A series of lectures, debates, roundtables, readings, musical and theatrical performances, and film screenings— D’Encre et d’exil insulaires [Of Ink and Insular Exiles]— focusing on writing, exile, and insularity, will take place at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France, from November 27 to November 30, 2009.

The island will be a central trope in this exploration of the condition of the writer as exile (or “the one who leaves the island: l’ex-île”) or isolated, exile as the ideal site/situation for the writer, and the island itself as a creative exile or a refuge for the imaginary. 13 writers/artists from 13 islands have been invited to reflect on these topics. The five guests representing Caribbean islands are Eduardo Manet (Cuba), Daniel Maximin (Guadeloupe), Dany Laferrière (Haïti), Roland Brival (Martinique), and Neil Bissoondath (Trinidad).

Book-signing sessions will also be scheduled during the three day event.

For more information, see http://www.centrepompidou.fr/Pompidou/Manifs.nsf/0/10FF199A0E2CA0DCC125765F004F862E?OpenDocument&sessionM=2.6.2&L=1&form=Actualite#seances

Posted by: ivetteromero | November 21, 2009

Barbados Children’s Environmental Action Awards

Sponsored by Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, the Barbados Children’s Environmental Action Awards (CEA) program recognizes individual children and their families or children’s groups for activities that directly preserve and protect the environment, parklands, ocean and coastal habitats, and natural wildlife in Barbados. Four awards per year will be made to those who display initiative and action.

Children and young adults, including groups such as a classroom or organization can be nominated. Nominees must all be between the ages of 5-17 and be full-time residents of Barbados. Each CEA Award includes a Bds. $2,000 prize, plus a public recognition ceremony at Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary. Considerations for selection include points such as the degree of initiative and personal responsibility, whether the nominee learned and applied specific and general knowledge of the environment and ecosystems, and whether the candidate motivated others to perform specific actions and tasks that protected the environment

The 2009-2010 deadlines for nominations are December 19, 2009, February 27, 2010, and May 8, 2010.

For detailed instructions n how to nominate a candidate or group, see http://www.graemehall.com/

Posted by: lisaparavisini | November 21, 2009

St. Kitts and Nevis National Carnival 2009-2010

The St. Kitts and Nevis National Carnival 2009/2010 opens officially on December 18 with a gala and pandemonium celebration. Anticipated events include Rotaract Carnival Prince and Princess Show, National Carnival Queen Pageant, Folklore Avenue Extravaganza, National Calypso Monarch Finals and the exceptional Grand New Year’s Day Parade.

Thirty-eight years since the debut of National Carnival in St. Kitts and Nevis, its organizers are committed to continue building both its brand and buzz. Executive Director of Festivals, Allister Williams says the public can expect more lead-up events to Carnival, which means that the month of December will be jam packed with excitement from the very start.

Moreover, the National Carnival Committee and LIME – Carnival’s premier sponsor – have teamed up for weekly Friday events that started November 6 and run through December 11.  The events will be held in Independence Square.  “These promotional events will feature entertainers, who are known for livening up Carnival, as well as the contestants for various shows,” said Williams.

The winning Carnival slogan, “A Celebration without End,” was announced on October 31 in Independence Square in an event that included performances by four-time National Carnival Calypso King, Konris Maynard and reigning Road March Champions, Grand Masters. 

For more on the carnival go to www.stkittsneviscarnival.com.

Posted by: lisaparavisini | November 21, 2009

Martinique to Host Contemporary Art Market of Le Marin

Martinique is hosting the seventh annual Contemporary Art Market of Le Marin, November 27-29, 2009. Some 8,000 visitors are expected to attend the event and sample the work of more than 100 artists from the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, Canada and the U.S., aking this one of the Caribbean’s most important celebrations of the arts. Virtually all types of artists will be represented; from painters and sculptors, to photographers, videographers, and filmmakers.  

Throughout the three-day event, visitors can enjoy a variety of exhibits in unique locations—the  Centre Culturel Vincent Placoly, the covered market, Allegre Boulevard, Odis 7 Galerie and more—with various free-form creations and video projections virtually enveloping the town of Le Marin in art. Among the highlights are a fresco mural painted by a young local artist in tribute to Martinican poet Aimé Cesaire,  and the works of Marc Latamie, a Martinican painter now based in New York.

Interactive painting stations will also be set up along the waterfront providing budding young artists with a unique opportunity to create their own works of art alongside painters participating in the event.

For more information on the seventh annual Contemporary Art Market of Le Marin, please contact the Le Marin Visitors Bureau at Tel: 011-596-596-746-321, or 011-596-596-747-271; email: otsim@wanadoo.fr, or visit http://www.otmarin.com.

Posted by: lisaparavisini | November 21, 2009

Havana’s Septeto Nacional makes first U.S. visit in 76 years

Cuba’s venerable ensemble Septeto Nacional opens a four-night run at Yoshi’s-San Francisco this coming Monday, in their first visit to the US in 76 years. Septeto Nacional, a band with a rich history pre-dating the reign of Fidel Castro, was founded by legendary Afro-Cuban songwriter Ignacio Piñeiro in 1927. The group played an essential role in transforming son from a rural style created by troubadours in Santiago into urbane Hanava dance music. Along with Sexteto Habanero, their main rivals in Havana, Piñeiro’s band introduced clarion vocal harmonies and sophisticated orchestration while retaining the insistent syncopation known as clave. Septeto Nacional’s son sound eventually gave birth to salsa. George Gershwin was so impressed by Septeto Nacional on a trip to Cuba in 1932 that he quoted Piñeiro’s hit “Échale salsita” in his piece “Cuban Overture.” And when the band made its last U.S. appearance in 1933 at the World Exposition in Chicago, Septeto Nacional became a sensation.

Over the years, the group featured a succession of powerhouse vocalists, starting with legendary sonero Abelardo Barroso. In the 1940s, Miguelito Valdés won a new generation of fans for the group, which has always drawn on the hundreds of classic sones written by Piñeiro, who died in 1968. In recent years the band has recorded and toured prolifically under the leadership of Eugenio “Raspa” Rodríguez, who joined in 1982 at the urging of the band’s then-director, Carlos Embale. Now the band’s longest serving member, Raspa eventually took over leadership and recruited a fresh batch of musicians. The repertoire remains much the same as 80 years ago, but the contemporary arrangements reflect the sensibilities of the musicians whose grandparents grew up dancing to the band’s hits.

“I am very proud to sing those songs,” says Raspa, 69, while taking a break from an informal jam session at the house of Puerto Rican salsa star Andy Montañez. “We respect the originals, but we added the style of this new generation. They keep on telling the same stories, but it’s like being a chronicler of this time. I always wanted to sing with my own sound, but I try to maintain that tradition of Carlos Embale, and all the big stars who passed through.”

For tickets to Septeto Nacional’s performances in San Francisco go to www.yoshis.com

For more from the original report go to http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_13809573?source=rss&nclick_check=1

Posted by: lisaparavisini | November 21, 2009

Barbados and Bahamas want to move into health tourism

The world recession is damaging the tourism business in many Caribbean islands and, as they look to replace lost tourist income, some of them are looking to medical tourism (the rapidly-growing practice of traveling across international borders to obtain health care) as an option.  Barbados and the Bahamas are both keen on becoming major health tourism destinations. Barbadian doctors trained in innovative, minimally invasive gynaecological surgery, are providing the service in Barbados for the first time and training other local doctors. The Ministry of Health is hailing the move as an example of the expanded health services available in the country, noting that Barbados “is poised and ready to take advantage of the health tourism sector”.

Minister of Health Donville Inniss reflects that Barbados could be the place of choice for health and medical tourism. The Ministry of Health is about to enter into negotiations with potential consultants on conducting a feasibility study on the construction of a new hospital. A new independent National Health Care Quality Council will be the national coordinating agency for quality management in the health sector. The council will provide annual reports on the quality of the sector; set benchmarks by which performance can be measured, and establish performance standards and protocols, measurable indicator and evidence-based tools that should be applied in evaluating every aspect of the health services and to audit the performance of institutions and providers; license health care institutions and develop links with reputable international agencies to help with benchmarking, peer review and accreditation.

Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) chairman Hannes Babak is aggressively pushing the idea of using medical tourism to help boost Grand Bahama’s ailing economy, “people will spend money on the island. They have to fly in here, use the facilities, the airport, so there is a huge effect on medical tourism. One side is the medical and one side is tourism. Medical tourism is the perfect business that we can bring and create here in Freeport where we can be the leader in this area of the world and not a follower. We can attract one of the leading hospitals from the United States.”

GPBA, the organization that runs Freeport harbor and economic zone, has targeted 10 to 15 hospitals in the United States with a developer/investor kit to see if they are willing to branch out into Grand Bahama. No US hospitals have admitted to being in talks or having any interest in medical tourism in the Bahamas. GBPA aims to attract only certain types of medical procedures and to start off with those that are relatively low risk to avoid any accidents that could potentially ruin the business.

For more go to http://www.imtjonline.com/news/?entryid82=169097

Posted by: lisaparavisini | November 21, 2009

Cayman Islands restructuring secondary education

A large-scale restructuring of government’s secondary education system will be implemented in September 2010, Education Ministry officials in the Cayman Islands have announced. The restructuring includes the introduction of two “all-through” high schools; more opportunities to study technical and vocational subjects; a revamped core curriculum; an additional year of compulsory education; and improved career guidance services. Education Minister Rolston Anglin noted the urgency of separating the much-needed academic improvements in secondary education from the building of the new schools. “There is much that we can do come September 2010 to introduce significant reforms that will benefit our children in our current school sites. Acting now will also ease uncertainties for all stakeholders, and allow for an easy transition once the new schools are completed.”

A major development will be the two “all-through” high schools in Grand Cayman, catering to students from Years 7- 11 (ages 11 to 16). This will replace the current split system of a middle school and a high school. Students will sit their CXC/GCSE examinations at the end of Year 11 from 2010 onwards. This will give students extended opportunities for technical and vocational subjects, while emphasizing core skills and values for all students. The new core curriculum, also set for September 2010, will reflect cultural norms and the need to produce globally competitive citizens. All students will study the current core subjects of English, mathematics and science, but will also study information technology, religious education, and social studies.

Innovative technical subjects available in the schools will include a leisure and tourism option (specially designed and accredited for Caymanian students), as well as catering; music technology; and health and social care. These will be offered in addition to already well-established programs in construction, electrical and electronics and motor vehicles, reflecting a renewed focus on national priorities and the needs of the labor market.

Furthermore, students’ compulsory schooling will not end with external examinations in Year 11. They will continue for an additional year, she said, with the launch of a 16+ mandatory “bridge year” for students, following the completion of their CXC/GCSE examinations.

For more go to the original report at http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Caribbean/Stories/2009/11/20/NEWS0000009526.html

Photo: Cayman Islands Debate Society

Posted by: lisaparavisini | November 20, 2009

Barbados in environmental hot water

Peter Allard, the Canadian investor who developed the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary eco-tourist facility in Barbados, has filed a complaint alleging that the government violated its international obligations by refusing to enforce its environmental laws, and as a result allowed increased pollution and land development to damage the 35-acre Sanctuary. Notice of the dispute has been filed under the Agreement for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between Canada and Barbados. “The dispute arises out of actions and omissions of Barbados that have caused or permitted environmental damage to the Sanctuary, thereby destroying the value of Mr Allard’s investments in Barbados,” explained the investor’s legal counsel in the complaint. It added that Allard had developed the Sanctuary into an eco-tourism facility that attracted tens of thousands of visitors from the time of its opening in April 2004 until its closing in March 2009, due to Barbados’ consistent refusal to enforce its domestic environmental laws and to abide by its international obligations under the Convention on Wetlands and Convention on Biological Diversity.

It said that this led to a radical escalation of polluted runoff into the Graeme Hall wetland that serves as a Caribbean flyway stop for migratory birds between North and South America. “In particular, Barbados has failed to prevent its state agency, the Barbados Water Authority, from repeatedly discharging raw sewage and other effluents into the Graeme Hall wetlands from its South Coast Sewage Treatment facility; repair, maintain or adequately operate drainage structures into the Graeme Hall wetland that regulate water levels, mosquito infestations and the biologic health of the wetland; construct or maintain the bisecting canal in the Graeme Hall wetlands and other roads using appropriate wetland roadbed technologies, causing interruption of wetland water flows and silting of the wetland; investigate or prosecute the sources of runoff of grease, oil, pesticides, herbicides and other effluents from neighbouring areas; and investigate or prosecute poachers that have threatened the wildlife at the Sanctuary,” the complaint specifies.

The Sanctuary is within the last 240-acre green space on the island’s South Coast between the Airport and the capital of Bridgetown, and is also part of the Ramsar wetland recognized by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

In 2008, Barbados formally reversed the original protective land use policies embodied in the 1988 National Physical Development Plan that showed environmental buffers and low-impact recreational lands around the Sanctuary investment and the wetland. New zoning for the area calls for commercial and residential development for the majority of the space at Graeme Hall, despite a 6,000 signature petition by citizens of Barbados to create a national park. The complaint said that the amended development plan revoked the previous commitments and legal framework that had been the basis for Allard’s investment. “It did so by permitting development of most of the Graeme Hall green space. This land use change has caused, and will result in, further damage to the Sanctuary through increased run off of pollutants,” the document said.

Allard wants the government to either pay compensation or be forced to repair all damage to the Sanctuary caused by its breaches of the Agreement.

For more go to the original report at http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Caribbean/Stories/2009/11/02/NEWS0000009335.html

Posted by: lisaparavisini | November 20, 2009

Jamaica participates in World Music Expo

Eleven members of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JARIA) traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, to attend the World Music Expo, in an effort to bring reggae to every corner of the world. Vice-Chairman Howard McIntosh, said that the “biggest area of difficulty was getting the visa, which is a major challenge for Jamaican artistes in getting to Denmark.” He told The Gleaner that when WOMEX General Director, Gerald Seligman, met the group, he said it was the largest contingent from the Caribbean at the expo since it first started in 1994. Since its inception, WOMEX has been held in several countries across Europe. At the last staging in Sevilla, Spain, there were more than 2,800 delegates and 1,425 companies from over 90 countries. Based on the nature of the event, it is a major networking tool, which McIntosh said the group has been making full use of. “It has been going very well so far with many connections being made and discussions on projects that will assist the Jamaican music industry,” McIntosh said.

He said the group is also at the expo with market penetration as one of its objectives. He said Reggae Month would be launched, the delegates would participate in discussions with the European Commission on issues affecting the Caribbean and Jamaican music, JARIA would be showcased and they would network with various promoters and music industry officials from various countries. Already, he said the group has met with people from the French territories and also from some African countries, who plan to do a project in Jamaica next September.

“We must as a country look at ways we are going to invest in and protect our music. As a country, we need to ensure that the full potential of our music can be properly explored so that all the benefits can be accrued to the stakeholders in the music and Jamaica.” He also noted that the creative industries, especially music, generally contributes to a sizeable percentage of the GDP in numerous countries. But with Jamaica still on a high, especially from the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin last August, McIntosh said: “It’s Jamaica to the world. Everybody is in love with Jamaican music and Bob Marley.”

For more go to the original report at http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091102/ent/ent1.html

Posted by: ivetteromero | November 20, 2009

New Book and Launch: Rafael Acevedo’s Odio

Rafael (Rafah) Acevedo will present his new poetry book Odio [Hate] at a book launch tonight, November 20, 2009, at 7:30pm at Café Seda in Old San Juan. The activity is sponsored by Letra y Píxel.

Professor of literature, poet, journalist, playwright, and self-proclaimed “functional misanthrope and dysfunctional musician,” Acevedo (Santurce, Puerto Rico; 1960) is also author of Contracanto (1982), Retorno del ojo pródigo (1986), Libro de islas (1989), Instrumentario (1996), Cannibalia (2005), Moneda de sal (2006), and Sexo y cura/Carnada de cangrejo (2008). His first novel Exquisito cadáver (2001) received an honorable mention by the prestigious Casa de las Americas Awards in 2001. He has written theater pieces such as Cualquier guerra, cualquier amor (1990), Tres pájaros en una rama (1990), and Crónica natural (1991), and Aló quién llama (1994).

See Acevedo’s site at http://www.cerealkeyller.blogspot.com/

[Many thanks to Teo Freytes for bringing this item to our attention.]

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