Black Immigrant Daily News

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Youth participants recently wrapped up the Level II intermediate course of IGT’s Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp and anticipation is high for the incoming students of its Level I introductory course in a few weeks.

IGT established the regional virtual learning camp in 2021 with an introductory offering through its After School Advantage (ASA) centres in Barbados, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, and Trinidad & Tobago.

For 2022, this number was increased to include Antigua as the newest participating country.

IGT’s Regional Director for the Caribbean Brendan Hames said the project had grown tremendously since the inception. “We’re pleased to renew this vital exercise and to see many of the young participants from the initial cohort move into new areas of knowledge and digital skill,” he said. “We’re sure the new group starting the introductory course in August will finish with an even greater appetite for the next level of the course.”

Dr. Ava Maxam, Acting Executive Director of Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI) at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, said the institute was positive that the Level II intermediate training had helped to instil in the youngsters an appreciation of the potential for them to launch careers in the coding and robotics fields.

“We have been able to provide the students with a strong sense of the opportunities that are now available given the evolution of the technology,” she commented. “And we know this will be an inspiration for them.”

Education Specialist Nalini Ramsawak-Jodha from the UWI, St. Augustine campus who provided curriculum development guidance to the MGI team, noted that the right mix of fun and learning were factored into the curriculum design to engage the students in the discussion and action pertaining to regional growth and sustainability in accordance with the Camp’s theme, ‘Youth coding for a sustainable Caribbean.’

“This year’s course design was carefully structured to meet the objective of the programme and cater to all of the participants of varying learning styles and interest.  The theme of regional sustainability being linked to coding and robotics is a very broad topic. We had to ensure that the lessons were in friendly bite sizes that would make the students eager to learn and actively engage in all aspects of the training,” she related.

While incorporating the HTML, CSS and JavaScript tools of the Level I course, the Level II course, offered in two modules, took the students into more complex web development and design functions, and also provided them with an introduction to artificial intelligence (AI), encompassing a brief history of the technology and moving into several of the more widespread current applications, including voice, speech recognition and autonomous vehicles. Students were required to complete one written exam and a practical assessment for each of the modules. Among the test areas were: basic terms in AI; real-world applications of AI; and applications of AI in the electronics industry.

In the practical assessment, students were required to create a website; to introduce themselves and/or their interest area on the page; to break down the various sections of the website and create a webpage for one or more of each of the categories in the previous page created. A group project focussing on cross-cultural website development was also assigned and assessed (historical sites, sports venues, etc) as well as a CSS-centred exercise.

IGT, through its ASA Programme, has consistently played a leading role in increasing access to technology and internet connectivity for youth in underserved communities. Since 2011, IGT and its subsidiaries have opened some 39 ASA computer labs across the English-speaking Caribbean. Through this and other initiatives, IGT aims to continually enhance the technological awareness of students and thus prepare them to contribute to the social and infrastructural development of the Caribbean.

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Justice Frank Seepersad

A police officer who was accused of being in possession of two protected birds has lost his malicious prosecution case against the game warden who charged him in 2009.

PC Ramdeo Seepaul, who is now assigned to the St Margaret’s police station, sued the State after the case against him was dismissed in the magistrates’ court in 2017 for want of prosecution.

On Tuesday, Justice Frank Seepersad dismissed Seepaul’s claim, ordering him to pay the State’s costs of defending the matter of $14,000.

Both Seepaul and retired game warden Nicholas Leith, who is also a special reserve police officer, testified at the one-day trial before the judge on Tuesday.

In his ruling, Seepersad said he found Leith to be a convincing witness who was doing nothing more than discharging his work obligations in a fair and measured manner without improper motive.

The judge said the court was satisfied Leith had reasonable and probable cause to institute the two charges against Seepaul for having the young blue and yellow macaw and a yellow-headed parrot, both protected species under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.

While he found the dismissal of the charges against Seepaul in the magistrates’ court odd, he said there was no appeal of that decision, but advised that greater caution should be exercised by inferior courts.

Seepersad also reinforced previous calls he has made for judicial and legislative intervention for malicious prosecution cases, suggesting again that perhaps the court’s permission should first be granted for a claim to progress, since they take up significant portions of judges’ dockets.

Seepersad said it appeared that whenever a criminal charge is dismissed, the automatic step was to file a malicious prosecution claim. He said the evidential burden of such claims was very high and was the most difficult tortious one to succeed on. Seepersad also noted that such claims were intended to protect society and individuals from an abuse of authority.

In his lawsuit, Seepaul alleged Leith acted with malice in charging him.

In his evidence, he insisted when Leith, acting Supt Stephen Ramsubhag and other officers came to his home at Tableland, on April 25, 2009, they did not find any birds in a cardboard box at his home.

Seepaul also claimed he was not shown a search warrant, nor was one read out to him.

In his testimony, Leith said an informant alleged he had been robbed by two police officers, four days before, in Moruga, of 146 bullfinches, 286 picoplats, 18 macaws, 33 parrots, three capuchin monkeys, a hawk, a capybara and 314 pounds of capybara meat which he had brought from Venezuela.

Leith said when he received the call, he told the caller to report the alleged robbery to the police. He admitted the man told him he had paid US$5,000 for the array of animals, and the report did cause him some concern, but the man was not arrested.

Leith said warrants were obtained for three police officers and he accompanied the police to Seepaul’s home as part of the robbery investigation.

He insisted he saw a cardboard box with the parrots and Seepaul claimed he had got the birds from a friend. Leith said he asked if Seepaul had a permit and he said no.

Seepaul also testified he said he had no permit, and denied any birds were found in a box at his home.

The birds were photographed and handed over to the Zoological Society.

Leith insisted there was no malice when he laid the charges.

In his findings, Seepersad said there was no evidence that Leith would fabricate the case against Seepaul.

“He was a warden. He was not living in Moruga. His explanation seems and appears to be credible to the report (of stolen animals).”

Seepaul was represented by attorney Ganesh Saroop. The State was represented by Sharad Raghunath, Soleil Baldeosingh, Tricia Ramlogan and Nairob Smart.

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President Dr Irfaan Ali said Government will be investing $80 million in the infrastructural development of Pigeon Island on the East Coast of Demerara.

The Head of State made this announcement while addressing residents during a community outreach in the area this afternoon.

The president said that the old roads will be rehabilitated while new ones will be constructed. These works, he added, will be done in collaboration with the community. The government is also in the process of regularising an area in the community where more than 50 households are squatting. This process is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Dr Ali emphasised that his government has one narrative and agenda— to unite the citizens under the ‘One Guyana’ banner and to bring prosperity to all. This transformative plan, he added, is well underway.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs; the Honourable Anil Nandlall; Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, the Honourable Nigel Dharamlall; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, the Honourable Deodat Indar; Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, the Honourable Susan Rodrigues; other government officials and technical staff from the various ministries were also at the outreach. (Office of the President)

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door Samuel Wens BOVEN-SURINAME —  Dorpen in het Batalibagebied, bij het stuwmeer in het district Brokopondo, dreigen weer in een

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