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  • Kareem stands by his statements: ‘They wicked, evil and racist’

    Kareem stands by his statements: ‘They wicked, evil and racist’

    A brewing political controversy has taken center stage in Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament this week, after Opposition Member of Parliament for Laventille West Kareem Marcelle doubled down on comments he delivered at a constituency rally Thursday night that triggered fierce online backlash.

    Facing growing calls to retract his remarks over accusations of anti-ethnic rhetoric, Marcelle arrived at Port of Spain’s Red House for Friday’s parliamentary sitting and pushed back firmly against misrepresentation claims. Speaking directly to reporters on the ground, he emphasized that his critical remarks were exclusively targeted at the ruling United National Congress (UNC) administration, not any ethnic or religious community within the nation.

    In an earlier written statement shared across his social media channels, Marcelle refuted the viral misquote that had circulated online, denying he ever claimed “Indian people do not like us… we do not like them.” He clarified that his speech to Laventille West constituents stuck strictly to political critique of the incumbent government’s policies and actions toward opposition-held districts. “This UNC Government, by their words and actions towards our communities, simply do not like us. And guess what? We do not like the UNC either. And I make no apologies for stating that fact,” Marcelle reiterated Friday.

    The PNM (People’s National Movement) MP went on to outline a series of grievances against the ruling administration, claiming UNC officials have systematically targeted opposition-aligned citizens. He alleged the government has slashed funding for corporations controlled by PNM, and terminated or refused to renew employment contracts for thousands of workers suspected of supporting the opposition. Marcelle also accused cabinet ministers of shifting blame for rising national crime rates onto PNM-held constituencies, and recalled that ruling party officials recently labeled PNM supporters attending a public vigil as “vagrants in white jerseys.”

    “Does this sound like a Government that likes or loves people from PNM constituencies? Or does this sound like a Government that simply hates us?” Marcelle asked, framing his criticism as a fair response to years of unequal treatment. He also reaffirmed his campaign pledge to Laventille West voters: if the PNM wins the next government, his first priority will be securing an equitable share of national resources for his constituency, after years of what he calls deliberate underinvestment under UNC rule.

    Marcelle hit back at what he calls the UNC’s coordinated campaign of “fake news and false narratives” twisting his words to stoke racial tension. He stressed that the PNM, founded by Dr Eric Williams, has a long-standing core commitment to representing all races and creeds across Trinidad and Tobago. “I am proud to be part of Dr Eric Williams’ political party called the PNM, a party where we stand with and represent every single creed and race in Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

    Closing his remarks, Marcelle urged his base to ignore what he describes as ruling party propaganda, and reiterated the opposition’s resolve to oust what he labeled a “wicked, evil and racist” UNC government in upcoming elections. While the original speech has gone viral on social media platforms, drawing widespread criticism from observers who argue its wording stokes racial division, Marcelle has maintained consistent denial of any racial intent, repeating that his critique is rooted exclusively in partisan political conflict.

  • Rotary Club of Dominica to hand over drinking fountains at two primary schools

    Rotary Club of Dominica to hand over drinking fountains at two primary schools

    A community-focused service organization on the Caribbean island of Dominica is taking tangible action to steer young generations away from sugary drinks and toward healthier hydration habits. The Rotary Club of Dominica has launched a new public welfare project that will place new public water fountains at two local primary education institutions.

    According to an official statement released by the club, the two schools selected to benefit from the initiative are Roseau Primary School and Trafalgar Primary School. Formal handover ceremonies for each fountain are scheduled to take place on-site at the schools on Monday, June 15, 2026, with the Roseau Primary event kicking off at 9:00 a.m. and the Trafalgar Primary ceremony following at 10:30 a.m.

    The Rotary Club confirmed that a range of stakeholders will participate in both events, including senior representatives from the organization, school faculty, enrolled students, family members of pupils, and pre-invited special guests.

    As a global volunteer service network, the Rotary Club of Dominica anchors its work in the core mission of elevating quality of life for local community members through targeted volunteer projects and programs that advance long-term, sustainable development. This latest school water fountain initiative fits directly into the organization’s broader strategic goals, specifically its work to foster healthier daily lifestyles for the island’s youth population. By making clean, free drinking water easily accessible to students on school campuses, the club hopes to normalize water as the go-to beverage choice for children, reducing their reliance on high-sugar drinks that are linked to negative long-term health outcomes including childhood obesity and dental decay.

  • Flow Announced as Official Partner of the Republic Bank CPL

    Flow Announced as Official Partner of the Republic Bank CPL

    The Caribbean Premier League (CPL), one of the most dynamic and widely followed Twenty20 cricket competitions in the world, has announced a landmark new partnership that will see regional telecommunications leader Flow take on the role of Official Partner for the upcoming editions of the Republic Bank-backed tournament.

    This collaboration marks a significant step forward for both organizations, bringing together a premier cricket platform that showcases top cricketing talent from across the globe and a leading communications provider deeply rooted in the Caribbean community. As an official partner, Flow will gain extensive brand visibility across all CPL match venues, broadcast coverage, and digital platforms, reaching millions of cricket fans both in the Caribbean and around the world.

    CPL CEO Peter Russell emphasized the importance of the new partnership, noting that Flow’s long-standing commitment to connecting communities across the region aligns perfectly with the league’s mission to grow cricket and drive engagement across Caribbean nations. Representatives from Flow also expressed excitement about the collaboration, highlighting that the partnership will allow the company to deliver unique experiences to its customers, including exclusive access to match tickets, behind-the-scenes content, and special fan events throughout the tournament.

    The Republic Bank CPL has grown steadily in popularity since its inaugural season in 2013, attracting star players from major cricketing nations and drawing record viewership year after year. Partnerships with leading regional brands like Flow play a critical role in supporting the league’s continued expansion and development, from upgrading venue infrastructure to nurturing young local cricket talent through the league’s development programs.

    Both organizations have confirmed that the partnership will kick off with the upcoming 2024 edition of the Republic Bank CPL, with plans to extend the collaboration across future tournaments. Fans can expect to see integrated activations from Flow throughout the tournament season, enhancing the overall matchday experience for in-stadium audiences and remote viewers alike.

  • Police Officer Who Shot and Killed Laddie Gillett Loses Appeal

    Police Officer Who Shot and Killed Laddie Gillett Loses Appeal

    In a landmark ruling delivered this week, Belize’s Court of Appeal has unanimously upheld the manslaughter conviction and 18-year prison sentence of former police corporal Kareem Martinez, ending his legal challenge over the 2021 fatal shooting of 14-year-old Laddie Gillett on a Placencia beach.

    The fatal incident unfolded on the night of July 14, 2021, at the height of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions when a national 10:00 p.m. curfew was in effect. Gillett and his best friend had spent the evening celebrating a birthday with cake on the beach, and were hurrying along the beachfront back to the Chabil Mar resort to meet the curfew deadline. As they rounded a corner near the Placencia Beach Club Resort, the pair unexpectedly encountered a team of four police officers responding to a security guard’s report of suspicious persons in the area.

    Startled by the sight of uniformed officers in dark clothing, both teenagers turned and fled. Moments later, a single gunshot rang out, and Gillett was struck in the back. The bullet passed through his chest, and he was pronounced dead just 21 minutes after the incident at 10:21 p.m. His friend was taken into custody for curfew violation and held at the local police station.

    During Martinez’s original trial, prosecution evidence overwhelmingly tied him to the fatal shot. Investigators recovered a single 9mm shell casing near the spot where Gillett fell, and forensic analysis from Belize’s National Forensic Sciences Services confirmed the round had been fired from Martinez’s issued Bersa Thunder 9 pistol, which was seized from him the same night. The three other officers on scene all testified they had not fired their weapons, despite the trial judge noting all three appeared evasive in their accounts, clearly attempting to distance themselves from the shooting. Gillett’s friend, whom the judge deemed a thoroughly credible witness, also confirmed neither teen was armed, nor was there any physical altercation before the shot was fired.

    Martinez chose not to give sworn testimony during his trial, instead offering an unsworn statement claiming he fired a single warning shot 10 feet into the air after spotting a shiny object he believed to be a gun. He further claimed the fatal shot had actually been fired by fellow officer PC Augustine at the exact same time, explaining why witnesses only heard one bang. The trial judge rejected this account as physically incredible, pointing out that for Martinez’s story to hold, a bullet fired 10 feet into the air would have had to travel 75 to 90 feet backward and downward to strike Gillett in the back in the span of just six seconds. The Court of Appeal fully endorsed this finding, confirming the scenario was physically impossible.

    On the alternative claim that Augustine was the actual shooter, the appellate panel also dismissed the theory out of hand. Augustine was positioned closer to witnesses than Martinez, the court noted, and if he had drawn and fired his weapon, at least one of the five other people present would have seen the action. No witness testified to seeing Augustine fire, and the court ruled accepting the alternative shooter claim would require pure, unfounded speculation. While the trial judge did find Augustine had lied about carrying a personal licensed firearm that night, she also concluded he did not fire the weapon that killed Gillett, a finding the appeal court saw no reason to overturn.

    In its written ruling, the appellate court joined the trial judge in harshly criticizing the conduct of officers involved in the incident. The three officers who testified for the prosecution were found to have deliberately downplayed their own roles in the events of the night, with the court describing their overall conduct as “less than exemplary.” Even the security guard who placed the original call about suspicious persons was found to have lied about his presence at the scene, with the judge confirming he was present during the chase despite his claims to the contrary. The court emphasized, however, that these shortcomings in police conduct were not enough to undermine the overwhelming core of the prosecution’s case against Martinez.

    Martinez’s legal team had submitted eight separate grounds of appeal, arguing the investigation was biased toward prosecuting Martinez, that investigators failed to test other officers’ hands and weapons for gunfire residue, that the trial judge had improperly overstepped by asking too many questions during proceedings, and that she had incorrectly shifted the burden of proof onto the defendant. The three-judge appellate panel rejected every single ground, concluding the trial judge’s management of the case was “detailed, sound and flawless,” and that she had consistently and correctly upheld the principle that the prosecution, not the defense, bears the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    With the appeal dismissed, Martinez will now serve out his full 18-year prison sentence for manslaughter. The case remains a high-profile example of police accountability in Belize, four and a half years after the 14-year-old’s death during a public health curfew.

  • FOD seeking major overhaul of public transport system ​

    FOD seeking major overhaul of public transport system ​

    Barbados’ main opposition organization Friends of Democracy (FOD) has launched a far-reaching engagement project targeting long-standing systemic flaws that have undermined safety, professional standards and service consistency across the island nation’s public transport sector.

    Moving beyond traditional partisan criticism, FOD has launched a series of targeted consultations with three key stakeholder groups: daily commuters, established licensed transport operators, and senior industry representatives. The goal of these discussions is to collect on-the-ground insights into the deep-rooted challenges facing the sector, which will inform a concrete, long-term policy blueprint for reform. Jamal Martindale, FOD’s spokesperson for Transport and Works, emphasized that the initiative prioritizes actionable solutions over political rhetoric in a public statement shared this week.

    Early conversations have already centered on one non-negotiable priority: a full overhaul of existing safety protocols to protect both passengers and transport workers. Martindale drew particular attention to the growing proliferation of unlicensed “pirate” transport operators across the island, a trend that creates major public safety gaps due to a lack of legal oversight and valid insurance coverage.

    “Illegal passenger transport must be understood first and foremost as a public safety issue,” Martindale explained. “Passengers who step into unlicensed vehicles often don’t realize they are exposing themselves to catastrophic risk if an accident happens, especially when there is no valid passenger liability insurance in place. Every Barbadian has the right to know that when they board a public transport vehicle, they are riding with a properly licensed, regulated, and insured service.”

    Safety is a two-pronged crisis, Martindale added, noting that legitimate licensed operators face growing threats to their personal security. Drivers and conductors of public service vehicles (PSVs) have reported a sharp, worrying increase in criminal targeting, particularly during late-evening and overnight shifts. Reports of robberies, physical assaults, and other criminal acts against on-duty transport staff have become far too common, he said.

    “We cannot ignore the safety concerns that licensed operators deal with every single day. Reports of robberies, assaults, and other criminal activity continue to harm drivers and conductors, especially when they work evening routes,” Martindale said. “These valid concerns must be taken seriously if we are going to build a safer, more reliable transport system that works for everyone.”

    To address these overlapping safety threats, FOD is calling for urgent modernization of the public transport network’s core security infrastructure. The group is pushing for expanded, high-resolution surveillance systems across high-risk routes and terminals, stronger collaborative security partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, and more robust, fast-acting emergency response mechanisms for operators facing crisis.

    Beyond beefing up general security, FOD argues that accelerating the rollout of contactless, digital fare collection systems will cut down on the amount of physical cash carried by PSV crews, a key factor that makes operators targets for robbery. This simple policy shift, the group says, would act as a powerful deterrent to would-be criminals.

    In addition to physical security, early consultations have revealed widespread demand for higher professional standards across the entire sector. In response, FOD is lobbying to mandate standardized, ongoing training programs for all public transport operators and vehicle owners. The proposed training curriculum would cover a wide range of critical competencies: customer service, emergency first aid, de-escalation and conflict resolution, passenger assistance, basic financial literacy, and public safety awareness.

    “Public transport operators are often the first point of contact for thousands of Barbadians every single day,” Martindale noted. “Because of this vital public role, they need to have all the necessary skills to serve our citizens professionally, safely and effectively.”

    FOD’s review also highlighted a stark equity gap in service distribution across the country. While high-traffic, lucrative urban corridors enjoy frequent, reliable service, rural and geographically peripheral communities are chronically underserved – a problem that grows even worse during off-peak hours, leaving many residents stranded for work, school, or medical appointments. The opposition group stresses that any future restructuring of the public transport network must be rooted in empirical data to guarantee equal access to service for all Barbadians, no matter where they live.

    When it comes to addressing the crisis of unlicensed pirate operators, FOD says it is encouraged by the cooperative stance of existing regulated industry stakeholders. Rather than pushing for a harsh, punitive crackdown on informal operators, the group supports a structured, supportive framework to help unlicensed drivers enter the regulated system through legalization.

    “We are encouraged by the willingness of industry stakeholders to work constructively with individuals currently operating outside of the regulated system,” Martindale said. “We support efforts to help these operators become licensed, insured, and compliant with the law, so that they can contribute positively to the national transportation network while upholding the safety of the travelling public.”

    FOD confirmed that it will ramp up consultation activities across Barbados over the coming weeks, as the group works to finalize a full, comprehensive policy framework for public transport reform. “The men and women who transport thousands of Barbadians to work, school, medical appointments, and back to their homes every day play a critical role in our national economy and in the daily lives of our citizens,” Martindale said. “They deserve our recognition, our full support, and a transportation system that truly works for everyone.”

  • Nieuwjaar op 18 juni erkend als nationale gedenkdag; geen vrije dag

    Nieuwjaar op 18 juni erkend als nationale gedenkdag; geen vrije dag

    In an official announcement made public last Friday, Suriname’s Ministry of Home Affairs has formally recognized Javanese New Year as a national commemorative day, confirming the annual observance will not carry the status of a paid public holiday for 2026.

    Minister of Home Affairs Marinus Bee confirmed that the cabinet’s decision grants this year’s Javanese New Year, which falls on Thursday, June 18, official national commemorative standing. This institutional recognition, the government clarified, is intended to highlight the deep cultural and historical significance of Javanese New Year within Suriname’s diverse multi-ethnic social fabric, marking the first time the observance has been elevated to formal national status.

    Unlike Suriname’s existing national holidays and major commemorative days, Javanese New Year will not be classified as equivalent to a Sunday for scheduling purposes, a designation that automatically triggers time off for public and private sector workers. As a result, government offices, educational institutions, and private businesses will remain open and operate under standard working hours on June 18, unless individual organizations issue separate internal decisions to close for the day.

    For Suriname’s sizeable Javanese community, Javanese New Year is an annual cultural celebration centered on reflection, gratitude, and the ritual marking of a new cycle of life. The decision to grant official recognition comes as the South American nation continues to formalize recognition of cultural traditions tied to its diverse immigrant populations, who have shaped the country’s social and cultural identity since the colonial era.

  • Misinformation posing growing threat to public health – BAMP

    Misinformation posing growing threat to public health – BAMP

    Low public health literacy has emerged as one of the most pressing public health challenges facing Barbados, the president of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) has warned, noting that misinformation around lifestyle conditions is driving dangerous health complications across the island nation.

    In an exclusive interview with local outlet Barbados TODAY, BAMP President Dr. Lynda Williams explained that health literacy – the public’s ability to source, evaluate and understand accurate health information – remains a systemic failing in Barbados, with distrust in official health sources growing dramatically in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “In the post-COVID period, we’ve seen a huge rise in skepticism and cynicism around official health information and institutional sources,” Williams said. “A large share of the population now gets most of their health guidance from unreliable platforms, from YouTube to random Google search results, and most people lack the skills to tell evidence-based information apart from harmful falsehoods. This leads to dangerous misconceptions around everything from basic health to the importance of adhering to prescribed medication.”

    Williams noted that widespread reliance on unvetted online sources was a major driver of care avoidance and vaccine hesitancy during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak. While some recovery has been observed in recent years, the aftermath of that period continues to impact population health.

    “We are starting to see positive shifts: more parents are bringing their children in for routine vaccination, and more people are coming forward for preventive health checks,” she said. “We had a two-year lag where care was delayed, and as a result we’ve seen a sharp increase in late-stage cancer diagnoses, because people put off routine screenings that catch the disease early. We are now slowly getting back to pre-pandemic patterns of care, but the damage from those delays will be felt for years.”

    Addressing the health literacy gap remains an urgent priority, particularly for younger generations, Williams stressed. She argued that building health literacy must begin in childhood to equip people with critical evaluation skills long before they encounter misinformation online.

    “Health literacy is one of the biggest barriers we face in Barbados right now. To overcome it, we have to start with children, teaching them from an early age how to spot reliable health information and identify when claims are misleading or dangerous,” she said.

    Williams urged Barbadians to prioritize health guidance from trusted, evidence-based institutions and practicing medical professionals rather than relying exclusively on unmoderated online content. She named the World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Barbados’ own Ministry of Health and Wellness as credible starting points for health information, and encouraged people to discuss any online claims they encounter with their personal physician.

    The BAMP president warned that many circulating health falsehoods carry life-threatening consequences, pointing to a recent viral example spread across Barbadian social media that claimed salt could cure hypertension – a claim that is entirely unsupported by medical evidence.

    “It was completely wrong, but because the person posting the video wore a white coat to look legitimate, many people believed it,” Williams said.

    She emphasized that anyone considering following health advice found online should first confirm it with a qualified medical provider, rather than trusting guidance from friends or anonymous online creators.

    “Your friends have good intentions, but they don’t have medical training, and we also see a huge amount of misleading advertising for supplements and unproven health products here in Barbados that confuses people even more,” Williams added. “These misleading claims erode public understanding of common conditions from asthma to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and leave people unaware of how critical early treatment is to prevent fatal outcomes.”

    The challenge of improving health literacy has grown even more pressing as Barbados continues to grapple with a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Williams noted.

    Her comments came during BAMP’s annual medical education conference, held this year under the theme “Navigating Non-Communicable Diseases from a Caribbean Perspective.” At the event, hundreds of regional medical professionals gathered to discuss a wide range of NCDs beyond the commonly cited diabetes and hypertension, including adult and childhood obesity, asthma, COPD, kidney disease, strokes, heart attacks, and heat-related illnesses driven by climate change.

    Williams added that the conference was not only focused on refining clinical treatment options for these conditions, but also on building a collective advocacy push for public health policy changes that can reduce the national burden of chronic disease and improve long-term health outcomes for all Barbadians.

  • Nearly 6 Years Later, Businessman Convicted of Human Trafficking

    Nearly 6 Years Later, Businessman Convicted of Human Trafficking

    On June 12, 2026, a major human trafficking case that stretched across nearly six years reached a landmark guilty verdict in Belize’s Dangriga High Court. Businessman Jin Zhou Wu was found guilty on all four counts of human trafficking brought against him, splitting into two charges of trafficking for forced labor and two additional charges of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

    The origins of the case date back to mid-2018, when the Belize Police Department first received anonymous tips alleging that Wu was exploiting vulnerable women at his commercial property in southern Belize. Formal arrests would not come until 2020, when three Honduran women filed official complaints against the businessman that corroborated the earlier intelligence.

    According to official case documents, the three young victims—aged 20 and 21 at the time of their exploitation—were lured across the border from Honduras in June 2019 with false promises of legitimate waitressing jobs. Once they crossed into Belize illegally with the help of a local female recruiter working for Wu, their situation quickly turned exploitative. Wu immediately seized their passports and other travel documents, confiscated their personal cell phones to cut off contact with the outside world, and forced them into sex work at his Sky Blue Bar located in Bella Vista Village, Toledo District.

    Wu was first arraigned on the charges in October 2020 and was remanded to Belize Central Prison to await trial. He was later released on bail set at $15,000, a decision that drew quiet criticism from anti-trafficking advocates who argued he posed a flight risk. Following the guilty verdict delivered this week, Justice ordered Wu to be taken back into custody immediately. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 26, where the court will determine the length of his prison term and any additional penalties.

    The prosecution was led by Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lynn Vidal on behalf of the Crown, while Wu was represented by defense attorney Emerita Anderson throughout the trial. Anti-trafficking organizations in Belize have welcomed the conviction as a critical win for holding traffickers accountable, noting that long-running cases like this highlight the systemic challenges of prosecuting human trafficking crimes in small Central American nations.

  • Dominica advances climate adaptation efforts with launch of DOMCREP

    Dominica advances climate adaptation efforts with launch of DOMCREP

    A landmark $70.2 million climate resilience initiative is set to transform the lives of more than 8,000 people across eight high-risk communities in Dominica, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced during a recent press briefing.

    Named the Dominica Community Resilience Enhancement Project (DOMCREP), the initiative is financed by the Green Climate Fund and executed in collaboration with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre. Skerrit framed the investment as a targeted boost for three of the island nation’s most critical pillars: its people, local communities, and the agricultural sector.

    Under the project, over 520 smallholder farmers and agricultural processors will gain access to cutting-edge climate-smart agricultural tools, upgraded irrigation infrastructure, commercial greenhouses, and other tailored support. These interventions are designed to shore up the country’s domestic food security, raise overall agricultural output, and directly increase household incomes for working farmers, Skerrit explained. Beyond agriculture, the program will also upgrade critical water infrastructure to improve long-term water security, reinforce national emergency response systems, and boost local communities’ ability to withstand and recover from extreme weather events that have grown increasingly frequent due to climate change.

    Skerrit emphasized that DOMCREP marks another major milestone in Dominica’s decades-long push to build national climate resilience. For years, the island government has prioritized investments in climate-adapted infrastructure, including disaster-resistant housing, reinforced roads and bridges, upgraded healthcare and educational facilities, expanded renewable energy capacity, and improved early warning and disaster preparedness networks. DOMCREP builds on this existing foundation by centering the needs of communities and populations that are disproportionately exposed to climate harms, equipping them to adapt to shifting conditions, bounce back faster after disasters, and grow sustainably.

    The eight communities set to directly receive funding and support are Campbell, Colihaut, Coulibistrie, Pichelin, Bagatelle, Good Hope, Petite Soufriere, and San Sauveur. Skerrit called on residents, participating farmers, processors, local community organizations, women, and youth to actively take advantage of the training, funding, and economic opportunities the project will roll out in the coming months. He added that the long-term success of the initiative will hinge on full community participation, cross-stakeholder collaboration, and local ownership of the resilience projects.

    “DOMCREP is first and foremost an investment in people,” Skerrit said. “It is an investment in food security, economic opportunity, and community resilience. Most importantly, it is an investment in a future where our communities are stronger, more self-reliant, and better prepared to face the unrelenting challenges of a changing climate.”

    In addition to DOMCREP, Skerrit revealed that the Dominican government is advancing two additional climate-focused proposals worth a combined $187 million in partnership with the 5Cs initiative, which supports local citrus, cocoa, coffee, coconut, and cannabis sectors. A portion of these funds will be allocated to repairing critical road edge failures, particularly in the heavily impacted Belles region of the island.

  • Barbuda Successfully Completes Tsunami Ready Exercise and Public Awareness Activity

    Barbuda Successfully Completes Tsunami Ready Exercise and Public Awareness Activity

    The small Caribbean island of Barbuda has wrapped up a three-day, comprehensive tsunami preparedness drill that marks a critical milestone in its quest to earn the globally recognized Tsunami Ready designation from UNESCO. Held between May 26 and 28, the exercise was spearheaded by Antigua and Barbuda’s National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), and drew cross-sector collaboration from local educational institutions, government disaster response teams, international disaster risk experts, and community groups all aligned to advance the island’s long-term goal of securing and retaining official Tsunami Ready status.

    The Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme, operated by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), is a widely accepted global framework designed to boost community resilience against tsunami hazards. To qualify for the designation, communities must meet clear standards: sustained public education on tsunami risks, functional standardized early warning systems, formally documented and tested evacuation plans, and regular preparedness drills. This recent exercise in Barbuda is the first formal requirement the island has completed to move forward in the evaluation process for the recognition, which is only granted to communities that have fully implemented risk reduction measures tailored to their local tsunami threat.

    The initiative kicked off on May 26 with educational outreach activities at two of Barbuda’s main schools: Holy Trinity Primary School and Sir McChesney George Secondary School. During the school visits, participating students and faculty took part in interactive workshops covering key topics including the nature of local tsunami hazards, basic individual and community preparedness actions, and step-by-step evacuation protocols. The outreach effort was designed to embed safety knowledge among young residents, who can in turn share that information with their families and broader community networks.

    The full-scale exercise concluded on May 28 with an island-wide community evacuation drill, with a primary focus on the two participating secondary and primary schools to test the evacuation procedures that had been discussed just days prior. The drill successfully tested response times, route clarity, and communication between school administrators, disaster management officials, and community volunteers.

    In comments following the completion of the exercise, NODS Director Sherrod James emphasized the foundational role of broad community engagement in effective disaster preparedness. “This exercise demonstrates the importance of community involvement in disaster preparedness,” James stated. “By engaging young people and conducting practical evacuation exercises, we are helping to ensure that Barbuda remains prepared to respond effectively to tsunami threats.”

    The drill received technical and operational support from a multi-national team of local and international disaster risk specialists. Leading the international contingent was Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Manager of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) International Tsunami Information Center Caribbean Office (ITIC-CAR). They were joined by Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch, Director at Risk Communications Agency Pacifico and a leading expert in risk communication and behavioural science, as well as Diego Voloschin, a videographer documenting the exercise for future training and outreach use.

    Local technical support was provided by members of the NODS team including Alvah Guishard, NODS’ GIS mapping specialist, and Daryl George, Project Officer in the NODS Project Management Unit. Additional support came from John Mussington, Chairman of the Barbuda Council and a dedicated consultant for the Barbuda Tsunami Ready initiative, alongside a number of other local technical specialists.

    Following the successful completion of the exercise, NODS issued formal statements thanking the leadership, teaching staff, and student bodies of both participating schools for their energetic participation and commitment to building a local culture of safety and disaster resilience. The agency also extended gratitude to Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education for its ongoing backing of the Tsunami Ready initiative.