Archive for September 17th, 2013

Family resource centre encourages peace making

Family resource centre encourages peace making

| 17/09/2013 | 0 Comments

(CNS): With the approach of the 32nd anniversary of the International Day of Peace at the weekend, the local family resource centre is making plans to promote peace making under the annual celebration theme for this year of  Who will you make peace with? For the second year, the Cayman Islands will join millions of people across the world to observe a day during which people put their differences aside to promote peace and abstain from any form of violence on Saturday. As part of the day-long celebration, the Family Resource Centre (FRC) has two major events lined up.

From 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at an event titled Cultivate Peace, persons will build a Peace Garden at Airport Park. Voluntary service clubs such as Rotary Sunrise, Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, Rotary Central and Rotaract Blue have all agreed to unite for peace and help with funds, volunteers and dancers. 

Inmates from HMP Northward are working to create six park benches that will help create a nice area for parents to sit while their kids play. Department of Agriculture will be donating the plants and trees.

On the day, children are also welcome to attend and paint rocks that will make up the perimeter around the park. The event will also feature live musical performances by One World Entertainment. Families, individuals and other organisations are encouraged to take part.

The United Nations has called for One Day. One Dance and challenged countries around the world to take part. Since dance has been identified as a powerful vehicle for peace, in the midst of all the celebration at Airport Park at 12:00 p.m, participants will gather for a flash mob dance choreographed by Mariela Alvarado from Life Extension. From this, a video will be created by Ben Hudson. A preview of the dance can be found on Youtube.

Encouraging public participation, FRC Programme Coordinator Miriam Foster said, “Music and dancing are fun ways to bring people together. So as we work to beautify the park, we will also be able to enjoy added entertainment.”

To encourage student participation, each school has been given a piece of a large puzzle in the shape of the Cayman Islands designed by Randy Chollette and Luelan Bodden. During the event, one student from each school will join the puzzle pieces together. The final look of the puzzle will be on display permanently at Airport Park – to show that every school is a representation for peace.  A mosaic section will also allow art lovers to develop a unique visual representation of peace.

Commenting on the inspiration behind Cultivate Peace, Foster said: “Education about non-violence should start at home. But it is every single community member’s responsibility to model how we treat each other with tolerance and respect and work toward peace. It has been amazing to see so many people and organisations come together to work for peace and we hope the public will take part.”

For more information on Peace Day, contact the Family Resource Centre at 949-0006 or visit www.facebook.com/familyresourcecentre.
 

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Literacy event raises $1000 for reading initiative

Literacy event raises $1000 for reading initiative

| 17/09/2013 | 0 Comments

(CNS): A special sale of second hand books as well as locally-produced art and jewellery raised over CI$ 1000 on International Literacy Day at the Public Library on Saturday, 7 September for a local literacy organization. LIFE offers a number of reading programmes for students and adults to emphasise the importance of reading. Visitors to the library were also able to take part in book readings and view a live thatch braiding demonstration.  Budding authors even had an opportunity to express an interest in creative writing programmes. In keeping with the emphasis on literacy, families with young children received reading fun packs that included library membership forms as they entered the new library building.

Other organisations in attendance at the fair included: the Cayman Islands Humane Society, Pennies for Polio, the Red Cross, Cayman Islands Information Professionals (CIIP),  the Chess Club, and Baraud Recruitment  in addition to Sunrise and Central Rotary Clubs.

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Webb continues fight against racism in football

Webb continues fight against racism in football

| 17/09/2013 | 0 Comments

(CNS): The FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination, chaired by FIFA Vice-President and CONCACAF President, Cayman's own Jeffrey Webb held another meeting at the home of FIFA in Zurich last week to discuss its education platform and measures. During the session deliberations focused on actions to be implemented following the landmark Resolution on the fight against racism and discrimination approved on 31 May at the 63rd FIFA Congress following an address from Webb. “This is not a battle of football but of human kind,” said Webb during his opening remarks. “We are grateful to have the support of all these experts who have joined the task force.”

He said, “It’s not s not only up to FIFA to implement the key decisions adopted by the Congress with regard to the fight against discrimination and racism. The implementation process needs to be fully supported by all member associations and society as a whole.” The Task Force analyzed prevention and education measures to further enhance the fight against discrimination, as well as the enforcement of sanctions to punish offences.

Headed by Webb, the group identified a number of key priorities such as the allocation of specific resources for the fight against racism and discrimination as well as the development of an anti-discrimination handbook to be provided to all Member Associations for best practice and training.

In addition the identification, recruitment and training of anti-discrimination officers, high-risk games and the engagement of anti-discrimination ambassadors has also been proposed along with a special award for achievements in the area of anti-discrimination.
The creation of the Task Force was announced by FIFA President Joseph Blatter in early March 2013, following a meeting of the FIFA Strategic Committee, as part of a series of measures to tackle the pressing issue of racism and discrimination in football.

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Dart and CIG still talking

Dart and CIG still talking

| 17/09/2013 | 109 Comments

(CNS): The new government remains locked in talks with the islands’ biggest developer several weeks after Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts said he hoped to be able to release information to the public about the state of the controversial negotiations. In a short response to CNS questions about the state of the talks with the Dart Group, Cayman officials indicated Monday that until there was some agreement between the two parties, there was little that the administration was able to say. The PPM government has made it clear it has concerns about the lack of a through route now that a section of the West Bay Road has been closed, and that it could not accept the 50% tax gift contained in the agreement signed in December 2011.

Tibbetts told the party’s national council in early August that he would have news shortly about the talks. He also said that the part of the agreement which gives Dart a rebate on all accommodation taxes for ten years on properties it already owns, acquires or renovates for the next three decades was unacceptable. But more than a month later there is still no indication of where the talks are following the break-down just ahead of the elections in May.

“Discussions between government and Dart are ongoing and there is an understanding that until discussions are at a mutually satisfactory point, there is little more that can be said publicly at this juncture,” the premier’s press secretary stated on Monday. “Government and Dart want the best outcome for the people of the Cayman Islands and are working toward that end,” the official added.

While the second phase of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway officially opened on Monday and work continues on the proposed new resort on the site of the former Courtyard Marriott, the details of the ongoing negotiations and whether or not the government will be able to re-balance the deal with better value for the public purse remains unclear.

The PPM government has made it a campaign promise to revisit the deal and that it would not agree to the relocation of the landfill, which was the second part of the overall proposed investment plan known as the ForCayman Investment Alliance. While, Osbourne Bodden, the minister with responsibility for the landfill, has made it clear the dump must be addressed on site, in its recent report on its first 99 days in office the PPM administration said it had entered into discussions with Dart about Grand Cayman’s ever growing dump and the best solutions for waste management at the existing site.

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