Caribbean News

St. Thomas to Celebrate 70 Years of Carnival in the Virgin Islands

Published

2 years ago

March 8, 2022

70^thanniversary celebrations to be held April 27 – May 1, 2022

#USVirginIslands, March 8, 2022 – The Government of the Virgin Islands has announced that the 70th edition of Carnival Virgin Islands on St. Thomas will be held from April 27 to May 1, 2022.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism’s Division of Festivals reports that the official version of St. Thomas carnival will be held under the theme “A New Cultural Roogadoo for Carnival 2022”.

The scaled-down spectacular, due to the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights 70 years of carnival, and will shine a spotlight on the Territory’s dynamic culture, cuisine, history, music and people.

Ian Turnbull, Director of the Division of Festivals, announced that the celebration will follow the successful “Fête.Vibe.Soca” music event held for vaccinated patrons over President’s Day weekend.

“The vibe continues in Rock City this spring,” said Turnbull, who explained that the Division of Festivals, a unit within the Department of Tourism, had been established through Act 8153 by the Virgin Islands Legislature to organize and execute festivals on behalf of the Territory’s government.

“We are finalizing plans to promote and advance the Territory’s culture through the return of carnival and festivals in 2022,” said Turnbull, who announced that Carnival Virgin Islands will feature four village nights in honor of the late Ron de Lugo, the first and longest-serving Delegate from the United States Virgin Islands to the United States House of Representatives. Representative de Lugo gained Territory-wide fame for his radio persona, the wisecracking comedian Mango Jones, as well as for appearances in local plays and benefit concerts. In 1952 he used his radio show to revive St. Thomas Carnival.

The festival will stage a specially-tailored J’ouvert celebration; the re-crowning of the Territory’s first carnival queen, the gracious and talented Carmen Sibilly; a food fair; boat race; and calypso showcase. There will also be a Children’s Village in operation between April 27 and 30, and a virtual costume competition for children will be staged in conjunction with the Department of Education.

The successfully implemented Bryan/Roach administration COVID-19 protocols, which include mask wearing, social

distancing and hand sanitization, will be enforced. Patrons attending the festivities must either show proof of vaccination or a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours of each event.

Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte said highlighting cultural traditions, heritage and festivals is part and parcel of the Territory’s major push this year to attract visitors to the Territory. “And as we emerge from the challenges presented by the pandemic, it is inspiring to witness the passion of our community as we restart and re-energize the spirit of Carnival in the Virgin Islands.”

The tourism leader reported that the Department will dig deep into its marketing arsenal to creatively and effectively promote the value of a U.S. Virgin Islands vacation through music and culture. “After enjoying strong tourism success throughout the pandemic, there is no room for complacency, and promoting our cultural artistes will take center stage in the next phase of our marketing efforts. It’s who we are and who we represent as a people.”

Persons interested in volunteering with the Division of Festivals can email festivalvolunteer@usvitourism.vi or usvifestivals@usvitourism.vi.

Press Release: U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism

Caribbean News

STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS EXPECTED TO ASSIST GOV’T PLANNING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Published

11 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Shanieka

KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.

This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.

“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.

He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).

Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.

“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.

“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.

Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.

Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.

The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.

The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.

NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.

CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON

Caribbean News

Haiti- ECHO humanitarian efforts

Published

2 days ago

April 29, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff writer

#Haiti#Crisis#HumanitarianEfforts#ECHO, April 23rd, 2024 – Due to the worsening Humanitarian crisis in Haiti with an increase in death toll and injured people, The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), launched an emergency airlift of 5 flights carrying essentials which include up to 62 tons of medicine as well as emergency shelter equipment, and water and sanitation items. These were brought to Cap Haitien according to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on April 19, as the international Airport in Port au prince remains closed following the gang attack last month.

Caribbean News

Dominica repeals laws criminalizing gay sex

Published

2 days ago

April 29, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#Dominica#LGBTQIA, April 24, 2034- Dominica has decided to remove colonial era laws that criminalized gay sex, joining Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda.

This comes almost five years after a man of the queer community, whose identity was withheld for his safety, spoke out against Dominica’s laws in 2019, saying they violated his rights.