Anti-drugs military coalition

GEORGETOWN — Military personnel of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force and Guyana Defence Force are engaged with the United Kingdom in an anti-drugs coalition training programme in a further effort to combat narco-trafficking and protection of economic zones.

The two Caribbean Community states and the United Kingdom started their joint training exercises on February 25. It continues until March 25 and involves training in communications and planning of joint multinational operations in and around Guyana.

Lieutenant Commander of the Royal Navy has explained that the exercises will improve the UK’s ability to work overseas and gain from mutual training with the Guyana Defence Force and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.

The sea training exercises are taking place with the GDF vessel ‘GDFs Essequibo’ with the British sailors from Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) in the UK helping the local army to use the ‘Essequibo’ in more effective policing of Guyana’s exclusive economic zone (EZE) and territorial waters.

The coalition training exercises will culminate with participation of the three countries in ‘Exercise Tradewinds’ off Barbados in May when other nations in and out of the region, including the USA, will participate.

Preparing for World Summit on Sustainable Development

ROSEAU — The Caribbean region is increasing its preparation for the United Nations-sponsored World Summit on Sustainable Development, which is scheduled to take place in South Africa in September.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA) has organised a two-day preparatory meeting for this weekend in Dominica as part of the preparatory arrangements.

CCA’s president, Atherton Martin, said yesterday that the preparatory meeting “is critical to the formulation of a strong civil society position for presentation in South Africa”.

He feels that with its 114 members, including agencies of governments, organisations and individuals, the CCA remains “the widest and broadest civil society actor in the Caribbean and now is the time for the embedding of civil society as a strategic partner in the sustainable development of our communities”.

Among the international and regional organisations participating in this weekend’s preparatory meeting that begins this morning in Roseau, are the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Environment Programme, Caribbean Development Policy Centre, Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce, Sustainable Unit of the UWI (St Augustine Campus), Development Institute of Dominica, Anguilla National Trust, Dominica Conservation Association and the Barbados National Trust.

CARICOM award for Rhoda Reddock

GEORGETOWN — Professor Rhoda Reddock has been awarded the seventh CARICOM Triennial Award for Women for her distinguished services.

In making the announcement of the award to the well-known Caribbean academic and activist for women’s rights, the Caribbean Community Secretariat has also pointed to her “excellent reputation as an innovative teacher”.

Currently head of the Centre for Gender and Development Studies at the UWI’s St Augustine Campus, professor Reddock is also recipient of the 2001 UWI’s Vice-Chancellor Award for Excellence.

The CARICOM award for the pioneer in the teaching of disciplinary and inter-disciplinary women and gender courses at the UWI coincided with the observance of International Women’s Day.

Professor Reddock’s extensive research and publications include areas such as race, class and gender in the Caribbean, women and labour in Trinidad and Tobago and ethnicity, class and gender in Trinidad and Tobago.

Pet parrot alerts robbed family

PORT-OF-SPAIN — A pet parrot did its best to alert its owners of danger from armed bandits at their home but it did not prevent the family from being physically attacked and robbed.

Nine year-old pet polly, known as ‘Sudesh Boy’, made frantic sounds trying to alert Ramdeo Kissoon (50) and wife Clemencia Hospedales (47) that they were in danger at their Torrib Trace home in Princess Town.

However, according to a report in yesterday’s Express, when they awoke to the parrot’s noise aound 2:10 am, they came face to face with two armed masked men who beat and robbed them of jewellery, including 27 gold chains worth more than TT$17,000 (TT$6=US$1).

Kissoon, a sugar estate truck driver, suffered bruises from the beating. But as his wife said, they were glad to be alive and she did not want ever to “see gold again, even if it is for free”.

She said she was particularly pleased that parrot “Sudesh” was not harmed. “He has been my best friend since my only daughter got married and left three years ago,” said Hospedales.