Carib Scope

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  • Queen’s Park set for cultural extravaganza

    Queen’s Park set for cultural extravaganza

    As one of the most iconic anchor events of Barbados’ beloved Crop Over Festival, the 2026 Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes is set to offer far more than just the formal ritual this July. Organizers with the National Cultural Foundation have planned a full-day, immersive cultural extravaganza that transforms Queen’s Park into a living showcase of Barbadian heritage, inviting attendees of all ages to arrive early and engage with local traditions long before the official ceremonial proceedings begin.

    Gates to the park will open at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, with the formal ceremony kicking off at 4 p.m. But from early afternoon through the evening, the venue will be packed with hands-on workshops, live performances, interactive demonstrations, and family-focused activities designed to turn a single observance into a complete cultural experience. This year’s programming is intentionally built around participation: rather than letting audiences only watch the ceremony, the foundation has created space for visitors to touch, create, learn, and connect with the traditions that have shaped Crop Over into the national celebration it is today.

    The headline attraction leading into the main ceremony is the “60 Years of Calypso” concert, a special retrospective honoring the genre that has long carried the voice, humor, history, and social consciousness of Barbadian people across six decades. The concert boasts an all-star lineup of the island’s most celebrated entertainers, including Adrian Clarke, Nikita, Alison Hinds, Blood, TC, Azizi, Biggie Irie, Barry Chandler, Peter Ram, Leadpipe, Lil Rick, Mikey, RPB, Iweb, Serenader, Gabby, and Popsicle. The performance will journey through the evolving eras of calypso and soca, paying homage to the legendary bands, competition monarchs, road march winners, and pioneering performers who defined the soundtrack of Crop Over. Beyond entertainment, the showcase highlights calypso’s core role as living history: it is storytelling, collective memory, national celebration, and cultural identity wrapped into one art form. The event will also feature a special tribute to the late Sir Emile Straker, one of Barbados’ most revered cultural icons, whose contributions to Barbadian music have left an enduring mark on the national identity and helped bring the island’s sound to a global audience. The tribute will give attendees a moment to reflect on his extraordinary legacy.

    Off the main stage, a full slate of Heritage Workshops and Demonstrations will invite visitors to engage directly with the traditional crafts and practices that underpin the festival. The interactive 60th Anniversary Sailors’ Valentine activity will run from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., where participants will help assemble materials under the guidance of professional artists to create a large-scale commemorative art piece. Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., attendees can try their hand at custom hand-painting on shirts and bags — visitors are encouraged to bring their own garments, though a limited number will be provided on-site. The same window will also host a discharge dyeing tie-dye workshop, where participants will learn the unique creative technique of reverse tie-dye on dark fabrics.

    For craft lovers interested in traditional masquerade, a “Make Your Own Headdress from Natural Fibres” workshop will run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Food-focused sessions will introduce visitors to traditional Bajan confectionery: traditional sweets making demonstrations and tastings will be held from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and again from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., where guests can watch and learn how to make local favorites like tamarind balls and no-bake coconut sugar cakes.

    Activities for all ages are woven throughout the schedule. Heritage Games will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., welcoming both children and the young at heart. For those interested in traditional folk practices, Bajan sticklicking sessions will teach the art of traditional stick throwing from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Lively Maypole workshops, another staple of Barbadian folk culture, will be held during overlapping time slots from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    Demonstrations add additional depth to the day’s programming: open-air en plein air painting will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with live portraiture demonstrations from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Face painting will be available for attendees from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and traditional basketry demonstrations will run from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. A curated display of young adult literature will also add a literary component to the heritage showcase, rounding out the multi-disciplinary celebration.

    The Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes has long been one of Crop Over’s most meaningful heritage moments, marking the historic end of the sugar cane harvest that gives the festival its name. This year, however, the National Cultural Foundation has reimagined the event to make the entire day an engaging experience, rather than only the 4 p.m. ceremony. With a full lineup of calypso legends, hands-on cultural workshops, traditional craft demonstrations, and family-friendly activities all on offer, Queen’s Park will stand as a vibrant reminder that Crop Over is far more than a spectator event — it is a living tradition to be felt, learned, celebrated, and shared through participation.

  • Fishing leaders press for urgent upgrades, fair pricing

    Fishing leaders press for urgent upgrades, fair pricing

    Two leading Barbadian fishing industry associations have issued an urgent plea to the national government for targeted interventions to fix crumbling infrastructure, update outdated equipment, and implement internal pricing reforms, as mounting challenges threaten the sustainability of the sector and drive up consumer costs for fresh seafood. The heads of both the Oistins Fisherfolk Association and the Paynes Bay Fisherfolk Association outlined overlapping and unique challenges facing their coastal communities during recent discussions with government officials, calling for swift action to protect livelihoods and make fish accessible to local consumers.

    Neil Cougar Bourne, president of the Oistins Fisherfolk Association, opened with a breakdown of the critical utility failures plaguing the iconic Berinda Cox Fish Market that have brought daily operations and vessel maintenance to a standstill. The jetty that serves as the hub for the market currently lacks access to consistent electricity and running water, forcing fishers to improvise solutions for even basic tasks like repairing damaged vessels. “Our challenge is clear: we need power restored to the jetty, we need upgraded utility lines run out to the docking area, and at minimum we need functional 220-volt plugs for work,” Bourne explained. “If a fishing vessel needs emergency repairs and a mechanic comes out, we can’t do the work without power right at the dock.”

    According to Bourne, the issue was raised directly during a recent meeting with a government minister, who has committed to conducting an on-site inspection of the facility to assess the full scope of repairs needed. Beyond restoring basic utilities, Bourne emphasized the urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure upgrades, after severe tropical weather destroyed three on-site storage structures in recent years. To avoid repeated losses, he proposed constructing a collapsible diesel storage station that can be moved or disassembled ahead of major storm events, rather than rebuilding permanent structures that are vulnerable to damage.

    The Oistins market also faces a critical disruption to its cold supply chain from a broken commercial ice machine. While a smaller backup unit remains operational, it only produces enough ice to keep catches fresh on fishing vessels, leaving onshore vendors without the stock they need to preserve product for consumers. When addressing growing calls from some fishers to extend natural gas fuel lines directly to the jetty, Bourne urged careful consideration, warning that the plan carries unacceptable safety risks. He noted that natural gas is far more flammable than the diesel currently used, and the prevalence of smoking among many fishers creates a major hazard for explosions or fires at the docking area.

    Bourne also raised a longer-term challenge facing the entire industry: attracting and training younger generations of fishers, while avoiding overreliance on digital navigation tools. Reflecting on his own early career, when he mastered traditional open-sea navigation techniques before GPS became widespread, he warned that young fishers who depend entirely on technology put themselves at severe risk if their equipment fails far from shore.

    On the island’s West Coast, the Paynes Bay Fisherfolk Association is grappling with its own set of economic and infrastructural challenges, which association president Eulene Haynes says cannot be blamed solely on annual hurricane season disruptions to supply. Haynes pointed to a shrinking active fishing fleet, widespread ice shortages, and inflated retail prices that are pushing local consumers away from buying fresh seafood. “Barbadians are traditional fish eaters – we love our fish, and people want to buy it locally,” Haynes explained. “But the constant high prices keep turning people away, even when they want to purchase.”

    Haynes added that unregulated pricing practices among some vendors worsen the issue, with many failing to pass lower costs onto consumers when there is a surplus of fresh catch. “When we have a glut of fish and wholesale prices drop, some vendors keep their retail prices artificially high, so the savings never reach the consumer,” she said. Beyond pricing reform, Haynes is calling for government support to redevelop underused public space in Paynes Bay, specifically clearing out a long-abandoned bar on association land to repurpose it for community and commercial use.

    She noted that Paynes Bay holds important historical significance as the original hub of Barbados’ popular fish fry culture, decades before the Oistins market grew to national prominence. Haynes hopes that redeveloping the vacant space will allow the community to revive the vibrant nightly fish fry economy that once drew locals and tourists alike, boosting incomes for local fishers and vendors. “We started this tradition here – long before Oistins became the go-to spot, we had dozens of small huts and a thriving night scene,” Haynes said. “We want to reclaim this space, bring back our weekly night markets, and redevelop the area for the next generation.”

  • OPEN LETTER: To the Chairman of the Electoral Commission and the Chief Elections Officer

    OPEN LETTER: To the Chairman of the Electoral Commission and the Chief Elections Officer

    On June 30, 2026, Dominican public figure Gregor Nassief delivered an open letter to the Chairman of Dominica’s Electoral Commission, Duncan Stowe, and Chief Elections Officer Anthea Joseph, demanding a full public accounting of the body’s handling of the 2025 landmark electoral reform legislation. The letter raises 20 targeted questions addressing persistent legal and procedural gaps that have sown widespread public uncertainty around upcoming elections, including the pending Roseau North by-election, and the overall integrity of the island’s electoral system.

    In 2025, Dominica’s legislature passed two sweeping pieces of electoral reform: the *Registration of Electors Act 2025* and the *House of Assembly Elections Act 2025*. The new framework introduced a series of critical changes designed to strengthen electoral credibility: a system of continuous voter registration, a formal confirmation process for existing registered voters, expanded powers to investigate voter residency compliance, a mandate for issuing official voter ID cards, updated rules governing polling conduct, equal access requirements for state-owned media, clearer definitions of electoral offenses, and formal accreditation processes for independent election observers. To date, Nassief argues, the Electoral Commission has failed to implement these reforms in a transparent, lawful, and independent manner, leaving core legal questions unanswered.

    Nassief’s first set of questions centers on voter registration, local elections, and voter ID card distribution. He questions why the commission suspended all new voter registration from March 19, 2025, to March 9, 2026, despite the 2025 act explicitly establishing a regime of continuous registration, and why the public received no advance warning that the body was unprepared to roll out the new law. He also asks the commission to publicly assess how this suspension impacted local government elections held during the period, which the new law explicitly covers. Additional questions address the ongoing failure to issue required voter ID cards to approved registrants, despite the law mandating ID issuance and framing oath-based voting at polling places as a limited exception, not a permanent replacement, and why the commission failed to alert parliament and the public of its lack of operational readiness before the law entered into force.

    A second block of questions probes allegations of political interference and threats to the commission’s institutional independence. Nassief asks whether the commission itself formally requested external electoral assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat, Organization of American States, Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, and CARICOM, or whether the request originated from the prime minister’s office. He also asks what objective legal criteria the commission will use to decide whether to extend the voter confirmation period, a power the 2025 law vests exclusively in the commission. He further demands clarity on whether the recent change allowing birth certificates as an alternative form of voter identification originated from the commission or was ordered by the prime minister, and how the decision was formally documented.

    Questions related to upcoming general election preparations and longstanding electoral integrity concerns follow. Nassief asks what proactive measures the commission will take to detect and deter common electoral offenses such as bribery, voter treating, and undue influence before the next vote, and how it will enforce the new law’s requirement for equal access to state-owned media for all competing parties. He also presses for details on the concrete procedures the body has put in place to verify that all registered voters meet the legal residency requirement for their polling district, including removing voters who primarily reside overseas from the rolls through fair, lawful processes that allow affected voters to contest decisions. Nassief asks the commission to publicly commit that only voters meeting all legal eligibility requirements, including residency, will be permitted to vote in future elections, barring narrow statutory exceptions.

    The letter dedicates seven questions specifically to preparations for the upcoming Roseau North by-election, the first major electoral contest to be held under the new 2025 framework. Nassief asks the commission to confirm which version of the voter register will be used for the by-election, consistent with the legal requirements laid out in the *Registration of Electors Act*, how the register will be compiled, certified, and shared transparently with candidates, parties, and the public, and what the legal cut-off date will be for new registrations, additions, deletions, and appeals before the vote. He also highlights the major legal and operational risk created by the ongoing failure to issue voter ID cards, asking how the commission will avoid turning the exception of oath-based voting into the norm for the by-election, and what special measures it will put in place to ensure the contest adheres to all new statutory rules for voter ID, residency verification, anti-corruption, and media access. Finally, he asks whether the commission will accredit independent domestic and reputable international observer missions to monitor the by-election, and how it will ensure external technical assistance preserves, rather than undermines, its institutional independence from executive influence.

    The final questions address progress on voter registration and confirmation. Nassief asks the commission to publicly confirm or deny independent estimates that put Dominica’s voting-age resident population at approximately 55,000, and to publish its own population estimate alongside its methodology so the public can assess whether the emerging voter register aligns with the actual eligible population. He also asks whether the commission realistically expects to complete the voter confirmation process by October 14, 2026, the statutory deadline, in a manner that will meet public confidence standards, or whether an extension will be required.

    Closing the letter, Nassief emphasizes that all 20 questions go to the core of whether the Electoral Commission is upholding its constitutional and statutory duties with the independence, competence, and transparency that the Dominican people are entitled to expect. He notes that public distrust in the electoral system is rooted in longstanding concerns: lingering questions about voter list integrity, inconsistent enforcement of residency rules, the failure to issue mandated voter ID cards, and doubts about whether the commission can administer upcoming elections in a lawful and credible manner. These concerns are not unfounded, he argues: in a 2022 judgment stemming from litigation over the 2019 general election, the Caribbean Court of Justice – Dominica’s highest appellate court – highlighted “areas of grave concerns about how the process of these elections was conducted” and emphasized that future Dominican elections “ought not to proceed with these or similar taints.”

    Nassief argues that instead of addressing these historic weaknesses with urgency and accountability, the rollout of the 2025 reform laws has only generated prolonged uncertainty around registration, confirmation, ID cards, and implementation. Dominican voters are entitled to clear answers about whether the commission understands its legal duties, whether it will exercise its statutory powers independently of political pressure, and whether it can deliver a lawful, fair election that earns public confidence. A prompt, substantive public response to these questions is not just a matter of transparency, Nassief concludes, it is essential to protecting the fundamental legitimacy of Dominica’s electoral process.

  • Hopeful Hearts Foundation and WISH Officially Launch Inspirational Mural at Parham Primary School

    Hopeful Hearts Foundation and WISH Officially Launch Inspirational Mural at Parham Primary School

    On June 26, 2026, a transformative new community art project came to fruition at Parham Primary School in Parham Town, Antigua and Barbuda, as two local youth-focused organizations joined school leaders to officially launch a motivational mural designed to uplift students and reimagine positive learning environments.

    Created in partnership between the Hopeful Hearts Foundation and community well-being initiative WISH, the three-day collaborative project brought together artists, educators and students to turn a blank wall into a permanent reminder of young people’s limitless potential. The mural, which bears Hopeful Hearts Foundation’s official motto “Dare to Dream Big”, was designed by Chaneil Imhoff, WISH’s founder and the 2026 winner of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Logo Competition. Imhoff’s design weaves together vivid colors and bold imagery to capture the spirit of ambition and possibility for every child who passes through the school’s gates.

    Far more than a decorative addition to the school campus, the mural was conceptualized to serve as a daily reminder that young people can dream beyond their immediate circumstances, trust in their own capabilities, and build purpose-driven futures. Unlike many external community projects, this initiative invited Parham Primary students to take an active role in the painting process, cultivating a sense of ownership, school pride and personal connection to the artwork’s core message.

    Reflecting on the experience, the Parham Primary School Student Council President shared enthusiastic excitement for the finished piece: “It was honestly very fun and exciting, even though we got a little bit messy. This whole thing looks very nice and I love how all of the colours look.”

    For Imhoff, the project held personal as well as community significance. “For me, it was an honour and a pleasure to not only collaborate with Hopeful Hearts Foundation, but to design the mural,” she explained. “We pulled inspiration from a range of sources and worked together to refine what we wanted this space to represent, but seeing it come to life at this scale was an amazing experience. It is even more meaningful because anyone who knows me knows that when something positive is happening, Parham Primary School will always be close to my heart. This is just the start of more work to come, not only in this community, but across every corner of Antigua and Barbuda.”

    Kristine Louisa, founder of the Hopeful Hearts Foundation, noted that the project aligned perfectly with her organization’s core mission. The youth-focused nonprofit, founded by National Youth Ambassador Kristine Louisa, runs community outreach, service projects and support programs to lift up young people across the country, with “Dare to Dream Big” embedded as its guiding ethos. “It means a lot that we were able to paint this amazing mural because if you have followed our journey, you will know that ‘Dare to Dream Big’ is Hopeful Hearts Foundation’s motto,” Louisa said. “It is a privilege to have our motto displayed here at Parham Primary School. We have supported the school in the past, including through the donation of school supplies, but this is an even bigger milestone for us. To know that our artwork is now a permanent part of the school environment, created in collaboration with WISH, is very special.”

    Parham Primary School principal Gayle Walter emphasized that the mural will do more than brighten the campus – it will act as a subtle, ongoing learning tool that shapes students’ mindsets. “This mural is more than a beautiful addition to our school,” Walter said. “It is a learning space, a source of inspiration, and a reminder that education does not only happen when a teacher is speaking and a child is listening. When children are surrounded by positive messages, they begin to absorb them. As they read, they ingest; as they ingest, it becomes part of their mindset, and that mindset influences their actions. We are grateful to the Hopeful Hearts Foundation and Madam Imhoff for helping us create something that will support the mental space of our children, improve the atmosphere of our school, and hopefully spill over into the wider community.”

    The project would not have been possible without the support of local sponsor Fast Lane Construction, which turned the two organizations’ shared vision into a tangible reality. Their backing has created a lasting legacy that will benefit generations of students, staff and local residents connected to Parham Primary School. Both Hopeful Hearts Foundation and WISH have announced plans to continue expanding this type of creative youth empowerment work, with future projects planned at Parham Primary and across communities throughout Antigua and Barbuda.

    WISH, founded by Imhoff, focuses on advancing mental health support, self-care advocacy and community healing across the region. Through creative public outreach, educational campaigns and local projects, the organization works to reduce stigma around mental health, build supportive community spaces and foster greater emotional well-being for all residents.

  • Why teach mental health?

    Why teach mental health?

    For generations, formal education has prioritized building academic skills: math to solve quantitative problems, English to communicate clearly, and other core subjects to prepare young people for the workforce. But one critical life skill has been consistently left out of standard curricula: how to understand and care for our own minds when thoughts turn against us. Most adults have had to navigate emotional turmoil and mental health challenges alone, figuring out coping mechanisms through trial and error rather than intentional guidance. This gap is why Dr. Ishma Harford, a Grenadian medical doctor and Commonwealth Scholar, argues that mental health education must be integrated into standard K-12 schooling as deliberately as any other core subject.

    Adolescence is a uniquely precarious developmental period, making it the ideal window for targeted mental health education. This life stage is marked by rapid emotional, physical, and social upheaval: teens leave the protective bubble of family to seek their own place in the broader world, their sense of validation shifts from parents to peers, and the uncertainty of looming adulthood often feels overwhelming. It is also when the earliest signs of most mental health conditions begin to emerge. Anxiety, the most prevalent mental illness globally, offers a stark example: more than half of all lifetime anxiety disorders show detectable symptoms before a person turns 18.

    Far from being just a period of chaos, adolescence is also a formative window where lifelong habits and self-perceptions are cemented. What young people learn about processing emotion and caring for their mental health during these years shapes how they relate to themselves for the rest of their lives. Without intentional guidance, teens often develop harmful survival mechanisms that harden into long-term patterns of low self-esteem, self-doubt, and repressed emotion. Proactive mental health education, Harford argues, can turn this vulnerable period into an opportunity: it can teach teens to thrive, not just survive, by introducing concepts like self-compassion, emotional intelligence, and how to seek help when struggling before harmful patterns become ingrained.

    So what would an effective school mental health curriculum actually teach? Harford outlines a core set of accessible, human-centered lessons that normalize common adolescent experiences. It would teach that uncertainty is a universal part of the human condition, not a personal failure; that occasional sadness is normal, and there are safe spaces to be vulnerable; that not having your entire future figured out as a teen is not a flaw, but a natural part of growing up; that the overwhelming crises that feel earth-shattering in the moment will fade over time; and that physical signs of nervousness like shaking hands or a quivering voice do not make you weak.

    It would also emphasize that emotional experience comes first – we cannot simply think or reason away fear. The emotions teens feel may feel unique to their circumstances, but they are shared by every generation of young people that has come before them. Resilience, the ability to learn and grow from failure and rejection rather than being broken by it, is not an innate trait you are born with: it is a teachable skill.

    Critics often argue that if most adults are still navigating their own mental health, how can we expect to teach these skills to teens? But that argument misses a key point: the ability to step back from a stressful experience, contextualize it, and speak to oneself with compassion is still developing during adolescence. Expecting teens to master this skill on their own, without any formal guidance, is like asking them to build a house without ever being taught how to use a hammer.

    Leaving mental health education to chance has real, harmful consequences. When schools do not intentionally teach emotional literacy, teens still learn lessons – they just learn them indirectly, and often incorrectly. A boy might absorb the idea that vulnerability is unworthy of respect, and that the world only wants to hear him say he is fine even when he is hurting. A teen whose every worry is brushed off with “you’ll be fine” may internalize that no one cares to understand their pain. These learned patterns get passed down from generation to generation, creating a cycle of silence and inaction that is hard to break.

    A intentional, professionally taught mental health curriculum, supported by families that understand its importance, sends a clear message: a person’s inner emotional world matters just as much as their outer achievements. It gives young people the vocabulary to name what they are feeling, and a clear path to reach out for help instead of turning inward and suffering alone.

    Right now, Harford notes, many young people in Grenada and across the globe are still being taught (often unconsciously) that the bravest thing to do when struggling is to stay silent and push through. As Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, the question we all have to answer is whether we have the courage to break this harmful pattern – a pattern that traps not just young men, but people of all genders and all ages.

    This commentary comes from Dr. Ishma Harford, a medical doctor and Commonwealth Scholar pursuing a master’s degree in Health Analysis, Policy and Management. *The Health Imperative*, the column where this piece appears, is a politically neutral educational platform focused on health, health systems, and their broader societal impacts. NOW Grenada notes that it is not responsible for the opinions and statements shared by contributing writers.

  • LIVE: Disasters And You with the Office of Disaster Management 30th June 2026

    LIVE: Disasters And You with the Office of Disaster Management 30th June 2026

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  • Ten set to compete for national calypso crown

    Ten set to compete for national calypso crown

    The road to the prestigious Calypso Monarch title has narrowed, after a panel of expert judges selected nine competing finalists during a packed semifinal event held Sunday evening at the National Cultural Centre on Barnards’ Hill, Castries. The defending 2025 titleholder, Dezral, will automatically retain his spot in the final round, bringing the total number of competitors vying for the crown to 10 when the grand final kicks off on July 11 at the Sab in Vigie.

    Eighteen talented calypsonians took the stage for the two-song semifinal competition, turning the National Cultural Centre into a hub of electric energy. The venue was filled to capacity inside, while hundreds more gathered outside to soak in the lively festival atmosphere, viewing all performances on a large outdoor screen.

    Fan enthusiasm ran particularly high for Gumtion, who delivered a standout pair of performances with his first-round track *Black Man* and second-round number *Creole Therapy*. Making his impressive local debut, current U.S. Virgin Islands Calypso Monarch John Gotti also earned widespread acclaim for his renditions of *My Proposal* and *Champion or Trumpion*. Across the competition, six female calypsonians – Nacheal, Menell, Devine, Ready, Lushanne and Mica – delivered powerful, soulful vocal performances, with three of the group advancing through to the final round.

    The final lineup boasts impressive depth of experience, with five former Calypso Monarchs claiming spots: TC Brown, Educator, Menell, Herb Black and Walleigh. Rounding out the nine selected finalists are former National Carnival Queen Lushanne, Gumption, Ready, and Gotti. Ahead of the final, defending champion Dezral offered excited fans an early preview of his upcoming performance, staging a playful “mock trial” segment centered on the Joy case to showcase one of his new tracks.

    The July 11 final is already building anticipation among calypso fans across the region, who are preparing to see which artist will claim one of Caribbean music’s most celebrated competitive titles.

  • In Pikin Saron zaak: Alle zeven politieagenten vrijgesproken

    In Pikin Saron zaak: Alle zeven politieagenten vrijgesproken

    In a closely watched verdict delivered on June 30, judge Cynthia Klein has cleared all seven police officers implicated in the deadly 2023 Pikin Saron shooting incident, dismissing all charges against the group over the killing of two local men, Martinus Wolfjager and Ivanildo Dijksteel.

    The officers had faced allegations of using excessive, disproportionate force during unrest that broke out in the village of Pikin Saron on May 2, 2023. Prosecutors had initially pushed for a 12-month suspended sentence with a three-year probation period, bringing a suite of charges including manslaughter, aggravated assault resulting in death, and negligent homicide. But in her final ruling, Judge Klein concluded that the evidence presented by the prosecution did not meet the standard required for a conviction, leading to full acquittals across all counts.

    The case drew intense public scrutiny after a forensic pathologist’s report, discussed during an earlier court session, offered key conflicting findings. The report confirmed based on bullet trajectory analysis that the two deceased men were not fleeing when they were shot — if they had been running away, the entry and exit wounds would have been found at a different elevation, the document noted. The pathologist also found that the victims could have survived their injuries if they had received urgent medical care promptly. Instead, they died of severe blood loss after being left on the ground for an extended period without treatment.

    At the time of Tuesday’s ruling, one of the seven acquitted officers was absent from the court chamber, while another remains outside the country. Following the delivery of the verdict, all officers present were permitted to leave the courtroom immediately. The outcome closes a high-profile legal case that has stirred public debate over police use of force and accountability in the South American nation.

  • Small business support drive draws strong interest in Micoud

    Small business support drive draws strong interest in Micoud

    Against a backdrop of rising demand for entrepreneurial support across the Caribbean island nation, Saint Lucia’s Department of Commerce has amplified its efforts to connect aspiring and existing small business owners with critical financial and developmental resources, marking World MSME Day with a hands-on outreach gathering in the country’s southern region.

    Last Saturday, dozens of small and micro enterprise operators from across southern Saint Lucia gathered at the Micoud Community Centre for a day of information sharing, collaborative outreach, and one-on-one guidance, organized by the department’s Small Enterprise Development Unit (SEDU). The event was designed to bridge the information gap that often isolates rural entrepreneurs from the support available to them, bringing partner agencies under one roof to deliver tailored help directly to community members.

    In addition to hosting a on-site business registration drive to simplify the process of formalizing new ventures, the event brought together institutional partners from across Saint Lucia’s entrepreneurial support ecosystem. Representatives from the Youth Economy Agency, BELfund, the Community Tourism Agency, and the Bank of Saint Lucia joined SEDU staff to answer questions and walk attendees through available offerings.

    Whether participants were early-stage planners exploring the feasibility of a new business or established owners looking to scale their existing operations, they left with customized guidance gained through informational presentations and dedicated one-on-one consultations. The event covered a full spectrum of support options, from breaking down eligibility requirements, application processes, and required documentation for grant funding programs, to outlining loan financing structures tailored to entrepreneurs at every step of their journey. Additional resources shared included help with business plan development, information on regulatory concessions for small businesses, financing pathways for the underemployed seeking self-employment, and actionable strategies for accessing all available resources.

    Roycelyn St. Hill Howell, director of SEDU, told local outlet St. Lucia Times that the island’s grant and business support programs have drawn unprecedented public interest, signaling a strong and growing appetite for self-employment opportunities across Saint Lucia. “We are seeing an overwhelming response. So, we are encouraged by the demand,” she said. “It’s also telling us that there is great need for … our agency to come together with our partner agencies so we can provide that relevant support.”

    For many attendees, the event uncovered resources they had no prior knowledge of, even for those already running active small businesses. Sabina Tertullien, a teacher and owner of local micro enterprise Terts’ School Supplies, described the gathering as eye-opening, noting that she had been unaware of the wide range of programs and training opportunities available through multiple government and non-government organizations.

    Kerian Thomas, a chef with 24 years of industry experience who is currently expanding her agro-processing and sustainable farming operation focused on healthy alkaline eating, saw coverage of the event in local media and chose to attend. Echoing Tertullien’s experience, she said she had not realized how many institutional support services existed for new and growing entrepreneurs, and emphasized the unique value of the outreach for young people just starting their business journeys. “I think it is really, really important that a lot of young people take part in what has been discussed here today,” she said. “I, for one, did not know that there were so many branches offering so much service to young people that want to start up a business and stuff, so it was very, very informative today.”

    The Micoud event is part of a broader, ongoing push by Saint Lucia’s Department of Commerce to bring business support services closer to rural and southern communities that have historically had less access to central government resources. In February 2025, the SEDU’s parent Small Business Development Centre launched its southern regional division on the third floor of the Uptown Business Centre in Vieux Fort. Since that opening, SBDC officers have conducted outreach visits to communities across the southern coast, including Soufrière, Laborie and Vieux Fort, and have hosted smaller community gatherings and business registration drives in the Choiseul region. The department has reiterated its long-term commitment to continuing this decentralized, community-focused outreach to ensure all Saint Lucians, regardless of location, can leverage available support to build successful small businesses.

  • Sherman Boston says he declined DLP, enters race as independent candidate for Roseau North by-election

    Sherman Boston says he declined DLP, enters race as independent candidate for Roseau North by-election

    As campaign activity accelerates across Dominica ahead of the upcoming Roseau North by-election, veteran community figure Sherman Boston has made his official entry into the race, marking his comeback to electoral politics as an independent candidate anchored in principles of integrity, constituent-focused service and deliverable policy solutions.

    Boston, who previously served 10 years as a member of the Roseau City Council and contested the 2022 snap general election as an independent, publicly confirmed his candidacy in a statement posted to his official Facebook page, calling on voters of the Roseau North constituency to lend him their support once again.

    The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Miriam Blanchard, a former member of parliament for the district and sitting cabinet minister from the ruling Dominica Labour Party. Per Dominica’s electoral regulations, a by-election must be held within 90 days of a parliamentary vacancy.

    Following Blanchard’s exit, ruling party representatives reached out to Boston to invite him to rejoin the Dominica Labour Party, a request the long-time public servant said he flatly turned down. “I was asked to return to the ruling Labour Party as the prodigal son. I refused,” Boston said in his statement.

    He explained that 26 years of unmet expectations left him unwilling to rejoin the party, arguing that Roseau North residents have been forced to endure too many empty promises over the years and deserve far better representation.

    A lifelong resident of Roseau and graduate of the Clifton Dupigny Community College, Boston noted that his core political philosophy has never shifted: he prioritizes principle over partisan loyalty, he said, and will remain an independent to serve his community without party interference.

    Drawing on his decade of experience representing Ward 4 — the largest geographic and demographic section of the Roseau North constituency — Boston emphasized that integrity must be the foundation of all public office. He pledged that if elected, he will always put the needs of local constituents above personal ambition, political gain or financial benefit.

    Boston also pointed to his on-the-ground leadership during two of Dominica’s most devastating modern crises: the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike other elected officials who stepped back during these emergencies, he said, he worked side-by-side with Ward 4 residents to secure resources and drive recovery, noting “I did not just hold a title… Ward 4 was not left to fend for itself.”

    If voters send him to parliament, Boston has outlined three core policy priorities to deliver for Roseau North. First on his agenda is expanding local employment: he has proposed rolling out targeted skills and trade training programs across the constituency, increasing financial and regulatory support for local small businesses and entrepreneurs, and mandating that local Roseau North residents get priority hiring for all government and private sector infrastructure and development projects within the district.

    Second, Boston pledged to address the longstanding environmental and public health risks posed by the expired Stockfarm landfill. He committed to pushing for urgent remediation of the current site, followed by a full relocation of the facility to a properly regulated, modern location that will protect the air and drinking water of nearby residential communities.

    Finally, Boston framed his candidacy as a continuation of the public service legacy of the late former parliamentarian Julius Timothy, his early political mentor. Boston said Timothy’s decades of service taught him that effective public office must always center people above party politics — a principle he will carry with him to parliament if elected.