Carib Scope

标签： Dominica

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  • Acting Sergeant Dion Moses presents discipline award at Petite Savanne Primary graduation

    Acting Sergeant Dion Moses presents discipline award at Petite Savanne Primary graduation

    On July 1, 2026, the graduation and annual awards ceremony of Petite Savanne Primary School in Dominica hosted a special recognition segment led by a local law enforcement officer, highlighting an ongoing partnership between the national police force and island educational institutions.

    Acting Sergeant Dion Moses took to the stage during the event to present the inaugural Dion Moses Most Disciplined Student Award to graduating student Regev B. Bougouneau, who was selected for the honor out of all pupils at the school.

    As outlined in an official announcement shared to the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force’s public Facebook page, the award was created to celebrate students who maintain exceptionally high standards of conduct across an entire academic year. To earn the distinction, candidates must consistently show unwavering self-discipline, respect for peers and staff, a strong sense of personal responsibility, and behavior that serves as a model for other students throughout the school community.

    This awards presentation is not an isolated event, but a core component of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force’s wider Community Policing Programme. The program was developed with a clear dual mission: to build deeper, trust-based connections between local law enforcement teams and educational institutions across the island, and to create consistent, positive opportunities for police officers to engage with Dominica’s young population outside of traditional law enforcement contexts.

    In its statement, the police force emphasized that the long-term goal of this youth-focused initiative is to nurture strong moral character among school-aged children. By publicly celebrating positive behavior and outstanding conduct, organizers hope to inspire young Dominicans to practice intentional decision-making from an early age, empowering them to grow into engaged, responsible leaders who will contribute positively to their local communities in the years ahead.

    Along with recognizing Bougouneau’s achievement, the police force’s Facebook post extended formal congratulations to every graduating student of Petite Savanne Primary School’s 2026 class, wishing each cohort member smooth transitions and ongoing academic achievement as they advance to the next stage of their educational careers.

  • CARPHA launches regional emergency operations centre to strengthen Caribbean health security

    CARPHA launches regional emergency operations centre to strengthen Caribbean health security

    On July 3, 2026, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) formally launched the long-awaited Caribbean Regional Emergency Operations Centre (CREOC) during an official inauguration ceremony held at its headquarters in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. This landmark public health infrastructure initiative, funded by the European Union through the 11th European Development Fund’s Health Security Strengthening Programme, marks a major step forward in the Caribbean’s collective ability to confront cross-border public health risks.

    The opening ceremony was co-led by three key stakeholders: Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Health Dr. Lackram Bodoe, European Union Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Her Excellency Cécile Tassin, and CARPHA Executive Director Dr. Lisa Indar, underscoring the shared regional and international commitment to strengthening Caribbean health resilience. Designed to function as the central coordinating hub for public health emergency action across CARPHA’s 26 member states, the new facility fills a critical gap in the region’s disaster and outbreak response framework.

    Speaking at the event, Dr. Bodoe emphasized that health security is inherently a collective responsibility. “No single country, regardless of its available resources, can tackle the modern cross-border public health threats we face today alone,” he noted. “Our greatest strength comes from intentional partnership and regional collaboration.” Dr. Indar echoed this sentiment, pointing to the unique vulnerabilities of the Caribbean’s Small Island Developing States that make coordinated action non-negotiable. “Our economies, borders, and communities are deeply interconnected, which means any public health threat can spread across the entire region in a very short timeframe,” she explained. “This new operations centre will dramatically upgrade our capacity to detect threats early, align regional response efforts, and safeguard the health and well-being of all Caribbean people.”

    Ambassador Tassin framed the CREOC as more than just a physical facility—it is a tangible symbol of regional solidarity. “This Centre represents the Caribbean’s shared determination to work together, strengthen regional health security, and protect its people through collective preparedness and pooled expertise,” she said.

    The facility has been built and structured in full alignment with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Framework, and has earned a Type C classification—the highest operational ranking under the WHO’s global system. This classification enables the CREOC to coordinate large-scale, complex public health emergencies that span multiple countries, while also providing critical support to national emergency operations centres across the Caribbean.

    Powered by CARPHA’s custom-built Regional Integrated Early Warning Surveillance and Response System (RIEWSS), a tool tailored specifically to the Caribbean’s unique public health landscape, the centre leverages advanced surveillance technology to speed up early threat detection and improve situational awareness for decision-makers. When paired with standardized timeliness metrics and integrated multi-sector response mechanisms, the system is expected to cut response times and improve coordination between member states during crises. Beyond outbreak monitoring, the CREOC will serve as the central regional coordination point for ministries of health, national disaster management agencies, regional intergovernmental bodies, and international partner organizations. It will oversee deployment of specialized technical response teams, coordinate emergency logistics, lead region-wide risk communication efforts, and maintain a unified, real-time operating picture for all stakeholders during public health events.

    The development of the CREOC was directly shaped by hard-won lessons from recent regional crises. The COVID-19 pandemic, repeated large-scale dengue outbreaks, and climate-driven disasters including Hurricanes Melissa and Beryl all exposed critical gaps in fragmented regional coordination, creating a clear urgency for a dedicated central hub. To adapt to the full range of possible scenarios, the centre will operate under a flexible scalable activation model, ranging from routine daily surveillance and monitoring to full-scale regional emergency activation, allowing CARPHA to rapidly scale up coordination efforts as situations evolve.

    Moving forward, the CREOC will lead and support regional responses to a broad spectrum of public health emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks, severe weather events that carry public health risks, environmental and chemical incidents, mass gatherings, and any other emergency with regional or international public health implications. It will also support Caribbean countries in meeting their obligations under the International Health Regulations (2005) by strengthening regional surveillance systems, emergency coordination, operational readiness, and cross-border information management.

    For CARPHA, the inauguration of the Regional Emergency Operations Centre reflects the agency’s long-standing commitment to advancing regional health security and ensuring all Caribbean nations are better prepared to confront both existing and emerging public health threats in the years ahead.

  • Health Ministry issues Ebola travel advisory, strengthens border screening

    Health Ministry issues Ebola travel advisory, strengthens border screening

    The Dominican Ministry of Health, Wellness and Social Services has activated heightened public health protections against the Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease (EBVD), issuing an official travel advisory and ramping up screening protocols at all of the island nation’s points of entry amid growing cases in Central Africa.

    Under the new guidance, Dominica is strongly discouraging Dominican residents and travelers from making non-essential trips to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the two countries where confirmed EBVD cases have already been documented by public health officials. For journeys to additional African nations flagged by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) as facing elevated transmission risk, the ministry is urging prospective travelers to conduct a rigorous assessment of trip necessity, and to adhere strictly to public health guidance issued by local health authorities, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Africa CDC.

    As a core component of the country’s preemptive preparedness strategy, enhanced health surveillance systems have been rolled out across every port of entry, including airports, seaports, and land border crossings. All travelers arriving from or transiting through affected regions will be required to complete additional screening steps, including detailed travel history checks and targeted risk evaluations to identify potential exposure.

    Based on the outcome of individual risk assessments, travelers who are determined to have had high levels of exposure to the virus may be mandated to complete public health monitoring, quarantine, or isolation for a period of up to 21 days, aligned with established national public health protocols for viral hemorrhagic fevers. The advisory also extends guidance to recent returnees from affected countries, urging all individuals who have traveled to high-risk zones to actively monitor their own health for a 21-day period following arrival back in Dominica.

    For anyone who develops EBVD-compatible symptoms within this window – which include fever, extreme muscle weakness, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and unexplained bleeding or bruising – the ministry advises immediate self-isolation. Symptoms should not lead to unannounced visits to healthcare facilities; instead, affected individuals must contact local public health officials by phone first to receive structured, safe guidance for care.

    Beyond travel-focused precautions, the ministry has reminded the general public of core preventive hygiene practices that reduce the risk of any viral infection, including frequent and proper hand hygiene, avoiding direct contact with other people’s blood or bodily fluids, steering clear of individuals displaying visible EBVD symptoms, and limiting exposure to wild animal reservoirs of the virus, particularly bats and non-human primates that are known to carry Ebola strains.

    To coordinate an effective, data-driven response, the Dominican ministry said it is maintaining close, ongoing collaboration with regional and global public health partners, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), WHO, and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). These partnerships support continuous real-time monitoring of the global outbreak trajectory and ongoing capacity building to strengthen Dominica’s domestic preparedness infrastructure.

    In a reassuring note to the public, ministry officials emphasized that the current risk of EBVD being introduced to Dominica remains low. The intensified preparedness measures are being implemented out of an abundance of caution, to prevent introduction and rapid spread if the virus does reach the island. Officials also urged the public to only seek information from official sources, including the Ministry of Health and accredited international public health agencies, to avoid misinformation about the outbreak and response.

  • Acting Corporal Steven Celestine completes international maritime security training

    Acting Corporal Steven Celestine completes international maritime security training

    A rising member of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) has marked a key milestone for the island nation’s maritime security capabilities, graduating from one of the world’s leading specialized training programs focused on the legal frameworks of maritime safety operations.

    Acting Corporal Steven Celestine successfully wrapped up the 2026 iteration of the Legal Aspect of Maritime Security Operations (LAMSO) course, an intensive four-week educational initiative run by the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies at the Defense Security Cooperation University. Held from May 22 through June 18 this year, the program brought together 23 national delegations, creating a collaborative space for maritime security professionals from across the globe to exchange knowledge and build cross-border partnerships.

    Unlike generic maritime training courses, the LAMSO program was intentionally designed to meet the needs of frontline practitioners and leaders working in the maritime security space: it caters specifically to military commanders, in-house legal advisors, active maritime law enforcement personnel, and civilian experts whose work touches on ocean governance and security. Over the course of the month, participants dove deep into the complex international legal architecture that regulates both military activities and civilian maritime law enforcement operations at sea. Trainees also analyzed U.S. maritime law enforcement regulations and procedural frameworks, exploring how these models could be adapted to strengthen operational capacity in their home jurisdictions.

    Core curriculum topics spanned critical areas of maritime governance, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, standardized rules of engagement for security operations, the long-standing international law of armed conflict, and legal protocols for coordinating humanitarian assistance and disaster relief responses in maritime settings.

    In an official statement announcing Celestine’s completion of the program, CDPF leadership emphasized that the achievement reflects the force’s sustained, long-term investment in professional development for its ranks. The organization also noted that expanding training opportunities like this aligns with two core strategic priorities: growing collaborative international partnerships in the maritime security space, and upgrading Dominica’s overall ability to secure its territorial waters and coastal communities.

    Closing the statement, CDPF extended formal congratulations to Celestine, noting that his commitment to professional excellence brings significant pride to both the police force and the entire Commonwealth of Dominica.

  • Voter ID card issuance set to begin by end of July, says Skerrit

    Voter ID card issuance set to begin by end of July, says Skerrit

    The Caribbean nation of Dominica is on track to begin distributing official voter identification cards before July draws to a close, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit confirmed during a press briefing with reporters Thursday.

    The rollout marks a critical turning point for the country’s multi-year electoral modernization initiative, Skerrit explained, shifting the process from legislative drafting to tangible on-the-ground implementation. For years, the government has held extensive consultations with a broad range of stakeholders: national political parties, domestic civil society groups, and regional and international electoral experts, to craft a framework to update Dominica’s voting system. That work culminated in unanimous parliamentary approval of new electoral reform legislation, and the administration is now delivering on the policy commitments laid out in that bill.

    “Voter ID issuance starting before the end of this month is another important milestone for our reform process,” Skerrit told journalists. This progress comes amid sustained public pushback from critics, including Gregor Nassief, owner of Secret Bay resort, and the Dominica Business Forum, both of which have questioned the Electoral Reform Commission’s capacity to independently and effectively oversee the full rollout of reform measures.

    Despite the criticism, Skerrit affirmed that the process is moving forward on schedule. He noted that the ruling Dominica Labour Party has already launched outreach to its supporters, urging them to participate in the ongoing voter confirmation process that precedes ID distribution. The prime minister stressed that protecting and strengthening the country’s democratic institutions is not the responsibility of any single political group, calling on all parties, civic associations, and community organizations to join the effort to drive up participation.

    “I again encourage every eligible Dominican who has not yet finished their voter confirmation to complete the process without delay,” Skerrit said. “This is a collective duty and responsibility for all of us.” He added that actions taken outside the official structured reform process cannot contribute to meaningful democratic strengthening, noting that the entire initiative is designed explicitly to reinforce the integrity of Dominica’s electoral system for all citizens.

  • The UWI announces fourth OneUWI postgraduate student conference

    The UWI announces fourth OneUWI postgraduate student conference

    As a leading higher education institution focused on addressing regional challenges through cutting-edge scholarship, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has announced plans to host its fourth annual OneUWI Postgraduate Student Conference from November 18 to 21, 2026. This long-running event is designed to showcase high-impact postgraduate research that targets the most pressing social, economic, environmental and public health issues facing the Caribbean region.

    The upcoming 2026 conference will carry the central theme “Advancing Knowledge, Shaping Futures: Research, Innovation, and Impact Across the Caribbean and Beyond.” The announcement of the fourth conference coincides with the university recognizing 14 outstanding postgraduate students whose research presentations were selected as the top entries from the event’s third iteration.

    The third annual conference faced scheduling delays, having originally been slated for November 2025 before being postponed to a virtual format held January 20 to 22, 2026. Despite the shift to an online setting, the event drew more than 600 registered participants from across the region and beyond, and featured 51 individual research presentations spanning a diverse array of topic areas critical to Caribbean development: public healthcare, climate change resilience, governance systems, educational access and improvement, and cross-sector sustainable development.

    The 14 award-winning presenters, selected based on their work’s originality, academic rigor, and direct alignment with the Caribbean’s core development priorities, recently received their awards, including electronic gift vouchers and other commemorative prizes. The honorees and their research topics span multiple UWI campuses and academic faculties, covering everything from clinical public health to economic policy, climate vulnerability, and cultural education:
    – Dr. Li-Shann Paul Mullings, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Mona Campus: *Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Infants with Urinary Tract Infections and Concomitant Cerebrospinal Fluid Pleocytosis: A Single-centre Retrospective Study*
    – Dr. Griffin Benjamin Jr., Faculty of Medical Sciences, Cave Hill Campus: *Primary Care Patients Awareness Toward Medicinal Cannabis in Barbados*
    – Rhonda Rattansingh, Faculty of Social Sciences, St. Augustine Campus: *The Impact of Uni Sensory and Multi Sensory Semantic Cue Congruence on Online Consumer Product Attitude*
    – Dr. Gabrielle Boyce, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Cave Hill Campus: *Sociodemographic and Health Characteristics of Elderly People Referred to Public Long Term Health Care Facilities in Barbados*
    – Shara Williams Lue, Faculty of Social Sciences, Mona Campus: *Workplace Support for Retirement in Jamaica: A Resource Based Dynamic Perspective*
    – Gopiechand Boodhan, Faculty of Social Sciences, St. Augustine Campus: *A Proximity Analysis of Communities at Risk from Landfill Air Pollutants – A Study of the Beetham, Forres Park and Guanapo Landfill Sites*
    – René Henry, Faculty of Social Sciences, Global Campus: *An Exploration of Perspectives on Programme Diversification in a Tertiary Institution in Anguilla, 2019–2023*
    – Dhanielle Smith, Faculty of Social Sciences, St. Augustine Campus: *A Living Wage for Trinidad and Tobago*
    – Dr. Deepak Ramsingh, Faculty of Medical Sciences, St. Augustine Campus: *The Role of Ki 67 in the Prognosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review*
    – Mrs. Cynanie Sawyers Haylett, Faculty of Social Sciences, Mona Campus: *An Investigation of the Learning Organisation and Psycho Socio Cultural Predictors of Institutional Effectiveness in Three Jamaican Higher Education Institutions*
    – Mrs. Meera Mahase Forgonie, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, St. Augustine Campus: *Household Dietary Diversity and Associated Socioeconomic Factors: The Case of Three Rural Communities in Southeast Trinidad During COVID 19*
    – Mr. Jody Brown, Faculty of Humanities and Education, Mona Campus: *Promoting Nutritional Wellbeing through Indigenous Food Systems in Caribbean Households (Home Economics Focus)*
    – Ms. Kendria Ferguson, Faculty of Social Sciences, Mona Campus: *Intersecting Vulnerabilities and Socio-Economic Drivers of Household Impact in Post Hurricane Dorian Bahamas*
    – Mr. Noor ud din Mohammed, Faculty of Humanities and Education, St. Augustine Campus: *Translanguaging for Creole Education: A Caribbean Centered Approach*

    The January 2026 virtual conference opened with formal remarks from UWI’s Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, and featured guest presentations from an international cohort of experts: Nadine Bushell of Lions Clubs International, Rodolpho Gonçalves da Silva of Brazil’s UNESP, and Indian sustainability entrepreneur Ishaan Sudan. Collectively, their talks centered on resilience, cross-border innovation, youth leadership, and community service as foundational pillars for tackling shared global and regional challenges.

    Reflecting on the exceptional quality of research showcased at the third conference, Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies and Research (SGSR), emphasized that the presentations showcased the high caliber of postgraduate work across all UWI campuses, and highlighted the clear, direct applicability of this research to real-world regional challenges. “These presentations demonstrate the exceptional quality of postgraduate research across The UWI and direct application to real-world challenges. They reflect a strong commitment to producing knowledge that matters to the Caribbean,” she noted.

    Professor Henry-Lee also extended gratitude to the full network of contributors that made the third conference a success, saying: “SGSR extends sincere appreciation to the Session Chairs, Session Discussants, Directors of Graduate Studies and Research, Postgraduate Student Representatives, Guild representatives, presenters, attendees, and organising team whose collective efforts contributed to the success of the conference.”

    Beyond academic programming, the third conference included a hands-on community outreach component held January 23, 2026, in Hanover, Jamaica. Postgraduate students partnered with local organizations to deliver emergency relief assistance to more than 200 families impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Organized in collaboration with the Lions Clubs of Jamaica and the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston, the relief effort underscored UWI’s longstanding commitment to community engagement, and will serve as a pilot program for the proposed UWI Give Back Day, scheduled to coincide with the fourth conference in November 2026.

    As the OneUWI Postgraduate Student Conference enters its fourth year, university officials confirm the event has cemented its role as a leading regional platform for early-career researchers to share work with both regional and global audiences. Preparations for the November 2026 conference are already well underway, with organizers anticipating the event will further strengthen postgraduate scholarship and cross-institutional collaboration across all five UWI campuses and their global partner institutions.

  • STATEMENT: CARICOM people continue to meet adversity with courage, new Chair says on CARICOM Day 2026

    STATEMENT: CARICOM people continue to meet adversity with courage, new Chair says on CARICOM Day 2026

    On July 3, 2026, ahead of CARICOM Day celebrations marking the 53rd anniversary of the Caribbean Community, newly appointed Chairman Philip J. Pierre—who also serves as Prime Minister of Saint Lucia—addressed regional citizens from the CARICOM Secretariat headquarters in Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana, laying out a bold vision for the bloc’s future amid a cascade of interconnected global challenges.

    The Caribbean region currently navigates an increasingly volatile global landscape defined by intensifying climate change impacts, persistent economic volatility, widespread food and energy security gaps, growing security threats, and a pressing demand to expand economic and social opportunities for youth. Despite these overlapping headwinds, Pierre emphasized that Caribbean people have repeatedly demonstrated extraordinary resilience, creativity, and courage in the face of adversity, traits that form the foundation of the community’s strength.

    Established 53 years ago, CARICOM has never been merely a bureaucratic intergovernmental institution, Pierre noted. Instead, it represents a core promise to the people of the region’s small island and coastal states: that collective action and shared purpose allow Caribbean nations to achieve far more than they could ever manage in isolation. When unified, the region’s people, distinct cultures, interconnected economies, and shared aspirations all grow stronger, he added.

    Against this backdrop, Pierre identified intentional, targeted renewal as the bloc’s top priority moving forward. The overarching goal of this renewal effort is to build a Caribbean Community that is stronger, more equitable, safer, and more prosperous—one that delivers tangible, tangible opportunities and measurable, meaningful progress to every community across the region.

    To deliver on this vision, Pierre outlined key priorities for the coming term: deepening ongoing regional integration efforts, upgrading regional transportation infrastructure and cross-border connectivity, shoring up long-term food and nutrition security, advancing implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy to unlock greater trade and labor mobility, accelerating widespread digital transformation across the bloc, fostering a culture of local innovation, and ensuring that every regional citizen can experience the tangible benefits of CARICOM membership in their daily lives.

    In a special appeal to the next generation, Pierre called on Caribbean young people to step into roles as leaders, innovators, and builders of the community’s future. “Our future will be shaped by your ideas, your creativity, your energy, and your belief in what we can achieve together,” he told youth across the region.

    Closing his anniversary message, Pierre urged all Caribbean citizens to reaffirm their commitment to CARICOM’s founding ideals: cross-border cooperation, collective solidarity, shared sustainable development, and unwavering respect for the dignity of every Caribbean person. He closed by extending well wishes to all regional citizens, calling for continued collaborative work to build a unified, resilient, inclusive, and future-ready community that works for every one of its members.

  • Rotary Club of Dominica installs new leadership, honors Charles Savarin with prestigious Paul Harris Fellow recognition

    Rotary Club of Dominica installs new leadership, honors Charles Savarin with prestigious Paul Harris Fellow recognition

    On June 27, 2026, the Rotary Club of Dominica launched its 2026–2027 service year at a formal investiture ceremony held at the St. Alphonsus Parish Hall, bringing together dozens of distinguished guests, community leaders, and club members to mark both a leadership transition and a celebration of decades of humanitarian impact across the island nation.

    The guest list for the annual ceremony included Dominica’s sitting head of state, President Her Excellency Sylvanie Burton, alongside her spouse, as well as former President Charles Angelo Savarin and his wife Clara Savarin, who were in attendance for a historic honor that would be bestowed later in the evening. Delivering the event’s keynote address was Dr. Kimone Joseph, head of the University of the West Indies Dominica Global Campus, who used her platform to uplift the organization’s decades-long work. In her remarks, Dr. Joseph urged Rotary members to keep centering community leadership through intentional service, challenging the group to continue crafting meaningful, long-term change for Dominica’s residents. She also commended the club for its steady contributions to national development across generations, delivered through hundreds of targeted, high-impact community projects.

    A core order of business for the ceremony was the formal installation of the club’s new leadership team for the 2026–2027 term. Paul Harris Fellow Cecil Shillingford was sworn in as the club’s new president, and he committed to building on the organization’s 100-plus year legacy of service while rolling out new programming tailored to address the shifting, evolving needs of communities across Dominica. Shillingford’s tenure will align with Rotary International’s 2026–2027 global theme, “Create Lasting Impact,” a guiding principle that will shape all of the club’s work in the coming year. The full 2026–2027 Board of Directors was also announced at the event: Annie Rosemary Edwards will serve as Vice President, Galeine Dianna Gordon-Seraphine as President-Elect, Dr. Jermaine Jewel Jean-Pierre as both Immediate Past President and Secretary, Katia Lazare-Pascal as Treasurer, Reverend Father Elton J. Letang as Foundation Chair, Michelle Joseph as Young Leaders Contact and Youth Services Chair, Bianca Payne as Membership Chair, Darin M. Grell as Public Image Chair, Gloria Tavernier as Club Administration Lead, Marie-Jose Edwards as Service Projects Chair, and Roslyn Sorhaindo as Sergeant-at-Arms.

    The undoubted highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Paul Harris Fellow recognition to former President Charles Angelo Savarin. This honor stands as one of the highest distinctions awarded by Rotary International, bestowed only on individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary service to humanity and whose contributions have created enduring public good. The club selected Savarin for the award in recognition of his decades of distinguished public service to Dominica, steady leadership through national challenges, and unwavering dedication to advancing the country’s growth and development. His career and personal values, the club noted, perfectly align with Rotary’s global mission of upholding integrity, advancing leadership, and prioritizing service to others.

    Outgoing president Dr. Jermaine Jewel Jean-Pierre, a Paul Harris Fellow herself, also took the stage to reflect on the organization’s highly successful 2025–2026 term. She highlighted the wide range of community service projects completed over the previous year, and extended gratitude to the club’s board, committee chairs, rank-and-file members, corporate sponsors, community partners, and volunteer supporters who made those achievements possible. She reaffirmed that Rotary’s ongoing success across decades is rooted in its core founding principle: Service Above Self.

    In additional awards presented during the ceremony, Rotarian Jasmine Timothy, a Paul Harris Fellow, was named Rotarian of the Year for 2025–2026. The award recognized Timothy’s extraordinary dedication to the club, consistent commitment to community service, and outstanding contributions to the organization’s work over the past term.

    As the new term gets underway, the Rotary Club of Dominica has outlined clear priorities aligned with the “Create Lasting Impact” theme. In the coming year, the club will continue expanding its humanitarian service across the island, with targeted projects focused on expanding educational access, advancing environmental protection, improving public health outcomes, and strengthening community resilience for all Dominicans.

  • PM Skerrit leaves for regional meetings today

    PM Skerrit leaves for regional meetings today

    Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has revealed his upcoming travel schedule this weekend, which will take him to two Caribbean nations for high-stakes regional diplomatic gatherings. Speaking at a press briefing held on Thursday, Skerrit outlined that his first stop will be Martinique on the same day of the announcement, where he will join fellow regional leaders for talks centered on a broad range of pressing shared issues.

    Among the core topics set for discussion in Martinique are disaster preparedness frameworks, long-term climate resilience, cross-regional transportation infrastructure, public safety and security coordination, public health cooperation, and initiatives to drive sustainable development across the Caribbean. A key segment of the Martinique gathering will be a joint session of the Caribbean Regional Security Conference, where leaders will tackle evolving security threats that impact the entire region. These challenges include strengthening border management, boosting cyber defense capabilities, enhancing disaster-related resilience, shoring up food and energy supply chains, and safeguarding regional democratic institutions, Skerrit explained.

    Following the Martinique meetings, the Prime Minister will travel to Gros Islet, St. Lucia, to take part in the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). At this flagship regional summit, heads of government from across the bloc will deliberate on a wide slate of critical priorities that shape the future of the Caribbean. The agenda includes deepening security cooperation, advancing food protection strategies, scaling up climate resilience work, expanding access to renewable energy, improving integrated regional transportation, pushing forward economic integration across the bloc, reviewing the latest political and humanitarian developments in Haiti, and expanding opportunities for youth development across member states.

    Skerrit highlighted that the rising cost of living has placed significant strain on every CARICOM member state, a challenge that will take up a substantial portion of discussion during the St. Lucia summit. He noted that preliminary talks by the relevant subcommittee on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy have already laid the groundwork for focused conversation on this issue, which impacts everyday citizens across the region.

    The Prime Minister reaffirmed Dominica’s ongoing commitment to advocating for practical, region-wide solutions that strengthen collective resilience, deepen economic and political integration across the Caribbean, and deliver tangible improvements to the quality of life for all people in member states.

  • Alwin Bully Foundation to host public forum on strengthening Dominica’s creative industries

    Alwin Bully Foundation to host public forum on strengthening Dominica’s creative industries

    As small island nations around the globe increasingly turn to creative industries as a driver of both cultural identity and economic growth, the Alwin Bully Foundation (ABF) Inc. has launched a new initiative to spark actionable progress for Dominica’s arts and cultural community. The non-profit, which carries forward the decades-long legacy of cultural champion Dr. Alwin Bully, has opened invitations to local artists, cultural workers and interested members of the public to attend a upcoming public panel discussion focused on expanding and strengthening the country’s creative economy.

    Scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 8 at 7:00 PM local time, the discussion will be hosted at the UWI Global Campus in Roseau, with the campus’ Dominican branch providing on-the-ground support for the event. Centered on the timely theme “Building a Sustainable Arts and Cultural Industries Sector in Dominica,” the panel brings together a diverse cross-section of voices from across the country’s creative landscape to ensure a broad, nuanced conversation.

    In an official press release from the foundation, ABF Chairman Severin McKenzie framed the discussion as a timely response to shifting global and local attitudes toward cultural work. Across the world, governments and development organizations are increasingly recognizing that arts and culture do more than preserve national identity—they also act as a robust platform for inclusive social and economic advancement. This growing recognition has created a unique opening for Dominica to refine its approach to supporting its creative sector, and the foundation is eager to center community voices in that process.

    McKenzie, an architect and former assistant artistic director of the People’s Action Theatre who will also serve as the panel’s moderator, emphasized that the forum aligns with the foundation’s core mission. The organization is dedicated to advocating for stronger policy frameworks and evidence-based best practices to nurture a dynamic, inclusive cultural sector across Dominica. Beyond that, the initiative directly carries forward the vision of the late Dr. Alwin Bully, whose lifelong contributions to Dominican art and culture continue to guide the foundation’s work to position culture as a core driver of national and regional progress.

    To ensure the conversation draws from multiple decades of experience and emerging perspectives, the panel features four industry leaders representing different corners of the creative economy. The lineup includes Raymond Lawrence, a former Chief Cultural Officer, veteran media professional, celebrated dancer, choreographer and long-standing dance advocacy leader; Ian Jackson, a multi-disciplinary creative whose work spans poetry, calypso, songwriting, music production and radio broadcasting; Anita Bully, a seasoned cultural industries consultant and former Film Commissioner for Dominica; and Dylan Registe, an emerging young actor who also serves as First Vice-President of the National Youth Council of Dominica.

    Over the course of the public session, panelists will walk through the evolution of Dominica’s arts and cultural landscape, unpacking the long-standing systemic challenges that have held back growth while highlighting untapped opportunities to build a more resilient creative economy. Attendees can expect discussions of actionable, practical strategies to build a more interconnected, supportive creative ecosystem that can sustain a modern, globally competitive cultural industries sector.

    This panel discussion forms one part of the Alwin Bully Foundation’s broader ongoing program to uplift Dominica’s creative community. The foundation’s core priorities include strengthening professional capacity for local cultural practitioners, encouraging deeper collaboration across different creative sub-sectors, and creating consistent spaces for open, meaningful dialogue about the future of Dominican arts.

    Organizers have emphasized that all artists, cultural workers and interested members of the general public are welcome to attend. High community turnout, they note, not only enriches the quality of the discussion, but also creates space to build long-lasting cross-sector partnerships that will deliver tangible benefits to Dominica’s creative industries for years to come.