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Youth to have their part in BREA Conference

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Barbadian school children are to be given an opportunity to attend the upcoming regional energy conference being held by BREA, so they can obtain first-hand knowledge of renewable energy technologies and their applications.
 
Students, teachers and Ministry of Education officers are expected to attend the conference which will be held from November 10 to 11 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC). Award-winning school projects from across the island will also be exhibited. The exhibition will also feature a wide variety of energy and energy saving technologies.
 
These will include heat conversion into energy, coatings for roofs and walls that aid in cooling buildings and homes as well as more familiar alternative energy technologies.
 
Clyde Griffith, Executive Director of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA), recently noted that gaining the interest of youth as it relates to renewable energy, has always been a key focus of BREA, since its establishment back in 2010.
 
“It was always in our minds, those of us who founded the organisation, that we needed to ensure that the future is secure with young people. So after this conference, we are going to be doing many things. One is to look at not only youth in Barbados, but Caribbean youth, because I feel that the experience that we have gathered so far in these last five and a half years, will be fundamentally good for the young people across the Caribbean. We want to encourage them to see renewable energy as the future for Caribbean youth and have them look at this as something to reach out for. So we are taking steps to take care of that,” Griffith said. 
 
(RSM)
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Call for clear policy to guide renewable energy sector

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President of BREA, Aidan Rogers (right), along with Executive Director, Clyde Griffith, held a press conference at BREA’s offices in the Central Bank of Barbados, to provide an update on the organisation’s upcoming regional energy conference to be held under the theme, ‘Sustainable Caribbean Energy Independence: Making It Happen’.

 

THE Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA) has made a call for a “clear policy” to be put in place to guide the renewable energy sector and to serve as a roadmap for sustainable energy in Barbados.
 
The call came yesterday from President of BREA, Aidan Rogers, as he, along with Executive Director Clyde Griffith, held a press conference at BREA’s offices in the Central Bank of Barbados, to provide an update on the organisation’s upcoming regional energy conference. The conference is scheduled for November 10 and 11 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, under the theme “Sustainable Caribbean Energy Independence: Making It Happen”.
 
“Quite frankly, what we would really like to see is a policy actually in place. What we have had really, is what you can best describe as a staccato or ad hoc approach, where we have answered certain technical questions. We’ve [also] done some regulator experimentation by the FTC (Fair Trading Commission), the utility company would have done a technical study to see how much their grid can accommodate in terms of wind and solar, this is intermittent technologies and through that ad hoc approach, we have made significant strides, we cannot discount that. But to go to the next level, particularly in keeping with the new figures that the Prime Minister would have announced a month ago, that we are looking at 65 per cent renewable penetration by 2030, that penetration level can only be founded by a clear policy,” Rogers remarked.
 
“BREA is currently sitting on the National Task Force for Energy, (which) had been tasked since October 2015, with responsibility for arriving at a roadmap and a National Sustainable Energy Policy, because there has only been a draft policy to date. The final policy we are hoping to have hopefully before the end of this year and that would actually create the actual contextual framework in which that 65 per cent target can really be structured,” Rogers also commented.
 
“Policy needs to drive how the legislation is formed. Policy needs to drive how the regulator treats to that legislation, in terms of how they would establish what is the right tariff or price setting mechanism. So policy is very important, but we haven’t solidified the actual policy parameters as yet. We only have a draft policy and as I said, we have been rather successful in trying to work with what we have or what we don’t have in an adhoc manner and that is still commendable for all the parties (involved),” Rogers added. (RSM)
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Visitor spending up

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Visitor spend is up in Barbados!
 
Information coming out of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) quarterly exit survey for the January to June period, illustrated that spending by stay-on visitors increased year-on-year by 10.3 per cent or $104 million to reach $1.1 billion.
 
Tourists from the United Kingdom spent 11.4 per cent more than for the corresponding period in 2015, contributing approximately $498 million or 45 per cent of the overall expenditure. Meanwhile, those from the United States accounted for 23 per cent of the total expenditure and recorded a spend of $256 million; a significant increase of 31.7 per cent over 2015. Those from Canada followed with a spend of $156 million, while those Caribbean and European visitors totalled an estimated $102 million and $74 million, respectively. Within the ‘Other countries’ category, an estimated $30 million was recorded.
 
The survey further showed that stay-over arrivals grew by 5.6 per cent or 24 178 arrivals more than last year’s 432 909 for the corresponding period.
 
In terms of market performance, the United Kingdom continued to be the largest tourist generating market for Barbados, representing 34 per cent of visitors to the destination. During the period January to September 2016, this market produced a total of 157 324 stay-over visitors, an increase of 2.6 per cent, or an additional 3 990 visitors when compared to the same period in 2015. This positive performance was reflected in all of the months with the exception of April and July. The largest growth in arrivals from this market was recorded during the month of January at 16.4 per cent.
 
The number two market was the United States with market share growing from 26 per cent during the first nine months of 2015 to 27 per cent during the corresponding period of 2016. 
 
Meanwhile, those numbers coming out of Brazil dropped by 20 per cent this year. However, this decline was offset by the 27.7 per cent increase in arrivals from the other countries in this market. The positive performance was the result of a significant increase in arrivals out of Colombia, due to the new Avianca service; the number of Colombian visitors grew from 368 during the period January to September 2015, to 1 761 during the same period of 2016. There was also an increase in visitor arrivals from Argentina; some 566 arrivals were recorded, some 234 or 70.5 per cent additional visitors over 2015. (JMB)

 

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PM Stuart attends UK reception

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Prime Minister Freundel Stuart addressing the reception at Lancaster House, while the Minister from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Sir Alister Duncan; and Barbados’ High Commissioner to London, Guy Hewitt, listen attentively.

 

Discussions about Barbados took centre stage when Prime Minister Freundel Stuart attended a reception last Thursday, as part of the activities hosted by the High Commission in London to celebrate the island’s 50th anniversary of Independence.
 
The reception at Lancaster House, where the negotiations for Barbados’ Independence took place, was attended by diplomats from the Caribbean and the Commonwealth, Buckingham Palace, heads of Barbadian organisations and friends of Barbados.
 
PM Stuart also joined officials at Keble College, Oxford University, at a commemoration ceremony to recognise the outstanding service of the late Sir James Cameron Tudor, KCMG, one of the Caribbean’s most influential diplomats and politicians. Sir James read for a degree in Modern Greats at Keble College, and, in 1942, he became the first black person to be elected President of the Oxford Union. 
 
The Prime Minister later presented a citation for Sir James Cameron Tudor to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Louise Richardson; and Warden, Sir Jonathan Phillips, of Keble College. In the citation, Sir James is described as “a man of impressive intellect, a persuasive debater, and a skilled mobiliser”.
 
During his visit, Prime Minister Stuart also renamed the Chancery as “Barbados House”; reflected on the life of the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, during the book launch for “Fathering a Nation” and delivered the feature address at an Independence Awards Gala for the Barbadian Diaspora.
 
 
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Health Minister praises HOPE Foundation’s efforts, achievements

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Minister of Health, John Boyce making a presentation to Dr. Anne Marie Irvine for her work in helping with the diagnosis and treatment of Lupus.

 

Locally the mortality rate and coping among patients diagnosed with Lupus has improved considerably.
 
Minister of Health, John Boyce disclosed this, while adding that “Barbados is well poised to contribute in a meaningful way and is leading in the region in terms of treatment and support at the patient level.”He was at the time 
addressing the start of the HOPE Foundation’s 25th anniversary Medical Lupus Conference at Accra Beach Hotel.
 
Boyce congratulated the Foundation and its President, Shelly Weir, for hosting the Conference – as well as reaching the milestone.
 
He stated that the Foundation “has been successful in establishing strong support mechanisms that have allowed their clients to enjoy improved well-being through patient advocacy and institutional changes.” 
 
He also highlighted some of the accomplishments over the years of the Foundation, which has been at the vanguard of local efforts to foster awareness of the lesser known chronic diseases such as, Systemic Lupus, Sickle Cell Disease and Arthritis.
 
“I am therefore very proud to note that Sickle Cell patients are now being seen in the Accident and Emergency department with the same priority as asthma patients. Opportunities are being provided for patients to be constantly educated about their conditions through workshops 
for newly diagnosed patients and are continually updated on recent research and treatments.”
 
He continued, “international conferences for Lupus which attract world renowned physicians and researchers, while bringing to our shores patients from all over the world are being hosted; and of course, the ‘Lupus Diary’ initiative was launched in May of this year. 
 
“This unique strategy centres around capturing the Lupus story, not only from the patient’s perspective but also from that of the medical fraternity, through diagnosis and treatment; partners, siblings, children, parents, friends, work colleagues, and the general public whose participation is being encouraged through online surveys and focus groups.”
 
The Health Minister, who described the three-day Conference as “appropriate and timely”, pledged his Ministry’s continual support to the HOPE Foundation. (MG)
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Forde: St. Thomas a dumping ground

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ONE Opposition Member Parliament is adamant that the pride and industry that once flowed in the veins of Barbadians is missing.
 
In fact, MP Cynthia Forde insists that “something is wrong with the psyche of our people and unless we start to educate and re-educate them, they will have no interest in anybody but themselves”.
 
Making her presentation in the Lower House yesterday as the debate on the Barbados Green Economy Scoping Study resumed, she expressed extreme disappointment with the decisions by some locals to engage in the practice of illegal dumping, noting that villages in rural Barbados were now bearing the brunt of this practice because of their remoteness.
 
The St. Thomas representative also claimed that the controversial tipping fee was leaving her constituency a “dumping ground”.
 
“Every quarter acre of St. Thomas has illegal dumping going on… People are so criminal minded with the dumping because it is not in their backyard that they are putting it even on the Mangrove Road nearest to the dump and you know what is responsible for that Mr. Speaker? The tipping fee… It is causing a lot of the illegal dumping. So people leave wherever they go to make St. Thomas the dumping ground and it bothers me whenever I see the dead animals, when I see the large amount of commercial refuse around the place, in somebody’s property, on a plantation that appears to be abandoned, alongside the road and I have got photographs of business houses, barrels with the names of institutions that are high-leading institutions in this country. The persons who may have been hired to dispose of it, may have received the tipping fees, but may have dropped it somewhere else along the way,” she stressed.
 
Forde reminded persons that in the past, districts on the island were well-kept with everyone ensuring that around their homes and lots were clean.
 
Noting that there were many lots now overgrown with bush because cuts in the public sector had significantly reduced manpower, she insisted that many community persons were willing to get engaged in cleaning up these areas, but lacked the resources to do so.
 
She therefore called for synergies between the public and private sectors and these groups to get Barbados back to being a clean nation. (JMB)
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Water harvesting must be encouraged

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MEMBER of Parliament for St. Michael West Central, James Paul, believes greater focus must be placed on rainwater harvesting in Barbados.
 
His comments came in the Lower Chamber yesterday as the debate on the Barbados Green Scoping Study continued after last week’s sitting.
 
Saying Government has shown its interest in preserving the future by introducing several policies including the Scoping Study, he lamented that there are those who fail to observe the law and otherwise give reasons or excuses why they cannot be implemented. He pointed to the indiscriminate dumping and the contentious tipping fee as such an example.
 
Paul told the Honourable House that legislation must be put in place to remind Barbadians of their responsibilities, as it relates to water and also agricultural land.
 
As it relates to water harvesting, he pointed out that there are countries that have less rainfall than Barbados that have successfully implemented several water-saving techniques. He said this includes the way the landscape is designed. Paul, who is also the CEO of the Barbados Agricultural Society, says the architects of today seemingly do not take into consideration how water is captured in their designs.
 
The parliamentary representative also made a call for urban constituencies to be beautified. 
 
He lamented that Barbadians would rather keep a dog than livestock, which has tremendous economic benefit.
 
“We are at a time in our country where we need to manage our environment in a much better way. 
 
We have to encourage our people to be able to engage in activities which a lot of Barbadians seem to look down on. A lot of Barbadians were raised keeping pigs, sheep, growing lettuce. Instead of kitchen garden, we put concrete.”
 
The parliamentary representative also challenged the land space to be utilised at Duke’s in St. Thomas by the University of the West Indies for research purposes. He lamented the fact that the agricultural sector was not consulted on this matter. Paul stressed that more emphasis must be placed on planting crops rather than erecting field research buildings on the property.
 
As it relates to preserving the environment, he pointed to Turner’s Hall Woods, which he said must be protected through increased monitoring.
 
He lambasted persons driving all-terrain vehicles and other “high wheel” vehicles which, he lamented, are destroying the land. As such, he suggested that greater taxes should be placed on these vehicles.
 
He stressed that when these areas are deforested, they compromise the land’s ability to absorb rainfall, which leads to increase flow of water and flooding in other areas. (JH)
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Management must make safety a priority

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Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager at the Barbados Light & Power Co. Ltd., Brian Reece, believes that safety continues to be the one thing that crosses all departments and impacts all staff.
 
“It is only right then that there should be continuous interaction between staff and management,” he told the recently held Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) 2016 Occupational Health and Safety Seminar.
 
“Most legislation requires a safety committee which will always be more effective if management at the highest level becomes involved in its operation. Outside of that though, there are many other opportunities for safety sessions and safety meetings, safety coaching sessions, joint audits and participation in wellness initiatives.”
 
According to him, this approach builds trust among staff in the safety management system. In fact, he expressed that it creates a sense of all persons working towards a common goal similarly.
 
“Everyone would be willing to follow a General into war, who is next to them during the fight and down in the trenches. A shared vision of the ultimate goal is created within the mind’s eye of all persons and more hands on board make light work.”
 
Reece said this also provides staff opportunities to not only discuss safety concerns, but also creates a “no blame” environment.
 
“These discussions are being held to identify improvements not fault. That ensures there is confidence in employees to report unsafe situations as well as share with colleagues who are exhibiting unsafe behaviours in a constructive and encouraging way. The tone is set by the manner in which the leadership have done it.”
 
Provide avenues for employee observations
 
The HSE Manager also observed that one of the greatest measures of employee engagement in proactive safety is the number of observations received towards continuous improvement.
 
“It is unlikely that any supervisor or manager will always be there to observe every unsafe situation or behaviour. This makes it an imperative that staff are on board with documenting and submitting observations for continuous improvement. The approach is built again on the platform of trust,” he stressed.
 
Reece further revealed that one method which has been successfully used in the Emera Group of Companies has been to create the Balance Score Card – a target submission rate for all employees to achieve.
 
“The need to have these documented and tracked has to be shared with employees, as usually this is seen as a chore… As I have stated too many staff with the best of intentions, a supervisor cannot remember everything, and though they may want to work on a matter it can slip them.
 
“Having it documented means that this can be followed through on and reduce the likelihood of it escalating to an incident. It can be married with your work order system or act as a stand-alone system for managing proactive observations. Pre-job forms and discussions are another method for ensuring employees participate in the system and identify ways to work more safely,” he added. (TL)
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Careers in Culture viable

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Dr. Stephen Boyce, Programme Manager (Education & Employment) with the European Union (EU) Delegation in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, receiving a copy of the Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW) research-based initiative from CEO of PCW, Rodney Grant (left), during the Project Close Out Session.

 

There is a call to encourage youth to see careers in Culture as viable professional options.
 
This comes from Programme Manager (Education & Employment) with the European Union (EU) Delegation in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr. Stephen Boyce, who also expressed the need to ensure that organisations that are training in culture are registered with the Barbados Accreditation Council and adhere to the National Qualifications Framework.
 
He was at the time addressing the Project Close Out Session of Pinelands Creative Workshop (PCW) research-based initiative “The Internationalisation of Community Cultural Performance Arts Products and Services as a Component of a Vibrant National Cultural Industries”, supported by the Barbados Human Resource Development Programme Implementation Unit within the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, and the EU.
 
“This allows for currency and mobility within the educational sector and between the educational sector and labour market at the national, regional and global levels. It also allows for recognition of prior learning… For example, if you have been in PCW and have been drumming for the last 10 years that needs to be translated into something which can then give you further mobility within the sector. Through such a mechanism, there is a better idea of the level at which you are pitching your skills and ultimately, what your services are worth,” he explained.
 
Additionally, Dr. Boyce is of the opinion that attention must also be paid to the venues that house the performing arts. He said that there are opportunities for rethinking existing community centres as multi-purpose hubs, with facilities for performing arts and support services.
 
“This may also be an option for reshaping the blocks … while revitalising urban and rural communities,” he observed.
 
The EU Programme Manager also told cultural practitioners gathered that the performing arts must be positioned as not only a sub-sector within Culture, but with horizontal dimensions that traverse other policy fields such as education, labour, research, technology and sustainable tourism.
 
“Simply put, a sustainable future for community performing arts cannot be achieved through one-off projects and a few grants here and there from donors or the business community. The future must be grounded in a holistic, forward-looking, strategic, scalable and sustainable programme. In this way, potential investors can have a 360 degree view of the programme, clearly identify synergies with their own organisational objectives and determine the value added of being involved in such a venture.” (TL)
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Riley: Embrace sustainable tourism development

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While the region has set records in visitor expenditure in 2015 and is already performing well for this year, this is no time to rest.
 
“We certainly cannot relax until we become the world’s most desirable year-round, warm weather destination and until every citizen of the Caribbean benefits from tourism,” stated Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), Hugh Riley.
 
In a special message for Caribbean Tourism Month, he illustrated that the region set arrival and visitor expenditure records that surpassed expectations, as Caribbean tourism grew by an estimated seven per cent to 28.7 million visits, a performance that was above the global rate of growth, of 4.4 per cent. 
 
He therefore stressed that a priority must be to embrace sustainable tourism development.
 
“We must keep the right balance between maximising the benefits of our tourism assets for the well-being of our current populations, and do so responsibly, so that we can preserve those resources for generations to come. To maximise the benefit and preserve resources, we need to create systems that ensure that guests and hosts can equally enjoy the experience,” Riley added.
 
According to him, during this annual marking of Caribbean Tourism Month, an even greater emphasis must be placed on the kinds of experiences offered to guests, which make up our exciting and diversified tourism product.
 
“It’s also a great time to introduce new ideas, methods and products, to propose innovative and revolutionary thinking and to generate fresh energy into the sector,” he stressed, while outlining the activities the CTO will undertake over the next four weeks. 
 
These include: A 30-Day Social Media Photo/Video Challenge featuring the people, fashion, heritage and natural attributes of the Caribbean; the Help Me Pick a Caribbean Holiday/Vacation Spot Social Media Poll; an Online Caribbean Fashion Show via Periscope & Facebook Live Marathon/Tweet-Chat and the highlighting of romantic facts about CTO member countries.
 
The Secretary General added, “This is an excellent opportunity to be featured globally and to demonstrate to the world that the spirit of togetherness we talk so passionately about remains alive and vibrant in the Caribbean. It also helps to give meaning to the Caribbean Tourism Month theme, One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean.”

 

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B’dos celebrating with or without Opposition

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Barbados’ 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations will progress with or without the support of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP).
 
Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development, the Hon. Steven Blackett, made this clear in his contribution to the Lower House, yesterday.
Blackett noted the disdain and continuous queries by some members of the Opposition as to why the current Administration is spending so much time and money in celebrating Barbados.
 
“According to the Barbados Labour Party there is nothing at all; absolutely nothing to celebrate in this country,” he said.
 
“The Honourable member for St. Joseph said he will have nothing whatsoever to do with the celebrations of Barbados’ 50th anniversary celebrations… Then the candidate to run against our colleague from Christ Church South went further to say that he will kick down the Trident. A symbol of our sovereignty as a country and he will kick it down… I hope the Honourable member for Christ Church South reminds the good constituents that this is a candidate who has presented himself to represent their interest in this Honourable House and he has absolutely no respect for the symbols of this sovereign nation,” he stated.
 
However, Blackett stressed that Barbadians do have a lot to celebrate and that the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) will lead the charge in those celebrations.
 
“They can stay home if they like. As a matter of fact, it will make room for more Barbadians to come and join us in this celebration of our 50th Anniversary,” he stated.
The MP also took the opportunity to remind the handful of Opposition members present that philanthropy is alive and well in this country even though some of them may disagree.
 
“We have The Maria Holder Trust, The Children’s Trust, The Sandy Lane Trust, and several Trusts in our diaspora who are willing to make philanthropic donations to this country,” he pointed out.
 
“When it comes to caring and shaping, the churches in Barbados are in the business of sharing and caring; the school, every year we have schools and churches participating in contributing items. Our services organisations the Kiwanis, Rotary, Optimist, and our NGOs are all on board,” it was pointed out.
 
Blackett also told the Lower House that vending and entrepreneurship is alive and well and is flourishing like any other time in Barbados.
 
According to him, people are displaying thrift and enterprise.
 
“We are going through some economic downturn and people are finding other means of supporting themselves. People are making things better for themselves”.
 
“They always want to paint Barbados as a failed state society where nothing works, how the people in Barbados are suffering – all that is nonsense coming from the Barbados Labour Party,” he further stressed. (TL)
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Outstanding research praised

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Dr. David Berry of the Faculty of Law (left) being presented with the award by UWI’s Deputy Principal, Professor Clive Landis.

Professor Landis (right) makes the presentation to Dr. Prosper Bangwayo-Skeete.

Thank you, says Dr. Philmore Alleyne, after receiving the award.

 

FOR raising $20 million, the Faculty of Law at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, has received a special award. The award, which was presented to Dr. David Berry, Dean of the Law Faculty, was among several others presented to recipients for outstanding research work in many disciplines. 
 
The awards were presented by UWI’s Deputy Principal, Professor Clive Landis, who called on the awardees to encourage their colleagues to do more research. He said it was really psychological that people were not doing more research. 
 
“The Caribbean is well geared towards good research, and it can be done,” he advised. 
 
Those receiving Faculty awards were Dr. Isabelle Constant (Humanities and Education); and Dr. Philmore Alleyne (Faculty of Social Sciences). 
 
Dr. Prosper Bangwayo-Skeete received an award for the Most Internationally Success-ful Research. That research was on the theme, “Can Google Data improve the forecasting Performance of Tourist Arrivals”.  
 
The award for the Best Applied Research went to the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, which was accepted by SALISES Director, Dr. Don Marshall.
Several of the other awardees including those for research done – Medical Sciences and Science and Technology – were not present at the function. 
 
Professor Landis said the awards, which were presented at a ceremony held in the Graduate Studies Lecture Theatre, Paradise Park, were very merited and that from the research he has seen, he is very impressed. 
 
“All of them show that this University can be internationally significant and relevant. I completely disavow any kind of strand of defeatism that sometimes I hear that great work cannot be done here in the Caribbean,” according to him.
 
He said that if research is done in the Caribbean and for the Caribbean, by definition, that is international research since it is likely to be the first that is done.
 
“We are a fascinating crossroad of cultures and also small economies where you can actually make sound analyses. 
 
It is no accident that (Sir) Arthur Lewis wrote his treatises on small economies,” Professor Landis said.
 
Professor Sean Carrington said it was work well done and equally rewarded. “We are here today to recognise the excellent work of our colleagues by whose efforts the UWI is recognised as a world-class university,” the Professor added. 
Section: 

YOUTH STUDY SUCCESS

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Dr. Don Marshall (left), Director of SALISES receiving the award from Professor Clive Landis.

 

A study titled “Youth are the Future”, and undertaken by the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) is being adopted for policy making across the region.

 

That’s according to Dr. Don Marshall, Director SALISES, moments after accepting an award at a presentation function yesterday at the University of the West Indies. SALISES was presented with the Best Applied Research award for the project. 

 

Dr. Marshall said that the research study made a number of suggestions to Youth not in Employment, Not in Education and Not in Training. He said that a number of the suggestions made in the report on the study are being tapped into by both the Caribbean Development Bank and the Inter-American Development.

 

According to him, the recommendations from the research constitute a body of protocols and policy measures that the CDB is now adopting for implementation across CDB member countries.

 

He also stated a member of the Research team was approached by the IDB who wants to use it “as a template for policy objectives and protocols”.

Lauding these developments, Dr. Marshall said that demonstrating relevance is something the UWI has to do.

 

 

“We sit and relax knowing the peer community has recognised us, but we have publics other than the peer, who are asking questions about relevance,” the SALISES official said. 
 
According to him, “Demonstrating relevance means whether we like it or not, we have got to say exactly what we do, how we do it. We have to work on our outreach, and make persons more aware about our knowledge products.”
 
The Professor insisted that their knowledge products and deliverables are simply not known. He stated that the Caribbean is not a region with many universities where the other publics eavesdrop on our conversation.
 
As such, Dr. Marshall called for more dialogue given the benefits of their research.

 

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Road deaths down

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From left: Oral Reid, Chairman of the Caribbean Association of Security Professional; President of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA) Sharmane Roland-Bowen; ASP (Ag) of the Royal Barbados Police Force, Ronald Stanford; and Andrew Clarke, Project Co-ordinator of Adopt-A-Kilometre during the launch of BRSA’s “Crash Free Friday” and activities for Road Safety Awareness Month.

From left: Oral Reid, Chairman of the Caribbean Association of Security Professional; President of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA) Sharmane Roland-Bowen; ASP (Ag) of the Royal Barbados Police Force, Ronald Stanford; and Andrew Clarke, Project Co-ordinator of Adopt-A-Kilometre during the launch of BRSA’s “Crash Free Friday” and activities for Road Safety Awareness Month.

 

As of October 31, there have been eight road fatalities for 2016.ASP (Ag) of the Royal Barbados Police Force, Ronald Stanford, says this is quite a significant drop when compared to the 20 recorded for the same period last year.
 
He made this disclosure during the launch of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA) “Crash Free Friday” and activities for Road Safety Awareness Month, held yesterday at Alpha 126 Traffic School, Rendezvous Court, Christ Church.
 
“Persons have been heeding what the Road Safety Association has been saying and doing, as well as the daily messages coming from the Royal Barbados Police Force…I will like to thank the members of the public for their support; for improving their driving to the point where we can have this significant reduction in road fatalities, and I hope that it will continue for the rest of the year.”
 
However, ASP Stanford acknowledged that the country is entering a busy period as it celebrates 50 years of Independence, and in light of this an influx of visitors to the island is expected.
 
“Most likely [there will be] more road users and sometimes persons who might not be aware of the terrain in which they are going to be moving around in. Therefore, I want to encourage all road users to be vigilant… Every time you get into that vehicle, think safety,” he stressed.
 
ASP Stanford also indicated that most accidents take place either at an intersection or at bends.
 
Noting that there could be a number of reasons for this, he stated, “If you don’t follow the curvature of a bend, it’s obvious you are going to end up – depending on the type of bend it is – on the other side of the road… depending on whether it is a right or left hand bend. The thing is what causes it, and basically speaking, you go off course if you are distracted for one reason or the other. When you get behind the wheel your focus should be on the road, instead of paying attention to things outside of that scope.”
 
“As it relates to intersections, if there is a problem with an intersection the Road Safety Association tries to work the Ministry of Transport and Work to make sure that intersections are safe. But, generally speaking, I find that persons approach intersections too quickly as though they don’t have to stop, and very often they over-shoot junctions and enter the path of vehicles.
 
"Additionally, some drivers can’t judge the speed or the distance of an on-coming vehicle and it is really detrimental especially to motorcyclists. Please when you see a motorcyclist coming, give him or her that space because they are travelling quicker than you actually think.”
 
President of the BRSA, Sharmane Roland-Bowen, added that one of the reasons that collisions occur at an intersection is because it is an “area of conflict.”
 
“Drivers don’t let other drivers know what they are doing. You have to guessing because persons are not using their indicators. We must use them to let other road users know what we intend to do,” she stressed. (TL)
 
 
Section: 

LIGHTS on!

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FROM LEFT: Prime Minister the Right Honorable Freundel Stuart alongside Kathryn Thornton, Richard Browne and Marva Yarde (partially hidden). The three (all born on November 30, 1966) joined the Prime Minister for the honour of officially flipping the switch on the lights at the Sagicor Life Incorporated Lighting Ceremony.

FROM LEFT: Prime Minister the Right Honorable Freundel Stuart alongside Kathryn Thornton, Richard Browne and Marva Yarde (partially hidden). The three (all born on November 30, 1966) joined the Prime Minister for the honour of officially flipping the switch on the lights at the Sagicor Life Incorporated Lighting Ceremony.

The beautifully lit Parliament Buildings.

The beautifully lit Parliament Buildings.

 

HUNDREDS of Barbadians and visitors to the island made their way to the City yesterday evening to witness the spectacle of the Sagicor Life Incorporated Lighting Ceremony, now in its 21st year.
 
The event, held in National Heroes’ Square, signalled the start of a month-long countdown to Barbados 50th year of Independence and was held under the distinguished patronage of Governor General Sir Elliott Belgrave; Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson; Prime Minister the Right Honourable Freundel Stuart; members of the diplomatic corps; and other specially invited guests.
 
Prime Minister Stuart along with Kathryn Thornton, Richard Browne and Marva Yarde, the three of whom were born on November 30 1966, were given the honour of flicking the switch to illuminate the City in bright aquamarine and gold, along with a brief fireworks display. 
 
The flipping of the switch also signalled the lighting of roundabouts and one Government building in each parish, a tradition which started back in 1996.
 
Minister of Culture Stephen Lashley told the large audience many of whom were bedecked in their national colours, that the lights are not just to be admired, but should be a reminder that the future of the island is bright.
 
“Amid the economic challenges, these lights signify the hope and blessings on a nation which has continued to thrive despite the impact of the global recession. He encouraged Barbadians to build on the lessons of the island’s forefathers that demonstrate the values of sacrifice, courage and resilience during their quest for independence.”
 
He said as the country looks toward the next 50 years, the role of young people must be acknowledged as the new drivers of transformation. “It is our duty to pass on to them a better Barbados than we inherited. But our young people must also understand that they have a responsibility to take Barbados the next level. They must remember the maxim, to whom much is given, much is expected,” he stated.
 
Minister Lashley said the lights should also be seen as a beacon of the nation’s independence, encouraging Barbadians to fight against ignorance, crime, unemployment, conflicts, divisions, diseases, injustice and inequality. “And the various evils that may confront our people from time to time, both individually and collectively. Independence demands from us responsibility for what is taking place in our homes, our communities, and our country and to take informed actions to remedy the situation.”
 
He also stressed that independence is not just a word, but should be seen as a state of mind which should be acknowledged daily and not only during the month of November. (JH)
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Reed Street closed for repairs

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THE Ministry of Transport and Works advises the public that Reed Street in Bridgetown will be closed from today Thursday, November 3, for approximately a week, to facilitate repairs to the road. The crew will carrying out concrete works to an area which has broken away, near the junction of Reed Street and Suttle Street. 
 
As a result, only local access will be permitted. Motorists are asked to follow the directions of the road signs which will be posted.
 
The Ministry of Transport and Works apologises for the inconvenience and thanks the public for its patience.
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NUPW action today

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From left: NUPW President, Akanni McDowall, in talks with NUPW General Treasurer Asokore Beckles; and Principal Environmental Health Officer, John Watts, following the emergency meeting held for environmental health officers at the National Union of Public Workers yesterday.

 

From left: NUPW President, Akanni McDowall, in talks with NUPW General Treasurer Asokore Beckles; and Principal Environmental Health Officer, John Watts, following the emergency meeting held for environmental health officers at the National Union of Public Workers yesterday.

 

The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) will not allow the Government to go unpunished for “the error it has made” in demoting NUPW President, Akanni McDowall.
 
As such, NUPW General Secretary Roslyn Smith has sent the signal that “something will happen” and it will happen  today. She has however decided not to divulge the Union’s strategy, so it cannot be pre-empted.
 
According to the Union, McDowall was abruptly reverted from the post of Health Planner 1 – an acting senior position – to his substantive position of Environmental Health Assistant 1, an entry-level position. The NUPW believes he is being victimised and has made it clear that it will not tolerate this kind of behaviour towards the President of the Union.
 
Following an emergency meeting called for all environmental health officers at NUPW Headquarters, Dalkeith Road, St. Michael yesterday, Smith noted that the 30 to 40 workers who gathered were sensitised about the matter concerning their work colleague, and he now has their full support. They also received correspondence to take back to their work-mates who could not make the meeting, due to staff shortages.
 
It was during that press briefing that the General Secretary sent the signal that Government should look out for “some form of action” to be taken by the workers today in support of McDowall, as the Union seeks a resolution to the matter.
 
“Something will start from tomorrow (Thursday). I am not going to divulge the strategy, because I know we don’t want persons pre-empting the strategy and that is the reason why we have been keeping things under wraps, but something will happen come tomorrow (Thursday),” Smith remarked.
 
“As we said, it is a very serious matter. It may just appear as if it is an officer with a small issue, but we see it from a wider perspective and we see it from such a serious position that the gravity of the action will dictate the resolution to this matter, because it will have implications for all and sundry, government also. So that is how serious we are about this matter. We will leave no stone unturned because Government has to recognise that they have made an error and we will not allow the government to go unpunished for that error,” Smith assured. (RSM)
 
 
 
 
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PM celebrates Independence at Gala in Savoy Hotel

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Awardees with Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and High Commissioner, Guy Hewitt.

 

Barbadians of all ages, from all sectors and from across the United Kingdom on Saturday 29 October, 2016, gathered at the renowned Savoy Hotel on the Strand in London to celebrate Barbados’ 50th Anniversary of Independence. 
 
The sold-out gala event, held at one of the most celebrated London landmarks, was in the distinguished presence of the Right Honourable Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister of Barbados, and the Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, National Hero of Barbados. Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General was the Prime Minister’s guest at the iconic event. The Honourable Donville Inniss, Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, the heads of the civil and foreign services, Barbados’ Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, and the Bishop of Southwark, were also in attendance. 
 
The High Commissioner for Barbados, His excellency Guy Hewitt, in welcoming the 300 plus guests, suggested that Barbados’ greatest resource was its people who have not only helped to build Barbados into the strong and proud nation that it is, but also Bajans contributed greatly to the United Kingdom.
 
The 50 recipients of the Golden Jubilee Award for Outstanding Service in the UK showcased the diversity of Barbadian talent and the community’s contribution to the UK. 
 
The Awardees include, business ambassador Karen Blackett; West Indian cricketer and physician, the late Dr. ‘Bertie’ Clarke; Barbados football captain, Emmerson Boyce; historian, Professor Richard Drayton; West Indian cricketer, Gordon Greenidge; Battle of Britain pilot, the late 
Wing Commander Aubrey Inniss; symphony conductor Dr. Wayne Marshall; The late Sir Roy Marshall, the first black military officer and professional outfield footballer the late Walter Tull; songstress Heather Small; champion trainer, Sir Michael Stoute; author, Andrea Stuart; renowned broadcaster, Dr. Moira Stuart, and the first black bishop in the Church of England, the Right Reverend Wilfred Wood, KA. 
 
Dr. Kurt Lambert was given the High Commissioner’s Award for Outstanding Service to the work of the Mission.
 
The evening included an incredible rendition of the National Anthem of Barbados by Melanie Marshall. She was accompanied by the joint Barbados Defence Force and Royal Barbados Police Force band ensemble conducted by Dr. Wayne Marshall. Heather Small performed the M People hit “Proud” which was the official theme song for the London 2012 Olympic bid.
 
Andrea Stuart captured the sentiment of the Barbadian diaspora in her reflection, noting that although she had “never lived in Barbados, it has always been [her] home… as the place [she] went to in [her] head, the psychological homeland… the place that nourishes [her] work, [her] values, and [her] sense of self.” She shared with the audience how since maturing she is better able to “see, more clearly now, the threads that tie me to my homeland, the many ways it has influenced and informed my life.”
 
In his feature remarks the Prime Minister affirmed the contribution of the Barbadian community in the United Kingdom both to Barbados and the UK. He encouraged the diaspora “to use every opportunity and resource to help to develop Barbados and to recommit to Barbados’ noble values and traditions.” He urged “all Barbadians and their descendants to be proud of their heritage and continue their excellent work on being of our fair land.”
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DLP to host grand church service and concert

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THE public is invited to join the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) on November 20, at 4 p.m. for a grand church service and concert to celebrate the upcoming 50th anniversary of Independence that will soon be celebrated.
 
DLP General Secretary, George Pilgrim, told the press recently that the Party will have their annual church service held in the George Street Auditorium, but this year will be a historic occasion, not just because the island will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, but also because Pastor Francis of the SDA will be the pastor to deliver the sermon. Pilgrim also added that Mike Sealy, the band leader of the SDA Conference General Church Service, will lead the service in worship and praise.  
 
Sealy, who was present at the press conference, explained that he called the occasion “Act 7, Scene 50” as our current Prime Minister is Barbados’ seventh and we are cel-ebrating our 50th anniversary this year. He believes that the upcoming occasion will be one full of splendour and fun for everyone.
 
Recognising that celebrating 50 years is a huge occasion, the band leader assured that the praise and worship singers were vibrant and that popular songs and hymns will be sung in order to capture the attention and participation of all present. 
 
“We will sing the pop-ular songs of worship so that everybody will join in the celebrations!” he exclaimed.
 
Sealy believed that little attention had been paid to the spiritual aspect of things in the nation, and noted that that should change in the future as they hope that for 50 more years, they can be more involved.
 
The DLP General Secretary went on to reveal that this year, for the first time, there will be a concert immediately following the end of the church service. In an attempt to keep in line with the theme of “focusing on the youth”, Pilgrim noted that there will be three young people headlining the event. He divulged that Pastor John Yarde; up-and-coming female artiste, Neesha Woodz; and the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts 2015 award winner, Ki’ann Browne, are all scheduled to perform at the gospel concert.
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Teamwork is important, says QEH interns

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ONE thing that the young doctors who have just completed their intern year at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) agree on, is the fact that teamwork is necessary to get you through the year.
 
The Barbados Advocate got a chance to speak to some of the interns that were being honoured by the doctors of the QEH for the outstanding work that was done by them during the Intern Year 2015-2016 after the ceremony held at the hospital yesterday morning. Dr. Kimberlee Clarke, who is looking to go into the field of anaesthesiology, said that teamwork is something that you will need to depend on to help you throughout the internship year. 
 
“It’s best to work as a team, not only with your fellow colleagues, but with other staff members in the hospital like the nurses… Just working with the team as a whole,” she explained. 
She added that it made the job easier if everyone worked as a team. Her other colleagues – Dr. Sara Dana-Patel, Dr. Joeleita Agard and Dr. Cheyanne Francis – all agreed and stressed that teamwork was important. 
 
They noted however, that even though teamwork was important, that the patient was just as important and in some cases, more important. Francis, who plans to do a Masters in Public Health, said that “if you put the patients first, you can’t go wrong”.
 
The women were part of a programme that the hospital has each year, where they train the newly graduated medical doctors. The internship gives them a chance to work long hours, 30-hour shifts every three days, and gives them field experience. 
 
Agard, who plans to go into Public Health in the future, said that even though the hours are long and tiring, the results are so rewarding. She, along with her other colleagues, agreed that helping the patient was the best and most rewarding part of the job. “It was even more rewarding sending a patient home healthy and happy after you did all that you could to help that patient.” 
 
Dana-Patel, who plans to go into family medicine, noted that she thinks the internship programme sets the foundation for them as young doctors to develop personally and professionally, because it gave them the opportunity to reflect and to learn how to be patient, how to persevere, and a sense of responsibility and commitment, and most importantly, time management along with how to be a team player. 
 
They advised any new doctors going into the programme to be sure to put their patients first, be a team player and help their colleagues out and to try their best to stay humble. Dana-Patel added that it would also be important to remember that you are not there for yourself, you are there to provide the best care that you can for your patients. (CF)
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