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JAMAICA: Nanny Reimagined as Protector of The Natural Environment

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#Kingston, November 30, 2022 – A collection of five art pieces under the theme ‘Reimagining Nanny’ was unveiled on Sunday (November 27) during a ceremony and exhibition at the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) in Kingston.

The works are ‘Moonlight Meditations of Mama Nanny’ by Richard Natto, who is the 2020 Prime Minister Youth Award recipient in the category of Arts and Culture; ‘Queen Nannies’ by Leigh Goffe; ‘We Are Still Here & We Remember’ by Ibaya Art; ‘Warrior Shield VI: Queen of the Blue Mountains’ by Lisa Callender; and ‘Queen Mother Arms of Liberation’ by Nigerian painter Segun Bamidele Aiyesan.

The collection of works was commissioned in 2022 to reimagine National Heroine and outstanding military leader, the Right Excellent Nanny of the Maroons, as Chiefess of Blue Mountain’s biodiversity forests and waters, and a protector of the natural environment.

The project was organised by the Natural History Division of the IOJ, in collaboration with the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (JCDT) and the Liberal Studies, Faculty of Arts and Science and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies of New York University (NYU), New York in the United States.

Giving an overview of the project, Exhibition Curator, Dr. Leo Douglas, said that the aim was to highlight the untold stories about Nanny.

He said that the idea came about during discussions with Chief of the Moore Town Maroons in Portland, Colonel Wallace Sterling, who said that Nanny spent a lot of time learning about the forests and community building.

“She was studying the landscape, which she had as her protection and for food –  everything the Blue and John Crow Mountains was providing for them,” he said.

He said that artists were asked to create works that represented pride in the African heritage and contained elements of the lived experience of Nanny and others within the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park.

Dr. Douglas said that 27 artists were selected from about 130 entrants, who had indicated their interest in participating in the project.

“And we had the very difficult task of narrowing that down to five works, out of what we had,” he said, noting that the five art pieces selected celebrate the “self-determination, Afro-indigenous retentions and the rich bio-cultural relationship histories” of the descendants of the formerly enslaved people of Jamaica and the diaspora.

“Together these works question and present a compelling re-examination of the lived experiences of early Afro-Caribbean people within the context of historical African eco-spirituality and folklore,” he added.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, in a message read by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Denzil Thorpe, lauded the work of the IOJ in promoting Jamaica’s “unique natural heritage and irreplaceable natural environment.”

“We honour the positive impact of Queen Nanny on our natural environment,” she said, adding that the National Hero epitomises the strength and determination of the everyday Jamaican woman.

“The vision is for Jamaicans to see greatness and feel empowered to excel in all areas of life. Granny Nanny is an excellent example of a great woman and had many admirable characteristics that we should strive to attain today,” the Minister added.

The activity is one of the yearlong events of Jamaica’s 60th anniversary celebrations under the theme ‘Jamaica 60 – Reigniting a Nation For Greatness’.

 

Contact: E. Hartman Reckord

Release: JIS

 

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Caribbean News

Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Caribbean News

Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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