Haiti’s Cornerstone Decentralization Program, Katye Pam Poze, gains wide reception as innovative “bottom-up” approach to disaster reduction & management based on community integration and sustainable development.

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Thierry Mayard-Paul, Haiti’s Chief of Staff and Minister of the Interior, Territorial Collectivities and National Defense, led the Haitian delegation that shared Haiti’s disaster risk management and recovery experience with a cadre of top-level experts from approximately 38 nations, at the highly-regarded Consultative Group meeting of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Haiti was the only Western Hemispheric country invited to attend the event as a Developing Country, for the period 2012- 2013.

Mayard-Paul described the Martelly Administration’s vision for emergency preparedness and response, stating: “the 2010 earthquake demonstrated that development will never be successful if we don’t build risk reduction at our core. That is why the Martelly administration is committed to making disaster risk reduction and management, a critical priority across the government.”

Coming into Office, President Martelly’s new Government boosted preparedness and response capacity by strengthening the Civil Protection Directorate, as well as sub-national efforts. This work continues and will remain important as Haiti heads into the hurricane season. The Haitian delegation provided specific examples, for instance, of how the government has integrated risk reduction as a centerpiece of its recovery efforts within the 16/6 project. This is a US$78-million project seeking to rehabilitate 16 neighborhoods to relocate residents of six large camps in the metropolitan area, impacting 30,000 people.

Mayard-Paul gave many examples of fruitful collaborative efforts between donors, NGOs, and federal and local governments. “However, they are independent programs that are not fully integrated under one single, comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction & Management strategy.” As a result, the government –through the Ministry of the Interior– is developing a policy framework for longer term disaster risk reduction and management that will be integrated into the new national development plan.

“Development progress and risk reduction will only be successful if they are tied to local development,” added Mayard-Paul. “That is why we recently launched Katye Pam Poze, the cornerstone program for the government’s National Decentralization Agenda.” Disaster risk reduction and management are intrinsically embedded within KPP. This way, capacity is built at the community level across the country, under an innovative “bottom up” or grassroots approach, but in complete alignment with the national strategy.

Mayard-Paul encouraged potential partners present at the meeting to help Haiti make a significant impact in disaster risk reduction and management. “We know we can’t do this alone. We need long-term development partners to support the government’s identified priorities,” said Mayard-Paul. “That’s why organizations like GFDRR and the World Bank (WB) are critical, and why this meeting is so important to Haiti.”

The Minister cited eight key areas of potential support from international partners:

• Building institutional capacity at all levels– for example, supporting Katye Pam Poze’s emergency risk reduction and response modules.
• Contributing to build infrastructure and processes — from basic physical work space to the creation of a single national emergency warning system.
• Supporting knowledge and innovation – by financing university research to identify new ways to tackle risk whilst channeling efforts of the young.
• Funding research and assessments –information gathering and sharing is one of Haiti’s major challenges.
• IT/online infrastructure, software and training so that databases and critical information can be shared.
• Helping build comprehensive disaster risk reduction programs in priority cities and departments since reducing risk across the whole country at the same speed is impossible.
• Build national capacity to assess, monitor and reduce risks. In particular, build on the progress made on seismic risk reduction while also strengthening cyclone/hydro capacity.
• Supporting communications and public awareness campaigns.

“The Government of Haiti is charting a new course on disaster reduction and management, one based on resilience, best practices and community integration ensuring sustainable development,” concluded Mayard-Paul.

The Haitian delegation also included Elizabeth Landers, Adjunct Chief of Staff, Ministry of the Interior; Jean-Elie Germain, Project Manager for disaster risk reduction, OXFAM GB Haiti; Yolene Surena, Coordinator, IDA Project “Disaster Risk Management and Reconstruction”; and the staff members of the GFDRR: Gaetano Vivo, Disaster Risk Management Focal Point for Haiti and Jean-Baptiste Migraine, Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank.

GFDRR, (www.gfdrr.org/gfdrr/12CG) is Co-Chaired by the World Bank and the Government of the Netherlands. The CG meeting serves as a focal point for the United Nations’ international efforts to mitigate and minimize disasters such as the January 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti.

Global delegates will be introduced to KPP, Haiti’s Innovative Approach to Disaster Reduction and Recovery

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, April 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – The Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul is traveling to the United States today as head of a delegation that will participate in the 12th Consultative Group (CG) meeting of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) next week. The meeting serves as a focal point for the World Bank’s efforts to mitigate and minimize disasters, such as the January 2010 earthquake that devastated our country.

Mr. Mayard-Paul will officially represent the Government of Haiti, addressing the CG regarding the disaster risk management challenges Haiti is facing.  In doing so, he will outline the steps Haiti is taking now to strengthen the nation’s disaster response and recovery. The invitation to speak before other world leaders at this prestigious global meeting underscores the effectiveness of the disaster mitigation programs now underway in Haiti and indicates the efforts our government is doing can serve as a model for other developing countries to replicate.

The Minister, who has worked tirelessly in his effort to build a stronger civil defense network throughout the country, will update meeting delegates on where Haiti is heading through the vision and strategy of President Martelly’s administration.  This includes the administration’s decentralization strategy and its plans for building infrastructure and institutional capacity nationwide.  The strategic platform is based on establishing a network of community safety across Haiti as reflected in Katye Pam Poze which Mr. Mayard-Paul is implementing.  This initiative forms the cornerstone of President Martelly’s National Decentralization Agenda and the minister is actively hosting dialogues across Haiti to determine the most pressing needs of local communities.

According to Minister Mayard-Paul, Katye Pam Poze has as its core, a plan to mobilize local governments for disaster risk prevention and emergency response. Building a more resilient Haiti is a top priority for the Minister and the Martelly administration.  “The steps we are taking in Haiti are aligned with the vision of the United Nation’s Development Program which states that in a national emergency, the priority in the first few hours is to make sure that people get immediate help from within their own communities,” said Mr. Mayard-Paul.  “Knowing who is injured, where people are, making sure that there is an organized plan to identify people’s location is critical during the first few hours of an emergency.  Haiti will have well prepared communities.  Everyone will know how to react and lives will be saved.”

The minister also reiterated the importance of the precedent-setting “seismic risk reduction plan for northern Haiti”, a flagship project for UNDP and its national partners.  “This is one of the first times a developing country has taken advance measures to reduce the vulnerability of the population and its economy to future earthquakes,” said the minister. “We can take pride in establishing this model, and setting an example for the world.”

GFDRR, (www.gfdrr.org/gfdrr/12CG) is Co-Chaired by the World Bank and the Government of the Netherlands.

Interview with Dr. Max Essex at Harvard School of Public Health (Nov. 2011)

CaribPR Wire, BROOKLYN, NY, Fri. Dec. 2, 2011: On December 1^st 2012, we commemorated World AIDS Day. Sadly, Haitians continue to be unfairly implicated in the origin of the virus 30 years later.

In the early1980s there was a new cluster of ailments sometimes referred to as “the 4H disease” a syndrome named for four groups thought to be at high risk of developing the strange illness– homosexuals, hemophiliacs, heroin users, and Haitians.  However, even after the disease was named Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), persons of Haitian descent remained stigmatized, marginalized and even blamed for bringing the virus to North America. As a result unjust public health policies were enforced prohibiting Haitians from donating blood in the USA due to their national origin, a supposed risk factor for AIDS.

This historical event underlines the racial stereotypes and cultural ignorance at play in risk assignment—which simultaneously marked Haitians as risky ‘others’. However, a recent study conceptualized by the National Haitian-American Health Alliance dispels the myth that Haitians have a higher AIDS rate than other groups.

In 2007 the origins of HIV were linked to Haiti by scientists stating that the HIV-1 Subtype B virus likely moved from Africa to Haiti in or around 1966, and then on to the United States  (Authors: M. Thomas Gilbert and colleagues, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 2007, 104, 18566-18570). 

More recently a New York Times book review of “The Origins of AIDS” published by Cambridge University Press (2011) describes that:

‘…a virus,  against all odds, appears to have made it from one ape in the central African jungle to one Haitian bureaucrat leaving Zaire for home and then to a few dozen men in California gay bars before it was even noticed…’

However, other scientific evidence suggests that HIV-1 Subtype B is not known to exist in Zaire. So why after 30 years are Haitians inexplicably still being linked to the origins of the AIDS epidemic, asks Yanick Sanon Eveillard, the Co-Chair of the National Haitian American Health-Alliance (NHAHA)?  

To help shed light on this question NHAHA contacted Dr. Max Essex, Chairman of the Harvard AIDS Initiative at the Harvard School of Public Health.  Essex is one of the first scientists to link animal and human retroviruses to immunosuppressive disease, to suspect that a retrovirus was the cause of AIDS.  He is also a pioneer who helped to determine that HIV could be transmitted through blood and blood products to hemophiliacs and recipients of blood transfusions; and with others he provided the first evidence that HIV could be transmitted by heterosexual intercourse.

Essex recently met with a NHAHA Board member in his office.

NHAHA:         We are interested in your perspective on claims that HIV-1 Subtype B likely moved from Africa to Haiti in or around 1966, then to North America. 

Essex:              In Africa HIV-1 Subtype B is predominantly found in South Africa amongst Caucasian men who have sex with men.  Haitians were known to be in Africa in the 1960s and 70s however Subtype B has never been shown to be in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) to my knowledge.    Subtype B is the dominant form in Europe, the Americas, Japan, Thailand, and Australia.  To my knowledge there had also been a series of scientific papers reporting on patients with tuberculosis in the 1950s who may have had subtype B or D (subtype D is the closest relative of subtype B).  Nevertheless,  Subtype D is known to exist in Eastern Africa (e.g., Uganda, Kenya).  To my knowledge subtype B is not known to exist in Zaire.

NHAHA:         Then how was Subtype B introduced to Haiti if it did not exist in the Congo where Haitians had migrated to in the 1960s?

Essex:              I think it’s well known that in the 1970s and 80s men who have sex with men (MSM) traveled to Haiti.

NHAHA:         Is it plausible that the Subtype B virus was introduced to Haiti by MSMs from other countries, including North America, which explains the Haiti-North America link?

Essex:              I honestly don’t think we will ever know because there is no evidence of where Subtype B exists in sub-Saharan Africa other than in Caucasian men who have sex with men, living in South Africa.  Amongst heterosexual couples in Africa, Subtype C is prevalent.

NHAHA:         This brings me to my next question regarding the myth that Haitians have a higher rate of AIDS than other groups.   NHAHA conceptualized a study in collaboration with researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and with an Haitian-American researcher at Harvard, to examine 22 years of national AIDS surveillance data to compare rates across all ethnic groups (Authors: Linda Marc and colleagues, AIDS, 2010, 4(13): p. 2089-2097).

 Essex:              What were the findings?

NHAHA:         Findings show that the AIDS rate amongst Haitian immigrants is similar to trends in the African-American population, which dispels the myth that Haitians have a higher rate of AIDS than other groups. 

In the NHAHA study the CDC reported that Haitian-born immigrants made up 1.2 percent of AIDS cases in the US, but they accounted for only 0.18 percent of the US population. That amounts to a seven-fold overrepresentation of AIDS among Haitian immigrants compared to the US population as a whole. But when higher population figures from Haitian consulates in US cities were used (double the population estimates from Census), that over-representation of AIDS cases fell to four-fold, which is about the same level as among African-Americans.  In fact, the Census Bureau acknowledges the foreign-born persons are hard to count especially if they are undocumented.  In contrast, Consulates may have higher population estimates based on the number of passports, birth certificates, and other services they provide to documented and undocumented Haitian immigrants. This may be where the discrepancy in population estimates exists.

NHAHA:         Many Haitian-American scientists would like to be more involved conducting research with in-country Haitian scientists and established American scientists.

 Essex:              Yes, this is always a dilemma even with African Diaspora regarding collaborative efforts. 

NHAHA:         Yes.  NHAHA has been particularly impressed with the model used by Dr. David Bangsberg, the Director of the International AIDS Program at the Harvard Center for AIDS Research.  Bangsberg has an active Global Scholars Program focused on training the next generation of African scientists.  Since 2009 the program has brought early-career researchers from Uganda to train and mentor them at Harvard on how to conduct HIV research, with the goal to return home becoming future public health leaders.

Essex:              Certainly, this is an excellent program with a model that might benefit Haiti’s future.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Emera Inc. (TSX: EMA): Chris Huskilson, President and CEO of Emera Inc., and Andrew Gittens, Chairman of The Barbados Light & Power Company, announced today the appointments of Mark King as Managing Director of The Barbados Light and Power (BL&P) and Bob Hanf as Executive Chairman of Light and Power Holding (LPH) and Director of BL&P, effective November 1, 2011.

Mark King, presently Chief Operating Officer will assume the role of Managing Director of BL&P with overall responsibility for the management and operations of the utility.  In his 35 years with BL&P Mr. King has held several senior level positions and has led many initiatives including the introduction of the first Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system in 1984, and the Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality (HSEQ) which under his leadership obtained ISO9001 certification in 2008.

“I am pleased to be provided this opportunity and truly humbled by the vote of confidence the Board of Directors has shown in me.  I look forward to working with the management team and appreciate their continued commitment and dedication to our Company,” stated Mr. King.

Bob Hanf becomes Executive Chairman of LPH and a Director of BL&P. In his current role as Chief Legal Officer of Emera Inc., Bob has been working with BL&P and LPH as they become part of the Emera family of energy companies.

Mr. Hanf joined Emera in 2002 as General Counsel for Emera and its affiliates.  He became Chief Executive Officer of Emera affiliate Bangor Hydro in 2007 and returned to Emera Inc. in 2011 as Chief Legal Officer.  Prior to joining Emera Mr. Hanf was a partner with the law firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP.

Barbados is an important part of Emera’s business and as such we felt it crucial to provide a direct Emera connection to the island,” said Mr. Huskilson of the new role. “Bob is a senior leader in our Company with a vast array of experiences in utility management, stakeholder engagement, business development and law and will play a crucial strategic role in our Barbados business.”

“I am honoured to be taking on this new role within the Emera group of companies,” stated Mr. Hanf. “We see great opportunity for these Companies and for the country of Barbados and I look forward to working with the team and members of the community to realize this potential.”

Outgoing Managing Director of BL&P, Peter Williams, who was appointed as Managing Director of Light & Power Holdings in July of 2010, will continue in this role, reporting to LPH’s Board of Directors.  Wayne Crawley, President and CEO Emera Caribbean Limited will continue as a Director of Both LPH and BLP.

About Emera

Emera Inc. is an energy and services company with $6.6 billion in assets and 2010 revenues of $1.6 billion. The company invests in electricity generation, transmission and distribution, as well as gas transmission and utility energy services. Emera’s strategy is focused on the transformation of the electricity industry to cleaner generation and the delivery of that clean energy to market. Emera operates throughout northeastern North America, in three Caribbean countries and in California. More than 80% of the company’s earnings come from regulated investments. Emera common and preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade respectively under the symbol EMA and EMA.PR.A. Additional information can be accessed at www.emera.com, www.sedar.com, or on www.sec.gov.

About Light & Power Holdings

Light & Power Holdings Ltd. is an investment company with electricity being its core business. The Company has a wholly owned regulated electric utility, The Barbados Light & Power Company Ltd., which has been serving electricity customers in Barbados since 1911. Electricity service is available to the entire island community.

About Barbados Light and Power

The Barbados Light & Power Company supplies electricity to over 122,000 customers in Barbados and has established itself as one of the leading electrical utilities in the Caribbean. The Company is committed to providing an efficient, safe and reliable electricity service to its customers. This year the Company celebrates 100 years of centralized electricity service to Barbados. Additional information can be accessed at www.blpc.com

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, June 1, 2011:  On Wednesday, May 25, 2011, Barbadian singing sensation Shontelle gave a live in-studio performance to a number of her fans on New York City’s 92.3 FM NOW radio station. The Barbados Tourism Authority partnered with 92.3 NOW to provide Barbados fanfare with backdrop banners and gift bags for two lucky fans during her performance. Shontelle sang three acoustic numbers including “T-Shirt”, Platinum selling record “Impossible” and her latest single, “Say Hello to Goodbye.”

 Shontelle thanked the Barbados Tourism Authority throughout her appearance and in the spirit of Barbados, sang a verse from Rihanna’s “Man Down” single which Shontelle co-wrote highlighting some of the traditional Soca rhythms of the island.

 In an interview after her performance, she declared that Oistins in Barbados has “the best prepared fresh fish in the world” and that the island’s people, natural beauty, and music, make Barbados the most alluring Caribbean destination to visit.

 For more information on travel to Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — (TSX: EMA) and (TSX: NSI.PR.D) James D. (Jim) Eisenhauer, FCA, has been appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of Nova Scotia Power. Mr. Eisenhauer succeeds George A Caines, Q.C., who has served as Chair since 2009 and as a director since 1995.

 Mr. Eisenhauer has been a Director of Nova Scotia Power Inc. since 2008. He is President and Chief Executive Officer of ABCO Group Limited, which has holdings in manufacturing and distribution activities. He is a Professional Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia. Mr. Eisenhauer has been a member of the Board of Nova Scotia Business Inc. since 2005, and Chair since November, 2010. He is also a member of the Board of Composites Atlantic and Atlantic Industries Limited and chairs its Audit Committee.

 ”Jim is a businessman who understands Nova Scotia, but also has experience running a business that competes in global markets,” said Chris Huskilson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Emera Inc. “We benefit greatly from his decades of experience as a business leader and as a leader in the community.”

 ”I also want to thank George Caines for his leadership and guidance on both the Emera and Nova Scotia Power Boards,” continued Mr. Huskilson. “His contributions to our company over the last 16 years have been invaluable.”

 Mr. Caines, a partner with the Atlantic Canada law firm Stewart McKelvey and past President of the Neptune Theatre Foundation has completed his terms on the Emera and Nova Scotia Power boards.

 ”I want to pay tribute to the leadership of George Caines, whose service on our board – and as Chair – has helped shape the cleaner energy and customer service transformation under way at Nova Scotia Power,” said Mr. Eisenhauer.

 In addition to Mr. Eisenhauer, the Nova Scotia Power Board includes:

• Wesley Armour, President and Chief Executive Officer of Armour  Transportation Systems of Moncton, N.B.
• Lee Bragg, Chief Executive Officer of Eastlink, a Nova Scotia-based cable and communication company.
• Irene d’Entremont, C.M., President of ITG Information Management Inc. of Yarmouth, N.S.
• John McLennan, Chair of the Board of Emera Inc., and former Chair of the Board of Nova Scotia Power.
• Marie Rounding, Counsel to Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, and former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Gas Association.
• Elaine Sibson, Chair of the Nova Scotia Workers’ Compensation Board.
• Chris Huskilson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Emera Inc.
• Rob Bennett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nova Scotia Power.

 Mr. Eisenhauer will stand as a nominee to Emera’s Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting on May 4, 2011.

 About Emera

Emera Inc. is a growing energy and services company with $6.3 billion in assets and revenues of $1.6 billion. The company invests in electricity generation, transmission and distribution as well as gas transmission and utility energy services. Emera’s strategy is focused on the transformation of the electricity industry to cleaner generation, and the delivery of that clean energy to market. Emera operates throughout northeastern North America, in three Caribbean countries and in California. More than 80% of the company’s earnings come from regulated investments. Emera common and preferred shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and trade under the symbols EMA and EMA.PR.A respectively. Additional information can be accessed at www.emera.com or www.sedar.com.

 About Nova Scotia Power

 Nova Scotia Power has provided electricity to Nova Scotians for more than 80 years. The company provides electricity generation, transmission and distribution services to almost 490,000 customers in the province. Nova Scotia Power is transforming its generation to reduce its carbon footprint and enable new economic activity by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. The company has $4.0 billion in assets and approximately 2,000 employees who are dedicated to safe work, enhanced customer service, system reliability and serving their communities. Nova Scotia Power is the largest wholly-owned subsidiary of Halifax-based Emera Inc.

 (EMA.)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — WIN Group, the Haitian conglomerate that owns and operates Terminal Varreux in Port-au-Prince, situated just five miles from the epicenter of the January 12 earthquake, and SEACOR Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CKH) (SEACOR) have launched an emergency response project to enable the crucial marine terminal to resume receiving bulk fuel and containerized cargoes thereby replenishing the stricken country’s rapidly dwindling supplies of gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, propane gas and edible oils used for cooking. 

 Terminal Varreux receives and stores in excess of 70% of Haiti’s fuel oil used for power plants, gasoline and diesel used for land-based fueling stations, propane used for multiple applications and edible oils used for cooking. Terminal Varreux has a minimum of 18 large storage tanks with a total capacity of approximately 45 million gallons.

 Terminal Varreux has been unable to unload any tankers since the January 12 earthquake destroyed the marine docking facilities and damaged a complex network of steel pipe connecting the marine operation to the tank storage area.

 ”SEACOR has agreed to provide the emergency support we need to return Terminal Varreux to operation in order to help us keep Haiti supplied with critically needed fuel. Their assistance in getting our marine operation stabilized and back to work, constructing a new temporary section of piping to connect Terminal Varreux’s mooring facilities and the usable storage tanks and insuring the safe return of our storage tank operations is invaluable,” said Youri Mevs, managing partner of WIN Group.

 ”Haiti needs to receive fuel supplies rapidly in order to avoid a shortage that would create panic and hamper the ongoing relief effort. The Haitian government is asking us to secure repairs of the facility as rapidly as possible in order to enable Terminal Varreux to receive supplies and equipment urgently needed in Haiti. While supplies and equipment are crucial, at the end of the day this is about saving lives first, and taking care of business later,” Mevs concluded. 

Under an agreement for their emergency response venture executed late Thursday, and effective immediately, WIN Group and SEACOR Holdings have begun to utilize a combination of SEACOR’s diverse maritime, aviation and emergency response resources to support the restoration of the marine operations, repair and construction of the new temporary 200 yard-long section of the piping and the resumption of the storage tank operations.

 Earthquake-damaged structures and debris will be removed from the dock area; debris will be removed from vessel traffic areas; collapsed mooring infrastructure will be replaced with temporary capability; a new series of piping will bypass and temporarily replace an equal length of the piping from the dock area to the tank farm; collapsed walls in the tank farm area will be removed from critical piping and the piping repaired; critically damaged tanks will be inspected and shifted from service; and the overall terminal operation will be restored in time to accept marine fuel transfers before Terminal Varreux and the country run out of fuel.

 The estimated cost of the emergency project has not been disclosed.

 ”We are pleased to collaborate with the WIN Group and are confident that with SEACOR’s diverse capabilities Terminal Varreux will return to operation promptly,” said Eric Fabrikant, vice president of SEACOR Holdings. 

 SEACOR already has an emergency advance team in Haiti from its O’Brien’s Response Management group, part of the Company’s environmental services business unit, which includes global emergency response personnel, equipment and technology companies.  SEACOR’s work over the years has included close support of the U.S. Coast Guard throughout its response to Hurricane Katrina and responding to and managing numerous major oil spills, including the cleanup of oil fields in the aftermath of both Gulf wars.

 In addition, SEACOR dispatched a vessel from one of its environmental services companies, National Response Corporation. The NRC Perseverance, a 110-foot, specially fitted command vessel used to protect the environment and shipping channels against oil spills around the HOVENSA, LLC refinery in St. Croix, arrived in Cap-Haitien last week and is expected to arrive at Terminal Varreux early this week.

 NRC Perseverance has a spill response capability and will initially support the emergency project and the SEACOR team at Terminal Varreux.  The vessel is also laden with 10 tons of pure water, medicines, crutches, food, diapers and other personal hygiene products which were donated by local organizations including Hispanos Unidos and the St. Croix Rotary Club. The donations were coordinated, collected and loaded onto the vessel for transport by several HOVENSA personnel.  More than 60 volunteers assisted in the effort.   

In other special projects responding to the Haitian disaster, SEACOR has coordinated a supply of donated medical supplies and food relief from Food for the Poor, which departed from Port Everglades, Florida and arrived in Haiti this past weekend. 

 SEACOR also dispatched a twin engine S-76A++ helicopter, which has the capability to carry up to 12 passengers and cargo, from its aviation services business unit, Era Helicopters (Era), from Lake Charles, Louisiana to Haiti last week for use in a month-long humanitarian effort supporting the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). An additional S-76A++ helicopter arrived over the weekend from Houma, Louisiana to support aid workers moving from Santo Domingo to Haiti.

SEACOR will be working with Priority 1 Air Rescue to perform Advanced Life Support Air Ambulance services and will be sending two National Registry certified flight paramedics for Medevac missions in Haiti. Priority 1 Air Rescue has a teaming agreement with Era to provide FAA-approved full-service helicopter Search and Rescue (SAR) and Emergency Medical Services capabilities worldwide.

 About WIN Group

The Haiti-based, Mevs family-held WIN Group is one of the Caribbean’s largest conglomerates with stakes in diverse industries such as warehousing and storage, port operations and ethanol processing. WIN’s holdings include SHODECOSA, the largest privately-owned industrial and commercial park in Haiti; Terminal Varreux, the largest privately-owned general cargo shipping terminal that is capable of  loading in general, non-specialized stowage areas or standard shipping containers; e.g., boxes, barrels, bales, crates, packages, bundles, and pallets; WINECO, the largest liquid bulk storage facility and, now, the under-construction West Indies Free Zone, a $45 million, 1.2 million square feet manufacturing park in northern Port-au-Prince, among other enterprises.  The fourth generation family has always had a significant impact on the country through its social service-based endeavors, and actively supports numerous organizations providing both immediate relief, and long-term infrastructure development. 

 About SEACOR

SEACOR Holdings is a global provider of equipment and services primarily supporting the offshore oil and gas and marine transportation industries. SEACOR offers customers a diversified suite of services including offshore marine, marine transportation, inland river, aviation, environmental, commodity trading and offshore and harbor towing. SEACOR is focused on providing highly responsive local service combined with the highest safety standards, innovative technology, modern, efficient equipment and dedicated, professional employees. The Company’s website is located at: www.seacorholdings.com.

CARIBPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Nov. 25, 2009: Multiple award winning singer and actress, Jennifer Kate Hudson, is set to make the transition from a White House performance to the stage of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival from January 24-30, 2010.

 

TurnKey Production President and festival producer, Walter Elmore, said while he is thrilled for Hudson at her White House performance on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 at the first state dinner of President and Mrs. Obama, he is thrilled that Hudson will be in Montego Bay, Jamaica in a matter of weeks.

 

`Jennifer has a magic that surrounds her and the Jamaican audience loves her.    We feel she is an excellent addition to the line up,` said Elmore.

Hudson   came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the   third season   of the   Fox   reality television series    American Idol   . She made her film debut in the 2006 film    Dreamgirls    and won an   Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress   for her performance, as well as a   Golden Globe Award  , a   BAFTA Award   and a   Screen Actors Guild Award  , among many others.

She won a     Grammy Award     for her eponymous debut album,    Jennifer Hudson   , which was released in 2008 on     Arista Records     and soon certified gold by the     RIAA     for more than 500,000 shipped copies, spawning the hit single “    Spotlight     .”

Also on the bill for the Jamaica 2010 jazz and blues festival will be Billy Ocean, Joe Roy Jackson, Kelly Price, Tamia, Deborah Cox, Hall and Oats, Jon Secada, Monty Alexander, Roy Ayers, Third    World, BMarion Hall, and the Max Klezmer Band, a polish Jazz band which the Government of Poland has kindly arranged for the event.

The festival, which since its introduction in 1996 was known as the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, has attracted thousands of patrons from the USA, Europe, the Caribbean and Jamaica. International artistes that have performed at the festival include Alicia Keys, Kenny Rogers, Julio Iglesias, Nancy Wilson, Earth Wind and Fire, Kenny G., Gladys Knight, Kool & the Gang, Brian McKnight, George Benson, Erykah Badu, Gladys Knight, Michael Bolton, and many more.  

This year the festival is again being presented by key title sponsor, the Jamaica Tourist Board.

For more information on the festival and the Jazz Quest, interested persons can visit the official website at www.jamaicajazzandblues.com.

 

Agreement further extends PR Newswire’s industry leading global distribution services

NEW YORK, July 28 /PRNewswire/ — PR Newswire today announced a distribution agreement with CaribPR Wire that enhances PR Newswire’s exposure to the Caribbean region while providing a gateway for businesses and organizations in the Caribbean to communicate with audiences throughout the world.

“”PR Newswire’s partnership with CaribPR Wire ensures that our clients will have access to the most comprehensive and targeted news distribution option in the Caribbean region,”" said Joaquin Burgos, president, PR Newswire Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. “”As the leader in global news distribution, PR Newswire continuously seeks alliances with organizations such as CaribPR Wire to expand and enhance our distribution capabilities. We look forward to working with CaribPR Wire to provide our clients with greater access to Caribbean audiences and to introduce Caribbean companies to PR Newswire’s full suite of communications tools.”"

The partnership with CaribPR Wire bolsters PR Newswire’s reach into the Caribbean market by delivering access to more than 300 Caribbean-focused media outlets and journalists in the U.S. and the Caribbean region. For CaribPR Wire customers, the distribution agreement offers an opportunity to leverage PR Newswire’s industry-leading distribution network.

Christopher Chaplin, director, CaribPR Wire, said, “”We are excited to partner with PR Newswire, the preeminent provider of news distribution and communications services worldwide. This relationship will provide Caribbean companies with the ability to reach a global audience in multiple languages, via print, radio, television and new media platforms via PR Newswire’s global network. In addition, they will gain access to PR Newswire’s industry-leading distribution lines to U.S. Hispanic, Native American, Asian American and African American audiences.”"

About CaribPR Wire

CaribPR Wire is the first and only press release newswire of the Caribbean, established in 2005 by journalist Felicia Persaud to serve the Caribbean niche market in the U.S./UK, Canada and the Caribbean region. CaribPR Wire offers over three dozen guaranteed placements for clients seeking to reach the media in this niche and also a full service comprehensive PR campaign arm in the Caribbean American marketplace. CaribPR wire is owned by Hard Beat Communications, the minority-certified news, PR and Advertising agency serving the Caribbean markets.

About PR Newswire

PR Newswire is the global leader in innovative communications and marketing services, enabling organizations to connect and engage with their target audiences worldwide.

Through its multi-channel distribution network, audience intelligence, targeting, and measurement services, PR Newswire helps corporations and organizations conduct rich, timely and dynamic dialogues with the media, consumers, policymakers, investors and the general public, in support of building brands, generating awareness, impacting public policy, driving sales, and raising capital.

Pioneering the commercial news distribution industry 55 years ago, PR Newswire connects customers with audiences in more than 170 countries and in over 40 languages through an unparalleled network of offices in 16 countries across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and via unique affiliations with the leading news agencies across the globe. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited (UBM.L), a leading global business media company that serves professional commercial communities around the world. For more information, go to www.UBM.com .

CONTACT: Rachel Meranus, Vice President, Public Relations, PR Newswire, +1-201-360-6776 or rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com .

Commentary By Christopher Chaplin



CaribPR Newswire, PHILADELPHIA, PA, Weds. July 15, 2009: It is now time for Caribbean governments to get directly involved in at least one area of U.S. domestic policy. Every 10 years, the United States embarks on the process of counting every person in the country.

The US Census is mandated by the Constitution and the next Census is scheduled to take place beginning April 2010. Census data are used to distribute Congressional seats to states, to make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $300 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year.

Historically, Caribbean Americans have not responded to being counted in the Census very well. According to NY US Census officials, some largely West Indian areas in NY had response rates as low as in the 20-45 percent range during the last Census in 2000. These low response rates have the effect of lost federal funding in these areas as well as lower political clout. Additionally, ask any marketing company targeting the Caribbean Diaspora in the United States what is the biggest issue it faces and you will likely be told that it is the lack of demographic data on Caribbean nationals

So why should the US Census matter to regional governments and people? The reasons are economic and political in nature. Firstly, an increased count of the number of people in largely Caribbean communities, whether in Brooklyn, New York or Ft. Lauderdale, Florida results in increased federal funding to those communities. New York Census Coordinator, Stacy Cumberbatch, estimates that each person who does not fill out the census form results in lost federal funds to New York City of $2,700.

These lost funds result in reduced services to residents in these cities and the disproportionate impact is on immigrants and especially West Indians in cities with a strong Caribbean presence.

The second and perhaps more important reason is political. I have long held the view, having been exposed to a number of Caribbean ambassadors since I was a student in Washington DC and subsequently over a twenty plus year span, that Caribbean nations have been largely fortunate in the quality of their Foreign Service personnel. Caribbean embassies and consulates have been staffed with some of the brightest and best, especially in the areas of foreign policy and trade.

However, Caribbean nations have failed miserably in organizing their Diaspora into potent political forces the way Israel, Ireland and even Mexico have. This has resulted in weak coordinated political responses from the Caribbean Diaspora to changes in U.S. policy that affect the Caribbean.

With President Obama in office and the Census taking place next year, the next four years present a perhaps once in a generation opportunity for Caribbean countries to build a potent political voice in the United States and the Census is as good a starting point as any.

I would suggest that regional governments begin the process of getting involved by executing on the following:

1. Census 2010: Supporting CaribID, a volunteer organization founded by Guyanese-born journalist, Ms. Felicia Persaud, that has made history by advocating for Caribbean nationals to get their own Census category on future forms and for nationals to `Stand up and Be Counted` in 2010. CaribID seeks to ensure an accurate count of all Caribbean nationals; to get them their own origins category on the Census form, and is an active partner of the 2010 US Census.

Carib ID has adopted a number of measures and principles that Caribbean governments can review, sign on to and adopt as messages to their Caribbean nationals in the US. These measures and principles can be communicated through each government`s information ministry and information attaches stationed in the United States.

2. Build a Database: The need for a database containing the name and contact information of every Caribbean national in the United States should be obvious. The technology and expertise to do it are already within the Caribbean Diaspora. What is needed is the political will to do it.

3. Support Congresswoman Yvette Clarke`s Bill : Advocated for by CaribID and recently introduced in the congress by Congresswoman Yvette Clark, (D-NY), this measure calls for language in the census forms to include a category for Caribbean nationals to identify themselves. The bill has been supported by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kristin Gellibrand (D-NY) and needs further support.

The greatest danger we face in building a strong Caribbean Diaspora is disunity. If Caribbean nations adopt a common set of guiding principles, even though there may be disagreement on some specific details, we can go a far way in building a political force capable of affecting US domestic and foreign policy in positive ways. And the time to start that process is now.



NOTE: Mr. Chaplin is a Founding Member of CaribID2010 and Co-Chairman of Team Jamaica Bickle Philadelphia. He is a Director of Hard Beat Communications Inc. and CaribPR and Co-Publisher of Caribbean World News.

CaribPR Wire, PHILADELPHIA, PA, Tues. June 23, 2009:  The focus will shift to Census 2010 in Philadelphia this afternoon as CaribID joins the regional Census bureau and the Mayor`s Commission on African and Caribbean Affairs, for a census briefing.
The briefing is aimed at highlighting the importance of the next census to the Caribbean and African communities.
Today`s briefing will be presented by the Philadelphia Regional Census office and will be co-hosted by City Councilmember Jamie Blackwell along with CaribID and the Mayor`s Commission.
Both the Mayor`s Commission on African and Caribbean Affairs and CaribID officials argue that the census count is important to ensuring not just federal funds or voter representation but also to measure the economic impact and purchasing power of both the Caribbean and African communities.
CaribID, the movement to get Caribbean nationals accurately counted and their own ancestry category on the U.S. Census form, reiterates that Caribbean nationals must fill out the next Census form and write in their country of origin on question 8 while ticking `No Not Hispanic.` The origin question has absolutely nothing to do with the ethnic or race question on the form and as such, claims by some groups that the movement is divisive is completely absurd.
A Caribbean Count bill, introduced in the House by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke on April 23rd and Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand on May 20th calls for a Caribbean ancestry category on census forms. So far Congressman Charles Rangel and Gregory Meeks have signed on as co-sponsors of the measures, HR 2071 and S 1083.

CaribPRWire, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. June 12, 2009: CaribID, the movement to get Caribbean nationals accurately counted and their own category on the U.S. Census form, has kicked off its own multi-media PSA campaign to encourage Caribbean Americans to participate in the 2010 Census. The radio commercials began running on several Caribbean programs across the U.S. last Friday, including on Caribbean Riddims in South Florida and CaribVoice Radio and on the entire Caribbean World News Network syndicates in nine states across over two dozen programs. This weekend, Stephen Hill, CEO of CIN TV, will roll out the CaribID television commercial, the first in a series, across his New York network that reaches millions weekly. Caribbean TV programmers in Atlanta and Connecticut will follow suit. The CaribID banner ad is already receiving play on a number of websites including South Florida Caribbean News, Toronto Lime, Caribbean Images, Tropical Fete and Caribbean Internet Network as well as on CaribWorldNews. While the CaribID messages and promos continue to be widely viewed and shared across the web from Youtube to other social networking platforms. The CaribID message is simple: its urges all Caribbean nationals to fill out the 2010 Census form and write in their country of origin under Question 8 while ticking, `No Not Hispanic.` CaribID founder, Felicia Persaud, who has been on a media blitz of interviews recently and whose message was also quoted in the Washington Post on Thursday, June 11, thanked the many Caribbean media entities who are stepping up to partner in the movement and help share the message by offering time and space to the tune of thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, several events and organizations are also sharing the word to their large groups. On June 18th, the Caribbean American Business Association of New Jersey will host Persaud and CaribID while Reggae on the River and the D.C. Caribbean Carnival are also partnering in the effort to spread the word. In Philadelphia, on June 23rd, CaridID will co-host a Census briefing with officials of the Philadelphia Regional Census Office and the Mayor`s Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs and Councilman Jannie Blackwell. CaribID D.C. coordinator, Ann Walters, urged other event promoters, media programmers, organization heads and the diplomatic corps to get involved in the effort and quit sitting on the sidelines.  `The diplomats especially who represent the Diaspora, from the many consuls to the ambassadors in D.C., , must use their power as well to share this message at all levels since at the end of the day, a growth in power of the Caribbean Diaspora means more recognition for the Caribbean region,` said Walters. She also pushed all congressional lawmakers, who express their concern for the Caribbean and all themselves friends of the community, to use this Caribbean Heritage Month to sign on as co-sponsors to the recently introduced bills in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. The legislative process to obtain a Caribbean ancestry category on the form gained momentum on April 23rd with the historic introduction by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of the Caribbean Count bill. On May 20th, New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand answered Carib ID`s call and introduced the companion bill. The Senate bill, like the House bill, states that in conducting the 2010 decennial census and every decennial census thereafter, the Secretary of Commerce shall include, in any questionnaire distributed or otherwise used for the purpose of determining the total population by states, a checkbox or other similar option by which respondents may indicate Caribbean extraction or descent. Data generated by the census is used not only to determine voter representation, but also to help equitably distribute federal funding from a wide range of government programs. And Census data is an invaluable resource to private industry, helping businesses make sensible decisions about how and where to expand their capital.  An accurate count of the Caribbean community will highlight their purchasing power and economic impact both in the U.S. and global markets. New York City Census officials insist that the undercount in New York alone is highest among Afro-Caribbeans. Supporters of the CaribID movement to date include a number of media houses, chief among them One Caribbean radio, Edmond Braithwaite, Bobby Veira and Ave Brewster; Sherra Pierre Marche of Cbean Media.tv;  CaribVoicerado.org, The Caribbean Voice newspaper, WBAI`s Ian Forrest and Habte Selassie, CIN TV`s Stephen Hill, Whatz Up TV, ZYNC TV`s Eion Saunders, Caribbean Lifestyle TV, Ken Webb of Webb Internet Radio, Caribbean Riddims` Eddy Edwards, Jason Walker and Bruno Gaston of WFRG radio, TSO Production`s Sharon Gordon, Caribbean Vibes and The Caribbean Internet Network`s Michael Callendar, Tropical Fete, Anthony Turner, South Florida Caribbean News`s Ian Hamilton, Images Newsletter, Francine Chin, Sharon Ghanny, Bharatie Khemraj, Pastor Gilford T. Monrose, June Minto, Jamaican Diaspora Presidents, Patrick Beckford and Marlon Hill, Street Hype, Patrick Buddington, NAJASO`s Roy Davidson, Allison Skeete and Toronto Lime among others. To volunteer or for PSA`s email info@caribid2010.com . For more information, log on to www.caribid2010.com .

Carib PR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. May 29, 2009: Whatz Up TV, one of New York City`s more popular Caribbean television program is bringing politics to the people this Caribbean Heritage Month with a “Rumble in Da Hood” political debate.
Patrick Fuller and Shaun Walsh of Whatz Up New York, which airs on CIN (the Caribbean International Network on Time Warner Channel 73 every Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m., will present the second in a series of debates featuring political hopefuls facing off against their incumbent rivals.
The Rumble in Da Hood debate will features candidates in the run for the 45 th councilmatic race in Brooklyn, New York. The heavily Caribbean-populated district of Flatbush, which encompasses the district, is currently headed by Vincentian doctor, Kendall Stewart, who has held the seat since 2001.
Councilmember Stewart will be defending his seat against challengers Dexter Mckenzie, Rodrick Daley, Erlene King, Jumaane Williams and Sam Taitt.
The Rumble in Da Hood debate is set for Ink Well Jazz Comedy Jazz Caf

CaribPRNewswire, WASHINGTON, D.C., Mon. June 8, 2009: As the 2010 Census approaches and the Seventeenth Annual Caribbean Carnival Extravaganza marks the beginning of the summer, the D.C. Caribbean Carnival and CaribID are partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to ensure that everyone is counted.
The Carnival Extravaganza kicks off with a parade at 11am Saturday, June 27 at Georgia and Missouri Avenues in the District.    The Georgia Avenue parade route ends at Benjamin Banneker Park on Tenth and G Streets with entertainment, food, and exhibits.   Festival events continue Sunday from 12-7pm.   The Census Bureau is participating in the parade and exhibiting at the festival.       D.C. Caribbean Carnival Executive Director Loughton Sargaent says, `This is an excellent opportunity for the Caribbean Carnival to play an instrumental role in ensuring that the word gets out to the general community in Washington D.C. about the importance of standing up and being counted in 2010.`  
CaribID Founder Felicia Persaud added, `Respect for Caribbean nationals starts with being counted in the Census, since numbers are valued most.   In 2010, let us get our numbers up by filling out and returning the Census form to ensure we truly count.   Let us make sure we spread the word to our neighbors, our friends and all family members that come March 2010, we must stand up and be counted.` Fernando E. Armstrong, United States Census Bureau Philadelphia Regional Director, states, `We are proud to partner with the DC Caribbean Carnival and CaribID.    Alliances such as these are vitally important to achieving a complete census count.   We rely on these community leaders who are trusted messengers to help spread the word about the importance of the census to the community and to reinforce that completing the 2010 Census is easy and safe because all information remains confidential.` The U.S. Census Bureau is relying heavily on its partners to achieve a successful 2010 Census.     Partners play a significant role in educating the public and their constituents about the importance of the census.   Census results are the basis for congressional representation as well as the distribution of federal, state and local funds totaling more than $300 billion annually for programs and services.   Programs and services include education, housing, health care services, job training, transportation, and more.   For more information, visit the Philadelphia Regional Census Center online at www.census.gov/2010census.    The U.S. Constitution requires a population and housing census every 10 years.   The effort employs some of the most sophisticated technical and operational knowledge and tools available, as well as a work force of 1.4 million temporary employees to count everyone.   Census Day is April 1, 2010.

CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. May 20, 2009: The push by Carib ID for a Caribbean origin category on the U.S. Census form is gaining momentum, with the introduction on Tuesday of a companion senate bill.
New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand on May 19, 2009, introduced the companion bill to Rep. Yvette D. Clarke’s Caribbean Count Bill, (H.R. 2071), which was introduced on April 23rd.
The Senate bill, like the House bill, calls for all questionnaires used in the taking of any decennial census of the U.S. population, to include a checkbox or a similar option be included so that respondents may indicate Caribbean extraction or descent.
CaribID founder, Felicia Persaud, said Tuesday she is delighted at the way the effort, started only a year ago, has gained momentum.
`Caribbean nationals continue to be undercounted across the U.S. because they simply are not filling out the Census forms due mainly to the fact they simply do not feel represented on the form,` said Persaud.  `This  movement and the bills we`ve been able to lobby for and secured to date are indications that lawmakers like Congresswoman Clarke and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, recognize the importance of Caribbean nationals and their input and contribution to the political, economic and social growth of this country.`
“”I want to commend Senators Gillibrand and Schumer for demonstrating great leadership by introducing the Senate companion to HR 2071: Caribbean Count Bill,”" said Rep. Yvette D. Clarke.   “”Census Day is less than a year away, and it is imperative that every household participate in order to ensure an accurate count.  Data generated by the Census is used to help equitably distribute federal funding from a wide range of government sources. A higher response rate from the Caribbean immigrant community would help ensure that more public resources are available to all New Yorkers.”"  Clarke, also reiterated that “”the bill does not call for an additional race category, but rather a self-identifying ancestry category/national origin in order to get a more accurate count of people of Caribbean descent living in the United States.”"
 ”"New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world and must be fully represented in the census,”" Senator Schumer said. “”Including this checkbox would surely provide better representation of our great city and its Caribbean American population. New Yorkers of Caribbean descents are an essential part of the New York City population and they deserve to be accurately counted.”"
“”It’s time to make sure all New Yorkers are counted fairly and accurately in the census,”" Senator Gillibrand said. “”New York’s Caribbean community contributes so much to our economy, our diverse culture and the way of the life that makes New York the great state it is. By failing to recognize Caribbean families in our census data, we are failing to obtain a true picture of the people, families and communities that make up New York and all of America. It’s time to make this important change.”"
The Companion bill proposed by Schumer and Gillibrand states that in conducting the 2010 decennial census and every decennial census thereafter, the Secretary of Commerce shall include, in any questionnaire distributed or otherwise used for the purpose of determining the total population by states, a checkbox or other similar option by which respondents may indicate Caribbean extraction or descent.
Meanwhile, on the House side, Congressman Charles Rangel, who recently introduced a similar bill for nationals from the Dominican Republic, signed on as a co-sponsor of Clarke`s H.R. 2071.
Data generated by the census is used not only to determine voter representation, but also to help equitably distribute federal funding from a wide range of government programs.
And Census data is an invaluable resource to private industry, helping businesses make sensible decisions about how and where to expand their capital.  An accurate count of the Caribbean community will highlight their purchasing power and economic impact both in the U.S. and global markets.
Caribbean nationals are being urged by CaribID officials to fill out the 2010 Census form and write in their country of origin under question 8 while ticking `No Not Hispanic` and filling in their race.
CaribID officials also are urging all to join in spreading the word and lending their support to the movement.
`So far, CaribID has done this on its own, with its own resources and a few hands,` said Persaud. `Now is the time for all to join the movement, especially the media and organizations that stand to benefit the most from this effort.`
Added CaribID D.C. representative, `It is important that we continue to lobby other member of congress for their support of this bill and point out the value and importance of having this box on the census form. We are interested in helping to making sure that we do not leave money on the table for much of the needed social programs that are in jeopardy of budget cuts.`
To help email info@caribid2010.com . For more log on to www.caribid2010.com . 
Supporters of the CaribID movement to date include a number of media houses, chief among them One Caribbean radio, Edmond Braithwaite, Bobby Veira and Ave Brewster; Sherra Pierre Marche of Cbean Media.tv;  CaribVoicerado.org, The Caribbean Voice newspaper, CIN TV`s Stephen Hill, Whatz Up TV, Caribbean Lifestyle TV, Ken Webb of Webb Internet Radio, Caribbean Riddims` Eddy Edwards, Jason Walker and Bruno Gaston of WFRG radio, TSO Production”"s Sharon Gordon, Caribbean Vibes and The Caribbean Internet Network’s Michael Callendar, South Florida Caribbean News’s Ian Hamilton, Patrick Buddington and Toronto Lime among others.

By Felicia Persaud
CARIBWORLDNEWS/CARIBID  
CaribPR Wire, Fri. May 8, 2009: The comments are harsh and the reality like a cold water bath on an icy winter day. `We deal with diverse groups on the Census form and Caribbean is not on the form last time we checked;` `What numbers are we talking of here? What

Caribbean Census Bill Not A Race Category CaribPR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. April 28, 2009: The Caribbean Census bill introduced in the Congress by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke on April 23rd is not a push for a race category but one for an accurate self-identifying ancestry category, CaribID official insisted Monday. The clarification comes in response to a number of media reports that erroneously reported that the bill is a call for a race category and therefore is a move to divide some ethnic groupings, particularly the African American or black bloc. CaribID founder, Felicia Persaud, insisted that the bill is to enable Caribbean nationals, who are of varied races, cultures and identities across the 26 countries in the Caribbean region to not only tick their race group on the Census forms, but like Hispanics, be able to tick their ancestry as well. FACTS & MYTHS ABOUT THE CARIBBEAN CENSUS BILL Myth It

CaribPR Newswire, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. April 24, 2009: A historic bill that calls for Caribbean nationals to have their own origins category on the U.S. Census form was on Thursday introduced by Caribbean American Congresswoman, Yvette D. Clarke of New York’s 11 th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Clarke bill calls for all questionnaires `used in the taking of any decennial census of the U.S. population, to include a checkbox or other similar option so that respondents may indicate Caribbean extraction or descent.`
The bill was lobbied for by Carib ID founder, Felicia Persaud. The movement`s goals are specific: to get Caribbean nationals accurately counted and their own origins Census category on all census forms.
`In conducting the 2010 decennial census and every decennial census thereafter, the Secretary of Commerce shall include, in any questionnaire distributed or otherwise used for the purpose of determining the total population by states, a checkbox or other similar option by which respondents may indicate Caribbean extraction or descent,` states the bill.
Congresswoman Clarke said, as a daughter of Caribbean immigrants herself, she is especially `proud of the measure and sees `it as a great accomplishment.`
`We introduced a bill which would draw attention to the 2010 census to help get the message out and help ensure the hard to count population are reached,` the congresswoman told CaribWorldNews Thursday. `It would push to provide an origins check box to allow Caribbeans and those with ancestry to check that category. We examined the form and found this to be lacking. Being specific on the Census form will allow the federal government to be able to allocate resource to communities of Caribbean nationals and their descendants.`
 
The congresswoman, who last weekend was part of a group of Congressional members invited to accompany President Barack Obama on his first trip to the Caribbean and Mexico since he took the Oath of Office Congress to Trinidad and Tobago for the 5 th Summit of the Americas from April 17

A Hard Beat Communications White Paper
It is no secret that the power of the diverse markets in the U.S. has gained in recent years. The minority is fast becoming the majority but while the focus has been on the power of the Hispanic, black and Asian markets, lost in the mix is the ethnically diverse, economically viable, Caribbean American market or West Indians, as they

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. April 8, 2009: CaribID, the movement to get an accurate count of Caribbean nationals in the U.S. by the Census, was the lone Caribbean organization that on Tuesday joined New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at his 2010 Census kick-off.
The city announcement by the mayor was held at the Queens Public Library in the diverse area of Jamaica Queens, home to many Caribbean residents, and featured many representatives from the African, Asian, African American and Latino communities.
Bloomberg on Tuesday officially announced the appointment of Stacey Cumberbatch as the City Census Coordinator while telling the media and community organizers gathered that NYC has the highest percentage of `hard-to-count` residents in the country.
He stressed that for 2010, the city is hoping for a 100 percent response rate, working closely with the U.S. Census Bureau Regional Office, key city agencies and community organizations, cultural and educational institutions, faith-based organizations, labor unions, immigrant advocacy groups and others. 
Bloomberg reminded those gathered that facts are dependent on numbers and it’s the numbers that determine how annual federal funds are distributed to New York City to fund schools, counter-terrorism and security efforts, and social service organizations. Elected representation at the federal, state and local levels is also determined by the Census, he said, while revealing that in the 2000 Census, the response rate in the city was 55 percent, well below the national average of 67 percent. For the significant Caribbean communities in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, the response rate was at 35 percent, well below the city average. Addressing the concerns of many undocumented immigrants, the mayor reiterated that a key component to the city’s outreach effort will be informing the public that under federal law, the personal information collected by the Census is entirely confidential, and cannot be shared with any federal, state, or city agency. Mayor Bloomberg was joined at the announcement by top members of the New York/NY Census, including Lester A. Farthing, the U.S. Census Bureau’s New York regional director.
`The partnership and collaboration taking place now in 2009 with the Census Bureau and Mayor Bloomberg’s Census Office will prove to be invaluable in reaching our goal of getting the most accurate count in 2010 for New York City,` said Lester A. Farthing, the U.S. Census Bureau’s New York Regional Director.  `We want residents to know that the 2010 census is easy, it’s safe and it’s important; by law, answers provided to the Bureau cannot be shared with any other agency or person, and this will be the shortest questionnaire ever.`
`The Census is a critically important issue to our City and I want to thank the Mayor for focusing on it by establishing the NYC 2010 Census Office, with the mission of ensuring that all New Yorkers are aware of the upcoming 2010 Census and encouraged to participate,` added Cumberbatch. `I look forward to working with the regional census office, City agencies and communities across New York City to do everything we can to ensure every New Yorker is counted.` 
The mayor earlier in the day signed an executive order to create the NYC 2010 Census Office.
For more on CaribID and the movement and how you can be an ambassador in the process, log on to www.caribid2010.com .