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Round One of TCREA Real Estate Mentorship Program Ends

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#TurksandCaicos, December 2, 2022 – Round one of the Turks and Caicos Real Estate Association’s Mentorship Program came to a close this past weekend with an afternoon of powerful presentations and a fitting celebration.

On Saturday, November 26th, the inaugural class returned to where it all began – the TCREA Head Office – this time flanked by family, faculty, and media. Smartly dressed as Junior Realtors, the mentees delivered final presentations to the program’s mentors and guests.

Showing a perfect range of variety, the teens displayed their mock Realtor biographies and a sales pitch on a pre-selected real estate listing. There was a show of presentations on vacant land, single homes, and condos, all placed on the big screen for viewing while the teens made use of their newly adopted real estate jargon and shared their listings’ best attributes with the room.

“Watching these bright minds deliver their presentations was a proud moment,” shared program mentor Nina Siegenthaler of Turks & Caicos Sotheby’s. “There was genuine excitement, and they showed just how much they have learned and retained over these past few months. She continued, “It has been a fulfilling experience sharing the industry with them, and I’m delighted that one or more of them may now consider real estate as an option for their future career.”

Launched by TCREA Ambassador Trevor Musgrove, the mentorship program aims to allow high-school and first-year college students to explore real estate through live mentorship sessions with premier industry experts in Turks and Caicos.

Participation was open to all islands, and the inaugural class was comprised of ten enthusiastic students from Providenciales and North Caicos: Dashawn Brooks and Alyssa Callum of Clement Howell High; Olique Stubbs, Lewis Walkin, Jr. of Raymond Gardiner High; Aniyah Bovie of Precious Treasures; Shamya Missick of Maranatha Academy; Pavla Lalakova and Andino Parker of British West Indies Collegiate; Abnise Noel, Antoine Gedeon of Louise Garland Thomas High.

Along with Siegenthaler, the teens had monthly access to Blair MacPherson of REMAX; Manfred Smith of Turks & Caicos Sotheby’s; Vernica Delancy and Dedra Gray of Keller Williams; and Sean O’Neill, Musgrove’s partner The Agency Turks & Caicos.

Asked how he felt about the program’s start, Musgrove said, “Overall, I could not have asked for a better outcome.  The excitement from both the mentors and the mentees has been amazing to see. We started this initiative to give something of ourselves and our industry to these young men and women, but they have also enriched us.” Reflecting on the program’s journey, the Director had one small point of dissatisfaction, “My only wish is that we had seen applications from students in the other islands well. The Ministry of Education has shown us how serious they are in extending the support needed. Because of it, the students from North Caicos had the transportation and chaperone necessary to facilitate their participation. We would love to see students from all the islands take advantage of the access so that we can share this opportunity with them all.”

The program has exposed the teens to the technical and practical sides of the profession. Terminology, securing a listing, marketing, selling a listing, professional etiquette, and following a strict code of ethics have all been shared with them. The program’s highlight was the open house exercise, which gave the mentees an opportunity for a real-time showing of a luxury oceanfront villa in Long Bay to a group of mock buyers, including the Minister of Education, Honourable Rachel Taylor.

“To watch this program materialize and grow has been an exceptional experience. These are the opportunities our school leavers need to know are out there, and I applaud Mr. Musgrove and his committee for doing their part in exposing our young men and women to this flourishing industry that is available to them right here in our islands,” said Honourable Taylor. She added, “I had the pleasure of visiting several sessions and was an inch away from buying a villa from the very bright and persuasive Andino Parker at the open house. The energy and excitement from the students were all the testament necessary to confirm that this was a much-needed, fresh opportunity that many will be delighted to take advantage of.”

The Ministry of Education has previously shared that the program aligns perfectly with the new Youth Policy, which incorporates 7 Pillars. Pillar 1 focuses on Enhancing Youth Economic Participation and Economic Empowerment. Both the association and the Ministry hope that this mentorship opportunity will result in more Turks and Caicos islanders becoming interested in joining this thriving sector, aiding in its sustainability, and opening other doors to local entrepreneurship.

TCREA Ambassador Musgrove expressed his gratitude to the real estate association for sanctioning the program and his colleagues for dedicating their time to mentoring the participants, “I can’t thank everyone enough for the support this program has received. I am grateful to the TCREA Board of Directors for giving the program the green light and to Honourable Rachel Taylor and her team for their support and presence throughout the program. I must extend special thanks to my colleagues for sharing their time and knowledge and to SOS Media for the public relations and social media support. Most of all, I am humbled by the community’s feedback and encouragement. I am ready to return to work for round two of the program.”

Certificates of participation and appreciation were presented to Mentees and Mentors by Musgrove, who also shared his thanks to the Media for their support throughout the life of the program. Saturday’s close-out ended with a celebratory lunch sponsored and hosted by Big Al’s Island Grill in The Salt Mills, Grace Bay.

Another ten spots will be available for the program’s 2nd round, which begins in January 2023. Interested parents and students are encouraged to look out for the invitation for applicants in December 2022 and to follow the TCREA Mentorship Program’s Facebook page for information and updates.

 

Release: TCREA

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Haitian Pushback Halts Controversial Constitution Rewrite — What’s Next?

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Haitian media, legal scholars and civic voices did what bullets and barricades couldn’t: they stopped a sweeping constitutional overhaul widely branded as anti-democratic.  Editorials and analyses tore into proposals to abolish the Senate, scrap the prime minister, shift to one-round presidential elections, expand presidential power, and open high office to dual-nationals—a package critics said would hard-wire dominance into the executive at a moment of near-lawless insecurity.

The Venice Commission—Europe’s top constitutional advisory body—didn’t mince words either. In a formal opinion requested by Haiti’s provisional electoral authorities, it pressed for clear legal safeguards and credible conditions before any referendum, including measures to prevent gang interference in the electoral process—an implicit rebuke of pushing a foundational rewrite amid a security collapse.

Facing that drumbeat, Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council has now formally ended the constitutional-reform initiative. The decision, taken at a Council of Ministers meeting at the National Palace, effectively aborts the rewrite track that has haunted Haiti since the Moïse and Henry eras.

So what now? Per the Miami Herald, the pivot is back to basics: security first, elections next. That means stabilizing Port-au-Prince enough to run a vote, rebuilding the electoral timetable, and empowering the provisional electoral machinery—none of which is simple when gangs control vast chunks of the capital and state authority remains fragile. Recent headlines underline the risk: gunfire has disrupted top-level government meetings, a visceral reminder that constitutional theory means little without territorial control.

Bottom line: Haitian journalists and public intellectuals helped slam the brakes on a high-stakes centralization of power that lacked legitimacy and safe conditions. International constitutional experts added weight, and the transition authorities finally conceded reality. Now the fight shifts to making an election possible—clean rolls, secure polling, and credible oversight—under circumstances that are still hostile to democracy. If the state can’t guarantee basic safety, any ballot is theater. If it can, shelving the rewrite may prove the first real step back toward consent of the governed.

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Political Theatre? Caribbean Parliamentarians Walk Out on House Speaker

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By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media

 

October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.

For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.

October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts

The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader, led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.

The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.

Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.

The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.

October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit

Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.

The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.

“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”

The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.

Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”

“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”

A Pattern Emerging

While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.

In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.

Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.

Why It Matters

Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.

Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.

“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”

Restoring Balance

Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.

Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.

For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.

 

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts celebrate a night of wins, and take home a total of 16 titles at the 32nd Annual World Travel Awards

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~Sandals Resorts hosts the 32nd Annual World Travel Awards Caribbean and The Americas Gala & celebrates its 32nd consecutive win as The Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand~

 

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, October 8, 2025 – Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts have been honoured with 16 awards at the 2025 World Travel Awards Caribbean and The Americas, underscoring their continued leadership across the hospitality landscape.

The Gala Ceremony held at Sandals Grande St. Lucian honoured the visionaries and trailblazers shaping the travel and tourism industry. The evening united government leaders and hospitality professionals for a night of celebration, recognition and inspiration.

Among celebratory toasts, Sandals Resorts International was named the Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand for the 32nd year in a row. Beaches Turks and Caicos also celebrated its 18th win as the Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort, a recognition that comes ahead of the debut of its Treasure Beach Village, the resort’s $150 million expansion set to open spring 2026.

Other key wins include Sandals Dunn’s River, recognized as the Caribbean’s Leading Luxury All-Inclusive Resort for the third year in a row after opening its doors in 2023 and Sandals South Coast, awarded the Caribbean’s Most Romantic Resort.

The 16 awards won under Sandals’ portfolio are:

  • Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand 2025: Sandals Resorts International
  • Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort 2025: Beaches Turks & Caicos
  • Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica
  • Caribbean’s Leading Dive Resort 2025: Sandals Royal Curaçao
  • Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Resort 2025: Sandals Grande St. Lucian
  • Caribbean’s Leading Luxury All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Dunn’s River, Jamaica
  • Caribbean’s Most Romantic Resort 2025: Sandals South Coast, Jamaica
  • Bahamas’ Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Royal Bahamian
  • Curaçao’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Royal Curaçao
  • Grenada’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Grenada
  • Jamaica’s Leading Adult-Only All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Negril
  • Jamaica’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort 2025: Beaches Negril
  • Jamaica’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Montego Bay
  • Jamaica’s Leading Resort 2025: Sandals Royal Caribbean
  • Saint Lucia’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Grande St. Lucian
  • Saint Vincent & The Grenadines’ Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Surrounded by the beauty of Gros-Islet, St. Lucia, the peninsula location of Sandals Grande St. Lucian created the perfect backdrop for World Travel Awards’™ guests to enjoy an unforgettable dining experience and breathtaking island views.

“At the heart of every Sandals and Beaches vacation is pure, inviting Caribbean soul, paired with world-class hospitality experiences for all our guests. The recognitions bestowed to our brands tonight are truly meaningful. They serve as a testament to the incredible passion and dedication of our talented team members,” said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts. “It is yet another reminder of why we will never stop evolving, listening to our customers and refining our experiences year after year.”

For more information about these award-winning resorts, please visit www.sandals.com and www.beaches.com. For more information on the World Travel Awards™, please visit https://www.worldtravelawards.com/.

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