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1,400 St. Lucians apply for jobs in UK Army

Fourteen hundred St. Lucians - almost one in every hundred of the total population - are reported to have applied for jobs in the British Army, with "the majority" of applicants reportedly being St. Lucian police officers. This is reported in an article the Daily Mail in England, and reprinted in this week's issue of the Wednesday Star. What makes the sudden rush of applications even more mysterious, is the fact that the British Army has not undertaken any special recruiting drive in St. Lucia. A spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defense is quoted in the Daily Mail as saying: "We're not aware of any particular event that has sparked this off. Our recruiting website can be accessed around the world, of course, and St. Lucia is a relatively small community, word of mouth may well have played a major part".
Army officials have sent out detailed application forms to all 1,400-odd applicants, and recruiting representatives are expected to travel to St. Lucia in October of this year. The British Army is looking for 5,000 new recruits, and says that  though "baffled", it is also "delighted" with the interest from St. Lucia. Citizens from Commonwealth countries (such as St. Lucia) who join the British Army receive the same pay and conditions as citizens of the United Kingdom.
This week's papers carry no official comment from government officials in St. Lucia on the sudden, and as yet unexplained, interest in overseas employment by its nationals.

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Plan to ban work permits and passports within OECS

Prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves this week rekindled enthusiasm for the politicial, social and economic integration of the member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), saying he has already discussed with PM Dr Kenny Anthony of St. Lucia and other colleagues, plans to abolish the need for passports, residency permits and work permits within the OECS region. If his plans are to be adopted by all (or some) of the OECS members states - who will be discussing the topic at the next Heads of Government meeting in July - then St. Lucians will be free to travel, live and work in any of the other co-operating states, and vice versa.
"If you come off a boat from Castries and you come into Kingstown with your bag on your shoulder, the first supermarket you come across you can go in and say 'Sir I want a job' and if there is an opening you can get that job. Police ask you no questions. Immigration asks you no questions. All you do is register with the NIS", Gonsalves explains in the Wednesday Star.
Commenting on the plans, members of the public who are opposed to the idea mainly focus on the possibility of other OECS nationals adding to already existing problems in St. Lucia. One man is quoted in The Star as saying: "This is of course a strain on the economy of St. Lucia because already we have a problem with unemployment and the country is in a crisis, so we can't allow people to just come in freely". Another person objected on the grounds that the abolition of passport and visa requirements would result in criminals moving freely from island to island, increasing their opportunities for escape. Countering this notion (at least partly) is the fact that Gonsalves does see the need for OECS citizens to carry identification cards.
But commentators also see many advantages in Gonsalves' plans. The Star quotes a Castries resident as saying: "I think that this would kill insularity in the Caribbean. Secondly, with the economies of scale of the islands, you would be able to buy medicine and food in bulk and that would be cheaper. You would have more power in the global market and in the wider world you would be known not just as a tiny spot in the Caribbean. The advantages are great and the disadvantages are few". Furthermore, OECS integration would mean not only that other Caribbean nationals can come into St. Lucia to look for work, but conversely, that the size of the labour market for St. Lucians would be multiplied as well. This, in turn, would result in a reduction in the effectiveness of politicial victimization, and possibly an increase in overall efficiency. "You will find that we will have more productivity in our country because there will be competition for work. People will not just sit on their butts", a civil servant is quoted as saying in The Star.
St. Vincent PM Ralph Gonsalves made his statement on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the OECS. He used strong language, saying: "I want to speak to each prime minister individually. I am not going to proceed on the basis that we let the slowest among us determine the pace. The process must be determined by those who wish to move ahead". According to The Star, Gonsalves' strong push for the establishment of political, social and economic unity within the OECS marks the first time since 1987 that an OECS political leader has placed this issue on the agenda. In fact, the celebration of the OECS' 20th anniversary was marked by speeches lamenting the "failure to make any significant advancement in economic integration within the sub-region", and the "reluctance by the OECS Authority (heads of government) to address with any seriousness the issue of regional political integration". The Star quotes outgoing director general Swinburne Lestrade as stating this.
It is unclear from this week's newspapers whether St. Lucia's prime minister Dr Anthony has responded positively to Gonsalves' call to abolish work permits, passports and visas within the OECS. An agreement in principle was reached, however, on another matter: that of stationing Vincentian immigration officers at the airport in St. Lucia, to facilitate and speed up procedures for travellers between the two islands.

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Absent fathers, female poverty on political agenda

The responsibilities and shortcomings of men as fathers is the central theme of a new book written by Caribbean author Michael White, which is to be launched this Wednesday (27th June) at the ministry of Culture in Sans Souci. In 'Absent fathers', Michael White studies the effects on children and society of the "all too common estrangement", both physically and emotionally, between fathers and their children in the Caribbean. According to a press release carried in The Star and Voice, the book seeks to open up the debate on this issue as well as provide some "constructive solutions" to the problem - ostensibly predominantly from a Christian point of view. According to the press release, White suggests that though many fathers are at home, they are not really available for their children. "Some are absent because they were never in a relationship of commitment, but simply fathered a child for whom they took no responsibility, [and] they are not part of the family in any important sense. ... Others are absent because they have decided to end the marriage and the family connections; they are separated or divorced ... Others, the large majority, while still living at home, are emotionally absent, or present in body, but absent in spirit. This large group are as alienated and as damaging to children as those who are physically estranged. They are referred to as material fathers, being usually occupied and concerned with the provision of the child's physical needs".
The book 'Absent fathers' claims to help those involved "understand what went wrong, or is going wrong, and offers ideas as to how the situation can be changed. It is a call, and a pathway for fathers to find the way back home".
Meanwhile, the National Council of Voluntary Women's Organizations in St. Lucia is attempting to have gender issues put high on the political agenda in the upcoming general elections, and has advised women to only support those political parties that "indicate a clear direction for dealing with women's issues in the future".
In a statement published in The Voice, the council claims that "It is a fact that many St. Lucian women have to resort to creative and immoral ways to feed themselves and their children. These are serious 'bread and butter' issues which should be discussed in a constructive manner, with the intention of developing a strategic plan to ease the burden of the many St. Lucian women who fall within and below the poverty line". The council further observes that women who used to work in the banana fields are especially hard-hit by the downturn in that industry. "The situation regarding women and girls in St. Lucia is grave. There are many women and girls who do not fit into the category of the 'economically deprived' but the reality is that a large number of women are in fact affected by serious issues of poverty, lack of support from fathers, teenage pregnancy, among many other social ills".
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony, speaking with Rick Wayne on the television talkshow 'Talk' two weeks ago, is quoted in the Wednesday Star on the issue of male marginalisation in St. Lucia and the plight of women. Dr Anthony reportedly said: "Ten or fifteen years ago it was always understood that the male participated in the household, was the principal. The roles have reversed. It is in fact the women who are seeking employment on a continuous basis. I see more women seeking help for employment than I see young men. Now that really tells a story because it is suggesting an acceleration of the abandonment of households. The increase of young men who have children, then abandoning these households. I get the impression that our young men in particular are under siege, on the retreat. ... We do have a huge crisis on our hands. Things are serious. The vast majority employed in this country are women. There is an unwillingness by men to join the workforce. Men are not buying property. The vast  majority of mortgagees are women". Asked by Rick Wayne, "So how is the government tackling it?", the PM replied: "It is really a huge problem. Our young men in the population are demotivated. ... You have a number of factors almost working together to produce that kind of situation. I have to see how we can deal with the issues".

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Two-year government bursaries at SALCC

Students unable to pay for a course at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College can now apply for a two-year bursary, to be paid for by the government. This is announced in The Star. Although it is not clear how many bursaries the government is offering, the indication is that the following fields of study will be given preference: building trades, building technician, carpentry and joinery, construction, architectural technology, secretarial studies, motor vehicle mechanics, computer maintenance, diesel mechanics and hospitality studies.
Bursaries are allocated according to academic qualifications and potential, financial needs and geographic location. Applicants will have to gain acceptance into the programmes offered by the Division of Technical Education and Management Studies at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.

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'Janice Francis Memorial Fund' for medical needs

Janice Francis, who did not survive leukemia despite the efforts of fellow St. Lucians, last week, to raise funds to pay for a bone marrow transplant in a Canadian hospital, is the inspiration for a soon-to-be-launched fund for medical emergencies. The 'Janice Francis Memorial Fund' is currently in the process of being set up by Andre Paul and Romanus Lansiquot - the two men who organised a fundraising walk from Castries to Anse la Raye last week for Ms. Francis' operation. The forty participants in the walk raised about $2,000 which, added to other funds generously donated during the course of the past week by other donors (including $50,000 from an insurance company), made for approximately EC$100,000.
Ms Francis' death, last Tuesday upon arrival in Barbados where she was to undergo preliminary treatment, saddened donors but also made them realise that Janice Francis is far from being the only St. Lucian who faces death due to financial constraints when faced with a serious medical problem. Hence, Lansiquot and Paul decided to establish a committee to manage the funds raised on Ms Francis' behalf, to be used by other needy persons. The Voice reports this.
Earlier this year, viewers of DBS talkshow 'Talk' responded to a spontaneous fundraising effort which so far has successfully helped Chris Jn.Charles, a young girl in need of extensive brain surgery.
The Thursday Voice editor calls the initiative "a breath of fresh air" which helps St. Lucians "to restore hope and faith in each other" at a time when "injustice, immorality and negativity" abound.

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Tourist arrivals slump since April

A dwindling number of tourist arrivals has caused the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) to voice serious concerns, particularly, as the association's vice-president Rodinald Soomer claims, "the situation appears to be getting worse over time". The Voice reports this. While the first three months of this year saw a downturn of nine percent in arrivals, the past two to three months have seen a twelve per cent decline, writes The Voice. Why exactly fewer tourists are choosing St. Lucia as their preferred holiday destination varies, but the SLHTA is lobbying government to increase its promotional budget, which currently stands at fifteen million dollars per year.

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Stray animal welfare programme kicks off

Education in schools about animal welfare, a volunteer-assisted spay and neuter programme for up to 1,500 animals, and continuing education programmes for local vets are the main targets of a new collaborative effort between the St. Lucia Animal Protection Society (SLAPS), local vets and International Veterinary Assistance Inc (IVA), which recently came off the ground. IVA, which is a volunteer-led non-profit organization by veterinarians, will be contributing over EC$160,000 to this end, making this one of the largest such initiatives in the Caribbean. "Each time you travel abroad you are confronted by feral dogs and cats which are in very poor condition", says IVA founding director Angela Witt in The Voice. "Unfortunately, there are usually inadequate facilities in place to handle this problem. This leads to a vicious cycle of a growing and neglected feral population and community health concerns. We developed IVA to provide veterinary resources and empower local groups and supporters of such programs to stop this vicious cycle".
IVA President Mehrdad Nazari points out the tourism-related impact of sub-standard animal welfare practices as well. "Animal-lovers going abroad are shocked to find out about inhuman eradication approaches, such as poisoning or shooting of strays to curb their number. IVA provides an opportunity for the tourism sector to contribute to the implementation of positive solutions to this problem and meet the demands of their customers for humane stray management".
Local animal welfare protagonist and president of SLAPS, Jane Tipson, expresses her gratitude for the help received from IVA and is quoted in The Voice as saying that it "will help us to kick-start our program". The SLAPS website can be visited at http://www.geocities.com/slapss

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Nuclear shipment in Caribbean Sea suspected

Six transport containers loaded with 400,000 curies of highly radioactive and/or long-lived americium, cesium, cobalt, plutonium, strontium and technicium, carried on board the British-flagged Pacific Sandpiper is said to have left Japan last Wednesday, June 21st, on its way to the Panama Canal and, from there, the Caribbean region, en route to the United Kingdom. Environmental watchdog organisation Greenpeace expects the ship to be in the Caribbean Sea by mid July - despite, it says, "the concern and opposition of Latin American and Caribbean Governments". In 1999, both CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) were signatorees to the Association of Caribbean States Summit declaration which states: "We therefore deplore its ecological degradation and reject its continuous use for the transport of nuclear and toxic waste that may in any way cause a greater degradation of the Caribbean Sea". The Voice reports this.
In this weekend's paper, Greenpeace calls the ship "a floating Chernobyl" and further says that "The release of even a small faction of this radioactive material could lead to a terrible environmental and public health disaster. It is outrageous that Japanese and British officials think that they can make such a shipment in secret and without the permission of the nations put at risk".
The Caribbean hurricane season started officially on June 1st.

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