Carib Scope

标签： Grenada

格林纳达

  • Mighty Sparrow, Grenada-born Calypso King, dies at 91

    Mighty Sparrow, Grenada-born Calypso King, dies at 91

    The global Caribbean cultural community is mourning the passing of iconic calypso artist Slinger Francisco, universally known by his stage name The Mighty Sparrow, who died at the age of 91. In a formal statement shared by his family, Francisco passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at his home in New York following a short illness. He was surrounded by close family and loved ones in his final moments.

    Born in July 1935 in the quiet village of Grand Roy, St John, Grenada, Francisco moved to Trinidad and Tobago at the age of two, settling in the Port of Spain neighbourhood of Laventille, where his artistic journey first took root. As a young boy, he cut his musical teeth singing in his school choir before joining a local community steelband, where his electric stage presence and natural charisma earned him the early nickname “Little Sparrow” — a moniker that would evolve into the legendary stage name that captured the imagination of generations: The Mighty Sparrow.

    Francisco rose to prominence as a defining force in calypso music in the 1950s, claiming both the coveted Calypso Monarch and Road March titles in 1956 for his breakout hit “Jean and Dinah”, a track that remains one of the most celebrated works of his early career. Over a seven-decade-long career, he would go on to win both of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival’s most prestigious awards eight times each, cementing his status as the most decorated artist in the history of the island nation’s Carnival tradition.

    Unlike many performers of his era, Francisco never limited his craft to pure entertainment. Blending sharp satire, disarming wit, and incisive social observation, he used calypso as a platform to examine pressing issues including colonial politics, racial justice, regional social change, interpersonal relationships, and the everyday rhythms of Caribbean life. His sprawling discography includes dozens of enduring classics, from “Dan Is the Man” and “Congo Man” to “Slave”, “Obeah Wedding”, and “Doh Back Back”. His work carried the distinct cadence, humour, and unfiltered perspective of Caribbean society to audiences far beyond the region, turning calypso from a local folk tradition into a globally recognized art form.

    The Caribbean Community (Caricom) has highlighted that Francisco’s legacy is deeply rooted in both of his home nations: his birthplace Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago, where he built his iconic career. The regional bloc described him as one of the Caribbean’s most beloved entertainers, incisive social commentators, and effective cultural ambassadors, who played a central role in shaping a distinct cross-national Caribbean identity recognized across the globe. His many honours include Trinidad and Tobago’s highest civilian award, the Chaconia Gold Medal, an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of the West Indies, and the Order of the Caribbean Community, which recognized him as “a celebrant, chantwell, warrior, prophet, [and] satirist” for his contributions to global Caribbean culture.

    For Grenada, Francisco’s passing marks the loss of one of its most internationally celebrated cultural figures, who never strayed from his Grenadian roots despite building his career abroad. For generations of Caribbean people at home and in the diaspora, his music formed the soundtrack of Carnival, community gatherings, and everyday life — capable of getting crowds laughing, dancing, and singing, while also pushing audiences to confront hard truths about regional society.

    In their tribute, Francisco’s family remembered him not only as a legendary artist but as a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, life partner, and friend. They also shared that in his final days, Francisco embraced Christianity and was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist faith.

    Since news of his death broke, tributes have poured in across the Caribbean and the global music community, honoring a artist whose life mirrored the creativity, complexity, and migratory history of the Caribbean itself. As the Caribbean grieves the loss of a voice that defined seven decades of regional culture, his work will continue to resonate with audiences for generations to come.

  • Conch Shell: 4 October

    Conch Shell: 4 October

    After months of public debate and behind-the-scenes political preparation, Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has put a definitive timeline on one of the country’s most pressing political questions: the official date of the next general election will be revealed to the public on 4 October.

    Mitchell shared the news Friday evening at a rally for his ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) held in Perdmontemps, St David, telling cheering supporters that the official announcement would come during an event in St Mark, where the traditional conch shell — a symbolic call to political action — would be blown. Crucially, the prime minister clarified that 4 October marks the date of the announcement itself, not the date of the general election.

    The announcement arrives at a moment when political parties across Grenada have been ramping up campaign preparations, and public discussion of the election timeline has dominated social media and community conversations across the island nation. The last general election in Grenada was held in June 2022, when 69.49% of registered voters — a total of 60,853 people — cast ballots. In that contest, the NDC secured a majority, winning 9 of the 15 available parliamentary seats, while the long-dominant New National Party (NNP) took the remaining 6.

    Under Grenada’s constitution, parliament serves a five-year term unless dissolved early. The Governor-General has the authority to dissolve parliament, typically acting on the prime minister’s advice, and a general election must be held within three months of dissolution. This constitutional framework has left room for widespread speculation that an election could be called well before the 2027 deadline, a view echoed by senior leaders of smaller opposition parties.

    Deputy Political Leader of the Democratic People’s Movement (DPM) Arley Gill, an attorney who will run as the party’s candidate for St John in the upcoming vote, says the surge in on-the-ground political activity confirms an early election is on the horizon. He points to the growing flood of public and social media discussion focused on when Mitchell will make the long-awaited election date announcement as further evidence of an imminent vote.

    External political analysts, however, have offered a more nuanced reading of the current political climate. Peter Wickham, a respected Barbadian political analyst and pollster, argues that while Mitchell’s inner circle is pushing the prime minister to move quickly to call an election, Dickon Mitchell himself has not shown the same sense of urgency. “I feel that he’s being pushed by all those around him to appear to be ready and to move in that direction… my sense is that I don’t know that there’s a lot of urgency on his part, but I believe that he’s being pushed in that direction,” Wickham told local media outlets earlier this week.

    Wickham also noted that Grenada’s economy is in a weaker position today than it was when Mitchell took office in June 2022, pointing to headwinds from global political instability, including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as a major external drag on the island’s economic performance. When assessing the opposition’s prospects, Wickham added that the main opposition NNP faces steep structural challenges heading into the vote, while the newer DPM has a far lower bar to shape the country’s political future. Unlike established parties that need to win a majority to gain power, Wickham argued, the DPM only needs to pose a credible threat to one or two major parties to shift national political conversations.

    On social media, speculation has grown that the NDC could aim to turn its current 9-seat majority into a historic full sweep of all 15 parliamentary seats, though that remains unconfirmed speculation for now. Away from party headquarters and social media threads, ordinary Grenadians hold a wide range of views on the upcoming election, from urgent calls for an immediate vote to total disengagement from politics.

    In informal conversations with everyday residents, perspectives varied widely. One sidewalk vendor said she hoped the election would be called as soon as possible, rooted not in partisan loyalty but in the harsh daily realities of making a living: “It could call tomorrow, please God, because the place tough and bad and rough.” Another vendor shrugged off the question, saying she does not vote, while another resident said he chooses not to participate in politics at all. A passer-by offered a neutral assessment, saying “It’s going good so far. I don’t have any issues. I’m just a neutral guy.” Other residents offered a range of possible timelines, from November this year to early 2025.

    These varied responses underscore the wide spectrum of political engagement across Grenada, from closely tuned partisan followers to completely detached residents who prioritize daily life over electoral politics.

    At his Friday rally, the prime minister officially kicked off his party’s campaign for a second term, framing the election as a choice between going backward or moving forward. He pledged that if returned to power, the NDC would continue its “progressive policies supporting and protecting workers’ rights” and said he wanted his party to return to parliament with greater strength and public confidence.

    Mitchell also added a striking personal dimension to the campaign, sharing his goal to “sanitise” and “redeem” the Mitchell name across Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. His comments come in the context of the political legacy of his predecessor and namesake, former Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell, who has retired from electoral politics. Dr Keith Mitchell stepped down as NNP leader and Leader of the Opposition, with Emmalin Pierre now holding both roles.

    Dickon Mitchell told supporters he wanted to leave no question that there is not just “a good Mitchell” leading the country, but “the best Mitchell,” framing his tenure as a chance to redefine the family name for the next five years. The personal remark adds an extra layer to a campaign that is already shaping up to center on the NDC’s two-year governing record, opposition policy alternatives, and the pocketbook issues that matter most to ordinary voters.

    Now that the date of the election announcement is set, the focus of Grenadian politics is shifting. For the ruling NDC, the immediate task is to solidify its case for a new mandate. For opposition parties, it is to refine their alternative platforms and mobilize their base. For voters, the coming weeks will bring competing visions for the country’s future, once the official election date is revealed.

    After 4 October, when the conch shell blows as promised, the countdown to voting day will officially begin, and the national conversation will shift from when Grenadians will go to the polls to what they will be voting for. The countdown to announcement day is already underway.

  • World Contraception Day: 26 September

    World Contraception Day: 26 September

    As September ushers in a series of global observances focused on sexual and reproductive health — including World Sexual Health Day on September 4 and International Safe Abortion Day on September 28 — reproductive health advocates from Grenada are using this year’s World Contraception Day (WCD) to push for urgent policy change around contraceptive access. This year’s WCD theme, “No Barriers, Just Choices: Contraceptive Access Now,” highlights a long-simmering regional debate that reignited last year over whether teenagers should be allowed to access reproductive healthcare without requiring parental consent. Advocates argue that current policy prioritizes parental control over adolescent well-being, a mismatch that is contributing to devastating public health outcomes across the Caribbean.

    WCD’s core mission is to raise public awareness about the critical importance of reliable contraceptive access, disseminate evidence-based scientific information about different contraceptive options, and counter harmful misinformation that often discourages responsible use. To fulfill that mission, WCD outlines five primary categories of contraception for public education: barrier methods such as condoms and diaphragms; hormonal methods including birth control pills and injections; long-acting reversible contraceptives like intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants; permanent options such as vasectomy and tubal ligation; and emergency contraception, which can prevent pregnancy up to 72 to 120 hours after unprotected intercourse.

    Advocates emphasize that expanding contraceptive access is a direct solution to reducing abortion rates, because unintended pregnancy is the leading cause of abortion. By increasing consistent contraceptive use, communities can cut rates of unplanned pregnancy and, in turn, reduce the number of abortions. The real public health crisis, they argue, is unplanned pregnancy, not abortion itself — and regional data bears this out. Among women seeking care at Caribbean public health clinics, 80% report that their most recent pregnancy was unplanned, and 37% of those unplanned pregnancies end in abortion. Most alarmingly, 81% of women who have had an abortion reported having their first abortion as a teenager, and 59% of those first abortions occurred before the age of 16 — a statistic that points to high rates of statutory rape in the region.

    These stark numbers expose the failure of current policy around the Age of Civil Legal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill, which currently creates a harmful disconnect between existing law and on-the-ground social reality. Advocates argue that lowering the age of legal access to contraception without parental consent to 16 is merely a first step to closing an absurd legal gap between the age of consent for sexual activity and access to reproductive healthcare. To address the regional reality of early sexual debut, advocates say there should be no age-based barriers to contraceptive access, and policymakers should trust the professional judgment of healthcare workers to provide appropriate care.

    The Caribbean currently faces two of the most alarming reproductive health statistics in the world: it has the highest abortion rate globally and the second-earliest average age of sexual debut. Compounding this crisis is an illogical legal inconsistency: while the law requires parental consent for contraceptive access for anyone under 18, children as young as 7 can be held criminally responsible for their actions in Grenada. Advocates question why there is an 11-year gap between the age of criminal responsibility and the age of civil legal responsibility for accessing reproductive healthcare, calling for immediate action to align law with public health needs.

    This open letter was organized by Dr. Tonia Frame, President of the Grenada Planned Parenthood Association (GPPA), Trustee of the Caribbean Family Planning Affiliation (CFPA), and Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at St George’s University, and Dr. Fred Nunes, founder of Advocates for Safe Parenthood: Improving Reproductive Equity (ASPIRE) and advisor to both CFPA and GPPA. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of NOW Grenada.

  • Traffic arrangements: Sunday, 27 Sept at St Paul’s

    Traffic arrangements: Sunday, 27 Sept at St Paul’s

    Grenada’s law enforcement agency has announced a series of temporary traffic regulations that will reshape travel patterns around St Paul’s, St George, to accommodate an upcoming political rally organized by the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Scheduled to take place on Sunday, 27 September 2026, the public event will prompt sweeping changes to normal road usage that will last more than eight hours, starting as early as 4 p.m. and remaining in place through midnight.

    The Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF), which issued the official advisory targeting all motorists traveling through the area, outlined clear, zone-specific rules to streamline crowd movement and prevent transit gridlock during the rally. One of the most impactful changes is a partial closure of St Paul’s Main Road: all vehicles heading north toward the St Paul’s Police Station, starting from the road’s junction with Mardigras public road (also called Greens), will be blocked from accessing that stretch of pavement.

    For affected drivers, the RGPF has established official diversion routes that redirect all through traffic onto either St Paul’s Main Road via Mardigras, or Perdmontemps Main Road. To further organize flow, the segment of St Paul’s Main Road running from the intersection near St Paul’s Police Station back to the Mardigras public road (Greens) junction will convert to a one-way roadway, with all traffic required to travel in the direction of St George’s.

    Additional restricted entry zones have also been put in place to avoid congestion. At the intersection of Good Hope and St Paul’s Main Road, Good Hope will function as a one-way road, permitting traffic only from the direction of Mardigras. At the junction of Mardigras and Good Hope, motorists will be strictly prohibited from traveling along Mardigras Road to exit onto St Paul’s Main Road (Greens).

    To free up roadside space for event attendees and emergency access, the RGPF has also marked multiple no-parking zones that will be enforced for the duration of the traffic adjustments. These restricted areas include the entire stretch of St Paul’s Public Road running from the Mardigras public road intersection through to the La Borie junction; the left-hand side of Mardigras public road facing the direction of St George’s; and the left side of St Paul’s Public Road from the Mardigras public road intersection to the area near St Paul’s Station, heading toward Perdmontemps.

    For attendees planning to drive to the rally, designated parking areas have been set aside to accommodate different groups. Cabinet ministers and other official government attendees will be assigned parking space within the yard of St Paul’s Government School. General attendees and members of the public may park along open roadways outside of the designated no-parking zones, as well as throughout the Hill Crest area.

    In closing its official advisory issued through the Office of Community Relations, the RGPF extended a public apology for any disruptions or delays the temporary arrangements may cause for local residents and regular commuters, and said it expects full cooperation from all road users during the event.

    This advisory was distributed by NOW Grenada, which notes that it does not take responsibility for opinions, statements or third-party contributed content shared through its platform, and provides a channel for users to report any abusive content.

  • National Bus Association: Travel notice for commuters

    National Bus Association: Travel notice for commuters

    Commuters across Grenada are being advised to adjust their travel plans drastically for Monday, September 28, 2026, as the National Bus Association has announced widespread service reductions starting at 7 p.m. to accommodate an emergency gathering of local bus operators.

    The emergency meeting has been called to address a series of deepening challenges that have threatened both the personal livelihoods of working bus operators and the long-term viability of the country’s wider public transportation network. Industry leaders have not yet specified the full nature of the challenges, but confirm the gathering will provide a space for operators to lay out their pressing concerns and collectively negotiate a clear path forward to stabilize the sector.

    In a public advisory released this week, the association has strongly urged all regular passengers to rearrange their daily schedules to arrive at their destinations early, prioritizing safe travel home before the 7 p.m. service cut-off goes into effect. Very limited bus services will be available after the cut-off time, meaning last-minute travel plans will almost certainly be disrupted. Transport officials are reminding commuters to plan their routes and departure times well in advance, rather than waiting until the day of the meeting to make arrangements.

    The National Bus Association has issued a formal apology for the unavoidable inconvenience this temporary service reduction will cause for residents and visitors alike. It also expressed sincere gratitude to the travelling public for their ongoing patience, understanding, and cooperation as operators work to resolve the systemic issues facing the industry.

    This advisory comes via content contributed to NOW Grenada, which notes that it does not take responsibility for the opinions, statements, and third-party content shared by contributors to its platform. Users who encounter abusive content related to this announcement are invited to use the platform’s built-in reporting tool to flag violations.

  • Traffic arrangements: Woodlands, St George

    Traffic arrangements: Woodlands, St George

    Drivers across Grenada are adjusting their travel plans after the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) announced major traffic adjustments along a busy stretch of Woodlands Public Road, set to roll out next year to accommodate critical pipeline upgrades by the National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA). The changes, which will go into effect starting Monday, September 28, 2026, will remain in place for an estimated three months as crews work to replace and expand water infrastructure from Woodlands Public Road toward Sugar Mill. Under the new traffic scheme, only one direction of travel will be open through the work zone: all vehicles will be permitted to move only from Grand Anse Valley toward the Woodlands and Springs areas. Motorists heading from Springs toward the work zone will face full access restrictions and will be required to take an alternate designated route to reach their destinations. To prevent illegal entry into the restricted corridor, a permanent “No Entry” sign will be installed at the Woodlands Junction, barring all vehicles from entering the work area from that access point. The daily operating hours of the traffic restrictions vary by day of the week to balance construction progress with community travel needs: from Monday through Thursday, the one-way system will be in effect between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., while on Fridays restrictions will end earlier at 3 p.m. Weekend restrictions will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturdays and Sundays. RGPF officials note that the schedule is not rigid: as construction phases shift, the affected roadway may see temporary full closures or intermittent reopenings to accommodate work milestones. The department is urging all motorists to remain alert when traveling near the project site, follow all posted signage and instructions from on-site traffic officers, and build extra travel time into their routines or plan alternative routes well in advance of any trips through the area. In a statement released via the Office of Community Relations, the RGPF issued an apology to residents, commuters, and businesses for any disruptions or inconvenience the traffic changes may cause over the three-month project period, and added that the force counts on the full cooperation and understanding of the Grenadian public as the critical infrastructure work moves forward. This public advisory was published by NOW Grenada, which notes that it is not liable for the content of statements released by contributing government agencies, and invites users to report any abusive content via the platform’s official reporting channel.

  • FoodHub Grenada’s Reading Programme Calendar

    FoodHub Grenada’s Reading Programme Calendar

    Across the Caribbean island of Grenada, a local food industry leader is turning corporate social responsibility into tangible, heartwarming impact for the island’s youngest learners. FoodHub Grenada Inc., a prominent local food enterprise, has centered its community outreach on a simple yet powerful goal: nurturing a lifelong passion for reading among children from their earliest school years.

    The company’s leadership team notes that introducing immersive reading experiences early in childhood does more than build literacy skills—it sparks natural curiosity, encourages creative thinking, and boosts children’s self-confidence, laying the foundation for a permanent love of learning. To turn this vision into action, the company launched an island-wide monthly reading program that brings interactive storytime directly to students in schools across Grenada.

    The program operates on a collaborative, community-focused model. Each month, FoodHub collects book recommendations from its entire staff, then compiles these suggestions into a structured Reading Programme Calendar that maps out visits to different campuses across the island. During each school visit, team members lead engaging, hands-on reading sessions designed to hold young children’s attention and make storytelling a fun, shared activity. This approach creates rewarding, memorable experiences for both the participating students and the FoodHub volunteers who lead the sessions.

    On Thursday, September 24, 2026, the program continued with a visit to Our Lady Help of Christian School — Beaulieu RC, where the team had the unique pleasure of leading an interactive story session for the campus’s kindergarten class. Volunteers reported that the unfiltered excitement, bright smiles, and visible joy that filled the classroom throughout the visit made the entire effort deeply rewarding. For the team, these small, intimate moments serve as a powerful reminder that even modest, grassroots community initiatives can leave a lasting, meaningful impression on the lives of young children.

    As the program expands across the island, FoodHub Grenada reaffirms its ongoing commitment to supporting young developing minds, fostering a culture of reading across local communities, and giving back to the Grenadian communities that support its business. Guided by its core mantra of “One FoodHub, One Team, Community Focus,” the company plans to continue expanding the reading program to reach more young students across the island in the coming months.

    Disclaimer: NOW Grenada holds no responsibility for the opinions, statements, or third-party media content shared in this contributed piece. To report any inappropriate content associated with this feature, follow the designated reporting link provided by the platform.

  • 9th Grenada Contemporary: Islands in Dialogue

    9th Grenada Contemporary: Islands in Dialogue

    Located in Calliste, Grenada, independent art hub Art House 473 has continued to anchor institutional-level Caribbean art programming following the conclusion of its 9th annual Grenada Contemporary exhibition series, themed ‘Islands in Dialogue’. Founded under the umbrella of the Susan Mains Gallery in 2014, Art House 473 has grown from a small exhibition space to a core platform connecting local and international contemporary artists. By the 2025 edition of the Grenada Contemporary, more than 106 creators from across the globe have showcased their work here, and the space maintains its longstanding commitment to allowing artists to explore creative concepts outside the constraints of Grenada’s small local art market.

    For the 2026 iteration of the event, organizers pivoted from the traditional open-call exhibition format to a five-day immersive professional development program led by two visiting artists from Trinidad: painter Edward Bowen and filmmaker Yao Ramesar. Bowen, who previously represented Grenada at the Grenada National Pavilion during the Venice Biennale, led a four-day foundational painting workshop that introduced emerging local creators to core studio practices. Throughout the sessions, Bowen wove together his decades of professional experience in the global art space with critical discussions on the unique identity and role of Caribbean art on the international stage. Joined by Art House 473 resident director Asher Mains, conversations dug into pressing questions for regional artists: how to build audiences, navigate market dynamics, root work in local context, and maintain relevance amid shifting global artistic trends.

    The program culminated on its final evening with a public screening of *Fortune for All*, award-winning filmmaker Ramesar’s acclaimed work, followed by a lively question-and-answer discussion. Like Bowen, Ramesar centered his talk on centering a Caribbean perspective in creative production, highlighting a simple yet impactful example: how regional filmmakers can leverage Grenada’s abundant natural local light for on-location shoots, rather than relying on the artificial, standardized lighting setups common to large international studio productions. This core idea of telling authentic local stories through locally rooted creative practices tied together all five days of programming.

    The ‘Islands in Dialogue’ theme itself was designed to highlight the interconnectedness of Caribbean artistic communities, creating a space for knowledge-sharing between Grenadian and Trinidadian creators that expands the ongoing regional conversation. Beyond facilitating exchange, Grenada has positioned itself as a key promoter of artistic talent from other Caribbean islands on global platforms, with almost every artist that has represented Grenada at the Venice Biennale having previously participated in the Grenada Contemporary program.

    One notable example is Barbadian artist Russell Watson, whose work is currently on display at the Venice Biennale as part of Grenada’s national pavilion, titled ‘The Poetics of Correspondence’. The pavilion’s title draws inspiration from the late curator Koyo Kouoh’s work *In Minor Keys*, and emphasizes the intangible but deeply impactful connections that bind regional artistic practices together when creators engage in open dialogue. Italian curator and art critic Valentina Minniti notes that Watson’s practice has long centered the intersection of the human body, Caribbean ecologies, and metaphorical transformation, creating works that sit between subtle sensory experience and clear representational imagery—a ‘in-betweenness’ that resists literal categorization, and captures the nuanced identity of Caribbean art.

    As a central hub for this regional conversation, Art House 473 also maintains an extensive archive of catalogs and exhibition materials from Grenada’s nine appearances at the Venice Biennale, alongside documentation from other international exhibitions. The space also hosts regular community programming including life drawing classes, small-scale workshops, and rotating exhibitions that nurture the growth of Grenada’s local art ecosystem. Uniquely, Art House 473 operates entirely independent of government or external institutional funding; all its programming is supported through art sales by Susan Mains and Asher Mains. The 2026 edition of the 9th Grenada Contemporary received additional support from Blue Horizons Garden Resort and the Susan Mains Gallery.

  • 100% waiver on CET and VAT for promotional and informational materials

    100% waiver on CET and VAT for promotional and informational materials

    Ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Grenada, the national government has approved a major policy adjustment to level the playing field for political actors: a complete 100% waiver on both the Common External Tariff (CET) and Value Added Tax (VAT) for imported eligible campaign materials. The announcement, formally released by the country’s Parliamentary Elections Office (PEO), confirms that the tax break applies to all registered political parties and independent candidates seeking office in the upcoming polls.

    The scope of qualifying promotional and informational materials covered by the waiver is broad, encompassing standard campaign assets including brochures, flyers, pamphlets, posters, banners, newsletters, billboards, and other officially approved election-related communication materials. Political stakeholders do not need to pay the standard import taxes on these items as they prepare their outreach to voters ahead of the election.

    According to the PEO’s statement, this government initiative was designed with three core democratic goals in mind. First, it seeks to create a standardized, concession-based system that applies equally to all eligible candidates, eliminating unequal financial burdens that could disadvantage smaller or underfunded political groups. Second, the policy aims to strengthen overall democratic participation by lowering the operational costs of running for office, making campaigns more accessible to a wider range of candidates. Third, the tax waiver is intended to reinforce transparency and guarantee equitable treatment for every registered political party and independent candidate participating in the election.

    The Parliamentary Elections Office has publicly expressed its support for the new policy, and has called on all eligible political actors to take full advantage of the cost-saving opportunity as they prepare for the upcoming vote. This announcement comes as part of the election office’s ongoing preparations to administer a free, fair, and accessible electoral process for all Grenadian voters.

    This report from NOW Grenada includes a standard disclaimer: the outlet is not liable for the opinions or content shared by contributing sources, and invites users to report any abusive content through official channels.

  • September and October: Breast and Prostate Cancer Awareness months

    September and October: Breast and Prostate Cancer Awareness months

    For the ninth consecutive year, the St Andrew’s Development Organisation (SADO) is gearing up to host its annual breast and prostate cancer awareness campaign, spanning the months of September and October. What began as a small community outreach initiative in 2015 has evolved into far more than a simple awareness drive: it has grown into a trusted beacon of hope and a tight-knit support community for anyone whose life has been touched by these two common cancers.

    SADO’s work already extends to supporting the St Andrew Breast Cancer Group, which connects survivors across the St Andrew and St Patrick parishes. Building on that successful model, the organisation has announced plans to launch a parallel support group for men living with prostate cancer, filling a critical gap in local community care.

    Royan Charles, President of SADO, emphasized that the campaign goes far beyond symbolic gestures. “Cancer awareness is not only about wearing a ribbon; it is about taking action, encouraging loved ones to get checked, and ensuring that no one in our community feels alone,” Charles explained. “By dedicating September and October to prostate and breast cancer awareness, we hope to inspire meaningful conversations and practical steps toward healthier lives.”

    This year’s campaign carries the theme *Together We Stand as One Community, United in Hope*, and is held in loving memory of Crystal Calliste, a community advocate lost to cancer who is being honored as one of the movement’s fallen heroes. A full slate of engaging, community-focused events has been planned to bring residents together. The action kicks off on September 30 with a virtual Zoom discussion, *Let’s Talk Prostate Cancer*, featuring prostate cancer survivor Simon Samuel at 7 pm. On October 8, a Heroes Church Service will be held to honor those impacted by the disease, followed by a Heroes Quilting and Vigil on October 15, and a Heroes Tea Party on October 26. The month of activities will conclude on October 31 with two major events: the SADO Health Fair at Progress Park starting at 10 am, and the SADO and Partners Breast and Prostate Cancer Awareness Walk, which begins at 3 pm, running from Soubise to Progress Park.

    SADO is extending an open invitation to all community members, local schools, faith groups, businesses, healthcare providers, and volunteers to join the campaign effort. The goal is to amplify key messages around the critical importance of early detection and wrap a compassionate support network around everyone affected by breast and prostate cancer in the region.