Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) is our only hospital here on SVG. It is next to a gas station and has been for years. However the current administrator is now calling the close proximity a health and safety hazard. He says one of them needs to be relocated.
Newspapers here are talking quite a bit about the upcoming Summit of the Americas coming to Trinidad & Tobago this coming weekend. SVG is a close ally with Cuba and there is much discussion about trying to bring Cuba back into the mainstream and trying to persuade the US to remove the embargo.
SVG is officially in the dry season for some time now. We don't have the traditional 4 seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter like back home. We have Wet and Dry; it still rains, but not nearly as much. It is dry enough to have bushfires. There have been a few and there are many advertisements and articles about good practices and how to avoid starting bushfires. This week's Searchlight even featured an article to remind people that starting a bushfire (as a way to hunt iguana or get rid of snakes) or poisoning a river (to catch fish) can earn you 6 months in jail.
This month holds Gospel Fest. It is an entire month of programs that move around the country--songs, dance, drama, etc. The events are mostly on the weekends and promote Christian values and praise. They tend to be a rather sizable events. [Don't think I'll be planning to attend any as of yet.]
[Continuing on the religious note:]
There was an opinion article in this week's Vincentian paper discussing the one true religion, part 1 of a series. It seems to be an attempt to reach out to the various Christian faiths and tell them that there is only one true form of Christianity and that there should not be splinter factions with varies interpretations and teachings. Interestingly enough, the article does not provide an opinion as to which faith within Christianity is the 'right' one--at least not yet.
SVG is in the process of building an international airport. For now, most of our international traffic is bounced in from St Lucia, Trinidad, Barbados, or Puerto Rico. The airport is not expected to be finished until 2012 [times listed vary]. Depending on who you talk to (professionally, politically, or otherwise), you will hear drastic differences on if the airport is a good idea or not and to what degree. There is a massive concern over the financial borrowing and operations for the construction. Recent news discusses how a 'final master plan' was not a true final nor master plan after all... There are also articles that mention the acquisition of more lands to plan for future expansion opportunities that were not previously part of the plan--again causing for debate. [Time will tell on this one. Sadly, I won't be able to fly out of it once my PC service closes.]
This month marks the 30th anniversary of the volcano's, Mt. Soufriere, eruption--13 April 1979. Previously it erupted in 1902. Several articles have been released to review what life was like during those times and how science & technology have better equipped the nation to forecast and prepare for future eruptions. [The Peace Corps does have an emergency plan for volcanic eruptions.]
Vincentians tend to be very good at making handicraft. 4 handicraft artisan entrepreneurs, sponsored with the Center for Enterprise Development (CED), were able to attend the 6th Caribbean Arts and Crafts Festival. Vincentians also made a presence at the 11th Annual Miami Fashion Week. SVG is not a textile nation by any means, but there seems to be a growing interest in the fashion design industry.
A political party, the SVG Green Party, was refused permission to hold a march and rally to voice support for the election of President Obama. [Perhaps a bit late in my opinion for such a rally.] According to the article in the Vincentian, "refusal of permission as being an act to appease Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran and goes on to declare that it seems the ULP regime [current government party] is putting the people of Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran before the people of SVG."
This month is Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. There was an article published in The News that I thought I'd copy here:
CUT THEM OFF!
Males who sexulally abuse young chlidren should not only be castrated but have their penises cut off. So says Chairperson of the Child Abuse, Awareness, and Prevention Committee, Pastor Lemuel Samuel. Samuel made the comments while speaking to The News during a rally held at Heritage Square in Kingstown last Friday.
...The passionate Samuel add, "I use those adjectives without any form of apology because we have cases and facts and figures whereby men are guilty of specifically saying that they have made their daughters adn they must have sex with them and break them in before any other man.
I describe those persons as mentally ill; I may go as far as to say that we may need to have some of these not just castrated but to take their penis off." said the outspoken Pastor. ...
For those that did not know, buggery (a term interchangeable with sodomy) is against the law here. While this does not affect most persons--it is an act commonly associated with the male homosexuals. An article in The News covers an opinion from the Minister of Health--Dr. Douglas Slater--about decriminalizing homosexuality during talks about how to stem the rise of HIV/AIDS transmission.
During his address, Dr. Slater said "the laws in the region criminalize it and I"m saying that it is very difficult for any Government to change that because the general population does not support decriminalization and we ought to reflect the wishes of the majority."
..."In SVG and in the Caribbean there is a great deal of homophobia; there is a rejection to sex workers; to me sometimes a very bigoted and critical position because many of the person who publicly talk about are involved in it." said the health Minister who added "men who have sex with men are seen not as human beings bu as animals; if you make statements and act in any way that might be perceived as in support of them you are labeled but the reality is that they exist, they are our brothers, sisters, fathers, uncles, children, but I believe in the Christian principle of humanity and love and support despite whatever you may be."
[Interestingly enough, to my knowledge HIV is transmitted at a higher rate among heterosexuals than homosexuals--at least in the Caribbean. This may be in part due to the high rates of promiscuity among many men having multiple women and lack of condom use.]
There were more articles in all the papers about how the major competing telecommunication companies--LIME (formerly Cable & Wireless) and Digicel are giving away prize money for various competitions. I will interject my opinion on this, as I see these every week and can only wonder what becomes of it all. These companies are spending large amounts of money, at least in the common person's perspective. What is it really helping? Have they done studies to see if the impacts of cash rewards are enough to bribe loyal users to continue service and hopefully spread the word of their respective companies greatness? Both companies do contribute and sponsor select sports teams, development activities, and other events. However, could monies given to individuals be better spent through increased development aid and through other funding opportunities for the masses rather than single individuals? There are many here I've conversed with that say the general mindset of the Vincentian is one of the "begging-bowl" and "they keep their minds on how to get money to buy dinner rather than how to plan to fund themselves to eat for the week." How are the cash incentives from LIME and Digicel doing anything to derail the begging-bowl? A better educated individual, sewn and grown from a well-developed country, would be more likely to find or create better employment, make more money, and thus spend more back into telecom companies--their products and services. Of course, this is all my opinion.
CCTV is currently not allowed in the courtroom as permissible evidence due to a lack of rules that state how the footage should be acquired and controlled until used as evidence. It is allowed if a judge deems it so. Soon, there may be rules to cover this sort of evidence.
The SVG may soon be undergoing constitutional reform. While this has implications here on many levels--it is a vastly divided argument. SVG has been an independent nation for almost 30 years now and much of the current government legislation has a distinctively British flavour. Many in government feel it is time to advance the constitution to address modern needs. There are many topics raised--one of the major ones noted is the idea of term limits for the Prime Minister. Some say that it is necessary to allow up-and-coming leaders as well as provide for the dynamics of leadership and prevent power-struggles. Others say that a PM should not be limited as might a presidency--they follow different styles of government. Additionally, those against the limits have been known to say there is a lack of strong leadership in SVG, a quality needed for a PM. [Although there was no follow-up that I've read to say why there might be a lack...]
And so....these are just a bit of the things that are going around here that influence my life and the lives of those around me.
Stay happy and well
ciao tutti
~your local wannabe jedi
~Shawn
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