Abstract art from Carriacou brothers

ST GEORGE’S, August 31, 2010 – They are self-taught artists whose paintings are finding customers as far away as the United States and England. But Kevin and Nicholas Noel, Carriacou-born brothers, are looking for that extra help to take their work to another level.

Kevin, 23, and his 20-year-old brother use the small income generated from sale to support themselves and four other siblings – two sisters and two brothers.

They currently operate from a home on Herbert Blaize Street, at the bottom of Cooper’s Hill, where their paintings are available for viewing and for sale. The work is also exhibited at Kalingo Beach Resort in Morne Rouge, St. George’s.

Kevin described his paintings as “abstract.’’ Some are the “definition of questions,’’ he said.

The young dreadlocked artist, who is a budding musician that frequents the studio of soca star, Lavaman, uses acrylic to paint on canvas. Kevin says he and his brother are in need of canvas, space for working and frames for their paintings.

“I also want to take schooling in oil painting,’’ confides Kevin, who has been painting professionally for about 18 months.

Kevin and Nicholas Noel can be contacted at 459-0935.

OFFICE OF DIASPORA DONATE SUPPLIES TO MINISTRY OF HEALTH

By Betty Ann Lazarus

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, August 31st, 2010 - Grenadians in the Diaspora continue to demonstrate their commitment for the development of the health sector at home.

A gift, including sheets, ward curtains, pillows, floor mats and comforters, was delivered to the Ministry of Health on Monday, August 30. The items, valued at over US$8,000, are for use at the General Hospital.

Grenada’s representative to New York, Consul General Derrick James, was instrumental in coordinating the donation which was made possible by the Office of Diaspora Affairs.

“We know that over the years, healthcare has been an issue of concern for people in the Diaspora. It is one area to which they will always be willing to contribute,’’ said Lana Mc Phail, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in handing over a portion of the supplies on Monday.

The Office of Diaspora Affairs was established in September 2009 under the guidance of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Peter David. It’s intended to add structure and to systematise the longstanding and historical contributions that Grenadians living abroad have been making to national development.

Mc Phail urged that the donation be put to good use. “We know that this donation will assist in ensuring that our people are a little more comfortable when they are hospitalized,’’ she said, “and we urge that very good use be made of the items.’’

In accepting the donation Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Allison Miller, gave the assurance that the necessary structure is in place to ensure the items are used as intended. She encouraged the Office of Diaspora Affairs to continue supporting the Ministry of Health.

“We ask the Office of Diaspora Affairs to continue giving us their support as healthcare is expensive and we are all aware of the demand on state resources in these times,” said Miller.

The donated items, Miller said, will be sent to the Health Ministry’s central procurement unit, where a committee will ensure that they are disbursed to the General Hospital.

Finance Minister: Government seeking country’s best interest

St. George’s, August 29, 2010 (GIS) – Grenada will know shortly whether a US100 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of China would be made available for the proposed Four Seasons’ project in the south of the island.

Finance Minister, Hon. Nazim Burke, anticipates a decision from Eximbank within a month or two. The Minister, speaking at a news conference on August 27, described the project as “viable.’’

“We’re satisfied that, on the basis of the terms and conditions that are being offered, it is a viable project,’’ said the Finance Minister, who at the time was also Acting Prime Minister.

He said all documentation has been submitted to Eximbank, which is evaluating the loan application.

Mr. Burke, also Deputy Leader of the NDC, was joined at the news conference by Sen. Glen Noel, Junior Housing Minister and Chairman of the National Democratic Congress; and by former government IT Coordinator Vincent Roberts, Public Relations Officer of the NDC.

Hon. Burke reiterated government’s commitment to the due diligence process and in seeking the best interest of Grenada in all development projects and negotiations with investors.

He reported that discussions are “proceeding quite well’’ in finding a resolution to the Grand Beach land and hotel issue.

“I will not get into any details here but it is quite possible that before very long, we can see some resolution of this issue,’’ Mr. Burke said.

“We will engage the parties to see whether we can get that hotel working in an improved condition and to see whether government can once again become the title holders to the property.’’

In 1997, the former administration granted businessman, Issa Nicholas, a 99-year lease to the 20 acres on which Grand Beach situated. The plan was for him to operate a hotel of international standard.

An arrangement for the transfer of the government-owned land was later made with Formula One driving star, Lewis Hamilton, who was to engage Mr. Nicholas in negotiations and start building the hotel.

Indications are that talks between the Hamilton and Nicholas negotiators broke down, with the title to the land transferred to Mr. Hamilton by the outgoing administration on July 7, 2008 – one day before the last general election.

In order for the land to be returned to the state, government potentially would have to pay millions of dollars.

“The New National Party transferred the ownership out of the people of Grenada, without getting a cent in return,’’ Finance Minister Burke said. “The National Democratic Congress government could have done nothing to prevent that. We were not responsible for it and we are trying to correct that situation.’’

On another project development matter, Mr. Burke said that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with SeWang One World Investment, a business group that includes Taiwanese and Korean representatives.

The company proposes spending as much as US$2 billion on airports, schools, hospitals, agriculture and other projects throughout Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

Officials of the company visited Grenada in May and met with members of government and the private sector.

At the request of the company, a second meeting was held recently in Taiwan, at which Grenada was represented by Mr. Roberts and Christopher De Riggs, Head of Private Sector Development in the Ministry of Finance.

An initial partnership agreement from SeWang One World Investment has been drafted. But it has not been signed by government, said Mr. Burke.

“We’re interested in doing business but we’re unable to sign that agreement in its existing form. So we would want to see changes made to that,’’ he said.

“We have drafted an alternative agreement and we have shared that alternative with the company involved. The visit, the draft agreement and all of these discussions have taken place within the last week.’’

Mr. Burke added: “We believe that if there is an opportunity there, we want to grab it. But we also have a responsibility to ensure that we know who we’re doing business with. So this is not an overnight process.’’

From Police Officer to Educator

DALLAS, Texas, August 27, 2010: A young Grenadian has embarked on an educational journey and in the process accomplished many feats.

Adrian Peters, a former police officer, left Grenada in January 2004 to complete a first degree in Foreign Languages at Midwestern State University (MSU) in the United States and six years later he is about to start the journey towards a doctoral degree.

Peters began studies at the University of Ciego de Avila and then the University of Havana, Cuba in Interpretation and Translation in 1999 and then moved to MSU in January 2004 to complete a Bachelor Degree in Foreign Languages majoring in Spanish and French. He graduated with honours one year later.

Between 2006 and 2009, Peters completed Teacher Certifications in Spanish, French and English as a Second Language (ESL).

He also completed a Masters Degree in Teaching Foreign Languages at the University of Granada, Spain in December 2009 from where he also graduated with honours.

So far this year he has completed Principal Certification and will soon start his PhD studies in Education Leadership and Instruction.

Peters is currently an Assistant Principal at H Grady Spruce High School in Dallas, Texas where he now resides.

The Grenadian educator plans to gather as much experience as possible in preparation for his return to Grenada, where he intends to continue working with education, and educating.

“I understand the value of education and the difficulty some worthy Grenadians have in accomplishing their educational goals, and in many instances due to their inability to self-finance,” he said. Peters said his future mission in life is to assist others in seeking their educational goals.

“It’s not without great sacrifice, pain and even criticism that I have reached that far, but I didn’t turn back”. Adrian is now married to Demeatrice Robinson-Peters, who is also an educator.

Lew Smith interviews Grenada's FM

Grenada's Foreign Affairs Minister Peter David spoke with host Lew Smith on the To The Point Programme on Grenada's Klassic Radio on Thursday August 19, 2010.

The Minister discussed among other things recent discussions with Libyan and Moroccan officials, other bi-lateral discussions, the Preparatory Diaspora Conference, the constituency of the Town of St. George, and Spice Mas 2010.

He said that coming out of the recent Preparatory Conference in St. George's the Office of Diaspora Affairs would mount a series of mini-conferences in the Diaspora in the coming months.

Mr. David said this will ensure that more nationals are given the opportunity to participate in the discussions to assist in national development.

Grenada and US discuss Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. August 18, 2010 - Officials from Grenada have been exploring various ways in which Grenada can benefit from Educational opportunities through the United States Department of Commerce (DOC).

Officials of both countries discussed these areas on Monday via a Teleconference initiated by the Embassy of Grenada in Washington, DC. And which included Mrs Elizabeth Henry-Greenidge, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development; Ambassador Gillian Bristol, Head of Mission, Embassy of Grenada; Ms. Shawn Marie Ricks, Senior International Trade Specialist, Office of the Western Hemisphere, DOC; and Ms. Michelle Brooks, International Trade Specialist, Office of North and Central America and the Caribbean, DOC.

They discussed Grenada’s participation in a series of engagements including the Americas Competitiveness Forum (ACF) which is scheduled for Atlanta, Georgia, November 14-16, 2010.

Grenada is considering participating in two of the education panels at the ACF: “The Role of Technology in Improving Academic Performance” for which the lead is Promethean Inc. and “Retooling the Post-Secondary Education Model: The Growing Influence of Community Colleges in the Americas”.

The ACF will also offer a prime opportunity for Grenada to advance its educational and trade agenda as a meeting is being organised between the US Secretary for Commerce and CARICOM Heads of Delegation attending the ACF in November. While the teleconference focussed on education, the ACF is geared primarily toward trade and investment opportunities. The DOC officials informed that key Ministers in Trade and Finance of the Grenada Government have been invited to attend.

The DOC is also organising an Educational Trade Mission in 2011 to bring representatives of academic institutions in the USA to counterpart institutions in the Caribbean, and agreed at the teleconference to include Grenada.

The DOC representatives also discussed the possibility of educational institutions in Grenada teaming up with counterpart institutions in the USA on study exchange programmes and teacher training programmes. Permanent Secretary Henry-Greenidge's interest in improving the capacity at the Grenada National Training Agency was met with a favourable response from the DOC officials.

Other initiatives discussed included the DOC assistance with contacts at major IT and ITC companies in the USA to explore possibilities for cooperation and partnership with the Grenada Government’s initiatives in education.

Photo: L-R…Michelle Brooks, Ambassador Bristol & Shawn Marie Ricks

Appreciation Expressed

St. George’s, August 17, 2010 – Grenada’s Consul General to New York, who was one of the organisers of the Diaspora Conference held at the St. George’s University earlier this month, has welcomed the sacrifice of time and material assistance provided for the hosting of the conference by Grenadians at home and abroad.

Consul General Derrick James made the comment after receiving a donation of CAN$500 from the Montreal Support Group (MSG) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The money will help defray the cost of the conference, which was held August 5 and 6 and opened with a keynote address from Prime Minister Tillman Thomas.

The conference was attended by more than 120 overseas-based Grenadians, including Kizzy Gill of the Grenada National Association of Montreal and Byron Cameron of the NDC MSG.

“I know that the Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter David and the government as a whole, are appreciative of all the ideas that came out of the conference from the delegates who were present,’’ said Consul General James, who was presented with the MSG cash donation by Mr. Cameron.

He thanked the MSG and other contributors to the conference, saying he looked forward to their continued support for the Diaspora initiative of the Grenada Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Cameron, known in the music business as “Doggies,’’ also participated in this year’s Groovy Soca Monarch competition. He placed seventh in the competition that was won by Rankin Marvin.

T&T ENVIRONMENT MINISTER VISITS GRENADA’S UN ENVOY

NEW YORK, August 15, 2010 - Grenada’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Dessima Williams has praised the contributions of Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean countries to the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

Dr. Williams, who is also chair of AOSIS, made the comment during a meeting on Friday with a delegation from Trinidad and Tobago which included Environment Minister, Dr. Roodal Moonilal.

The representatives from the two CARICOM countries met for more than one hour and discussed a range of issues including alternative sources of energy and sustainable development in the context of climate change.

“We agreed that worldwide, economic production and consumption sectors are moving toward an energy mix that still uses conventional energy but that more and more includes a higher percentage of renewable energy such as wind, solar and biogas,” said Ambassador Williams.

The Grenada diplomat endorsed the interest of Trinidad and Tobago that more focus should be placed on promoting innovative job creation programmes in the sustainability sector.

Ambassador Williams solicited support for the upcoming Mexico-AOSIS meeting on Adaptation Financing in Climate Change which is due to be held in Grenada.

The Minister is part of a Trinidad and Tobago’s delegation visit to New York which is headed by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

 

Photo: L-R Mr. Eden Charles, Legal Consul (Trinidad); Ambassador Dessima Williams, (Grenada); Minister Roodal Moonilal, Mrs. Cherri-Ann Millard-White (charge d Affairs); and Ms. Ruyana Roberts, First Secretary.

Diaspora Office to receive World Bank assistance later this year

ST GEORGE’S, August 5, 2010 (GIS) – A historic conference bringing together Grenadians at home and abroad to discuss ways of further enhancing national development efforts opened Thursday morning at St. George’s University.

They are attending a two-day Preparatory Conference organised by the Diaspora Office of the Grenada Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Among the group of more than 100 attendees was Prime Minister Tillman Thomas who delivered the keynote address. Others included Governor-General Sir Carlyle Glean; several Cabinet ministers; members of the diplomat corps; private sector officials; and guest speaker Grenadian Justice Doliver Nelson, an International Law of the Sea expert.

The following is the text of the opening remarks delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Peter David.

Salutation!

It is indeed a pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all who have joined us in this preparatory Diaspora Conference.

I am particularly happy to extend a special welcome to the overseas-based nationals who have accepted our invitation to participate in this Conference. Some of you have been coming home regularly over the years, but on the other hand, some of you have not had the opportunity to be here so often. I welcome you all.

I wish to recognize and welcome our special guest, Justice Doliver Nelson. Dr Nelson is a renowned son of the soil; an expert on the Law of the Sea who has served in many positions in international organizations, particularly the United Nations. Dr. Nelson hails from St. Patrick and is an Old Boy of the Grenada Boys Secondary School. He therefore shares some bonds with many of us; either being from St. Patrick, or a GBSS Old Boy or as a member of the legal profession. Dr. Nelson I want to warmly welcome you once more.

I also want to welcome to Grenada my good friend, Ambassador June Suma from St. Lucia and to thank her for agreeing to participate in today’s Conference. Ambassador Suma has been at the helm of the St. Lucia Diaspora movement and we will surely benefit from her experience.

Let me also welcome my friend, Earl Brathwaite, who so graciously agreed to be present here and to share his experiences with us. Earl has been very successful in several fields and we no doubt are eager to have him play an important role in our Diaspora movement.

I must thank all the many persons who, in one way or another, contributed to today’s activity. The committee responsible for the Conference, led by Permanent Secretary Lana McPhail, I extend many thanks to all the members: Michael Mitchell, Derrick James, Ambassador George Mac Leish, Michael Bascombe, Betty-Ann Lazarus, Troy Garvey, Gerry McPhail and Lincoln “Toro” Depradine. To all Grenadian Ambassadors and High Commissioners who assisted over the last several months, I thank you. I also welcome Ambassador Ruth Rouse who is based in London.

And to the many Grenadians in the Diaspora who could not make it here but who no doubt will be listening on the internet, thanks for participating in the many conference calls and other activities in preparation for this conference.

Ladies and gentlemen, engaging the Diaspora in a meaningful way has always been a personal dream. Having lived outside of Grenada – in Ottawa and Vancouver in Canada, in Brooklyn, New York, and in London, England – I am keenly aware of the talents that exist out there and the desire of our people to get involved in the development of the tri-island Nation of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique. As I always say, the further away we are from Grenada the more patriotic we become. I am also aware of the many frustrations faced in trying to send things home, the many stories of items remaining on the port, and of course the difficulties faced in relocating to Grenada.

It is for this reason why in 2003 during the Budget debate, while still in Opposition, I articulated the role of the Diaspora within the context of a framework for sustainable development. Immediately after coming into office, the Government of Prime Minister Tillman Thomas adopted the initiative to engage the Diaspora in the development process of Grenada and announced the establishment of an Office of Diaspora Affairs, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The goals of that Office are among others:

• Building sustainable partnerships for development between the Diaspora communities and the homeland through linkages and participation.

• Assisting in rural development, focusing on youth development and poverty reduction.

• Strengthening and developing platforms for cooperation between the Diaspora and Government. This will be done by utilizing the skills, resources and experiences of nationals living abroad for training initiatives and other effective strategies to provide better policy formulation and solutions of the country’s challenges.

Today’s preparatory conference, being held under the theme “Engaging the Diaspora,” is an activity of the Office of Diaspora Affairs. It is a precursor to a much larger Diaspora Founding Conference scheduled for 2011 and a grand Homecoming in 2012. The objective of this two-day meeting is to provide an opportunity for initial discussions and exchange of opinions and proposals between Government officials and the Grenadian Diaspora, and nationals at large. The expectation is that coming out of the discussion and exchange will be an integrated policy framework for nationals of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique living abroad to be more integrally involved in our nation’s development.

I am convinced that the nexus between Grenadians in the Diaspora and Grenadians at home must be deepened and expanded. As we move along with the process and continue on the path of fulfilling the promise we made during our election campaign of bringing change to our country, it is urgent that we engage the human resources available in the Diaspora.

We need to get you intimately involved and participating in the development and transformation of the country, not just in the traditional roles of sending items for hospitals, schools or communities – although we deeply appreciate those acts of generosity and would like you to continue providing them. But we also want to take this to a higher, deeper, and more systematic and structured level. We now want to reach out to you – those of you who reside overseas, those of you who are listening live via the internet and others who are and will be following this conference by other means – we want to establish a formal partnership whereby we can begin utilizing your skills and abilities in training your fellow nationals at home; influencing and shaping policies by utilizing your experiences in implementing projects and programmes; by your direct investments in the economy; and by working with you as nationals in what I call the 16th Constituency, to have a voice in the decision-making process in Grenada.

Over the last year I have visited with Grenadians in Huddersfeild and London in England, in New York and in Montreal and Toronto, and I must say that the spirit of patriotism is alive and well. Over the next year we plan to visit our communities in many more countries and cities.

I have heard the many concerns and proposals coming out of the experiences of our Diaspora communities. We want to develop on these here today.

Just last month I had the opportunity to be the guest speaker at a ceremony to honour one of our distinguished Grenadian daughters in the Diaspora, Dr. Jean Augustine. On that occasion, I intimated that many of you have received more experiences in the countries where you now reside than have afforded you at home. I believe that the land of your birth, Grenada, and your wider family at home, deserve to share in those experiences that you would have gained from living overseas.

We believe that the Office of Diaspora Affairs is a major initiative that can assist in the transformation of our country. In this regard we will engage as many partners as possible to assist in this process.

In March, 2010, while in Washington D.C. attending a special session of the Organisation of American States, I took the opportunity to hold discussions with the World Bank and sought support for developing the Diaspora Office. The Bank showed enthusiasm in assisting and using Grenada as a model for other countries in the region who have similar desire to seriously engage their nationals abroad.

Only last week officials of the Bank met with personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and indicated the Bank’s willingness to provide grant aid to assist us in furthering this initiative. Some of the activities discussed include equipping of the office, developing of a data base, and developing of a policy on closely liaising with the Diaspora.

We have indicated to the Bank that not only are we willing to accept their assistance, but that Grenada will move with urgency to ensure that all the requirements of the program are put in place by the fourth quarter of this year.

Your participation not only today, but in the ongoing engagement that will follow in the weeks and months ahead, will help bring into focus issues that need to be addressed in this policy document.

Today is just the beginning of a process that we believe will contribute significantly to Grenada’s development. We are happy that you are here to share in this moment.

We also welcome the many locally based groups and individuals who have come here today. Without their participation we will not succeed. As I have said on many occasions, this process is non-partisan and truly national in character. We hope that all Grenadians at home and abroad will join this process of bringing our people together.

As you may already know we have made some changes to the process from what we discussed with you during the teleconferencing that took place prior to the meeting. We consider that with the new process we will give everyone an opportunity to give their views on all the five thematic areas and not be limited to just one. Just as a reminder the thematic areas are:

1. Health.

2. Education.

3. Youth and Sport.

4. Culture.

5. Investment and Trade.

Throughout today, we want to hear from you. We want your ideas as to how this partnership can work to achieve the goals. We want your ideas on a workable structure; we want your opinion on projects and programmes; we need your involvement in training our people; we need your ideas which can be used as the basis for policy formulation. In other words, we need you to be part of the process; we need your commitment and your active involvement.

Brothers and Sisters, I therefore wish to urge you to participate fully in today’s discussions. It is my hope that at the end of the day we would have a clear roadmap as to the way forward.

I thank you for coming and look forward to your fullest participation.

PM Thomas makes direct appeals to overseas nationals to invest at home

ST GEORGE’S, August 5, 2010 (GIS) – Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas has thanked Grenadians living overseas for their contributions to nation building. He has also outlined opportunities available to them for investing in their homeland.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at Thursday’s opening of the Preparatory Diaspora Conference. Here is the text of the Prime Minister’s address.

Salutations!

Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to welcome you to this seminal conference. I want to especially welcome those of you who have returned particularly for this occasion which our government regards as ground breaking. As nationals, I do not have to advise of our authentic generic hospitality and all of the wonderful things that you can and will do while you are here. I know that many Grenadians who reside here are prepared to stand back and allow you the freedom to eat as much Oil Down, drink bush, suck mango – and the list can go on – until the next plane ride for those who make it to the airport on time.

Today’s conference is yet another manifestation of our government’s fulfilment of our articulated policy of engaging and enhancing the socio-economic well being of all Grenadians where ever they are located. In the pursuit of the transformation, growth and development of our beloved country, it is our view that all Grenadians should be embraced and offered the opportunity to participate and contribute to the process.

Over the last century, many Grenadians have migrated in pursuit of their dreams, educational and economic advancement, the adequate provision for their families and even survival. Popular destinations such as Panama, Cuba, Venezuela, Trinidad, UK, USA and Canada have resulted in the establishment of notable communities of Grenadians.

In a few cases, links to Grenada have been lost; however, the umbilical cord for most remains connected. This bond is generic and extends to subsequent generations as the yearning for identity and connectedness is powerful. In fact, over the last two years, our Home Affairs Department has seen an increase in the number of Grenadian descendants from around the world requesting Grenadian citizenship.

The true size of the Grenadian Diaspora varies. However, I have seen recent estimates that point to an approximate total of 236,000 with 120,000 in the USA; 30,000 in the UK; 40,000 in Canada; and 50,000 in Trinidad. This estimate includes second and third generation descendants. When this is compared to our resident population of 104,000, we begin to appreciate the full dimension and concept of the Grenadian citizenry, and the importance of the Diaspora.

The implications for engaging and treating with this populace are indeed significant.

This Diaspora reality has been recognized by many countries. In fact, the inaugural Barbados Diaspora conference is also taking place today in Bridgetown, Barbados. The country of China benefitted considerably from its Diaspora during the period 1985 to 2000. Seventy percent of the Foreign Direct Investment into China emanated from Chinese nationals outside the country. Their contributions fuelled China’s rapid economic growth during that period.

In the case of India, it is well known that its Diaspora played a key role in the growth of the ICT sector during the 1990s. This was so, as Indian nationals held senior managerial positions in US companies. They utilized their influence and leverage to assist in the socio- economic development of their homeland.

The importance of our Diaspora, particularly those returning to Grenada, has been long recognized and some policies to facilitate their return to Grenada currently exist. The role of remittances in our development process is also well known and acknowledged. In our case, it contributes at minimum, about ten percent to GDP. However, meaningful Diaspora engagement can and should be more structured and more all-encompassing.

There are many areas where our Diaspora can become more involved. These include participation in:

• Diaspora Bonds

• Philanthropic projects

• Alumni activities

• Skills exchange

• Investing and saving in local Banks and credit unions in Grenada

• Community projects

• Diaspora foundations

• Government incentives and facilitation

• Diaspora database on skills, knowledge, expertise

• Marketing and accessing of Grenadian products

• Facilitating Foreign Direct Investment

• And enabling external Links to resources

Already, activities in some of these areas are ongoing. There are many active community organizations such as the Crochu, St Patrick and Carriacou groups in New York and the UK. Similarly, there are many active alumni associations.

At the same time, there are many local opportunities for the Diaspora in Grenada. For example, better financial investment opportunities exist here at this time. For example, our tried and tested credit unions are currently paying much higher interest rates averaging 6% on deposits compared to the less than 1% that is being paid in North America. Investing in such organizations not only yields lucrative returns but also contributes significantly to the local pool of financing and the ultimate development of our country.

This information may be new to you but it further demonstrates and justifies the need for a structured framework to facilitate initiatives like these.

As a government, we have spent much time and resources in the past attempting to attract foreign investment and investors. In many cases, these companies and persons are new to Grenada and need to become familiar with our environment and culture. This takes time. We are of the view, that if we focus on our Diaspora who already understands our country and the way we function, much more can be achieved.

Our Diaspora is quite familiar with quality products and services, new ideas and international standards and regulations that generally characterize the developed world. This knowledge and familiarity can be easily translated into our local scenario at a much faster rate. This can serve as a major boost to the development of local entrepreneurship and to expose locals to numerous possibilities and opportunities.

In the same vein, our Diaspora is also familiar with our products and services that they consumed while growing up. They can constitute a ready market for our traditional products such as jams and jellies, teas, fruits, fish and other agro-products in various parts of the world. All that is required is the appropriate structures, mechanisms, incentives, a commitment to action and patriotism.

Many developed countries have pursued and continue to attract specialized skills, talent and resources as a deliberate development strategy. In fact that’s one of the reasons why many of you are not resident here in Grenada. This obviously confirms that skills, expertise and talent are absolutely critical for any country’s growth and development.

If it is working for developed countries, then the obvious question is why it cannot work us. While we may not be able to compete for the attraction of foreign skills, they exist in our Diaspora. A Diaspora that is patriotic, nationalistic, nostalgic and willing to contribute. So the time is opportune against the backdrop of the deepest recession that the world is experiencing for many decades. It is clearer now than ever, that we must begin to focus more on our own resources.

A primary objective of this Preparatory Conference is to consider an integrated policy and framework for involving our Diaspora in Grenada’s national development. There is a need for building relationships, improving communication, setting up consultative mechanisms and providing a facilitating environment.

Your role here today is to assist us in defining and shaping the process. We are happy that you have taken the time to be with us, to discuss, to exchange ideas and perspectives. We look forward to your active participation and contributions and ultimately a seamless incorporation of all Grenadians in our national development.

I thank you and wish this conference every success.

Audio/Video Webcast - Preparatory Diaspora Conference

The webcast for the Preparatory Diaspora Conference can be access by clicking on the link below.

PREPARATORY DIASPORA CONFERENCE - VIDEO

The live audio stream can be access from this link:

PREPARATORY DIASPORA CONFERENCE - AUDIO

The Opening Ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. at Bourne Lecture Hall, SGU on Thursday, followed by the Presentations and Discussions.

Joseph assumes GFA Presidency

by Michael Bascombe

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, August 2, 2010 - Newly elected President of the Grenada Football Association (GFA) Cheney Joseph has promised to create an atmosphere of reconciliation in local football and engage and utilise human resources at the association’s disposal.

Delivering his acceptance speech at the GFA Extra-ordinary General Council Meeting at the Grenada Trade Centre’s Annex on Saturday, Joseph said that the spirit of reconciliation must start now in order for football to progress in Grenada.

“It is now time to move forward into a new chapter of football, one that will be respectful of the role of each member of this association. The past cannot be forgotten; however we must use it for the positive growth and development of holistic plans for all,” he said.

“We must be willing to work closer and utilise the limited human resources that are still available,” he said. “It is in this context that I intend to engage Mr. Marlon Glean, immediate past First Vice President of the GFA as a useful conduit to secure additional assistance through his contacts for the benefit of Grenada’s football”.

He said that under this new Executive Committee, they will seek to heal the wounds, and engage all parties in the decision-making process when required. The new President also outlined his approach to the development of football on the island.

He said that youth development, women’s football, parish leagues and coaching and refereeing certification programmes are among the targeted areas for urgent attention.

In an emotional speech, which also marked the first anniversary of his marriage and the tragic death of his mother exactly one year ago, Joseph lauded the support of the local football community as well as CONCACAF and FIFA, especially President Jack Warner and John Collins, FIFA’s Legal Committee Member.

Joseph, who previously served as a vice president, was elected unopposed, along with Paul Roberts as Vice President and parish representatives except St David and St. Mark.

The parish representatives are Bruce Swan (St. Patrick), Peter Blair (St. Andrew), Wayne James (St. John) and Patrick Francis (St. George). They were elected by parish clubs and teams affiliated to the GFA.

Among the first task of the new executive is to give immediate attention to the GFA’s debt which is almost EC$300,000.