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MARITIME FOUNDATION FOR THE CARIBBEAN LAUNCHES AN ONLINE SCHOLARSHIP PORTAL

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Boca Raton, Fl (March 18, 2024):  The ACMF has taken its scholarship and grant application digital with an easy-to-use platform  https://apply.acmfdn.org/

The site which accepts applications from high school and tertiary level students from across the Caribbean, is open from January 1st, with a deadline of April 30th for all applications to be submitted.  “I think students will find the portal easy to use and the platform makes the application more accessible to students across the Caribbean”, says Dr. Brown Metzger, President of the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation.

ACMF has funded full tuition and grants for approximately two hundred scholars and grantees in nine Caribbean countries, namely, Jamaica, Bahamas, Suriname, St. Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Guyana.

With the shipping industry beginning to look at non-traditional sources for talent, the Caribbean is starting to take its place among the United States, China, and the Philippines as a rich source of world-class talent for the cruise, cargo and the oil and gas sectors, including on- and off-shore.

“Our focus is on professional positions”, according to Juan Carlos Croston, Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Manzanillo International Terminal – PANAMA, who also serves as Chair of the ACMF Scholarship Committee.  Mr. Croston continues, “ACMF scholars have demonstrated their talent and the world-class training they receive at our academic partners”.

The Caribbean is competitive in quality of training, diversity of skill sets, and geographic proximity for all workers in the industry.  Jamaica alone churns out hundreds of officer level talent annually, many with Bachelors in navigation and engineering.  Additionally, the country potentially generates STCW-qualified and ratings candidates in the thousands.

ACMF donors include some of the biggest cruise and cargo brands, such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruise. Cargo brands include Tropical Shipping, Seaboard Marine, Arawak Port Development, Dubai Port World, Seacor Island Marine, and Crowley, to name a few.

 

About the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF)

 The ACMF is a U.S. non-profit tax-exempt organization, and is the only entity solely dedicated to sponsoring academic scholarships and grants to aspiring Caribbean and CARICOM maritime professionals and seafarers.  The Foundation partners with five academic institutions within the CARICOM: Caribbean Maritime University in Jamaica; LJM Maritime Academy in The Bahamas;

MatPal Marine Institute and Atlantic Alliance Maritime and Off-Shore Training Institute both in Guyana; and the University of Trinidad and Tobago.  Our scholars and grantees hail from

Jamaica, Guyana, The Bahamas, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominican Republic, Suriname, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Grenada.  The ACMF has donated dozens of laptops to help students study remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic; funded emergency grants to students at risk of dropping out due to loss of family income during the pandemic; created an online jobs board (www.acmfcarex.com); and helped build a 100-person capacity Lecture Hall.

The ACMF also hosts an annual Caribbean regionwide webinar, the Maritime Link-Up Webinar, in partnership with CARICOM, attended by hundreds of students to promote maritime careers. Under the leadership of Rick Murrell, President and CEO of Saltchuk, the ACMF’s sea-time initiative for cadets, identifies and funds internship opportunities on vessels to enable cadets to achieve the last bit of training necessary before they can take up permanent jobs at sea.  The ACMF Anchor Awards, held annually celebrates the leadership of the shipping industry stalwarts.

 

Contact: Geneive Brown Metzger, LLD Hon., President

E-mail: executivedirector@acmfdn.org

Website: www.acmfdn.org

Caribbean News

Widow’s Testimony Recounts Night Haiti President Was Killed

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MIAMI, Florida — Emotional testimony from Martine Moïse, the widow of assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, has given jurors in a U.S. federal courtroom a chilling account of the night gunmen stormed the presidential residence and killed the country’s leader.

Martine Moïse took the stand this week in Miami as part of the ongoing trial of several men accused of helping plan and finance the July 7, 2021 assassination, a crime that plunged Haiti into political crisis and remains only partially solved.

She told the court that armed men forced their way into the president’s private home in the hills above Port-au-Prince during the early morning hours, firing multiple shots at her husband while she lay beside him. She testified that she was also wounded in the attack and survived by pretending to be dead until the gunmen left the room.

According to prosecutors, the plot involved a group of foreign mercenaries, including former Colombian soldiers, along with Haitian and Haitian-American suspects. Investigators say some of the men believed the mission was to detain the president, but the operation turned into an assassination.

The Miami trial is focusing on the alleged role of South Florida businessmen and others accused of organizing or financing the plan, part of a wider international investigation that has stretched across several countries.

More than four years after the killing, the question of who ultimately ordered the assassination remains unanswered, with suspects still in custody in both Haiti and the United States as the case continues to unfold.

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

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Jamaica Joins Afreximbank Agreement, Strengthening Africa–Caribbean Partnership

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CARIBBEAN — Jamaica has become the 13th CARICOM member state to accede to the African Export-Import Bank Establishment Agreement, further strengthening economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean.

The development was confirmed during the 50th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting, where an Afreximbank delegation led by George Elombi and Kanayo Awani met with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness to advance cooperation.

Prime Minister Holness thanked the bank for its support following Jamaica’s recent hurricane, noting that Afreximbank financing helped restore critical infrastructure including water, electricity, sewage systems and roads, while also assisting reconstruction efforts aimed at building stronger resilience to future disasters.

The meeting also focused on broader development opportunities tied to Jamaica’s membership in the agreement. Discussions included rebuilding and modernising infrastructure such as railways, hospitals and other public facilities, while strengthening regional transportation and trade networks to improve the movement of people and goods across the Caribbean.

Afreximbank has been expanding its presence in the Caribbean as part of its strategy to connect Africa with the region often referred to as “Global Africa.” The bank has already committed billions of dollars in financing and trade support to Caribbean economies in recent years, including funding for infrastructure, trade facilitation and private sector investment.

By joining the agreement, Jamaica gains expanded access to Afreximbank’s financial instruments, technical support and trade networks designed to promote commerce between Africa and CARICOM states.

Regional leaders say the growing partnership could unlock new opportunities in areas such as trade, logistics, tourism, manufacturing and cultural exchange, strengthening economic cooperation between the two regions with deep historical and diaspora ties.

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

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Liberty Caribbean Supports Regional Forum on AI, Cyber Resilience and Digital Inclusion  

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Port of Spain, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (February 24, 2026) — Liberty Caribbean, the operators of Flow, Liberty Business and BTC, recently served as Gold-Level Partner of the two-day Trinidad and Tobago Internet Governance Forum (TTIGF), themed “The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience”.

The Digital Divide is of particular interest to Liberty Caribbean and is being addressed through its Charitable Foundation across the region. Low broadband penetration in the Caribbean contributes to diminished opportunities for individuals, communities, and local economies, but with the support of funding partners, this gap can be addressed through a comprehensive programme – JUMP – that focuses on providing access, devices, and digital skills.

“Liberty Caribbean was proud to serve as Gold-Level Partner of the TTIGF because the conversations taking place here shape key digital policies for multiple stakeholders,” said Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad.

“As technology accelerates at an unprecedented pace, we must ensure that innovation strengthens our societies rather than fragments them. The theme, ‘The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience,’ speaks directly to the work we do every day: building networks that are not only fast and reliable, but secure, inclusive and future-ready.”

Across the Caribbean, the digital divide remains one of the most pressing barriers to equitable growth. Low broadband penetration limits access to education, entrepreneurship and essential services, and that is why we are deeply committed to closing this gap.

Through the Liberty Caribbean Charitable Foundation and initiatives like the JUMP Programme, the company is expanding access to technology, affordable connectivity and digital skills training so that individuals and communities are empowered to participate fully in the digital economy.

Martin-Sulgan further stated “at Liberty Caribbean, we believe progress and responsibility must move in lock step. By investing in resilient networks, inclusive programmes and trusted partnerships, we are helping to build a Caribbean that is innovative, secure and prepared for the opportunities ahead.”

Topics covered during the Forum, with over 140 participants, included “Securing Critical Infrastructure”, Integrating AI into Digital Transformation”, “The Digital Divide”, The Human Cost of Innovation – Mental Health and Well-being in the Digital Age’, and AI, Cyber Resilience and Regional Innovation”.

Focused on the underlying mandate of the Conference theme thought leaders, innovators, policymakers, technologists, researchers, and community stakeholders were invited to explore how countries can evolve boldly without compromising values or long-term stability.

Photo Caption: 

TTIGF – l-r Darren Campo, Regulatory & Compliance Officer; Yolande Agard-Simmons, Senior Manager Communications; and Kevon Swift, Senior Manager Government and Regulatory Affairs of Flow Trinidad in attendance at the Post Event Mixer at Caribbean Telecommunications Union’s Head Office in St Clair, Port of Spain

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