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Articles from Bahamas Blog

A Christmas Prayer: Understand what it means to forgive... 2007-12-06 15:16:00 Learning to forgive in an unforgiving world: Mothers and fathers are distant from their children; brothers and sisters no longer speak; friends have lost faith in each other, all because of a lack of forgiveness - By KARAN MINNIS, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter: Nassau, Bahamas - Forgiveness! A powerful word, which if exercised could eradicate a number of problems in the country and the world. The murder rate is at a staggering 74, the highest in a one-year period in the history of The Bahamas, and the violence has rattled many people to the core, leaving the police to urge people to settle their differences, rather than resort to violence. Mother and fathers are distant from their children; brothers and sisters no longer speak; friends have lost faith in each other, all because of a lack of forgiveness. But in this Christmas season, pastors are calling on the populace to engage in the standard principles of Christianity, and to simply forgive, which they say if done will go ...

Bahamas: Sir Durward Knowles apologized for the oppression of the black majority in The Bahamas when the minority white Bahamians were in charge 2007-12-05 11:39:00 Apology For Racism: By Courtnee Romer - Nassau, Bahamas: FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – Director of the One Bahamas Foundation Sir Durward Knowles on Tuesday apologized for the oppression of blacks in The Bahamas, which occurred decades ago. Sir Durward spoke at a flag-raising ceremony at Independence Park where One Bahamas ceremonies were held after a five-year hiatus. "Boys and girls, you are living in a great country. I was brought up when white people were in charge of these lands and they treated the black people very badly," Sir Durward said. "I’m here to apologize on our behalf. Today, we’re living in a great society. We’ve [beaten] all the trials and temptations and now we’re here as one Bahamas," added Sir Durward, who said he was glad that he lived in the time of oppression because he came out better for it. He said he appreciates all races and it was a blessing to listen to all the performances at the celebration. The re-launch of the One Bahamas festivities could ...

Men's Health and HIV/AIDS in the Black Communities of Africa and the Caribbean 2007-12-03 17:27:00 Men's Health: By Kermit B. Fernander, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter - Nassau, Bahamas: Wow! World AIDS Day is here again! And, while HIV/AIDS is very much a problem the world over, it is highest in the black communities of Africa and the Caribbean, which geographically speaking, of course, includes The Bahamas. Sadly, despite the heroic efforts of HIV/AIDS Program director Nurse RosaMae Bain and her team to get Bahamians to become serious about this very preventable disease, Bahamian people - our men especially - continue to believe that HIV/AIDS could never happen to them. They remain "in denial" of the reality of HIV/AIDS while they continue to become infected and to infect others - particularly their female partners. It is worth noting that people in denial of HIV/AIDS tend not to want to discuss HIV/AIDS, or read or hear about it. Perhaps this is their way of coping with their underlying fear of HIV/AIDS. It also helps them not to think about their powerlessness at practi ... Caribbean  Health

World Aids Day Bahamas: Know your status... Get tested 2007-12-01 17:26:00 World AIDS Day: By Sasha L. Lightbourne - Nassau, Bahamas: Today is World Aids Day and it is the focus of the National AIDS programme to make sure that all individuals know what their status is. In a bold step to highlight the importance of the initiative, Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis and newly appointed US Ambassador Ned Siegel got publicly tested at the AIDS office in Victoria Gardens yesterday. Director of the National AIDS Programme Dr. Perry Gomez said the purpose of the public testing is to help encourage persons in the community to have their status known. "Last year, we had a ‘Know Your Status’ Campaign encouraging the public at large to get tested and know whether you are HIV positive or not," said Dr. Gomez. "Its only if you know you status can something be done in a meaningful time to change the course of HIV infection." Dr. Gomez explained that it is absolutely important for persons to get tested so that prevention and control of HIV can take place. "We w ...

HIV/AIDS Awareness and Education Are Keys To Eliminate The Spread Of The Deadly Virus 2007-12-01 16:51:00 Promote AIDS Awareness: By Rolanda Epstein - Nassau, Bahamas: A human aids ribbon was formed in Rawson Square yesterday, on the eve of World AIDS Day; many around the world will today honor the millions of people who have died from the disease. Dr. Perry Gomez, director of the national aids program, said the Bahamas has one of the oldest aids programmes in the world, having been in existence since 1983. He said the organization has been very successful because of its early conception and it is important to create an awareness of HIV and AIDS. "We need to keep on educating the public and education begins with awareness of the subject. You must then teach them about HIV AIDS on how it is transmitted and how it is not transmitted. It all helps to help prevent infection," explained DR. Gomez. He encourages all persons to become leaders in their own right in trying to spread the message of education and prevention of HIV and AIDS. Ms. Codella said it is very important for everyone to ...

Bahamas: The United States Embassy Donates To HIV/AIDS Fight In The Bahamas 2007-11-30 17:02:00 U.S. Makes Donation To HIV/AIDS Fight: By Sasha L. Lightbourne - Nassau, Bahamas: The United States Embassy yesterday donated $25,000 to five local organizations to help defray the cost of fighting HIV/AIDS in The Bahamas in one of the first crucial undertakings on this front for new U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas Ned Siegel. The five organizations that benefited were the AIDS Foundation [$5,930, the Bahamas National Network for Positive Living (BNN) [$5,000, Focus on Youth [$5,455], HIV/AIDS Secretariat [$5,000] and Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living [$4,000]. The donation came ahead of World Aids Day which will be commemorated around the globe on December 1st under the theme "Take the Lead… Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise." "I think that the US Embassy is demonstrating their interests in helping to assist with HIV/AIDS discrimination," said Wellington Adderley, BNN representative. "The cheques will be used to assist persons living with the disease to be more articulate in add ...

Bahamas: Sweethearting and the Church in the Bahamian Society 2007-11-29 16:43:00 Sweethearting and the CHURCH: By KARAN MINNIS, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter - Nassau, Bahamas: Every country has its faults, and while at this time many persons are focusing upon the biggest of all - crime, it maybe a good time to point out another - sweethearting. For those who do not know sweethearting is simply when a married man or woman has a sexual relationship with a person who is not their spouse. And it's a problem that has plagued the Bahamas for centuries, separating families and ruining lives. And in the case of Maxine Lockhart (whose name has been changed to protect her privacy) sweethearting has done just that. Maxine is the mother of four little girls and has been married for 14 years, however she is now a single mother. "I was a good wife, and I loved my husband. But he was unfaithful to the point that he contracted HIV and now he's gone, leaving me with the burden of raising our four daughters and with the knowledge that he has more children out there in the ...

Bahamas: Local AIDS activists slam political, and church leaders 2007-11-28 11:29:00 AIDS activists slam political, church leaders: By MINDELL SMALL, Guardian Senior Reporter - Nassau, Bahamas: Local AIDS activists are calling on political and church leaders to put their faces on ad campaigns about the illness to help combat stigmatization and discrimination. The call comes three days before World AIDS Day, and at a time when statistics are once again showing an increase in HIV infection in the country. Long-time AIDS activist and administrator of the AIDS Foundation of The Bahamas, Wellington Adderley, said yesterday that despite educational programs, stigmatization and discrimination against HIV-positive people in The Bahamas was still a major problem. He called on the country's leaders to step up to the plate and assist the AIDS Foundation with prevention campaigns, adding that the silence about the virus was contributing to the high level of stigmatization and shame. "Why aren't the leaders getting involved?" asked 51-year-old Adderley who has been living ...

Cuba: 10 years after the discovery and identification of the remains of Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara and his comrades 2007-11-27 20:50:00 A feat of Cuban science • 10 years after the discovery and identification of the remains of Che and his comrades BY FREDDY PEREZ CABRERA AND ORLANDO ORAMAS LEON—Granma daily staff writers— SANTA CLARA.— The search for, discovery and identification of the remains of Che and his fellow guerrilla fighters was a scientific feat, the result of research and multidisciplinary efforts by Cuban experts and institutions. That was the conclusion of a commemorative workshop on the 10th anniversary of those findings of indisputable patriotic, humane and above all scientific value, at the Santa Clara Social Workers School, a few steps away from the memorial where the remains of Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara and his comrades-in-struggle lie. Organized by the Academy of Science, the event featured the participation of Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez and Major General Rogelio Acevedo González, comrades of Che during the revolutionary struggle; Rolando Alfonso Borg ...

20 or 30 minutes of shut-eye in the middle of the day at work refreshes the brain, and improves productivity 2007-11-26 16:15:00 Why you should be sleeping on the Job: By Kermit B. Fernander, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter - Nassau, Bahamas - Power napping is the custom of taking a brief nap in the middle of the day in order to refresh the mind and increase mental alertness. Actually, in practical terms, it's more of a rest than a nap. Dr. Maoshing Ni — known simply as Dr. Mao — is a 38th-generation doctor of Chinese medicine and an authority in the field of Taoist anti-aging medicine. According to Dr. Mao, one of the best ways of refreshing the brain and improving productivity at work, is to take 20 or 30 minutes of shut-eye in the middle of the day. He says this practice will also lead to a longer, healthier lifespan. Perhaps Spanish-speaking cultures had something similar in mind when they established the siesta, a civilized habit which cuts the workday in half, allowing workers to labor from 8:00 a.m. to noon, break for four hours, and then resume working from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In Spain, for ...

Bahamas: The venomous Asian lionfish could jeopardize the local fishing sector 2007-11-25 08:03:00 Lionfish Threatening Industry: By Macushla N. Pinder - Nassau, Bahamas: Marine officials are seriously concerned about the growing numbers of the venomous lionfish in Bahamian waters, which the Deputy Director of Marine Resources has insisted could jeopardize the local fishing sector. According to Edison Deleveaux, Bahamians have recently encountered the lionfish on a very frequent basis, an indication that the species has become "very common" in The Bahamas. There is also the issue of the species having no natural predators in the Atlantic Ocean. "The information we have is that they have been observed eating our commercially viable species like grunts and groupers and these are matters which are still being investigated." "If these stories are true, this can have a profound impact on our commercial fishing industry, in that they are feeding on the various species that form the basis of this sector." The local fishing sector brought in $92 million last year and $100 million in ...