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Columns

My unsung heroes

There are some unsung heroes in Barbados - men and women who, on a daily basis, go about trying to make the world and their specific spaces better for their fellow people and humanity. April, the month when we celebrate the anniversary of the Bussa Rebellion and National Heroes Day, is a good time to shout some out. I want…
Extraordinary Bajan in the UK

They are many Barbadians in the UK who have forged very successful careers under the radar, quietly and without the glare of publicity. Shelley Maxceen Collins (nee Jackman) is one such person. Born in 1952 as the only daughter of the redoubtable and entrepreneurial Norma Jackman in the modest environs of Marshalls Gap, off Baxters Road in St Michael, Shelley…
Evil in the Church

Stuck in heavy traffic scarcely moving near Philadelphia, I came across a notice which said: “You’re not stuck in the traffic - you ARE the traffic.” I thought of that recently when I realized what a mess the Catholic church is today. We’re not suffering from the wrongs of the church, we are the church that has gone wrong. The…
Preparing for the inevitable

Every person, at some point in his or her life, has to deal with the death of a loved one, a relative, a friend, a partner or an acquaintance. For some, this can be an extremely traumatic experience, while for others, they can handle such occurrences with greater patience and strength. Undoubtedly, I believe for everyone, it is an emotional…
Her life’s a stage

Twenty-two-year-old Asha Elcock, a student from the Barbados Community College, is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Entertainment Management. The young actress sat down with Positive Vibes to discuss what led to her decision to become an actress. Q: What is your mantra for life? A: I live by different mantras Live, Love, Laugh, Be You and Feel…
BL&P rate review

Late last year the Barbadian public was made aware of the Barbados Light & Power Company’s (BL&P) request for a rate review. Given the current economic circumstances in which Barbados finds itself, most Barbadians would naturally be concerned about such a development. One could well understand some of the causes for the rate review. The price of crude oil has…
Lessons of passion week, glory of Easter

Sunday, April 14 marked the beginning of Holy Week, observed by Christians worldwide. It is a week in which we commemorate Christ’s sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Truly, it’s a week of suffering, passion and redemption. Then, when it is all over, we celebrate the glorious resurrection of Christ, our Lord! Holy Week (or Passion Week) commences with Palm…
A beach vacation is paradise

“To escape and sit quietly on the beach – that’s my idea of paradise,” declared Emilia Wickstead. Plan a family trip and enjoy the journey—aaah. Savour the scenery. Make some memories. Get out last year’s swimsuit—oh, too small. Not enough time nor motivation to lose the belly bulge, so suck it in or let it out. Travel to fun and…
Selling or saving the soul of the OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS), already a broken institution, was shattered even more on April 9 at a meeting of its Permanent Council. It is now an organization whose membership is deeply divided and amongst whom mistrust and bitterness now predominate. How this huge problem will be fixed–if it can be fixed at all–is the paramount challenge that now…
The snow-cone conundrum

The health of Barbadians has come under more scrutiny recently when the 2019 Indigo Global Wellness Index rated Barbados fifth from bottom, largely because of our poor showing on obesity, diabetes, and hypertension; i.e. because of our poor eating habits and lack of exercise. I know that some of our health professionals have criticised the index because of the metrics…

Lifestyle

Pop ups and Easter bonnets

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) is throwing its support behind this year’s rebranded Flow Oistins Festival and specifically the Easter Bonnet Parade scheduled for this weekend. Part of the foundation’s assistance for the Easter Bonnet Parade came in the form of a workshop, which is an extension of its already well-established school’s costume-making programme in existence for 17 years. So…
More than relief shelters

Finding adequate shelter for people affected by natural disasters or for first responders coming in to provide relief after such an event often creates a dilemma for Caribbean islands with their limited number of official shelters. In response to this, the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbnb, which will see that…
Embrace positive change

A group of 18 young men between the ages of 13 and 16 who are under the supervision of probation officers and accountable to the Juvenile Court spent the Easter vacation learning the necessary skills to enable them to think first before acting. They participated in the ASMAN (Acquiring Skills Men Actually Need) Programme, funded by UNICEF, between April 1…
An example of co-operation

Nearly four years after the international community approved the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Goals in 2015, the region’s countries will gather at the Third Meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development – an occasion conducive to taking stock of what has been achieved and of the challenges being faced at…
Protecting the environment

One gated community in Barbados has launched a project which they hope will encourage other neighbourhoods around the island to take the issue of reducing the amount of waste that goes to the Mangrove Pond landfill more seriously. This morning, the Royal Westmoreland Property Owners Association officially launched a recycling programme, which, according to one of the residents and Director…
Spanish lessons

One hundred students will learn written and conversational Spanish as well as get a taste of Venezuelan culture as The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Barbados and the Venezuelan Institute of Culture and Cooperation embark on their cultural exchange programme. The welcome and orientation event for the programme was held at the National Union of Public Workers,…
Commonwealth ‘coup’

Award-winning writer and filmmaker, Shakirah Bourne, is among the top 22 shortlisted for the prestigious Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She is the first Barbadian to be selected for this impressive list and is extremely honoured to be considered. It is an amazing accomplishment if you take into account that this NIFCA multi-awardee and 2015 recipient of the Governor General Award…
A more important role

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) celebrates 14 years of operations on Tuesday, April 16 and its President Justice Adrian Saunders says there is much to be proud of. “In 2018, we delivered our highest number of judgments in a year in the Appellate Jurisdiction, 34 in total, and we tried seven cases filed in the Original Jurisdiction, where we…
A beach vacation is paradise

“To escape and sit quietly on the beach – that’s my idea of paradise,” declared Emilia Wickstead. Plan a family trip and enjoy the journey—aaah. Savour the scenery. Make some memories. Get out last year’s swimsuit—oh, too small. Not enough time nor motivation to lose the belly bulge, so suck it in or let it out. Travel to fun and…
Uplifting and inspiring

The girl’s bathroom at Combermere School has been given a major uplift by Krystal Harris, a Social Work student at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus and artist Shane Eastmond, the owner of 6PMSplash. Speaking to the media, Harris said the project was inspired by an old scholar who told her the bathroom was the place where…

World

Sri Lanka explosions: More than 200 killed as churches and hotels targeted

(BBC) - At least 207 people have been killed and 400 hurt in explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, police say. At least eight blasts were reported. Three churches in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo's Kochchikade district were targeted during Easter services. The Shangri-La, Kingsbury, Cinnamon Grand and a fourth hotel, all in Colombo, were also hit. A curfew has…
UK - Adele, husband Simon Konecki have separated

(Associated Press) - Adele and her husband Simon Konecki have separated. The pop singer’s representatives Benny Tarantini and Carl Fysh confirmed the news Friday in a statement to The Associated Press. “Adele and her partner have separated,” the emailed statement said. “They are committed to raising their son together lovingly. As always they ask for privacy. There will be no…
Ilhan Omar: The 9/11 row embroiling the US congresswoman

BBC - A Democratic congresswoman says she will not be silenced after facing a barrage of criticism over comments she made about the 9/11 attacks - including from Donald Trump. The US president tweeted "WE WILL NEVER FORGET" alongside a video showing footage of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks spliced with a speech by Representative Ilhan Omar. "Some people did…
UK - Assange arrested

LONDON – British police entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Thursday, forcibly removing the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on a US extradition warrant and bringing his seven-year stint there to a dramatic close. Video showed a heavily bearded Assange shouting and gesticulating as multiple officers hustled him into a waiting police van. He was arrested on charges that he…
USA - ‘Dangerous storm’

Blizzard warnings were posted from Colorado to Minnesota on Wednesday and wildfires were a concern in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma as the second so-called “bomb cyclone” storm in less than a month hit the central U.S., raising the prospect of renewed flooding in the already drenched Midwest. Heavy snow disrupted ground and air travel Wednesday. Roads became impassable and…
USA - Barbadian grandmother slain in triple shooting in Boston

SOURCE: Boston Herald - A grandmother from Barbados is dead and two other victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a triple shooting on Mattapan Street late Saturday afternoon, Boston police said. The name of the woman has not been released. Reports of a shooting surfaced after 5 p.m. Police, ambulances and rows of police tape blocked Mattapan Street. A huge police…
UK's May concedes Brexit deal won't pass 'in near future'

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - British Prime Minister Theresa May has acknowledged that the government's strategies to get her Brexit deal approved in Parliament failed, saying there's little prospect lawmakers will back it in "the near future." May urged opposition lawmakers Saturday to help find a compromise agreement instead. She said voters "expect their politicians to work together when the national…
Iran floods: Fresh evacuations with more rain forecast

BBC - Flood-hit Iran is evacuating more towns and villages, with further rain expected on Saturday. Three weeks of heavy rainfall have left much of the country submerged and cost at least 70 lives. More downpours are forecast for the south-west, with 400,000 people at risk. Dangerously full dams are being opened to ease water build-up. Women and children are…
WORLD - Mental health tests for New Zealand attack suspect

CHRISTCHURCH – The man accused of killing 50 people in last month’s attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, has been ordered to undergo mental health tests. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, would be seen by experts to determine whether he was fit to stand trial or insane, said high court judge Cameron Mander. Mr Tarrant appeared in the courtroom -…
UK: Four people hurt in 'random attacks'

BBC - Four people have been stabbed in a spate of "cowardly and senseless" attacks in north London that police believe could be linked. Over a period of nearly 10 hours, the woman and three men were approached from behind and knifed in the back as they walked alone in Edmonton. The victims appeared to have been selected randomly, police…