Archive for October 15th, 2008
Western Ideals
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (it was a United Nations General Assembly resolution in 1948) has been criticised for going beyond the boundaries of basic, fundamental human rights and into the area of social engineering. It’s a fair comment.
Declaring the right to social security, free choice of employment, paid holidays, medical care – even equal rights for women – make the Declaration a very Western document. A Masai tribesman in Kenya would laugh at all those things.
But we have to bear in mind that the Declaration was written by educated, middle-class, mostly Westernised individuals who were determined to impose their ideals on the rest of the world. They believed that their social values deserved to triumph over all others.
The United Nations of today is a lot different from the United Nations of sixty years ago. Much of the Soviet/Russian empire has gone; the British, Dutch and French empires have gone; the American (US) empire has many more satrapies (protected states) than it had then. The Chinese empire is pretty much the same. No new empires have come along; all we have are a few loose regional associations that didn’t exist before.
The resistance to Western ideals today comes from communities and traditions that carried little international weight in 1948 but carry a lot of weight now. Many of them were dependent territories then, and are United Nations members now. Religious and tribal certainties are a greater factor now than they were then. Traditional leaders in Muslim nations tend to be hostile to liberal ideas, for instance, and even some Western leaders have abandoned respect for the most basic of human rights.
The Universal Declaration’s moral foundation was, and is, that every individual in the whole world is entitled to "an existence worthy of human dignity" [Article 23]. For sixty years the liberal democracies of the West acknowledged the worth of that ideal, although they never stopped promoting their individual national interests above it. This hypocrisy was exposed when the Soviet empire imploded.
Suddenly, the West’s military-industrial complex (arms manufacturers etc) found itself in need of a new enemy, in order to keep feathering their own nests.
From modest beginnings as US-sponsored tribal guerrillas against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the CIA’s Taliban allies were selected to be that enemy. By default all their co-religionists were deemed to be enemies too, and the international standards of human rights were deemed to be too precious to be wasted on people whom our leaders regarded as sub-humans.
The USA, supported by Britain and Israel, took a deliberate decision to stop being the Western world’s democratic role model and moral leader. What followed was the systematic degradation of selected Moslem communities in the Middle East. In these new circumstances the Declaration’s ideals count for nothing. Instead, only the cultural and religious majority (and to a large degree the racial majority too) counts for anything.
My human-rights essays on this website represent an attempt to explain what the Declaration says, in the context of life in Cayman. Nobody else in these Islands has made the attempt, so mine are better than nothing. However, when the Declaration has beenconsigned to the dustbin by the very nations that wrote it, is it worth the effort of continuing?
The best answer I can come up with is this, that Cayman doesn’t have to wait for the rest of the world. The Declaration’s ideals retain their intrinsic value, and our community leaders should continue to recognise that fact.
The proposal that Cayman’s 20,000 native Caymanians – or a section of them – should define their own human-rights standards, is a counsel of despair. The world contains three hundred thousand communities of 20,000. What a ridiculous world-vision the proposal assumes.
Recession fears mount
(AFP): Fears grew today (Wednesday 15 October) that the financial crisis will mutate into a worldwide recession with leaders calling for new global action against a slowdown. As EU leaders gathered for a summit devoted to the financial turmoil, a top US central bank official said the United States appeared to be already in recession. Janet Yellen, president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, said "virtually every major sector of the economy has been hit by the financial shock." Go to article.
A rival to the Bible
(BBC): What is probably the oldest known Bible is being digitised, reuniting its scattered parts for the first time since its discovery 160 years ago. Markedly different from its modern equivalent for 1,500 years, the Codex Sinaiticus lay undisturbed in a Sinai monastery, until it was found – or stolen, as the monks say – in 1844 and split between Egypt, Russia, Germany and Britain. Now these different parts are to be united online and, from next July, anyone, anywhere in the world with internet access will be able to view the complete text andread a translation. Go to article
Beyond Climate Change
(IPS): While the financial mayhem continues to draw the headlines, the cost of persistent biodiversity loss has yet to be established. But it is believed to be bigger than that of the meltdown, and in many cases also irreparable. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) now plans to gather incontrovertible evidence on the value of preserving biodiversity and the cost of losing it. Go to article.
Stats office to count workers
(CNS): A shortage of funds prevented the Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) from conducting a spring survey this year but the office announced yesterday that it will begin a Labour Force Survey this Sunday, 12 October. Since 1991 the office has, when funds permitted, carried out a household survey programme twice yearly. When complete it will offer a full picture of the country’s workforce.
From how many people are unemployed to how much the average Caymanian earns compared to the average expatriate worker the survey breaks down the details and trend of the labout market. The last survey released in March 2008 and conducted in October of last year found a population of a little less than 54,000 people 60 percent Caymanian and 40 percent non-Caymanian. The unemployment rate is an enviable, (when compared to many other countries) 3.8 percent and ex-pats make up some 49.4% of the workforce. Construction remains the biggest employer, with real estate and related industries second.
The next survey will tell us if those situations remain or how much has changed among Cayman’s working population. The random ‘sample selection’ is generated by computer and remains confidential and the ESO said that it has always placed a high priority on confidentiality and is committed to continuing this tradition. After the data is entered, questionnaires are kept for the required period of time before being destroyed. No information is ever entered which would allow someone to be able to link the data with the individual respondent, the office stated.
Most of the interviewers have had previous experience conducting surveys in the Cayman Islands and will have completed additional training prior to the start of the field work. All interviewers are required to take an oath or make an affirmation under the Statistics Law regarding confidentiality and they all carry photo ID. The survey will be conducted over three weeks starting on Sundayon all three islands.Most of the interviewers are employed during the day and must thus make the majority of their calls during the evenings and on weekends, as this is often the best time to find persons at home.
The ESO said it is appealing for the public’s full cooperation and to take part in the fifteen minute survey.
“The Cayman Islands has maintained a high survey response rate since the inception of the programme and it is hoped that this tradition will continue. One of the major benefits from repeating the survey is the ability to look at trends,” the office explained.
. For the analysis of the labour force, the survey has been conducted during this same period since 1991. Interviews should take less than 15 minutes.
For further information on any aspect of the survey, visit the Economics & Statistics Office, third floor, Elizabethan Square Building (Phase 3), or call 949-0940.
Immigration chief seeks balance for all
(CNS): Following a month of discussions with residents, Chief Immigration Officer Franz Manderson said Caymanians and non-Caymanians revealed major concerns; the most common raised by Caymanians was their desire to see more locals benefit from job opportunities, while work permit holders were worried about their exploitation by employers.
He also noted however, that non-Caymanian workers have advised his team of some negative experiences, particularly involving their rights being violated by employers. “Some people said they have not been receiving promised benefits; others complained that—against immigration rules—they have had to pay for their own work permits, and still more spoke out about having to work in less than ideal physical and emotional conditions,” Manderson disclosed.
Given the complaints he said his department will step up efforts to protect the rights of those who come to work in the Islands, to ensure that they are able to function with dignity.
The Chief Immigraiton Officer also said he had heard complaints from employers as well who reported cases where workers had created hardship by failing to live up to their end of the bargain. “A number of employers said that after paying requisite work permit and other fees on their behalf, some workers left after a short period, causing the employer to be out of pocket,” Manderson added saying it was a balancing act where everyone who contributed to the economic success was protected.
“We want everyone to be informed and we also want to work with our business community to ensure that they stay on the right side of the law,” he said.
The Immigration Department wrapped up its District Evening Series with the final meeting taking place in George Town on Tuesday, 30 September. “These meetings have given my team and me a better sense of the immigration issues on the minds of Caymanians, and have allowed staff to share information regarding our achievements and plans relative to departmental functions, border security and managing the Islands’ labour market,” Manderson said.
Murder enquiry continues
(CNS): Following the completion of Forensic Pathologist Dr Bruce Hyma’s examination of the body found in a burnt out car in the Dykes in West Bay at the weekend, there is little doubt that it is that of Estella Scott-Roberts, police said on Tuesday, and follow up forensic tests will no doubt make this a positive identification. Investigators also said that they now believe the fire was started shortly before midnight on Friday night. (Photo: Area where car and body was found)
In a press statement released on Tuesday afternoon, 14 October, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) said that a number of witnesses reportedly heard what they thought was gun shots followed by the sound of a car horn. The police said that this was likely to be various parts of the car, such as tyres, headlights and airbags exploding after which the steering column would have melted setting off the horn but it is not known how long the vehicle would have burned for.
Detectives on the case continue to call for witnesses and said they are continuing to keep an open mind and following a number of lines of enquiry.
“There is much speculation about motives and suspects for this violent and tragic murder,” said Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Peter Kennett. “We have a number of lines of enquiry that are all being followed and examined and we are working as hard as we can to ensure that all possible avenues are explored and exhausted before ruling them out.”
Although not able to comment in detail about the lines of inquiry being followed Kennett assured the community that all efforts are being made to find out what happened. “We are still piecing together the evidence to find out what happened to Estella after she left Deckers,” added Kennett. “The restaurant owners and their staff have been nothing but cooperative and we are now trying to trace everyone who was there that night. We’d also like to hear from anyone else who was in the area, perhaps playing mini-golf or visiting Bamboo or the Hyatt, who may have seen something important. I cannot stress enough that even the smallest piece of information may be crucial.”
Police noted that this is an extremely difficult time for the family and friends and offered their thoughts and prayers. The murder of the Cable and Wireless Communications Manager and former Director the Crisis Centre Scott Roberts (34) has sent shock waves through the Cayman Islands community. As an advocate for the rights of women and children, a warrior against violence and abuse and a member of the Human Rights Committee, Scott-Roberts was well-known and admired.
Kennett also added his thanks to the community for their assistance so far and appealed for their continued support to help them in the investigation. Kennett is still asking for anyone who may have seen Scott-Roberts or her vehicle on Friday night to come forward. The car was a black SUV 2007 Ford Edge license 129-257 and Scott-Roberts was last seen around 11:00 pm on Friday night when she left Decker’s restaurant after diner. It is believed she was abducted from a car park between Decker’s and Buckingham Square from where her shoes were recovered.
Kennett said anything, no matter how insignificant it may seem to a member of the public, could turn out to be a crucial part of the jigsaw which the RCIPS is now putting together with regards to the last movements of Scott-Roberts and the search for her killer.
Police name road victim
(CNS): Police have now named the man killed in the car crash which occurred Tuesday, 14 October. He was 38-year-old Jonathan Stott Tarboton a Cayman resident from South Africa. Mr Tarboton was killed after the BMW he was driving was in a collision with a flat bed truck on the Esterley Tibbetts highway at around 12:40 pm. (Photo by Tim Dailey)
The cause of the collision is currently under investigation by the Traffic Management Unit, and anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact the traffic office on 946-6254.
According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the 911 Emergency Communication Services received a call at 12.40pm from a member of the public reporting the incident. Police, medics and fire officers responded to the location and found the BMW was engulfed in flames and fire officers extinguished the blaze. Mr Tarboton died at the scene, and the two men in the truck were taken to hospital.
The RCIPS sends its condolences to the family and friends of Mr Tarboton.
Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling crime stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.