News – Page 692 – Guyana Times International

Over 500 graduate from BIT

December 15, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Five hundred and four persons graduated from the Board of Industrial Training’s National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE) and single parent programme at a ceremony at the National Cultural Centre. This batch of graduates brings the yearly total to 1995 graduates. The training institution can boast a 97 graduating percent for the year. President Donald Ramotar addressed the graduates and told them he could not be more proud of their efforts and accomplishments. The president gave a brief history of the NTPYE, stating that under former President Bharrat Jagdeo,…

Bouterse to chair Caricom from January

December 15, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Incoming Chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Desi Bouterse, the president of Suriname, on Monday welcomed Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque on the first day of the SG’s official visit to Paramaribo. President Bouterse becomes Caricom chairman on January 1, 2012 and will hold the position for six months. He will succeed Dr Denzil Douglas, prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis and current Caricom chairman, the Caricom Secretariat said in a release. The secretary general had earlier met Surinamese Vice President Robert Ameerali and Foreign Minister Winston Lakin. Among…

Canadian Minister compliments Guyanese organisation in Toronto

December 15, 2011 TIMES INT'L

By North American Correspondent The Ontario Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney complimented the Guyanese managed Vishnu Mandir at a recent reception to honour outstanding individuals in the community. The Vishnu Mandir, which is a construct of the Voice of Vedas institution in Canada, has been doing work primarily among Caribbean and South Asian immigrants in Canada. Praising the organization, Minister Kenney told a large gathering: “I cannot think of another institution that has contributed to Canadian society more than the Vishnu Mandir. It begins in the ancient…

Gender-based violence carries high price – U.S. envoy

December 15, 2011 TIMES INT'L

United States Ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt said that gender-based violence is an intolerable violation of human dignity, as no one can quantify the personal pain and anguish of any form of abuse. However, Hardt said medical bills and legal costs; lost wages and lower productivity; health costs, including an increased risk of HIV – these are things on which we can put a price. “And when we do, we see – in dollars and cents – how much violence against women and girls truly costs everyone in a…

GDF, China sign Gy$157M accord

December 15, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Chief-of-Staff Commodore Gary Best and Chinese Ambassador Yu Wenzhe on Wednesday signed a military aid agreement valued five million Yuan (Gy$ 157,032,600). According to a GDF release, the aid reflects similar assistance provided over the years, geared at enhancing the GDF’s defence capabilities. At the simple ceremony, Commodore Best highlighted the good relations which the Guyana Defence Force and the People’s Liberation Army of China have enjoyed. He said the force continues to be grateful for the assistance it has received and pledged commitment to the bilateral arrangements the two…

AFC urges govt/opposition collaboration in fighting poverty

December 15, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Alliance For Change (AFC) is calling for the establishment of a tripartite partnership to fight poverty in Guyana. At the party’s weekly press briefing on Wednesday, its chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan said there is a need for such a partnership to make the country’s economic, political and social transformation evident. “Development for Guyana means economic, political and social transformation in the shortest period of time. This transformation implies not only rapid economic growth, but also political and economic freedoms, eradication of poverty, sustainable and eco-friendly use of natural resources, access…

Jagdeo looks forward to living ‘normal life’

December 9, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo on December 3 said he is looking forward to living a normal life as he demitted office officially on December 3, following the inauguration of the country’s new president, Donald Ramotar. Speaking to the media after the auspicious occasion, Jagdeo, who served as president for 12 years, said, “I will enjoy myself in my home country for a while. I am looking forward to that.” He intends to travel the length and breadth of the country, do some writing amongst other cherished things he did not…

APNU’s Leader plugs shared governance in address to nation

December 9, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Partnership for National Unity (APNU) presidential candidate David Granger said results of the recent elections were not the change the coalition sought, but it at least provided a chance for them to make that change. He, however, warned that change cannot happen “if we go back to the way things were. There can be no change without a new spirit of service and a new spirit of sacrifice. We must resist the temptation to resort to the sort of partisanship that poisoned our politics for decades. We will progress as…

AFC now holds balance of power in Parliament – Nigel Hughes

December 9, 2011 TIMES INT'L

By Ariana Gordon Alliance For Change (AFC) executive member Nigel Hughes last Thursday told the media that his party is pleased that the combined opposition has gained control of the National Assembly, but warned that the PPP/ C’s hold on “executive power” could still hinder their push for constitutional reforms. He was at the time addressing the media following the declaration of the 2011 general and regional elections at the Savannah Suite, Pegasus Hotel, Kingston. Hughes, an attorney-at-law, noted that the win provides ample opportunity for immediate constitutional change to…

Toronto Caribbean Children Foundation Celebrates 11th anniversary

December 9, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Caribbean Children Foundation (TCCF) of Toronto celebrated its 11th anniversary last month. The organisation was founded in 2000 to help sick kids from the Caribbean receive medical treatment in Canada. The president of the organisation is Guyanese Jay Brijpaul (a real estate magnate) of Toronto. The first child to have received help from the organisation was a Caribbean national; Melissa Hercules. The organisation took care of the costs for her surgery at Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital. To date, the organisation has since helped to save 55 children’s lives. Brijpaul…