Guyana’s press association denounced an attack against Kaieteur News Journalist Davina Bagot on the Facebook page titled “Live in Guyana” — which the GPA said is known to be operated by agents of the governing People’s Progressive Party. The group is now requesting international assistance to fight the harassment and cyber bullying of media workers in Guyana.

In recent weeks, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has been up in arms with a number of journalists from Kaieteur News over questions they have raised regarding the country’s oil and gas sector, according to News Source Guyana.

The attack was followed others against two other female journalists by other politicians. And preceded by verbal abuse and attacks last year. (Demerara Waves)

Indeed, civil society leaders identified at least 10-12 such attacks over the past few months, which they said appear to be part of “a deliberate orchestrated campaign on the part of the State to silence and isolate those who ask reasonable questions and those who dare to express an opinion contrary to the powers that be.”

A group of two dozen civil society leaders called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to take note of the attacks on the journalists, freedom of expression and media freedom, in an open letter. ““What is alarming about this spate of attacks is that it indicates a growing level of intolerance which is a hallmark of undemocratic societies. Attacks on journalists doing their job of ensuring accountability and transparency of public and state authorities and institutions are unacceptable and are strongly condemned.”

This week Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo condemned the attack against Bagot. Jagdeo sought to clarify that the comments do not in any way reflect the views of the government or the party. (Kaieteur News)

Caricom Crime Symposium

Caricom Secretary-General Carla Barnett said crime and violence in the Caribbean are an epidemic, affecting communities, homes and even economies. She spoke at the Caricom Crime Symposium held in Trinidad and Tobago this week, under the theme, “Violence as a Public Health Issue – The Crime Challenge.” (Caricom)

Barnett said crime and violence, must be treated like any other epidemic and recommended that enough technological expertise including efficient data be dedicated to effectively dealing with this scourge. (Loop News)

The symposium’s final declaration acknowledges that “the multi-faceted nature of violent crime and its pervasive effects require a robust regional response,” and lays out a plan of action that includes a ban on assault weapons, an overhaul of member states’ criminal justice systems, strengthening of regional forensic capabilities, and the drafting of regional model legislation. (Trinidad and Tobago Guardian)

But skeptical comments and criticism ahead of the symposium, as well as some participants, also show the obstacles in the region’s approach: speaking at the same event, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves argued that some young men are pushed to violent crime because “they associate with young women…some cases beautiful young women who are high maintenance and they have to rob and steal and kill and deal with drugs in order to maintain them.” (Loop News)

Drug Policy

• Cutlass Magazine marks 4/20 with “a tribute to how instrumental our Indian ancestors were to propagating the recreational, medicinal, and spiritual use of marijuana in the Caribbean. They played such a large role that weed is known by the Hindustani name “ganja”.”
  
  
• “Due to colonial stigmas and the church, anti-cannabis laws were passed in the West Indies in the early to mid-1900s. This severed religious ties to weed and made it illegal.” — Cutlass Magazine
  
  
• Medical cannabis advocate and past chairman of the Cannabis Licensing Authority LeVaughn Flynn examines the structure of Jamaica’s cannabis industry and opportunities for growth. (Jamaica Observer)

Climate Justice and Energy

• Union islanders, in the Grenadines, found a way to restore a Caribbean mangrove decimated by a tourism project in 1994. “The story of how that happened provides a blueprint for how other degraded mangroves around the world could one day be revived,” reports the BBC.
  
  
• As Earth Day approaches, the Caribbean continues its struggle with a tidal wave of plastic, but remains hopeful, writes Emma Lewis in Global Voices.
  
  
• Environmental advocates are urging Jamaica’s government to back a moratorium on deep sea mining until a number of conditions around environmental harm and good governance can be met — Jamaica Gleaner
  
  
• The Climate Conscious’s Podcast — Better Than Before: leveraging COVID-19 recovery for a sustainable Caribbean — Episode 5: Environmentalist Arica Hill provides insights on the transition to inclusive, environmentally sustainable, & climate resilient development in the Caribbean.
  
  
• Jamaica’s National Tree Planting Initiative seeks to plant 3 million trees in 3 years — one tree for each Jamaican living on the island. Island City blog looks at the country’s efforts to increase urban forestry.

Workers Rights

• Jamaica, over the last ten years, has experienced a significant decline in unemployment rates, however, the associated economic growth has been meagre, according to “Growthless Jobs: The Paradox of Rising Employment and Stagnant Output,” a new report by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute.

Democratic Governance

• Guyana publishes draft privacy law for comments — Bartlett D. Morgan

The Caribbean and the World

• “Developing countries should create a unity of the global south, using their own resources, including their purchasing power to defend and advance themselves,” argues Sir Ronald Sanders, in an article focusing on the lack of Caribbean representation on the World Bank board, and how outdated definitions hinder Caribbean countries’ access to climate financing.

Finance and Economics

• Caribbean countries hope to slash the US$6 billion annual food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025, but these efforts are hindered by longstanding trade barriers that do not serve Caricom countries well, argues Kai-Ann Skeete, a fellow at UWI’s Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services. (Newsroom Guyana)
  
  
• Multilateral development bank reform can – and must – benefit both low- and middle-income countries, argue Hans Peter Lankes, Annalisa Prizzon at ODI.

Gender Rights

• “Gender-based violence against women and girls is a public health crisis in The Bahamas,” according to Equality Bahamas.

History

• Today is Eid al Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan — Exceptional Caribbean delves into the history of Muslims in the Caribbean.

Culture

• Famous Writing Routines interviewed Puerto Rican writer Giannina Braschi. In the interviews, Braschi says, “The habits, the habitation, the routines give me security.” — Repeating Islands

Events

• 21 April – Law, Identity, and Economic Development in the Post-Colonial Era: The Case of the Northern Atlantic and Larger Caribbean Regions — Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
  
  
• 25 April — Book Launch | Caribbean Integration: Uncertainty in a Time of Global Fragmentation — CLACS
  
  
• 4 May — When the People Lead, the Leaders Follow: The Save Cockpit Country movement and fight against extraction in Jamaica — Women and Gender Studies Institute

Opportunities

• Call for proposals and contributions for the public interventions in COP2 in Escazú
  
  
• Call for proposals — Water and Development Partnership Programme — Institute for Water Education

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