Caribbean Report 13-05-1997

Abstract

President Clinton’s bid to seek improvements to the Caribbean Basin Initiative, a United States trade programme which began thirteen years ago has been dismissed as a sideline by one European trade expert. Issues of bilateral, regional and hemispheric concerns will be on the agenda when the Jamaican Prime Minister visits Cuba at the end of this month. The visit was announced following the weekend US Caricom Summit in Barbados. The Prime Ministers of Barbados and St Vincent also intend to visit Cuba. China and Cuba have signed agreements on trade and tourism at the end of a visit to Havana by the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister. Next, Guyana is host to a conference of indigenous people of the Amazon Basin. It is another conference of the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon (COICA). Scores of Amerindian representatives from nine South American countries would spend the rest of the week discussing issues they say threaten their very survival. Next, in St Lucia nominations close today ahead of general elections. This election campaign has exceeded previous ones in several ways. It has been the longest, dirtiest, most intense campaign the island has ever seen and the one with the greatest potential for violence in recent memory. Next, Britain’s new Labour government plans for next year will be outlined in the traditional Queen’s speech at Westminster. Black political leaders are expecting an announcement on new laws to combat racialism. Finally, staff from a British University have launched a campaign to prevent an honorary degree being awarded to a former England Coach Manager. He has been accused of making controversial comments regarding race.

Description

Table of Contents

1. Headlines (00:00-00:29)
2. President Clinton's proposed improvement of NAFTA dismissed by a leading expert on Caribbean trade. David Jessep, Head of the Caribbean Council for Europe is interviewed (00:30-05:46)
3. A question of survival as Amazonian Indian groups talk over their future. David James of the Amerindian Peopels Association of Guyana is interviewed (05:41-08:01)
4. Nominations close in St. Lucia today ahead of general electlons on the 23rd of this month (08:02-10:24)
5. A British government poised to introduce the country's first laws against racial harassment and violence. Michael O'Brien, Home Office Minister and Black MPs Bernie Grant and Diane Abbott are interviewed (10:25-14:26)
6. Former English coach manager Ray Illingworth has been accused of making controversial comments regarding race (14:27-15:25)

Keywords

Citation