Carib Scope

作者： admin

  • BACA, Aventa Barbados sign cancer-care agreement

    BACA, Aventa Barbados sign cancer-care agreement

    In a historic first for cancer care in Barbados, the Barbados Association for Cancer Advocacy (BACA) and local pharmaceutical manufacturer Aventa Barbados – formerly Collins Limited – have formalized a landmark collaboration aimed at elevating patient support, expanding public education, accelerating cancer research, and moving forward long-held plans for a purpose-built end-of-life hospice in Coverley, Christ Church.

    The partnership, signed during an official public ceremony on Wednesday, marks the first time a local cancer charity has joined forces with a pharmaceutical company to address the full spectrum of cancer care, patient advocacy, and community education across the island. The agreement comes as Barbados grapples with a rapidly growing cancer burden that has stretched the country’s public health system, straining operational budgets and limiting critical bed capacity at the island’s main public care facility, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

    At the heart of BACA’s long-term strategic vision is the construction of a standalone, community-integrated hospice for late-stage cancer patients. The Barbadian government has already allocated land for the project, and full town planning approval has been secured, clearing the way for construction to begin once sufficient capital is raised. Designed to embed end-of-life care within a community-focused framework, the future facility will be surrounded by agricultural green space that will support a farm-to-table nutrition program for patients staying at the hospice.

    BACA chair Jessica Odle-Baril, an 18-month cancer survivor, emphasized that the dedicated facility will fill a critical gap in the island’s current healthcare system. “Right now, general hospitals do not offer the tailored environment people need to spend their final days with dignity,” Odle-Baril explained. “A freestanding hospice will fill this gap by providing specialized end-of-life care that includes palliative treatment, pain management, optional spiritual counseling, and space for family members to stay close to their loved ones – accommodations that are rarely available in busy general hospital wards.”

    While regulatory approval for the project is complete, Odle-Baril noted that securing the large capital investment required for construction remains BACA’s top immediate priority. “I have no shame in advocating for a cause this critical,” she said. “Death is an inevitable part of life, and we owe it to our community to be prepared for it. This memorandum of understanding strengthens our ability to advocate for the hospice and drive the fundraising efforts we need to make this facility a reality.”

    Unlike traditional corporate philanthropic partnerships, Aventa Barbados will not contribute direct capital to the hospice construction project. Instead, the company will serve as an operational partner, bringing its industry expertise to advance the partnership’s core goals: expanding cancer research, delivering evidence-based public education, documenting the lived experiences of local cancer survivors, and identifying unmet needs across the entire patient care continuum.

    Karla Kellman, Aventa Barbados’ Access and Medical Marketing Manager, stressed that cross-sector collaboration between private companies and local charitable groups is essential to improving cancer outcomes across the island. “We recognize the unique struggles and pain that cancer patients and their families go through, but progress cannot happen if organizations work in silos,” Kellman said. “This partnership goes beyond just raising general awareness – we want to understand the specific barriers each patient faces. Where are the gaps in accessing appropriate treatment? Where are the delays in getting timely care? The insights we gather from our survivor network can inform better practices for physicians, pharmaceutical companies, suppliers, and other charities across the country.”

    Sharon Boxill, Key Account Manager for global pharmaceutical firm Novartis in Barbados, added that the collaboration will address all stages of cancer care, not just end-of-life support. “Cancer care requires a holistic approach that engages every stakeholder from the moment of diagnosis,” Boxill said. “This partnership will give us a comprehensive view of a patient’s entire journey, from the day they receive their diagnosis through their treatment and into end-of-life care. If we can shorten wait times or streamline the care process to make it less stressful for patients, that is our ultimate goal. No patient should have to face cancer alone.”

    Beyond clinical treatment, the partnership will also address the often-overlooked secondary impacts of cancer therapy, including psychological distress and common physical side effects such as hair loss, chronic joint pain, and reduced mobility, all of which require targeted support services.

    To implement the terms of the agreement, a joint steering committee with equal representation from BACA and Aventa Barbados will be launched immediately. The committee will develop a formal roadmap for rolling out community education programs, expanding patient support pathways, and leading national advocacy campaigns. Both signatories expressed hope that their partnership will set a precedent for broader private sector engagement in addressing public health challenges across Barbados, ultimately improving outcomes for cancer patients and their families across the island.

  • Louis takes over as SLFA technical director

    Louis takes over as SLFA technical director

    The Saint Lucia Football Association (SLFA) has announced a key leadership change for its technical division, confirming that Miran Louis will take up the post of technical director starting September 1. Louis fills the vacancy left by former director Cyril “Ces” Podd, and his core mandate will encompass oversight of all SLFA technical initiatives, with targeted development work for players, coaches, referees and other technical personnel across the island nation.

    SLFA President Lyndon Cooper formally welcomed Louis to the association’s leadership team, emphasizing the critical importance of the technical director role as the governing body works to raise the overall standard of football in Saint Lucia. “This is a critical role within the association, and we look forward to working closely with him to strengthen our technical programmes and create greater opportunities for the development of our players and coaches,” Cooper stated in his remarks. “We believe this appointment will contribute significantly to the continued advancement of football.”

    Louis enters the new position with a robust combination of professional credentials and deep cross-sector experience spanning both domestic and international football circles. A holder of the UEFA B Licence, he earned a first-class Bachelor of Science degree in football coaching and performance from Staffordshire University in the United Kingdom. His additional professional qualifications include Concacaf Team Administration certification and introductory talent identification credentials from the Professional Football Scouts Association.

    Louis has already built a track record of success in Saint Lucia’s domestic football scene: in April 2025, he led GMC United to claim the club’s first-ever SLFA Senior Men’s Club Championship title after a 1-0 victory over Platinum FC in the final. A native of Babonneau, Louis previously held coaching roles at New Generation FC, and spent seven years working as an information technology teacher and school football coach at Ciceron Secondary School.

    Over the past nine years, Louis has steadily advanced through the ranks of Saint Lucia’s national football system. He previously served as SLFA’s Head of Coach Education, and held coaching roles with both the men’s under-17 national squad and the women’s under-17 national team, which he accompanied to Honduras for the Concacaf Championship. Outside of the Caribbean, his experience includes stints as an academy analyst and coaching intern at England’s Port Vale Football Club, lead coach at Stoke RTC in the Junior Premier League, and head coach with UK-based First Kick Football.

    In his new capacity as technical director, Louis will collaborate closely with the SLFA Executive Committee, regional district leagues, club-level coaches and local educational institutions. His key priorities will include unifying coaching frameworks across all levels of the sport, and building clear, structured development pathways that nurture talent from grassroots community football all the way through to the country’s elite national squads.

  • OPINION: 25 Years After 9/11: The Professionals Who Stand Between the Threat and the Traveller

    OPINION: 25 Years After 9/11: The Professionals Who Stand Between the Threat and the Traveller

    Two decades have passed since the devastating 9/11 attacks that upended the global civil aviation landscape. That tragic day on September 11, 2001 laid bare a harsh truth: the very openness that makes air travel such a transformative force for global connection also creates critical vulnerabilities that demand constant, intentional management. In the 25 years that followed, the global aviation industry underwent a complete overhaul of its security frameworks. National governments tightened regulatory and legislative mandates, airports poured resources into cutting-edge screening technology and hardened infrastructure, airlines revised operational protocols, and international safety standards evolved continuously to match emerging threats.

    Yet behind every piece of advanced screening equipment, every automated access control gate, and every standardized security protocol, there remains one irreplaceable component: the human element. At airports across Antigua and Barbuda, that human element is embodied by the nation’s Aviation Security Officers, employed by the Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority (ABAA).

    These officers fill one of the most critical, highly specialized roles in the entire airport ecosystem. Every shift, for every passenger that passes through the nation’s gates, they turn global and national aviation security mandates into tangible, on-the-ground action. The mark of their success is often invisibility: when the traveling public barely notices their work, that means they have done it right.

    A common misconception reduces Aviation Security Officers to little more than operators of X-ray scanners or staff who check carry-on bags. But this narrow view drastically understates the complexity and importance of their profession. Modern aviation security is a holistic, risk-based system built to stop all acts of unlawful interference against civilian air travel. Its scope stretches far beyond basic passenger screening: it covers access control to restricted areas, perimeter patrols and constant surveillance, proactive threat identification, protection of aircraft and critical airport infrastructure, coordinated response to security incidents, and the consistent application of risk-mitigated protocols.

    Aviation Security Officers are the essential operational backbone that holds this entire system together. At passenger checkpoints alone, they are required to master a wide range of skills: they must accurately interpret screening images, spot prohibited or suspicious items, follow layered screening protocols, communicate clearly and calmly with travelers from all backgrounds, identify unusual behavior or high-risk circumstances, make sound judgment calls in real time, and know when to escalate potential threats to senior teams. All the while, they must maintain unwavering professionalism, courtesy, vigilance and consistency in every interaction.

    This is far more than a routine job of searching people and their belongings. It is a specialized profession built on sharp judgment, keen observation, strict discipline, clear communication, technological literacy, adherence to protocol, and personal accountability for the safety of every person in the airport and on every flight. It is also a profession rooted in global standards, not an isolated operational role.

    Antigua and Barbuda’s national aviation security system operates within the broader global framework set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), most notably the Standards and Recommended Practices laid out in Annex 17 — the global regulatory document dedicated to aviation security. ICAO defines Annex 17 as the foundational framework for protecting international air transport and preventing acts of unlawful interference against civil aviation. These standards are updated and revised continuously to adapt to evolving threats, new technology, and changing aviation operations.

    One of the core guiding principles of this global framework is that the personnel responsible for implementing security measures must themselves be carefully selected, comprehensively trained, properly qualified, and regularly assessed. ICAO Annex 17 mandates that member states ensure all security personnel have the specific competencies required for their roles, and receive consistent training aligned with their national civil aviation security program. It also requires that all staff carrying out screening operations hold official certification meeting national standards.

    This requirement is about more than just regulatory compliance: it reshapes how we should understand the role of Aviation Security Officers. They are not just low-skilled airport staff assigned to a checkpoint. They are trained, qualified security professionals working within a globally governed system to keep millions of travelers safe every year.

  • Security : Vladimir Paraison’s intervention on the use of force in the conduct of operations (speech)

    Security : Vladimir Paraison’s intervention on the use of force in the conduct of operations (speech)

    On September 16, 2026, senior security leaders from across Haiti gathered for the opening of a landmark inter-agency workshop focused on embedding international legal standards for the use of force into ongoing counter-gang security operations. Jointly organized for the Haitian National Police (PNH), the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd’H), and the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), the event centered on aligning operational practices with the frameworks of International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), with technical and logistical support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Haiti.

    In his opening keynote address, Acting PNH Director General Vladimir Paraison opened by acknowledging the critical support the ICRC has provided to Haiti’s security sector, framing the workshop as a strategically vital initiative for upholding the legitimacy of Haiti’s ongoing campaign to stabilize the country.

    Paraison acknowledged that Haiti currently faces one of the most complex security crises in its modern history, noting that PNH, alongside military and GSF partners, has been waging an unremitting ground campaign to reestablish public order and protect vulnerable civilian communities from widespread gang violence. He emphasized that while courage and resolve remain foundational to these operations, the unique complexity of Haiti’s current security landscape demands more than just tactical skill: it requires coordinated, shared adherence to clear legal standards governing when and how force may be used.

    Whether security operations fall under public order mandates governed by IHRL, or fall into hostile contexts where IHL applies as a complement to human rights frameworks, Paraison stressed that the core guiding principle must remain unchanged: all operations must prioritize upholding the rule of law and protecting innocent civilian populations. Frontline commanders, operational planners, and intervention teams confront high-stakes tactical decisions every day, he noted, making it essential that abstract legal principles are translated into instinctive, consistent operational practices — the core goal of the workshop.

    Outlining four non-negotiable pillars that all security personnel must follow when deploying armed force, Paraison made clear that arbitrary use of force has no place in Haiti’s security operations. The first pillar is legality: all actions must be carried out strictly within the bounds of national and international law. Second is necessity: force may only be used when no other alternative exists to address a given threat. Third is proportionality: the intensity of any security response must be directly calibrated to match the severity of the threat being confronted. The fourth and final pillar is precaution: all operations must be planned in advance to avoid or minimize collateral harm and injury to innocent civilians.

    Paraison emphasized that the true institutional strength of Haiti’s republican security bodies — including PNH, FAd’H, and GSF — lies not in firepower alone, but in their ability to restore order while upholding exemplary respect for human rights. Contrary to arguments that legal constraints limit operational effectiveness, he noted that adherence to these standards actually boosts public trust in security institutions and reinforces the legitimacy of their work, a key factor in long-term stabilization.

    Addressing participating officers from all three security bodies, Paraison called on attendees to engage fully with the workshop’s programming, which includes hands-on case studies, tactical simulations, and interactive cross-agency discussions. He urged participants to openly identify on-the-ground operational challenges, assess gaps in existing training, and develop concrete actionable proposals to update Haiti’s security doctrine and guide future operations. Attendees were selected specifically for their role as key intermediaries within their respective command structures, putting them in a position to disseminate new standards across the broader security force.

    Concluding his address, Paraison expressed hope that this inter-institutional forum, established with ICRC support, will become a permanent platform for aligning operational practices and strengthening Haiti’s security sector. He closed by affirming that through shared commitment to the rule of law and professional rigor, Haiti’s security forces will succeed in restoring lasting peace and security for all Haitian citizens.

  • Sargassum removal tops 3.6 million pounds

    Sargassum removal tops 3.6 million pounds

    Barbados’ ongoing battle against invasive sargassum seaweed has hit a major milestone this year, with local environmental authorities confirming that approximately 3.6 million pounds of the brown algae have been cleared from public and resort beaches across the island as of mid-year. The update was shared this Wednesday by David Carter, National Project Coordinator of the Sargassum Seaweed Collection Unit under Barbados’ Ministry of the Environment, during a working visit by a Dominican Republic delegation focused on exploring collaborative sustainable sargassum management strategies.

    Currently, 150 full-time workers are deployed daily to manually clear seaweed from high-priority shorelines. Carter highlighted that three locations — River Bay in St Lucy, Skeetes Bay in St Philip, and Long Beach in Christ Church — have emerged as the most heavily impacted and challenging to maintain. The southern coastline sites, in particular, are core hubs for Barbados’ $4.8 billion tourism industry, lined with commercial resorts, hotels, and recreation facilities that rely on clean shorelines to attract visitors. “These are our main tourist-facing beaches, so we have dedicated teams working daily to clear them by hand,” Carter explained.

    Despite the ongoing efforts, gaps in the cleaning schedule have left some popular public beaches uncleared for weeks at a time. Enterprise Beach, commonly known to visitors as Miami Beach, is one of the sites that has fallen behind, triggering frustration among local beachgoers and small seaside business owners who depend on foot traffic for revenue.

    To address longstanding limitations of manual cleaning, the collection unit is now actively evaluating the deployment of pump harvesters to remove sargassum directly from offshore waters before the algae drifts onto shore, a solution that would address one of the most damaging side effects of current practices: coastal erosion. When crews remove large volumes of sargassum from the sand, the heavy machinery and repeated sand removal often strips away natural coastal sediment, accelerating erosion that already threatens many of Barbados’ low-lying shorelines.

    Carter explained that the new pump harvester system is designed with wildlife protection in mind. The equipment is anchored offshore, and uses floating containment booms and fine mesh filters to block fish, sea turtles, and other marine life from being drawn into the suction system. The harvested sargassum pumped out of the water can then be repurposed for value-added uses, including biogas production, fertilizer, and construction materials, turning a marine nuisance into a usable resource.

    The unit has identified River Bay as the most promising first site for a pilot program, due to the area’s consistent calm sea conditions that make operating the equipment safer and more effective. Skeetes Bay, another heavily impacted site, is also being evaluated, but rough open-ocean conditions at the location create significant logistical challenges that must be resolved before deployment can proceed, Carter added.

  • Government hands over 16 new homes in Woodford Hill, with titles to follow

    Government hands over 16 new homes in Woodford Hill, with titles to follow

    In a landmark handover ceremony held earlier this week, 16 residents of Dominica’s Woodford Hill community took possession of new, climate-resilient homes, with government officials confirming that official property titles will be issued to the beneficiaries in the near future.

    Speaking at the event, Housing Minister Melissa Poponne-Skerrit urged the new homeowners to build collaborative, thriving communities in their updated neighborhood, while highlighting the robust engineering behind the units. Each home is built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes, designed to hold up against the intensifying extreme weather events driven by climate change. Poponne-Skerrit noted that unlike many older structures across the hurricane-prone island, these new homes will eliminate the constant fear of storm damage for residents, allowing them to remain safe and secure even as severe weather passes through the region.

    Beyond immediate shelter, the minister emphasized that the homes represent far more than just a place to live. Each property is currently valued at approximately $450,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars, and is expected to appreciate in value over time, creating a lasting tangible asset for beneficiary families. This asset can also be inherited by future generations, creating intergenerational wealth stability that extends far beyond the current group of homeowners.
    Acting Prime Minister Roland Royer used the handover ceremony as an opportunity to tie the local housing initiative to Dominica’s largest ever infrastructure investment: the construction of a new international airport in nearby Wesley. Royer explained that the housing development in Woodford Hill, Wesley and surrounding communities is intentionally aligned with the airport project, which is set to bring widespread economic opportunity to the entire region once operational.

    When the airport opens, Royer said it will require hundreds of full- and part-time workers to support daily operations, spanning a wide range of roles. These include on-airport positions such as customer service representatives, security officers, baggage handlers, ground crew, cleaning staff, maintenance technicians, firefighters, drivers, administrative staff, IT specialists and traffic management personnel. Off-airport opportunities will also boom, he added, with growing demand for taxi drivers to transport visitors, local farmers to supply fresh produce to expanding hotels and restaurants, and fishers to supply fresh seafood to local hospitality businesses.

    The Woodford Hill housing project falls under the Dominican government’s national resilient housing initiative, which carries the slogan “Building Homes, Strengthening Communities and Transforming Lives.” The broader program is a core component of the country’s long-term climate adaptation and post-disaster recovery strategy, with an overarching goal of delivering 5,000 hurricane-resilient homes to families across the island by the completion of the initiative.

  • GTA announces 5th Annual Dive and Conservation Festival

    GTA announces 5th Annual Dive and Conservation Festival

    Grenada’s marine tourism and conservation community is gearing up for the 5th iteration of its landmark Dive and Conservation Festival, scheduled to run from October 26 to November 1, 2026, the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) has officially announced.

    Over its first four editions, the festival has evolved into one of the most anticipated annual events on Grenada’s national tourism calendar, uniting a diverse cross-section of stakeholders including local dive operators, marine science researchers, environmental conservation nonprofits, and tourism partners across the country’s tri-island territory. This year’s milestone 5th festival, anchored by the theme “Sustainable Legacy,” expands on years of cross-sector collaboration while cementing Grenada’s global reputation as a forward-thinking travel destination where adventure tourism, marine recreation, and proactive environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

    Kirl Grant-Hoschtialek, GTA’s Chief of Operations and Acting Chief Executive Officer, emphasized that the festival’s steady growth reflects the central role Grenada’s pristine natural ecosystems play in shaping the country’s unique visitor experience. “Our natural environment is one of Grenada’s most defining and valuable assets,” Grant-Hoschtialek noted. “The continued expansion of this festival makes clear how critical these ecosystems are to both our tourism economy and everyday community life. The Dive and Conservation Festival creates intentional, meaningful spaces for dive industry and conservation partners to connect with both visitors and local residents, share evidence-based knowledge about marine protection, and foster deeper collective appreciation for the ocean environments that sustain us all.”

    The 2026 festival will roll out a full slate of programming across both Grenada island and Carriacou, with guided diving excursions, conservation-focused public education, and community-led engagement activities taking center stage. Attendees will gain access to guided explorations of Grenada’s world-famous underwater dive sites, hands-on learning opportunities focused on coral propagation and reef rehabilitation, and the chance to directly participate in ongoing initiatives aimed at safeguarding the country’s unique coastal and marine biodiversity.

    One of the festival’s flagship components this year will be the “Conservation Conversations” series, an outreach program tailored to connect local students with leading marine and environmental experts from across the Caribbean and beyond. The series is designed to build long-term conservation literacy among young Grenadians and expand understanding of ecosystem protection challenges and solutions across the tri-island state. Beyond diving and educational programming, the 2026 festival will also include guided birdwatching excursions, island-wide community coastal clean-up drives, and other immersive activities designed to encourage deeper, more responsible engagement with both Grenada’s terrestrial and marine natural landscapes.

    Shanai St Bernard, GTA’s Nautical Development Manager, called the 5th edition a key milestone for Grenada’s fast-growing dive and marine tourism sector. “This festival has grown into a can’t-miss event for both visitors and locals, giving everyone a chance to connect firsthand with Grenada’s incredible marine life while reinforcing the shared responsibility we all have to protect it,” St Bernard explained. “This intentional balance between exploration, public education, and active conservation is the core of sustainable tourism, and it has remained the central mission of this festival from its launch.”

    As Grenada works to build a more resilient, sustainable tourism economy for the long term, the annual Dive and Conservation Festival stands as a model for how intentional event planning can deliver both economic and environmental benefits. By centering collective action and intergenerational stewardship, the festival reinforces a simple but powerful truth: the travel experiences we design and protect today will lay the foundation for a thriving, vibrant destination for future generations to enjoy.

  • Trans Guyana Airways plane runs off interior airstrip

    Trans Guyana Airways plane runs off interior airstrip

    On Thursday morning, September 17, 2026, an incident involving a Trans Guyana Airways (TGA) aircraft unfolded at Guyana’s Mabaruma airstrip when the plane veered off the runway during landing, multiple on-scene sources have confirmed.

    The aircraft involved in the incident is registered under the markings 8R-GCC. Thankfully, all passengers and crew on board escaped without injury, emergency authorities confirmed shortly after the event.

    As of initial reports, investigators have not yet pinpointed the exact root cause of the runway excursion. Early preliminary speculation among aviation sources points to strong gusty winds as a potential contributing factor, but this hypothesis has not been verified through official inspection.

    First responder teams, including local firefighting units, were immediately dispatched to the airstrip as a standard precautionary measure. Upon arrival, crews confirmed there was no smoke, fire, or other hazardous conditions at the site, reducing the overall risk level of the incident. Further updates on the official investigation into the incident are expected to be released by TGA and Guyana’s civil aviation authority in the coming days.

  • Good Hope Swimming Pool for Grenfin Invitational Swim Meet 2026

    Good Hope Swimming Pool for Grenfin Invitational Swim Meet 2026

    One of the most anticipated annual swimming competitions in the Eastern Caribbean is making its comeback next year, with the Grenfin Swim Club Invitational Meet set to take over Good Hope Swimming Pool in St. Paul’s from September 24 to 27, 2026. Organizers have confirmed that long-standing partner LUCOZADE, Huggins Grenada will return as the event’s title sponsor for the 10th year in a row, marking a decade of consistent support for regional competitive swimming.

    As a staple fixture on the national swimming calendar, this four-day competition carries dual significance for the local swimming community. Beyond being Grenfin Swim Club’s largest annual fundraising initiative, the invitational also serves as the official selection trial for the OECS National Swim Team. Local swimmers across all categories have spent months ramping up their training regimens, putting in grueling daily practice sessions to compete for one of just 34 coveted spots on the regional squad. The athletes that earn selection will go on to represent the tri-island state of Grenada at the 34th OECS Swimming Championships, scheduled to run from November 6 to 8, 2026 at St. Lucia’s Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre.

    Heading into the selection trials and subsequent regional championships, Grenada enters the competition cycle as the defending overall titleholder, putting a target on their back as they prepare to face off against the top competitive swimmers from every OECS member nation.

    Organizers have released the full daily schedule for the 2026 invitational meet to help spectators and participants plan their attendance. On the opening two days, September 24 and 25, warm-up sessions will begin at 4:00 p.m., with the first races kicking off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, September 26 will start earlier, with warm-ups commencing at 7:30 a.m., competition getting underway at 9:30 a.m., and the event’s official opening ceremony scheduled for 10:00 a.m. The final day of competition on Sunday, September 27 will see warm-ups begin at 8:00 a.m., with racing resuming at the same 9:30 a.m. start time as Saturday.

    Grenfin Swim Club has expressed excitement for the upcoming event, noting that the 2026 Invitational Meet is on track to deliver four days of electrifying racing, standout athletic performances, and exemplary sportsmanship from every competing athlete. Local swimming fans and community members are encouraged to attend the event at Good Hope Swimming Pool to cheer on emerging regional talent.

  • ‘Repatriation’ proposal before CARICOM reparations conference

    ‘Repatriation’ proposal before CARICOM reparations conference

    Nearly 400 years after enslaved African ancestors were forcibly transported across the Atlantic to toil on Caribbean sugar plantations, a groundbreaking initiative to turn the long-held dream of diaspora repatriation to Africa into official policy is set to be tabled this week. On Thursday, delegates and civil society representatives at the Third CARICOM Regional Conference on Reparations, hosted in Barbados, will review a pilot resettlement scheme jointly developed for Jamaica and Ethiopia that prioritizes Rastafarian and other Caribbean diaspora communities seeking to relocate.

    The proposal, crafted by the Ethio-Africa Diaspora Union Millennium Council (EADUMC) alongside regional partner organizations, lays out a structured, actionable framework designed to move repatriation from abstract conversation to government-endorsed reparatory justice policy. At its core is the Jamaica-Ethiopia Pilot Programme, developed in close collaboration with the Jamaica Rastafari Development Community, which will act as a real-world test case for future large-scale resettlement efforts.

    The pilot is designed to connect Caribbean diaspora members with the long-established Rastafari community already based in Shashamane, Ethiopia. To ensure relocated people can build stable, self-sufficient new lives, the initiative will draw additional financial and community support from aligned diaspora groups in the United States and United Kingdom.

    Organizers of the proposal frame this submission as the logical next step following the foundational discussions held at the first two CARICOM reparations conferences, held in 2013 and 2014. They are calling on Caribbean regional leaders to move past symbolic recognition of the need for reparations and implement concrete, measurable progress aligned with CARICOM’s updated 10-point reparations plan.

    In EADUMC’s official submission to the conference, the organization emphasized: “Repatriation is the central implementation issue. The third conference can now establish the legal, institutional, financial and community-governance pathway needed to move from recognition to a measurable Jamaica–Ethiopia Pilot.”

    To launch the pilot, advocates have outlined a 12-month planning phase focused on addressing practical barriers to relocation. During this period, organizers will work to guarantee secure legal status, access to land, and viable livelihood opportunities for all volunteers who choose to relocate. The framework also prioritizes cross-regional technology and skills sharing, and mandates transparent, accountable tracking of all program funding to prevent mismanagement.

    Barbadian Rastafarian community representative Paul Ras Simba Rock will serve as the official spokesperson for the proposal, leading advocacy for the plan during civil society sessions and roundtable discussions across the conference, centering Caribbean voices in the diplomatic push for action.

    EADUMC has laid out four clear demands for CARICOM leaders ahead of the conference. First, the organization asks delegates to formally approve its framework as the official blueprint for repatriation. Second, it calls for a technical review of the Jamaica-Ethiopia Pilot to be completed within 90 days of the conference. Third, it advocates for the creation of a joint working group bringing together CARICOM and the African Union to oversee all resettlement activities, with a permanent voting seat reserved for Rastafari community representatives at the table. Finally, the group is pushing for the pilot to be formally incorporated into CARICOM’s 2027–2031 regional Action Plan.

    The architects of the framework have stressed that the entire process must prioritize safety and ethical governance, with strict protections for Rastafari cultural rights and guarantees that community members will retain genuine decision-making power over the program’s operations, rather than being treated as symbolic tokens of reparations.

    The full proposal was developed under the leadership of EADUMC General Secretary Prophet Greg and Intellectual Property Consultant Maxine Stowe. Stowe, who has spearheaded much of the policy design work, has been nominated to fill the post of Cultural Ambassador to the Reparatory Justice Framework, a position previously held by legendary Jamaican reggae icon Bunny Wailer, who passed away in 2021. For advocates gathered in Bridgetown, this proposal marks the beginning of a new era for reparatory action, turning a centuries-old dream of return into tangible, structured progress.