Connect with us

Caribbean News

GROUP LAUNCHES 24-HOUR PRAYER INITIATIVE IN SUPPORT OF THE CARIBBEAN

Published

on

#BARBADOS (January 26, 2021) – A group of concerned Caribbean citizens has launched iPRAY Caribbean, a 24-hour prayer initiative in support of the region.  A free livestream is set to take place from Jan. 30 at noon to noon on Jan. 31 (Atlantic Standard Time).

iPRAY Caribbean is encouraging every individual who lives in or loves the Caribbean to join in prayer at any point during the 24-hour period, for any length of time. As the Caribbean grapples with the damaging economic effects of travel restrictions amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and grieves the loss of family members and loved ones to COVID-19, the goal of the prayer initiative is to bring peace and healing to every individual and the region at large. “Though the effects of the virus have been horrendous for many, the pandemic has created the greatest opportunity ever for all in the Caribbean to come together as one in prayer,” said Barbadian Errol Griffith, president and founder of The Power Of Choice Inc. and one of the organizers of iPRAY Caribbean. With so many people forced to isolate and do most things remotely because of the pandemic, iPRAY Caribbean offers a chance for connection and fellowship by uniting people across the region and beyond. Persons can choose to pray privately on their own, as families, with friends, work colleagues, team members, prayer groups and others whether in person, on telephones or virtually.  

The livestream will be available for anyone to tune into during the entire 24-hour period, but it is not a requirement to participate. People are encouraged to join the initiative in prayer wherever they are, for as long as they are able.

“This Caribbean-wide prayer initiative is also possible because of the large number of persons in the Caribbean who do pray,” added Trinidadian Andy O’Brien, who came up with the initial idea and wrote the official song for the event, entitled “24 Hours”. iPRAY Caribbean’s hope is that people will seek God’s wisdom and guidance in the rebuilding of individual lives, families, communities, institutions and economies in the Caribbean through knowing, hearing and obeying God in every aspect of their lives.   “We can recalibrate and rebuild a better Caribbean, and one that is the best that it can possibly be,” Griffith added. “We can together as one with God, turn the greatest challenge faced by the Caribbean since the slave trade, into something for good.”

Another organizer, Dr. Orlando Seale, a pastor and president of the Caribbean Nazarene College, said, “Our Caribbean region has been blessed tremendously by God. We are asking God to ‘heal our land’ – healing that only divine intervention can provide. Domestic abuse, pedophilia, crime and violence have polluted our land. COVID-19 has now made it absolutely critical for us to come together as one voice praying to one God, Jehovah, for our healing.” The organizers of iPRAY Caribbean say they hope everyone who participates will realize their God-given potential, and encourage participants to take some time to reflect in the days leading up to the event. It is suggested that each person ponder the following questions to prepare for the prayer initiative:

  • What do I wish for the rest of my life?
  • What do I no longer wish, or not at all wish, for the rest of my life?
  • What promises am I making to God, myself and others going forward in my life?

 For more information or to register, visit www.ipraycaribbean.com or contact info@ipraycaribbean.com.

Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.

Caribbean News

Guyana to build regional food hub

Published

on

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

 

#Guyana, September 29, 2023 – Guyana is making moves to become the primary food production center for the Caribbean, going ahead with plans to develop a USD$14 million regional food hub.

In fact, as reported by the Observer, the facility has already been identified on the country’s Soesdyke /Linden Highway.

Guyana seems to really want this to become a reality and Zulfikar Mustapha, Agriculture Minister, expressed this, highlighting what Guyana has over its Caribbean sister Islands.

“We want Guyana to be the food hub, the primary production hub of the Caribbean so that we could supply the Caribbean.  What we have, our colleagues in the Caribbean don’t have.  We have arable flat land and abundant fresh water,” he said, adding that with the multi-million dollar US investment, the country can, “modernise the infrastructure, and start ramping up the productions.”

Also, the Agriculture Minister pointed out that the project is geared to make for a more competitive local Agriculture industry as well as developing high-yielding varieties, pest-resistant and climate-resilient varieties.

Additionally, in the facility’s development, Guyana, Mustapha said, will work with Belize.

In fact, with more on Belize’s involvement, Dr. Ashni Singh,  Finance Minister, informed that the Government is in talks with the Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley about sourcing inputs from northern Brazil and transporting them through Guyana to Barbados and vice versa.

Singh also reportedly revealed that the project will help develop the growing logistics industry in Guyana.

Considering regional food import cost, with this development, Guyana is the leading Caribbean Community country pushing ahead with plans to reduce the multi-billion dollar regional food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025, the Observer says.

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Cayman makes striking policy change to include more blood donors

Published

on

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

 

#CaymanIslands, September 29, 2023 – The Cayman Islands overturned a policy that banned blood donation from people who visited the island from or resided in countries where “mad cow disease” existed. This was revealed by Sabrina Turner, Health Minister in Parliament, as reported by CNW Network.

People who resided in Britain from 1980 to 2001 and those who had blood transfusions in the UK after 1980, can now donate blood.

Due to recent risk evaluation, and the current protocol for blood donors, many nations, CNW reports, have re-evaluated and adjusted similar guidelines regarding blood donation, as Cayman Islands has now done.

The now initial restrictions on blood donations for the country was called for and was important as at the time of implementation, “mad cow disease” or as it’s scientifically called, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), was at-large affecting not just cows, but also people, who are able to contract “a version of BSE called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD),” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says.

The likely reason for the Cayman Islands’ targeted population of those affiliated with living in the UK or getting blood transfusion in the UK, was because most of the people with vCJD lived in the UK, as highlighted by the FDA.

Also, as BBC says in a 2018 report, 1 in 2000 people in the UK is thought to be a carrier of the disease, even though some who are carriers don’t go on to develop symptoms.

However, the change in Cayman Islands’ policy does not mean the disease is no longer out there.

In fact the FDA said, “as of 2019, 232 people worldwide are known to have become sick with vCJD, and unfortunately, they all have died.  It is thought that they got the disease from eating food made from cows sick with BSE. Most of the people who have become sick with vCJD lived in the United Kingdom at some point in their lives. Only four lived in the U.S., and most likely, these four people became infected when they were living or traveling overseas.”

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Bwa Kalé movement striking back against gangs, nearly 3,000 murdered

Published

on

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

 

#Haiti, September 29, 2023 – In eight months, nearly 3,000 Haitian people have been slaughtered in their home country due to the upsurge and uprising of gangs in the republic which is struggling to hold its democracy in check.

‘Bwa Kalé’, it’s a vigilante movement that has sprung up in Haiti, and the UN says it is driving up murders.

Born out of fear and distrust in the state according to the UN, the movement is a violent strike back against the gangs that are terrorizing residents.

A recent report following an expert visit detailed it.

“Certain groups have formed allegedly to protect their neighbourhoods from gangs.  In some instances, these groups have summarily executed people suspected of being gang members.  The Bwa Kalé movement demonstrates the population’s lack of trust in the State, especially in the police and the courts.  The expert has learned that some members of the police and the judiciary have been complicit with gangs.”

Despite the obvious fear among residents, the UN is warning them not to take justice into their own hands.  However, that is easier said than done as Haitians have demonstrated their feelings of abandonment by fleeing the island in mass numbers on illegal voyages and standing up to the gangs themselves.

In the same report, one said: “The State is absent, there are no police or other officials operating there.”

According to AP, a new report to the U.N. Security Council indicated that 2,728 intentional killings were recorded between October 2022 and June 2023, including 247 women, 58 boys, and 20 girls.  Bwa Kalé is blamed partially for the increase, as life in the country is described as unbearable.

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING