Call for civil disobedience to stop Cove Bay Development

Professor Henry Fraser targets conspirators in government and business

“Places like Cove Bay must be protected from concrete, cranes and capitalist conspirators, even if we have to lie in front of the bulldozers”.

Sam Lord’s Castle “betrayed… plundered and pillaged… destroyed by a series of acts of piracy on land”.

Professor Henry Fraser talks with Barbados Today Fight Back!

by Nevermind Kurt

Strong words indeed from one of the academic establishment types, but will Professor Fraser really do it?

Even if he does sit down in front of the construction machines, will he have any company? How old will his friends be? Will his students join him?

The kind of social activism that Henry Fraser is talking about – peaceful but physical acts of defiance against traitorous political and business elites – hasn’t been seen in Barbados for a long, long time. The garbage on the roadside and couldn’t-care-less about over-development attitudes of the under 40 crowd don’t provide much hope for this island’s future.

Look at what the West Coast became as we all watched it happen and that includes yours truly. It didn’t matter whether the DLP or BLP was in government: there was no planning for green space or public access to the beaches. Our greedy politicians and business people like Owen Arthur, the Williams brothers and (insert dozens more names here) conspired to sell off our natural heritage, block off our beaches and spoil our most beautiful views – and we let them do it.

“Why do we continue to allow the elites to pave over our little piece of paradise? I think that’s simple…

No rules or disclosure about election financing means that developers pay big money to the political class. Owen Arthur, David Thompson and Freundel Stuart made decisions against our national interests because they were paid to.”

The politicians we elected for saying fine things about preserving our natural heritage betrayed us for money at every opportunity.

In the May 2003 election Owen Arthur’s cry was “Keep the best of Barbados for Bajans”. Shortly thereafter the government came out in favour of developing destroying Cove Bay. Barbados Tourism Investment said this on their website:

“Cove Bay is a delightful address overlooking the Atlantic ocean to the north of the island. It will provide the investor with one of few remaining opportunities for ocean front residential development, which in itself creates a unique selling point for the project. The site offers several options for other well chosen complementary uses which will enhance the residences by providing services and amenities and possible income opportunities for purchasers.”

from the Barbados Tourism Investment website here. The page is gone now but we preserved it in a February 2007 post here.

The DLP are no better. With all their 2007 campaign talk about stopping the concreting of Barbados and preserving the environment, the first thing they did after gaining power was to remove the protection from the Graeme Hall wetlands so Thompson’s developer friends like Leroy Parris could build on the watershed.

As BFP’s Cliverton once said:

“The DLP promised in writing in their “Pathways to Progress” policy booklet that they would require a 2/3 free vote in Parliament to change agricultural land to allow development.

That’s the promise that Thompson and the DLP put in writing and it’s a promise that they broke with their first piece of legislation that killed the Graeme Hall National Park, and since then in many other cases.

What makes these betrayals possible?

Why do we continue to allow the elites to pave over our little piece of paradise? I think that’s simple…

New Barbados hospital announced? It’s election time again!

Taking their lead from BLP tactics, the DLP delivers another worthless election promise…

“The Government has finally seen the wisdom of the BLP’s Cabinet decision of October 2007, when we agreed and I stated publicly, that there was a need to construct a new general hospital in Barbados,”

…former Health Minister Dr. Jerome Walcott outrageously tells The Nation he is “vindicated“.

In October 2007 after 14 years as a majority government where they spent our money on everything except the hospital and other vital infrastructure,  the Barbados Labour Party promised to build a new hospital.

It was a last minute election promise by the corrupt Owen Arthur government. This was the same government that blew a billion dollars in a failed attempt to nationalize our tourism industry through the failed Hotels and Resorts GEMS project. This was the same government that borrowed tens of millions for the West Coast waste treatment facility – and then spent the money on something else. The same BLP government that spent three hundred million dollars on the disastrous Cricket World Cup.

By 2007 the BLP had spent our money on follies and left us with nothing to build a new hospital. In desperation they promised it anyway as the election approached. Anything for votes.

Now our current DLP government announces a new hospital after four years of dithering and doing nothing. No plans. No land. Not even a planning committee struck. The DLP has done nothing in the last four years to advance a new hospital.

Surprise, surprise… next year is an election year

As one of our readers asked in our post Barbados Queen Elizabeth Hospital cannot pay millions owed to suppliers

“If they can’t find money to pay suppliers where are they going to find money to construct a new hospital?”

We’ve needed a new hospital for at least 20 years. Responsible government would have started real work and planning long ago.

I don’t believe Health Minister Inniss any more than I believed Health Minister Walcott back in 2007. Neither have anything more than words. Such fine talk these politicians deliver as the election approaches.

I am so tired of this same old, same old – and nothing will change if we continue to vote the same BLP/DLP bunch back into office.

Dear Prime Minister Stuart:

Pass the promised Integrity Legislation before we even think of an 800 million dollar new hospital.

Report: Cave Hill Film Society cancels season over Barbados Censorship Board

UPDATED: See EDITOR’S NOTE at bottom…

Barbados Free Press received the following from an anonymous source through a European proxy service. Is it the truth? There’s nothing about this on the CHFS website.

Let’s hear from our readers…

Dear Members and Friends of the Cave Hill Film Society,

We regret to inform you that the CHFS has had to be called off for the rest of the semester. The reason is the Barbados Censorship Board, who now wants to screen all the movies before they are shown by us, in order to tell us if a certain movie my harm our morals or not.

They demand the payment of a fee, and we would have to make a projection room and a technician available to them. Right now, we don’t have the time and the money to subject us/the movies to the Censorship Board. This might sound silly in a democratic and academic environment, but that is the law in Barbados, which we all must obey.

We were in touch with them four weeks ago and send them an email, which they promised to answer asap, informing if any of our movies scheduled for the semester were already screened by them. No answer up to now.

Right now, we are checking on ways to continue the CHFS, perhaps even
without the hassle of a Censorship Board, but these measures cannot be put in place immediately; we have to further investigate those possibilities.

We would be grateful if you should have any helpful advice or suggestion.

If you have already paid for the whole semester, you have the right to get a refund of 50%. You can contact (name removed by Barbados Free Press editor)

Best regards,

CHFS Committee

BARBADOS FREE PRESS EDITOR’S NOTE…

We have removed the name that was originally included in this anonymously sent email as we understand that the person had nothing to do with the creation or distribution of this email.

While the email did not state this person was the author and only gave their name as a resource, some readers mistakenly believed that the person was the author.

We have removed the person’s name as they are an innocent party and are wrongly taking criticism for something they had no part in.

Marcus for BFP

Barbados Chief Justice Gibson called “Our best chance…”

The Bajan Reporter: “Marston Gibson is our best chance…”

Chief Justice Marston Gibson is fighting the old boy network, but because he’s not really part of it he’s our best chance. Think of it: he has a pension and independent wealth from his career in the USA. He was away from the island and the politics. He has been conditioned by his law practice in the USA where they wouldn’t put up with 10% of the abuses that happen in our courts. He was in Nassau County where he’s used to slapping lawyers upside the head and telling them to get on with it. So far, I like the man based on his presentations.

If Gibson can bring rule of law to Barbados courts, modernize the courts so the system works, his legacy for good done for Bim might far exceed that of many more famous and revered.

“Even in the Supreme Court, judges are taking evidence in longhand. In civil cases, Judges are still taking evidence in longhand.”

Chief Justice Marston Gibson shows his disgust with our outdated and ineffective court system

Barbados has no court reporters so there are generally no transcripts made. Lawyers stand up one week and say X and next week they say Y and there is no record. Check it out.

Chief Justice Gibson even cites such an incident in this video where a file VANISHES. Without transcripts and proper records nobody can be held accountable and the system devolves into “he said, she said” fights all the time.

Continue to read Ian Bourne’s excellent report on Chief Justice Gibson’s presentation to the UWI Alumni Association (complete with YouTube video of the CJ’s speech.)

Omar Sharif slaps woman in public, but she deserved it

Auntie Moses is all upset.

“She stood there smiling as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be slapped by a man in public. Maybe it is just so in that place.”

Back in 1973, Egyptian screen icon Omar Sharif was in Barbados filming The Tamarind Seed with Julie Andrews. For Auntie Moses, the memory of meeting Mr. Sharif (Doctor Zhivago!) is second only to Frank Sinatra kissing her on the cheek at the Barbados Yacht Club after she hid him in a walk-in cooler. It’s a true story!

So you can imagine Auntie’s horror at the viral video that shows Omar Sharif slapping a woman in public yesterday at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in Qatar.

Apparently the fan didn’t wait in line and that offended Mr. Sharif, so he did what comes naturally to any Middle Eastern misogynist: he told her in Arabic to wait her turn and slapped the woman a big one right across the face.

Then he realized that this was going out over the airwaves, so he quickly recovered and let the shaken woman stand beside him for a photo. She stood there smiling as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be slapped by a man in public. Maybe it is just so in that place.

The question I have is this: Same situation, same woman – but at the Los Angeles or Sundance Film Festivals. Would Sharif have slapped the woman?

Well? Would he?

Former Canadian Diplomat to publish Barbados exposé – Corruption, Greed, Opportunism

Isaac Goodine thought he’d seen it all in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Then he was posted to Barbados.

By Junior Campbell at AllVoices…

A Canadian diplomat’s story

Isaac Goodine was born into a poor family. As a small boy he learned to read by practicing on the articles and adverts that appeared in newspapers used as wallpaper to decorate his family’s home. As Ike grew older, hard work, humility and a passion for learning saw him work his way up to a position where he would represent his country on the staff of the Canadian Embassy in Barbados.

During his five-year posting there, he grew to love the island and its people, and he and his wife planned to retire there. Then Isaac got burnt in his financial dealings with Barbadians. He learnt painfully that welcoming Barbadians were not all as hospitable as they seemed. He learned about the opportunism and corruption that is particularly prevalent among Barbados’ educated elite.

Goodine’s distressing story is recorded in a document he has written entitled “How Barbados Works.”

Soon to be published by Intelek International, the booklet tells how Ike became an investor in a business venture called the Knowledge Development Institute (KDI).

KDI boasted an impressive leadership line-up, including prominent Barbadian “change catalyst” Dr. Basil Springer. The then Governor General of Barbados, Dame Nita Barrow (sister of Barbadian “Father of Independence” and National Hero Errol Barrow) was also associated with the organization.

(To be continued at AllVoices)

Junior Campbell is based in London, England, United Kingdom, and is an Anchor for Allvoices.

The story the Barbados news media won’t touch

Coming soon to Barbados Free Press

Pure Beach Resort pledges $1 million to Queen Elizabeth Hospital – refuses to say when the money will arrive!

Illustration of the Pure Beach Resort promise of $1 million to hospital

Gather round children… for the smell of cow manure is closing in and we have to get a grip on reality.

A few days ago Barbados Free Press published our first post about the upcoming Pure Beach Resort. In Another half-billion dollar Barbados resort announced with standard fanfare, concept paintings etc. we said we hoped that the project wouldn’t end up like so many others as concrete bones bleaching in the sun. We also prayed to the Lord that the project would be successful AND that we wanted public parking and access to the beach.

“I call ‘Bullshit!’ unless Pure Beach Resort and Spa writes the promised $1 million Queen Elizabeth Hospital cheque immediately.”

Then a source sent us the very disturbing article Barbados Foul Bay developer Ecoterra International Corporation failed to file financials for last three years indicating that not only had Ecoterra failed the basic corporate governance standards, but that two of the company faces had unfortunately been associated with some rather unsavory characters in the past. This was not to say that these folks were themselves unsavory, but that investors might want to perform their due diligence.

Ecoterra ignored our inquiry

In fairness, we sent an email to Ecoterra to ask for comments about our article and also for their guarantee that the Bajan public would have proper access to the beach and adequate public parking. Because without the parking, any beach access is a cruel joke.

We print Ecoterra’s answer right here: >>>>>   nada   <<<<<

Instead of engaging a Bajan public asking reasonable questions, Pure Beach decided to host a public extravaganza with lots of hype and no questions. Smoke, dancing girls and champagne for the reporters. It will be interesting to see how many full page ads follow the press coverage at Barbados Today.

Pure Beach Chairman Mark Purai says that the project will provide 1,000 new jobs – whether permanent or temporary isn’t stated – and that it will be the largest tourism project in Barbados history.

Fabulous! Let’s have the million bucks now, please.

Out of all the benefits to the island as promised by Mr. Purai, we’d like to see the cheque for $1 million dollars written RIGHT NOW to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, thank you.

You see, Mr. Purai, we Bajans are more than a little jaded by dog and pony shows. We’d also like your assurance that your company will NOT contribute to any political party and that Pure Beach will NOT hire any sub-contractor or “consultant” that is in any way associated with a Barbados politician, government official or their close family members.

But first… Where is that cheque for $1 million to the hospital?

I call bullshit unless Pure Beach Resort and Spa writes the cheque immediately.

Bajans been there, Mr. Purai. Done that. Seen that.

The promised cheque please, sir. We’re waiting.

Barbados Queen Elizabeth Hospital cannot pay millions owed to suppliers

Life Rule #1: If you don’t pay suppliers, they stop supplying

Our Queen Elizabeth Hospital is facing shortages of supplies because it owes and cannot pay millions of dollars to multiple suppliers.

Former BLP Health Minister Jerome Walcott is all upset and says patient care is being compromised. From what we’ve seen in the past under Walcott’s rule, that’s probably true.

Current DLP Health Minister Pornville (Donville) Inniss (photo above) says there’s nothing new here and he’s “not aware that the level of care has been compromised by indebtedness to suppliers”. Inniss is correct that the QEH hasn’t been paying its bills on time for years, but whether we’re running out of cancer treatment or rubber gloves he’s wrong about patient care not being compromised – for it surely is.

“Inniss says that the Government of Barbados will honour the debts to suppliers but he didn’t exactly pull out a cheque book to make it happen.”

We wonder if Minister Inniss has been back to inspect the hospital conditions since we alerted him last year that things were so bad that the hospital staff weren’t even cleaning the toilets. Yuk!

Barbados Queen Elizabeth Hospital Washroom under Health Minister Walcott – “Progress & Quality Of Life” As Defined By The Arthur/Mottley BLP Government.

Let’s remember the QEH under Health Minister Walcott

Yes, the QEH has all gone to hell, but Walcott shouldn’t be so self righteous because it was his BLP government that chose to spend hundreds of millions on a failed cricket extravaganza rather than making health care and clean water a priority.

As one reader related the horror tale of her child at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital when Walcott was Minister of Health…

“I don’t know how much the government spent on Cricket World Cup, but every time I go past that big white elephant Kensington Oval I think of my son and all the tears and fear over that filthy, falling down slum we call our hospital.”

“None of the ward toilets where my son was had paper, none had soap or paper towels for drying. Everyone must bring their own.”

“I had to buy “Intrasite gel” for my son’s wounds because the hospital had none that they could give me after 3 days. This was $20 a bottle and it only lasted a few days because I and my friends ended up changing the dressings ourselves when we found they were not being changed enough. I had to buy a box of sterile gloves to change his dressings. I bought a small package at first but the nurses kept “borrowing” the gloves because they were short of gloves so I bought a box.”

… from BFP’s Your Child Is Sick: Welcome To Barbados Queen Elizabeth Hospital

We’re out of money, friends. And it seems the only answers our politicians Glorious Leaders can come up with is 1/ Deny the problem exists, and 2/ Borrow more money to stave off disaster.

Walcott or Inniss: It doesn’t seem to matter which one is Health Minister because nothing changes.

Source: Barbados Foul Bay developer Ecoterra International Corporation failed to file financials for last three years

Take it with some salt folks…

Before we all go running off proclaiming that this or that is the truth, keep in mind that Barbados Free Press is an anonymous blog, and that someone using the name of “St. George’s Dragon” posted some information as a comment through one of those European anonymous proxies.

Maybe this is a personal vendetta and totally false. Maybe it’s a little bit true. Maybe it’s all true.

Whatever the story, rumours about another half billion dollar project on our little island are important enough that this story deserves to be vetted in public. Especially considering how much our coastline has been blighted by unfinished projects.

We just posted our story Another half-billion dollar Barbados resort announced with standard fanfare, concept paintings etc. when along comes St. George’s Dragon to have his or her say.

We’ve emailed Ecoterra to get their comments, but haven’t received anything back from them. If we do, we’ll be happy to post their side of the story with equal prominence – maybe more.

As well as the information in the following post, we’ve been doing some research ourselves and find:

Shin Lee is a Managing Partner at CF Canada Financial Inc., Toronto, Canada. He is also a founding JV Partner at Pure Beach Resort & Spa, and Eastern Regional Manager at Accolade Lands. In the past, he was Chief Marketing Officer at Ecoterra International Corp, and principal at Tritan Canada Financial.

We also found that Alex Gross of 202 – 130 Spadina Ave. Toronto, Ontario Canada m5v2l4 registered the domain name of EcoTerraInternational.com.

Posted by St. George’s Dragon…

For a company which says it is a leading developer of waterfront locations throughout the world ecoterra is a bit shy about saying what they are. If you go by their website, they only seem to have one project on – Foul Bay.

The company was incorporated in 2008. Its filings for 2009, 2010 and 2011 are overdue.

Its Director of Development, Kris Parthiban, has been associated with two previous projects, 11 Christie Street, Toronto and Elevator Bay, Kingston, Ontario. Both were developed by a company called Lux Group Inc. Remember that company’s name.

Another half-billion dollar Barbados resort announced with standard fanfare, concept paintings etc.

Memories of Four Seasons – but this time it’s different. Really.

Announcing a Canadian – Barbados joint venture for a new mega condo resort and residential development, this time at Foul Bay.

That’s good, I guess. If it is finished. If it doesn’t blight the coast.

If it doesn’t run out of money. If the developers have put up real hard cash and are not relying upon hype, investors and deposits from potential buyers to use as leverage for yet to be found finances.

I wonder who the “Barbados partners” are. I wonder if any government officials have a piece of the action. I wonder if any government resources will be diverted “unofficially” to construction. I wonder if the environmental concerns were really addressed and if they will be enforced in our headlong rush and desperation for new foreign investment.

I wonder about a lot of things as I read the news. Bajans are getting very jaded about such projects and that is no wonder.

Good luck to Ecoterra International Corporation

Good luck to the Ecoterra International Corporation in the development of their new five-star Pure Beach Resort & Spa. I pray they succeed, and I desperately hope this isn’t the start of yet another set of concrete bones bleaching in the sun.

One final, important message to the developers and our all-too-eager government: Bajans must have easy access to the beach and there must be nearby parking – because without the parking that’s the end of local access, isn’t it? That’s usually the end result of these projects and we’ve had enough of that.

New Luxury Resort for St. Philip

Barbados’ economic stewards have received some welcomed news amid the protracted financial gloom.

As efforts continue to attain finance to jump-start the stalled Four Seasons Project, a Canadian company and its Barbados partners will next week break ground to signal the start of a massive $541 million residential development in St. Philip.

The people behind it say it will be a five-star beach-front residential and brand name hotel development constructed on land valued at a whopping $119 million.

Barbados TODAY learnt that the Pure Beach Resort & Spa, which will be located on the coast at the picturesque Foul Bay, received approval from the Town and Country Planning Department in April this year, after Canadian company Ecoterra International Corporation submitted the necessary master plan application in May 2008.

“The Master Plan consists of a total of 300 plus units of luxury residential villas, condo, penthouse suites, boutique hotel suites, luxury spa. The amenity rich Pure Beach Resort & Spa boasts boutique shops, fine dining restaurants, and bars where stunning panoramic view of the ocean awaits you,” the developers stated in an outline of the project.

… continue reading the Barbados Today story New luxury resort for St. Philip

Barbados Government expropriates land from one business owner – gives it to competitor

Land owner finds out by reading newspaper!

by Nevermind Kurt (with Cliverton)

Our headline says it all. Brian Cozier owns some industrially zoned land at Vaucluse where his company recycles metal for export.

Your commissars of the Barbados government intend to “compulsorily acquire” (that means “expropriate” in Bajan) a portion of Mr. Cozier’s land so a competitor can use it for the competitor’s recycling business. If you say that sounds unfair and like a huge slap in the face for Mr. Cozier, I couldn’t disagree. It sounds incredibly unjust at first look anyway. (Nation News: Not my land!)

There are a few issues here and I’ll be quick…

1/ Land expropriation is incredibly arbitrary in Barbados, and is often influenced by connections, politics and political donations. Those who give sizable political donations don’t get expropriated. Sometimes the political contributors are the ones who end up benefiting from the expropriations.

2/ There is a long history of private lands being expropriated for a named public purpose, but then being used for other purposes nothing to do with the original reason.

3/ There is a long history of private lands being expropriated for public purposes, but then ending up in private hands after the government “changes its mind” and disposes of the land.

4/ It’s not unknown for a Government Minister to end up residing on land that his government expropriated from private ownership. Barbados has no conflict of interest rules, no Integrity Legislation, no Freedom of Information Act and no constraints or transparency on political donations. The absence of these kinds of laws and standards means that just about anything goes, and that includes expropriations of privately owned lands, then turning the lands over to friends of government.

5/ There is a long history of government expropriating land and not paying for it. Read that again. It is a true statement.

True fact: Had Mr. Cozier made sizable political donations to the Democratic Labour Party, he wouldn’t be facing this trouble. Just look at Leroy Parris, who probably should be in jail. He loaned the CLICO business jet to the Prime Minister and then when the Clico house of cards collapsed, the DLP gave Parris a cushy job at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation CBC and covered-up his crimes at every opportunity.

Maybe it’s not too late yet, Mr. Cozier: write out that DLP campaign cheque for five or ten thousand and get it submitted right away.

On second thought, forget it. Ten thousand is peanuts beside Leroy’s donations and you probably can’t afford that much anyway. Say, I wonder if Mr. Cozier’s business competitor (Paul Bynoe & B’s Recycling) made any sizable donations to the DLP?

In a truly transparent, democratic and accountable society we’d be able to see the campaign finance records for every political party and candidate.

Not a chance of that ‘pon de rock, my friends. Not a chance.

Babies explain why Chinese-made products are so cheap.

Colour photo (look closely) of a normal day in Shanxi, China

The Statistics

Babies born with Spina bifida, anencephaly and other neural tube defects – for every 1,000 live births…

USA:  .75 for every 1,000 live births

China, Shanxi: 14 for every 1,000 live births

That’s 18.7 times more neural tube malformed babies born in Shanxi than in the USA. (ie: partial brain, spinal cord on the outside etc.)

The Photos

For unbelievable photos of living conditions and pollution in China, check out China Hush Amazing Pictures, Pollution in China.

I just can’t bring myself to post the photos of the children online. If you must, go to Google and search for photos of “shanxi china pollution birth defects”. It doesn’t much matter whether the “SafeSearch” is on or off: Send the children out of the room first.

The Story

Time: How Chinese Babies Pay the Price for Chinese Pollution

Troublemaker calls for environmental testing at Jada Construction beach project

Director of Jada Group calls complaint “Ridiculous”

Jada Construction Company representatives are quoted in today’s Nation stating that no chemical or waste was pumped into the sea from their Road View, St. Peter project.

Jada Group director Philip Tempro calls a complaint by the troublemaking Mullins Bay blogger “ridiculous” and confirmed that he’s seen the stories and photos on the internet – presumably at Mullins Bay Blog and here at BFP.

Site supervisor Larry Maynard told The Nation that “several gallons” of seawater had been pumped back into the ocean during the construction and that Coastal Zone Management and Town and Country Planning have been “constantly” monitoring the project. (Constantly? I don’t see them in photos of the construction site when the pumping was happening!)

“Several gallons?”

Have a look at the above photo of the discoloured “chemical smell” sea, taken by the Mullins Bay Blog “troublemaker”. Does that look like “several” gallons to you… or several hundred or several thousand?

A pity that our blogging friend hadn’t thought to fill a couple of sample jars for testing. Why two? One for the Environment Ministry and one to be sent to an independent laboratory over and away to be compared with the government results. Everybody knows the reason why you have to do that! It’s the only way to keep things honest ’bout hey where the big money boys can make lab results change by magic.

The Mullins Bay troublemaking blogger also says that the new seawall is being constructed too close to the sea. Companies regularly do that when they can get away with taking a little more of the coast. We’ve all seen it happen a dozen times.

This time though, our blogging friend has asked for the authorities to come in, take measurements and also to test the water coming out of the pumps and in the general area of the discharge.

Will CZMU, the Environment Ministry and T & C Planning really look at the construction site, and deliver a public and transparent examination?

This being Barbados I wouldn’t hold my breath, but maybe we’re being too critical. Maybe the authorities will be on site today. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more on that from Mullins Bay Blog.

Further Reading

Now look here, folks. You should go to The Nation to read Sea Fear. Please do it now.

But.

You know how it is… The Nation has a record for deleting and changing news stories to re-write history, so to preserve the truth and the integrity of our post we have to print their whole story here. But please do read it at the Nation. They did a good job covering this news and they deserve your visit…

Can Islam undergo its own Reformation?

“Osama Bin Laden didn’t strap on any explosive vest or learn how to fly himself, you know.”

Posted by Cliverton

Marcus left this comment on a recent post Freedom, Understanding and the Middle East: One Muslim’s view. I think it’s worth a separate post…

Hello everyone,

I’m off to work shortly, so I must be brief. Perhaps I’ll expand upon this train of thought later…

1/ There was a time in Christendom when to announce you were “Catholic” in England or “Protestant” in Spain would get you burned at the stake, imprisoned, tortured etc.. That violence in the name of God was supposed to be about what God wanted, but it was really about achieving or maintaining temporal power by the elites of the day.

2/ Much of what we later called “The Reformation” was about power groups and not about spirituality, beliefs, God, Jesus etc. It was about the economic, political and social power that accompanied commitment to one side or the other. Yes, the foundation of the Reformation was a dispute about religious beliefs, but on many levels it was about power, control, money, territory. Call it “Political Religion” as opposed to “Spiritual Religion”.

3/ Similarly, much of the turmoil, violence and confrontation happening between the various Islamic sects and also directed at non-Muslims is about power, control, money, territory. Yes, there is disagreement about spiritual religion – often violent disagreement – amongst Muslims and by Muslims against non-Muslims, but we in the West and many Muslims themselves often ignore how much of the violence is about power, not religion. Religious fervor in young (primarily male) Muslims is cultivated and whipped up to be used as a weapon by the Islamic elites. Osama Bin Laden didn’t strap on any explosive vest or learn how to fly himself, you know.

Troublemakers in Barbados

UPDATED: June 1, 2012

With the firebombing of homes lately, we’ve put this article at the top for a day or two as Bajans consider what kind of a society we have, and what kind of a society we want. We at BFP do not count ourselves heroes in the grand scheme of things. There are some real Bajan heroes out there, and we honour a few of them in this post…

Where do the troublemakers go from here?

We have to take the next step. We have some ideas that we’ll share in the next few weeks, starting with this one: VOTE INDEPENDENT. Vote for anyone but a Bee or a Dee. We must disenfranchise the ones who for the past 20 years have lied to us and stolen our tax dollars. In truth, they stole our future. They are amateurs playing with other people’s money and consider it their right to skim off the top.

The next 10 years are going to be difficult ’bout hey, and if we’re a billion or two short with nothing to show for it, you can blame the BLP and the DLP.

Original post published October 19, 2011…

by BFP’s Anonymous Cowards

We at Barbados Free Press are anonymous cowards – and for good reason. We’ve seen what happens to the troublemakers on this small island who have the courage to stand up in public and criticize the political and business elites.

Death threats. Arson. Threats to pets and family members. Crops burned. Shots fired at a home. Cars keyed in the middle of the night. Jobs lost. Feces smeared on a business. Homes broken into. Home searched without warrant in the middle of the night. Woman arrested and vagina searched for a copy of the home rental contract. (Really!). Police question your child at school to pressure you.

Oh yeah, we’ve covered all these stories and more here at Barbados Free Press.

Adrian Loveridge shares “secrets” of tourism business success – but BTA and government aren’t interested

UPDATED: December 3, 2011

With the breaking story that Tourism Minister Sealy took 135 Ministry employees to Guyana for a weekend “retreat”, we were reminded of this recent post by Adrian Loveridge.

As far as we at BFP are concerned…

Sealy blew it on the optics alone. If he thinks that the public will support this “retreat” in Guyana, he’s out of his mind.

Instead, he should have had groups of employees staying at hotels in Barbados and then getting together at the Hilton or other venues to discuss whatever it is they are going to discuss. As Adrian said in his original piece, he seldom sees anyone from the government at his place and he’s not alone.

Unless Guyana’s tourism product is so much better than ours that the intent was to show everyone at the Ministry how things are supposed to be done?

In which case, we are really in trouble.

Original post first published October 18, 2011…

“It’s almost as if the key decision makers have tried to make tourism more complicated and moved away from the simple things that actually make it work very well.”

Tourism MATTERS – Sharing a business formula that works

by Adrian Loveridge - small hotel owner

Back in the nineteen seventies, after working in Canada, I returned to the United Kingdom, taking two temporary non-travel related jobs to establish enhanced credibility for the purpose of obtaining a house mortgage. Both were important learning experiences which I have never regretted.

The first was working as a salesman in a branch of a high-end consumer electronics retailer selling audio equipment products made by manufacturers that included Bang & Olufsen and Roberts. The manager instilled a valuable lesson that has stayed with me for life. His view was that if you are ever going to effectively sell anything, whatever it was, that you had better know everything possible about it.

I think he sensed a genuine interest and allowed me to take, what at that time, were very expensive pieces of equipment home at night and weekends to familiarise myself with their features.

Months when later I formed a tour operator company, this acquired wisdom formed an integral part  of the business masterplan. Irrespective of the product or service, intimate knowledge of every aspect is critical, if you are going to fully understand your marketplace and prospective customer.

Surprisingly then, even after owning and operating a hotel for nearly twenty four years, I can count on two hands with fingers to spare, the number of senior Barbados Tourism Authority officials, both locally and overseas, Ministers of Tourism, Permanent Secretaries and other leading figures within the public sector that have visited our property.

Small Business Association of Barbados: 25 years of illegal operation

SBA about to cover its tracks

Sent anonymously to every Barbados news media outlet – but so far we only see this story on one other blog.

Poor corporate governance is an issue for all of Barbados!

Dear 5th Estate,

The Small Business Association of Barbados is the most recent institution to demonstrate how poor corporate governance and regulation can be allowed to fester in Barbados.

Please see the attached. The SBA now finds itself in a situation where it is seemingly trying to cover (at a special meeting on Oct 25th 2011) its tracks after 25 years of operating illegally. In short it seems that none of the Boards of Directors since 1986 which managed the SBA were legitimate. That has implications for all of the decisions taken by those boards and importantly the legitimacy of all of those boards that managed government subventions etc.

Once again one is forced to ask how it was possible for the list of esteemed ladies and gentle that headed the SBA to have overlooked this.

Once again also and true to form one can expect this resolution to be easily passed by the 30-40 members (of the SBA’s over 700 members) who attend meetings.

It cannot be a simple matter of passing a one page resolution without a full understanding of how it was allowed to happen and thorough understanding of the implications.

Poor corporate governance is an issue for all of Barbados!

Here is the resolution sent out for the upcoming SBA Special General Meeting of Members:

SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
Resolution for Discussion at Special General Meeting of Members
October 25, 2011

Whereas the Articles of Incorporation provide that the Company shall have a minimum of three (3) directors and a maximum of three (3) directors;

And Whereas the members of the company acknowledge that during the period December 30, 1986 to October 25, 2011 a greater number of Directors acted in the capacity of Director, even though they may not have been so authorised in accordance with the articles of continuance of the company;