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Vol. 20 No. 2

JANUARY 2009

Tel: (305) 238-28681-800-605-7516editor@caribbeantoday.comct_ads@bellsouth.netJamaica: 654-7282W e c o v e r y o u r w o r l d

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INSIDE

Dr. CarolynGomes, aJamaicanactivist, isamong sevenglobal advo-cates toreceive theUnited

Nations General Assembly’stop human rights prize, page 2.

This month the United Stateswill embrace its first AfricanAmerican president. Butdecades ago, Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr., whose birthday is cel-ebrated as a national U.S. holi-day, lost his life in a civil rightsstruggle to make it possible,page 12.

News ....................................................2Viewpoint..............................................7Health ....................................................9

Business ............................................11MLK’s Birthday ..................................12Sport ....................................................14

Tourism/Travel ..................................15Arts/Entertainment ............................17Region ................................................19

T H E M U L T I A W A R D - W I N N I N G N E W S M A G A Z I N E

CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 655-1479

United States Congressman AlceeHastings, left, and immigration attorneyCheryl Little are among those unhappythat U.S. immigration officials haveresumed deportation of Haitians,despite the devastation in thatCaribbean country caused by recenthurricanes, page 4.

He played in a movie aboutEngland’s monarch. Now 91-year-old Bermudan-born actorEarl Cameron gets ready tomeet real-life Queen ElizabethII, who is honoring him for serv-ices to drama in a career span-ning seven decades, page 17.

~ Take in a lung-full of the purest air froma majestic panoramic perspective. Skim100-foot high treetops with your toes.Marvel at the beauty of Mother Naturefrom the heavens. Culture and nature takecenter stage at Jamaica’s newest touristattractions, page 15.

NATURALMYSTIC

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UNITED NATIONS – AJamaican activist is amongseven global advocates toreceive the United NationsGeneral Assembly’s tophuman rights prize.

Carolyn Gomes, execu-tive director and co-founderof Jamaicans for Justice, has received the award at aGeneral Assembly ceremonymarking the 60th anniversaryof the adoption of theUniversal Declaration ofHuman Rights (UDHR).

The prize, which is givenevery five years, was firstawarded on Dec. 10, 1968, onthe 20th anniversary of theadoption of the UDHR.

Gomes joins a distin-guished roster of previous lau-reates that includes apartheidfighter and former SouthAfrican President NelsonMandela; United States civilrights leader Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr.; former U.S.first Lady Eleanor Roosevelt;former U.S. President JimmyCarter; and AmnestyInternational.

“As we mark the 60thanniversary of the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights,we acknowledge the tirelesswork and invaluable contribu-

tion of these individuals andorganizations that have foughtto see the rights and freedomsembodied in this historic document become a realityfor people in all corners of the world,” UN GeneralAssembly President MiguelD’Escoto said.

“These awardees consti-tute symbols of persistence,valour and tenacity in theirresistance to public and pri-vate authorities that violatehuman rights.? They consti-tute a moral force to put anend to systematic humanrights violations.”

Other winners of thisyear’s award are: former U.N.High Commissioner forHuman Rights LouiseArbour; United States ex-Attorney-General RamseyClark; and Denis Mukwege,co-founder of the GeneralReferral Hospital of Panzi inthe Democratic Republic ofthe Congo (DRC). The listalso includes Human RightsWatch, represented by itsexecutive director KennethRoth; slain Pakistani leaderBenazir Bhutto; and DorothyStang, a nu

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UNITED NATIONS, CMC –The United Nations EconomicCommission for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean(ECLAC) says povertydeclined slightly in the regionin 2008, despite the global eco-nomic crisis.

In its annual report,released last month, ECLACsaid the percentage of thepopulation living in poverty inLatin America and theCaribbean during 2008dropped to 33.2 percent, or182 million people, from 34.1percent, or 184 million people,for the previous year.

However, ECLAC saidextreme poverty or indigencerose mildly, from 12.6 percentin 2007, or 68 million people,to an estimated 12.9 percent,or 71 million people, this year.

The report said efforts toreduce poverty and indigencein 2008 were “less effectivethan in the 2002-2007 period”,when the number of people liv-ing in poverty or indigencedropped by 9.9 percent, or 37million people, and 6.8 percent,or 29 million, respectively.

“Estimated figures forpoverty and indigence reflectthe impact of rising inflationsince early 2007, and particu-

larly escalating food prices,although food and fuel pricesin the region have ceasedclimbing in recent months”,ECLAC stated.

DOWNTURNIt anticipates the global

economic downturn to impactthe region “through a weakerdemand for commodityexports, declining investmentin productive sectors, lowermigrant remittances, andinternational financial marketconstraints for emerging coun-tries.

“Employment is expectedto stagnate during 2009, whileaverage real wages are toremain unchanged or diminishslightly.

“Economic forecasts sug-gest that average householdincomes will deteriorate, par-ticularly among independentand informal workers whosejobs are most sensitive tomovements in economiccycles”, it added.

In this context, ECLACsaid poverty and indigencewould most likely increasemoderately, continuing thenegative trend begun in 2008.

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MIAMI - United StatesImmigration and CustomsEnforcement (ICE) officialssaid their agents arrestedmore than 100 Caribbeannationals in a major immigra-tion sweep in South Florida.

Officials said 110 personsclassified as immigration fugi-tives and immigration viola-tors, were detained late lastmonth after a five-dayenforcement operation inMiami-Dade, Broward andPalm Beach counties, as wellas in Orlando and Tampa.

According to ICE, amongthose arrested and will bedeported are nationals fromHaiti, The Bahamas, Jamaica,and Trinidad and Tobago.

They said 81 immigration

fugitives who went into hidingafter earlier being ordered toleave the country and 29 oth-ers who were guilty of violat-ing immigration laws werearrested.

The operation netted 47arrests in Miami-Dade, 30 inBroward, 15 in Palm Beach,11 in Tampa and seven inOrlando.

“ICE will continue toarrest and deport aliens whohave ignored an immigrationjudge’s order to leave thecountry,” said Michael Rozos,field office director for theICE Office of Detention andRemoval Operations inFlorida.

“While we are a welcom-ing country, we expect those

wanting to immigrate here todo so in a safe, legal andorderly manner.”

Of the 110 arrested, 93remained in ICE custody upto press time, and 17 wereprocessed for removal andreleased. In the case of thosereleased, ICE officials saidthey released migrants whowere verified to be sole care-givers or as having medicalconcerns.

CRIMINAL RECORDOf the arrested, officials

said 24 had criminal recordsthat included aggravatedassault, battery, drug posses-sion, trespassing, disorderlyconduct, resisting an officer

MIAMI - United States feder-al and state authorities fromFlorida are investigating aHaitian-born, self-styledinvestment guru, who alleged-ly duped hundreds of his com-patriots in South Florida topour their savings into hisventures.

Haitian investors inFlorida claim they fell victimto a scheme concocted by self-proclaimed evangelical minis-ter George Theodule, whoreportedly promised to doubletheir money in three months.

The alleged victims said

late last month that they hadfiled a lawsuit in U.S. federalcourt, claiming that Theodulebilked hundreds of investorsout of millions of dollars,while promising to doubletheir money through stockand options trading.

“Theodule said he wasgoing to create 10,000 million-aires among the Haitian peo-ple and empower them,” saidJared Levy, a West PalmBeach lawyer representing atleast 50 investors representedin the suit.

“The sad thing is, they

believed him,” he added.In response to the claim,

Theodule, 48, said tersely:“This is just too delicate totalk about.”

NETWORKAccording to the lawsuit,

Theodule allegedly attractedinvestors, primarily HaitianAmericans, through invest-ment clubs that he encouragedothers to start in a networkthat grew rapidly over the pastyear.

The lawsuit said leaders

Jamaican wins a U.N. award

Decline in Caribbean poverty ~ U.N.

U.S. immigration raid nets 110Caribbean nationals in Florida

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WASHINGTON – The InterAmerican Development Bank(IDB) says helping Caribbeanand Latin American countriesto weather the global economicstorm will be a key priority forthe international financial insti-tution in 2009.

The commitment came ina year-end release issued bythe IDB in which it boasted ofa record $12.2 billion in loanapprovals, credit guaranteesand grants for the LatinAmerica and Caribbean regionin 2008.

“This is 27 percent higherthan the $9.6 billion approvedin 2007, reaffirming the IDB’srole as the leading source oflong-term funding for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean”,the statement noted.

The IDB also approvedoperations totaling $900 mil-lion in 2008 from its new fast-disbursing emergency liquidityfund. The $6 billion facility,created in October, providesfunding for countries facingtransitory difficulties in access-ing international credit marketsdue to the financial turmoil.

“The funding will go fordomestic banks so they can

lend to local firms to supporttheir investments and opera-tions”, it stated.

“Conditional cash transferprograms for the poor, a grow-ing alternative that the banksupports, has also been animportant measure to defendrecent achievements in thefight against poverty duringthese trying times”, the IDBadded.

‘GLORIOUS’The release also noted that

the past six years have beenamong the most glorious forregional economies, withgrowth fed by soaring com-modity prices and generallymore cautious fiscal policies.

However, as the effects ofthe financial crisis in the UnitedStates and Europe deepen, theIDB is forecasting that growthin the region will likely slow tobetween two per cent and 2.5percent in 2009 from 4.5 per-cent a year earlier.

The IDB also expects capi-tal flows into the region to fallbelow the required $250 bil-lion, pushing millions back intopoverty.

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with violence, sexual battery,Social Security fraud, burglary,carrying a concealed firearm,larceny, grand theft and lewdand lascivious assault on achild.ICE officials highlighted thecase of a 46-year-old Haitiannational, who was also arrest-ed on Dec. 16 in BrowardCounty, who according tothem entered the U.S. on Jan.5, 1981 and, in May 1986, was

convicted for possession ofcocaine and sentenced to 18months probation. He wasordered deported on Jan. 25,2005.“We will conduct these target-ed fugitive operations toensure that removal ordersare carried out and locatethese immigration violatorswho potentially pose a threatto public safety,” Rozos said.

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of the clubs agreed to recruitinvestors, mainly throughtheir churches in southernFlorida, and then turn themoney over to Theodule’sCreative Capital Consortium.

“People came from allover - Miami, Broward, PalmBeach (counties) - all thinkinghe was going to better theirlives,” Levy said.

Nerline Horace-Manasse,30, one of the Haitian investorsin Palm Beach County, saidshe invested $20,000 in thealleged scheme last Februaryand another $5,000 later, afterTheodule reportedly said hermoney had doubled.

“He used his Haitian back-ground to reach Haitians,”Horace-Manasse said.

“He read the Bible,prayed with people, cried with

them,” she added. “He madeus believe he was going tohelp us.’’

NO SCRUTINYDavid Rothstein, a Miami

lawyer, who represents dozensof Haitian investors, said manyfailed to scrutinize Theodulebefore buying into his allegedscheme.

“He got people to handover money without a goodlook behind the business cur-tain,” he said.

“It appears to be a remark-ably unsophisticated fraud,’’Rothstein added, pointing outthat “it’s not clear whereinvestors’ money was invested.”

U.S. federal and Floridaauthorities said Theodule isnot a registered stock brokeror financial advisor.

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MIAMI – Despite increasingappeals for a halt to the depor-tation of Haitians, UnitedStates immigration officialshave resumed sending backHaitians to their homeland.

“We determined that itwas appropriate to resumebased on the circumstances inHaiti,” Nicole Navas, aspokeswoman with U.S.Immigration and CustomsEnforcement (ICE), said lastmonth, ending a three-monthreprieve in the wake of aseries of storms that devastat-ed the French-speakingCaribbean country.

“The individuals beingreturned have final orders ofremoval and the necessarytravel documents,” addedNavas without further elabo-ration.

The announcement camewhile Haiti is still reeling fromthe storms and hurricanes thatleft over 800 people dead, tensof thousands homeless, andcaused over $1 billion in dam-ages. U.S. immigrant authori-ties halted deportations toHaiti in September in thewake of storm ravages.

FRUSTRATIONBut immigration advo-

cates here expressed outrageand frustration with theresumption of deportation.

“It’s an outrageously inhu-mane act,” said Cheryl Little,executive director of FloridaImmigrant Advocacy Centerin Miami.

“We are attempting to dowhatever we can to convince

(U.S.) government officials tochange their minds on this.”

Ralph Latortue, theHaitian consul general inMiami, said he found out aboutthe resumption of deportationsto his native land when hereceived an e-mail from theDepartment of Homeland

Security requesting travel docu-ments for 43 non-criminalHaitians.

“We still have thousandsof cubic meters of mud beingremoved from Gonaives,”Latortue told reporters lastmonth, referring to theHaitian seaport hit hard by aseries of recent storms.

“There are still people inshelters, and, of course, peo-ple know children are suffer-ing from malnutrition in Haiti.

“These are all circum-stances that put the country ina difficult position strugglingto recover.”

TPS CALLThe latest immigration

move came as a host of U.S.

legislators called onWashington to grant HaitiansTemporary Protected Status(TPS). In late November,Southern Florida DemocraticCongressman Alcee L.Hastings wrote President-electBarack Obama urging him tomake granting TPS toHaitians a priority in his newadministration. Hastings, whorepresents the city ofMiramar, outside Miami, saidin his letter that “the peopleof Haiti cannot afford to waita single day longer for thismuch needed assistance.

“While I continue to hopethat our current President(George W. Bush) will finallyacknowledge and address thedire plight of the Haitian peo-ple, it is important that thenext administration be madeaware of the importance ofTPS,” stated Hastings, whohas been in the vanguard ofpushing for TPS for Haitians.

He said since Obama waselected on a platform ofrenewing America’s globalleadership, by extending TPSto Haiti, as has been done forother nations in similar situa-tions, Obama would “onceagain prove that the strengthof America is not simply themight of its military but alsoits capacity for compassion”.

The congressman is theauthor of H.R. 522, theHaitian Protection Act, whichwould designate Haitiannationals in the U.S. eligiblefor TPS.

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IDB pledges to help Caribbeancope with global economic crisis

U.S. immigration raid...

Investors cry fraud...

U.S. resumes deportations to Haiti

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Police in the UnitedStates detained 14Haitian refugees who

landed in a fishing boat earlythis month at an inlet in thesouthern state of Florida.

The Haitians came in onthe 26-foot Ocean Runnerfishing boat that headedstraight from the BoyntonBeach inlet to Boat Club Park,near Miami, the police said.

“The call came in from agood Samaritan notifying thata boat was coming in and hada large group of Haitians lay-ing down,” said SergeantPhillip Hawkins, of theBoynton Beach police.

“When the driver landed,he jumped off and fled.”

Noel A. Manheimer, asupervisor with the MarineInterdiction Agent in SouthFlorida, said police detainedthe 14 Haitians, who weretaken to the Border PatrolStation in nearby RivieraBeach. Manheimer said theimmigrants most likely camethrough The Bahamas since“some were carrying paper-work from Bahamian customs.

“That’s usually the casewith small boats,” he said.

SEARCHSouth Florida Marine

Officer Gregg Koch said hewas monitoring a public accessVHF channel when someonereported seeing a boat withpossible immigrants in thearea. He said police quicklyset up a perimeter, and hespotted the empty boat in analcove near the boat ramp.Koch said officers found the14 Haitians hiding throughoutthe park and ramps. He said

officers and police dogs, withassistance from the PalmBeach Country Sheriff’sOffice helicopter, spent thenext hour searching for theboat’s captain but were unsuc-cessful.

Meantime, the city ofMiami Gardens has unani-mously passed a resolutionurging the George W. Bushadministration to provideTemporary Protected Status(TPS) to Haitian immigrantsin the U.S.

“It defies logic that theU.S. government has not pro-vided TPS to Haitian nation-als residing in the U.S. in thesame way that they have pro-vided that status to other for-eigners”, the city councilnoted.

According to U.S. law,TPS may be granted whenthere is ongoing armed con-flict posing a serious threat topersonal safety; it is requestedby a foreign state that tem-porarily cannot handle thereturn of nationals due toenvironmental disaster; orwhen “extraordinary and tem-porary conditions in a foreignstate exist, which preventaliens from returning”.

Immigration advocates inFlorida have been appealingto the Bush administration toafford impoverished, hurri-cane-ravaged Haiti the samestatus that was accorded immi-grants from Nicaragua andHonduras after HurricaneMitch in 1998; and El Salvadorimmigrants after it sufferedthe effects of two earthquakeswithin one month in 2001.

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Two Jamaicans, one atrainee pilot, werekilled following a mid-

air collision last month inSouth Florida.

Stuart Brown, a 25-year-old flight student attending thePelican Flight Training Centerin the United States, was thepilot of a single-engine Cessna172R which collided with atwin-engine Piper 44 on Dec.6. Both planes plunged into

the Florida Everglades inBroward County.

Brown, along with passen-ger Edson Jefferson, also aJamaican, were killed.

Up to press time the causeof the collision was not known.

According to reports,Brown attended flight schoolin Jamaica up to late 2005before moving to the U.S. tocontinue his training.

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Former Jamaica PrimeMinister Edward Seagawas admitted to a hospi-

tal in the United States onNew Year’s Day.

Seaga, 78, who was primeminister under a JamaicaLabour Party (JLP) adminis-

tration from 1980 to 1989,was reportedly rushed to aSouth Florida institution com-plaining of respiratory prob-lems.

Details of his medicalcondition had not beenreleased up to press time.

However, sources in Jamaicasaid Seaga, a distinguished fel-low at the University of theWest Indies, Mona campus,was under medical observa-tion for at least a few days.Reports indicated that he wassubsequently released fromthe hospital and was believedto have returned to his homein Jamaica.

Often a controversial fig-ure on Jamaica’s politicalscene, Seaga led the JLPthrough a tough period inwhich it suffered four consec-utive general election defeatsbetween 1989 and 2005 at thehands of the People’s NationalParty (PNP).

He stepped down asleader of the JLP in 2005 to

take up the academic post atUWI and was replaced byBruce Golding as leader ofthe JLP, which came to powerin the Sept. 2007 general elec-tions.

Compiled from severalreports, including CMC.

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Haitian refugees nabbed in Florida

Florida plane crashkills two Jamaicans

Ex-Jamaica P.M. Seaga hospitalized in Florida with respiratory problems

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CHARLOTTE AMARLIE,USVI, CMC - United Statesauthorities are claiming thattheir fight against the drugstrade is heading in the rightdirection, after seizing100 kilo-grams of cocaine at the Port ofSt. John on a ship travelingfrom Guyana - the second inthe U.S. Virgin Islands recently.

U.S. Drug EnforcementAdministration (DEA) officersin the USVI said they acted ona tip from the Canada BorderServices Agency. SpecialAgent Waldo Santiago, aspokesman for the DEA, saidofficers from the U.S. territoryin the Caribbean were waitingwhen the unidentified shipfrom Guyana stopped in St.Croix late last month.

The officers said theywere particularly interested inexamining some boxed gro-cery items after it was discov-ered during the St. John bustthat cocaine was being hiddeninside cardboard boxes.

“They contained somespice seasoning, and they wereconcealed similar to the cargothat was seized by the Canadianauthorities,” Santiago said.

He said that DEA agents

discovered the drugs destinedfor Canada inside the lining ofthe corrugated boxes.

SAME METHODThey said the drug was

hidden exactly the same wayauthorities in St. John found276 kilograms in another ship-ment.

“The dog alerted us thatthere was something there.Then, our x-ray technologyactually narrowed down towhere it was,” said Santiago,who credited the discovery toCanadian authorities.

“It’s very elaborate theway this organization tooktheir time and concealed thiscocaine individually.”

Up to press time therewere no arrests in the mostrecent seizure, but Santiagosaid his agency expectsauthorities in Guyana to coop-erate with the investigation.

The latest seizure bringsthe amount of cocaine seizedas a result of the investigationto 376 kilograms, with an esti-mated street value of $54.5million.

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LOS ANGELES - A UnitedStates federal investigationinto an alleged gun smugglingoperation is focusing its inter-est on the owner of a Belizeansecurity firm.

According to law enforce-ment authorities here and internalLos Angeles Police Department(LAPD) documents, veteranLAPD officer Johnny Baltazar,who operates a company by thename of Elite Security in Belize,allegedly purchased 10 guns andover 1,500 rounds of ammunitionand smuggled them into theCaribbean community (CARI-COM) member state.

The LAPD has accusedBaltazar, 49, with “exportingfirearms without a license, fail-ing to declare firearms heexported and failing to notifyhis LAPD superiors that he wasunder federal investigation”.

According to the claims,Baltazar bought eight .40 glockhandguns from the LAPD

Academy Store, and shippedthem along with two otherweapons and 1,530 rounds ofammunition to Belize.

The LAPD said Baltazar– who serves on the board ofdirectors of the Oscar JoelBryant Foundation, an associ-ation of African Americanemployees of the Los AngelesPolice Department – has beensuspended with pay, pending adisciplinary hearing that couldresult in his firing.

The court documents saidU.S. federal authorities areexpected to present their find-ings soon to a grand jury. Thedocuments state that Baltazarbought the handguns from theacademy store in Feb. 2007.They said in July 2007 he placedthem in a safe, along with a pairof 9-millimeter handguns andthe ammunition, and arrangedto ship them to Belize.

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NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC -The 16-year-old son ofAmerican actors JohnTravolta and his actress wifeKelly Preston died in TheBahamas earlythis month,their lawyerhas confirmed.

MichaelOssi said thatJett Travoltadied after suf-fering a seizurewhile vacation-ing with hisfamily.

“At thispoint, weknow that John Travolta andKelly Preston’s only son, Jett,had a seizure,” Ossi said.

“All attempts to revivehim were unsuccessful,” headded.

Ossi said Jett Travolta hithis head after the seizure, butthe exact cause of death isunknown. An autopsy wasscheduled for Jan. 5.

‘WORST DAY’The lawyer said the body

will be transferred to Ocala,

Florida for burial, adding thatJett’s death “was completelyout of the blue.

“This is the worst day ofJohn’s life,” Ossi added,revealing that the Travoltasalso have an eight-year-olddaughter Ella.

Bahamian police report-edly said a caretaker at theWest Endresort, wherethe Travoltaswere vacation-ing, found theteenagerunconscious inthe bathroom.Police saidJett Travoltawas taken byambulance toRand Memorial Hospital inFreeport and was pronounceddead on arrival.

Obie Wilchcomb, formerminister of tourism for TheBahamas, told reporters Jett’sdeath was mourned by the staffand residents of West End,where the Travoltas werebeloved members of the com-munity. He said the Travoltaswere in The Bahamas for a

gathering of 60 family andfriends.

Reports indicate that JettTravolta had a developmentaldisability that his parentslinked to Kawasaki disease,an inflammatory disorder ofthe artery walls that mostcommonly occurs in youngchildren and can lead to heartdisease.

Preston told U.S. televi-sion viewers in 2003 that,when Jett was two, he becameill with flu symptoms, includ-ing fever, rashes and swollenlymph nodes, before a doctordiagnosed him with Kawasakidisease.

John Travolta gainedfame in the 1970s when hestarred in the television series,“Welcome Back, Kotter”, andthe movies, “Saturday NightFever” and “Grease”. Hiscareer catapulted in 1994 withhis second “Best Actor”Oscar nomination, for his roleas a hit man in “Pulp Fiction”.

Preston has numerousT.V. and movie credits, includ-ing a supporting role in 1996’s“Jerry Maguire”.

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U.S. seizes cocaine in Caribbean

U.S. gun smuggling probetargets owner of Belize firm

Son of American actors dies in The Bahamas~ 16-y-o suffers seizure, falls during family vacation, according to lawyer

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Among the more prom-ising candidates beingbruited for appoint-

ment to President-electObama’s Cabinet is ArizonaGovernor Janet Napolitano,who some believe is on theshort list for secretary ofHomelandSecurity. Shewould be agood choice,not only forher wisdom asa border stateleader but alsobecause sheseems to getthat an educat-ed workforce isthe key to eco-nomicstrength.

The one time I heardNapolitano speak in person, shepounded home her view thatAmerica needs to seize a“Sputnik moment.” That is, weneed to grasp how far behindthe rest of the world our stu-dents are falling in educationalachievement in technology, thesciences and math. I agree. Weare at the beginning of a painfulnational reality check, and thetime to act is now.

Under the Obama admin-istration, the secretary ofHomeland Security will be wellpositioned to encourage thenecessary shifts in attitude, sothat policy begins to matchsome of our nation’s mostcherished beliefs about our-selves. Such as that we are “anation of immigrants” and the“land of opportunity”.

Let’s leave aside for themoment the passionate feel-ings about immigrants who areamong us illegally and considersome facts outlined in a newreport by the Migration PolicyInstitute. For instance: “Aboutone in three immigrants is aperson with either a U.S. orforeign college degree”. Somuch for the image of huddledundereducated masses slippingacross borders.

EMBARRASSINGOne in six members of

America’s 130 million-personlabor force came to our shoresan immigrant. In 2007, 15 per-cent of all college graduates inthe U.S. labor force wereimmigrants. Of the 6.5 millioncollege-educated foreign born,one-third arrived in the last 10years. About 18 percent of col-lege-educated immigrants wereof Latino descent.

And here is the statisticthat ought to embarrass U.S.citizens by birth: College-edu-cated immigrants are morelikely than native-born gradu-ates to achieve postgraduatedegrees. And they are farmore likely to be educated in

high-tech, science or engineer-ing - all areas vital to sustain-ing the nation in the future.

If Napolitano takes thehelm at Homeland Security, theagency that handles immigra-tion, she will have the power tomake the most of what theseimmigrants can offer. Time willbe on her side. Obama will haveplenty of other seas to calmbefore any real overhaul ofimmigration law can occur. It’sunlikely to happen in his firstyear in office.

But that just might giveNapolitano the time to pursuethe difficult work of changingpublic perception about whatimmigrants offer. They ought tobe viewed not as competitors butas stimulators to the economy.Bill Gates understands that fact.Along with other chief executiveofficers, he hounded Congresslast year to increase the numbersof highly educated immigrantsallowed entry into the U.S. In2007, the 65,000 visas allowed forthis group of immigrants werespoken for within the first fourmonths of the fiscal year.

CATALYSTSThe denied immigrants

could have become catalystsand coworkers of native-bornpeople.

Consider this other factfrom the report: More than 1.3million college-educated immi-grants were underutilized in theU.S. labor market in 2005-2006.

Meaning, many of thosewho are here are not beingused to the best of their abili-ties. And you can bet thatmeans the trickle-down job cre-ation that comes from the high-ly educated and motivatedclasses did not occur. And thathurts U.S.-born people as well,including those sons and daugh-ters who have long forgotten ornever knew that their teemingimmigrant forefathers did notspeak perfect English.

Every economic downturnin U.S. history has produced abacklash against the mostrecent immigrant arrivals. Butmaybe this time it can be dif-ferent. America needs morethan ever to retool itself forfuture economic growth.Immigrants are a source ofinnovation and inspiration thatcan help us rebound - just asthey always have been.

This article was first posted onDec. 18, 2008. JanetNapolitano has been namedPresident-elect BarackObama’s designate for secre-tary of Homeland Security.

© 2008, The Kansas City Star.Distributed by Tribune MediaServices.

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The abuse of power hasinfected man from thedawn of time, and as

they always say, “Power cor-rupts and absolute power cor-rupts absolutely.”

Anyone who dominatesanother, relentlessly and with-out mercy, abuses their power.And the victims live with theirsecret shame.

Usually it’s women whoseem to be always abused bymen, at least that’s what weare made to believe. Butwhat’s even more secret andmore shameful, are the manymen who live under the ruleof domineering women.

Yes, believe it or not, theyexist, and they suffer insilence, even as they burytheir sorrow in a glass of rum.It’s bad enough when a mandominates a woman - I amtotally against it - but when awoman dominates a man, itgoes against all natural lawsand all that is holy.

Think about it, “Manbeats wife”. Bad as it maysound, it’s not really news.After all, it happens all thetime. But,”Woman beats hus-band” is reason to pourridicule, scorn and derision on

the poorhapless,helpless, har-ried,haranguedhusband whowould ratherdie of shamebefore hecalled policeon her.Imagine himat the policestation, and the cops’response.

“Say what, yu wife beatyu up again?Hahahahahahahaha, come, wewill escort yu home, so hidebehind us.”

DISTRESSAnd so they live in

shame, afraid more of thederision from society, than ofthe constant, perennial, pum-meling from their pugilisticpartners.

The United States is in trouble;immigrants are part of solution

Powerful, abusive women

January 2009 CARIBBEAN TODAY 7

V I E W P O I N TV I E W P O I N T www.caribbeantoday.com

TONYROBINSON

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)

MARYSANCHEZ

Jan2009.qxd 1/7/09 9:39 PM Page 7

Powerful, abusive women

8 CARIBBEAN TODAY January 2009

V I E W P O I N TV I E W P O I N Twww.caribbeantoday.com

• “We’ve declared assets. Now isthe time for us to declare oursexuality” - ruling DemocraticLabour Party member PatrickTodd last month demanding thatBarbados’s parliamentarians takea lead role in the fight againstHIV and AIDS by publiclydeclaring their sexual orientation.

• “At any rate, why are we dis-cussing a successor? There is novacancy” – Trinidad andTobago’s Prime Minister Patrick

Manning soundingconfident in hisrecovery last monthbefore departingfor Cuba to under-go surgery toremove a canceroustumor.

• “We ask you Lord to let themtake the bribes and vote themout” - Father Charles Willock lastmonth urging OppositionAntigua Labour Party (ALP)supporters to accept bribesoffered to them in the lead-up tothe general elections. TheAnglican Church moved to dis-tance itself from the priest’s state-ment.

• “We are farfrom thosemoments in whichit was possible toisolate Cuba” –Cuban LeaderRaul Castro prais-ing Caribbeancountries for standing behind hiscommunist nation when otherswould not.

• “We are a part of the globalcommunity, and if the roof ofthe global economy falls in, wetoo could get wet when the raincomes pouring in” - PrimeMinister Denzil Douglas sayingrecently that although the St. Kittsand Nevis economy remains

resilient, the country must remainwatchful of the global financialsituation.

• “There are lots of treasures inthe Caribbean and we have to doa better job of really presentingit” – St. Kitts and Nevis TourismMinister Rickey Skerritt warningthat increasing competition fromnew and emerging marketsshould serve as a wake-up call forthe Caribbean.

• “They must get a signal thatthe governments are serious, thepoliticians are serious, the peopleare serious…and that we meanbusiness. We must demandrespect from them immediately

and if they do not give it, wemust take it” - Nevis PremierJoseph Parry last month callingfor a zero tolerance approach togang violence in the twin islandfederation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

• “It is very unfortunate thatsomething like this has happenedagain” - Bishop Herro Blair, headof the Peace Management Initiativein Jamaica, last month describingthe situation in two volatile com-munities where residents have beenforced to flee their homes in fear.

Compiled from CMC and othersources.

®

Battered man, abused hus-band, Manto, Boy, wimp,wuss, p…y whipped. So manywords are used to describe thehorrors that many men haveto live through, and they arereal. When I showed myfriend the definition of femalespousal abuse, he said all thatwas missing was a photographof his wife beside it.

“My God man, I can’tmake a move, I can’t do athing, the woman is like aprison warden in my life.”

That, plus the look ofobvious distress on the man’s

face made me realize that thatI was standing face to facewith a living breathing victimof an abusive woman. Clearly,women are not socialized todominate and abuse men. Itgoes against their nature, asthey are genetically pro-grammed to nurture, motherand cater to men. It’s the nat-ural order. So when you havea woman who displays thisbeast-like attitude to her man,it is cause for concern. Afterall, when woman bites dog, it’sbig news, not the other wayaround.

I am here to tell you that

there are countless men livingin fear of their women, menwho look big and strong onthe outside, have high pow-ered jobs, but cannot and darenot make a move or a decisionwithout asking their wives’approval.

We see the comic strips,Maggie and Jiggs, and wechuckle, where the husbandhas to sneak in the house lateat night and she calls him‘insect’ and clobbers him witha rolling pin. He is deathlyafraid of her, and so are manymen, afraid of their women inreal life. It is no laughing mat-

ter for some, and they will say,“What is joke to you is deathto bullfrog.”

‘GOLDEN RULE’There are women who

completely and totally domi-nate their men and everyaspect of their lives. Comepayday, the man has to handover the pay check and waitdiligently on his subsistence. Itfalls under the guise that,“She controls the finances andknows how to make a dollarstretch.” But in reality, it’s thegolden rule in effect, whichmeans that she who has thegold, makes the rules. Shethen decides how much hegets to spend, while she hasdominion over his life and canspend on whatever she wants,without his knowledge.

She who controls thepurse strings does not wearthe apron strings, and moneyis independence. She decideshow the house is run, what isbought, what they eat, whenthey go out, where they goand how long they stay. Justlook for the signs. If and whenthey do go out, she is the onewho says, “Okay, it’s time toleave now.” No buts about it,he has to go.

If perchance he deigns togo out by himself, his nooseextends via the modern tech-nology of the cell phone,which he better have on all thetime. How often we have seenthese men, out having a goodtime, when, ‘riiiinnnng’, hiscell phone goes off, and afteranswering it, speaking softly ofcourse, he sheepishly looks upand says, “Well, I have to gonow, see you guys whenever.”

It’s no emergency, no seri-ous problem, just the domi-neering wife beckoning hersubject to find his ass homebefore it’s too late. If thosewomen had their way, theywould implant a trackingdevice like they have on vehi-cles and prisoners, on theirmen instead.

REFLEXYou’d be amazed at how

many men are put on the

clock by these domineeringwomen, and it’s so subtle andinnocuous, that the victimshardly even see it. But after awhile, the men becometrained, conditioned likePavlov’s dogs to a conditionedreflex, and respond withoutknowing why they do whatthey do. So by 10 p.m., thereflex is to look at his watchand declare, “Oh my, look atthe time, I have to go now.”

He is the victim of a pow-erful abusive woman but does-n’t even know it. He cannotknow it, he cannot admit to it,as society will not allow it. Sohe lives in denial, sayinginstead that he’s tired, andwants to go home.

But why do men allowthis? One theory is that theywere victims of powerful abu-sive mothers, and are there-fore conditioned to live underrule of thumb, swapping onedespot, one tyrant for anotherwhen they get married. Thesemen cannot exist without hav-ing a Harridan lording it overtheir lives. So even thoughthey may live lives of quietdesperation, or even complainbitterly, or try to drown theirsorrows, the fact is, they arepart and parcel of the whole,and are willing contributors tothe mistress servant scenario.

The powerful abusivewoman rules supreme. Shedictates if and when they havesex, and who goes on top, howmany kids they will have, andthe ultimate insult, what heshould watch on T.V.

“Enough sports, let’s watchsomething more uplifting likeHome & Gardening T.V.”

They may not breathefire, have horns on theirheads, or look like dragons,but these damsels do distresstheir men. Some may shout atthem, others even physicallyabuse them, but for most we’llnever know, for the powerfulabusive woman is as silent,deep and dangerous as thedepths of Hades.

seido1@hotmail.com

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DR. ANTHONYKOMAROFF

Question: I heard about astudy that found people whosleep six and a half to sevenhours a night will live longerthan those sleeping eight tonine. What is the right amountof sleep?

Answer: You’re asking animportant question, but it’shard to answer, and here’swhy:

Consider the perfect studyto answer the question. First,you would recruit a large num-ber of people — say, about100,000. Then you’d randomlyassign some of them to sleepfive hours a night, others six,others eight, and so on. You’dalso have to figure out someway to make sure people stickwith their assigned sleepamounts. Then you’d carefullymonitor the health of thestudy participants — fordecades.

You can see how impracti-cal such a perfect study wouldbe. So what we have insteadare observational studies that,after following people for manyyears, find statistical associa-tions between habits and healthoutcomes. A number of thesestudies have asked the partici-pants about their sleepinghabits. Not all of the resultsagree, but most suggest that thefarther away you get from the“sweet spot” of six to eight

hours a night, the greater therisk of death.

MISSING PROOFBut observational studies

can’t prove causality, so theycan’t show, for example, thatchanging from five hours ofsleep a night to six or sevenfor the next 20 years will helpyou live longer. An excellentstudy from the University ofPennsylvania in the UnitedStates found that people whosleep less than eight hours anight have lower cognitiveperformance than people whosleep eight hours or more. Ifthat’s true, maybe you shouldsleep eight and a half hoursnightly if your goal is to beclearheaded, but six to seven ifyour goal is longevity!

What do I do? As a rule, Isleep seven hours weeknightsand eight hours on weekends,because those are the amounts Ineed to feel best. All of the stud-ies I’ve talked about give “onaverage” answers. However,we’re all different, and somepeople need more sleep thanothers. I think you can figureout what your personal sleeprequirements are by listening tothe wisdom of your body.

Dr. Anthony L. Komaroff iseditor in chief, HarvardHealth Letter. © 2008Copyright Harvard HealthPublications.

®

JANE GLENN HAAS

Here’s something tochew on: It’s easier forolder people to save

substantially on their grocerybills if they will switch fromboxed - or prepared foods - tocooking from scratch.

Janet Little, nutritionistfor Henry’s Farmers Market,says families of four can eat on$75 a week and older folks onjust about half that if the cooksdo a little planning ahead.

With the Food MarketingInstitute estimating families inthe United States spending aminimum of $115 a week ongroceries, shaving $40 a weekfrom the bill saves about$2,000 a year, she says.

Even better: By choosingto purchase raw ingredients toprepare meals at home, con-sumers can better ensure thatthey are getting their recom-mended daily allowance ofnutrients, instead of the hard-er to determine dietary con-tents of pre-packaged andprocessed foods.

Question: You say the secret isplanning ahead?Answer: Planning ahead isgoing to save you money.When we don’t have a plan,we spend more money at thegrocery and we buy things wemay not use and so the food

rots. When you plan a mealyou can stretch the food forthree days.

Q: How do you do that?A: Buy a whole chicken - ortwo - depending on the size ofthe family. Roast the chickenand serve it with broccoli andbrown rice. The next day,make chicken enchiladas or acasserole. Then there’s soupand salad. One item stretchedinto three different meals.

Q: Got recipes?A: Of course. Go to www.hen-rysmarkets.com for lots ofrecipes.

Q: You also tout other whatwe would call “old fashioned”solutions.A: Yes, like oats. You can buythem in bulk at Henry’s for 79

cents a pound. They helplower cholesterol and onepound will probably last you awhole week.

Q: Other suggestions?A: It’s crazy to buy the 100-calorie snack packs. Buysomething similar in bulk andit’s a fraction of the cost. Orsave money by going meatlessonce in a while. One of the

biggest food expenses is meat.

Q: But we need protein.A: Rely on eggs. They are agreat source of protein. Ialways have a dozen at myhouse. Hard-boiled eggs aregreat snack items. There issome cholesterol, but also theyolk contains lecithin andlutene, so it’s kind of a wash.

Q: Well, I don’t have the time tocook every day, as I once did.A: Then make a dish andfreeze half of it. Eat thefrozen half a couple of weekslater and it won’t make youthink of leftovers.

Q: We have gotten ourselveshooked on convenience foods,haven’t we?A: Here are some tips fortrimming the fat from yourgrocery spending.• Plan out meals. Only buythe ingredients for meals inyour weekly plan.• Pay attention. Stock up onstaples when they go on sale.• Reduce driving. Don’t go tomultiple stores to save a fewdollars.• Buy from bulk bins. Buy justwhat you need.• Minimize prepared andprocessed foods and avoidwaste. Eat perishables first.• Freeze your meals in portionsizes.• Look for budget-conscious

recipes.• Consider meatless meals.• Choose local and in-seasonfoods which are typicallypriced lower.

Q: Some things you can’t saveon, however.A: Right. You might as wellbuy milk by the gallon. It’scheaper. You can buy by thehalf, but your price goes up.

Q: Are there tricks to keepingproduce fresh?A: Here’s one. Most fruitsrelease ethylene gas. Andmost vegetables receive thegas. So store them separatelyin the refrigerator. That trickright there will save you fromhaving so much rotten fruit.

Jane Glenn Haas writes for The Orange County(California) Register. E-mailher at jghaas@cox.net)© 2008,The Orange CountyRegister (Santa Ana, California).

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

®

By the way, doctor: What is thehealthiest amount of sleep?

Eating healthier, cheaper in toughertimes by cooking from scratch

January 2009 CARIBBEAN TODAY 9

H E A L T HH E A L T H www.caribbeantoday.com

Effective planning of your grocery shopping can save lots of money.

By choosing to purchaseraw ingredients to preparemeals at home, consumerscan better ensure that theyare getting their recom-mended daily allowance ofnutrients, instead of theharder to determine dietarycontents of pre-packagedand processed foods.

Jan2009.qxd 1/7/09 9:39 PM Page 9

10 CARIBBEAN TODAY January 2009

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Jan2009.qxd 1/7/09 9:40 PM Page 10

WASHINGTON - A group ofleading United States businessorganizations has urgedPresident-elect BarackObama to initiate the processof scrapping the 46-year-oldeconomic embargo againstCuba.

“We support the completeremoval of all trade and travelrestrictions on Cuba”, thegroup, which includes the U.S.Chamber of Commerce, saidin an open letter to Obamalast month.

“We recognize thatchange may not come all atonce, but it must start some-where, and it must beginsoon”.

The organizations toldObama, who will be sworn inas U.S. president on Jan. 20,that it was “simply wrong”that American citizens arefree to travel to North Koreaor Iran but not to theCaribbean island.

Obama had promised,during the presidential cam-

paign, that he would scrap theregulations sharply limitingthe ability of CubanAmericans to visit their home-land or to send money andgoods to family members inthe Spanish-speaking country.

Obama’s election victoryhas also fuelled calls to nor-malize relations with Cuba.

Jake Colvin, vice presi-dent of the U.S. NationalForeign Trade Council, saidthe letter to the U.S. presi-dent-elect, who will officially assume office on Jan. 20, was

signed by a number of busi-ness groups, including theAmerican Farm BureauFederation, BusinessRoundtable, National RetailFederation and GroceryManufacturers Association.The letter cites a 2001 govern-ment report that Cuba embar-

go was costing U.S. exportersup to $1.2 billion annually inlost sales.

A poll released lastmonth showed that 55 percentof Miami’s Cuban Americanssaid the U.S. should end theeconomic embargo, while 65percent said Washingtonshould re-establish diplomaticties with the island.

The Caribbean communi-ty (CARICOM) recently sup-ported a United Nations’General Assembly resolution- in its 17th year running -calling for end of the econom-ic embargo against Cuba.CARICOM said the “punitiveembargo” is of particular con-cern since it shares a “history,culture and brotherhood withthe people of Cuba”.

®

U.S. businesses want Obama to lift embargo against Cuba

Hundreds of tourism busi-ness interests are sched-uled to attend

“Caribbean Marketplace 2009”this month in Gros Islet, St. Lucia.

The Caribbean Hotel andTourism Association (CHTA),together with the St. LuciaHotel and Tourism Associationand the St. Lucia TouristBoard, will host the event, Jan.18-20, for the first time in theEastern Caribbean.

Caribbean Marketplaceprovides a forum for businessmeetings that match buyersand suppliers through a com-puterized program of appoint-ments, making it easier toconduct business meetings.More than 1,000 supplier dele-gates representing 381 suppli-

er companies from 32 coun-tries, in addition to the 369buyer delegates from 148companies representing 22countries, attended last year’sevent. In 2008, CHTA report-edly pre-scheduled 16,172appointments before the startof last year’s marketplace.

Supplier participation atCaribbean Marketplace 2009requires the purchase of abooth.

In addition to CHTA andSt. Lucia, sponsors of CaribbeanMarketplace 2009 include:American Express, CaribbeanTravel & Life, Foster’s Group,Interval International, PegasusSolutions, Starwood CaribbeanCollection and Virgin Holidays.

For more information, call

CHTA at 305-443-3040, e-mail: events@caribbeanhote-lassociation.com or visithttp:www.caribbeanhoteland-tourism.com/Marketplace.php.

®

St. Lucia hosts Caribbean Marketplace 2009

NEW YORK – Air Jamaica isscouring the United Statesmarket in the hope of findinga new “strategic” partner thatcan help the cash-strappedcarrier turn around its eco-nomic fortunes.

“Whether the partner isanother airline, a hotel com-pany or even a financial com-pany, the goals must be insync: Maintain the brand andits value in the marketplace,and put the airline in a solidfinancial position,” said BruceNobles, the new president andchief executive officer of theairline.

He stressed that while AirJamaica was seeking a partnerthat can put capital into theairline which has racked upbillions of dollars in debt, “itmust be a strategic partner-ship.”

During his recent visit tothe U.S., Nobles was dis-cussed the current status andfuture plans for the airlinewith consumers, members ofthe travel industry and themedia. He said the airline’sname and brand wouldremain unchanged under thedivestment program, which isscheduled to take place in

March.

IMPORTANCENobles also said Air

Jamaica was committed toserving the needs of theJamaican community. Hedescribed Air Jamaica as a“large and important compo-nent” of Jamaica’s grossdomestic product (GDP), pro-viding 2,000 jobs and bringing50 percent of the visitors tothe island.

Nobles said the airlinedoes not have any immediateplans to start flying to newdestinations and was currentlyevaluating which of its currentdestinations “make sense andwhich do not from an eco-nomic and passenger demandstandpoint.”

Last year, Air Jamaicalost $170 million, and this yearit is projected to lose another$200 million.

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Air Jamaica intensifies U.S.search for partner

January 2009 CARIBBEAN TODAY 11

B U S I N E S SB U S I N E S S www.caribbeantoday.com

Obama

Jan2009.qxd 1/7/09 9:40 PM Page 11

Educator Delores MixonSmiley will deliver thekeynote address at the

12th annual “Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr. Celebration”sponsored by the PlantationInterfaith/MulticulturalCommittee in South Florida.

This year’s event, whichcarries the theme “Live theDream – Yes We Can!”, willbe held at 3 p.m. Jan. 18 atPlantation United MethodistChurch, 1001 N.W. 70th Ave.in Plantation.

Dr. King’s birthday will becelebrated in the UnitedStates with a national holidayon Jan. 19.

Smiley is dean in the Officeof Community Education andDiversity Affairs at NovaSoutheastern University’sFischler Graduate School ofEducation and HumanServices.

Smiley has written a mas-ter of science degree programin instructional design anddiversity education, which waslaunched in 2008. She is cur-rently writing diversity train-ing programs, which will beoffered internally and exter-nally online and onsite.

As a result of a guberna-torial appointment, Dr. Smileysits on the board of directorsfor the Florida Fund forMinority Teachers. She also

served for five years as presi-dent of the Albion, Michiganbranch of the NAACP. Forthe year 2007-2008, she wasnamed “Executive of theYear” at Nova SoutheasternUniversity (NSU).

Dr. Smiley has beenincluded in the “Who’s Whoin Black South Florida”.

The MLK celebration willalso feature special guest,retired Lieutenant ColonelEldridge Williams, a WorldWar II veteran.

The annual event is heldto honor Dr. King’s vision anddream. His legacy will beremembered through words,music, song, and dance, withperformances by local schools,churches, and houses of wor-ship. A special feature of theprogram is the elementaryschools’ student essay compe-tition themed, “Live theDream,” sponsored andjudged by Friends of theHelen B. Hoffman Library.

A reception will followthe ceremony in theFellowship Hall.

The community celebrationis free and the public is invited.For more information, call Dr.Ruby Lobban at 954-749-7864or Plantation United MethodistChurch at 954-584-7500.

®

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oneof the top health insurancecompanies in the UnitedStates has made a $1 milliondonation to the Washington,D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr.National Memorial ProjectFoundation, Inc.

Harry E. Johnson, presi-dent and chief executive officerof the foundation and formerU.S. Secretary of State GeneralColin Powell, a member of thefoundation’s ExecutiveLeadership Cabinet, participat-ed in last month’s ceremony,which included presentation ofa check by UnitedHealthGroup’s Executive VicePresident Anthony Welters.

According to Gen.Powell, UnitedHealth’s dona-tion adds to the momentumsurrounding the foundation’sfundraising effort.

“Sustaining the legacy ofMartin Luther King, Jr. forour children through the cre-ation of this memorial is a

cause we are honored to sup-port,” said Welters. “The val-ues of equality and socialchange that Dr. King champi-oned inspire UnitedHealthGroup’s commitment each dayto advancing social responsi-bility and diversity in waysthat foster a healthy societyand a healthy company.”

TARGETThe check presentation

took place at the National

Building Museum, whichhouses the foundation, whichhas raised $102 million out ofthe needed $120 million.

UnitedHealth Group joinsseveral other major donors tothe foundation. The founda-tion has submitted its designand financial documents tothe National Park Service andis awaiting a construction per-mit. The memorial is sched-uled to be completed approxi-mately 20 months followingthe beginning of construction.

The foundation is behindbuilding a memorial inWashington D.C. honoring Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. It willbe built on the National Mall,adjacent to the FranklinDelano Roosevelt Memorialand in a direct line betweenthe Lincoln and Jeffersonmemorials.

Edited from Black PR Wire

®

Florida church to host King‘Live the Dream’ celebration

MLK memorial fund gets $1M boost

Martin Luther King Jr.Day is a UnitedStates holiday mark-

ing the date of birth (Jan. 15,1929) of the Reverend Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. It isobserved on the third Mondayin January each year.

In 2009, King Day will becelebrated on Jan. 19 and willtake on an added significanceas it will precede the daywhen Barack Obama, the firstblack American president, isinaugurated at noon Jan. 20on the steps of the west frontof the U.S. Capitol building inWashington D.C.

Dr. King was 39 when hewas assassinated on April 4,1968 at the Lorraine Motel inMemphis, Tennessee. Yet thatdid not slow the Civil RightsMovement in the U.S.

The late Coretta ScottKing, the widow of the civilrights leader, was an activist inher own right. In 1970, sheestablished the Martin LutherKing Jr. Memorial Center inAtlanta, Georgia. This “livingmemorial” consists of his boy-hood home and the EbenezerBaptist Church, where Dr.King is buried.

Scott King stated on the

website of the King Center:“On this Martin Luther KingJr. holiday, we commemoratethe universal, unconditionallove, forgiveness and nonvio-lence that empowered his rev-olutionary spirit. The KingHoliday commemoratesAmerica’s pre-eminent advo-cate of nonviolence - the manwho taught by his examplethat nonviolent action is themost powerful, revolutionaryforce for social change avail-able to oppressed people intheir struggles for liberation.”

®

The activist who showed ‘universal, unconditional love’

How Dr. Martin Luther KingDay happened

United States PresidentRonald Reagan signed a billinto law in the Rose Garden15 years after Dr. King’sdeath, making the thirdMonday of January a nationalholiday to celebrate the birthand life of Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr.

But it was a rough journey.Martin Luther King Day

was first observed in 1986.Not all U.S. states observedthe holiday and others gave ita different name. King Daywas only officially observed in

all 50 statesfor the firsttime in 2006.

Opposition tohonoring Dr.King

Americahad only hon-ored two indi-viduals withnational holidays - GeorgeWashington and ChristopherColumbus, and many feltthere were more worthy peo-ple. A senator from Georgiaeven denounced Dr. King as acommunist

Others feared the Kingholiday was meant as a way tomake up to AfricanAmericans for slavery.Senator Bob Dole pointed outto those critics “I suggest theyhurry back to their pocket cal-culators and estimate the costof 300 years of slavery, fol-lowed by a century or more ofeconomic, political and socialexclusion and discrimination.”Sen. Jesse Helms led theopposition to the bill andquestioned whether Dr. Kingwas important enough toreceive such an honor.

®

Declaring a national day to honor MLK

12 CARIBBEAN TODAY January 2009

MARTINMARTIN LUTHERLUTHER KINGKING JRJR. . BIRTHDAYBIRTHDAYwww.caribbeantoday.com

~ A Caribbean Today special feature

Words, ‘dream’ inspire hope worldwideAs a preacher and civil rightsactivist, Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. has been a continuinginspiration to people all overthe world. Here are few of hisfamous quotes:

• “The chain reaction of evil -hate begetting hate, wars pro-ducing more wars - must bebroken, or we shall beplunged into the dark abyss of

annihilation.” - 1963.

• “If a man hasn’t discoveredsomething that he will die for,he isn’t fit to live” - 1963.

®

King

King

Jan2009.qxd 1/7/09 9:40 PM Page 12

January 2009 CARIBBEAN TODAY 13

Here’s to a man who taught us all to think differently about the world. Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 1.19.09

Jan2009.qxd 1/7/09 9:40 PM Page 13

GLENFORD PRESCOTT

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent,CMC – St. Vincent and theGrenadines (SVG) “BasketballDiva” Sophia Young went homefor a Christmas vacation with herfamily after another standoutcampaign in the United States’Women’s National BasketballAssociation (WNBA) season.

The talented Young helpedher team San Antonio SilverStars to the final of the WNBA,where they lost 3-0 to theDetroit Shock. She told CMCSports that losing the final wasdisappointing and she could notpinpoint a reason for surren-dering so easily to the Shock.

“As an athlete you alwayswould like to win and when youdon’t it is very disappointing…losing the final and so easily wasone of those moments thathurt,” Young said last month.

“When you look at whereour team came from and reach-ing the final and not winningthe title which was right thereand needed just for us to grabit…it really was tough…any-way coming so close gives memore reason for having a goodseason in 2009.”

HEROICSYoung’s heroics were

responsible for taking theSilver Stars into the final afterhitting a 14-foot turnaroundshot at the buzzer to lift theSilver Stars to a 67-66 win overthe Los Angeles Sparks, whichforced a deciding Game 3 inthe Western Conference Finals.

Asked if that was the pos-sible highlight of her career sofar, Young said it was a memo-rable moment but she wasquick to point out that thegame should have been decid-ed long before that point.

“We had the game wonmore or less having been up by14 points but just allowed toomany silly things to happen,”she said.

The Silver Stars areexpected to begin their 2009season on June 6 at Phoenixbefore opening the home slateJune 13 against New York.

According to reports, SanAntonio will play before anational television audiencetwice during the regular seasonwith a June 23 home matchagainst Phoenix and an Aug.29 home game against Detroit,both on ESPN2.

San Antonio will play 34regular-season games – 17 athome and 17 away - matchingup against each WesternConference opponent fourtimes and each EasternConference team twice.

Fans will have to wait untilAugust to see a rematch of the2008 WNBA Finals with theSilver Stars at Detroit on Aug.

23 and home against the Shockon Aug. 29.

OUTSTANDINGYoung ended the 2008 sea-

son with an average of 17.7points per game, augmentedby 5.9 rebounds.

The San Antonio SilverStars drafted Young fourthoverall in the 2006 WNBADraft. A two-time WNBA All-Star, Young earned first teamall-WNBA and all-defensiveteam honors following the2008 season after helping SanAntonio to their best record infranchise history and aWestern Conference title.

The 6-foot-1-inch Younghas now completed threeWNBA seasons after being acollegiate standout for BaylorUniversity.

She was voted to theWNBA All-Star game in 2007and in her rookie year 2006,when she led Silver Stars inboth scoring and rebounding.

Young was given one of thebiggest honors in Novemberwhen she had her jersey retiredby Baylor University. Youngplayed for the Baylor LadyBears in NCAA, and became alegend at the school when shewon the Most OutstandingPlayer award at the 2005 NCAAtournament, taking them totheir first title in the process.

Young is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,480points. She said this was herproudest and most memorablemoment.

“It is always good to be rec-ognized for your contributionbut to have your jersey retired isjust so amazing…as a player youalways want to leave a legacyand leave something for peopleto remember you by,” she said.

Prior to the start of thestart of the 2009 season, the25-year-old Young, who cele-brated her birthday on Dec. 15will return to Greek teamGalatasaray for a second sea-son in Europe.

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GORDON WILLIAMS

Jamaican-born boxerO’Neil Bell will attemptto revive his ring career

by moving up in weight classfor a bout in South Floridathis month.

Bell, a former undisputedworld cruiserweight champi-on, will step up to heavy-weight to fight AmericanWillie Palms in an eight roundcontest at the Seminole HardRock Casino in Hollywood onJan. 14.

The fight card is beingbilled as “Hard Knocks at theHard Rock” by promotersSeminole Warriors Boxing.

Bell’s career has trulybeen one of hard knocks. Heleft his birthplace of MontegoBay, Jamaica as a young childto live with his parents in theUnited States. A talented all-round athlete, he later

dropped out of college to pur-sue a boxing career.

Although he boasts animpressive current profession-al ring record of 26 wins threelosses and a draw, with 24knockouts, the former “Give‘em Hell” Bell turned“Supernova” has struggledrecently, losing his last twofights as a cruiserweight.

STRUGGLEIn Mar. 2007 he was beat-

en by Jean Marc Mormeck inFrance, losing his hold on theWorld Boxing Associationand World Boxing Councilcruiserweight titles he hadtaken from Mormeck byknocking out the Frenchmanjust over a year earlier in NewYork. In April last year hesuffered a technical knockoutloss to Poland’s TomaszAdamek in an eliminator boutfor the International Boxing

Federation title.The big punching ex-

champion, who currentlyresides the Atlanta-area ofGeorgia, recently toldCaribbean Today that hedecided to move up in class toattract more lucrative fights inthe more competitive andhigher profile heavyweightdivision. He was also report-edly known to struggle withmaking the 190-pound weightrequirement for a cruiser-weight. He claims he will haveno such problems as a heavy-weight.

“I’ll be ready,” Bell toldCaribbean Today last monthof his preparation for hisupcoming bout.

Gordon Williams is CaribbeanToday’s managing editor.

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Caribbean hoops star shinesin U.S. women’s pro league

‘Supernova’ Bell makes comeback as heavyweight

Jamaica shrugged off thedisappointment of beingbooted from the next

World Cup by winning the2008 Digicel CaribbeanChampionship.

Goals by Luton Shelton,both from the penalty spot,earned the Reggae Boyz theirfourth regional title, defeatingGrenada 2-0 in the final lastmonth at the NationalStadium in Kingston.

Both penalties wereawarded following fouls onEric Vernan, who was namedmost valuable player of thetournament. The win alsoearned Jamaica a prize of$120,000.

It was the second DigicelChampionship win for Jamaicain three years and added toregional titles the Boyz won in1991, 1998 and 2005. The resultalso gave Jamaica’s coach JohnBarnes a winning start to hiscampaign.

“I am delighted formyself, I am delighted for theteam and the country,” saidthe former England interna-tional and Liverpool legend.

COMPETITIVEBarnes, 45, said the quali-

ty of play in the final by theJamaicans was not their bestof the tournament. However,he was pleased the result land-ed them championship honors.

“Overall it’s been a hard tournament,” he said.“Grenada came out and didvery well. Yes, we got a bit slop-py during the game but overallI am very happy right now.”

Grenada collected $70,000for the runner-up prize andcaptain Anthony Modeste wasgracious in defeat.

“Congratulations to theReggae Boyz, they are deserv-

ing champions,” he said.“If we couldn’t have the

trophy there is no one else wewould want to have it,” addedModeste, who plays in Jamaicawith Portmore FC.

Earlier, in the third placeplay-off Guadeloupe beat Cuba5-4 on penalties. All of the topfour teams have qualified forthe CONCACAF Gold Cup inthe United States this summer.

Recently Jamaica failed tomake to the final round ofCONCACAF World Cup 2010qualifiers.

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Jamaica crowned Caribbean soccer kings

The International CricketCouncil (ICC) hasnamed 13 West Indies

players for induction into itsCricket Hall of Fame, which itlaunched as part of the ICC’scentenary year celebrations.

The West Indies inducteesas they appear on the ICC’slist in alphabetical order are:spinner Lance Gibbs, batsmenGordon Greenidge and

George Headley, fastbowlerMichael Holding, batsmenRohan Kanhai and CliveLloyd, fastbowler MalcolmMarshall, batsman VivianRichards, fastbowler AndyRoberts, all-rounder GarfieldSobers, batsmen ClydeWalcott, Everton Weekes andFrank Worrell.

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14 CARIBBEAN TODAY January 2009

S P O R TS P O R Twww.caribbeantoday.com

Caribbean Football Union President Austin “Jack” Warner hands the Digicel CaribbeanChampionship trophy to Jamaica’s captain Tyrone Marshall. At left is Captain HoraceBurrell, president of the Jamaica Football Federation.

Young is shooting for nothing less than achampionship.

Sobers

13 West Indians for Cricket Hall of Fame

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DAWN A. DAVIS

Take in a lung-full of thepurest air from a majes-tic panoramic perspec-

tive. Skim 100-foot high tree-tops with your toes. Marvel atthe beauty of Mother Naturefrom the heavens.

This is the breathtakingexperience that beckonsadventurous nature lovers toMystic Mountain, Jamaica’snewest attraction nestledamong the lush mountains ofOcho Rios.

Opened last July, MysticMountain, is sprawled over100 acres of rain forest withunique tours taking the adven-ture seeker hundreds of feetabove sea level in sky lifts,‘flying’ through the woodlandson bobsled rides, and whizzingacross the forest canopy ontranopy lines stretching fromone end to the other.

The facility also boasts apavilion designed to look likea 1900s Jamaican railway sta-tion, enhanced with a story-board display of Jamaican cul-ture including the “gold” suc-cess of Usain Bolt and otherJamaican athletes at the 2008Beijing Olympics. With alookout tower to take in themagnificent surroundings, arestaurant/bar, retail shop, anda small museum highlightingJamaican culture, the buildingsits unobtrusively among thetall trees that surround it.

A recent Jamaica Tourist

Board-sponsored tour of thisand other eco-friendly attrac-tions gave observers the rideof their lives and revealedJamaica’s embrace of environ-mentally responsible tourism.

“We’re showing the natu-ral beauty of the island in anew, innovative, exciting way,”declared Barbara Lulich,Mystic Mountain’s marketingmanager. “We operate from avery serious environmentalplatform.”

The 15-minute sky liftride slowly takes visitorsacross the property over tothe pavillion, giving them achance to see Ocho Rios andits surroundings from a rareperspective. Chirping birdsatop the tallest trees and thesparkling aqua sea below cre-ate a meditative mood to stripaway the stresses of today’sworld.

Interestingly, to avoid cut-ting roads into the forrest and

destroying trees, the sky liftinstallation, including thechairs and concrete for thestop off points, was doneentirely by aerial helicoptersaid Lulich, adding, “if whatwe’re trying to showcase forour visitors is the beauty ofthe forrest, you can’t go in andchop it down.”

Another exciting rideforces visitors to hold on totheir hats. A thousand metersof track, twisting and turningaround the forest, marks thepopular Jamaica Bobsled ride,taking explorers on aroundtrip from the “railroad

station”. Amazingly, the stain-less steel track was hand-car-ried and installed to protectthe forest.

‘GREEN’ AIMAdventure seekers can

also “fly” across the propertyliterally strapped to steelcables. Helmeted and buckledon, the five-pronged flight, atwhat felt like “lightning”speed, left a blur of green.And green it will remain, asthe property owners generatetheir own electricity with theuse of fuel that stores the cur-rent in batteries for nighttimeuse. Lulich said the facilitywill soon move to wind tech-nology, generating power fromwindmills. She also showed offthe property’s waterless com-posting toilet that utilizesorganic material to turn thewaste into fertilizer for thehealthy forest.

Eager to pass on environ-mentally-friendly concepts,the owners have contributed amillion Jamaican dollars tothe Environmental Trust toeducate Grade 6 students onclimate change and the envi-ronment. Another millionJamaican dollars went to theJamaican Bobsled Federationto complete their trainingfacility at G.C. Foster Collegein St. Catherine.

CHUKKAWant to get your feet wet,

or better yet, get down anddirty? Then Green GlobeCertified Chukka CaribbeanNot all gloom for Caribbean tourism ~ CTO

Culture, nature highlight Jamaica’s newest tourist attractions

January 2009 CARIBBEAN TODAY 15

T O U R I S MT O U R I S M // T R A V E LT R A V E L www.caribbeantoday.com

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,CMC – Top officials of theCaribbean Tourism Organization(CTO) have assured that it wasnot all gloom and doom for theregion’s bread and butter tourismsector, even as it grapples withthe effects a global economicdownturn.

“It’s the season of goodcheer, notwithstanding the cur-rent global eco-nomic situa-tion,” saidCTO ChairmanHarold Lovelllast month.

Alsoaddressingreporters at anews confer-ence at theCTO’s head-quarters in Barbados, interimCTO Secretary General HughRiley was just as optimisticabout the prospects for thetourism sector.

“The forecast is not assunny and bright as we wouldwant it to be,” Riley said, “butI cannot tell you that there arestorm clouds either. There areclouds (but) they are not with-out silver lining.”

Tourism is a multi-billiondollar industry for theCaribbean and the leadingmoney earner for several smallisland economies. Lovell, whois also thetourism minis-ter for Antiguaand Barbuda,said that theregion reallyhad no choicebut to meetthe challengesas they ariseand to ensurethat the liveli-hoods of the thousandsthroughout the region whodepend on tourism can be pro-tected.

Already, the global eco-nomic situation has beenblamed for a number of lay-offs in the sector, with one ofthe region’s largest hotelchains, Sandals Resorts, send-ing home over 600 workers inAntigua and Barbuda, TheBahamas, Jamaica and St.Lucia; while The Bahamas-based Atlantis hotel has laidoff 800 employees.

Lovell also said that theunprecedented world econom-ic crisis has presented the

region with a tremendousopportunity to bring a sense ofurgency to the much talkedabout “One Caribbean” mar-keting campaign, which has theaim of shoring up regionaltourism markets. Caribbeanleaders have mandatedtourism officials to raise mil-lions of dollars to promote theregion as a single destination.

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Skimming’ Mystic Mountain offers a breathtaking view.

Riley

Lovell

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 16)

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CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC –St. Lucia’s tourism calendarsuffered its first casualty ofthe current global economiccrisis, with officials saying fur-ther cuts could be made toevents planned for 2009.

Tourism Minister AllenChastanet said last month thatthe Ministry of Tourism andthe St. Lucia Tourist Boardhave been undertaking areview of its program ofevents and decided that thecountry was not able to hostits “Rum and Food Festival”this month.

Organizer of the festivalNeysha Soodeen, told theCaribbean Media Corporation(CMC) that it was disappoint-ing that the Jan. 15-18 eventwas being cancelled due to the

economic downturn and itsimpact on the tourism indus-try.

“While we are disappoint-ed that the event cannot nowtake place before theCaribbean Marketplace inJanuary, having had almost allthe planning in place, we dounderstand the need to allo-cate scares financial and tech-nical resources to other morevital marketing components ofthe island’s tourism sector atthis time,” Soodeen said.

The event was due to takeplace at the same location thatwill be used by the CaribbeanHotel Association (CHA) forits annual Caribbean MarketPlace show on Jan. 18-20.

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St. Lucia cancels rumand food festival

Adventures is for you. Thefun-packed nature adventuretours include horseback rid-ing, canopy tours, river tubing,adventure and dogsled rides(with rescued dogs), and dunebuggy tours through the scenicfishing village of Sandy Bay.Founded in 1983 by DannyMelville in Ocho Rios, the so-called “attraction capital ofthe Caribbean”, the businessgrew, and in 2000 the Melvillefamily partnered with JohnByles to create what is todayone of the most popularadventure destinations in theCaribbean. The company nowhas operations in TheBahamas, Belize, and Turksand Caicos.

By far, the most popularride, at least among the teamof observers, was the dunebuggy that traversed a muddy,dusty trail through the SandyBay hills to 1,200 feet abovesea level.

Stop off points gave ridersa stunning view of the far-offmountains and valleys thatshape the landscape.Knowledgeable guides point-ed out herbal plants, fruittrees, an old dam, and oldplantation ruins that still markthe unspoiled countryside.

“Every employee atChukka CaribbeanAdventures has made a contribution to the success ofour company being able toreduce its environmentalimpact and to continue tomeet the rigorous standardsset by Green Globe,” saidMark Hylton, the company’sgeneral manager. “The naturalattractions of Jamaica and ourother Caribbean destinationsare an integral part of thetours that we sell. We have tobe responsible caretakers toensure these irreplaceableassets remain intact for futuregenerations.”

Some of the future gener-ation are employed byChukka, most of whom livewithin 20 kilometers from theproperty.

WILDTHINGIf you are a sea lover, a

soothing yet stimulating cata-maran cruise is the way to go.Wildthing Catamaran’s sunsetcruise shows the other side ofJamaica, sailing along Negrilbeach and the ragged cliffsalong the way to the famousRick’s Cafe in search of theperfect sunset.

With drinks and poundingreggae music, seafarers count-ed starfish dotting the bottomof the crystal clear sea. But,the ultimate experience wasthe brilliant orange sunsetwith a backdrop of youngdivers plunging into the seafrom the “mile-high” cliff at

the cafe’s edge.

OUTAMENISome seek adventure,

some seek thrills, others wantto relive the historic past.Outameni Experience, inCoopers Pen, just betweenMontego Bay and Ocho Rios,brings Jamaican culture andheritage alive with an interac-tive tour through a Taino,(Jamaica’s first in habitants)village, a slave ship and livingquarters, Spanish and Britishplantation, a rural Chineseshop, Indian village, andtoday’s citified Jamaica.

On a directed tour withNanny, a spiritual guide, agroup experienced what it waslike when the Spaniards hap-pened upon Jamaica and thesubsequent extinction of theTainos. A moving portrayal ofa slave being whipped andshackled quieted spectators,followed by a mulatto planta-tion manager who remindedobservers of a class systemthat still exists today.

Outameni is well named,for it showcased the manynationalities that make up theisland nation of Jamaica. The“Chinie” shops that dot manycountry areas and the Indianvillage reminded observes ofthe indentured laborers thatwere brought to Jamaica afterslavery was abolished. Theexperience brings it all togeth-er with a slice of city life fea-turing a dreadlocked dancerand his skimpily clad partnerat a “wicked” dancehall party.One love!

Story and photograph byDawn A. Davis, a freelancewriter for Caribbean Today.

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KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -Jamaica is preparing to launchthe Caribbean community(CARICOM) passport thismonth.

Jennifer McDonald, thechief executive officer of thePassport, Immigration andCitizenship Agency (PICA),said the document will bear the

CARICOM logo and the words“Caribbean Community” onthe cover.?The CARICOMpassport will also bear thecountry’s coat of arms with theword “Jamaica” as the issuingstate beneath.

CARICOM heads of gov-ernment have approved of theissuing of the regional traveldocument, which has alreadybeen introduced in severalmember states, includingTrinidad and Tobago,Barbados, St. Vincent andGuyana.

McDonald said the intro-duction of the CARICOMpassport this month will notinterfere with the validity ofcurrent passports.

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Culture, nature highlight Jamaica’s newest tourist attractions

Jamaica to introduce CARICOM passport

16 CARIBBEAN TODAY January 2009

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It will be staged more thantwo weeks after the officialdate of Haiti’s

Independence, but an annualUnited States celebration tomark the event should be wellworth the wait.

The 2009 HaitianIndependence Festival is setfor Jan. 17 at Bayfront Park,downtown Miami, Florida.

Presented by Voila, in con-junction with KalikoProductions, the Caribbean-fla-vored festival is scheduled tofeature a line-up of popularentertainment figures, includingCaRiMi, T-Vice, Nu-Look,Krezi Mizik, Zenglen, Hangout,Suave, Gabel, Djakout Mizikand the group Kassay.

Festival promotionincludes a Jan. 16 press con-ference, followed by an offi-cial party to be attended bysome of the show’s artistes.On Jan. 18 there is a party atMarabou Café in PembrokePines. Bouyon Night is sched-uled for Jan. 19.

Haiti officially celebrates

its Independence on Jan. 1.Other Haitian entertain-

ment events scheduled forSouth Florida in 2009 include:

• Mar. 14 – HaitianGospel Festival, SenatorGwen Margolis Amphitheater,North Miami Beach.

• May 16 - the 11thAnnual Haitian CompasFestival, Bicentennial Park,downtown Miami.

• Nov. 7 – RASIN festival,Bayfront Park.

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A91-year-old Bermuda-born actor beennamed in the Queen’s

New Year Honors List.Earl Cameron has been

given a CBE for services todrama after a career spanning70 years, including a role inthe movie about Britain’sroyal highness.

Cameron, who now livesin Warwickshire, England, isset for a real-life meeting withQueen Elizabeth II - just twoyears after his role oppositeHelen Mirren in the Oscar-winning film “The Queen”.

Cameron, widely regard-ed as the first black actor tobreak the color barrier in theUnited Kingdom film industry,told reporters late last monththat he was looking forward tovisiting Buckingham Palace toreceive his award from theQueen.

“I played an artist whopainted Helen Mirren’s por-trait in ‘The Queen’, so I havealready had a trial run,” hesaid.

“It never occurred to me Iwould come up for any kindof award like this.”

HUMBLE STARTCameron was born in

Bermuda in 1917, and grew upon Angle Street, Hamiltonjust yards away from the cur-rent site of the LibertyTheatre. He joined theMerchant Navy as a youngman and sailed mostlybetween New York and SouthAmericabefore theoutbreak ofWorld War IIdiverted hisship to theU.K.

Unable toget back toBermudawithout apassport, he took menial jobsto pay the bills.

Two years later, whileworking in the kitchen of arestaurant, he saw a play in theWest End, “Chu Chin Chow”,a musical comedy based on thestory of “Ali Baba and theForty Thieves”. A few weekslater, a small part in the playopened up – and Cameron,who had friends in the produc-tion, gladly took the role.

The play ran until 1946,becoming the longest-runningmusical in the West End dur-ing its time.

BIG BREAKCameron’s big break

came in “Pool of London”, a1951 film about a diamondrobbery that, unusually for itstime, featured a black actor ina leading role. That first role,as a Jamaican sailor, sparkedthe beginning of a movie, the-ater and television career thathas lasted almost sevendecades.

Cameron’s popularity onthe big and small screen hasseen him star with actorsincluding Sean Connery intheJames Bond movie“Thunderball”, in which heplayed the Caribbean assistantPinder.

He also starred alongsideRichard Attenborough andhis friend Sidney Poitier in the1973 film “A WarmDecember”, a love story set inthe English countryside.

- CMC

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Haitians celebrate Independencewith Miami music festival Jan. 17

BRADES, Montserrat, CMC– It was a field that included athree-time champion, multipleroad march winners and aninternational recording artiste,but it was a first-time partici-pant who emerged victoriousin the 2008 Montserrat SocaMonarch last month.

Rondell Meade outclassed11 other competitors with hispopular tune “My Festival” towin the crown in his firstattempt, ahead of former roadmarch champion Flying Doveand dancehall/hip-hopcrossover artiste Kulcha Don.

Flying Dove was judgedto be the first runner-up forhis rendition of “RootarStylee”, while the UnitedStates-based Kulcha Don,who performed “Wickedest

Whine”, finished as the sec-ond runner-up._

FAVORITEMeade was among the

pre-show favorites and did notdisappoint the audience as hehad them singing along andwaving as he proclaimed “Ilove my festival, I love it!”

In the end, there appearedto be no doubt in the minds ofmost of the spectators, whohad already proclaimed him tobe the new soca king evenbefore the judges’ scorecardswere tabulated.

Meade was also amongthe 10 finalists in the calypsomonarch competition lastmonth.

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The spirit and culture ofTrinidad and Tobago, includ-ing steel pan music and cui-sine from the twin-islandrepublic, will be showcasedthis month in downtownMiami, Florida.

Visionz Entertainment,Marketing & Promotions Incwill host the second annual“Trinbago Village” on BrickellAvenue during the ING MiamiMarathon scheduled for Jan. 29.

The entertainment pro-

gram, which will include livemusic, will run from 9 a.m. to11:30 a.m.

Last year’s event featuredappearances by GerardGreene, T&T’s consul general;Neki Mohan, from Channel 10News; Arthur Joseph, “Dealor No Deal” winner; and PapaKeith, radio personality from99Jamz). There was also aspecial musical performanceby Miami Pan Symphony.

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Rookie wins Montserrat’s2008 soca monarch crown

T&T ‘village’ adds spiceto ING Miami Marathon

91-y-o Bermudan actor gets readyto meet real-life Queen Elizabeth II

January 2009 CARIBBEAN TODAY 17

A R T SA R T S // E N T E R T A I N M E N TE N T E R T A I N M E N T www.caribbeantoday.com

Cameron

Nu-Look

February is Black History Month, and this year it may quite possibly be the most special ever. Join Caribbean Today as we celebrate the fantastic strides that wehave made and continue to make, as we salute the giants of black history. This isyour chance to salute and wish our new president all the very best.

To advertise in this section, please callDorothy, Sharon or Carmen at 305-238-2868

or fax your information to 305-252-7843or email us at sales@caribbeantoday.com

ADVERTISING DEADLINE IS JANUARY 30, 2009

Jan2009.qxd 1/7/09 9:40 PM Page 17

PETER RICHARDS

When Jamaica’s chiefjustice disqualifiedDaryl Vaz from sit-

ting in Parliament last April, itbrought into focus the compli-cations surrounding dual citi-zenship, not only in that coun-try, but throughout the entireEnglish-speaking Caribbean.

Vaz, a member of the rul-ing Jamaica Labour Party(JLP), was disqualified on thebasis that he “voluntarily”renewed his United Statespassport and used it to traveloverseas on numerous occa-sions.

He has appealed the rul-ing, as lawyers representingthe defeated People’s NationalParty's candidate in the 2007general election AbeDabdoub are urging the Courtof Appeal to affirm the deci-sion and declare their clientthe duly elected legislator.

A judgment is expectedsoon, but Prime MinisterBruce Golding has alreadyindicated that he would callfresh general elections if theruling goes against Vaz, there-by reducing his slim majorityin the 60-member legislatureto 31.

Caribbean countries willno doubt be following the outcome of the Jamaica caseclosely, since many of theirconstitutions include a provi-sion disqualifying dual citizensfrom politics.

“The issue of dual citizensand their eligibility for higheroffice in the Caribbean hasbeen on the agenda mostforcefully in the last two years.This issue has surfaced notonly in Jamaica, but also inTrinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, Guyana andGrenada," said the Jamaica-based Caribbean PolicyResearch Institute (CaPRI),which has just released a studyon the matter.

“The study was conceivedin response to the possibleinstances of breaching thisproscription all over the

Caribbean,” said Kim MarieSpence, one of the authors.She noted that in the variousCaribbean islands where thematter has surfaced, it has“became a political and per-sonal issue. However, CaPRInoted that, with dual citizen-ships increasing and theCaribbean territories makinga great effort to involve theirrespective diasporas in thedevelopment of their home-lands, it is an important pointof the body politic to discuss,”Spence said.

LOYALTY CONFLICTSThe study, titled “Dual

Citizenship and PoliticalRepresentation inJamaica”, was compiledusing a 10-year survey oflegislation in Jamaica,along with a sampling ofthe discussion in theJamaican media. CaPRIsaid it found that potentialconflicts of loyalty aroseless than one percent ofthe time, and these con-flicts often applied to theminister responsible forthe specific policy areaunder legislation. Thestudy also found that themajority of acts were fairlymundane, dealing with thevery-localized sphere ofconstituency work.

“It is the conclusion ofCaPRI that it is time tomove beyond personaldynamics and realize thatthis is a national issue.Jamaica is at a global cross-roads and it is necessary for usto explore fully the ramifica-tions of dual citizenship,”Spence said, adding thatCaPRI wants a nationaldebate on the clauses, ratherthan just a facile statementthat the law is the law.

She added that the politi-cal space for discussions onrevising or keeping the rele-vant clauses is often limited,“especially when majoritiesare razor-thin, then it is treat-ed as a political power issue,rather than strictly a constitu-

tional issue.”Given the different cir-

cumstances under which per-sons become dual citizens -birth, marriage or naturaliza-tion among others - and thehigh rate of returning resi-dents, the issue needs a deci-sion. Section 40 (2) of theJamaican Constitution speci-fies that “No person shall bequalified to be appointed as aSenator or elected as a mem-ber of the House ofRepresentatives who (a) is byvirtue of his own act, underany acknowledgment of alle-giance, obedience or adher-ence to a foreign Power orState”. Similar clauses are

also found in the constitutionsof Trinidad and Tobago, St.Vincent, Guyana, St. Kitts andNevis, The Bahamas, Antiguaand Barbuda, Barbados,Grenada and St. Lucia.

In Trinidad and Tobago,the issue of dual citizenshipsurfaced during the last twogeneral elections. Followingthe 2001 general elections,Justice Ivor Archie ruled thatthe constitutional rights of twojunior ministers were notbreached by the attempts tounseat them from the Houseof Representatives after two

defeated candidates hadbrought election petitions ask-ing the court to declare theirnominations null and voidbecause they held dual citizen-ship at the time. However,fresh general elections laterthat year meant that the courtproceedings had become pure-ly academic and the matterhas never really beenresolved.

COMPLICATIONSBut the issue re-surfaced

in the Nov. 5 general electionsof 2007, when attorney AnanRamlogan warned voters that“their votes may be wasted” ifthey supported two

Opposition candidates,because they had performed a“voluntary” act by applyingfor British and U.S. passports,respectively. In the study,CaPRI said it found littleempirical support for thehypothesis that an individualwho has “pledged allegianceto a foreign power” may offerless than full commitment toeither country.

“The risk is that, at themargins, the individual inquestion might make trade-offs that an individual whoholds only one citizenship -

and thus has no ‘escapeclause’ - would not have theoption of doing,” the groupnoted. However, the studyalso found that widening thepool of eligible representa-tives to include the diasporaenhances the overall quality ofthe political process.

“We found that this hadstronger backing, due to thefact that the majority of ourtertiary-educated population -85 percent - emigrates. Tradetheory indicates that openeconomies are more likely tooperate at optimal efficiency,leading to aggregate welfaregains. It is fair to assume asimilar within the political sys-tem, through the effect ofwidening the pool of suppli-ers,” it said.

Spence believes thatan examination of bothhypotheses was very useful,with the study focusing on thepossible trade-off betweencapacity and commitment.

”For example, not all for-eigners have capacity. Not allcitizens are committed to thecountry. Widening the eligibil-ity to Parliament couldenhance the quality of thepolitical process. ManyCaribbean nationals emigrateto become better-educated,”she said. “We do not want togive the impression that allmembers of the diasporawould add value just becauseof living abroad -- individualmerit is still important.”

CaPRI said that while aninternational survey hasdemonstrated that the globaltrend appears to be towardsmore rather than less open-ness, when it comes to mattersof citizenship, many countries,such as Japan, Germany,Iceland, Austria, Peru, Burmaand Indonesia, all bar dual citi-zenship. Its message forJamaica and by extension theCaribbean: “It is up to Jamaicaand Jamaicans to decide whichworks best for us”.

- CMC

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UNITED NATIONS - TheUnited Nations’ EconomicCommission for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean(ECLAC) has warned thatCentral America and theCaribbean will be most affect-ed by stagnation in tourismcaused by the global financialcrisis.

According to ECLAC’s“Preliminary Overview of theEconomies of Latin Americaand the Caribbean 2008”,about 75 percent of tourists to

the English-speakingCaribbean come from devel-oped economies that are expe-riencing a recession.

The United Nations’World Tourism Organization(UNWTO) estimates that, in2008, regional tourism grewbetween two percent andthree percent, compared to 6.6percent last year. UNWTOprojects that tourism to theregion will expand even less in2009, estimating that it will be“somewhere between zero

percent and two percent”.

‘DECELERATION’ECLAC said Caribbean

tourism began experiencing a“strong deceleration” betweenJune and Aug. 2008, due to“increasing deterioration ofreal income and consumerexpectations, the volatility ofexchange rates, and restraintson consumer loans due to thefinancial crisis”. It saidtourism is one of the econom-ic activities in the region that

has flourished most in recentyears, noting that its impor-tance has increased “as a gen-erator of value-added andincome”.

According to ECLAC,tourism expenditures in theEnglish-speaking Caribbean -with the exception of Guyana,Suriname and Trinidad andTobago - are equivalent to 15percent to 41 percent of grossdomestic product (GDP). Inthe first eight months of 2008,ECLAC said tourist arrivals in

the Caribbean grew by onlythree percent.

It said between June andAugust, demand for tourismservices in the Caribbeancame to a “standstill, due tothe lower number of visitorsto The Bahamas, Barbados,Bermuda and Puerto Rico -four destinations visited main-ly by United States andEuropean travelers”.

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Caribbean grapples with the politics of dual citizenship

Caribbean tourism will be hardest hit by economic slowdown ~ ECLAC

18 CARIBBEAN TODAY January 2009

F E A T U R EF E A T U R Ewww.caribbeantoday.com

Jamaica’s case involving Dabdoub, left, and Vaz brought focus to thecomplications of dual citizenship.

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ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada,CMC – Three prisoners, whowere among the infamous“Grenada 17” jailed for the1983 murders of former PrimeMinister Maurice Bishop andseveral of his Cabinet col-leagues, have been releasedfrom jail here.

The decision was madelast month by the local MercyCommittee, which has advisedGovernor General CarlyleGlean to remit the balance ofthe sentences of HudsonAustin, Colville McBarnetteand John Ventour. Based onthis advice, the governor gen-eral issued the necessary doc-uments, clearing the way fortheir immediate release.

A release issued by theOffice of the Prime Ministerstated that prison reports hadshown that “all three menhave given leadership to theprison population during theirincarceration at RichmondHill”.

The Tillman Thomas

administration also said thatthe decision to free the menwas based on the recommen-dations by Supreme CourtJustice Francis Bell in his re-sentencing judgment last year.

“The previous (KeithMitchell) administration didnot pay heed to Justice Bell’srecommendations and it wasimperative that this adminis-tration give effect to thelearned judge’s counsel”, therelease noted.

RE-SENTENCEDIn the re-sentencing judg-

ment, Justice Bell handeddown 40-year jail terms toeach of the men. He, however,recommended that Austin,who has been credited for hisrole in rebuilding the prisonafter the passage of HurricaneIvan, be considered for specialremission based on his con-duct and service to the prison.

The judge also recom-mended “a Prison Boardreview within six months or as

recommended by the medicalofficer assigned” in the case ofVentour, who suffers fromprostate cancer.

Justice Bell also recom-mended “a board review ofthe sentence of ColvilleMcBarnette within 12 monthsor as recommended by themedical officer assigned to theprison in light of his healthissues.”

In Dec. 2006, AndyMitchell, VincentJoseph and CosmosRichardson werereleased, after spend-ing 23 years in jail forfiring the shots thatkilled Bishop. Prior tothat, Phyllis Coard,the lone female mem-ber of the group andthe wife of the formerdeputy prime ministerand apparent master-mind of the coupBernard Coard, wasset free in 2000 onmedical grounds.Last year, another

three members of theGrenada 17 - Lester Redhead,Christopher Stroude and CecilPrime - walked out of theRichmond Hill prison at theorder of Justice Belle.That leaves seven members ofthe group in jail.

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CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC –The St. Lucia government hasannounced a three-monthamnesty, beginning Jan. 1,2009, for Caribbean communi-ty (CARICOM) nationals liv-ing in the country illegally, tohave their status regularized.

Home Affairs MinisterGuy Mayers said that thegrace periodwould applyonly to peoplewho have livedhere for threeyears or moreon a continu-ous basis; donot have acriminalrecord eitherin St. Lucia ortheir native land; and are notdeportees.

However, he said thateven then, the guaranteeing ofpermanent residence or citi-zenship would not be auto-matic.“The only persons who have alegal right as a citizen of St.Lucia are persons who areborn in St. Lucia,” Mayerssaid.

“We will deal with thenecessary processing andengage in background checksto ensure that you are whoyou claim to be and have beencontributing to the develop-ment of the country.

“Once we are satisfiedwith that, then we will extendcitizenship to the individual.”

Mayers said that St. Luciaintends to seek similar treat-

ment for its nationals who areliving illegally in other CARI-COM countries.

CRACKDOWNThe national security min-

ister said that once theamnesty expires at the end ofMarch, local authorities wouldundertake a massive crack-down on illegal immigrants.

The previous St. LuciaLabour Party government hadapproved a six-month amnestythat expired on May 31 lastyear, but the present adminis-tration said that a consider-able number of eligible per-sons were unable to take partfor a variety of reasons.

There are an estimated10,000 people living illegally in

St. Lucia, with nationals ofGuyana comprising thebiggest single group.

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Three more members of ‘Grenada 17’ released

St. Lucia offers three-month amnesty for illegal migrants

January 2009 CARIBBEAN TODAY 19

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