分类： society

Barbados has taken a significant step toward enhancing Spanish proficiency and fostering cultural ties with Latin America through a groundbreaking initiative. Fifteen secondary school students and several teachers are preparing for a two-week language and cultural exchange in Panama, marking the start of a national campaign to embed Spanish across various sectors. This effort is part of the US$100,000 ‘Enhancing Capacities to Communicate in Spanish’ project, supported by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) under its SOMOS (Spanish Opens More OpportunitieS) program. The initiative aims to promote bilingualism, cultural understanding, and a comprehensive national strategy for Spanish language learning. At a high-level dialogue held at Wyndham Sam Lord’s Castle, government officials agreed to establish an inter-ministerial working group to coordinate the rollout and develop a national strategy. Resources will be allocated in the 2026 national budget for staff training and public education campaigns. Finance Minister Ryan Straughn emphasized the project’s importance, stating, ‘The Ministry of Finance will fully support these initiatives for the future of Barbados.’ The exchange program will include daily Spanish lessons, cultural excursions, and innovation workshops for students, while teachers will engage in advanced professional development with Panamanian institutions. Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy, CAF’s regional manager for the Caribbean, highlighted the program’s focus on people-centred growth, noting that bilingualism opens doors to trade, tourism, and innovation. Pablo Bartol, CAF’s social and human development manager, underscored the project’s role in fostering Caribbean-Latin American integration. Additional measures include a national diagnostic study and a roadmap for policy development. Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman announced plans to introduce Spanish from early childhood, emphasizing the importance of language in shaping children’s worldviews.

In the wake of Sunday’s devastating flood in St. George, which claimed one life and caused extensive damage to vehicles, a prominent engineering consultant is advocating for immediate government intervention to construct ‘check dams’ in the gullies leading to Charles Rowe Bridge. Andrew P. Hutchinson, director of A H Consulting Inc., emphasized that traditional solutions like soakaways are insufficient for managing the high volumes of runoff during extreme storms. Instead, he proposed building small check dams at intervals within the gullies to retain runoff, reduce peak flow, and recharge aquifers. Hutchinson stressed the importance of using digital hydrological models to ensure the effectiveness of these structures. He highlighted the urgent need for such measures to mitigate the economic and social impacts of future flooding events. The flood, which resulted from an intense rainfall event with a recurrence interval of 15 years, affected a watershed of 2,765 acres, including several urban and rural communities. Hutchinson warned that without proper drainage and mitigation strategies, similar incidents could recur, especially during the Atlantic hurricane season. The tragic death of Terry Kellman, who was swept away by floodwaters, underscores the human cost of such disasters. Meanwhile, insurers are preparing for significant motor claims as the floods caused widespread vehicle destruction across the island. Historical flood events in Barbados, such as the Jordan Flood of 1901 and the Speightstown flood of 1984, serve as reminders of the island’s vulnerability to extreme weather.

The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) has strongly criticized the government for its decision to privatize the public transport sector, accusing it of neglecting its duty to provide essential services. The controversy stems from a Ministry of Transport and Works letter, signed by Permanent Secretary Jehu Wiltshire, which outlines plans to dissolve the Transport Board and transfer ownership of electric buses to former employees. The proposal includes severance packages for current workers, with ex-employees given priority to become owner-operators, supported by low-interest financing. The government also pledged to subsidize electricity costs for bus charging and partially fund battery replacements. CTUSAB expressed surprise and dismay at the lack of consultation with the Social Partnership, a key stakeholder group, labeling the move as disrespectful and a dereliction of responsibility. The union highlighted existing issues in the private transport sector, such as inconsistent service and limited operating hours, and urged the government to invest in expanding the public bus fleet and strengthening regulations. CTUSAB warned that focusing solely on profitability risks undermining public mobility, particularly for vulnerable groups. As an alternative, the union proposed a capacity-building program to enhance management, leverage technology, and optimize route planning using data-driven strategies.

The Caribbean is grappling with a dual crisis of environmental degradation and organized crime, driven by the illegal trafficking of juvenile eels, commonly known as glass eels. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) has raised alarms about this illicit trade, which threatens both the region’s fragile ecosystems and its security networks. At a recent two-day regional workshop on glass eel trafficking, held at the Joint Regional Communications Centre in Wildey, Nadine Bushell, Assistant Director of Projects at CARICOM IMPACS, emphasized the critical need to combat this trade to protect natural resources and dismantle the financial networks supporting other serious crimes. Glass eels, a transparent juvenile stage of several eel species, are highly valued in the global market, making them a lucrative target for criminal organizations. Bushell highlighted that these criminal actors exploit gaps in knowledge about natural resources and environmental crime to evade detection. Eels play a vital role in biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems, serving as both a food source in their juvenile stage and as predators once fully grown. Bushell stressed that protecting natural resources is essential for achieving long-term reductions in crime, as environmental crimes often converge with other serious offenses like narcotics trafficking, gun smuggling, and human trafficking. She called for regional collaboration and partnerships to combat these crimes, aligning with the principles of mutual security through partnership. Dr. David Soud of Auxilium Worldwide, which is collaborating with CARICOM IMPACS and Canada, noted that efforts to counter the illicit trade could be influenced by an upcoming decision in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on whether all eel species will be listed as endangered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Such a listing would add layers of documentation and verification, making traceability more achievable. However, Dr. Soud warned that criminal networks are highly adaptable and will continue to find ways to profit and launder money, regardless of the decision. The workshop aims to strengthen regional law enforcement and security networks to more effectively disrupt illicit glass eel trafficking, addressing what Dr. Soud described as an environmental, economic, and transnational organized crime threat that endangers not only the Caribbean but the entire world.

A 36-year-old photographer, Remy Reco Rock from Small Land, Bridge Gap, St Michael, has been remanded to Dodds Prison following charges of raping a male minor two years ago. Rock appeared in the District ‘A’ Traffic Court, where he was not required to enter a plea for the indictable offence. The alleged crime is said to have occurred between September 1 and October 3, 2023. During the hearing, Station Sergeant St Clair Phillips, the prosecutor, raised several objections to granting bail. These included the compelling strength of the evidence, the fact that Rock was already on bail for a similar offence, and concerns that witnesses could be interfered with if he were released. Magistrate Alison Burke ultimately denied bail. Rock, represented by attorney Ensley Grainger, is scheduled to return to court on December 18 for further proceedings.