Articles - News

   It sounded like a great idea. The kind of thing that should be done every year.
The foreign ministry and the OECS ambassador in particular were assigned to target St Lucians in the diaspora and woo them with an event called Homecoming.
The idea was like a staycation for St Lucians who live outside of St Lucia. Why should the thousands and thousands of St Lucians who live abroad spend their vacation dollars in South Florida or New York when St Lucia offers them a more intimate, colourful, personal experience than anything they could get anywhere else on the planet, right?
And so, Homecoming was dreamed up. A festival by homebound St Lucians, for international St Lucians, held in St Lucia. Even if it didn’t work, how much harm could it do, right?
It was nostalgia, tourism, networking, investment promotion all rolled into one.
“It is envisaged that this exercise will see investment in communities and grass roots groups that major investors do not target,” a release from the prime minister’s office hoped.
It was scheduled during the low point of the tourism season, so that it would fill empty guest rooms while offering the St Lucians out there a great value. While they were here, the satellites of tourism—everything from restaurants to real estate—would have a shot at saving the summer from total financial meltdown. The government even had one of the region’s financial firms—CMMB—shopping up to $35 million in government bonds to the participants of Homecoming.
It was a great idea. It’s a wonder no one ever thought of it before.
Unfortunately, everything that could go wrong did.
And why shouldn’t it? Why should Homecoming be any different from anything else at home? It was yet another great idea badly executed. Or rather, executed St Lucia-style. Anyone remember the first Jazz Festival? Or the first Jounen Kweyol? How about the ill-fated Country Music Festival, which was thought to be a sure-fire hit? Or even this year’s Carnival, which was destined to be a shadow of Carnivals gone by from the start?
At the opening ceremony for the long awaited Homecoming event at Beausejour Stadium, government officials made light of the shortcomings of Homecoming, eliciting laughter from the frustrated participants. Prime Minister Stephenson King went through the trials of making Homecoming a reality, from its conception two years or more ago to today. And OECS Ambassador Dr June Soomer told tales of the trials of actually putting together the event, with all the failures of service providers, the lateness of registrants and the other hiccups and downright stumbling blocks.
By the Sunday night before the opening, the shortcomings of Homecoming were already shining through. Events were oversubscribed and patrons were mad at having come such a long way only to not be accommodated on a vacation at home!
The government had lots of reasons for failure.
The economy of the world had bottomed out, not to mention the economy of the island. The service providers missed their deadlines, frustrating the efforts of organizers to meet their own targets. The costs changed, the plans changed, some things were scrapped. Meanwhile, the homecomers were missing their own deadlines, throwing yet another spanner in the works. They failed to understand the importance of registering. Organizers had yet another problem on their hands.
“Without a idea of how many people were coming, it was hard to plan events for the number of people who would actually show up,” OECS Ambassador June Soomer said.
On paper, Homecoming was a failure before it even started. Organizers hoped about a thousand St Lucians would participate. The registration files showed less than 350. Organizers made the mistake of preparing events for about 350 people.
“Then came the rush,” Soomer said at the official opening on Monday morning at Beausejour Cricket Stadium. Apparently, lots of diasporan St Lucians were coming—they just didn’t bother to inform the foreign ministry that they expected to get access to all the events, just the same as those who registered. Now it’s hard to tell exactly how much of a bomb Homecoming is because events built for its failure are now overwhelmed by the number of people who are already in the island to take part.
In reality, although Homecoming failed to meets its mark, it has already become a victim of its own lowered expectations for success. At one early event, the ambassador confessed that there was some acrimony over the lack of adequate seating. At the opening ceremony, participants were reminded that they were the ones who registered late—or didn’t register at all.
On Monday morning, while the opening ceremony was taking place, craft vendors, finance firms and food and drinks stands were still setting up. The scheduled cricket match started on time, but no one was there to see it because nothing else started on time. By Tuesday, things started shaping up a little more, but the hope of raising millions in bonds was evaporating. One young economist with a well known firm commented that, “Even though they have more people than they registered, they still don’t have as many as we need for us to be able to increase the possibility of selling more of these bonds.”
The St Lucian diaspora, like the rest of the West Indian diaspora, is a set of industrious communities, mostly in North America and Europe, fairly well educated, most of them verging on if not living in the middle class.
The government hopes to harness their capital and skills in national economic and social development efforts. Homecoming participants are attending seminars and conferences at the Beausejour Stadium all week long. Lunchtime seminars are being made by financial institutions like National Development Corporation, CMMB, ECFH, FICS, RBTT, Forst National, SLDB and the Caribbean Association of Indigenous Banks.
In spite of the disorganization that leads to overcrowding at some events, organizers still hope that St Lucians will join them at Beausejour for lunch on weekdays and join in the discussion about the partnerships they hope to form with St Lucians from all the rest of the world.

   Aiasha Tierra Rebecca Gustave is not an unfamiliar face. Particularly if you’re an avid reader of the SHE Caribbean magazine. In that case you’d have likely seen her gracing the pages of the magazine in fashion by some of the most highly regarded designers in the region. Aiasha Gustave first started modeling for SHE at the age of 14. Since then she’s been on photo shoots with the likes of models such as Barbadian Leah Marville, Jamaican Sedene Blake and Crystal Cunningham, to name a few. The 17-year-old graduate of the International School of St Lucia recently appeared in the St Lucian segment of Centric TV’s Splash travel as an upcoming model/singer. It was only a matter of time before Aiasha made an even bigger splash.
Sunday, July 25th found the past student of the International School, St Lucia onstage at the Miss St Lucia World pageant rendering Beyonce’s, ‘Why Don’t You Love Me,’ during the talent segment, after a short, cleverly delivered skit accompanied by some serious eye candy. Gustave, sponsored by Jalousie, had the audience captivated from start to finish with her striking beauty, confidence and natural persona onstage. Her talent was along the theme of one line, “If you don’t love and respect yourself first, how can you expect anyone else to?”
Aiasha was the youngest contestant for the night, and the girl most in the audience felt would steal the crown. At the end of the night, the judges for the show, held at the Indies Night Club agreed wholeheartedly. She would do St Lucia proud.
“When they called my name my heart dropped,” Aiasha told the STAR. It was such a moment. When they called the first runner up Tahnee Hippolyte my heart was racing. This was my first pageant. I went into the competition to get a feel of the stage and to see how well I’d do. I thought all the girls were talented, it was a tough competition. I didn’t really expect to win. I also won the prizes for Miss Congeniality and Best Interview.”
When asked how she felt about representing St Lucia at the Miss World Pageant in China come October 30, Aiasha was lost for words. Win or lose she felt the experience would mean more than anything in the world. Initially, Aiasha said one of the reasons she’d decided to compete was because she believed the experience could open many windows of opportunity in the future. Aiasha felt St Lucia was unrepresented in a meaningful way on the international market, and that was the reason she wanted to be Miss St Lucia World. With the title, she hoped to be an ambassador, “sharing the rich culture, livelihood and beautiful, humble people of the island” to others worldwide. And what a beautiful ambassador she is! Move over Defoe!
“I will do my best to represent all the positive aspects of St Lucia and I would be more than honoured to share with the world my amazingly beautiful home.”

   During his address at Sunday’s official opening of the 2010 CBN WINLOT Inter schools Games at the George Odlum Stadium (GOS) in Vieux Fort, Minister of Sports, Lenard Montoute, referred to it as more than just a sports and fitness facility, but a temporary health facility accommodating patients following the fire at St Jude Hospital last year.
Quite aware that this unique situation has disrupted sporting events held there, Montoute focused on the positives. He said: “Though we do not expect any unfortunate incidents but should this occur, God for forbid, you have top medical facilities available to you right on hand.”
While Montoute’s comments were directed towards athletes competing there, he never imagined it would have any bearing on sports journalists who were out in full force that day. While several sports journalists were opposed to the GOS being used as a temporary medical facility, they may now have a change of heart, given the fact that a colleague required swift medical attention after being assaulted by another in the same profession.
Voice Sports Reporter, Anthony Debeauville, sustained a gash on the top of his forehead and has a fractured right ear drum, after being struck more than once by his attacker who is well known media sports journalist and maintains a website covering sports associated with the Ministry of Social Transformation Youth and Sports and other local and regional events.
During the incident which occurred a short distance away from the track, the individual in question had to be restrained against the wall by an official with the Department of Youth & Sports.
Debeauville who replaced his assailant after he was let go from the Voice, recalled Sunday’s horrific incident in a front page headline in Tuesday’s Voice ‘Bloody Sunday at Stadium.’
The incident occurred at about 2:55pm just before a group of sports journalists which included Debeauville, the man accused of assaulting him, yours truly (Star Publishing), Reginald Andrew (Mirror Newspaper) and Brian McDonald (Radio St Lucia) who travelled to the GOS in the same vehicle, were about to return to Castries.
Needless to say, the driver was one short on the return trip. His passenger involved in the incident was asked to leave the GOS.
Giving his account of what happened, Debeauville who bled profusely during the vicious attack, insisted it was unprovoked and not called for. He mentioned that a difference of opinion after a St Lucian beat a Grenadian in a 100 metre race that afternoon precipitated the incident.
Meanwhile the man who is accused in the incident has been reprimanded and dismissed from any further duties with the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth and Sports. An email bearing his name states: “It is with deep regret that I herby inform you that the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth and Sports wishes to terminate any ties we have with you and sports caribe with immediate effect.Your actions at the George Odlum Stadium on Sunday July 25 2010 during the 2010 Windward Islands Official Opening ceremony and Athletics Championship, cannot be condoned and necessitates the termination of your services and collaborations in all forms with and to us.”
The email goes on to list six requirements: “You are not welcome at any youth and sporting activity under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth and Sports.
Debeauville made a report to the Vieux Fort Police after a 45-minute operation and plans to file criminal charges. The STAR has learnt that the alleged attacker surrendered to police yesterday and is being questioned.

   On Wednesday July 7, the Carnival Bands Association announced its decision to use its discretion regarding the playing of songs with indecent lyrics during the Carnival Monday and Tuesday’s Parade of the Bands. The CBA has made it clear that the Parade of the Bands is a family affair and discretion is needed. However, the CBA went on to make it clear that band fetes are another story and its stance does not apply to these events.
It has been noted by some that the artistry in much of this year’s songs is nonexistent and shows a blatant obsession with sex. Some radio stations have taken a stand and banned “vulgar” songs. There are those on the other side of the fence who believe censorship of any kind is a form of social control based on the fluctuating morality of John Public.
Soca diva Nicole David seems to be the latest topic when it comes to censorship when it comes to her latest video.
According to the ‘Queen of the Jungle’, she received a call from a representative of Helen Television System saying that “people have been asking about the video and have been requesting it. They said they wanted to speak to me about editing it because the poles are inappropriate for television. I refused to edit it and told them it is their choice whether they would play my video or not.”
The song ‘Outrageous Whine’ is sung by Nicole David, produced by Courtney Louis and the music video is directed by Davina Lee. The video has a party theme and portrays females in Carnival costumes dancing. Some scenes do involve a dance pole while some show a night time beach party with girls in swim suits.
Speaking to the STAR, David went on to say “It’s hypocrisy. HTS plays all these soap operas on an afternoon and all sorts of “immoral” activities are shown; who’s sleeping with whose husband and all that. There’s no nudity in my video. There is nothing indecent in it.

   The Saint Lucia Labour Party is distressed and dismayed by the recent announcement that a UNESCO sponsored mission to Saint Lucia has advised the Government of Saint Lucia that it will recommend to the 34th session of the “World Heritage Committee that that the (Piton Management Area) should be inscribed onto the List of World Heritage (sites) in Danger.”

According to the mission, “This recommendation was based largely on the observations that development in the most visually sensitive part of the property impacts on the property’s Outstanding Universal value.”

It is a tragedy for Saint Lucia that this recommendation comes so soon after the Declaration of the Pitons as a World Heritage site.

The UWP Government is directly responsible for this situation. Despite protests from Civil Society and the Opposition the UWP Government granted permission for developments to take place within the Pitons Management Area.