CARIBBEAN TODAY


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F nT U R 6


Caribbean joins in observing World AIDS Day


The Caribbean joined the
 rest of the international
 community in observing
World AIDS Day 2009 Dec.
1 with a recognition that
much more needs to be done
to provide the framework and
infrastructure to ensure that
the interventions by health
authorities reach all people
infected in the region.
 St. Kitts and Nevis Prime
Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas,
who holds responsibility for
health within the Caribbean
community (CARICOM) quasi
Cabinet, said that while the
interventions in the past have
contributed to the overall stabi-
lization of the epidemic, there
were still areas to be covered in
order to effectively deal with
the pandemic.
 He said there have been
important gains and advances
in the Caribbean's response,
and great strides have been
made to meet the needs of the
generalized epidemic. But the
problem is still large.
 "The evidence also shows,
among other things, that in a
comparatively small region, in
2007 an estimated 38 persons


died of AIDS each day and
20,000 persons became infect-
ed," Douglas said.
 "It shows
further that
stigma and
discrimina-
tion remain a
barrier to
scaling up
prevention
and treat-
ment pro- Douglas
grams; and
there continues to be consid-
erable gaps (in some cases) in
policies and legislation with
respect to the inclusion and
protection of the most at risk
populations."

FRAMEWORK
 Douglas said that the
region must therefore provide
the framework and infrastruc-
ture that are necessary to
ensure that the interventions
reach all populations, and that
the supremacy of the human
rights cannot be over empha-
sized.


and women at an equal rate.
 According to the
UNAIDS-WHO AIDS
Epidemic Update for 2009,
released last month, the total
number of people living with
HIV globally is now 33.4 mil-
lion. Of these, adults comprise
31.3 million; women 15.7 mil-
lion; and children under 15
years, 2.1 million.
 The report noted that
Caribbean men and women
were contracting the deadly
HIV virus in equal numbers
and that there has been a nine
percent increase in the number
of persons living with the virus
in the region. It also stated that
after 28 years, the HIV epidem-
ic is now "evenly distributed
between males andL Lm1LI .IL
 "With a total number of
240,000 people living with
HIV in the Caribbean," said
Arkadiusz Majszyk, director
of the UNAIDS Caribbean
Regional Support Team. "This
is an increase of nine percent
between 2001 and 2008."


 A new report by UNAIDS CMC
shows that the HIV virus is t
now infecting Caribbean men


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11)
Jamaican Diaspora Conference
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
explained at least one draw-
back.
 "One of the fears of
whether or not you should
complete the census form is
that people that are undocu-
mented are scared," she said.
"...Many of us come from
Jamaica; we come here in visi-
tors visas and we don't go
back...So, my advice would be
if you are undocumented or in
a situation where you have
family members who are
undocumented, do not fill that
information out."
 Pinnock added that there
is some talk of a new immigra-
tion bill coming out of
Washington that she hopes
will include amnesty for
undocumented immigrants in
the U.S. and allow them to get
"green cards" or permanent


residence and not be penal-
ized for being out of status.
She urged the Jamaican dias-
pora to lobby representatives
and let their voices be heard.
 Jamaica's Ambassador to
the U.S. Anthony Johnson,
who also addressed confer-
ence attendees, urged
Jamaicans to go even further.
 "Become American citi-
zens," Johnson said. "We
would not regard it as disloy-
alty to Jamaica because with
our constitution you cannot
lose your Jamaican citizen-
ship...If you become an
American citizen you are enti-
tled to all the rights and enti-
tlements of Americans, which
means you can go stand up
with your placards...We must
stand together."

Dawn A. Davis is a freelance
writer for Caribbean Today.
0


Ex-commissioner joins Bermuda's ruling

 party, hopes to break color barrier


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11)
ward. When history looks
back we'll take great comfort
if it describes that we paved
the way that we put Bermuda
first."
 Traditionally, the over-
whelming majority of whites,
who account for 40 percent of
the island's 65,000 population,
have backed the UBP, which
ran the country for 30 years
until it was ousted from power
by the PLP in 1998. The PLP
has since won two more gen-
eral elections and the UBP is
facing a crisis after five of its
14 parliamentarians quit the
party in the past 12 months.
 Three former UBP legis-
lators have since launched
the Bermuda Democratic
Alliance (BDA).
 The ruling party's only
white legislator, Zane DeSilva,
was recently sworn in as minis-
ter without portfolio in Premier
Ewart Brown's 11-strong
Cabinet. Prior to her appoint-
ment, the only other white
member of the government was
Tourism Minister David Allen,
who died of cancer in 1999.

SAME GOAL
 Smith, who served as
police commissioner until
2005, said all three political
parties aspire towards the
same goal: a successful econo-
my, improved public safety
and jobs for Bermudians.
 "Several things are clear
to me in making this decision:
Bermuda must come first. I'm
committed to a path of
reform, modernization, social
justice and expansion of the


economic opportunities for all
Bermudians laid out by the
Progressive Labour Party," he
said in explaining why he
joined the ruling party.
 "Politics must be about
the people. Politics also pres-
ents choices for us as voters
and as citizens of the country
we love. We need to refuse to
be corralled by the politics of
the past, which virtually deter-
mined where the 'X' in the
ballot box would go.
 "There is so much more
which binds us together than
keeps us apart. In making this
choice, I'm very optimistic
about the journey we face,"
he said, noting that the jour-
ney is "more than just race.
"We stand at particularly diffi-
cult crossroads in time and to
the extent that any Bermudian
can help all Bermudians
should help and choose the
vehicle they believe best
enables them or empowers
them to contribute to
Bermuda's future.
 "We have much work to
do together on the many
strategic issues facing the coun-
try and I'm pleased to lend my
support to that effort."
 Smith said he had enjoyed
a good working relationship
with the government while he
served as the island's top cop,
even though then, he had no
political ambitions. He insists
that he is merely a member of
the PLP and has made no for-
mal steps to become anything
more at this stage.

- CMC
0


 U.S. Census 2010 holds key to

welfare of Caribbean Americans


December 2009