Black Immigrant Daily News

Dear Editor,

World renowned pastor,  Creflo Dollar recently took a U-Turn on his tithes doctrine.

Like most traditional churches, he practiced and vigorously taught that God must be honored with ten percent of one’s salary.

In a shocking move, Dollar, confessed he had been in error on the subject- and urged those who purchased his books and tapes on the topic to toss them out.

Dollar made reference to  several scriptures to support the fact tithing was an old covenant practice, and should not be practiced under the new covenant; or under the dispensation of grace.

Giving he said should be done cheerfully and not based on compulsion or pressure- referring to biblical verses to bolster  his statement.

He alluded to the fact that the fear factor is employed in many churches, as a means of getting members to maintain the tithing doctrine- With pastors often telling their members they will be cursed by God if they fail to pay their tithes.

Mr. Editor, it would be quite interesting to hear what local pastors have to say on this subject.

Enlightened

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently partnered with Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to implement a regional project that include four Caribbean countries to promote innovative, adapted and sustainable protected cultivation systems to grow high value and nutritious vegetable crops.

This project has been designed to help the Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face challenges which make them vulnerable to food insecurity, including limited land mass and population; lack of arable land; high vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters and high dependence on food imports, coupled with limited economic sectors.

As part of the project activities, FAO led a training workshop in Barbados on protected cultivation systems for 50 participants including farmers, extension officers, and agriculture students.

The workshop was facilitated by FAO’s Agricultural Officer, Melvin Medina Navarro and raised awareness on the importance of integrated crop management as an approach to obtain high yields.

Important aspects to increase the efficiency in managing factors such as climate, soil, water, nutrients, seedlings, pest & diseases and cultural practices will be covered.

Navarro explained, “Different levels of adaptation have been found among recipient countries from imported greenhouses to locally adapted production system for tropical climate conditions. Observed outcomes indicate that adaptation brings sustainability while importation without adaptation results in abandoned structures”.

The project aims, through a value chain approach, to address and optimize existing production systems, post-harvest practices and marketing of high value vegetable crops with a strong component on capacity building to strengthen local knowledge.

While noting that it is important to raise awareness of farmers and extensionists about different production factors and how their interactions affect yield, Navarro added, “In the case of plant nutrition the training will include the different practices and technologies that are adapted, considering local context to increase efficiency in the use of nutrients. This is particularly important in the face of the current fertilizer crisis”.

In the Caribbean, decreased crop yields and incomes due to extreme climate events, water scarcity, land degradation, pests and diseases, limited access to technical assistance, appropriate inputs, financial resources and markets can be overcome by increasing the efficiency and resilience of horticultural systems for small-scale farmers.

This can be achieved by adopting context-specific and cost-effective technologies.

The project is setting minimum standards of technical specifications for designs of structures and covering materials to be used for adjusting existing systems and as guidelines for new greenhouses in the region.

Keeley Holder, Chief Agricultural Officer with The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, stated, “This support from FAO is essential because it moves the needle on protected technologies beyond the excitement of using innovative technologies, to their suitability for our hot and humid climate, suitability for recovery after a hurricane, suitability for farmers pockets and suitability for profitability. A technology is a tool and it is only as good as it user and therefore this training is necessary to assist farmers in developing their technical skills, because growing in a protected environment comes with a different set of challenges from the open field”.

In closing, Navarro made an important observation, “I have seen high-tech greenhouses with high level of investment obtaining low productivity when adaptation to local conditions is not incorporated and/or there is a lack integrated crop management. Low cost systems when well adapted and managed can offer functionality to grow crop year round and provide more opportunities for savings recover investments faster.”

The training is important to know the different factors and how their interactions affect yield. In the case of plant nutrition the training will be timely delivered and include the different practices and technologies that are adapted, considering local context to increase efficiency in the use of nutrients and to minimize the effects of the current fertilizer crisis.

Over the last three weeks, similar workshops were held in Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis, with the final one held in Antigua and Barbuda.

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News

Stock photo

POLICE are seeking the identity of a man who was gunned down in Las Lomas on Wednesday night.

Police said residents at Soriah Branch Trace heard gunshots at around 10.55 pm and on checking, saw the man bleeding on the road.

Police from the La Horquetta CID were called in and found the man’s body.

Homicide detectives also visited the area with a district medical officer who ordered the body removed to the Forensic Science Centre.

Police said they will be using the man’s fingerprints to try and find a match in their database but they are also calling on the public for help in identifying him so that an autopsy can be done and investigations continued. Up to press time, no arrest had been made.

Detectives from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations (Region II) are continuing enquiries.

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The Government of Saint Lucia (GOSL), through the Carnival Planning & Management
Committee (CPMC), continues to show support for Saint Lucian creatives by obtaining a
copyright licence from the Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for Music Rights
(ECCO) Inc.

in preparation for hosting the national carnival events. By doing so, the GOSL is demonstrating continued understanding and appreciation of the value of Intellectual Property Rights.

The GOSL understands the rights associated with music -the main driver of entertainment activity in this and every carnival season.

The CPMC, which is responsible for national carnival events such as the Parade of the Bands, Calypso and Soca Monarch competitions, King and Queen of the Bands and the
Carnival Queen Show, recognises that the use of musical works is beneficial to both the
music creator and the music user.

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Music usage is essential to sustaining the livelihoods of both parties, and to benefit, the creators of music must be compensated for the use of their Intellectual Property.

Officer in Charge at ECCO, Mr. Keen Cotter, asserts that “carnival is one of the platforms
providing the largest consumption of local content, and through licensing, benefits the

songwriters of the songs we enjoy at these events and we look forward to greater co-
operation from stakeholders.”

ECCO is a non-profit Collective Management Organisation (CMO) whose primary role
is to administer certain Intellectual Property Rights on behalf of its members in the
Eastern Caribbean and throughout the world.

ECCO collects fees by issuing licences to music users, granting them permission and authority to the restrictive acts as defined in the various Copyright Acts of the region, including public performances at events.

These licence fees are then distributed as royalties to members and members of sister
organisations.

ECCO reminds all music users that a public performance licence is required for the
hosting of events, TV/radio and cable broadcasting, and public performances at
businesses irrespective of the method of transmission or quantity used.

Source: Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for Music Rights. Headline photo: Stock image.

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