My Twitter, the last 10 years – The Manila Times

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NOEMI LARDIZABAL-DADO

Twitter made us better, Dr. Sarah Jackson wrote in an opinion column at the New York Times on Dec. 27, 2019. While Dr. Jackson recognizes that twitter has fallen short in many ways, the past decade shows that it helped ordinary people change our world. Twitter is not commonly used in the Philippines compared to the United States of America.

WeAreSocial.com in January 2019 reports 47.05 million people in the US that could be reached with advertisements. Philippines is only 5.08 million. Compare that figure with the total advertising audience of Facebook in the Philippines, which is 75 million. While Twitter is the fifth most popular social media platform in the Philippines, popularity is not everything. On Twitter, local and international media follow topics which then gets amplified in the news. Influence is not derived by the quantity of followers, friends, clicks, or likes. Twitter focuses on keywords and your conversation reach a wider audience. On Facebook, your status would be viewed to people on your account unless it becomes viral and reaches a wider audience.

I could only talk of how twitter made a difference in my life. Each one has a Twitter story to tell. This is mine.

Twitter moved me to push social change for good. Mom blogger, making a difference in the lives of her children by advocating social change for good is my profile description on Twitter for the past 10 years. That sounds nave today but I remain optimistic despite the world of fake news, lies and propaganda. As a blogger that started out in 2006, I saw the rise of social media platforms from being harnessed for good to being exploited by bots and trolls. Looking back at my 2007 archives on my blog, I talked about how I could write the most irrelevant and mundane things without worrying if its blog-worthy or not. All Twitter does is ask: What are you doing? Bobbie Johnson described it as a baffling and seemingly pointless service but underneath it proves intriguing, useful and addictive for those who live on the move. One observer even called it, the Seinfeld of the internet a website about nothing.

2009 was a monumental year for Twitters significance as a real-time global tool and even my outlook as a blogger. President Obama as the first President to have his inauguration covered by the people on Twitter (#inaug09) made me realize the platform is not just a pointless service. Mashable described Twitter in 2009 as first-to-the-scene reporting as one of the prime reasons Twitter is valued as a news source. It wasnt just the speed people valued hearing about news through Twitter. The platform helped save lives or mobilized rescue at the height of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana). The hashtag #Ondoy kept me in touch with the local news and rescue operations while I was in Singapore. Soon, #BangonPinoy inspired individuals to wake up and rebuild their lives and the future of our country. That year also shifted my focus not just on parenting topics but on citizen issues like voters education. The idea for a citizen media movement for the 2010 elections began brewing then. Initially, a twitter account for @blogwatchdotph was created for political news while I kept @momblogger for my personal life. To my surprise, people followed my personal account because of my commentary.

The following hashtags which I was involved or collaborated with like #juanvote and#PassRHBill in 2010, #endchildabusePH in 2011, #epalwatch in 2012,#NoToCybercrimelaw and #MillionPeopleMarch in 2013, #ScrapPork in 2014, #BabaeAko and #FightDisinfo in 2018, paved the way for a broader movement or a change in government policy.I was not connected in any twitter campaigns in the years 2016 till 2017 because the troll attacks cowered me into silence. The realization that silence is complicity hit me as I learnedabout the number of people being killed in the war on drugs and, lies becoming facts. Yes, I blogged about Helping our Children cope with violent graphic images from this War on Drugs and I tweeted about the extrajudicial killings but it was not enough. I felt I was not as hard hitting as I should be.

10 years later, Twitter now asks, Whats happening? More than fighting disinformation, I want to give voice to the voiceless. Our kids dont have a voice unless an adult speaks up for them. Pushing for #ChildrenNotCriminals is one campaign I would continue to pursue this year. I oppose the move in the Congress to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from the current 15 years old to whatever age they decide on. Other hashtags and issues are just as important so it takes a village to sustain the conversation.

Use Twitter to build vibrant communities and to influence news and politics. Be one of the many people to harness Twitter for good.

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My Twitter, the last 10 years - The Manila Times

Rody open to working with Robredo again – Tempo

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ROBREDO

President Duterte is open to the possibility of working with Vice President Leni Robredo again as long as she would be a team player of the government, according to a Palace official.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President has no regrets in placing her in charge of the war on drugs and would not rule out the possibility of working with her again in the future.

The President can work with anybody as long as his appointee would work as a team player of his administration, Panelo said.

The President has no regrets appointing the Vice President as anti-drug war czar as the former gave the latter the rare opportunity to serve under his administration, he added.

The President placed Robredo as co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs following her criticisms on the governments war on drugs last October.

Robredo, however, was fired less than three weeks after the President was dismayed with her performance in supervising the governments anti-drug campaign.

The Palace claimed that Robredo wasted the opportunity to make the anti-drug campaign better, adding that she failed to present any new strategy to combat the menace. Among Robredos missteps that displeased Duterte were daring him to fire her, consulting with foreigners, and seeking access to classified documents.

The President, seemingly disappointed with Robredos brief stint as anti-drug war czar, later warned that the country might suffer a disaster if she guns for the presidency. He has advised Robredo against running for president because she supposedly does not know anything. (Genalyn Kabiling)

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Rody open to working with Robredo again - Tempo

LETTER: All quiet on the opioid front – Victoria News

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International Overdose Awareness Day came and went. Recovery Day disappeared into the discard pile of calendar events along with the hopes of political election rhetoric. Many people were trained to administer naloxone, many attended to well-informed guest speakers and many more picked up information brochures on our opioid crisis (crisis: an unstable or crucial state of affairs, especially one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome).

Now the frozen silence of winter has settled in,and in that silence, people continue to die. They die poisoned by the substances they took to relieve their pain, to dull the sharpness of abuse infesting their memory, even to experience some promised rhapsody. And because of a still-pervasive stigma in our society, they took their drugs alone and they died alone, safe consumption sites, naloxone trainings, speeches and brochures notwithstanding. The problem is not going away.

We couldnt ignore it away. It wasnt just those people. It was policemans kids, politicians relatives, students, your neighbour, your child. It wasnt just street people. Over 80 per cent of the deaths happened at home, alone, often our home.

We couldnt police it away. Police budgets rose, more officers worked diligently, many large drug shipments were seized, and the street price of cocaine and heroin went down and the death toll rose.

We couldnt medicate it away. Dr Bruce Alexander told us in 1990 in Peaceful Measures: Canadas Answer to the War on Drugs: Treatment fails because drug addiction is not a disease, but a way of adapting to desperately difficult situations. People cannot be cured of adaptive strategies unless better alternatives are available to them.

Those desperately difficult situations abuse, homelessness, unemployment, hunger and chronic pain and the often accompanying stigma and shame are still with us too, and because we have not legislated better alternatives, many people will adapt by taking drugs and far too many of them will die.

No, it hasnt gone away. Even after six years of recognition by governments and media, even after four years of being declared a national emergency, and even after 12,800 deaths, people are still dying from poisons in the drugs they take, and of those who dont die, many are left in a vegetative state. It hasnt gone away.

If it wont go away, we need to confront it and in the arena of health care rather than in our justice system. The trials say that such a process works, that people receiving a safe supply of their drug decrease their dosage, go back to work, stop committing crimes, stop dying. The trials say the process is cheaper by half, at $25,000 annually vs $50,000 in medical care and justice interventions.

What also hasnt gone away though, are some strident voices demanding more policing, more forced treatments, more getting the visibly homeless out of sight. And they will get more more first responders worn out because it isnt easy trying to revive people every day and often failing, more taxes but not a cent going to programs that work, and more, many more, deaths.

*The government of Canada says:

Over 12,800 apparent opioid-related deaths Jan. 2016 and March 2019

3,023 deaths in 2016 & 4,120 in 2017

4,588 deaths in 2018: 1 life lost every 2 hours

1,082 deaths Jan to March 2019

In BC weve had a decrease in the number of opioid-related deaths, but that is not reason for good cheer; 1,082+ dead people is not a cheerful statistic. But we are tired of unpleasant statistics, and we all have our Christmas letters to write.

Ebeneezer Scrooge told the charity workers that the poor and destitute could die and decrease the surplus population, but we are not so hardhearted. We will write cheques to our charities, stuff the Salvation Army globes outside our liquor stores, drop off warm clothing at our churches, and donate goods in the food bank boxes at the door to our childrens school concerts. We are good people and we do not want this insanity of needless deaths to continue. We really do want someone who knows what to do to just do it. And we are the key to their doing just that.

If you believe its time to confront the national emergency of opioid deaths, Dont turn away. Tell Judy Darcy, (MH.Minister@gov.bc.ca) that you want a program of safe drug supplies to be initiated now. Say that this is your New Years resolution and you want it to be theirs as well. Write the letter; it will take less than two hours and the life you could save may be one close to you.

Derek Peach

Victoria

Derek lost a daughter to opiod overdose in 2017

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LETTER: All quiet on the opioid front - Victoria News

Ralph Northams Losing Battle on Sanctuaries – National Review

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Virginia Governor Ralph Northam speaks to gun control activists at a rally by Moms Demand Action and other family members of shooting victims outside of the Virginia State Capitol Building in Richmond, Va., July 9, 2019.(Michael A. McCoy/Reuters)His attempt to enforce unpopular and unconstitutional gun-control laws is doomed to failure.

Ralph Northam is about to make the biggest tactical mistake in Virginia since Cornwallis decided to park his army at Yorktown. With his attempt to force local commonwealths attorneys and sheriffs in Second Amendment sanctuaries to enforce his unconstitutional gun laws, Governor Northam is setting himself up for a catastrophic failure. In fact, theres no way for Northam to win the fight he seems intent on picking with Virginia gun owners and Second Amendment sanctuaries.

The governor isnt being helped by fellow Democrats such as U.S. congressman Donald McEachin, who said the governor should call out the National Guard to enforce the law, or Attorney General Mark Herring, who blithely says he expects that the laws will be followed once theyre on the books.

There are also Democrats, such as Delegate David Toscano, who have been comparing the Second Amendmentsanctuary movement to the Massive Resistance movement that unfolded in Virginia in the wake of the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. Massive Resistance came about after Democratic governor Thomas B. Stanley organized a state-level opposition movement to the integration of public schools in Virginia in the late 1950s. To compare it to todays Second Amendmentsanctuary movement is to compare apples and oranges on a couple of different levels.

First of all, the Second Amendmentsanctuary movement is morally just, unlike the Massive Resistance movement of the late 50s and early 60s. The Second Amendmentsanctuary movement isnt about curtailing rights, but rather about protecting their free exercise.

Practically speaking, Massive Resistance was a top-down movement, spearheaded by U.S. senator Harry Byrd and his fellow Democrats in the governors mansion and Virginias attorney generals office. The Second Amendmentsanctuary movement, on the other hand, is a hyper-local grassroots movement that has no leader, though state-level Second Amendment groups are doing a good job of informing folks where meetings are taking place and even providing curious supervisors with examples of Second Amendmentsanctuary resolutions that have been approved elsewhere. Thousands of people show up at these board-of-supervisors meetings, and not because Philip Van Cleave or Cam Edwards or Nick Freitas or anyone else told them to be there. Theyre showing up because their neighbor told them about the meeting, or they saw something on Facebook. Theyre showing up and speaking out because they care.

Ultimately, its the people in these Second Amendmentsanctuary communities who are the last line of defense against the infringement of their rights, but thankfully we have several other defensive options at our disposal. We can even thank todays Virginia Democrats for providing a blueprint to follow. Call it passive resistance, not Massive Resistance.

Anti-gun Democrats hoping to force compliance with the impending gun-control laws frequently argue that, because Virginia is a Dillons Rule state, county supervisors have no ability to decide which laws will be enforced or not. Thats true, but it doesnt matter, because its not the county board of supervisors that enforces the law, any more than legislators in Richmond or Ralph Northam do. Law enforcement in these Second Amendment sanctuaries is largely the role of the county sheriff and the commonwealths attorney, and Democratic commonwealths attorneys have demonstrated in recent months that its possible to not enforce a state law, as long as youve got the judges to go along with you.

Norfolk and Portsmouth commonwealths attorneys Greg Underwood and Stephanie Morales, respectively, announced earlier this year that their offices will not prosecute low-level drug offenses. Morales has apparently persuaded judges in Portsmouth to go along, while in Norfolk, Underwood has had to deal with judges who have refused in some cases to dismiss the charges.

Meanwhile, although Governor Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring, and various and sundry Virginia Democrats have railed against the Second Amendmentsanctuary communities for turning the rule of law upside down, sowing chaos, and making mischief, theyve not said a word when these fellow Democrats have decided that certain laws wont be enforced. They seem to simply believe its different when Democrats do it.

Its not. Democrats have taught us a thing or two about how to #Resist over the last three years, and Virginias Second Amendment supporters are going to put those lessons to work in the months ahead.

* * *

Since Virginia Democrats have given commonwealths attorneys the green light to ignore portions of state law they dont agree with, why shouldnt sheriffs have that same authority? After all, theyre usually working with limited resources and already need to prioritize which crimes they will investigate. Why shouldnt a sheriff say hes not going to waste time and resources on investigations that solely involve non-violent possessory offenses against Northams new gun-control laws? Why shouldnt commonwealths attorneys say the same? And why shouldnt the Virginia GOP encourage sheriffs and commonwealths attorneys to do so? They would simply be taking a page from the Democrats playbook.

Even if no official or formal policy can be established, word gets around pretty fast in these rural counties, as weve seen with the turnouts for the Second Amendmentsanctuary meetings. Ralph Northam and Mark Herring cant police every decision by every officer to arrest or not, or by every prosecutor to bring a case or dismiss it, nor can they remove the discretion that must be a part of those jobs.

The simple truth is that the criminal-justice system couldnt handle full enforcement of every law on the books, especially if the defendants demanded their right to a speedy trial by a jury of their peers. The vast majority of criminal cases in Virginia are plea-bargained down, because if they all went to trial, the system would grind to a halt.

I believe that in many rural counties we will see passive resistance adopted in practice, officially or unofficially. But even in those Second Amendment sanctuaries where police chiefs, sheriffs, and commonwealths attorneys decide that theyre going to enforce the unconstitutional gun-control laws heading our way, theres no guarantee of conviction.

As I said earlier, the last line of defense in the tactic of passive resistance is the citizens. In order for Ralph Northam to secure a conviction for a violation of one of his proposed gun laws in a Second Amendment sanctuary, heres what would have to happen.

First, a law-enforcement officer will have to decide to charge someone for a violation of one of Northams proposed laws. Perhaps its for allowing their 17-year-old daughter to have access to a firearm while she was alone in a rural farmhouse. Sure, she used the gun in self-defense when a couple of meth-heads tried to break in, but the parents broke the law and now they have to be charged. So, the officer arrests Mom and Dad.

Next the commonwealths attorney will have to prosecute Mom and Dad for allowing their daughter, whos been trained in responsible gun ownership and even competes in 4H Shooting Sports, to have access to the gun that she used in self-defense. Sure, its a good thing shes alive, but the laws the law.

Mom and Dad were at the board-of-supervisors meeting along with a thousand of their neighbors when their local Second Amendmentsanctuary resolution was passed. They know how their neighbors feel. And they decide to fight. They dont plead down to lesser charges. They take it to trial. And now a jury of their peers will have to decide if they should be punished for allowing the little girl theyve watched grow up defend herself against two intruders.

What do you think the odds are that Mom and Dad are acquitted? Personally, I dont think that case would ever get prosecuted to begin with, but in most Second Amendmentsanctuary counties I would put the odds of conviction right around 0 percent. Governor Northam can threaten county officials with consequences for not enforcing his gun-control laws, but whats he going to do when juries in rural Virginia start returning not-guilty verdicts for any charges brought under those laws?

Before Ralph Northam goes too far down this dead-end road of gun control, he should look at whats happened in a few other states that have passed state-level gun-control laws in recent years. In New York, theres been massive noncompliance with the laws, and the vast majority of prosecutions under the states SAFE Act, which restricts firearm rights, are taking place in just two of New York Citys five boroughs: the Bronx and Brooklyn. A large majority of defendants are young black men without serious criminal histories, who are facing years in prison for non-violent possessory offenses. As Slates Emily Jaffe wrote, the War on Drugs is being replaced by the War on Guns, but its still young minority men who are disproportionately impacted.

That will absolutely be the case with any gun-control laws that Northam may sign. The vast majority of enforcement will be in the Richmond, Petersburg, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, and Roanoke areas, with northern Virginia coming up close behind. The vast majority of charges will be for non-violent possessory offenses, the vast majority of defendants will be young black and Hispanic men from Virginias inner cities, and the vast majority of those defendants will not have any serious criminal history, though they may be heading down that road.

Instead of offering these individuals a way out, however, Ralph Northam wants to give them a crash course in criminality by putting them in prison.

This strategy of passive resistance can be put in place alongside the inevitable court challenges that will come for every new gun-control bill Northam signs into law, but its not a perfect solution. Some counties will absolutely enforce these laws, while the Virginia State Police will do the same. Gun stores cant passively resist any new gun laws, though many will certainly get creative in finding ways to stay within the law and still sell as robust an inventory as they can.

Red flag laws, which allow for seizure of firearms from an individual deemed to be an extreme risk of using them for violence, are another issue. If, under such a law, a judge tells a county sheriff to seize someones firearms before that person gets his day in court, how many county sheriffs will refuse? More than a few, I would guess. But if, on the other hand, local law enforcement are the ones that bring an initial petition to the judge, many judges will refuse to issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order and will stick instead with the states civil-commitment laws when they have concerns that someone may be a danger to himself or others. The county sheriffs Ive spoken to say they believe that civil commitment, under which a dangerous individual can be involuntarily confined in a mental-health unit, is a better option than a red flag order, which may force the sheriff to seize any legally owned guns but leaves the supposedly dangerous individual to his own devices. Sheriffs can easily argue that they shouldnt be forced to use a tool they dont believe is as effective as another one at their disposal.

If, however, lawmakers expand the categories of people who can file a red-flag petition, the sheriff and commonwealths attorney may not have any input at all before a judge issues an order. If Governor Ralph Northam wants to avoid a fight with Second Amendment sanctuaries, he could also structure the red-flag bill in such a way as to make it the responsibility of the state attorney generals office to handle the petitions, and of the Virginia State Police to conduct the seizure of the firearms. I suspect Northam wants this fight, unfortunately, because he navely believes he can win.

Ralph Northam can get his way, but theres no way he can win this fight. He can put the laws on the books, but he cant enforce them. He can threaten public officials with punishment, but he has already allowed commonwealths attorneys to not enforce laws they dont agree with. In most Second Amendment sanctuaries, these unconstitutional gun laws will likely be largely ignored by law enforcement. In those cases where individuals are charged solely with non-violent possessory crimes, such as violating the states universal background check, a jury of their peers will likely choose to acquit them in order to send a message to Richmond. And in deep-blue Democrat-controlled parts of the state, the laws will be strictly enforced, largely against young minority males who arent violent criminals.

After all that, he cant even be sure that the violent-crime rate will drop. It didnt happen in Colorado when the state passed a magazine ban and universal background checks back in 2013. In fact, violent crime has increased by 25 percent since then. It didnt happen in Maryland when the state passed the Firearms Safety Act in 2013. Beginning in 2014, Baltimores homicide rate began skyrocketing, and the city has had more than 300 homicides every year since (as opposed to the low 200s in the years before the acts passage). In New York City, violent crime is down but shootings are up.

By focusing his efforts on Virginias legal gun owners, Northam is only empowering violent criminals, and he will largely be punishing only young men who may not be making the best choices, but who wont be served by spending years behind bars for giving a gun to their friend to carry in self-defense on the streets of Petersburg.

* * *

Guncontrol will be Ralph Northams political Vietnam if he continues down this road, and calling in reinforcements in the form of the Virginia National Guard would only provoke another crisis, both within the Guard itself and in the Second Amendmentsanctuary communities where they would be dispatched. If Northam actually called out the Guard, hed be the first governor to use military force to restrict the exercise of a constitutional right since Arkansas governor Orval Faubus called out the National Guard to block the steps of Little Rock Central High School rather than allow the school to be integrated in 1957.

Can you imagine Donald Trump calling out the 101st Airborne to protect the rights of Virginians, as Dwight Eisenhower did to protect the rights of Arkansans? Do Virginia Democrats really want to give that shameful episode of American history a reboot? Again, there is simply no way for the governor to win here, even if he signs every gun-control law that gets to his desk. Even if ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court were to uphold every law he signed, it would only be a Pyrrhic victory at best. He can make all the laws he wants, but hes going to have a heck of a time trying to enforce them.

There is another way, though I dont think Governor Northam is likely to take it. He should sit down with gun owners and Republican lawmakers for an honest discussion about ways to effectively promote public safety without provoking a constitutional crisis or widespread civil disobedience. Republican delegate Todd Gilbert has already come up with an excellent plan to combat violent crime in the states urban areas, and it doesnt involve any new gun-control laws. Instead, it empowers cities to work with the U.S. attorneys in the area to identify and target the most violent offenders with one simple message: Youre going to stop shooting. Well help you if you let us. Well make you if we have to. Targeted prosecutions in the federal system put individuals who wont change behind bars for as long as possible, while programs allow young men to actually break away from the cycle of violence and start to take control over their lives.

In fact, more and more academics are saying that the broad strokes of gun control are ineffective at addressing the small number of individuals who are driving violent crime in our cities. Professor Bindu Kalesan of Boston University, for example, has noted that gun-related violent crime among youths has been trending upwards in recent years, even in states such as Colorado and Maryland where gun-control laws have been put on the books. She says efforts to stem gun violence must focus on the individuals and groups who are actually committing these crimes, as well as addressing the issues that may drive the violence. What we dont need, she says, are more broad and blunt gun-control laws.

Thats the better way to address drug-related and gang-related violence. What about suicide? Red-flag laws may take someones firearms from them, but it leaves them with their pills, their belts, their car keys, knives, and anything else they might use to take their own life. Supporters of red-flag laws claim that gun-related suicides have declined in Connecticut and Indiana, where these laws have been on the books for the longest amount of time, but they never mention that the overall suicide rates in both states have continued to climb, even with red-flag laws on the books. Fewer people may be killing themselves with a gun, but more people are killing themselves overall. I dont know how anybody can call that a success story.

Instead of free community college for low-income Virginians, how about spending that $145 million a year on mental-health services instead? You could do quite a bit with that much money, including expanding access in rural areas through telemedicine and mobile clinics, in urban areas through grants to counseling programs, in communities large and small by funding drug-treatment and rehabilitation programs, and in schools by hiring more counselors and psychologists.

What about domestic violence? Instead of hoping that violent domestic abusers are going to be stopped by a piece of paper, why dont we empower their victims instead? Allow individuals whove had to take out an order of protection to carry a firearm on an emergency basis, and help with expedited training if need be through state grants given to county sheriffs offices to administer.

Also, put some teeth in the existing law. If someone violates an order of protection, dont let them be immediately released on bond after theyve been arrested. Allow high bonds for domestic-violence offenders who have violated orders of protection or have been arrested for abusing the victim while an order of protection was in place. We know the state cant be present at every moment to protect these vulnerable individuals from harm, so the state has an obligation to let them protect themselves. The state also has an obligation, however, to ensure that those violating these orders should face real consequences. In addition, counseling needs to be a part of the consequences. Its not enough to lock them up for a bit and let them stew in their own anger. Rehabilitation has to be a key component of any effort to combat domestic violence.

If Ralph Northam would focus on these three areas, not only would he receive backing from gun owners for his proposals, but if he effectively implemented these plans, he could see dramatic reductions in Virginias homicide and suicide rates, and fairly quickly. Instead of the political equivalent of Vietnam, Northam could produce the political equivalent of the first Gulf War; policies that work fast, are effective, and end up enjoying a lot of popular support.

I have a feeling that the soundtrack to Virginias politics over the next few months is going to be more Country Joe & The Fishs I-Feel-Like-Im-Fixin-to-Die Rag (And its 1, 2, 3, what are we fighting for?/Dont ask me, I dont give a damn, next stop is Vietnam) than Bette Midlers unofficial anthem of the Gulf War, From a Distance, but Id love to be proven wrong.

The choice is ultimately up to Ralph Northam and Virginias Democrats. They can effectively address the states growing number of suicides and its drug- and gang-related violence, as well as domestic violence, without provoking a constitutional crisis and widespread non-enforcement of the laws, or they can go full speed ahead towards an impending political disaster and morass that will be Northams legacy for decades to come and the No. 1 issue for Virginia voters in the federal elections in 2020 and the state elections in 2021.

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Ralph Northams Losing Battle on Sanctuaries - National Review

Appeals Court reverses conviction in freedom of speech case – Whidbey News-Times

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In a case testing free speech restrictions, the state Court of Appeals recently reversed the convictions of a man accused of trying to intimidate two city of Oak Harbor employees in 2017.

The ruling was filed Dec. 30 as a published opinion, which means it established precedent and can be cited in the future.

A jury in Island County Superior Court found Jeremy Dawley guilty of two counts of intimidating a public servant, but the appeals court ruled the statute is constitutionally overbroad because it restricts a substantial amount of free speech. The justices noted that a law that restricts free speech is subject to strict scrutiny and must be narrowly tailored to serve compelling interests of the government.

No matter the motive behind an individuals attempt to influence a public servants vote, opinion, decision or other official action as a public servant, the opinion states, such pure political speech is at the core of the First Amendment and necessarily subject to heightened protection.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington filed an amicus brief in support of Dawley, arguing that the statute for intimidating a public servant criminalizes political speech.

Criticism of public officials is a fundamental exercise of political speech rights protected by the First Amendment and by the Washington Constitution, the brief states.

Dawley, who had been discharged from the Navy after suffering a brain injury, had a history of being antagonistic toward police officers and acting strangely. He was preoccupied with traffic complaints, making 144 calls to the emergency dispatch center in a three-week period, and became upset when officers practiced discretion in enforcement.

In rambling conversations with police officers and the city attorney, Dawley made comments about using Green Beret tactics and owning a sniper rifle. He told the police chief he would give out the Oak Harbor city attorneys personal information to rapists and violent offenders.

Dawley was then arrested after he made public records requests for information about sexual and violent offenders, then went to the city attorneys office.

In arguments at the appeals court, Chief Criminal Deputy Eric Ohme with the Island County Prosecutors Office conceded that Dawley did not make a true threat, which is one of the few categories of speech not protected by the First Amendment. State law has 10 definitions for what constitutes a threat, but a true threat is about violence; its a statement meant to frighten or intimidate someone into believing they will be seriously harmed.

Ohme argued that the statute was constitutional because it doesnt criminalize pure speech, but that it contains two requirements that must be met for convictions, namely a threat and the intent to influence a government employees action.

In addition, he argued that the phone calls made to city staff should be considered private speech, which is subject to less constitutional scrutiny than speech in the public domain, that the law affects only a narrow class of people and the government has a compelling interest in limiting speech meant to intimidate public employees.

In the opinion, the justices found that the intimidating a public servant statute can be saved with a jury instruction that limits it to true threats alone.

The appeals court decision means Dawleys conviction is overturned, though he has already served a jail sentence and moved to Eastern Washington. Court records indicate that he has been arrested this year in two felony cases. In one case, he faces charges that include second-degree assault, assault of a law enforcement officer and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle; the other involves malicious mischief charges.

A judge ordered that Dawley receive a competency evaluation from a mental health provider, court documents indicate.

The rest is here:

Appeals Court reverses conviction in freedom of speech case - Whidbey News-Times

The war on free speech in Tanzania – The Week Magazine

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Every holiday season, the Magoti family comes together from all corners of Tanzania and travels up-country to their ancestral home in Bunda, Tanzania.

This year, they spent Christmas Eve and Christmas at church. Usually, they do a big family dinner and a Magoti family meeting the day after Christmas. But this year, they didn't do any of that. They were too out of spirits.

Tito Magoti, who works as a human rights advocate, was missing from the family festivities. Tito, 26, a program associate with the Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC) in Dar es Salaam, has spent the holiday season hundreds of miles away in Segerea Remand Prison.

Tito's arrest and detention signals a growing crackdown on free expression in Tanzania, according to Oryem Nyeko, a researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"We've been doing research in Tanzania for the past year and a half or so and observed a very dramatic slide in terms of the basic respect for human rights and issues like freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and civil society in the past five or so years since President [John] Magufuli was in power," said Nyeko, who recently authored a report on the threats to independent media and civil society in the country.

On Friday, Dec. 20, the morning before Tito was planning to trek home, he was out shopping for a new phone in Dar es Salaam when five men grabbed him, pulled him into a car and sped off.

"I was in my office, and I got a call from my other brother that my brother was missing," said Edwin Magoti, Tito's older brother who works as an assistant lecturer.

Alarmed, Tito's family immediately called his boss, Anna Henga, who directs LHCR. She quickly mobilized a Twitter campaign the same day to tweet out the hashtag #BringBackTito.

"We thought it is abduction. So, we said, 'Tito is missing, he has been abducted. [We] made a lot of noise: Bring Tito back, Bring Tito back,'" Henga said.

Hours later, the police released a message: "Tito Magoti has not been abducted," Dar es Salaam's police Cmdr. Lazaro Mambosasa told reporters. "He has been arrested along with three other people."

The announcement left Tito Magoti's family and colleagues even more confused. Tito Magoti is an activist, not a criminal, they maintained. He educates Tanzanians about their rights, has a large social media following and is the type of person who gets upset when he sees other people not doing their jobs, according to his family.

If Tito wasn't abducted, where was he? If the police had arrested him, what were the charges?

What should have been a cheerful holiday weekend turned into a desperate search for Tito. For more than 90 hours, no one knew his whereabouts. The Twitter hashtag had gone from #BringBackTito to #FreeTito.

"My team, we moved to various police stations to just look, or to check where Tito was arrested," Henga said. "But it was all in vain."

On Monday, LHRC and other human rights organizations sued Cmdr. Mambosasa and the attorney general in Tanzania's High Court. They demanded the police either release Tito or charge him, in line with Tanzania's constitution.

The police followed through the next day, charging Tito and Theodory Giyan, an IT expert, with three counts of money laundering and organized crime. It was Christmas Eve.

The family was devastated. Everyone knew what it meant to be charged with economic crimes in Tanzania. It means no bail, a drawn-out trial, and, in Tito's case, no Christmas or New Year's celebrations.

"They are charged with very difficult offenses, like criminal, economic, and organized crimes. In Tanzania, those crimes are not bailable. So, they tell them you have done money laundering or you are a terrorist, just to tell you there is no bail," Henga said.

She, like many human rights defenders in Tanzania, views economic charges as a tool for the government to silence critics.

In July, investigative journalist Erick Kabendera was taken from his home by six men, who were only later identified as plainclothes police officers. Like Tito, Kabendera was charged with money laundering and tax evasion.

At the time, the United States and United Kingdom embassies in Tanzania expressed concern over the "steady erosion of due process" in the country.

Yet, six months later, Kabendera remains in prison after a series of delayed court hearings. Kabendera, like Tito, is spending the holidays behind bars.

Since his election in 2015, President John Magufuli has introduced a spade of new laws and policies that have restricted and regulated freedom of speech in the country. The police have also targeted those who are openly critical of the government, from Magufuli's political opponents to civil society groups like LHRC.

"For now, people aren't very free to express themselves. Because if they are vocal and express themselves, it happens like Kabendera and Tito," Henga said. "They get arrested, they get tortured."

The crackdown on civil liberties under Magufuli has put Tanzania at odds with its partners and allies.

In November 2018, the World Bank withdrew $300 million in loans to Tanzania over the government's policy on expelling pregnant girls from school. That same month, Denmark withheld nearly $10 million in aid over disagreements over anti-gay rhetoric and other human rights.

While both have since resumed sending loans and aid to Tanzania, the future of civil liberties in the country remains in question, especially as it heads toward a general election in early 2020.

Nyeko noted, however, that the chill in human rights is not limited to Tanzania. "I think globally there's [a] continued restriction of civil spaces around the world. It's reflected in Tanzania and Uganda. Governments, in very similar ways, are passing laws that justify the restricted space."

Tito's brother, Edwin, finds the restrictions on civil liberties in Tanzania surprising. He never thought that his brother's advocacy could put him in danger and certainly not get him arrested.

Tito's hearing has been set for Jan. 7, but some worry he might face the same legal limbo as Kabendera. For his family, this could mean an endless cycle of waiting and more missed holidays.

"It won't be the same because Tito will be missing There's no way it can be the same," Edwin Magoti said.

This article originally appeared at PRI's The World.

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The war on free speech in Tanzania - The Week Magazine

Ricky Gervais: ‘Offense is the collateral damage of free speech’ – Washington Times

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British comedian Ricky Gervais stressed the importance of free speech in a new interview Thursday, saying that while he strives to make his jokes bulletproof, he also believes that offending people is collateral damage in comedy.

Mr. Gervais, who is hosting the Golden Globe Awards for the fifth time on Sunday, told The Hollywood Reporter that he has no plans of watering down his material for the politically correct masses.

People like the idea of freedom of speech until they hear something they dont like, he said. So theres still a pressure, but that doesnt mean Im going to water it down or back down and not say what I want. Its just another form of what weve been through many, many times it used to be called P.C. I think those things start off with very good intention and then theyre mugged.

Its a good thing to not be racist and sexist and homophobic, but its not a good thing to not be allowed to make jokes about those things, because you can tell a joke about race without being racist, he continued. Im happy to play by the rules. Its just that the 200 million people watching have different rules. Thats the plight. When people say, He crossed the line, I say, I didnt draw a line, you did. Its relative. Its subjective.

Mr. Gervais came under fire for his 2016 performance at the Globes after he cracked a joke using Caitlyn Jenners former name, Bruce, and mocked Jenners driving in reference to a fatal crash in which the former Olympian was involved. Mr. Gervais said Thursday that he is not transphobic and that his joke was misunderstood.

I can justify the jokes, but I get it, he said. Some people, when you deal with contentious issues or taboo subjects, the very mention of them is the sacrilege. Thats why they stay taboo. People straight away, particularly with a comedian, if youre joking about a subject, they think youre anti it as opposed to pro it. Ive tried to explain this in [the Netflix special] Humanity. Its an occupational hazard of being outspoken.

I think offense is the collateral damage of free speech, and its no reason not to have free speech, he added. Thats what Id say its the lesser of two evils. Having free speech and some people getting upset by it is the lesser of two evils because not having free speech is horrendous.

Mr. Gervais said hes trying to write bulletproof material for this years Globes so that it can stand the test of time 10 years from now.

Kevin Hart [lost] his job [as Oscars host] for 10-year-old tweets that he said he was sorry about and deleted at the time, he noted. So theres more pressure on making [the jokes bulletproof]. Its the world [watching]. This isnt me in a comedy club.

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Non-profit sues Iowa State University on grounds of free speech infringement – Local 5 – weareiowa.com

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AMES Iowa State University is under legal fire, as accusations of infringement on students freedom of speech have brought on a lawsuit.

Speech First, a non-profit working to to fight restrictions on free speech at colleges and universities across the U.S., filed a lawsuit against Iowa State Thursday. The organization says Iowa State has created an elaborate investigative and enforcement regime designed to chill speech concerning political and social issues of public concern.

Speech First is asking the court to rule three policies Iowa State has as unconstitutional: a ban on chalking, a prohibition on student emails related to campaigns and elections, and a Campus Climate Reporting System.

Iowa State gave a statement to Local 5 on the lawsuit at hand, saying freedom of speech is an important aspect of the universitys character.

As a public institution, Iowa State University fully embraces its role as a First Amendment campus and is deeply committed to constitutional protections of free expression, a university spokesperson told Local 5.

The protections afforded by the First Amendment and similar provisions in the Iowa Constitution are core values of the university and are foundational to the universitys mission to create, share, and apply knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place. Constitutional free speech provisions are designed to establish and protect the free marketplace of ideas that is a fundamental characteristic of university life.

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‘Anne with an E’ Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Free speech crusade makes it one of the best episodes on TV – MEAWW

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Major spoilers for Season 3 Episode 7 of 'Anne with an E' ahead

"Freedom of speech is a human right." This the unifying theme of 'A Strong Effort of the Spirit of Good', which marks Season 3 Episode 7 of 'Anne with an E', and it is hard to not feel empowered by this particular story.

In the previous Episode 6 of the series, we saw how Josie (Miranda McKeon) was harassed by her beau Billy (Christian Martyn), who then went on to tarnish her reputation in town. Anne (Amybeth McNulty), who quickly caught on with what was going on, stood up to Billy but ended up stepping on the wrong foot of everyone gathered at the dance floor after the County Fair. She also unwittingly embarrassed Josie, who ran out almost immediately.

Further, Anne decides that the only way to convey how Josie has been wronged is to write an Op-ed about the incident, wherein she made a bold claim that women are full beings on their own, as opposed to being complete only with a man by her side. Unfortunately, the Town Council was not forgiving of this claim and went on to demand that the school paper be shut down or run exclusively by the standards they have set, but in doing so they exposed the whole town to their prejudice and their chauvinism.

The whole school is angry with Anne, but for a few friends, including Gilbert (Lucas Jade Zumann), who convince the rest of the class to stand up for her. She leads a protest march, which also sees the adults joining in, including Marilla (Geraldine James).

The students demand that their voices be heard, and declare that "freedom of speech is a human right." Gilbert also tore the list of suggestions that the Town Council had for them. It is clear that these voices of dissent shook them because the episode closes with a bunch of men taking the printing machine out of the school, while one man using his cigarette to set the whole school on fire.

The episode is definitely one of the most inspiring ones on TV and has many teachable moments, especially when Anne chose to stand up for her biggest bully Josie. Even though they have a complicated friendship - with Josie even slapping her - Anne chose to focus on the bigger issue, a crime that is being committed against an entire gender. Josie standing up for herself, even though she had the option of making it all go away, was another great moment to watch.

'A Strong Effort of the Spirit of Good' also juxtaposes educated and uneducated men responding to harassment and feminism. While the Town Council, which consists of a group of influential men, continuously talked over their fellow member Rachel (Corrine Koslo) and is condescending towards her, Matthew (R. H. Thomson), who dropped out of school, said, "I reckon you've heard from about enough men on this topic," when asked his opinion by Marilla.

There is much to be learned from and enjoyed in this episode, and you can do it right away because all the episodes of 'Anne with an E' Season 3 have been added to Netflix.

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'Anne with an E' Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Free speech crusade makes it one of the best episodes on TV - MEAWW

Second Year Of ESPN, Elk Grove Village Marketing Partnership On The Books – Journal & Topics Newspapers Online

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Elk Grove Village Mayor holds the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl trophy on the field, decorated with the Makers Wanted logo before the big game in Nassau, Bahamas Friday, Dec. 20. (Photo by 4Front marketing)

Elk Grove Village sponsored the first ESPN college bowl game of the holiday season the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Friday, Dec. 20 in Nassau, Bahamas.

The field and stadium were filled with logos and graphics featuring Elk Grove Villages Makers Wanted slogan. This was the second year Elk Grove Village sponsored the game. Ratings and website analytics were not immediately available from ESPN or the villages marketing company, 4Front.

Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson said sponsorship of the game is about marketing the village to national and even international audiences. Analytics from the December 2018 Bahamas Bowl shows the village received about $12 million worth of media exposure from the game, Johnson said.

With the novelty of the first non-tourist municipality to sponsor a bowl game over, Johnson said he did not expect to see the same level of buzz about the 2019 Bahamas Bowl, but still believes it will be of value.

Elk Grove Village spent $849,000 on sponsorship of the 2018 and 2019 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl games, including fees to ESPN, television commercial production and other marketing. Those fees include advertising buys for the presidential election on cable news channels and a marketing contract with the firm 4Front.

Loves Travel Stops & Country Store Real Estate Project Manager Chad Bruner (left) with Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson after an October Elk Grove Village board meeting where a new Loves at 1900 Busse Rd. was approved. Bruner said he learned about the village watching the December 2018 Bahamas Bowl game at home in Oklahoma. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

Loves Travel Stops & Country Stores is set to open a new location in Elk Grove Village, which Johnson said could be worth $15 to $20 million in tax revenue to the village over 20 years. Officials with Loves say they chose the village after seeing commercials for Elk Grove Village during the 2018 Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl.

Seven Elk Grove Village businesses also donated $50,000 in building materials and supplies to a Nassau-based organization founded to provide a home for children displaced as a result of family problems, who have been abandoned, orphaned or whose primary caregivers are deceased. As part of the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl Charitable Initiative coordinated by the village, Johnson said building supplies including tile, doors, appliances and other items, would be used as Ranfurly Homes expands to meet new demand caused by Dorian. Officials with Ranfurly told Johnson the building supplies were a huge help.

Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson (right) with Alexander Roberts, administrator of the Ranfurly Homes for Children (left) in front of U.S. government provided tents at the Ranfurly Homes in the Bahamas. (Photo provided by 4Front Marketing)

When Johnson arrived at Ranfurly Homes for Children in Nassau during his trip to the Bahamas Bowl, he was shocked to see children displaced by Hurricane Dorian still living in tents provided by the United States.

The children at Ranfurly are from Grand Bahama, one of two islands along with the island of Abaco devastated by the slow moving Category 5 hurricane in September.

Although the islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco were devastated by the hurricane, The Bahamas includes 700 islands over a 10,000-square mile area. Grand Bahama and Abaco are located in the northern part of the island chain.

The capital of Nassau missed the storm, only experiencing minor flooding. Nassau is located on two adjacent islands linked by a bridge in the center on the islands of New Providence, where the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl was played at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, and the smaller Paradise Island where the event hotel, the Atlantis, is located.

Johnson oversaw a pinball tournament and beach party dance-off between bowl game athletes at the Atlantis. The pinball tournament was hosted by Elk Grove Village-based Stern Pinball. Stern brought Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy pinball machines to the tournament, donating each school one machine each.

Tourism is the Bahamas largest industry. Bahamian officials are eager to dispel the notion that Dorian destroyed all the nations tourist sites.

The game was played between the Bulls of the University of New York at Buffalo and the 49ers from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. The Bulls dominated the 49ers in a 31-9 victory. The offensive player of the game was Bulls running back Jaret Patterson who rushed 32 times for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In attendance with Mayor Johnson at the big game was Mike Brennan, principal at the Brennan Investment Group. Brennan brought along some of his top sales staff as a reward, Johnson said. Commercials aired during the game featuring the new Elk Grove Technology Park along with the villages longtime business park.

A big crowd fills Real Time Sports on Devon Avenue in Elk Grove Village at the official watch party for the village-sponsored ESPN Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, Friday, Dec. 20. The big screen shows the villages Makers Wanted logo filling the field between the 20 and 30 yard lines. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

Back in Elk Grove Village, a few hundred people gathered at Real Time Sports Bar for the official watch party, including village staffers, public works crews and others. Village staffers dressed in bright blue Bahamas Bowl T-shirts greeted those attending the event and gave away prizes.

Bigger cheers at Real Time did not go up when major plays were made on the gridiron, but when one of four commercials for the village aired. The broadcast also showed B-Roll from the pinball tournament and beach bash.

Colleen Heniff, a freshman at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte (right), home in Lombard on winter break from school, sits with her father Bill to cheer on UNC Charlotte 49ers at the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl official watch party at Real Time Sports Friday, Dec. 20. Tom Robb/Journal photo)

One who made the trip to Real Time Sports was Colleen Heniff, a freshman at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, who was home in Lombard on winter break from school. She came to the viewing party with her father Bill to cheer on her team.

Although the crowd thinned after halftime when the Bulls were up 17-0, Real Time manager Ben Cirrincione said the bar was two-to-three-times busier than normal. He said he expected the Bahamas Bowl to be the busiest of all the ESPN college football bowl games.

Village staffers clad in Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl gear welcome guests at the official watch party for the bowl game at Real Time Sports last Friday, Dec. 20. (From left) Jenn Mahon, Kathy Hahn, Giordan Kaplan, Bolor Bat-Erdem and Brianna Bacigalupo. Tom Robb/Journal photo)

Even the Bahamas Bowl could not escape the reach of Elk Grove Villages retroactive term limits referendum debate. Concerned Citizens of Elk Grove Village chairman Tim Burns confirmed his group paid to run an advertisement through Comcast in the Chicago market. An illuminated truck with messages advocating term limits also circled the parking lot outside the viewing party.

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Bahamas airlift on ‘upward trajectory’ heading into 2020 – EyeWitness News

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS Airlift into The Bahamas remains on an upward trajectory, according to Tyrone Sawyer, senior Director of Airlift Development in the Ministry of Tourism.

Sawyer said islands like Eleuthera and Exuma have benefitted from additional flights as a result of Hurricane Dorian.

In an interview with Eyewitness News Online, Sawyer said: With regards to our airlift into Nassau and Paradise Island, our seat capacity is up year over year tracking for the next 60-90 days. That would demonstrate the confidence airlines have placed in the islands of The Bahamas and an indication of load factor performance out of our key markets over the past two years. We have had a strong sustained air seat capacity despite the hit we took from Dorian.

Sawyer noted the country has been able to maintain its seat capacity from key hubs such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas Fort Worth, Houston and London.

That would be an indication of the confidence the carriers have in our promotional efforts to generate demand in the marketplace, he said.

We would have seen a hit in our load factor performance in October, a bit in November but we would have started to see a rebound in December. Airlift is on upward trajectory.

Sawyer said 80 percent of this nations total seat capacity comes through Nassau and Paradise Island.

Because we have lost airlift into Abaco and Grand Bahama we have seen carriers put in extra flights to Exuma and North Eleuthera, he said.

Delta would have added a third departure on Saturdays into north Eleuthera and American would have added a third daily departure into George Town Exuma.

Sawyer added: Those destinations have been impacted in a positive way.

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Bahamas airlift on 'upward trajectory' heading into 2020 - EyeWitness News

Bahamas Travel Alert Updated by the CDC – Vax Before Travel

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A Level 3 Travel Alert has been updated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

As of January 3, 2020, the CDC recommends that US residents avoid nonessential travel to certain affected parts of the Bahamas, including the Abacos and Grand Bahama Island.

Parts of the Bahamas, including the Abacos and Grand Bahama Island, have been severely affected by Hurricane Dorian.

US residents should avoid nonessential travel to affected parts of the Bahamas.

Affected by Hurricane Dorian on September 12, 2019, visitors to the Bahamas may experience serious health/safety risks and medical care may be limited or unavailable.

And, reduced access to safe water, food, and shelter in some areas may create conditions for outbreaks of infectious diseases.

The CDC says if you must travel to the Bahamas, consider these action items:

Previously, the CDCupdated travel vaccine suggestions for The Bahamas on August 2, 2019.

The CDC suggests various preventive vaccines, such as measles, Hepatitis A, and Typhoid vaccinations prior to traveling abroad.

The Bahamas is also included in the CDCs updated worldwide Measles Alert, issued on January 3, 2020.

And recently, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) includes The Bahamas in a Dengue outbreak notice.

This updated CDC Travel Alert is unfortunate news since The Bahamas has experienced an increase in tourism recently.

According to government statistics, Grand Bahama received 670,000 visitors in 2018, the vast majority arriving on cruise ships.

And, the Nassau and Paradise Island hotel industry reported a spike in average daily room rates, up 34 percent in one year.

To alert international travelers of their security risks when visiting The Bahamas, the US Department of State reissued a Level 2 Travel Advisory on November 26, 2019.

This Exercise Increased Caution advisory by the State Department indicates that visitors to The Bahamas are experiencing various types of crime.

Additionally, the Canadian and UK governments issued similar Travel Advisories during 2019.

Specifically, the UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to Bahamas northwest islands. There have been incidents of violent crime including robbery, which is often armed and sometimes fatal, in residential and tourist areas of New Providence, Grand Bahama, and Freeport.

This FCO advisory suggests visitors to The Bahamas be vigilant at all times and dont walk alone away from the main hotels, tourist areas, beaches, and downtown Nassau, particularly after dark.

Moreover, Take care if traveling on local bus services after dusk on routes away from the main tourist areas.

Previously, the UK's National Travel Health Network and Center reported 'risks of the Zika virusin The Bahamas during 2019. The details of specific affected areas within the Bahamas are not available. The UK suggests pregnant women avoidtraveling to the Bahamasuntil after the pregnancy.

In the event that travel is unavoidable, the pregnant womenmust be informed of the risks which the Zika viruspresents to unborn children, such as Microcephaly.

Separately, the Government of Canada Travel Advice and Advisories for The Bahamas was last updated on October 1, 2019, which says 'Avoid Nassaus over the hill (south of Shirley Street) and Fish Fry (Arawak Cay) areas, especially at night.'

Furthermore, the Canadian government says 'sexual assault occurs frequently in The Bahamas, particularly near hotels, in hotel rooms, in casinos, on cruise ships, and on the beach. Reported incidents are on the rise in Nassau, including on Paradise Island. In some cases, the victim was drugged. And, be wary when embarking on jet-ski rides with licensed or unlicensed operators, as several incidents of sexual assault have been reported.

The Bahamas travel vaccine news published by Vax Before Travel

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15 Surprising Facts About All-Inclusive Resorts In The Bahamas – TheTravel

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The Bahamas is an area that relies heavily on tourism. This is a place that attracts lots of visitors, despite the fact that it has been hit by some really bad weather over the years. According to travelandleisure.com, this place saw lots of damage after a hurricane rolled through there recently.

Other than the bad weather, there are lots of reasons to love a place like the Bahamas, so it is easy to see why so many visitors from all around the world are drawn to it every year. Apparently, this area is rather large. It is actually made up of approximately 700 different islands.

One thing people love about this area is the resorts that are there. Here are some interesting facts about them.

People who want to show off the area they are staying at during their visit need to really consider the spot they are visiting beforehand. According to tripadvisor.com, those who go to Fowl Cay Resort should not bring any visitors to their rooms, or they will be charged for it.

According to tripadvisor.com, some people have experienced things at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort that made their visit there much less enjoyable. They claimed that the staff members stared at them, and they also claimed that they made comments about them as well, which is never an acceptable thing to do.

Not everyone who goes to Fowl Cay Resort gets an enjoyable experience, but there are definitely some perks to visiting this place. According to thecrazytourist.com, people who go there can get treated to some awesome things, like picnic lunches that are prepared by a very skilled chef on the island.

There are lots of fun things for guests to do when they visit Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort, according to thecrazytourist.com. People who like to scuba dive will have a great time there, and so will those who enjoy doing things like swimming and playing tennis. They can also play volleyball.

Ocean views are something everyone usually loves, to lots of people look forward to things like that when they go to resorts. But those who visit the Hotel Riu Palace might only get a portion of an ocean view, according to tripadvisor.com. That is what happened to at least one customer.

This resort is not one for people who want to chill out and relax all the time. According to thecrazytourist.com, there is a really nice golf course attached to this place, so it is awesome for anyone who likes to do that kind of thing. Golfing can be pretty fun.

Grand Lucayan was affected by a storm a while back, and some people feel as though that had a big impact on it. According to tripadvisor.com, there were not as many fun things there as there used to be when some people visited this place, and they didnt have enjoy the trip.

Melia Nassau beach is a fun place to go for some people, but its not that great for those who like to be really active during their vacations. According to tripadvisor.com, some people can actually get really bored while they are there, and the food is not even that enjoyable.

Some guests who have visited Viva Wyndham Resort have not had the greatest experiences. According to tripadvisor.com, guests who have stayed there did not always have access to some of the most basic things while they were there, some of which included hot water, as well as a television signal.

According to thecrazytourist.com, there are a few good things about Small Hope Bay Lodge. One of those things is the fact that it does not have much of a negative impact on the environment, which is always really good. But guests also do not have any television or internet access.

Small Hope Bay Lodge may not have a huge impact on the environment, but there are some downsides to going there, according to tripadvisor.com. This place doesnt have good food, which is very disappointing when one considers how much money things like this typically cost. The food should be good.

The Sandals Resort at Emerald Bay has been disappointing for some people. According to tripadvisor.com, some guests filled out a list of preferences online before they arrived, but they discovered the staff members dont always receive that information, and they didnt get everything they wanted, which made their trip disappointing.

Club Med is a very luxurious place, but that is not the only thing that makes it a cool place to go. According to thecrazytourist.com, this resort is one of the few resorts that are ideal for families to go to. There are endless activities for young kids and adults.

Club Med is very popular, but there are some people who refuse to visit that place again, according to tripadvisor.com. There were multiple reasons why this is true, and one of them is the fact that some of the staff members can be a bit rude and blunt at times.

There are lots of things to do at this resort, but that is especially true at night. According to thecrazytourist.com, this is a great place for people who love going out and doing fun things late at night. During their stay, guests can go to nightclubs and attend some parties.

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15 Surprising Facts About All-Inclusive Resorts In The Bahamas - TheTravel

On a sailing trip in the Bahamas, 8 friends taste Robinson Crusoe – Daily Gaming Worlld

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Thick emerald waves broke over a quarter mile long sandbar that blocked our way. A few hundred meters to the east, whitecaps crashed over Exuma Sound an abyss of 6,000 feet deep of rolling waves and powerful tradewinds that would probably turn our little sailboats around. Past the sandbar we saw the quiet flats of the Exuma Bank and the protected beach where we hoped to camp the first night of the trip. We just had to come around the bar before it got dark.

A shadow flashed under the trunk a 4-foot wide stingray looking for food in the low tide. Two needle fish squirted out of the water and almost landed in the cockpit. The water was so clear that it was like looking through a glass-bottomed boat at coral heads, pieces of seagrass and shellfish passing by on the ocean floor.

Zach Tucker sailed alongside the second boat in our armada. He was relatively new to sailing, but had turned out to be a natural talent. We each carried three friends from Brooklyn, N.Y., along with enough food, water and rum to stay on the Exuma Islands of the Bahamas for a week. This was my second trip through the islands on the 21-foot expedition sailboats that Out Island Explorers rents from its base on Great Exuma Island. After searching for a vacation in the Bahamas free from the boundaries of a cruise ship, an all-inclusive resort or even traditional sailboat charter where staff goes to great lengths to protect guests from the rough natural beauty of the islands I had Out Islands explores sailing camping trips and sets off to explore the Caribbean pine-lined beaches, deserted beaches, inland water fishing villages and pristine coral reefs of the Exumas.

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We chose the unguided package on this trip guided trips are also possible that would include long days of navigating with maps and compass around windy atolls, longer nights sitting around a campfire, spearfishing dinner, sleeping in tents on the beach and in the generally lead a Robinson Crusoe existence, without the cannibals, prisoners and (hopefully) mutiny.

As the sun disappeared over the flats and the light disappeared from the sky, I signaled to Zach that he should cross his boat to Harveys Cay so that we could get around the sandbar. Festive cocktails were stored away. A few life jackets appeared in the cockpit. Then, just as a half moon came out of the water, a dark blue channel appeared and cut through the sandbar. The wind held on long enough for the boats to slip through, and half an hour later we sailed a window line for the beach.

Cocktails reappeared. A pool of silvery moonlight gathered around the boats. The silhouette of Zachs sails looked like black pincers sticking out of the ocean. There were no lighted trails or cabanas ashore, no host who prepared sashimi or DJs who played tunes. There was only our group of big-eyed friends, two ice coolers, a lot of frozen food we had brought from the States, camping gear and a portable radio to play Bahamian rake and scrape hits on whatever radio station we could turn on.

Hurricanes and shallow seas

The country was as unspoiled as when Columbus came to this coast, Ernest Hemingway wrote in Islands in the Stream about life on Bimini Island in the Bahamas in the 1930s. A local on Little Farmers Cay explained the unspoiled nature of the islands in a different way. Everything you build will eventually be wiped out, he said, pointing to the ruins of four cabanas he owned that were destroyed by a hurricane years ago.

Last September, many months after our trip, Hurricane Dorian would do exactly that, paving the way for destruction across the Abacos and Grand Bahama. The Exumas a north-south strand of around 365 bordered bays between Nassau and Long Island were largely spared.

Fortunately March is far beyond the hurricane season, so the biggest danger we encountered during the trip was running aground on the many sandbanks on the Exuma Bank. (The word Bahamas is derived from the Spanish Baha Mar or shallow seas.) The neck-deep flats extend over more than 2,000 square miles of the western shores of the Exumas placing most beaches that we would camp on beyond the reach of in-depth cruise ships, yachts, and virtually everything else except local fish kicks and our expedition boats.

The Sea Pearl is able to sail fully loaded in 18 inch of water and is a unique vessel. Two Sunfish-style sails make the boats very manoeuvrable and fast in a range or against the wind. You also dont have to worry about towing anchor. At night we pushed the boat 10 feet from the shore, threw an anchor from the stern and tied the bow line to a tree.

For $ 1,350, Out Island Explorers supplies four passengers with a boat, tents, sleeping bags, mattresses, a cooking set, propane, Yeti coolers, water containers, chairs, a Hawaiian sling gun and everything else you need to survive a week in paradise. All we had to do was fly to Staniel Cay airport, raise the sails and push in the sunset. A week later we would end our one-way trip 80 miles south on Great Exuma Island and fly home.

We didnt have to look for nature on our first morning on Bitter Guana Cay; it wobbled over to us in the form of 3-foot-long Exuma Island iguanas. Six of the old, endangered lizards watched intently as we make coffee and roam the snow-white beach for a morning swim.

Eight seagulls circled and screamed while we grabbed the boats two hours later and went back to sea. Flat green islands floated off the coast and an endless canvas of shallows, colored aquamarine through shifting arches of sand, reached the horizon. Tradewinds blew from the northeast, but the water on the shore, protected by the islands, was perfectly flat. After a lifetime of sailing and captain boats and at all costs avoiding shallow water I watched with awe how the Sea Pearls plow through knee-deep water at a speed of 7 km / h.

The boats are surprisingly similar to the canoes that the first inhabitants of the Exumas, the Lucayan Taino, used more than 1000 years ago. The earliest history of the tribe was recorded by the first and most notorious Western sailor in the Bahamas, Christopher Columbus, who allegedly landed in the New World on San Salvador, 100 miles east of the Exumas.

The perfect beach

We saw a glimpse of the dark blue depths of Exuma Sound while we sailed around the northern tip of Great Guana Cay. We planned a short day on the water and passed half a dozen beaches too big, too small, too airy, not quite dreamy enough until we found the perfect one, framed by palmettos, casuarina evergreens and on the other side of the island , a cove filled with Bahamian lobster.

The scene 500 meters away on the shores of Exuma Sound was the reverse of the west. School bus-sized waves crashed into a razor-sharp grid of limestone cliffs. (Sailors call it iron-bound because it is so impossible to land on it.) We didnt need the Hawaiian pendulum for the first lobster we caught him strolling along the beach 10 meters from the water. The following two samples each more than 2 feet long required 40 minutes of skin diving.

We fell into a groove in the coming days and fully embraced #castawaylife. We made breakfast tacos with fresh lime and a lettuce-cabbage carrot, washed dishes in the shallow water, swam, read, meditated, stretched, swam again, reset the anchors and made plans to simplify our lives when we got home.

One afternoon we visited Terry Bain the owner of the cabanas washed down in a hurricane and maker of the best pina coladas in the Bahamas in his Ocean Cabin Restaurant & Bar on Little Farmers Cay. We were halfway through the journey and he provided us with water, ice, rice, rum, cigars, cooking oil, and a dozen tomatoes that his wife, Ernestine, individually wrapped in paper towels. That night we camped on a half mile long beach across the bay on Big Farmers Cay, snatched solar Christmas lights into the palm trees and watch ballyhoo and jacks jump along the shoreline, their silver scales reflecting flashes of moonlight.

I followed Zach the next day for four hours on a wide range to Darby Island, the location of an abandoned 8,000 square foot castle built in 1938 by Sir Guy Baxter, a Nazi sympathizer and English hotelier.

We walked through the sun-bleached battlements and creepy stairwells of the castle and then floated through the trench for a few hours, before continuing south towards the Bock Cay archipelago. A little known secret about the Exumas is the number of Hollywood celebrities who have bought islands there. Current and former owners are Johnny Depp, Eddie Murphy, Nicolas Cage, John Travolta and Sir Richard Branson. Earlier that day we had sailed past David Copperfields old hideout on Musha Cay. That evening, as a muslin veil of clouds slid over the western horizon, we sailed past Goat Cay, where Faith Hill and Tim McGraw recently built a tropical compound.

Spear fishing and singing

We found our own harbor that evening east of Goat Cay on Lignum Vitae Cay. There we set up our last camp on a vast arch of 200 meters of powdery sand with a view of a deep blue cut and Exuma Sound. We spent our last two days snorkeling over coral reefs near the beach, spear fishing and singing Faith Hill hits on the west-facing coast while the sun sets under the land stars house a thousand meters away.

We were only 12 miles away from the drop-off spot on Great Exuma when we left the last day. However, within an hour of being dropped off, we were calmed down and drove straight to Faith Hills home. It was a mixed blessing when her harbor master who had an established interest in keeping our crew of burned stray animals away from their private beach approached us and offered us chilled bottles of water and a tugboat.

He dragged us for an hour to a marina five miles south. There was still no wind, so he handed us over to another unfortunate captain who took the tow line and dragged us to the dock in Barraterre, Great Exuma. We somehow arrived early and checked in at a nearby hotel. After a big meal in an empty air-conditioned restaurant down the street, we slept for the first time within a week.

The beds felt incredibly soft and the air conditioning was fresh. I couldnt sleep, so I walked to a small patio around midnight. A warm breeze blew from the ocean and I heard the sound of waves rolling up the beach. The moon had not yet risen and the sky was a ray of stars from horizon to horizon. I searched for some constellations that sailors had led through these islands in the past: Polaris, Perseus, Cassiopeia. Then I lay down on my back so that I could see the whole night sky, without walls or roof or man-made things that could block him.

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Bahamasair 737-500s banned from flying to the U.S., per FAA requirements – The Points Guy

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Three Bahamasair Boeing 737-500 jets have been banned from entering U.S. airspace after the airline missed a January 1, 2020, deadline to install surveillance technology required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

In 2010, the FAA required airlines to install technology that improves safety and efficiency in the air and on runways, according to a report from Tribune242. Bahamasair reportedly inked a deal in June 2019 to have the required ADS-B avionics kit delivered in September, nearly ten years after the FAAs mandate. That deal reportedly fell through. Now the airline, according to the report, is working with another company to supply the equipment for $195,000 for the three planes.

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The 737-500 is an older Boeing model, and Bahamasair officials say theyve had trouble finding equipment necessary to comply with the FAAs order. Bahamasair chairman Tommy Turnquest told Tribune242 that the airline doesnt expect to have the equipment before March.

But even if you have a trip to or from the Bahamas coming up soon, the airline doesnt seem worried. Even with the hiccup, Turnquest said he doesnt expect the airline to face delays.

This first came up in 2010 but very few aircraft took advantage because within ten years youre not sure what your fleet would be, he told Tribune242.

The 737-500 can accommodate up to 140 passengersand is frequently used on routes like Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO).

Bahamasair is the national flag carrier of the Bahamas. It serves 32 destinations to the U.S., the Bahamas and other parts of the Caribbean with a fleet of nine planes.

Featured image courtesy of Terrence wijesena/Getty Images

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Bahamasair 737-500s banned from flying to the U.S., per FAA requirements - The Points Guy

Bahamas Set to Launch its own Cryptocurrency, the Sand Dollar – Coin Idol

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Dec 30, 2019 at 09:16 // News

According to the latest reports from the Bahamian government, the country's central bank has moved to launch the country's first bank controlled digital currency. The digital currency dubbed the Sand dollar will be distributed and controlled by the Central bank itself.

According to the bank the new digital currency will enter into a pilot testing phase during the first six months of 2020. Further information indicates that the sand Dollar will be valued as the country's currency, the Bahamian Dollar (BSD) in the ratio of one to one. On the other hand the Bahamian local currency is valued at the same prices as the US dollars. This means the Sand Dollar is a blockchain version of the United States dollar. There the creator of the Sand Dollars believes the digital currency is a stable coin.

According to government sources, the new digital currency is meant to improve financial inclusion within the country's communities. The same source also iterated that the Sand Dollar would reduce the cost of monetary transactions within the country's borders.

Meanwhile the global regulatory landscape as regard regulations within the crypto space is not yet globally friendly. Some countries enacted a generally conducive regulatory framework to enable the industry grow. In the Bahamas just like it is in many other nations, the government developed its own cryptocurrency contrary to the digital currencies that the government have no control over.

The central bank revealed that it would embark on developing new law to protect users within the digital finance sector. The bank promised once the regulations are ready the new digital currency will become readily available to banks, individuals and businesses across the country.

The central bank believes that the new digital currency would reduce the risks associated with carrying cash. The bank also said the digital currency reduces the cost of insurance and security associated with handling large sums of money by businesses.

In the meantime, there are restrictive measures put in place to regulate the amount of the new digital currency one can keep in his digital wallet. The current account balance limit in the digital wallet is set at 1m dollars.

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Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy Show Off Muscles With Swimsuit Pics From Bahamas – Us Weekly

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Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy get the mirrorball trophy for best muscles! The married couple, who both have served as pro dancers on Dancing With the Stars, showed off their ripped physiques in an Instagram photo from Nassau, Bahamas, on Monday, December 30.

Maks always looks this good, but Im tensing every muscle for this pic, Murgatroyd, 33, quipped in her Instagram caption as she uploaded the photos.

In the first snapshot, both husband and wife bare their abs, with Murgatroyd dressed in a lime-green two-piece bikini and Chmerkovskiy, 39, sporting striped trunks. The couple stayed at Baha Mar during their getaway.

The post caught the attention of other DWTS pros: Lindsay Arnold commented on the pics with three fire emoji, Keo Motsepe wrote, Bahamama bahamama, and Henry Byalikov commented, Bermuda, bahama, come on pretty Mumma! The Bachelor and Married at First Sight alum Jamie Otis also commented on the post, writing, Woah, BABES.

Murgatroyd and Chmerkovskiy tied the knot in 2017 and welcomed their son, Shai, that same year. This October, Murgatroyd told Us Weekly exclusively she would love to have more kids with her Ukrainian beau.

Were talking about it now and trying to it sounds crazy schedule it in, she said. The next season will probably be in fall again, so can I fit a baby in before then? Probably can, so well see if its doable, yeah.

The New Zealand-born dancer also predicted a massive baby boom among the DWTS pros. A lot of them have come to me because they liked how I scheduled [my pregnancy] and how I could get back to work, she explained. I think women nowadays definitely are wanting to work still and not just be a stay-at-home mom. They still want to have careers, they still want to be out there being successful. I think a lot of them are going to do it really soon. Theyre all kind of on the verge of, Yes, lets do it now, or, Lets wait another six months.

Chmerkovskiy, meanwhile, is also ready to expand the family. I cant wait for more [children], he told Us exclusively in September 2018. Theres so much going on in my head when I wake up [as a dad], but it makes you a better person, and its awesome.

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Deltec Bank, Bahamas Blockchain Technologies could Simplify the KYC and AML – Press Release – Digital Journal

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Deltec Bank, Bahamas - Blockchain technologies could simplify that process to reduce duplication, which would immediately improve the speed, cost, and efficiency of this work.

Some people say that blockchain tech is all hype. Others believe that it can radically change the way that we do business.

When looking at the blockchain applications for Know Your Client (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering Laws (AML), the truth is closer to the latter observation.

Insurance companies, banks, and other financial services providers are finding that blockchain applications are useful in the improvement of their KYC and AML compliance.

Large Companies Could Save $500 Million Annually

The cost of compliance in KYC and AML programs is extraordinarily high. The most significant organizations in the financial services sector are spending up to $500 million each year following these regulations.

Global requirements in KYC and AML areas are becoming more complex as the developing world continues to evolve. The fines and penalties are punitive if an issue develops, which means these organizations must avoid any real or perceived improprieties.

Blockchain offers the option of the distributed ledger to solve the inefficiencies that can lead to compliance problems with existing KYC and AML processes. Proof-of-concept efforts have involved 19 countries and 39 institutions in proving that the application of this tech can save time and money almost immediately.

How Blockchain Works to Solve Inefficiencies

Existing processes for KYC and AML include information asymmetries, duplicate work, and manual validation that require significant overhead investments.

Financial institutions must prepare and submit compliance reports regularly. The aspects of many workflows require a manual review and reconciliation with paper documents. That means there are significant risks of human error and lost items that can prolong the process. Blockchain would keep track of everything in transparent ways while increasing the speed of verification.

Most financial institutions do not share KYC and AML data. If a transaction involves multiple banks, each agency expends resources to ensure that they remain in compliance. According to Deltec Bank, Bahamas - Blockchain technologies could simplify that process to reduce duplication, which would immediately improve the speed, cost, and efficiency of this work.

Financial institutions are spending up to 80% of their resources for KYC and AML on reconciling their documentation. That means little remains to assess client risk or to review the available data. Blockchain technology would let an organizations human capital spend more time analyzing risks while streamlining the processes.

How Much Money Could Blockchain Save in KYC and AML?

BIS Research suggests that the usage of digital ledger technologies from blockchain could reduce the administrative costs of KYC and AML compliance by up to 90%. That means a total global cost savings for all agencies in this industry could reach $8 billion annually.

Even if those gains are not achievable, blockchain immediately addresses the inefficiencies that exist in current systems. It would become a secured and fully auditable source of digitized information that can be verified once instead of repetitively.

Disclaimer: The author of this text, Robin Trehan, has an Undergraduate degree in economics, Masters in international business and finance and MBA in electronic business. Trehan is Senior VP at Deltec International http://www.deltecbank.com. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this text are solely the views of the author, and not necessarily reflecting the views of Deltec International Group, its subsidiaries and/or employees.

About Deltec Bank

Headquartered in The Bahamas, Deltec is an independent financial services group that delivers bespoke solutions to meet clients unique needs. The Deltec group of companies includes Deltec Bank & Trust Limited, Deltec Fund Services Limited, and Deltec Investment Advisers Limited, Deltec Securities Ltd. and Long Cay Captive Management

Media ContactCompany Name: Deltec International GroupContact Person: Media ManagerEmail: Send EmailPhone: 242 302 4100Country: BahamasWebsite: https://www.deltecbank.com/

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Deltec Bank, Bahamas Blockchain Technologies could Simplify the KYC and AML - Press Release - Digital Journal

A New Year’s Message From the Caribbean Tourism Organization – TravelPulse Canada

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If we were to stop and reflect on this year as it comes to a close, we would most likely describe 2019 as a varied year, which both highlighted the strengths in Caribbean tourism and its inherent weaknesses.

The sectors strengths were evident in the significant growth rates experienced by most Caribbean countries. Despite contraction in some larger destinations, such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean experienced an overall 6.1% level of growth in visitor arrivals during the first nine months of the year. It is noteworthy that the growth rates of those countries affected by the 2017 hurricanes were substantial, in some cases up to triple-digit levels.

This level of recovery speaks volumes about the commitment of the Caribbean to this industry which has become the lifeblood of several countries.

During early September, a portion of the northern Bahamas was ravaged by Hurricane Dorian, a super hurricane which broke many records. The devastation caused was a further wake-up call to us in the region that the climatic changes are here and likely irreversible. It is our responsibility to create resilience in not only the tourism sector, but all sectors of our economies and by extension all sections of our societies. We continue to commiserate with our brothers and sisters in The Bahamas on the loss of life and property experienced as a result of Dorian.

The cruise sector has also had a strong showing in 2019 with a 5.8% growth rate for the first three quarters. Implicit in this growth of cruise visits is the fact that as occurred in 2018, there has been consistent growth of cruise visits in each quarter of 2019, albeit at rates which are lower than those experienced in 2018.

During the last two months of 2019, we at the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced that the organization would be going through a process of restructuring. This is currently underway, and it is our intention to emerge from this process with a revised structure which more adequately serves the needs of all our members.

The Caribbean tourism sector is ending 2019 in a position of which all of us can be proud, having seen an overall reversal of the position at the end of 2018. As we look to 2020, we should not rest on our laurels, but continue to work to sustain the growth which was realized this year. At the same time, we must remember that we live in a volatile climatic region which while providing the palate for amazing experiences for our visitors, must always be respected and considered in our planning and development.

In 2020 we continue with the theme of the Year of Festivals as we recognized that it was all but impossible for us to fully embrace the rich culture of the Caribbean in one twelve-month span. This year we hope to move even further along the path of integrating our festivals and other cultural events into the tourism product in all our countries. We recognize that not only do these aspects of our individual countries distinguish us from each other, but they also hold significant potential in the quest to attract even more visitors to our shores.

What is also becoming clearer to us is that we have not begun to fully and responsibly harness the power of our culture and heritage in defining who we are, and this is critical as we seek to offer authentic experiences which benefit both the visitor and the communities in which these experiences exist.

Given the results recorded so far in 2019, it is our expectation that 2020 will, all things being equal, be another year of growth, likely at a rate slightly lower for both stayover arrivals and cruse visits. One way that we can arrest the reduction in growth or even maintain growth at current levels is to embrace the value of speaking with one voice, ONE CARIBBEAN, to the rest of the world. To this end, it is our expectation that one of the outcomes of the restructuring of the CTO will be a new way of speaking with one voice to the rest of the travelling world, thereby pooling our limited resources to become a stronger force for the maintenance and growth of the market share which the Caribbean, the most tourism-dependent region, values.

On behalf of the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism, Board of Directors and the staff of the CTO, I want to thank you all for standing with us in 2019 and we look forward to your support in 2020. I wish for a year filled with blessings, growth and prosperity for this region we love.

About the Caribbean Tourism Organization

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados, is the Caribbeans tourism development agency comprising membership of the regions finest countries and territories including Dutch, English, French and Spanish-speaking, as well as a myriad of private sector allied members. The CTOs vision is to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year-round, warm weather destination, and its purpose is Leading Sustainable Tourism - One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean.

Among the benefits to its members the organization provides specialized support and technical assistance in sustainable tourism development, marketing, communications, advocacy, human resource development, event planning & execution and research & information technology.

The CTOs Headquarters is located at Baobab Tower, Warrens, St. Michael, Barbados BB 22026; Tel: (246) 427-5242; Fax: (246) 429-3065; E-mail: CTObarbados@caribtourism.com;

For more information on the Caribbean Tourism Organization, please visit http://www.OneCaribbean.org and follow CTO on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to be part of the conversation.

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A New Year's Message From the Caribbean Tourism Organization - TravelPulse Canada

30 percent chance of rain during New Year’s Junkanoo parade – EyeWitness News

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS Despite on and off showers throughout the day, the Department of Meteorology does not expect it to rain during the 2020 New Years Junkanoo Parade.

Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) Chairman Dion Miller confirmed the parade will start at 2am on Wednesday.

We dont foresee anything happening after 10pm, except for maybe if anything a very light passing sprinkle, perhaps just before sunrise, said Chief climatological officer Michael Stubbs today.

But other than that, no we dont see any impact.

Thirty percent for most part or less of rain chance during the parade time for the most part. Thats the way it looks now.

Stubbs noted that there is a funnel system thats in the vicinity of the northern Bahamas near Grand Bahama, Abaco, and Bimini which is slowly drifting towards New Providence, Abaco and Eleuthera.

There will be some rainfall, he continued.

That would be what we experienced this morning.

And throughout the day we will have some on and off showers but these showers will diminish as we get towards the evening hours.

So certainly, were looking at about 10 oclock tonight, maybe before then.

But it seems to be more certain that from about 10 pm tonight onward that the rain would of ceased, which will provide the for the persons to participate in the parade.

So, looks like its going to be cooperative.

Although forecasts prior to the 2019 Boxing Day Junkanoo parade predicted clear skies, the rain poured down just after 2am as Genesis Warhawks and made its way down Bay Street.

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30 percent chance of rain during New Year's Junkanoo parade - EyeWitness News