Monthly Archives: June 2021

Private yacht charters spell travel freedom. You can use them to explore many islands or to have maximum time on the water (helpful if borders suddenly close). You can be as active (mountain biking) or laidback (onboard spa treatments) as you like. You can leave an anchorage earlier than planned, or linger. And let's not forget water toys--most vessels come with a full array of them, motorized and not. So consider this Leeward Islands itinerary one excellent example of what is possible. When can you go? Now, but you may need to adjust some ports of call if protocols changeno big deal. For details, see "How to Book It" at the end of this article.

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Where Antigua. Why The largest of the English-speaking Leewards has plenty of secluded anchorages and beaches, and a major historic site: Nelsons Dockyard, the British Royal Navys 18th-century Caribbean base and now home to Antiguas sailing and yachting events. How A private car will whisk you from the airport to the yacht, where the crew awaits. Laze aboard, visit the dockyard, or take a tender to swim and snorkel. Cocktails and dinner are onboard, and the yacht relocates in the morning to either Green Island (private, lots of reef fish) or Five Island Harbor and its beautiful coves.

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Where Nevis (daytrip). Cruise time from Antigua 4.5 hours. Why Its small and scenic (dominated by the Nevis Peak volcano) and untouched by mass tourism. Its also the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton. How Your captain will choose the best location for swimming and water sports (theres diving at Monkey Shoal), as well as for rum punches and live reggae. Theres a beautiful botanical garden, and the golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones II at the Four Seasons is tops in the Caribbean; tee times can be reserved.

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Where St. Kitts (which is part of the same country as Nevis). Cruise time from Nevis 1 hour. Why Its one of the most unspoiled, tranquil, and beautiful islands in the Caribbean, much of it national parks with rainforests and mountain ranges. How After picking an anchorage, you can go hard (hiking the Liamuiga volcano) or easy (exploring on a 4X4flowers, birds, and waterfallsan onboard fitness class, or a tour of the colorful town of Basseterre).

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Where Saba (daytrip). Cruise time from St. Kitts 3.5 hours. Why Its just 5 square miles, most of it occupied by the dormant volcano Mount Scenery, and a wonderland both above water and below. How After anchoring, experienced divers have Saba National Marine Park to play in: coral formations, underwater mountains, sharks, turtles, dolphins. Non-divers can hike, snorkel, or play with the water toyswakeboards, water skis, kayaks, Seabobsyou name it. (Inflatable slide, anyone?)

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Where St. Barts. Cruise time from Saba 2.5 hours. Why Need you ask? The fun part of arriving at St. Barts by yacht is that youre immediately smack in the middle of the action. How Youll wake up in the port of Gustavia and have two full days. When youre not trying to guess which yacht is whose, you can beach-, restaurant-, and spa-hop; you can also shop till you drop. And, yes, theres all that other stuff: hiking, diving, and water sports, including deep sea fishing and a tour in a little yellow submarine. Et voil.

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Where Anguilla. Cruise time from St. Barts 2 hours. Why We have the flat little islands coral base to thank for its superb beaches: blinding white sand, turquoise waterthe best. And hardly any people on them. How Picking beachesthere are 33is serious business on Anguilla, as all have their special aura (and some have restaurants). Your captain will go over the charts with you to assist in the wrenching choicesRendezvous Bay Beach, Meads Bay, Maundays Bay, Little Bay, Shoal Bay East, Shoal Bay West, Long Bay, Barnes Bay, Cove Bay, Crocus Bay, Captain's Bay, Junk's Hole Bay.... You get the idea.

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Where The British Virgin Islands. Cruise time from Anguilla 7.5 hours. Why Its multitude of green isles, some uninhabited, is a yachting paradise. How Youll clear into the BVI in Tortola (from which, on day 15, youll also depart for home) and have four days to explore. In your sights: Peter Island, Cooper Island, Virgin Gorda, Great Camanoe, Little Camanoe, Guano Island, Jost Van Dyke, and Norman Islandwhich inspired Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure Island. Castaway picnics will be provided, and the mothershipheres the beauty of itis always standing by.

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2 Week Boating Itinerary in the Caribbean - 14 Day Yacht Trip in the Caribbean - TownandCountrymag.com

The last year has brought challenges and changes to the travel landscape, particularly luxury, but the concerted efforts and solution-oriented approach that the Caribbean region executed has been incredibly impactful and dynamic as we look ahead, together.

While each island nation has developed unique protocols and strategies to help maintain a healthy and safe lifestyle, the collective region has had a consistency in messaging that can and should be directly linked back to the recent growth in inquiries, web visits and bookings. At The Hartling Group, we already have seen a number of sold out weeks in 2021 and a promising forecast for the summer and fall ahead, a welcome change from 2020 and a positive outlook in travel trends moving forward.

What the Caribbean offers is a diverse collection of exceptionally private escapes that are easily accessible from the U.S., which in the current travel climate, has been highly sought after and in line with what the high net worth traveler is looking for. Travel Age West reported that an American Express survey found 44 percentwere willing to pay more for a hotel where they could easily socially distance and 80 percent of respondents indicated that they were more likely to book a vacation to an uncrowded area or one offering private accommodations. Searches and bookings for private islands and private flights follow this same pattern.

Here are the Caribbean luxury gems that are offering the ultimate in privacy, service and experiences:

The Shore Club Turks & Caicos is the only resort on Long Bay Beach, Providenciales most pristine stretch of oceanfront real estatea less crowded and more discreet location to spend vacation or extended time away. Alongside the 106 guest rooms and suites, four pools, four dining venues, a wellness center and Dune Spa, the six private estate villas are the standout accommodations for exclusive escapes. With private plunge pools, personal beach access, stocked kitchens and even underground tunnel access, the stand-alone villas embody the best of indoor-outdoor living. They are the most sought after in the Caribbean and have hosted celebrities like actress Chrissy Metz and comedian Tracy Morgan. The resort itself offers direct access to the beach and a variety of activities like paddleboarding, kayaking and boat excursions.

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Jade Mountain in St. Lucia is known for its three-walled, open-air sanctuaries that are accessible by private bridges that extend from the main resort. The oversized suites feature private infinity pools, sweeping views of the twin Piton mountains and Caribbean Sea and 24/7 butler service. The resort offers private experiences geared towards relaxation, adventure and cultural exploration, from en suite spa treatments and learning to make signature sweets at the onsite Chocolate Lab to organic farm tours, world-class snorkeling and scuba diving to hiking the Gros Piton with a personal hiking butler who comes equipped with gourmet canaps and cold towels.

Necker Island, located in the British Virgin Islands, has reopened following a two-year closure after its destruction by Hurricane Irma. Stays on Necker Island generally require a full buy-out, which means guests have the entire place to themselves. Guests visiting in 2021 will be among the first to experience the new island following its restoration, including the brand new Bali Hi complex featuring an extended pool and outdoor lounges, as well as private pools in the individual Bali villas. Travelers to Necker get to interact with local wildlife, like lemurs, and can enjoy an abundance of water sports, like snorkeling off the shore.

Eden Roc Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic is a Relais & Chteaux property, located in the high-end gated community of Cap Cana for next level privacy. Perched on a private beach, the property offers travelers an ultra-luxe boutique Caribbean experience. The 30,000-acre luxury resort is home to luxury accommodations (from multi-bed villas with private pools to beachfront suites), several dining destinations that celebrate regional produce, a brand-new spa and wellness experience and family-friendly programming.

The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort, located on Paradise Island, Bahamas, is the ultimate destination for those seeking an ultra-luxe and private retreat. Some of the most sought after accommodations include the three- and four-bedroom beachfront villa residences that offer the glamour and luxury for which the resort is known. For an extended stay option, the new Home by The Ocean Club is a home-away-from-home concept designed to embody all the aspects of a luxury home with personalized pre-arrival designs (including family picture frames and decor).

Karen S. Whitt is the VP of Marketing for The Hartling Group (which owns and operates three Turks & Caicos luxury properties). She is also a longtime board member for the Caribbean Travel + Hotel Association and an award-winning former GM.

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Privacy Is the New Luxury: 5 Caribbean Destinations Offering Ultra-Luxe Experiences - Yahoo Finance

Media Release: Bridgetown Barbados

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 The European Union (EU) and the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO) have partnered to support the countries in the Caribbean in their efforts in building resilience and adapting to the impacts of climate change. This assistance is being provided through a new grant agreement recently signed between the EU and the CMO on 1 June 2021, for a regional initiative to be implemented by the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH).

With a budget of 9 million, new climate products and data platforms will be developed to improve access to and uptake of climate information, which will benefit practitioners in the region in climate-sensitive sectors as well as citizens across the Caribbean ACP countries. These improvements will support more targeted use of climate data in a number of sectors that are key to addressing the needs of vulnerable communities in the Caribbean including health, water, and agriculture.

The initiative will also accelerate the adoption and implementation of the emerging Caribbean Framework for Climate Services (CFCS) at the regional and national level. Led by the CIMH, the CFCS will improve climate forecasts and strengthen the capacity of Caribbean countries to deliver sector specific climate services and information. This user driven information will support actions to reduce vulnerability the tourism, energy and other key sectors.

CIMH Principle, Dr. David A. Farrell noted,

"this Action will advance climate services value chains in the agriculture and food security, water and health sectors in three selected countries, Guyana, Jamaica and Dominica respectively. However, all CMO Member States will benefit from the transfer of knowledge and knowhow from these pilots. The action will also promote exchanges among producers and end users of climate information and services and will expose both CIMH and NMHS's staff to capacity building opportunities and new partnerships with international research and development institutions. Dr. Farrell added, The investment will ultimately enhance the competence of regional professionals to develop, deliver and utilize climate services to advance the regions climate resilience."

During her visit to the CIMH EU's Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska stated,

The provision of sector-specific climate information builds the resilience of vulnerable groups. For example, climate services for the agriculture sector provides the foundation for vulnerable groups to make risk informed decisions that safeguard their livelihoods in a context of increasing climate variability, extremes and change". She added, "This project is in line with the support that the European Union is offering to the Region to increase the resilience and capacity of the Caribbean. Therefore, coordination between the different organizations is key to achieving our common goal."

The CIMH provides climate services, and In some cases co-produce and co-deliver, to technical organizations such as the Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute (CARDI), the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA). Since 2010, with the re-establishment of the Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum, the climate sensitive sectors have been better able to access and integrate sector-tailored climate early warning information to enhance their decision-making processes.

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EU 9M for Caribbean Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation - Guyana - ReliefWeb

A Brooklyn teen and her Guyanaese cousin, who has traveled to New York for an uncles funeral, spend a day together before the wake, an afternoon that arcs from a gentle hang to a more complex articulation of vulnerability and friendship. Mandy Marcuss incredibly assured and beautifully directed short, Cousins, is confident in its clear-eyed realism. It allows its story to unfold as we observe the girls subtly redefine their relationship, with moods and textures shifting as the day moves from afternoon to night and the excellent soundtrack pulses with cues from Sudan Archives and Carlton and the Shoes, among others.

Marcus is a Guyanese-Amerian writer/director who received a BA in Media Studies from Pomona College and an MFA in Directing from The Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College. Cousins is one of five winners of the 2020-21 Student Short Film Showcase, a collaborative program from The Gotham, Focus Features, Jet Blue and the Westridge Foundation, currently available for viewing via Focus Featuress YouTube channel as well as in the air, on Jet Blues in-flight entertainment system. Below, Marcus talks about the importance of casting actors who had a strong connection to Caribbean culture, drawing upon improvisation in the rehearsal process and her advice to incoming film students making short films.

Filmmaker: First, tell me what inspired the short and the characters?

Marcus: I knew I wanted to make a short centered around the Caribbean-American family, where some of the younger generation is US-born, some immigrated in their childhood or teen years, and some live back home but visit the US for weddings and funerals. My family is like this; I have Canadian and British cousins as well. I didnt realize until late in childhood that not every family has this expansive diaspora going on, so I wanted to represent that in a film. The characters are some combination of memories from my teen years, my younger cousins and teen girls that Ive observed while taking the bus through Brooklyn in the mornings.

Filmmaker: Your story compresses a great deal of character detail into a story taking place in a short period of time, and much of that detail is gleaned observationally, by watching the behavior of the two young cousins and the way they interact with each other. Tell me about casting and working with your actresses. What was important for them to know about your directing approach, and what drew you to them?

Marcus: At first I wanted to cast my actual cousins Denessa and Lilly, but that didnt end up working out. It was important to me that both of the actresses have a Caribbean background or a strong connection to Caribbean culture. There is a particular way young people from the Caribbean diaspora speak to their parents and interact with family. There is code switching taking place that would be hard to explain to an actor who had not experienced it first-hand, and that level of authenticity was necessary. My producer, Elise Shin, reached out to Caribbean organizations to advertise our group auditions, and we made it clear in the casting notice that actresses without experience were welcome but there would be a strong preference for actresses with a Caribbean background. I worked with Noelle Gentile, an amazing acting coach, to come up with a series of exercises to test for chemistry, dancing abilities and how the kids read on camera.

From the first group audition Victoria Alcala (Vanessa) and Mickaela Ewen-Forrester (Nikki) had great chemistry in the group exercises, especially the dance one. In the second half of the group auditions I paired the actresses based on how they had performed in the group activities and had them improv around scenes that could be in the script but arent. Then we talked about their families and some of the themes in the film.

Coming out of two rounds of auditions I felt total confidence that Victoria and Mickaela would work. They had great chemistry and captured the essence of the characters in their improvisation. The first couple of rehearsals were about getting to know each other and still using improv, not the actual script, to go deeper with the characters and their relationship. They are both amazing dancers, so one rehearsal was just finding a couple of dances that they could move between at the waterfront scene. Later on we went through the script together and found comps from their lives for the most important interactions in the film. We rehearsed the actual lines in the script a little bit, but most of the line memorization they did as homework. The comps were super useful on set as a shorthand while directing the actors. Because we did all the improv in rehearsal there is almost no improv in the actual film; its all directly from the script. All the adults in the film are non-actors by design, many are related to me, haha.

Filmmaker: What were the challenges of the New York location shooting?

Marcus: Shooting in New York isnt too bad, or maybe Im just used to it because I went to film school here. The greatest challenge was keeping the light consistent in exterior shots lots of waiting for clouds to pass.

My DP, Rikki Porter, and I loved the look of the Bed-Stuy bodega location, but we knew we wouldnt be able to light it with our budget. I designed the scene to be shot in long takes with the camera panning between characters, so Rikki needed to be able to move the camera 360 without catching lighting equipment in frame. The Alexa LF is a brilliant camera, and the footage looked great regardless, but the mixed light made grading a little complicated, especially because we have three different skin tones in that scene. My colorist Oskar Miarka (he is a senior colorist at IndieCollect and did the color for the 2020 restoration of Cane River) is incredible and has worked with Black and Brown skin tones before so he did his magic and made it all work.

Filmmaker: Youve attended school on the West Coast, at Pomona, on the East Coast, at Feirstein, and in Australia. Tell me about the progression of your education, and what led to the different choices of schools? And how has your film school education impacted your current and future work?

Marcus: Ive always been interested in film, I wrote scripts in high school and made little short films, but for many years I never looked directly at the idea of being a director. I was always kind of looking at it from the corner of my eye without acknowledging that this is what I was doing. The result was that I did media studies at Pomona, which is a Choose Your Own Adventure interdisciplinary degree. I took a lot of film history classes, the most impactful of which were Third World Cinema and Decolonization on film, both taught by Ntongela Masilela. I designed an independent study on cult film and punk cinema. I studied abroad at University of Melbourne, where I studied experimental film. The arts program there is tiny, so I ended up in an MFA level course with everyone from performance artists to landscape architects it was a very chaotic experience. Academically, I learned almost nothing, but I was the only student working with physical film so I got the lab and all the film to myself. I spent a lot of time walking around Melbourne alone with a little Super8 camera, snooping on peoples lives and filming the city. When I started grad school my short ideas were almost all political allegories and pretty experimental because of my previous education and time in the music industry. It was challenging to enter grad school without an academic foundation in narrative filmmaking. I found a good middle ground over the three years through discovering new filmmakers, learning from my cohort and professors, and the process of actually editing footage into a cohesive film. I also began to value different things, most importantly emotional resonance and character relationships.

Filmmaker: Finally, how do you feel your shorts have shaped your interests and abilities as a director, and what advice would you offer to filmmakers in film school or not who are engaging with the format right now?

Marcus: Cousins is a coming-of-age drama but Ive also made horror, near-future sci-fi and a surreal drama. The process of making these films has taught me how to be intentional about performance, both in casting and the performance style. Similarly you need to know the precise tone of your film and be able to communicate it to your collaborators in an effective way. If the tone is inconsistent the audience will sense it immediately and react badly. I think this is especially true of short films.

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There is a Particular Way Young People from the Caribbean Diaspora Speak to Their Parents and Interact with Family: Mandy Marcus on Her Student Short...

The three larger countries in the south Caribbean continue to struggle to control COVID-19 pandemic infections, with the number of positive cases and deaths breaking records in the month of May.

The worst affected is Trinidad, where authorities are enforcing nighttime curfews and severe restrictions on outdoor activities including exercise areas, gyms and bars, in the wake of 301 deaths in the twin island with Tobago for this year and a total of 479 since the first recorded outbreak in that nation in March of last year.

Authorities are treating the situation with such urgency that they have implemented a special 10 a.m. daytime curfew for a number of public holidays this week and in the coming weeks to minimize public interaction. Most supermarkets opened only for a few hours on Monday to allow for emergency shopping, hours after medical authorities reported nine new deaths at the weekend.

In Dutch-speaking Suriname, the administration of President Chan Santokhi has asked The Netherlands, Surinames former colonizer, for help in sending a team of doctors and shipments of oxygen tanks to fill a shortage in the country of just over 500,000. Neighboring French Guiana has also sold Suriname a shipment of oxygen tanks, even as officials ramp up a nationwide vaccination program. The country has adequate supplies of doses and expects more in the coming weeks.

The first team of Dutch doctors is due to arrive in Paramaribo on Friday. The medical council has reported that hospital beds are now in short supply owing to a spike in infections.

Nighttime curfews remain in effect and much of the country is in lockdown mode as the administration scrambles to put a lid on viral infections.

Like neighboring Guyana, Suriname has long and unpoliced borders with Brazil where the virus has killed thousands of people. The deadly Brazilian strain of the virus is also being blamed for the hike in fatalities in Suriname and Guyana. Trinidad has already reported the presence of the deadly strain on the island.

Local airports and marine borders have remained closed since March of last year. Prime Minister Keith Rowley has in part linked civil society candlelight vigils protesting crime in Trinidad and public indiscipline during the Easter weekend with the latest spike.

Guyana, the largest member nation in the 15-country regional grouping, reported nearly 3,000 cases and 90 deaths for May, by far the highest since March of 2020. The April death toll was 66. The total number of deaths is heading to 400.

The administration of President Irfaan Ali has taken a business-first approach to the pandemic, implementing a largely useless 10.30 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew. Apart from social distancing restrictions at some state offices and most private businesses, life in the country remains as normal as if there was no pandemic. Soldiers and police try to enforce the nighttime curfews, albeit with

limited success. Cabinet officials last week made it clear there were no plans for a lockdown or restriction of activities anytime soon as crowded municipal markets and other shopping areas remain open. Activities are unrestricted.

As Trinidad observed Indian Arrival Day on Monday, May 31 both the opposition and government appealed for responsible behavior from citizens.

It is now all a matter of Trinidad and Tobago, Rowley said. The pandemic has upended societies worldwide, and opened us to the challenges of a whole new world. It is now all a matter of individual responsibility, and if we look beyond, we may see the opportunities for change, first, in our individual lives, and the possibilities for wider national socio-economic reform, he said in a special message.

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COVID situation in south Caribbean worsens - Amsterdam News

The Escaz Agreement came into force in April 2021 with 12 ratifications (out of a possible 33) from Latin American and Caribbean countries. Guided by a secretariat at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, it is the first environmental treaty in the region, and affirms Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, resting on critical principles of environmental democracy and human rights. A six-year negotiation process that included States, civil society, environmental, and human rights experts yielded an agreement that enshrines the rights of access to information, citizen participation, and access to justice in environmental matters. As the first legally binding instrument to include provisions and protections for environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs), it has been hailed by its supporters in the region and around the globe as a landmark agreement for countries that continue to suffer extremely high numbers of killings of EHRDs.

The agreement, also known as the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters, links these obligations to environmental management and protection in connection with sustainable use of natural resources, biodiversity conservation, land degradation, climate change, and disaster resilience, among others. Parties to the agreement agree to be guided by 11 principles, including the principles of non-regression and progressive realization, the preventative principle, the precautionary principle, and the principle of intergenerational equity. Notably, the agreement provides that parties shall adopt the necessary measures of a legislative, regulatory, administrative or any other nature, in the framework of its domestic provisions. This requirement is key to ensuring future compliance with the agreement, even in those countries that already may have laws addressing the three principal rights.

The main commitments of the parties coalesce around the principal rights, prescribing quite specific requirements in connection with each right. The publics right of access to environmental information is guided by the principle of maximum disclosure. This means that no special interest or reason for the information must be demonstrated, and full facilitation of access to the information for vulnerable persons or groups, including indigenous peoples or ethnic groups, is mandatory. Exceptions to disclosure are permitted, but the standards for non-disclosure are high, including the requirement to take into account each partys human rights obligations. Extensive and detailed obligations are set forth on general requirements for generation and dissemination of environmental information not limited to particular projects. If successful, this agreement will go a long way to sharing critical information within countries, especially with vulnerable persons and groups.

The agreement lays out a robust process for ensuring public participation in the environmental decision-making process, including minimum standards, and seeks to ensure compliance with international normative frameworks. Parties commit to establishing overall conditions that are adapted to the social, economic, cultural, geographical and gender characteristics of the public, a significant nod to the importance of socio-economic considerations in decision-making. Another novel element is the requirement to promote public participation in international forums and negotiations on environmental matters or with an environmental impact. The publics right of access to justice under the agreement calls for a domestic legislative framework that ensures access to judicial and administrative frameworks for challenging and appealing a full array of decisions. Not only are decisions related to access to environmental information and public participation covered, but also those decisions that could affect the environment or violate environmental laws and regulations. Significantly, the right includes free technical and legal assistance to persons or groups in vulnerable situations.

Incorporated in the final sections of the agreement are the three key paragraphs that address the rights of EHRDs, an unprecedented step to ensure protection of individuals across the region. Parties are required to guarantee a safe and enabling environment for those who defend human rights in environmental matters, and they commit to take adequate and effective measures to protect and promote all the rights of human rights defenders, including rights of peaceful assembly and association, free movement and exercise of access rights. Finally, in a region that has been unable to stave off killings of EHRDs, parties undertake to prevent, investigate and punish attacks, threats or intimidations that defenders suffer in the course of exercising the rights set out the in the Escauz Agreement.

Whether this agreement will spark a new era of multilateralism in the pursuit of sustainable development and regional cooperation remains to be seen. Surprising opposition to the agreement in the countries of some of the original supportersincluding Costa Rica, Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Peru means that the agreement is currently unratified in those places. Nevertheless, supporters are hopeful that the passage of time will demonstrate how everyone in the region benefits under the Escaz Agreement.

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The New Environmental and Human Rights Treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean You Should Know About - JD Supra

One of the most popular live-action movie franchises to come out of the Walt Disney Company is Pirates of the Caribbean.

Related:How Captain Jack Sparrow character was a key in Star Wars: Galaxys Edge

After five successful films, and two more in the works, as well as the implementation of the IP into Disney Parks around the globe, the film holds a cult following of fans that are incredibly dedicated to the franchise. As of late, there has been a bit of controversy when it comes to Pirates of the Caribbean.

Related:OpEd: Ranking the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies

Johnny Depp, who plays the iconic character, Jack Sparrow, has just been booted from the franchise by Disney after losing a libel case against a U.K. tabloid that accused him of domestic violence against ex-wife Amber Heard. As the ex-couple continues to have their $150 million legal battle in the public spotlight, it seems Disney may have wanted to stay away from the drama.

With that decision, however, Disney may have brought extra drama upon themselves! Fans have petitioned and continue to defend Depp as a necessary puzzle piece in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, especially once Disney announced that one of the next two films will be female-led and written by Christina Hodson, with Margot Robbie taking over the Jack Sparrow captain role.

Related:Pirates Star Johnny Depp Reportedly Cast in Tim Burtons Beetlejuice 2

However, there is another film that is reportedly in development which will be directed by Joachim Rnning and be a sequel to Dead Men Tell No Tales. Now that Depp will not be starring in any future films, it is likely that new characters will need to be introduced into the franchise. It has lately been rumored that Captain James Hook from Peter Pan may make an appearance in Rnnings next film.

Related: Pirates of the Caribbean Features Secret Captain Hook Cameo

Although this may seem like a stretch, lets take a look at if Captain Hook in a Pirates of the Caribbean film could be a possibility.

Firstly, we need to remember that Captain James Hook expands beyond the Peter Pan animated film, and has an entire backstory that actually ties into Pirates of the Caribbean. In the 2011 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom novel, Captain James Hook is mentioned to be a pirate captain during the Age of Piracy.

James had a terrible temper, and although his last name was unknown, the hook on his hand left him with the nickname James Hook. Hook was most notably the pirate captain of the Jolly Roger, and although Hook went missing for years, he eventually resurfaced without showing any noticeable age. This could be an interesting plot line, considering, as per the novel, Hook would have been Jack Sparrows fathers age. That being said, the novel does not point towards Hook being alive or dead, which would be an important point to clarify if the franchise were to move forward with an idea such as this.

It could be an interesting movie to put a character so many Disney fans recognize as one-sided and animated, into a live-action setting where we can learn more about him

After seeing how Disney has done this with other villains such as Cruella and Maleficent, adding Hook into the mix does not seem so outlandish, especially considering he is already written into the Pirates of the Caribbean novels.

All of this being said, the Joachim Rnning directed Pirates of the Caribbean film has not received any recent updates, and the idea of Hook joining the cast is solely speculation at this point.

Do you think that Captain Hook could find a home in Pirates of the Caribbean 6?

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Could Disney Replace Jack Sparrow with Captain Hook? - Inside the Magic

Unlike Bob Dylan in his hit song, Saildrones really does hope the answer is "blowin in the wind". The company plans to launch five of its ocean drones in the Caribbean, to gather data from hurricanes.

In a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) agency, the company prepares to launch five ocean drones in the Caribbean, more precisely in the US Virgin Islands. The drones will be launched in August and will collect valuable data during the 2021 Tropical Atlantic hurricane season.

The USVs will help scientists get a better understanding of how hurricanes work and get to intensify. The drones will go right in the paths of hurricanes, observe the extreme weather and transmit real-time meteorological and oceanographic data such as the air and water temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and more, as announced by Saildrone.

In order for the vehicles to cope with such extreme weather conditions, the ocean drones are designed to withstand waves that are more than 10 feet (3 meters) tall and winds of over 70 mph (112 kph). They are also equipped with so-called hurricane wings that are 16.5 ft (5 m) long.

Christian Meinig, Director of Engineering at NOAA/PMEL says this will be an unprecedented event, as this is the first time someone dares to send a robotic vehicle right into the eye of a hurricane.

According to Saildrone, hurricane damage is estimated at approximately $54 billion a year in the United States alone.

Saildrones USVs are mainly powered by solar and wind, are equipped with advanced sensors, high-resolution cameras, and use artificial intelligence technology that allows them to maneuver on their own. Saildrone Explorer and Saildrone Surveyor are part of the companys fleet and they can carry out missions of up to 12 months at a time. The Explorer is a 23 feet (7m) USV, while the newer model, the Surveyor, is much bigger, at 72 ft (22 m).

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Saildrone Launches Five Drones in the Caribbean to Help Us Fight Hurricanes - autoevolution

As far as we know, Disney are still committed to making two brand new Pirates of the Caribbean movies, with Johnny Depp not currently part of the equation. One is slated to be a direct sequel of sorts to Dead Men Tell No Tales, with co-director Joachim Rnning set to fly solo behind the camera, while the other is being written by Birds of Prey and The Flash scribe Christina Hodson, and will see Margot Robbie star and produce.

Thats about the extent of the official information we have available on either project, but a quick glance at the internet will make it abundantly clear that a huge number of fans simply arent interested in seeing a new Pirates adventure without Captain Jack Sparrow, which is completely understandable when he was the biggest name, most popular character and main selling point of the entire operation.

Itll certainly be interesting to see how things turn out with Depp not involved, especially as were now hearing from our sources the same ones who told us Luke Skywalker would be returning to Star Wars long before The Mandalorians season 2 finale dropped that the Mouse House want to dip into their own back catalogue and bring Captain Hook into the mix, and while that sounds ludicrous at first, theres actually kind of a precedent for this sort of thing within the context of the franchise.

Davy Jones was a mythological character brought to tentacled life in Dead Mans Chest, while Blackbeard was a real-life historical figure given supernatural undertones in On Stranger Tides. Captain James Hook, meanwhile, originated in J.M. Barries Peter Pan, but has gone on to enjoy a long life of his own as a cultural icon, and while it could come off as incredibly stupid and heavy-handed if his theoretical introduction into Pirates of the Caribbean was botched, it would be far from the most ridiculous thing to happen in the series were it to come to fruition.

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New Pirates Of The Caribbean Movie May Introduce Captain Hook - We Got This Covered