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‘KRC’ – Kindness, Respect, Courage campaign to encourage students to be peaceful

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#NASSAU, The Bahamas – Some 3,000 fourth, fifth and sixth graders are set to benefit from a “massive” operation that is designed to promote a culture of peace among public primary school students.

The Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training and the Bahamas Crisis Centre (BCC) announced the anti-violence Green Ribbon Peace Campaign at a briefing Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at the Ministry’s headquarters, University Drive.

Ministry officials including the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister; Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary; and Dominique McCartney-Russell, Acting Director were on hand for the launch.  Also present were representatives of the BCC including Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson, Director, and Noelle Nicolls, Champions of Peace Curriculum Co-Developer.

Some 17 New Providence schools will participate in the campaign, set to begin on March 5, which focuses on KRC — Kindness, Respect and Courage.

“There are some basic values that we are not seeing practiced that operate on a spectrum of violent and aggressive behavior,”said  Ms. Nicolls.

“We want to shift the culture, shift the mindset around how we treat each other, how we interact, how we relate to each other, how we perceive what it means, who is worthy of respect, how do we practice being respectful to each other, and how we perceive courage.

“We don’t look at courage as the courage to speak up, the courage to set a boundary, the courage to help someone in need, the courage to share or ask for help. There are many aspects of these values that we believe —  if as a culture young people, as adults, we could practice kindness more, teaching each other with respect, being courageous enough to speak up, to walk away then we can shift the underlying culture that is giving rise to violence, not just the extreme violence but the violence that is happening on an interpersonal level in our homes, schools, communities.”

Ms. Nicolls along with Rowena Poitier, Director, Bahamas Artist Movement, have designed a workshop and trained over 150 volunteers from 14 partner organizations including Zonta, Toastmasters, Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas, Kiwanis Clubs of The Bahamas, the Medical Association of The Bahamas, the Royal Bahamas School Violence Unit to conduct simultaneous sessions in the schools that include role play and discussions.

Dr. Dean-Patterson said the BCC recognizes the need to address the prevailing violence in the country. “There are things that we can do – actions, thoughts, belief systems that we have to confront and eliminate, and we have to, and can, make a difference.

“Our children are so accustomed to hearing about violence, seeing it, watching it and being exposed to it. They are almost becoming desensitized. What we know is that we have to address it,” she said.

“We need to name the positive behaviours and qualities that we want our children to understand and accept.

“We want children to buy into them, internalize them, understand them and behave with those qualities and thoughts. Our plan is to go into the individual classrooms — grades 4, 5 and 6 multi-level, multi-compartmental, talk with them, interact with them and allow them to role play to understand what we are saying.”

Other activities include poetry, essay writing, logo, song, and poster competitions that will allow children to depict their understanding of the core values.

Furthermore, schools will be encouraged to create Peace Gardens on their campuses, and an intervention to provide sensitization for parents will also be offered.

It is hoped that tripartite peace councils will be established in the schools that include student champions for peace, teachers/administrators and parents.

Minister Hanna-Martin thanked the BCC for partnering with the Ministry.

“We require the participation and engagement of all stakeholders. The work that the BCC does in this nation is well known.

“We are very proud to partner with them. I am impressed at the widespread engagement and the massive impact that we expect from them,” she said.

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GROUP PHOTO
‘Green Ribbon Peace Campaign’ press conference launch, February 28, 2024 at the Ministry of Education and Technical & Vocational Training —  a programme to encourage kindness and respectfulness in children.  Pictured from left: Mike Russell, Chair, Rotary Road to Peace Campaign; Lindsay Thompson, Volunteer, The Bahamas Crisis Centre; Maudline Cooper, Volunteer, the Bahamas Crisis Centre; Noelle Nicolls, Volunteer, The Bahamas Crisis Centre  and Programme Coordinator; the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training; Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson, Director, The Bahamas Crisis Centre; Sandra Mackey, Volunteer, The Bahamas Crisis Centre; Linelle Clarke, Volunteer, The Bahamas Crisis Centre; Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Technical & Vocational Training; and Dominique Russell, Acting Director of Education.    (BIS Photos/Anton Thompson)

Bahamas News

Twist To Win Ends in a Grand Style with Four $5,000 Mall at Marathon Shopping Sprees  

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Twist To Win grand finale winners (l-r) Brian Bethel, Taraceta Neely, Ashia Demeritte and Merlin Adams posing along with their winnings from the shopping spree.

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.

The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.

With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.

Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.

Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.

Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!

After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.

The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.

At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.

Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.

Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.

The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.

Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.

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Bahamas News

 The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival  

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival.                                                                                                                                                                              Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.

As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.

Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole, with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.

Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.

Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the listening booth.

Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.

For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!

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Bahamas News

CWS Brings a Galore of Bubbles at Annual Jollification Festival  

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Caribbean Wines & Spirits team members smiling behind one of the company’s two bars at Jollification

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.

Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.

The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members.  Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.

Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine.  To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.

On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking in the comfort of the chic lounge.  In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.

The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.

Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.

To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.

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