Caribbean News
Media Release: St. Nicholas University Champions Diversity in Caribbean Veterinary Medicine
St. Nicholas University School of Veterinary Medicine (SNU) is implementing a targeted initiative to increase diversity within the veterinary profession in the Caribbean, focusing on attracting and supporting students from the Caricom region. This effort addresses a documented and drastic lack of diversity in the regional field, where Caribbean, Black, and Minority individuals – often from lower-income communities – are significantly under-represented. This under-representation can limit access to veterinary care for diverse communities.
SNU has established several programs to address this disparity. Their Veterinary Medicine Scholarship Program offers financial assistance specifically to Caricom students with academic merit and a demonstrated commitment to serving under-served communities.
Additionally, the university’s Mentorship Program pairs incoming Caribbean students with experienced Caribbean faculty members, providing them with guidance and support throughout their academic journey. These programs are resonating with students from under-represented backgrounds. An Aboriginal/Black student from the USA, Will B., exemplifies this. “After graduating from SNU I plan on returning to the U.S and starting an outreach program in an effort to show under-represented groups in my community that becoming a veterinarian is possible with universities like SNU, no matter how unlikely it may seem in their world” – he explains.
SNU’s commitment extends to faculty recruitment. The university actively seeks to recruit and retain Caribbean faculty members, creating a learning environment that reflects the real world of veterinary medicine.
This dedication to diversity has garnered international recognition. Recently, a delegation from the Jamaica Veterinary Board (JVB) visited SNU in Dominica to assess the program. “I see an emerging university that is propelling change for our region. We are impressed by SNU’s focus on inclusion, and that is the message that will be taken back to our board and to the Government of Jamaica” said Dr. Mattocks, a JVB representative. This assessment will help simplify St. Nicholas University graduates register as veterinary professionals back home.
“We are working to increase the number of veterinarians willing to serve in under-served communities,” says Dr. Naderkhani, President of St. Nicholas University. “We also emphasize additional qualities in our future veterinarians, such as compassion for animals. This, in turn, can contribute to improved veterinary care quality in various low-income communities.”
SNU students volunteering at St. Nicholas Animal Rescue to send rescued dogs on a Wings of Rescue flight to their new homes.
Despite ongoing efforts, SNU acknowledges the persistent challenges regarding diversity and inclusion within the veterinary profession. Systemic barriers, such as limited access to educational resources and financial constraints, can disproportionately impact students from many Caribbean backgrounds. The university recognizes the need for collaborative efforts to address these issues and works with external organizations to dismantle these barriers.
St. Nicholas University believes that a diverse and inclusive veterinary profession is essential to providing exceptional care for all animals and their companions. Through its commitment to attracting and supporting Caricom students, fostering a diverse faculty, and partnering with relevant organizations, the university strives to be a leader in promoting positive change within the field.
With the application period for the September 2024 class now open, St. Nicholas University invites passionate Caricom students to explore their veterinary dreams. To apply, visit www.snu.vet.
End of Release.
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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