Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Read More “Professional School Counseling: Best Practices for Working in the Schools”
By building upon its past successes, secured through women’s direction of women’s affairs, the incoming NDP administration will get out of women’s way by:
1. Reforming sections of the police force by:
a. Creating a special unit within the CID staffed not only by trained female and male officers, but with consulting doctors, social workers and counsellors, with specific training and facilities to address complaints of domestic and sexual violence;
b. Training all police officers, especially in district police stations, to address domestic violence and rape allegations;
c. Making it mandatory that all allegations of abuse be recorded and acted upon;
d. Providing CID and district police stations with templates for the interview, advice to and follow up of domestic violence and sexual violence complaints; and
e. Requiring the presence of a female officer at all times at all stations to receive or be physically present at the receipt of complaints of sexual violence.
2. Revising and broadening the police training manual to include training for all police recruits in domestic violence and human trafficking.
3. Implementing the mandatory use of rape kits in medical examinations of rape victims at all district clinics and hospitals.
4. Reviewing the functioning of the Family Court and all legislation connected with Domestic Violence and violence against women to, among other things, increase the power of the Family Court to include the imposition of criminal sanctions for domestic abuse.
5 Passing legislation to criminalize sexual harassment and to make it illegal for a husband to rape his wife and amending existing legislation by removing the requirement for the victim to bring evidence to sustain a criminal charge against men who commit statutory rape
6 Making mandatory the reporting by all medical personnel of births to minors at hospitals and clinics or wheresoever that birth may take place.
7 Implementing the collection of data relative to domestic violence, and violence against women nationally including its dissemination to the public.
8 Instituting and enforcing a code of conduct within the public service at all levels that provides for protocol on reporting sexual offences including sexual harassment in the workplace. Respect for the women and girls in our society MUST be a part of how this government conducts itself. We must set the example.
9 Implementing the Social and Spiritual Redemption Charter to provide women and children with proactive opportunities at the community level.
10. Making API/GIS, public and informal education programs, and public social media programs available to NGOs and social stakeholders.
Isn’t it Time for a government that genuinely cares for you? #ndpnow
21 April, 2015
TO ALL MEDIA
FROM: NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY CALLBACK:7844512845
For Immediate Release
PRESS RELEASE
The NDP is aware of the proposed contribution of equipment by Digicel to those affected by the Rock Gutter incident at Fancy later today.
We endorse the efforts by Digicel to assist the people of Fancy but strongly condemn the government’s attempt to politicize the generosity of Digicel and in the process, bring them into the partisan political fray, by holding a programme dominated by government speakers including the Prime Minister.
End./
The President of the NDP the Hon. Arnhim Eustace along with the Shadow Minister for Agriculture Hon. Roland “Patel” Matthews and NDP Candidate for North Windward Lauron “Sheara” Baptiste took their message of hope and redemption for the Agriculture Industry to the North Leeward constituency and Community of Fitz Hughes on Thursday evening.
In a presentation and question segment over three hours, the three speakers reiterated the NDP position that Agriculture is central to the nation’s economic recovery. Eustace detailed how income support, which he described as a “salary for banana farmers over six months,” would enable the farmers to focus their efforts on the recovery of their fields while being sure that their commitments to family and home could be met.
The Opposition Leader gave some background on his work in securing the purchase of The Banana business and the 50% share we have in the joint venture with Fyffes in the UK. He emphasized the merger between Fyffes and Chiquita as presenting great opportunities for our farmers to benefit and condemned the government for not exploring to discover and ultimately exploit these opportunities to the benefit of the farmers. Eustace described his effort to negotiate the joint venture which saw him sit as Chairman of the Board of WIBDECO, as one of the most important contributions he has made to the region and the industry. Shadow Minister Matthews focused his presentation on the opportunities that exist in Fishing as well as farming in the community and nationally, and blamed this government for neglect of the farmers and the industry in North Leeward and island wide.
Mr. Baptiste endorsed the views of the other presenters before him and ended the night with a power point presentation which encouraged the listening audience to support the NDP in its bid to lead the nation and pilot the recovery of a “critical and important agriculture and fishing industry.” This was the second of three NDP planned consultations which will target farmers nationally across the agriculture belt of the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that Augustus was recalled after the Ministry received “sufficient confirmation” of reports that he was “involved in activities outside the scope of his employment and inimical to the interest of the Consulate General and the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines”.
A well-placed source, who requested anonymity, later told I-Witness News that Augustus was recalled reportedly because of his handling of the issuing of some Vincentian passports.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sen. Camillo Gonsalves, have told I-Witness News that they do not wish to comment on that allegation, saying that the government’s investigations are on-going.
Augustus was appointed a diplomat in May 2011, three months after he resigned as a Seventh Day Adventists pastor.
He did not comment publicly about allegations levelled against him leading up to and following his resignation.
Opposition lawmaker and MP for Central Kingstown, St. Clair Leacock, speaking on the New Democratic Party’s radio station on Wednesday, raised questions about whether the Unity Labour Party government conducted due diligence on Augustus before his appointment.
Leacock said he supports the position that “it is not for us as a people, as individuals, as a country, as a nation, as a political party, to gloat over the misfortune of any individual…
“What we should focus on, though, is how we get to the stage where someone with that — I have to call it disposition, since the view is that it is not a first-time transgressor or offender — how can one with that disposition pass the selection process of a party that prides itself on due diligence?
“How can one get to the point of being well-placed in a country’s foreign service and not be checked out and examined thoroughly and carefully by the principal legislator in the land, the Prime Minister in this case, who says he is first among equals.
“And one therefore has to argue with much justification that the buck really begins and almost end with the Prime Minister, and even moreso than his son (Sen. Camillo Gonsalves), who is now in office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Leacock said that the foreign affairs ministry is a very important one in any cabinet around the world.
“And one has to go overboard and at great lengths to ensure that the ambassadorial representation is at the highest order,” he said.
Leacock noted that St. Vincent and the Grenadines has no career foreign service, and generally diplomats are appointed from outside the Public Service.
“Some people would argue that what is wrong with this particular appointment is that not for the first time, you have the Prime Minister going into one of the most respected and established church in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and selecting out of the church a person who has been trained to do a different kind of work, whose evangelisation was supposed to be for a different kind of soul — not the political soul, the spiritual soul, and infected, affected and then disaffected that church community,” he said.
He suggested that the country is now being negatively affected “because of what one can only determine to be political expediency, trying to win congregations, trying to manipulate the religious community to send certain signals that there is a oneness here.
“And, clearly, it hasn’t worked out, it hasn’t panned out and someone should pay a price for it. And somebody says that to the extent that this manifests itself as corruption, then the Prime Minister should be made to answer,” Leacock said.
Last July, when asked how Foreign Service personnel are selected, Prime Minister Gonsalves said he considers a person’s “competence”, which, he said, includes “a number of different criteria”.
(Read also: Experienced Foreign Service staff not necessarily good diplomats, PM says)
“You may be in the Foreign Service and you are experienced and you may be able to do the job as permanent secretary, as senior assistant secretary. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to be able to do a job as a diplomat as well,” he said.
Source: http://www.iwnsvg.com/2014/02/13/mp-raises-questions-about-due-diligence-before-appointment-of-recalled-diplomat/
On New Years Eve the NDP leadership including Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace and West Kingstown MP Daniel Cummings along with Senator Vynnette Frederick and NDP’s candidate for North Windward Lauron “Sheara” Baptiste toured The flood affected communities of Fancy Owia Sandy Bay Magum and Overland where they met with the people, delivered drinking water, and listened to the accounts of how persons are managing through water shortages and the trauma of this national disaster.
The Leader and his group met with villagers in Magum whose house roofs were damaged since the passing of Hurricane Tomas, and who received no assistance from government to fix the damage, solely because they do not support the government. Eustace again made the call for the government to ensure that relief gets to those who need it. “I say again to this government that they cannot ignore helping the people who have suffered loss on the basis of who these affected people vote for. This will not be tolerated!”
The obvious damage to roads and bridges presents a challenge to an already cash strapped Government. Villagers expressed their disappointment at the failure of government to remove logs from the forest which were felled by the Forestry division in tree thinning exercises from time to time. The villagers indicated that the government would not allow them to move the trees, and now according to the villagers, these were the same trees that damaged bridges and roads as they came down with the rivers.
The NDP will continue to bring water support to devastated communities as the people struggle to rebuild.
NDP’s flood relief task force has set up a local bank account to which persons can contribute funds in support of the disaster relief efforts. Deposits and transfers can be made to The St. Vincent Co-Operative Bank account.
Well wishers and donors from across the world have indicated their desire to support the efforts of the NDP to bring relief to all persons on the basis of their need. Information
continues to be delivered via email and telephone calls to the NDP Secretariat. Persons wishing to donate may do so using the following banking information:
Money transfer information
For Credit to: First Caribbean International Bank FCIBVCVC For further credit to: St Vincent Cooperative Bank Limited A/C #2390667
For final credit to: SVG Flood Relief Fund
Account # 88556
Contact information
E MAIL email ndpinsvg@gmail.com
Telephone 7844562114 or by
MagicJack 3476921887 (leave a message if you do not receive an answer and the call will be returned to you)
skypeID: ndpinsvg
For making donations via Western Union
Send to: Addison Thomas
Excerpts from Mr. Curtis Bowman’s presentation at the NDP’s Rally:
It is said that ‘your health is your wealth’; however, I can say that healthy people make a wealthy nation. A healthy person leads to a more productive and prosperous nation. The NDP firmly believes that the health of a nation is the wealth of the nation.
Health care of any nation should be: available, accessible, and affordable to every citizen. This is a fundamental right, and the NDP is committed to facilitating the delivery of this right. We wish to create and maintain a protective environment in order to meet the changing needs of our developing nation, in order to ensure that each citizen may always have access to proper health care and consequently achieve a higher quality of life.
Do you believe you are getting proper health care under this ULP government? Are you getting your basic medication and blood test done at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital? Do you think poverty is a just reason why you can’t get the body of your loved ones who die at the hospital?
The health service in this country is deplorable. Can you imagine that you have a government who has failed to provide some of the basic medication needed by sick people across the nation? They have failed in providing all of the right protective gear needed by health professionals to do their jobs. Some surgeries had to be cancelled this week, as it is alleged that the doctors and nurses did not have surgical gowns to do these surgeries. Imagine you or a loved one had to have emergency surgery, and it couldn’t be done for this reason. This is inexcusable!
Look around in the government medical institution. Many of our doctors are leaving; resigning to lecture at the medical colleges; resigning to go work in different countries. Why? They are frustrated with the unavailability of resources and working condition to deliver proper health care.
The NDP will improve the health care in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Our aim is to provide health care for all. The NDP will introduce a back to basic approach in the delivery of health care. We will make health care available, accessible and affordable to every citizen of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The NDP will:
* Build a new state of the art hospital;
* Reduce the financial burden on individual families through the implementation of a National Health Insurance Programme;
* Ensure that an ambulance is stationed at all rural health districts, and increase the number of working ambulances at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital;
* Train ambulance personnel, therefore reducing the response time for emergencies;
* Improve the testing and diagnostic facilities;
* Ensure that all hospitals and medical clinics are fully staffed, equipped and have basic medical supplies;
* Improve the infective disease unit by implementing strict protocols when handling outbreaks of infectious diseases; ensure all staff members working in the unit are properly trained and provided with the adequate
personal protective equipment (PPE) as recommended by WHO and the CDC. (Center for disease Control);
* Strengthen the environmental health and vector control unit;
* Ensure that doctors are available 24hours at the rural hospitals;
* Increase the number of doctors working in the accident and emergency department, therefore reducing the waiting time for patients;
* Ensure that the hospital has a medical specialist in all areas;
* Expand the programme of health care givers, to include the at risk population such as children and mentally and physically challenged persons;
* Improve the Lewis Punnet Home and the Mental Health Hospital;
* Train adequate numbers of persons in the different disciplines to meet the demands in the health sector;
* Extend the opening hours for the pharmacy at the MCMH to serve outpatients and inpatients more effectively;
* Establish a dialysis unit with trained personnel to take care of our kidney patients;
* Improve the port health facilities, ensuring that there is a quarantine area that is fully equipped with PPE and trained health professionals at all ports of entry.
Excerpts from Mr. Nick Francis’ presentation at the NDP’s Rally:
As the future of this country, we have a responsibility to be the best that we can be. The NDP believes in the supremacy of God and His guiding hand in the development of our youth. Our Spiritual and Social Redemption Charter will strengthen youth development agents to empower our youth to make the right choices, and become productive members of our society.
Young people, tonight our problems cannot be solved by a wink and a smile. We need practical leadership. Later this month, on May 24th, the ULP will be hosting a rally of some sort at the Victoria Park. At that rally, they will boast about an Education Revolution, but they won’t tell you about the 1531 students who have dropped out of school, or the parents who struggle to pay examination fees. They won’t tell you about how much they have reduced the funding for the book loan scheme, or the issues of accreditation which still exist at the Community College. At that rally, they won’t talk about the number of students in Forms 1 and 2 who can’t read or write.
But when the grandstanding and “pompaseting” are over, when the one liners and sound bites have been exhausted, and when the lights fade at Victoria Park, on Monday, May 25th, a single mother will wake up and look into the faces of her hungry children, and she will contemplate selling her body to buy groceries. On that Monday morning, young men will wake up in the hills dreaming of a better way of life. On that Monday morning, a community college student, on the heels of graduating, will wonder, “What next? Where do I go from here? Will I be able to find a meaningful job?” On that Monday, the same issues that we face as youths will still exist.
Young people, tonight Our Vote is ‘Key’ to unlocking a better standard of living for ourselves and our families. The NDP can deliver. Labour isn’t working, and the time for change is now!
Tourism contributes substantially to the Vincentian economy, and if properly developed and managed, has the potential to make an even greater contribution.
In recognition of this, the New Democratic Party (NDP) will place emphasis on the continued development of the tourism sector in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as it has done in the past.
Over the years, tourism has emerged as a major economic activity that is labour intensive (employment-oriented, and earns significant foreign exchange.
Today, a significant number of people around the globe are employed in the tourism industry. In fact, the rate of employment generation is much higher when compared to most other economic sectors. In the future, the tourism industry is likely to see unprecedented growth in this regard.
That said, we must admit that we have not yet fully developed this lucrative aspect of our economy. The potential for growth is not surprising, since St. Vincent and the Grenadines possesses a wide range of tourist attractions – natural physical beauty, wildlife, beaches, historical attractions (e.g. forts), and a number of unique cultural activities.
The inability of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration to develop our full tourist potential is due to ineffective international marketing, inadequate infrastructure, the lack of planning, and the lack of specialized personnel in the tourism industry.
The NDP will solve these problems, driven by the objectives of: increasing employment opportunities at all levels; creating linkages with other (local) economic sectors; and ensuring the protection of our environment and cultural resources.
Moreover, the NDP will position St. Vincent and the Grenadines as leaders in tourism in the Caribbean, by means of the following:
* Diversification of the tourism product: We will identify specific areas and develop strategies to promote and exploit each of them, e.g. diving, yachting, cruise tourism, eco-tourism, retirees/returnees, entertainment/cultural events such as carnival, music festivals, and nine mornings.
* Targeted marketing: Europe, Canada, United States of America and the Caribbean. We will develop special packages for Caribbean tourists, e.g. four-day weekends offered at special rates, especially at off season through collaboration with LIAT and hoteliers.
* Development of marina facilities in Bequia and the Southern Grenadines for power yachts
* Focus on high end stay over visitors: We will promote the development of small to mid-size luxury hotels/villas,
* The establishment of a training institute to meet the needs of tourism operators and workers.
* The encouragement of yachting, especially cruising.
* We will provide better security in our harbours and bays, by frequent coast guard patrols and police patrol in resort and beach areas.
* Improvement of air transportation, in terms of cost reliability and frequency of service to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
* Promotion and development of historical and natural sites as tourism sites.
Cruise tourism
The NDP will work with the private sector and all relevant stakeholders in developing a cruise tourism policy, which will be focused on manageable numbers, with a fair distribution between all appropriate ports within St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The development of a smaller cruise ship pier in North Leeward will be considered as per its market and financial feasibility.
The NDP sees the improvement and upgrading of Kingstown as an integral part of a successful cruise tourism policy, and will work assiduously in developing a short to medium development strategy towards this end. Also, identification and development of appropriate strategies will be critical to achieving the level of visitor expenditure that will be desirable. Sourcing and availing supplies for cruise ships and encouraging the employment of Vincentian nationals on cruise ships, will be other important thrusts in the NDP’s Cruise Tourism Development Plan.
Yachting
The global yachting industry is in a state of growth. With an increasing number of persons retiring early, and higher average incomes, there is an increasing amount of leisure time. A greater proportion of that leisure time is now being spent in water-based activity. The growth of the yachting industry is also evident by the growth in the production of pleasure craft and mega yachts. This increase in the number of recreational boats worldwide is creating additional strain on the existing yachting infrastructure, and the demand for marina space is increasing.
The benefits of developing the yachting industry outweigh the costs. Countries are now investing significantly in additional infrastructure, in an attempt to meet the ever increasing demand. St. Vincent and the Grenadines will capitalize on this opportunity for employment creation and foreign revenue generation.
Culture
As a nation, we have reached a crossroads where culture is concerned. The way forward must involve the removal of politics from culture. The best and the brightest of St. Vincent and the Grenadines must be invited to the table to ensure that we create a viable, sustainable industry which can usefully contribute to our country’s economy.
Towards this end, the NDP pledges to:
* Retool the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) as an umbrella body which the cultural and creative industries can develop and flourish;
* Create links between culture and tourism to ensure that the cultural industries benefit from the EPA agreement;
* Support music education in schools from the earliest levels, with a view to establishing a Youth Orchestra and permanent music programmes in schools;
* To design training progammes, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, for teachers, with the view of improving the visual arts element in schools;
* Support and encourage the use of information technology to promote the cultural identity of our nation;
* Implement the SVG policy framework and development strategy for cultural and creative industry development;
* Provide fiscal incentives to encourage private sector investment in the music industry, carnival and the performing arts;
* Enforce copyright legislation to protect our local cultural stakeholders.
The programmes and policies advocated here for tourism and cultural development, programmes and policies that will undoubtedly redound in benefits for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, will not see the light of day unless the NDP is elected to government.
Do the right thing. Elect the NDP.
The President of the NDP Hon. Arnhim Eustace seemed lost for words, and was moved to tears as he toured the devastated Cane Grove, Buccament and Vermont Communities today Boxing Day. Speaking on Nice Radio after six hours in Central and South Leeward Eustace, lamented the “human suffering,” and “anguish” he witnessed as persons were busy clearing debris, and consoling each other after a freak storm caused rivers to overrun their banks resulting in loss of life and property over what should have been the most “wonderful” time of the year- Christmas day.
The President and Leader of the Opposition extended personal condolences to those persons who lost loved ones, seeing one gentleman who described in brutal detail losing hold of his girlfriend’s hand as the river took them under a bridge in Buccament. The obviously distraught man was taken from the Buccament Secondary School to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital for medical attention. He also spoke with a mother who lost her last eighteen year old daughter and two year old grandchild, describing her strength as she sought to encourage her own neighbors in their communal cleanup effort, as “remarkable.”
Eustace, who was joined on his tour by Area Representative for South Leeward Nigel Stephenson, Candidate for the NDP in Central Leeward Ben Exeter MP for West Kingstown Daniel Cummings, and Senator Vynnette Frederick, will tour the North Leeward Constituency later this week and over the weekend, as soon as roads are formally opened. NDP’s constituency representatives and custodians have been out and about traversing the damaged countryside giving hope to a despairing nation and its people at this time.
