UWI Cave Hill Campus
ISSUE 27 March 2023
Anniversary Edition
Cave Hill @60 - Shining Like a Diamond Calls to Revamp Education System Constitution Review Staff Show Their Inventive Traits
"Creating Value From Our Ideas"
ISSUE 27: March 2023
60 Appeal to Strengthen Regional Research and Development 62 Mums’ Sugary Intake Fuels Childhood Obesity 64 Staff Show Their Inventive Traits 66 Drones Add Surveillance Tech to Region’s Agriculture 68 More Help Needed to Fight Cancer 69 Lack of Knowledge Limits Vaccine Uptake During Pregnancy TECHNOLOGY, TEACHING & LEARNING 70 In Praise of Teaching Excellence 72 Regional Educators Encouraged to Embrace Innovation 74 Young Software Engineers Create Legacy Project 76 Single ICT Space an Urgent Need 78 Digital Space Carries Power to Perpetuate or Eliminate 80 Calls to Adopt an English Lit Imperative OUTREACH 82 Renewed Push to Address Literacy AROUND CAMPUS 84 Law Library Gets Learning Commons ACTIVISM 86 Reimagining Caribbeanness AWARDS 88 Lecturers Recognised for Outstanding work 89 Auspicious Start to Nursing Programme 92 Graduates Urged to Plan for the Future 94 Eight Receive Top Honours for Excellence 97 Two New Cave Hill Professors PEOPLE 99 Savouring Rich Reward After SPISE 102 For the Record 106 Of Law and Legacy 108 Global Achievement Award for Cave Hill Alumna 109 Scholarship Recipient Pledges to Focus on Research 110 Sir Alister and His Work Lauded 114 Sir Henry Unveils Autobiography TRIBUTE 115 “Bye George” 116 Tribute to George Lamming SPORT 118 UWI Sailors Continue to Make Waves 120 Blackbird Seeks to Make Mark on World Stage
Contents
DISCOURSE
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Celebrating 60 Years as a Campus NEWS
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Illustrious Consortium Cuba’s Day at UWI
A PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, CAVE HILL CAMPUS, BARBADOS. We welcome your comments and feedback which can be directed to chillmagazine@cavehill.uwi.edu or CHILL c/o The Office of Marketing and Communications, The UWI, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown BB11000, Barbados. Tel (246) 417-7529
Opportunity to Acquire Bilingual Skill
Growing Demand for Chinese Culture 10 Youth Hold Promising Talks with European Commissioner 12 Jurist Weighs in on NCD Debate 14 UWI Students Engage IMF’s Managing Director 15 Former Judge Encourages Citizens to Seek Their Day in Court COVER STORY 16 Cave Hill @60 - Shining Like a Diamond ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 18 Festive Parade Kicks Off Jubilee Celebrations IN FOCUS 20 Calls to Revamp Education System 22 "Regional States Cannot Go It Alone" 24 Dire Warning for Caribbean Economies 26 Faculty of Law 'Punches Above Its Weight' 28 Civilisational Crisis from Miseducation ANALYSIS 29 Analysing The Seeds for a Homegrown Constitution 33 Constitution Review STUDENT-CENTRED 36 Students Thrilled to Be Back on Campus 39 Cave Hill Reclaims Title as Moot Champions 40 Musical Bridge Joins UWI and UK 42 Medical Students Acquire Simulation Equipment 44 Two Delighted with Their African Internships 46 Race for the Kids Puts Tara on the Road to Success PARTNERSHIP 49 Agreement Offers Cultural Exchanges 50 The UWI and Private Sector Deepen Relations 52 Accounting Students Receive Support from Audit Firm 53 Postgraduate Students Receive IDB Support RESEARCH & INNOVATION 54 Law and Health Research Unit Off to a Dynamic Start 56 AUTISM: Coping While Caring 58 UWI Scientists Involved in Global Cancer Study
EDITOR: Chelston Lovell
CONSULTANT EDITOR: Ann St. Hill
PHOTO EDITORS: Rasheeta Dorant Marie-Claire Williams ............................................................................ CONTRIBUTORS: Professor Opal Palmer Adisa, PhD Rahym R. Augustin-Joseph
Professor Cynthia Barrow-Giles Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, PhD Franchero Ellis Tennyson S.D. Joseph, PhD Professor R. Clive Landis, PhD Alfrena Jamie Pierre
Camille Russell Carol Williams Marie-Claire Williams Rico Yearwood ............................................................................. Brian Elcock David Garner Peter Marshall Nadine Rogers, PhD Shergaun Roserie Carol Williams Marie-Claire Williams The International Monetary Fund University Marketing and Communications Office Internet images ........................................................................... PAGE LAYOUT: Paul Gibbs PHOTOGRAPHY: Kim Baldwin, PhD COVER DESIGN: Paul Gibbs ...........................................................................
Printed in Barbados. © 2023
DISCOURSE
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS AS A CAMPUS
T he Cave Hill Campus is in celebratory mood! In this Issue of CHILL Magazine , the campus community is seen ‘shining like a diamond’ as we celebrate a year-long series of events marking our 60 th Anniversary as a UWI campus. Coincidentally, The University of the West Indies as an institution is marking its own diamond jubilee, the 75 th Anniversary. The full calendar of 60 th Anniversary activities, which focus on community outreach events, may be viewed at www.cavehill.uwi.edu/ diamondjubilee/events.aspx . At the first graduation ceremony to take place on the site of the new Cave Hill Campus in 1968, Prime Minister The Honourable Errol Barrow spoke these words: “It is of the utmost importance that our statesmen and scholars, students and scientists should all realise that a university institution cannot survive unless it has as its constant goal service to the communities which support and sustain its activities.” This invocation forms the basis of our developmental
This current issue of CHILL is packed with examples in which our staff, students and alumni are creating value in society, whether that is in shaping the constitutional framework of our new Republic, helping to revise Caribbean educational practices, legal activism to tackle the NCD crisis, as the first international member of the SlaveVoyages consortium, or collaborating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to create a database for assisting Barbadian citizens during their travels overseas. These and many more activities by our students, staff and alumni, chronicled in this issue of CHILL, give meaning to the Cave Hill strategy: “Creating Value From Our Ideas” as we live up to the legacy of our founding fathers to create a public university that is active within the communities that sustain it. l
Professor Clive Landis Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal The UWI, Cave Hill Campus
of Barbados and the Caribbean Region. We have done so not only by graduating over 40,000 students with accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, diplomas, and certificates but also by sharing our research and technical expertise at multiple levels of society, serving on national committees, boards, commissions, development agencies, and as delegates, often at the behest of CARICOM, on international policy and trade meetings. This commitment to add value in society is encapsulated in the five-year strategy for the campus, which is themed “Creating Value From Our Ideas” , as we translate our research and ideas to create value in society but also create value for the university itself through entrepreneurial income generation.
mission at The UWI, Cave Hill to help drive the development
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by ship to Barbados and sold to colonial enslavers on the island and throughout the Americas. Cave Hill is also a key educational partner of the Barbados Heritage District that will include a memorial park and a major global research institute to house the Barbados National Archives within a museum located in Newton Plantation, Christ Church. The digitisation of the Barbados National Archives is one of the main projects of the Barbados Heritage District . The Barbados Heritage District , designed by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye , is being developed under the direction of Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley under the auspices of the Reclaiming Our Atlantic Destiny (ROAD) Project , a multifaceted initiative designed to: transform the identity and economy of Barbados, provide unparalleled access to the history of the island nation, create job growth, and catapult research and technological innovation. “The inclusion of The University of the West Indies as the first non-US consortium member of SlaveVoyages marks an important next step in the advancement of the ROAD Project and of the Barbados
Illustrious Consortium
T his unification makes Cave Hill the first non-United States consortium member of SlaveVoyages , the leading online resource for the study of the trade in enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. The database has a critical role in widening access to archival materials, including ship registers, sales ledgers, and recorded names of freed African people. Already an institution housing a major architectural feature that pays homage to the island’s African ancestry, Cave Hill will work with SlaveVoyages to advance research and study of the Barbados National Archives . These archives comprise tens of millions of documents tracing the gut-wrenching stories of individuals captured in Africa, brought
As the reparatory justice movement gains global momentum, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus has teamed up with leading educational agencies, creating a premier consortium that contributes to the growing body of research into the Atlantic Slave Trade. The amalgamation also includes Emory University , Harvard University , Rice University , University of California , the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture.
Professor Sir Hilary Beckles Vice-Chancellor The University of the West Indies
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Heritage District ,” the Prime Minister stated. “The ROAD Project was conceived to deepen awareness and education surrounding the history of Barbados as it advances broader socio-economic goals. The work completed through SlaveVoyages will bring to light new insight into these difficult, yet immeasurably significant histories as we continue to chart the future for our new republic.” Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. , who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University's Professor and Director of Hutchins Center for African & African American Research of Harvard University , welcomed Barbados’s membership. “The remarkable breadth of the SlaveVoyages database has grown exponentially since it was launched over a decade ago. It is now poised to expand its records even further from this globally significant endeavour by Barbados. The impact of the ROAD Project will be seismic in its provision of detailed records of the trade in enslaved people both on the island nation and throughout the Americas,” he stated. V ice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies Professor Sir Hilary Beckles highlighted the significance of the institution’s contribution to the consortium: “It is entirely fitting that the Cave Hill campus of The University of the West Indies … should be invited as first external member of this significant body of American universities with a dedicated focus on the history and pedagogy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Barbados was among the earliest and largest markets for enslaved African labour in the Americas, the first colony to be home to Africans as the largest social demographic, and the first country to enact a comprehensive slave code in which Africans were deemed as non-human and property forever.
“The Cave Hill campus was built in the mid-20 th century within an environment historically developed as plantations using enslaved African labour, and the campus today is home to the only building in the Americas inspired by the West African architectural motif of the Ashanti Golden Stool, the resting place of the spirits of departed ancestors. This constitutes an affirmation by the campus that the roots and legacies of the SlaveVoyages have been taken to the highest level of spiritual reflection and representation.” Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Cave Hill Campus Professor Clive Landis said it was an honour for the institution to be invited as a member of SlaveVoyages . He added, “This comes at an opportune moment in the history of Barbados as the world’s newest republic takes on global leadership roles in the slavery and reparations discourse. “Cave Hill Campus will work collaboratively in deploying its research expertise to help analyse, publish, and disseminate slavery records and artefacts housed in the Barbados Department of Archives and our own special collections. Our research will add value to the ambitious digitisation project being undertaken as part of the ROAD Project .” l
Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr . Professor and Director of Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, Harvard University David Adjaye Ghanaian-British architect
Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr . Professor and Director of Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, Harvard University
The Hon. Mia Amor Mottley Prime Minister of Barbados
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Cuba’s Day at UWI by Tennyson S.D. Joseph
W ednesday 7 December 2022 will be remembered as the day when Cuban President, Miguel Díaz-Canel came to The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. It was an historically momentous occasion, and according to our knowledge, it was the first ever visit by a Cuban President to a campus of The UWI. After attending the CARICOM-Cuba Summit on 6 December to mark the 50 th year since the four independent CARICOM states of Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago ended Cuba’s isolation by establishing formal diplomatic relations (the actual anniversary date being 8 December), President Díaz-Canel graciously agreed to address the opening session of a CARICOM-Cuba colloquium organised by the Department of Government, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology at Cave Hill, as the final stop of his official visit to Barbados. The one-day colloquium was the
brainchild of Barbados’s Ambassador to CARICOM David Commissiong, Cuban Ambassador to Barbados Sergio Pastrana, and Dr. Tennyson Joseph of the Department of Government, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology, who all thought it prudent to capitalise on the presence of CARICOM and Cuban officials attending the annual summit and extend the discussion to an additional day to include academics, activists, civil society and ordinary citizens. The colloquium, dubbed Celebrating 50 Years of Cuba-CARICOM Relations , comprised six panels which covered topics such as “50 Years of Fighting the
Miguel Díaz-Canel President of Cuba
Blockade Against Cuba” , “Reflections on Major Milestones and Turning Points in the CARICOM-Cuba Journey” , “50 Years of CARICOM-Cuba Cultural/ Artistic Interactions and People to People Relations” , “Examining CARICOM-Cuba Educational, Medical Scientific and Technological Collaboration” , and “A Cuba-CARICOM People to People Conversation” . The closing panel took a prospective approach and focused on “Current Realities and Prospects for the Next 50 Years of Cuba-CARICOM Relations” . Each panel was organised to facilitate presentations from both Cuban and CARICOM participants. In addition, many of the CARICOM-based panellists were themselves persons with past or ongoing connections to Cuba, either as students within the Cuban university system, ambassadors, through family connections or academic-research interests. Among the panellists, for example, were Cuban
Barbados's Ambassador to CARICOM, David Comissiong (left) with other attendees at the colloquium
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and the Cuban Embassy in Barbados in organising the one-day colloquium. The high point of the activity, however, was that the Cuban President Díaz-Canel himself thought it important enough to deliver remarks at the opening session, and equally importantly, the Prime Minister of Barbados Honourable Mia Amor Mottley and the UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles lent their authoritative voices to the activity. President Díaz-Canel thanked the leaders and people of the region for their steadfast support and bravery throughout the years of the Cuban revolution, and he recognised the work of Caribbean academics in standing with Havana throughout the years. He remarked on the beauty of the campus, the warmth and spirituality of the Caribbean people, and he appeared genuinely pleased to participate in the colloquium, jokingly remarking that he will include on his curriculum vitae that he had taken part in a seminar at The UWI. For her part, Prime Minister Mottley thanked President Díaz-Canel for the years of support provided by Cuba in the areas of health care and education, and she reiterated many of the main successes achieved at the previous day’s summit. They included efforts at cooperation in the
economics graduates Peter Lansiquot, St. Lucia’s Ambassador to Mexico, Venezuela, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and Michael Heslop, Associate Professor of Economics at Northern Virginia Community College , USA; Barbados’s Ambassador to Cuba, Philip St. Hill; and Barbadian social historian, author and media personality, Dr. Sharon Marshall. Another key feature of the panel composition was the large number of long-standing, pro-Cuban political activists from all over the Caribbean who had been involved with the youth and student movements from the early 1970s, and who agreed to participate in the colloquium as a show of gratitude and solidarity with Cuba. These included Earl Bousquet of St. Lucia; David Abdulah, Leader of the Movement for Social Justice in Trinidad and Tobago; Dr. Terence Marryshow, a Cuban-trained medical practitioner and Founder of the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement of Grenada; David Denny, a Barbadian social activist; and Jomo Thomas, an attorney and former Speaker of the House of Assembly of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Most importantly, however, was the participation in the opening panel of Fernando González, one of the “Cuban Five”, that is, five Cuban intelligence officers who were arrested in Miami and subsequently convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage, conspiracy to commit murder, acting as an agent of a foreign government, and other illegal activities in the United States. He offered a strong statement calling for the end of the blockade and for the removal, by the US, of Cuba from the list of states which have been declared as sponsors of terrorism. The colloquium represented a determined effort on the part of CARICOM citizens to show as much reverence as their Cuban counterparts for the observance of CARICOM-Cuba Day on 8 December. Unlike the people of the
English-speaking Caribbean, Cuba has always marked the day with a sense of seriousness of purpose and historical understanding. I recall visiting Cuba for the first time 20 years ago, as a young attaché to the Prime Minister of St. Lucia, to mark the 30 th anniversary of CARICOM-Cuba diplomatic relations. What struck me immediately was the fact that, while the event passed unnoticed in the English- speaking Caribbean, upon arriving in Cuba, it was as if the entire country was mobilised around the meaning of the date for the fate of the revolution itself. I was moved by the respect and gratitude of the Cuban people for the four CARICOM pioneer leaders and for their innate understanding of the implications of their decision for the development of the whole Caribbean. Thankfully, in the intervening years, the English-speaking Caribbean has seen the emergence of several vanguard grass- roots organisations and state leaders who can now join with the Cuban Government and people in seizing on the significance of the 8 December 1972 establishment of diplomatic relations, as a springboard from which to propel the joint futures of Cuba and CARICOM. It is for these reasons that the 50 th Anniversary CARICOM-Cuba Summit
held in Bridgetown on 6 December represented such an important occasion for the setting of new vistas in CARICOM- Cuba relations. And it was for similar reasons that The UWI’s Department of Government, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology agreed to work with the Barbados-Cuba Friendship Association , the Caribbean Chapter of the International Network in Defense of Humanity ,
(from left) Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley; President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel; Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles; and Principal of Cave Hill Campus, Professor Clive Landis
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blockade, to more overt rejections of the blockade. He wondered aloud that, while much is made of the fact that annually “all but two” countries vote against the blockade, the majority-dissenting states have failed to act decisively in ending the blockade. All in all, The UWI, Cave Hill one- day colloquium, Celebrating 50 years of Cuba-CARICOM Relations , was an important statement by The UWI of its commitment to wider regionalism and to public engagement. It was an activity that received the full blessing and support of the region’s state leadership and of the university leadership itself. Eternal gratitude to all who worked to make the colloquium a success, in particular, Ms. Teresacita Cox of the Department of Government, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology at Cave Hill who single-handedly managed all the day- to-day activities involved in organising a conference of this nature. May the work of the colloquium resonate across the Caribbean Sea in the weeks and months ahead until all the states of the region are free to pursue their own development options, free from interference by outside powers. l
Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles greets the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel.
A nother clear outcome of the colloquium was the loud Isaac Saney , an historian at Dalhousie University in Canada, offered an informed account of the Biden administration’s stance on Cuba and a sound explanation for why President Biden had not kept his election promise to remove Cuba from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. Jomo Thomas , in turn, insisted that it was time to move beyond the symbolism of the annual exercise of votes in the United Nations General Assembly in opposition to the demand for the normalisation of global relations with Cuba. Dr.
areas of climate change impact mitigation, cultural exchanges; and the steps towards a multi-lingual Barbados, with fluency in Spanish being at the centre of this endeavour. In welcoming the President to The UWI, Sir Hilary, in his remarks, reiterated the commitment of the university to deepening the existing Memorandum of Understanding between The UWI and the University of Havana . He remarked that The UWI has a physical presence in the University of Havana by way of the Norman Girvan Centre for Caribbean Studies , over whose offices The UWI flag flies aloft. The Vice- Chancellor pledged the deep commitment of The UWI to work with Cuban academics in areas of mutual interest. Among the key outcomes of the colloquium was the proposal to rename the relationship to Cuba in CARICOM, rather than Cuba and CARICOM. That proposal was made by Dr. Jacqueline LaGuardia Mart í nez , a Cuban lecturing in international relations at The UWI, St. Augustine Campus. She did so by presenting a comprehensive review of existing areas of cooperation. She identified areas of strengths and weaknesses and suggested new areas which can be included based on the existing state of the global-political economy.
Members of the audience at the colloquium
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Opportunity to Acquire Bilingual Skill
Students of The University of the West Indies are expected to be able to converse in at least one language other than their native tongue when they graduate.
T he announcement was made by the university administration last October after in-depth, internal strategic planning and discussion with regional education stakeholders. According to the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies, Professor Justin Robinson, “Going forward, the expectation is that all UWI graduates will be at least conversation competent in a language other than English.” In a statement to the media, The
Already, a substantial number of graduates have specialised foreign language degrees. Majors and minors in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), and teaching competencies in others like Arabic, German, Hindi, Korean, and Yoruba have long been commonplace. However, this policy development will now see all students participating in foreign language training at a general level. Vice-Chancellor Beckles elaborated further: “This is a fundamental change that will transform the identity of UWI students and graduates and
Professor Justin Robinson Pro Vice-Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies, The UWI
UWI announced that the Foreign Language Policy for its five regional campuses has been approved and is being implemented on a phased, faculty-by-faculty and campus-by- campus basis, beginning in the academic year 2022- 2023 with applicability to new incoming undergraduate students only. This seminal initiative further advances The UWI’s compliance with best practices in teaching and learning found in elite-ranked cohorts. Vice- Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles noted that the “Significant change will enable the further regional and global mobility and empowerment of graduates. Foreign language proficiency will no longer be a major impediment to employment amongst our graduates in the global world.”
will provide more relevant graduates to serve as a development platform for the new, more modern, and globally competitive Caribbean economy.”
Universal coverage and participation of all students are anticipated within the next three academic years. Flexible access and easy learning is the pedagogical principle, with students having the option of self- tutoring or guided instruction. They will have the full duration of their academic programme to acquire language competence. Those coming into the university with prior competence shall be exempt from this requirement. l
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by Carol Williams Growing Demand for Chinese Culture
Aspects of Chinese culture were brought to life as the Confucius Institute (CI) at The UWI, Cave Hill Campus held its first open house since the pandemic forced some of the institute’s seminal activities online.
A ctivity rooms were virtually filled to capacity by students and others gathered for the immersive experience on 7 October 2022. Many eagerly painted brightly coloured masks, engaged in the art of calligraphy, and sampled Chinese tea for which the country is world- famous. For a time, the sweet sounds of the ancient Chinese zither, an intricate musical instrument similar to the harp, filled the air as those present were taught the fundamentals of playing. Some adventurous individuals took part in the Chopstick Pickup Tournament and, later in the day, attempts were
made to learn the Chinese martial art, Tai Chi. An online symposium entitled “Perspectives in Philosophy" kicked off the event that was held to celebrate Confucius Institute Day and Chinese National Day , which is 1 October. It featured presentations
by Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education,
Cave Hill Campus, Professor Frederick
Ochieng’-Odhiambo and Professor Yu Xueming, President of the Faculty of Humanities, China University of Political Science and Law respectively titled “The Relevance of Sagacity in Philosophy”
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“The numbers are heading back up,” Bulbulia said while providing an overall status update on the programmes. “Certainly, this is indicated in the National Library Service’s programme, the co- curricular course, and the Chinese for the Software Engineering programme.” F or the BSc. Software Engineering programme, there has been a notable increase in the intake of students from the St. Augustine campus of The UWI. Giving his overall assessment of the progress made by the CI since he took up the role of Co-Director in 2018, he said, “I’m proud to be able to carry on the work and the very strong foundation that was put down by a number of people before me on the Caribbean side and the Chinese side. I see it as a mission to help Caribbean people broaden their horizons beyond the places to which they traditionally look, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. There’s a bigger world out there that they can look at for opportunities and places to go.” l
David Bulbulia Co-Director, Confucius Institute The UWI, Cave Hill Campus
and “Drawing Water by Jar or by Machinery: The Teachings of Zhuangzi” . Co-Director of the Confucius Institute David Bulbulia said events like the Open House Fun Day have helped to generate interest in its programme offerings. He noted that although the pandemic affected enrolment in its evening classes, there has been a positive response to some new programmes. For example, registration for the Confucius Institute’s/National Library Service’s Learn Chinese Together course peaked at almost 100 people.
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Youth Hold Promising Talks with European Commissioner
European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen flanked by UWI Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sir Hilary Beckles (on her right) and Chair of Cave Hill Campus Council Sir Paul Altman (on her left), among students.
F or almost an Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen fielded questions and interacted with those in attendance at the first Caribbean Youth Leaders Roundtable, jointly organised by the European Union (EU) and The UWI . The event was held on 11 October 2022 at the hour, European Commissioner for International
It was billed as a roundtable that would provide the youth with a unique opportunity to engage with a high- ranking member of the European Commission , and it delivered highly on that promise.
(from left) European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen and moderator Khaleid Holder
Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management. The questions from the audience, online and in-person, were wide- ranging and covered areas such as the availability of partnerships for civil service organisations, investment in the criminal justice system, insufficient funding for developing states to achieve climate equity, the input of youth in the just-launched Youth Action Plan in the Caribbean and how young people could help make the plan a reality.
The details of the plan had been unveiled minutes earlier by Commissioner Urpilainen, who explained that it seeks to engage, empower, and connect with the youth. The plan focuses on improving the influence of young people in Latin America and the Caribbean in policy and decision making. To this end, youth from both sides of the Atlantic are expected to hold meetings in preparation for a summit
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involving representatives of the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean planned for this year. Aside from bringing together political leaders from these three regions to discuss areas of partnership and cooperation, the meeting would also involve ordinary young people along with civil society and business representatives. O n the issue of empowerment, Commissioner Urpilainen said through the creation of business and economic opportunities they hope to reduce inequalities and ensure all young people have the skills and resources needed to succeed. The diplomat used the occasion to announce that the EU has committed €14 million for the international education exchange programme, Erasmus+ , in the Caribbean. She said this will support higher education and vocational institutions and increase prospects for young people to network and be involved in exchange programmes with their peers worldwide. As a former teacher and youth activist, the Commissioner said the single greatest investment countries can make is in young people who face many challenges, among them climate change, conflicts, a pandemic, and inequality. “I am very passionate about putting youth in the driver’s seat,” said the diplomat as she promised to listen to the concerns, aspirations, and messages of the youth. Some primary concerns among the youth were outlined by President of the Guild of Students at Cave Hill Osazé Moraldo-Bowen at the start of the session. He identified a lack of economic opportunities as a major setback and suggested a rethink of the way public and private enterprises scout, hire, and retain their talent to help youth transition into the workforce after they had educated and upskilled themselves. Moraldo-Bowen linked limited access to economic opportunities to the high cost of
meaningful participation and give us a real voice in shaping solutions that can impact our futures.” Prior to the roundtable, some members of The University of the West Indies’ administration, led by Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles , met with Commissioner Urpilainen and other members of her delegation. Sir Hilary acknowledged that The UWI was playing its part in preparing the youth for the global stage even though access to higher education remains a challenge in this region. He noted that mandating all students to study a foreign language component, from the 2022 academic year onwards, would empower youth and assist them in being effective global citizens. The Vice-Chancellor also spoke glowingly of the enduring relationship between The UWI and the EU and the support it has given to the university to help drive development in the region. The 11-12 October visit to Barbados marked the first mission of Commissioner Urpilainen to the Caribbean. l
Osazé Moraldo-Bowen President of the Guild of Students The UWI, Cave Hill Campus
intraregional travel that prevents persons from taking advantage of prospects in other states, corruption that has led to apathy of political affairs, concerns about tokenism rather than meaningful inclusion, and the climate change threat to the region. “The first step in dealing with these issues and challenges, in my opinion, is respect for young persons. Respect for their opinions, perspectives, and ideas. Once this respect is [given], it will promote
Principal Prof. Clive Landis (far right) in conversation with the European delegation and senior campus officials
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Jurist Weighs in on NCD Debate There has been a call for fresh legal thinking to tackle the
T he comments by the third most senior member of the Caribbean Court of Justice were made during a public lecture he delivered on the topic “Caribbean Public Health: The use of law to address NCDs in the Caribbean – A call to action”. The lecture was hosted by the Law and Health Research Unit of the Faculty of Law, The UWI, Cave Hill Campus on 15 September 2022 as part of the unit’s first anniversary celebrations. In prefacing his argument, the Cave Hill alumnus and former law lecturer cited a 2016 study by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) which found that NCDs accounted for 76 percent of deaths in non-Latin Caribbean countries, with the exclusion of Haiti. He said another study published in 2022 in Trinidad and Tobago found that the sugar, salt, and fats content in 90 percent of the food produced in the region does not meet the nutritional threshold set by PAHO. The jurist said while some existing legislation, such as the town and country planning acts, public health acts, noise abatement acts, and litter acts can help address aspects of the NCD problem, the region needed a broad suite of laws to bring the situation under control.
non-communicable diseases (NCDs) crisis facing the region. It’s coming from Professor, the Honourable Justice Winston Anderson who said residents should consider legal options to hold the authorities to account if all else fails.
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J ustice Anderson added, “We can’t be afraid to use the law. If all other efforts have failed, then we have to consider recourse in the courts to litigate to ensure our rights. "Can we litigate some of the common-law actions to see if they can be used to control NCDs? Having accepted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, does the failure to implement those provisions involve state liability internationally and to the citizens? What are the constitutional limits to commercial speech when intended for public health? Can there be a transnational liability for foreign producers of unhealthy foods imported into the Caribbean?" The jurist touted the Caribbean Public Health Law Forum , established in 2021, as a useful initiative to increase awareness of the role of the law in tackling NCDs and other health issues. l
“The traditional legal tools used to combat planning issues, pollutions, pandemics and so on are relevant on the margins, but the modern NCDs present unique features that call for fresh legal thinking. Those arise from the nature of the NCD problem and involve issues of personal sovereignty and autonomy, issues of intervention of scientific data, empirical studies and the conveyance of accurate information to the public.” Justice Anderson, a member of the Advisory Committee of the Law and Health Research Unit , agreed that a balance needed to be struck between personal responsibility and governmental responsibility. However, he said residents should be provided with accurate, timely and comprehensive information to exercise that personal responsibility. C oncerning attempts by regional states to implement controls on tobacco smoking, one of the NCD risk factors, the CCJ Judge said these have been "patchy at best" among the countries that have signed on to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) “In 2007, our governments promised us that certain actions will be taken in relation to protecting our health; certainly, from cigarette smoke and having smoke-free public spaces. To the extent that this promise has not been kept, can the governments be liable for breach of legitimate expectation? That is something somebody [should] ask in the right context.” He suggested closer attention be paid to areas in the constitutions that address the right to life, the right to health, the right to give and receive information, and freedom of thought and expression.
“We have to lobby the Government to pass appropriate laws to implement the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control. Having passed the laws, we have to lobby the Government as well to establish the appropriate institutions to implement those laws. There are things we can do about schools’ food environment. Now that information has increased, we have to see if there is some way to convince our vendors that they are part of the process of trying to decrease incidents of NCDs, and we can switch to healthy choices for children. That is being done in some places, and it’s wonderful.”
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UWI Students Engage IMF’s Managing Director
“The most important source of strength is you; believe in yourself,” she told students while meeting with them in a town hall-style meeting last June. The historic meeting was the first of its kind for the campus and the Bretton Woods institution. The hybrid event was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre and streamed via UWITv Global and the IMF’s livestream channels. COVID-19 restrictions limited the number who could attend the face-to-face gathering. However, many tuned in online to witness their peers seize the opportunity to dialogue with the managing director on issues relevant to the IMF’s mandate and activities in the region, such as climate change, unsustainable sovereign debts, and development goals. On the issue of climate change, Georgieva urged people to act decisively to Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) , Ms. Kristalina Georgieva has urged students at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus to take charge of their destiny and to not sit on the sidelines as their countries’ leaders and other global leaders seek to solve the world’s pressing issues.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva being interviewed by (then) Lecturer in Economics, Dr. Simon Naitram
reduce the magnitude of this threat, while also charging students to lend their voice to the IMF’s rallying cry to “tax pollution, not people” . “We must tax CO 2 emissions. Make sure there is a price for emitting them whether that is a tax [or] trade/regulatory enforcement. Whatever the measure, it is most significant that we send a clear signal to producers [and] to consumers that we simply cannot survive as humanity unless we change,” urged Georgieva. The managing director also urged her listeners to act on these issues now, because “these are no longer problems of the future”. “I cannot think of a better voice on these existential crises than yours because you are going to inherit the problems my generation created. So press [institutions like ours], but act on
your own. Set the example that you care about these issues.” Economist Dr. Simon Naitram , moderator of the event and Lecturer in Economics at the campus, described this event as “a rare opportunity” for UWI students to directly engage with the leadership of one of the world’s foremost economic institutions. “As the IMF is in the business of tackling global challenges, we hope that this conversation inspired our students to think about how they themselves can be genuine world changers,” Naitram shared. Georgieva, who was on a 15-18 June visit to the Caribbean, had expressed her interest to meet with students of The UWI — “the future leaders of the Caribbean” — to discuss the IMF’s evolving partnership in the region while she was in Barbados on 16 June. The occasion was the managing director’s first call to Barbados and the region. l
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Former Judge Encourages Citizens to Seek Their DAY IN COURT
Privy Council and the Caribbean Court of Justice . In particular, he referred to landmark judgements delivered in cases from Trinidad and Tobago, such as Harrikissoon v Attorney General (1980), Jaroo v Attorney General (2002), and Ramanoop v Attorney General (2005). Cases in Barbados, Belize, and Guyana were also mentioned. The professor pointed out areas of concern with some of the judgements, which he said could have been made clearer to avoid misinterpretation and noted the Privy Council repeatedly warned against abuse of process. He surmised that the 2002 matter involving Jaroo brought a sudden and welcomed halt to the unrelenting abuse of the court’s jurisdiction to grant constitutional relief: “That unruly horse in the 1980s and 1990s and early 2000s has now been tamed. The alternative remedies, under the common law or statute, must be pursued before constitutional proceedings are brought. The exhaustion of remedies principle is either expressly stated in some constitutions or implied in others. In my view, even where it has been removed, it can still be implied and applied by the courts.”
L andmark court decisions with major implications for abuse of process should not deter citizens with meritorious claims from pursuing legal action in the courts, argues respected regional jurist and Dean of the Faculty of Law at The UWI, Cave Hill, Professor Eddy Ventose. At the same time, he acknowledged that abuse of process, described as people misusing the legal process for purposes other than intended, was a challenge in the Commonwealth Caribbean at one time but said this has since been brought under control. Professor Ventose opined on the matter during a lecture on the topic “Taming the Unruly Horse: Abuse of Constitutional Proceedings in the Commonwealth Caribbean” held on 23 November 2022 and organised by the School for Graduate Studies and Research, Cave Hill Campus. He pointed out that most constitutions in the region under review have a proviso that the High Court shall not exercise its powers if it does not believe an individual has utilised all other available avenues for redress under the law. “The courts essentially are put there as the sentinel standing at the door of
Professor Eddy Ventose Dean, Faculty of Law The UWI, Cave Hill Campus
Dean Ventose is well-versed in constitutional law, having written
the constitution. So before you can come through the door with a constitutional claim, the courts are there to say ‘wait a minute, you cannot bring this claim if you have a claim at common law’. But while the courts need to be vigilant to prevent abuse of its processes, that cannot be used to prevent or deter citizens from invoking the constitutional redress provision. If they, in good faith, believe there is some feature, which means that their claim should be adjudicated by the constitutional court, then they should be allowed to pursue that process.” Professor Ventose made note of some legal challenges that reached as far as the
extensively on the topic in recent years. Overall, the former judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has authored over 70 publications, including on intellectual property and administrative law. He has won both the Principal’s Award for Excellence in Research and the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research. In 2012, at age 35, he became the youngest person in the history of The University of the West Indies to be promoted to the rank of professor. l
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Cave Hill @60 Shining Like a Diamond
Sir Hilary said, “Not only did it prosper in its alignment with the economic development model and gave Barbados the competitive edge it needed in so many areas, but how proud we all felt when our [then] Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research Professor Wayne Hunte announced that on a per capita basis, Cave Hill was the leading producer of cutting-edge peer-reviewed articles and monographed production. “Here, the youngest landed campus [at the time] had risen to become the leading campus in the publication of quality research, University Press publications, and international peer-reviewed journals. Cave Hill had soared, also, as a research publishing powerhouse.” Its impact on its host country and neighbouring region has been profound. Overall, more than 40,000 students have graduated from Cave Hill, and a working group estimated nearly a decade ago that the campus generated $200 million in additional economic activity and more than $80 million in foreign exchange annually in Barbados. Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus Professor Clive Landis commended his predecessors - Professor Leslie Robinson, Sir Sidney Martin, Sir Keith Hunte, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles,
Having weathered numerous challenges and crises in its existence so far, The University of the West Indies at Cave Hill is being celebrated as a beacon of Caribbean resilience and achievement as it turns 60. “Cave Hill stepped up to the plate and has been a magnificent success. It prospered!” declared UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles who served as a principal of the campus for 13 years. He was speaking at a media launch held on 19 January to announce year-long celebratory plans to mark Cave Hill’s diamond jubilee this year. The celebrations are being observed under the theme Resolute and Resilient . The institution was established at the Deep Water Harbour in 1963 where it operated as the College of Arts and Sciences. Four years later, it moved to its current site at Cave Hill, St. Michael and became a full-fledged campus with the establishment of its first faculty, the Faculty of Law, in 1970. Sir Hilary, a renowned historian, said
Professor Clive Landis Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal The UWI, Cave Hill Campus
the campus was established during a transformative period in Barbados’s history when the authorities were intent on moving away from a plantation society and forging a new developmental path. C ave Hill itself was also transformed in the process. Enrolment grew dramatically after the Owen Arthur administration removed the cap on student admission numbers. Today, enrolment stands at more than 6,000, a far cry from the inaugural cohort of 118.
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and Professor the Most Honourable Violet Eudine Barriteau - on their leadership. He also quoted National Hero The Right Excellent Errol Barrow in his 1968 graduation address in which the then Prime Minister suggested that the efficient growth of the university was the path to prosperity and that it needed to serve the communities which support and sustain its activities. “The vision painted by Errol Barrow is at once vaulting and ambitious but also nuanced and qualified. It can remain our guide for the next 60 years as it has the first 60,” Principal Landis said. “The resolve of the previous principals in achieving this vision for a public university is obvious when we consider the expansion of the academy in several dimensions: the physical infrastructure of the campus, the expansion of the student body, the full range of academic degree programmes, the quality and accreditation of its degrees, and our expansive research output. None of this could have been possible without the closest collaboration between the campus and successive Barbadian governments, and more specifically, ministers of education who showed the depth of their commitment to the efficient growth of the university as the path to prosperity.”
Sir Paul Altman Chairman, Campus Council The UWI, Cave Hill Campus
Professor Sir Hilary Beckles Vice-Chancellor The University of the West Indies
T he Principal said the university was unwavering in its commitment to the region and will continue to fully support its defining difference in the quality of life of Barbados and its people. She urged the administration of the campus to ensure the institution remained fit for purpose, bearing in mind that countries globally were becoming increasingly insular. “That humanising influence which The development. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley agreed that the campus has made a University of the West Indies has perfected as a key part of Caribbean civilisation will make the defining difference in our being able to punch above our weight. I thank all who, over the course of the last 60 years, have made this legacy possible. Of course, there are many who are long gone but their families remain, and [we] remember the sacrifices they made in pursuit of building this great institution. Those who are there now … are being asked to craft a future with a global vision but with less available than at other times in your history. We know [it can be done] … if we try a little harder. “Let us not hold on to the things of the past purely because they felt comfortable, but let us ensure we craft programmes and produce citizens who are equal to the task
of the time for it is only when we do that, that it makes sense to celebrate the legacy of the past, not as a historic reality but as a platform for prosperity into the future.” A number of alumni who have developed into Caribbean leaders, captains of industry, and good global citizens were identified by the Chairman of Cave Hill Campus Council, Sir Paul Altman . Chair of the Cave Hill 60 th Anniversary Planning Committee Dr. Henderson Carter said the celebrations seek to achieve several objectives: provide opportunities to reflect with pride on past achievements and struggles and project a path for the future; build great cohesion, collegiality, and comradery within the academy; develop strategic partnerships with external stakeholders; and give back to the community it serves. l
The Hon. Mia Amor Mottley Prime Minister of Barbados
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