No. 8 • SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2010 www.stlucia.gov.lc he Government of Only a day following its initial ment Organisation (NEMO) in- Quite apart from its pledge of EC CDEMA coordinating team. Saint Lucia was swift statement, Government in a Press formed Saint Lucian of the estab- Half Million Dollars towards the Caricom has since communi- in its response to the Release issued on January 14th, lishment of a Haiti Earth Quake Earth Quake relief effort, the Gov- cated that its collective response Haitian Earth Quake 2010 following weekly Cabinet Aid Appeal Fund and provided ernment of Saint Lucia has broad- would be best provided in the TDisaster when it issued a state- meetings confirmed a pledge of information for accessing the ened its support to the provision area of Health. In this regard ment on the morning follow- a half million dollars as its con- related accounts at the various of technical support through the the Government of Saint Lucia ing the catastrophic 7.0 earth local banks. See listing of bank tribution to the Haitian Earth coordination of the Caribbean stands ready to provide further Quake which ravaged the account numbers for the Earth Quake relief effort. Local media Disaster Response Unit and the assistance under a coordinated Capital, Port au Prince. The establishments have also been Quake Fund on page 9. Caribbean Disaster Emergency Statement which expressed Caricom effort. The response written to by the Office of the Government has indicated its Management Agency. This has sympathy and solidarity with and leadership of the Saint Lu- Prime Minister requesting that willingness to review its contri- involved the deployment of per- the people of Haiti, read in cian Government is a manifes- they consider the production of sonnel from the Saint Lucia Police part: “Even ahead of a full bution based on updates and ad- tation of its commitment to the Public Service Announcements or Force and the Fire Service respec- assessment of damage and vise from Caricom. This would regional integration process. Printing of Promotions appealing tively. Saint Lucian Dr. Gemma actual needs following this include consideration of request Government urges all Saint Lu- to the Saint Lucian public to do- disaster, the Government of for accommodating Haitian na- Cherry formed part of the initial cians to follow its lead by do- nate to the Haiti Earth Quake Aid Saint Lucia is committing to tionals for stated periods under CDEMA Assessment Team and nating generously to assist our Appeal Fund. providing relief assistance to stipulated guidelines. This may NEMO Coordinator Ms. Dawn Haitian brothers and sisters by Haiti under the umbrella of a A Statement released by the include giving priority to chil- French is currently in Haiti until contributing to the Haiti Earth Caricom response”. National Emergency Manage- dren, injured and sick persons. February 7th, 2010 as part of the Quake Aid Appeal Fund. ST. JUDE HOSPITAL SITE REDEVeloPMENT LAYOUT HOTLINE: 450-JUDE Page 2 Saturday January 30, 2010 Government Stages Successful Diaspora Youth Video Conference 2010 y all accounts, the histori- the need to highlight the life and takes us beyond the electoral cycle cal and inaugural Diaspora work of our renowned artist Sir and far into the future. BYouth Video Conference Dunstan St. Omer. In light of the Our energized youth in Tortola held on Monday 18th January, general perception that our nation embraced the opportunity to com- 2010 was a resounding success! St. does not sufficiently celebrate our mend the organizers of the video Lucian participants were hosted at outstanding nationals, the Prime conference and assured the gath- the ECCB board room in the Colo- Minister posed the daunting ques- ering that we do have national ny House on John Compton High- tion to participants, “How do we pride but more can be done to way and were joined via video as a country sensitize our children boost it. They expressed that there by our youth in Ottawa, Toronto, and get them to appreciate our St. was significant interest among St. New York City, Washington D.C, Lucian role models?” Lucian youth in the B.V.I to learn Tortola B.V.I, Mona Campus- Ja- Her Excellency, Dame Pearlette our creole and folk dances and maica, Cave Hill Campus- Barba- Louisy lamented the fact that there requested assistance in sourcing dos and St. Augustine Campus- are numerous students who go Creole books, music and costumes Trinidad. Unfortunately our youth through the Sir Arthur Lewis Com- to assist in the propagation of our Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy and Dr. June Soomer listen in London and at Grambling State munity College and at the end of culture over there. University were unable to join us intensely to contributions from Overseas based Saint Lucian Youth their studies cannot tell you very Along with the assembly in Ja- due to technical issues. Under the much about Sir Arthur Lewis. patronage of her Excellency, Dame maica, St. Lucia’s CARICOM Youth Our young St. Lucians in Wash- LUCIAN!” who underscored the indispens- Pearlette Louisy, Prime Minister, ambassador, Mr. Nintus Magre, ability of significant investment The Honourable Stephenson King ington were adamant that more highlighted the need to utilize our The youth delegation in New in agriculture, environmental con- was also in attendance along with must be done to thoroughly pro- Creole language to advance our York reinforced the point that servation and transmission of our Ambassador Dr. June Soomer mote our Nobel Laureates espe- culture and all that is St. Lucian. young people have an integral creole language. and Permanent Secretary in the cially among our youth. They were He applauded the Homecoming role to play in politics and in their ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. critical of the apparent late adver- Committee for fully utilizing cre- schools and that it is up to us to As the event drew to a close, Donovan Williams. Our participat- tising of scholarships and called for ole in our theme “Tout Sent Li- promote ourselves as St. Lucian. Prime Minister King assured par- ing overseas dignitaries included more scholarships to be offered to syen Sé Yonn.” The youth ambas- They observed that comments in ticipants of the government’s com- Ambassador Dr. Keith St. Aimee in overseas institutions. Of particular sador urged us to “take upon the the technological category were mitment to preserving our cultural New York and Ambassador Bren- concern to them were the steps be- consciousness that we are SAINT lacking especially as this age of- and natural heritage and to the ad- don Brown in Ottawa. vancement of the St. Lucian people. The Prime Minister noted the chal- This video conference met its lenges faced in developing and ad- mark by providing an opportunity vertising a naturally beautiful St. for our youth in Saint Lucia and Lucian tourism product to visitors abroad to engage their leaders in while seeking to not destroy this discussion on issues of pertinence product in the construction of ac- to them. commodation for these visitors. Our youth from the University The “Green, Clean and Pristine” of the West Indies’ Cave Hill Cam- environmental campaign has been pus in Barbados got proceedings put forward by Mr. King to local underway with their passionate youth groups and he is presently sentiments about St. Lucia seizing awaiting their action plan where the opportunity to play a greater they will receive government’s full role in the affairs of U.W.I. They financial backing. He provided a also proposed initiatives such as glimpse into his administration’s Derek Walcott Scholarships and an plans for the development of a Na- Institute of Literary Arts and Eco- tional University in the south, public nomics, respectively, named after recreational beach parks, a St. Lu- our Nobel Laureates. cian culture TV channel, and the vi- The Mona Campus’ contingent sion for a multi-lingual Saint Lucian followed with a stunning contri- society through a rigorous foreign bution on national pride and our Youth discuss matters of interest language programme in schools. intrinsic St. Lucian identity. In vis- iting clothing stores and fashion The Prime Minister is enthusias- outlets and seeing various coun- ing taken to provide the youth of fers infinite possibility in the dis- portunities for ourselves in our tic about the more frequent host- tries’ flags and logos being sport- tomorrow with employment and semination of information and in homeland and fight the mentality ing of such video conferences and ed, they noted the lack of a “St. incentives to return to St. lucia. unconventional and exciting fields that St. Lucia has no opportunities the formation of an “International St. Lucian Youth Network” to in- Lucian line.” Students in Jamaica Ambassador Dr. June Soomer of study. for us. corporate youth from all corners of called for greater government put forward the question, “How The Toronto group relayed Mr. Donovan Williams, Perma- the Diaspora. support with regard to “economic do we weigh our Nobel laureates to us that they have established nent Secretary in the Ministry of costs” of their studies and in the against Bob Marley and Usain a “Derek Walcott Achievement Youth and Sports, expressed de- Ambassador Soomer has indi- creation of employment in certain Bolt?” Not surprisingly, our youth Award” and have formed an or- light in detecting what he called cated that more activities geared fields of study such as Forensic in Jamaica offered a response in ganization called “Children of St. “The I Can” mood of the event, the at engaging our youth will follow Psychology. that it is not about comparing the Lucia” which seeks to encourage desire of participants to effect the this video conference including Prime Minister, the Honourable two sets of icons (academics vs our youth in politics and the arts.