Black Immigrant Daily News

JAMAICANS.COM

In our “Jamaicans to the World” show, Jamaicans.com founder Xavier Murphy speaks with Marjorie Parchment. She is a Jamaican living in Antigua and Barbuda.

Xavier: What is it like being a Jamaican in Antigua and Barbuda? Hi, I’m Xavier Murphy, the founder of Jamaicans.com, and today in Jamaicans to the World we talked to Marjorie Parchment; a Jamaican living in Antigua and Barbuda. Welcome Marjorie. How are you?

Majorie: Xavier, I’m fine. Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your program. I listened to some of the examples you sent to me and they’re absolutely awesome. We have Jamaicans living everywhere and I’m here in Antigua and Barbuda. I have lived here for 32 years and five months. I actually came here to work on a 2 year contract and I’m here ever since. As they say, the rest is history.

Xavier: Tell us which part of Jamaica are you from?

Majorie: I am from St. Elizabeth. Very proud to have been raised in the rural parts of Jamaica. I am from a small village on the south coast of St. Elizabeth called Fort Charles. It’s eight miles south of Black River and we are about two miles from Treasure Beach. If you’re actually traveling to Treasure Beach on the south coast, you will pass our family home and all our family who still lives there. Yes, I’m a rural girl.

Xavier: Which of the two islands are you in? Are you in Antigua or Barbuda?

Majorie: I am in Antigua, which is the larger of the two islands. Barbuda is 62 square miles and has only about, let’s say a thousand inhabitants. A 1000 persons live on Barbuda and about 95 or 96,000 people living on Antigua, as I said the larger of the two islands. And, I’ve been here all of my 32 years in Antigua and Barbuda. Yes.

Xavier: Would people refer to, and I know I may not be politically correct when I say this. But do people refer to Barbuda because there are less people there, kind of as the country,

Majorie: Do they refer to Barbuda as a country? No, they only refer to Antigua and the Barbuda.

Xavier: No, Here’s the question, yuh know like (you know, as) you said, you’re a country girl.

Majorie: Yes.

Xavier: And St. Elizabeth is the country. Would they refer to Barbuda as the country? Because again, there are less people living there.

Majorie: No, not really. I mean, there are other places in Antigua that they would refer to as being in the country area. If you come from the south,if you’re from Old Road, which is a village, or if you come from Bolands, that would definitely qualify you as being a country girl or boy. Antigua is relatively smaller. As I said before, Antigua is 108 square miles and Barbuda is 62 square miles, more than half of the size of Antigua but has a very, very small population. And of course you would recall that Barbuda was heavily damaged in 2017 by hurricane Irma. And so most of the person’s left, the entire island was evacuated because we had another storm coming. And so some persons have not returned, but prior to that, they had about 1500 persons living on Barbuda.

Xavier: I see. And is it because people have left and because the population, if you’re talking about environment, if you’re talking about really untouched area, Is that what Barbuda is like?

Majorie: Barbuda is as close as you can get to a naturally beautiful part of Antigua and Barbuda. It is scenically very, very pretty, and the beaches are second to none. I would say that Barbuda while underdeveloped is a beautiful island. And, I think in due time, Barbuda will be developed at the pace that Barbudans want to develop at. And also, they will have development on their own terms. And I think there’s everything good about that. They truly believe in protecting and preserving the environment for future generations. And they’re usually very uncompromising when it comes to that. Investment, yes, it’s always welcomed, but they wanted to be on terms that will continue to preserve and protect the environment.

Xavier: I see. I know I spent a little time there on Barbuda and I just figured it’s interesting that it’s a twin island and sometimes we hear a lot more about Antigua than we hear about Barbuda. And so I just wanted a little insight. Provide a little insight to folks on Barbuda.

Majorie: Barbuda is a little north of Antigua, Antigua is further South than Barbuda on the island chains. Barbuda is a little south of us. And so, of course when Irma shifted slightly north, what happened is that it covered Barbuda and caused widespread damage. Yeah, they were unfortunate that way.

Xavier: Another question before I again, focus a little bit on Barbuda. How long does it take to get there? I understand there’s a ferry that takes people back and forth. How long does it typically take?

Majorie: About two and a half hours to get to Barbuda? And it could be less if you’re in a faster boat, but typically the tourists boats would take about two and a half hours to get there.

Xavier: Okay. And, there are no airports?

Majorie: There is a small air strip in the Capital, which is called Codrington. And of course the main airport V. C. Bird International Airport is here in Antigua. It’s an international airport. You can go into Barbuda now on a sea plane or you can go into Codrington on a regular twin-engine, small plane.

Xavier: Okay.

Majorie: Not my cup of tea (not what one likes or is interested in) coming from Jamaica as you would imagine.

Xavier: Yeah. I’m going to take you back down memory lane, because you’ve been there 30 add years (over 30 years). What was your biggest adjustmentcoming from Jamaica to Antigua and Barbuda? When you got there, what would you say was your biggest adjustment?

Majorie: Well physically, when I came here 32 years ago, you could still go to town and leave your door unlocked. I could still leave my children at home because I know they’d be safe. And I would say to the older one, at the time I had two children, “look after your brother, I’ll be back in aminute.” You’re not likely to do that if you’re living in a city like Kingston, where I lived before I came here. I welcomed that change because it was very similar to how I was raised. When I was a child in St. Elizabeth, we only locked our doors once a year. And that’s when we were going to visit family on New Year’s or Christmas. And when I came here, I could do the same thing. There were no burglar bars and the place was relatively safe, 0-1 murders per year. Of course with progress, things have changed. And while I still do not have burglar bars at my own house, with very large windows, I have a security system. And I guess that is good enough for now to frighten people off, but yeah, still a relatively safe country.

Xavier: Okay. I see, that’s good to know. Very good to know.

Majorie: It’s like now, I’m here in my office, and while we have impact windows we have no burglar bars. We have security system and of course we have guards, but we’re not barricaded in as you know. And I’ll tell you this Xavier, When I returned home after spending years in Antigua I used to feel a little unsafe and I used to say it to my mother, bless her soul; we need to leave one door without a burglar bar on it because if something happens like a fire, it will be difficult for her to get out. So yes, it took some adjustments, no burglar bar.

Xavier: I see. Getting there and working there, and again, this has probably changed since you got there, but you may know people who have tried to come there and work there and so on. Is it a difficult process?

Majorie: Not necessarily because they do recognize the CARICOM certificates. If you have been to the University of West Indies you can live here for up to 6 months. You can work here on your university degree so, that’s not an issue. I actually came here having not to gone into the University of the West Indies but having a professional qualification. I was given a work permit to work here so, my employer applied for the work Permit. And it’s not difficult to have, if you have the skills that they are looking for. Antigua also needs workers, generally at all levels. At the manual level, we have a lot of Jamaicans and other Caribbean nationals who work as security guards, for example, and work in the hotel industry at various levels. And we have a Sandals here.

There are several Jamaicans in the professional category, but we also have Jamaicans from all walks of life, all nationalities, and all areas of Jamaica. And of course, what you will find is that a lot of the Jamaicans who are here are from St. Thomas. And I can’t understand why so many persons from St. Thomas are here. But it probably started with the one, then of course escalated to so many. But we have Jamaicans from all over, very few from St. Elizabeth, but from St. Thomas, yes and St. Catherine.

Xavier: You representing St. Elizabeth there?

Majorie: I am proudly representing St. Elizabeth, Yes.

Xavier: How do the people of Antigua and Barbuda view Jamaicans?

Majorie: Oh, with awe and some not so. One of the things that I found welcoming about living here. When I arrived, persons could not tell that I was not an Antiguan because of the way we speak. Antiguans, Barbudans and Jamaicans are very similar and there’s a historical link to that. Persons will tell you that when they had slaves back in the day, those that wouldn’t behave themselves and were a little boisterous, they would send them to Jamaica. And so there was always a trade-off. From the way we speak, I always talked to persons and I would ask some if they were from Jamaica and after I did that for a few times, and they’d say “No, I’m not from Jamaica” I realized, “okay, this is it.” And so there were persons then who thought I looked like a family and they would ask, “Oh, when did you come back?” For example, I’m like, “Come back from where?” But it just tells you that we probably have a copy everywhere. I’m sure if you walk down the streets of Antigua, somebody would say “Oh, you’re Mr. XYZ son” or something like that. So it was unique. And I felt at home when I arrived here.

Xavier: Good, good. So in terms of our Jamaican language or Jamaican Patois, it blends right in I guess, very similar.

Majorie: Yes. Very similar. The language, the dialect is very similar. Just some little nuances, but outside of that, very similar dialects. Yeah.

Xavier: Aright mi gwine put yuh pan di spot. Gimmi one addi nuances. (Alright I’m going to put you on the spot. Give me one of the nuances.)

Majorie: For example, we would say unuh (you all) in Jamaica and Antiguans would say, y’all (you all). So, that’s one of the slight differences, but we have a lot of things in common, more than any other Caribbean island I’d say.

Xavier: Have you visited any of the other islands? It sounds like yuh ave (you have) visited a few a di (the) other islands.

Majorie: I have pretty much visited all except two, Grenada and St. Vincent I have not visited. But I’ve been to all the other islands in the north Eastern Caribbean.

Xavier: So let’s get nosy for the audience. If you’re visiting all the islands, what do you do?

Majorie: When I’m visiting the islands?

Xavier: No, occupation wise. Is it a job that takes you to all these islands?

Majorie: Pretty much, most of the time it starts out with going for an appointment or something like that. I’m an insurance agent, and in addition to being an insurance agent, I also work along with the principals that I represent. And I do some training for them as well on the side. So many years I traveled to several islands to train existing staff. Yes. But my current job is I work as the manager of this insurance agency here in Antigua called Brysons.

Xavier: Okay, Good. I guess in the future Grenada is on the list.

Majorie: Yes, Grenada and St. Vincent. I’ve been to the airport of St. Vincent but never visited really. And I’m looking forward to visiting those islands. Yeah.

Xavier: I know a lot of the islands we have similar fruits but we typically call them different food and fruits. We call them by different names, and did you encounter any of that in Antigua and Barbuda?

Majorie: Yes. There are some fruits that I have not seen here from Jamaica. I was talking to my friend this morning about star apple. He believes that there are star apple trees all over a certain area called Bolands for example, but I have never seen them. I’ve see naseberry trees, which Antiguans called Sapodilla, but we call it naseberry. Most of the fruits are here. Mangoes of course, uniquely, nobody can have a different name for mango except mango. And of course our sweetsop in Jamaica is a sugar apple here. Yes, different names but same thing.

Xavier: Let me ask you this because it’s almost where we’re getting into the mango season time shortly. And I know there are certain mangoes that we tend to cherish and I have visited a few of the Eastern Caribbean islands and I remember one island I went to where Bombay was just like, “oh yeah, bombay all bout di place” (Oh yes, Bombay mangoes are all over) and we would cherish the bombays. And so have you found any of that in terms of the mango? Because, you know, we have our levels of elite mangoes and levels of other mangoes. So have you encountered any of that with the mangoes there?

Majorie: Well, the most favorite mango in Antigua is the kidney mango, which is our common mango. Antiguans like to call every mango that’s not a kidney mango, a grafted mango. Everything else falls into that category. They’re not so inclined to have different names, everything else is grafted. But kidney mangoes are just plain and utter kidney common-kidney.

Xavier: Since they’re ignoring all addi (of the) other mangoes, I guess if you see East Indian, a Julie or a Bombay you get in the cream addi (of the) crop, it’s probably less, the pricing is probably less than the kidney.

Majorie: No, Not, really. It’s usually more, but we have Julie here and that’s grafted. Most people wouldn’t say it’s a Julie mango, they just say Julie. And we don’t really have East Indian mangoes at all. East Indian is priority in Jamaica. We have other large mangoes, but as I say, everything else is other than kidney is just grafted. So you don’t really hear the reference to a name, so to speak. Like we in Jamaica, we would pride and love our East Indian Mangoes. You don’t really have East Indian here, but everything else is just, enuh (you know).

Xavier: Okay. And I know most people are going to assume, and I won’t do that, that you’re getting all your Jamaican food there. The question is, are you, or, is there anything that you find that you’re missing?

Majorie: Well, I think because we’re not traditionally using the same sort of seasoning, we don’t have our scallion and the real purple scallion to throw in the flavor, and the food is not as fresh because a lot of our food and vegetables are imported. The food doesn’t really taste the same, but I’ll tell you, I was so homesick for some Jamaican oxtail on Friday that I went down to a likkle (little) cook shop, just at the back of my office here and got myself a good oxtail. I mean, it was a tossup between the oxtail and the curry goat, but I chose the oxtail because I hadn’t had oxtail for a while. I guess it was homesick. I haven’t been to Jamaica since March of last year. I am really homesick.

Xavier: Oh boy.

Majorie: When I come back I have to do the two weeks of quarantine and I can’t afford that. I have not traveled since March.

Xavier: I see. I see. In terms of Antigua and Barbuda, the food, is there something that’s uniquely done there that you like and you would say, “I would recommend you try this”

Majorie: Well, we have a similar dish in Jamaica, pepper pot, it’s my favorite Antiguan dish. I can’t cook it. And the persons who have cooked it for me the best, have both died. It was a friend of mine and our cleaning lady back then, both have passed on. But essentially it’s similar to our pepper pot in Jamaica but it’s a lot thicker? So while you have it with a spoon, it’s not really a soup, whereas our pepper-pot in Jamaica is a soup. But it’s just a quicker version and it has more ground provisions in it and so on. It usually has everything, pig tail and chicken. You can choose how you want it. If yuh (you) don’t eat pork, yuh (you) can have the one without pork but typically I want the one with everything. What’s bad for you, it tastes the best. And of course there are places Xavier that sell jerk chicken and jerk pork. My favorite jerk pork place was burned down, so I can’t go there anymore and the lady is not doing jerk anymore. But essentially you can still get some jerk pork and some jerk chicken.

Xavier: Good, good. In terms of the place itself and attraction. Yes there’s the beach and other things, probably zip-line and other things you can do. But what for you would you say is unique to Antigua and Barbuda? Something that you would say, “if you come here, try and do this” What would that thing be? And it may be only once a year, it happens. It may be an event, but would that thing be?

Majorie: It’s the Shirley heights climb on a Sunday evening. It’s usually starts about 4:00 p.m., but now with COVID you can’t. But when we all get vaccinated and we are healthy and COVID is a thing of the past and you visit Antigua, you must do this Shirley Heights climb. You get up there from about 4:00 PM, there’s food, live music and it’s just a very beautiful scenery. It’s set in an old 18th century barracks dating from 1700. And you overlook what is the national parks of Antigua. And that national park also has 18th century buildings, the relics of. And some of those buildings have been modernized and refurbished. You can stay in an 18th century hotel with all the modern amenities in the national parks, which is an area called Nelson’s dockyard. It’s a beautiful area of Antigua, very, very beautiful. You would love it. Of course, we also have some mega yachts coming in as well, but it’s just a very beautiful part of Antigua that has a very rich history.I was very impressed by the fact that, in the 18th century when Lord Nelson and his soldiers lived in that general area, that they would have a way of communicating with their other soldiers in the city of Antigua. And also, that there was once an erosion over time. There was actually a way to prevent the enemy ships from getting into the harbor, which was a protected area. That area is called Nelson’s dockyard and it has restaurants, hotels, and other amenities there. And of course, Shirley Heights is a height from where Lord Shirley looked out and saw the whether the ships were coming in or not, and what to do. And of course they are old cannons up there. It’s a rich, it’s a nice place. And the scenery is very, very beautiful, breathtaking. That is what I would recommend.

Xavier: Okay. You mentioned live music and I didn’t touch on the music. Calypso, Soca is that dominant?

Majorie: Calypso and reggae.

Xavier: And reggae? You’re hearing your reggae there?

Majorie: Yes, of course. They would do all the Jamaican reggae artists, they’ll try their best. Of course, I will say that when it comes to culture and food, Jamaica takes the high road really, and we are ahead of most persons. But they would have good renditions of all the Jamaican artists.

Xavier: Good. Good. My last question. When you land in Jamaica, What is that first thing you’ll be doing when you get off the plane? Is it food? What is that first thing you’re going for wen yuh lan? (When you arrive)

Majorie: When I land in Jamaica, one of the things I enjoy doing the most is driving from Kingston, from Norman Manley or from Montego Bay, driving to see my family. And usually, Jamaicans and especially the Parchments are very good at throwing a party for everything. I would stop at my niece or stop at my sister until I get to my mother’s house where we’ll have some big food, you know, somebody put on a kerosene pan or a big pot with some curry goat and manish water. But I like to take in the scenery heading home. And, of course, the mountains, the valleys and of course stopping by the side of the road and buying jerk and boiled corn, all the things heading down the hill. For me, I love to do that especially with my sister, one of them you know.

Xavier: Yes.

Majorie: That’s it. I usually don’t want to do much than seeing the family, enjoying the views and eating the jerk pork, boiled corn and other things.

Xavier: Yuh having my mouth wata (you are making my mouth water)

Marjorie: Yes, if you get to border you may want to also have some fried fish and bammy too but usually you are full.

Xavier: No yuh (you) pack everything and say, listen, “I moved from three meals for the day to five meals when I come to Jamaica” I know I said it was the last question, but what would be the one piece of advice you would give to any persons that are thinking of moving to Antigua and Barbuda to live?

Majorie: Right, I think one thing you must recognize is that even though we have a dollar that is pegged to the US dollar at 270, that the cost of living is also high because of that. You can enjoy a good lifestyle here, but it is expensive. So you can’t always say that because you’re getting more money that you would be able to live in a certain lifestyle. You always have to look at how much it costs to live before you make that decision to move to another country or to Antigua in particular as the cost of living can be high. The cost of rent, for example, most persons would need to rent. The cost of sending your children to private school. You want to factor all of that in before you make that decision to move to Antigua.

Xavier: Okay. Very good advice. Marjorie thank you.

Majorie: Food is expensive as well Xavier, because as I said before you import everything. At least most things you import.Xavier: Well, Majorie, I appreciate you taking some time out of your day to tell our viewers, tell us all about Antigua and Barbuda. I have one last thing I do, and this may put you a little bit on the spot, but yuh (you) know in Jamaica wi seh (we say) “likkle more” (little more) the older people “Ketch yuh pon de strangs” (catch you in the strong/later) informal way of saying we will see you later or see you at another time. How do they say that in Antigua and Barbuda? Is it just regular, formally bye-bye, goodbye or do they have a term they use?

Majorie: To be honest, it hasn’t come to mind right now, but it’s usually “see you later”, or I’m sure that there’s an equivalent, but it can’t come to mind right now

Xavier: Email mi, email mi or message mi den. (Send me an email or a message).

Majorie: Sorry

Xavier: I said, if it comes to mind just for my curiosity and I may tell my viewers in the comments. Email me, because I know I put you on the spot. It’s a last question I typically ask and I put people on the spot. But you gave us some…Majorie: You know in terms of my wicket falling, because I can’t remember what it is uniquely that Antiguans say, when they’re saying goodbye.

Xavier: Well, you just said something there because I know cricket is big there and the wicket falling. Maybe that’s a term that is used a lot there.

Majorie: There’s always references to cricket. Cricket falls into our daily dialect a lot. And usually it’s cussing (cursing) in West Indies cricket when they don’t perform. And harking back to those good old days of Vivian Richards, Curtly Ambrose and of course Richey Richardson. Yes, cricket is a factor of our lives here.

Xavier: Well, again, Majorie, thank you again for spending some time with us, giving us some great information and we will always be in touch. We have mutual friends. Her sister is a very good friend of mine, so we’ll always be in touch and I will see you when I get there the next time around. I will make sure I visit. You have a good one. And thank you.

Majorie: Thanks for inviting me. It’s been a pleasure. And I just want to wish all Jamaicans who are going to see this program, I want to wish them well. Stay safe from COVID, let’s get vaccinated and let’s continue to practice our protocols. You know what they are Xavier but in this pandemic we have to preserve our livelihood.

Xavier: Exactly. Marjorie tek care (take care).

Photos  – Deposit Photos

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

– Advertisement –

As Omicron sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 drive a new wave of COVID-19 infections across the Americas, and cases of monkeypox continue to rise, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa F. Etienne has called on countries to work together to meet the growing demand for vaccines, medicines, and other health equipment in the region.

The emergence of Omicron sublineages is “yet another reminder that the virus keeps evolving every time it is transmitted, and that we must remain vigilant,” the Director said during a media briefing on Wednesday.

“Manufacturing capacity will continue to be sorely needed in our Region to help deal with COVID-19 and other pathogens. There are likely to be outbreaks of other diseases that will require us to rapidly develop and deploy new vaccines, diagnostics, and drugs to fight them,” she added.

Dr. Etienne highlighted that at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the region struggled to meet the growing demand for drugs, diagnostics, and personal protective equipment, with many countries relying on imports to protect their populations. When COVID-19 vaccines were first rolled out COVID-19 vaccines, countries also scrambled “to secure supplies.”

– Advertisement –

“We must be better prepared for the future,” the Director said, announcing a three-step plan to work with countries and international donors to bolster regional capacity to manufacture vaccines and medical tools.

The first phase will focus on efforts to strengthen research and development in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in the area of mRNA vaccine development.

The Regional Platform to Advance Manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccines and other Health Technologies, launched last year, aims to train and support local companies in utilizing mRNA vaccine technology. So far, Sinergium Biotech from Argentina and the Institute of Immunobiology Bio-Manguinhos from Brazil are participating in this initiative.

The second phase focuses on developing a strong regional regulatory system to ensure that new medical tools are safe and effective.

For the third phase, PAHO is working with regional and international partners to create a shared roadmap to improve the production of health technology in the Americas, including partnerships with the European Union to strengthen the region’s capacity for medical product development.

“All these efforts combined have the potential to transform how our region develops and manufactures health products, especially highly sophisticated tools such as vaccines,” the Director said.

However, Dr. Etienne also warned that improving manufacturing capacity alone “is not sufficient to guarantee access,” and that PAHO’s pooled procurement mechanisms such as the Revolving Fund will be key to ensuring that vaccines and other health technologies are available to everyone in the region.

The Revolving Fund shows the “impact we can have when we leverage our history of solidarity and collaboration,” the Director said. With this same spirit, we can build up our region’s medical production capacity to “save and protect even more lives.”

Turning to the COVID-19 situation in the region, countries reported approximately 1.6 million cases and 4800 deaths last week – a 0.9% and 3.5% decrease respectively.

Central America reported an increase in cases – by 54.9%, and South America reported a 2% increase.

In the Caribbean, cases fell by 5.2%, and in North America, cases fell by 4.5%.

Source: Pan American Health Organization/ SLT

– Advertisement –

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

El secretario del Departamento de Asuntos del Consumidor (DACO), Edan Rivera Rodríguez, anunció que, por dos días consecutivos, los mercados de referencia de la gasolina y el diésel han cerrado a la baja, lo que ha significado una reducción de un 7 por ciento respecto a lo que fueron los precios del lunes.

“Los mercados de referencia se mantienen volátiles, pero llevamos alrededor de dos semanas con cierta tendencia a la baja que se ha reflejado tanto en los precios de venta al por mayor como al detal.  En Puerto Rico, estamos viendo bajas incluso más notables que las reportadas en Europa y los Estados Unidos”, dijo el secretario en declaraciones escritas.

Rivera explicó que la entrada de la Resolución Conjunta que dio luz verde a la exención en “la crudita” ha sido un elemento importante, pues “obliga a mantener en vigor la congelación de márgenes de ganancias del DACO, y eso ha permitido asegurar que el alivio llegue directo al precio en bomba que paga el consumidor”.

Sobre el tema, Héctor Román Maldonado, director de la División de Estudios Económicos del DACO, detalló que “los precios más altos se reportaron el 10 de junio, cuando la gasolina regular llegó a comercializarse en $1,38, mientras que en estos días hemos tenido estaciones que han bajado hasta $1,01 para ese tipo de producto”.

Según Román Maldonado, “las bajas del mercado, unidas a la exención tributaria se ha traducido en precios en bomba que no se veían desde el 22 de abril”.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

HURST REPORTS ON CABINET of Wednesday 13 July, 2022

The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda commenced its meeting at about 10:30 am and concluded at approximately 6:00 pm, all members were present. The Cabinet engaged the pastor, following prayers, on the question of the recent High Court decision declaring laws criminalizing buggery as unconstitutional. The members asked for spiritual advice that will help the executive to determine how the Government ought to respond. He advised that the spiritual and secular ought to be separate; and everything ought to be done to ensure that there is no discrimination of any Antiguan and Barbudan.

i The Cabinet held a discussion on developments in Barbuda. The members determined that the largest project in Barbuda is causing many skilled tradesmen to engage in work there, since the project pays a whole lot more than equivalent projects in Antigua. Skilled tradesmen in Antigua are in demand.
The Cabinet repeated its determination to ensure that all households in Barbuda, in existence before Hurricane Irma, will receive their plot of land on which their houses exist for $1.00 in consideration. The Cabinet further decided that it would provide every adult Barbudan, resident on Barbuda before the hurricane, with one acre of land to ensure that the Barbudans are treated as a priority.
An investment group from Jamaica has decided to create an entertainment and amusement centre at one of the many Forts that continue to exist after nearly three hundred years. The group will spend up to $5 million USD to make the old fort reflect history, as well as to allow for exploration of caves and other natural assets, including the use of a beach and a large rock which separates it from the Fort. The group has been around for more than 35 years and has developed many tourism sites in Barbados, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. The group has been very successful and plans to arrange their site so that it attracts several generations of visitors.
The Cabinet invited the Director of Institute of Applied Science and Research, to address the issue of pesticide use around Antigua and Barbuda. In cases of infants born in Antigua and Barbuda with malformed organs and retardation, it is likely the result of ingestion of mother’s milk that may contain remnants of flame retardants found in cars, baby seats, Teflon-coded cooking utensils, and other sources that the population utilizes. The Fire Department and West Indies Oil Company utilize firefighting foams that are a source of the retardants. Mercury is a carcinogen that is found throughout the region in hair samples, makeup, fish, bleaching creams. More research is being done to identify alternatives. Heavy metals which are found in many products, including cellular phones, are disposed of in a manner that causes the spread of the chemicals and subsequent diseases.

Sargassum is also filled with heavy metals; although, some of it which gets to our shores has been shipped to Finland. However, new methods of disposal are being considered, especially trying to capture the abundant seaweed before it gets to the shoreline, rots and releases toxins.

The Cabinet is persuaded that the vaccine mandate which compelled Government Workers, Students and Teachers to vaccinate against Covid-19 account for the very high passes in the Common Entrance Exams. While Antigua and Barbuda received 89% passes, another Caribbean country that did not compel mandates received 39% pass. There was no outbreak in any school and young students had more contact time with Teachers. The timing of the decisions governing Covid had evidently been very well-thought-out, the Cabinet concluded. Today the number of Covid-infected persons is relatively small and hospitalizations are at a bare minimum.
The brewing of beer in Antigua and Barbuda is drawing closer as the three partners involved have moved to a more clearly agreed contractual arrangements among themselves. The Antigua Distillery Limited will be the major shareholder controlling 60% of the shares at Crabbs; Brewtech a German firm whose expertise in brewing beer is well established will own 15%; and, NAMCO will claim the remaining shares. The lease of the Crabbs Brewery will count as NAMCO’s contribution. The first bottles of beer will likely be brewed for consumption by Carnival 2023.
The Cabinet was informed by the Minister of Housing that three more houses to be constructed at Paynters will cause the National Housing to complete the project at that site. Olivers, just off All Saints Road to the back of LICS Ltd, will likely be the next site for more than 100 houses. Other building sites will also see action by the National Housing and CHAPA as they continue to provide new homes to the families of the nation and to meet the demand for more resilient and affordable homes.
The Cabinet was informed that the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) now has a full time cardiologist. That professional joins a full-time ophthalmologist, who has served the Medical Center for more than a year. Six kidney transplants have been undertaken thus far in Antigua, and more kidney transplants are likely to take place. Transplants are cheaper than dialysis but identifying suitable donors has proven to be a challenge. A cardiology unit will be placed where the dialysis unit now occupies, and the Renal Unit will be moved to the refurbished Edward Ward at the Old Holberton Hospital.
i. Today the 14th of July, 2022, marks the 80th Birthday of Sir John E. St. Luce. The Cabinet paid tribute to Sir John for having played many important roles in the governance of Antigua from 1971 up to 2004; 28 years were as an elected Member of Parliament and Minister of Government. He retired undefeated.
Pastor John Farrell celebrates 60 years of Ministering and providing spiritual upliftment to several communities in Antigua and Barbuda. In recognition of his Church’s Ministry that many years, the Cabinet pledges a small contribution towards his continued Ministry.
The only Family Court within the OECS will be dedicated tomorrow, July 14, 2022, by the Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. The large room which previously served as the Law Library in the High Court, has been transformed into a court room to serve exclusively as the Family Court. Antigua and Barbuda is the only OECS jurisdiction to create a court exclusively to hear family matters.

10. The Parliamentary Subcommittee of the Sex Registry will convene on Monday 26th July, to be chaired by the Attorney General. It will take place at the Parliament Building and the

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

GLOBAL VOICES-Written byJanine Mendes-Franco

Like many other Caribbean nations, Antigua and Barbuda still retains a colonial-era law criminalising consensual same-sex acts, but bit by bit, those laws are being challenged.

In The Bahamas, private same-sex acts were decriminalised in 1991 by an amendment to the Sexual Offences Act. On August 10, 2016, Belize’s Chief Justice struck down Section 53 of the country’s Criminal Code, which made anal sex — for both men and women — punishable by 10 years’ imprisonment. On April 12, 2018, Trinidad and Tobago followed suit when the High Court ruled that certain similar sections of the country’s Sexual Offences Act were “unconstitutional.”

Now, Antigua and Barbuda has joined the list of regional territories that have been forced to reconsider these outdated laws. On July 5, the country’s High Court ruled that clauses in the Sexual Offences Act, which criminalise homosexual sex and threaten a 15-year jail term, were in contravention of citizens’ constitutional rights to both privacy and freedom of expression.

As they were in both Belize and Trinidad and Tobago, the court case in Antigua and Barbuda was brought by a gay man. His efforts were supported by two activist groups, Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE), and Women Against Rape, whose president, Alexandrina Wong, said in an interview with the BBC:

We are very much hoping the Antigua ruling will prompt other legal systems in the Caribbean to review their laws and policies, and how they impact on vulnerable populations.

Meanwhile, ECADE hopes that other constitutional challenges, currently underway in Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia, will reach determinations by the end of 2022. There has also been a legal challenge to the laws in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to which the government has been resistant.

Despite the fact that the region’s anti-same-sex intimacy laws are rarely enforced, many LGBTQ+ groups maintain that the mere fact they are still on the books colours public perception, increases marginalisation of such minority communities, and helps to rationalise discrimination and even violence against them, essentially contributing to the homophobic atmosphere that is palpable in several Caribbean territories.

According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), which publishes an annual “State-sponsored Homophobia” report, part of the problem is that regional media houses tend to use terms like “sodomy” to report “on cases involving consenting adults and rapists alike.”

Additionally, according to the ILGA’s most recent downloadable report and map of sexual orientation laws, as many as eight Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states still retain statutes that criminalise, to various extents, same-sex intimacy: Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, (all 10 years’ imprisonment), St. Kitts and Nevis (10 years with possible hard labour), Dominica (10 years with possible admission to a psychiatric hospital), Barbados and Guyana (both life imprisonment).

Conversely, conservative countries like Barbados, and religious countries like Trinidad and Tobago, have seen Pride celebrations go off without a hitch, signalling a level of tolerance and respect for human dignity that exists even in the face of having such discriminatory laws still on the books, and suggesting that overturning such laws may well be the first step to greater understanding and acceptance.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

NewsAmericasNow.com