrics Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

During yesterday morning’s handing over ceremony, which took place in the Conference Room at the QEH, Head of the Paediatrics Department, Dr. Angela Jennings, expressed that she was grateful to the Canadian Women’s Club for their generous donation of the Fibre Optic Intubation Scope.

“This piece of equipment is very vital and as we continue our mandate, which is “the excellent care for the children of this country”, and other children who may be referred here, this will definitely go a long way in providing that care for our patients,” she said.

Dr. Karanatan Krishnamurthy, consultant to the paediatrics department, explained that this piece of equipment was important because of the fibre optic camera. The camera is useful because it gives the doctors more visibility as they intubate patients who are having problems breathing. He explained that with the help of the camera, they are able to see inside of the patient’s throat or nose as they attempt to clear the airway.

“There are situations where we have to call the expertise in the middle of the night, so this easily helps our senior trainees to put the tube in with the help of the camera in a timely manner, which then helps the outcome of the children in a better way,” he said.

Ann Smith, Community Services Chairperson of the Canadian Women’s Club of Barbados, expressed that the QEH was “very near and dear to us”.

“Funds raised from the golf tournament helps support several charities, but our main charity is the QEH and ICU and we’re very happy to be able to present this piece of equipment this morning,” she said.

Jennings added that they, the Department of the Paediatrics, and the Canadian Women’s Club have had a very long and successful relationship and expressed that she hopes to continue to foster and grow this relationship as they move forward.

Efforts are still on to register all the Barbados Black Belly Sheep on the island.

Word of this has come from James Paul, Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS). Earlier this year, prior to the start of Agrofest 2017, Paul had noted that some 700 animals had already been accounted for as a result of the registration process which started in the last quarter of 2016, and in an interview with The Barbados Advocate yesterday, Paul said while resources are limited, they remain committed to identifying all the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep and keeping the registry up to date well into the future.

His comments came as he disclosed that a lack of resources is likely to slow down the process of registering the animals, but he is adamant that they do not intend to allow that fact to prevent the initiative from moving forward.

“Yes, we need more resources to follow up that initiative but in the meantime we are trying to use the resources we do have in the best possible way. But we are not stopping, we are continuing to register animals because we think it is important if we are to continue to identify those animals which demonstrate the characteristics of the breed,” he further told The Barbados Advocate.

With that in mind, Paul said that the creation of a registry would not only ensure that persons who want to purchase the pure bred Barbados Black Belly Sheep can actually do so, but it would help to ensure the longevity of the local sheep population and by extension that aspect of the agricultural sector. He explained that by registering the animals they would not only know definitively which are pure bred, but as a consequence, they would be able to avoid any inbreeding, which he pointed out has been a problem in the past.

The BAS head explained that inbreeding has been known to happen because some farmers have not been keeping accurate records. In addition to improving their record keeping, he said it is important that farmers also improve their overall animal husbandry techniques.

Paul’s remarks came as he took the opportunity to encourage persons to get involved in the rearing of the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep and in agriculture in general. He said that it is important that persons recognise that agriculture, whether crop or livestock farming, is a viable employment opportunity for them to pursue. (JRT)

Minister of Culture Stephen Lashley believes there is a need to shift from protecting Intellectual Property to the monetizing of that intellectual property.

He pointed to this during the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries Inc. (BCSI) “Conduits to Commerce” Workshop on music synchronization licensing, held in conjunction with CRS Music and the Cultural Industries Development Authority (CIDA) at Coconut Court Hotel, yesterday.

Lashley explained that the Synch market provides one such opportunity where artistes can develop residual income on works already released, while developing new works for current consumption and/or performance.

“The truth is the music publishing industry in the Caribbean is still being developed. As a result, the vast majority of content holders, content creators and musicians in the Caribbean are not represented by any music publishers. Therefore, musicians in the Caribbean are unable to fully exploit their intellectual property beyond performance income and mechanical royalties,” he indicated.

“The aim of this workshop therefore is to bridge this gap. Initiatives such as these provide tangible export opportunities for service providers within the creative industries. Such activity will prove to be net foreign exchange earners and will allow for Barbadians to diversify not only their income portfolio but also the export industries of Barbados, making the country less susceptible to external economic shocks.”

The Minister assured participants that the Government of Barbados has also recognised this, and took some steps to create the enabling environment necessary for creatives to build business in a sustainable manner.

He highlighted that the mechanism used to do this is the Cultural Industries Development Act, administered through the Cultural Industries Development Authority. This legislation provides a suite of tax-based incentives, and access to funding and financing, which creatives can apply for to assist in growing sustainable businesses.

“The Barbados Cultural Industries Development Authority has responsibility for implementing the Act, and has for the past two years been managing the registry of artistes who can apply for the incentives. If you have not already registered you should do so as soon as possible, so that you can benefit from duty-free and VAT exemption on importation of tools of trade, promotion through the Directory of Barbadian cultural practitioners, and the variety of programmes which the Authority has been implementing,” he urged.

“As the owner of the creativity which produces the product, the onus is on you to ensure that you can earn a decent living from it. You can do this only if you also think like a business person, or put together a team which has that business acumen to guide you to financial success. The Government can create the legislative and policy framework for you to operate in, but it is really up to you to ensure you use these tools to grow profitable businesses.”

Executive Director of BCSI, Graham Clarke, noted that the market for music synchronization licensing is growing globally. He further acknowledged that effective marketing or lack of it, is one of the challenges identified by many cultural entrepreneurs in creating a successful and sustainable business model.
“Today, we have the experts in this market for synch licencing who possess the knowledge and the connections necessary to advise you, the content producers and owners, on how you can successfully navigate and exploit this growing market,” he said.

The workshop was one of many activities taking place within the 13th edition of the Caribbean Festival of Arts - CARIFESTA. (TL)

The Sunshine Campers, based at the St. Stephen’s Nursery School in Black Rock, St. Michael, got the opportunity to tour the Supreme Court Complex yesterday and interact with members of the legal fraternity.

Justice William Chandler, who took the little ones on tour of the facility, told The Barbados Advocate that such visits are key in reinforcing the need for the youth of Barbados to stay on a positive path, to help “save our country”.

“I spoke to them about the layout of the court, showed them where the lawyers are, the Chief Justice. Unfortunately, he is not here today to meet with the children, but he sends his regards. Then I had a discussion with them in terms of keeping themselves out of trouble, making sure that they listen to their parents and not follow bad company so that they wouldn’t end up here in the courts,because we toured the criminal courts. So it was indeed a pleasure having them here and I thank the organisers,” Justice Chandler said of the visit.

Ramona Williams, counsellor for the Sunshine Campers and a teacher at St. Stephen’s Nursery, noted that the visit was in keeping with the theme being pushed for this year’s camp.

“Our theme for this summer camp is “Who Are the People in the Neighbourhood”, so we focused on all the places in the neighbourhood that allow the neighbourhood to function effectively,” she indicated.

“So we decided, as one of our culminating activities, to visit the Supreme Court of Barbados – the court being a strong entity in Barbados – to help the young children grow up and know to keep away from bad company and to focus on the right things in life,” Williams added, noting that the children had already visited other key places such as the post office, Black Rock Polyclinic and the supermarket, which they also enjoyed.

Sexual harassment legislation in Barbados has been completed and should be implemented by year-end.

News of this came from Prime Minister Freundel Stuart during a recent courtesy call at Ilaro Court with the newly-appointed Head of the UN Women Multi-Country Office in Barbados, Mary McLean.

While congratulating Barbados on its reporting on CEDAW (the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women), Ms. McLean had listed the pending legislation as one of three outstanding areas for immediate attention.

The other areas, she said, were training for public sector workers and public service administrators in gender mainstreaming to assist in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the development of a national gender policy and action plan.

Mr. Stuart spoke of Barbados’ efforts to address the issue of violence against women, highlighting the Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act 1992, which, he said, was designed to give victims of domestic violence easier access to the courts as well as the right to be heard within three days by a magistrate. Since his administration has been in power, he added, extensive amendments had been made to the legislation “to give it some teeth”.

He also highlighted the fact that men and women were paid equally for equal work, and that the rights of women in common law relationships were protected by legislation.
There was also a social protection network in place, he said, which allowed women, even when unemployed, to be able to provide for their children as well as offering them protection when having to deal with “deadbeat fathers”.

Prime Minister Stuart applauded the work being done by UN Women and looked forward to collaborating with the agency whenever the opportunities for such collaboration arose.