GEORGETOWN, Guyana — David Thompson, Prime Minister of Barbados, said this week that the Caribbean was faced with global economic convulsions of unprecedented proportions, which had reinforced convictions that regional integration “is the last best hope” for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
“Going it alone or fragmenting into unworkable reconfigurations of the regional project cannot be an enduring solution”, Thompson stated. He was at the time speaking at a press briefing in Georgetown, Guyana, on the eve of the 30th Meeting of The Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government.
Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson
Thompson who is also Lead Head of Government with responsibility for the Single Market and Economy in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet stated that in the current economic crisis, it was easy for stakeholders to become impatient due to what they saw as the slow pace of the integration project and to declare it “dead on arrival”. Alternatively, he posited, what was needed was the strengthening of the core ideals of the integration movement rather than “proliferating the periphery.”
“In the midst of global crisis and regional upheavals, now is not the time for CARICOM to retreat from its strategic purpose,” the Barbadian Prime Minster emphasised. He added that the crisis had highlighted the need for the refocusing of many of our national institutions from purely domestic visions to the wider regional horizon.
“The successful implementation of the interlocking elements of the CARICOM Single Market and eventually the Single Economy demand this of us,” he stressed.
“It requires of us to put in place number of regional institutions dealing with accreditations, standards, and the exchange of information amongst other infrastructure to facilitate the CSME. If we do not do this carefully, we would endanger the fabric of the very societies regional integration aimed at sustaining” Thompson added.
Outlining the progress of the CSME, he stated that all of the provisions for the rights of establishment and the free movement of the goods, services, and skilled persons had been implemented.
Included in the successful implementation of the Single Market, Thompson said, was the establishment of the CARICOM Development Fund, which has been established to assist disadvantaged countries, regions and sectors.
He said while the time table for the Single Economy may have been delayed, recent developments in the Region have shown the true extent of the financial interdependence that already existed, and this has given new urgency to the policy coordination efforts of the Region’s regulators and Ministers of Finance.
Reflecting on the historical Grand Anse Declaration and Work Programme for the Advancement of the Integration Movement, crafted at the 10th Meeting of The Conference, 1989, in Grand Anse, Grenada, Thompson said that it was now time for the Community to “regroup and refocus to find strategies irrecusable of survival”.
Prime Minister of Barbados is expected to lead a discussion on the developments within the CSME at the July 2-5 Meeting of The Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government.
NASSAU, Bahamas (BIS) -- With the theme ‘Towards a common loftier goal’, the Bahamas is celebrating 36 years of Independence.
Many activities to commemorate that historic event on July 10, 1973 have been planned.
“In the spirit of unity, let us pursue the loftier goal of peace and goodwill,” said Governor General, Arthur Hanna, in his Independence Day message.
Since July 10, 1973, he said, the goal of successive governments and society at large has been the advancement of social and economic equity for all Bahamians.
“Over the years much has been accomplished and going forward there will be greater accomplishments as we work together towards the realisation of this lofty goal,” the Governor General said. “We remain one people, patriotic Bahamians, standing proud and tall.”
The Independence celebrations include a showcase of heritage and culture, story telling and singing, all reflective of country’s history.
“This Independence we are cognizant that The Bahamas, like the rest of the world, is experiencing a recession,” he said. “But we have hope, and shall with God’s help, successfully weather this economic storm.”
Prime Minister, Hubert Ingraham, urged Bahamians to celebrate “in a spirit of pride and gratitude,” despite being in the midst of global and protracted economic crisis.
“Our economy has been hard hit, especially the hospitality sector which is the principal engine of our economy, resulting in the lay-off of many Bahamian workers with consequent hardship for their families and for the whole community,” he said.
In this vein, he urged Bahamians to still celebrate the sacrifices and resourcefulness of ancestors and their hard-won achievements in more recent times.
“It is through their struggles, resilience and spirit of self-reliance that we have arrived at where we are today, that we have become a proud nation with our heads held high in the community of nations, having achieved a distinct cultural identity, a stable parliamentary democracy, and a large measure of prosperity,” Ingraham said.
Since the founding of TakingITGlobal in 1999, I have been incredibly inspired by my interactions with thousands of young change makers from all around the world. Through my Masters Research on youth-led action in an international context along with exposure to other studies and international conferences examining the role of today's generation of youth as change agents, I have gained an important observation. My observation is that I have seen the emergence of Six Archetypes of Youth Change Makers, which provide a glance at the roles young people are taking on in the process of creating change.
The Dreamer
The Dreamer is the driver behind new ideas. Dreamers are often the first to articulate a long-term vision for the future and think big. It is the sense of aspiration, optimism and imagination of dreamers that drive progress, innovation and change.
The Megaphone
The Megaphone is a vocal advocate for change. Megaphones are very focused on delivering the message and will campaign tirelessly and work hard to lobby for a message to be heard. They inspire action through their words and help to shift priorities on the agenda.
The Spark Plug
The Spark Plug is a catalyst and has a gift for networking and connecting people. The Spark Plug is able to foster collaborations and bring many different organizations and individuals together in dialogue, convincing diverse interest groups to come together for a common goal.
The Task Master
The Task Master is often behind the scenes making things happen and is sometimes the under-rated player within a group or organization. Often, it is the Task Master who literally keeps things together by turning ideas into manageable tasks with actionable timelines. Task Masters are practical, objective-oriented individuals.
The Sherpa
The Sherpa serves as a guide who provides mentorship, insight and training through peer education. Sherpas are natural educators with a strong interest in learning and sharing knowledge. Sherpas value hands on experiences and are able to draw upon the expertise and resources of those they encounter.
The Storyteller
The Storyteller is often the documenter of an organization and its projects, preparing short stories, interviews, blogs, webcasts newsletters and more. Storytellers become a vehicle for spreading inspiration and sharing of best practices through identifying patterns and strengthening movements through recognizing exceptional individuals.
The Faces of War -- Why Irresponsible or Fanatical Individuals and/or Governments Must Never Gain Control of Nuclear Weapons http://civact6.tigblog.org/post/417257
***
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Visit and explore the wide range of available choices for programmatic and/or administrative professional specialization and possible careers, at:
Dave Matthews, Facilitator
The Civic Action Free University http://www.tcafu.net
"Nation-Building: Are You Serious ??"
E-Mail Address: civact6@yahoo.com
As one human being you don’t have enough brain cells and heart pulses to care for the people you have connected with in your life. It’s harder when you’re actually a good hearted person, because everyone wants your time. This social chatty internet shit makes it more confusing with how to spend your time living a healthy life. You’re not really “supposed” to be in touch with everyone you’ve met.
It’s harder for us to know who our true friends are and who really deserves our energy. So my suggestion is whoever makes you feel more comfortable in your own skin is worth your time. Others shouldn’t matter as much. The more real you are with yourself, and the more you surround yourself by people who “really” know who you are, the less stress you have to deal with.
Stop the frontin’. Your time is valuable and your brain shouldn’t be so distracted by caring about so many other problems. We all just have one body to deal with and one brain to be creative with and one heart to really squeeze and pour-your-love-out with. Maximize its use by minimizing its service.
Not so very long ago, humans -- like the rest of the animals and plants on earth -- moved through our natural cycles at nature's pace. Time was marked by the passing of the seasons, the life cycles of human, animal and plant life and the yet grander cycles of the moon and the other celestial bodies.
Homo sapiens, a late-appearing species in the long history of our unimaginably ancient planet and universe, evolved during the recent (as the universe views these things!) Pleistocene era, adapted for a life intimately connected with and expressive of our natural surroundings on the African savannah and beyond.
And this is how we lived for millennia.
In the last 150 years, however, the human relationship with time has radically changed. Some say the problems started earlier, with the development of agriculture or writing, but it was really the Industrial Revolution -- the rise of the Machine -- that put humans in thrall to mechanical processes and machine time. And the recent exponential speeding up into Cybertime has accelerated the process still further. Industrial time was bad enough (Charlie Chaplin did a wonderful job of visualizing that "cog in the wheel" feeling in his film "Modern Times") but Cybertime can be dizzyingly discombobulating for a Pleistocene primate.
And that's how many modern people feel -- completely frazzled and out of synch with our deepest selves.
The results of this disconnection from nature and nature's pace show up in therapists' and doctors' offices every day. Living under unnatural time pressures causes a myriad of psychological, social and physical ailments. Delinked from the natural rhythms of our bodies and the rest of the planet, we struggle with diminishing success to adapt to the strange mechanical and disembodied world we have created.
As a practicing psychotherapist and ecotherapist, when I see patients who are suffering from depression or anxiety I ask them to keep a time-journal in which they record the hours and minutes spent each day outside, as well as the hours spent inside in front of a screen. My clients are often shocked to realize how disassociated they have become from nature and our species' natural ways of living, and the effect this disconnection is having on their psyche. In fact, a 2007 study from the University of Essex shows that a daily "dose" of walking outside in nature can be as effective at treating mild to moderate depression as expensive antidepressant medications that can sometimes have negative side-effects.
Time poverty is now a recognized psychological and social stressor. In a speeded-up, highly complex society, there just isn't enough time for everything: our demanding jobs, our interlocking bureaucratic responsibilities (taxes, insurance, legal issues), our loved one, kids, our community (including the rest of nature), plus commuting and keeping up with traditional media and endless 24/7 online communications. Constantly rushing to keep up as we inevitably fall further behind, we find ourselves destroying not only our own health, but our habitat and the habitat of the people, plants and animals with whom we share the planet.
Healing with Nature in Mind (Sierra Club Books, 2009) therapists and experts from many backgrounds discuss some of the ways that nature can help to heal problems like stress and anxiety. What suggestions can ecotherapists offer to help us slow down to a more natural pace of living? Here are a few simple things that can make a difference:
Reconnect with place. We can learn to resist the constant rushing around and settle into and tend a beloved location, taking time to learn its secrets and hear its whisperings.
Reconnect with companion and wild animals. Animals slow us down to our natural animal rhythms, which is why animal-assisted therapy works so well at lowering blood pressure and healing psychological ills of many kinds. The simple act of petting a cat or watching the birds flit through the trees is profoundly healing.
Reconnect with plants. A simple pot on a windowsill slows us down to the pace of a seed, a seedling, a leaf and a flower. A tree on the street, if contemplated and touched, offers its blessings during a busy day.
Reconnect with the cycles of human life. Instead of demanding that we remain in perpetual-teenager mode (the preferred state in our society, it seems), allowing ourselves to become true initiated adults and then elders honors the natural pace of human life rather than fighting it. Nature teaches us that seeds emerge, plants flourish, bloom, fruit and then wither and slip away -- valuable wisdom for our own lives when we encounter the inevitable transitions in our own and others' lives.
Reconnect with our wild bodies. Untamed nature is to be found not only in far-away wilderness but in the wilds of our bloodstream, our digestive processes, our breath. Any practice that brings our attention back to our bodies is wilderness ecotherapy. Yoga and ecstatic dance offer release from the controlling modern ego and access to what ecopsychologists call "the ecological self." And once we reach peace with our animal bodies, our souls naturally open up to the larger Spirit in which we are embedded.
Spend more time outdoors in wild nature. Most of us are indoors most of the time. Our bodies and souls cry out for long walks on a beach, contemplation in a forest or a few minutes in a nearby vacant lot near a stream. These times slow life down to a healing, natural pace.
Making just a few of these simple changes can radically shift how we feel. Ecopsychological research is now proving that reconnecting with nature and more natural living performs a host of psychological miracles, including lowering depression, improving our sense of well being, calming our anxieties, raising self-esteem and giving us a sense of belonging to the great whole of which we are a part.
During his address today to the Interfaith Conference in Kazakhstan, President Shimon Peres called upon King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia to come to Jerusalem, or to meet with him in Riyadh, to initiate discussions that would enable the implementation of their shared vision – the realization of a comprehensive peace between Israel and all the Arab states.
In his address before some 150 leaders of all the world's religions, including a large delegation of imams led by Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki, Secretary General of the World Moslem League and Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, the Grand Imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque, the Chief Rabbis of Israel and senior Church officials, President Peres called on leaders of the world's religions to separate religion from terror and to condemn religious leaders, who, in the name of God, advocate murder, warfare and bloodshed. The President appealed to his audience to promote peace, both around the world and in the Middle East, and emphasized that Israel's course was one of appeasement and peace with all its neighbors.
It should be noted that all the Arab and Moslem delegates at the conference listened attentively to President Peres' address, and only the Iranian delegate, Mehdi Mostafavi, senior advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left the hall, returning only after President Peres had finished his address.
In response to questions by reporters regarding the departure of the Iranian from the conference hall, President Peres stated that "There were times when Israel remained alone in the conference halls. This time, Iran was alone, while the Islamic religious leadership remained with Israel."
The conference was also addressed by Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, who raised a picture of Gilad Shalit and called on the attending religious leaders to assist in the efforts to return him home, and by the Secretary General of the World Moslem League, Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki, who stated that "I take this opportunity to call upon all religions to unite, to tear down the walls that separate us, and together promote a world of peace, tolerance and appeasement between all nations and all believers."
Shortly after the session's conclusion, President Peres conducted a prayer ceremony attended by hundreds of members of the Rahel Synagogue in Astana, and participated in a farewell event for members of his entourage, which included cabinet ministers and senior Israeli executives.
At the conclusion of the four-day visit to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, President Peres noted that the visit was very successful. "It was an historic visit to two Moslem nations who have stood with Israel and have officially declared their intent to raise the level of their diplomatic relations with Israel. The official instructions of both presidents, Aliyev and Nazarbayev, to their heads of government, directing them to conclude the business transactions with Israel and to expand political and security cooperation with it, opened a tremendous opportunity for Israel to strengthen its position in the world."
Shraga Brosh, chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, advised the president that during the visits, large-scale contracts between Israeli, Kazakh and Azerbaijani corporations had been signed, and that the high technological level of the Israeli companies made them extremely attractive for economic cooperation between Israel and these countries.
During the visits, a space technology agreement and an agreement on establishing unified industrial standards were signed with Kazakhstan, and a communications, cultural and scientific agreement was signed with Azerbaijan.
World: Africa
Rwanda: Churches protest new law on religion
Leaders of various churches wrote to the government of Rwanda with concerns about stipulations in a new proposed law on religion. Freedom is at issue.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
By Spero News
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Religious leaders from different denominations have protested at certain clauses in the Religious Bill saying they are an upfront to religious freedom.
In a letter presented to the Local government minister, the prelates led by Bishop Emmanuel Koline of the Anglican Church last week said that the bill is putting churches in the category of NGOs and associations yet they differ from the two.
“Articles; 21, 32, 36 make it difficult to start a religious organization and their proper functioning, they said in remarks published by the Times, "the bill articulates that for someone to start a church, one must have at least 100 associates to sign in your statute while he/she must be a graduate."
While arguing that starting a church does not require someone to be academically upright but integrity, the leaders accused the state of handling churches like NGOs.
"Actually, I think if this law is passed, it is likely to cause tension," said bishop Koline.
As pessoas devem se preocupar mais, muito mais, com suas Próprias Vidas! Alguém disse (não consigo lembrar o nome certo, pois são inúmeros os depoimentos) que Michael Jackson agora não está mais sendo torturado pela "moral da civilização".
Julgamento com piadas infelizes que nunca entendi! A civilização "criou" seu manual de conduta moral se achando dona do certo e do errado. Grande tragédia!
Eu espero que todos aqueles que julgaram, fofocaram possam sentir na pele como foi o calvário e a tortura que Michael enfrentou. E, graças a Deus, Ninguém Morre, essa certeza eu tenho.
"Michael Jackson é bom exemplo do que pior tem acontecido. A IMPRENSA DEVE DESCULPAS a ele pela forma horrível como o tratou. Ele começou a morrer quando as acusações ganharam as manchetes. Em conluio com os acusadores, estava a mídia americana. Todos se lamentam, como se fosse uma tragédia nacional...Ninguém o ajudou. Viveu em infâmia."
(Gay Talese - jornalista e escritor norte-americano)
The media is very powerful, so much so that depending on the ‘perspective’ that is put forth, one’s view can be highly influenced.
Based on the information I have uncovered, it appears as though "the system" has (to this point) stumped the efforts of Jose Manuel Zelaya to follow in the footsteps of his mentor, President Hugo Chavez. His initial attempt to run amuck of his nation’s laws, on a grand level, was thwarted.
In my opinion, Honduras’ Congress and Supreme Court did the right thing. Indeed, Zelaya is the constitutionally elected leader of that country. But does that mean the he can defy the laws as set forth in the constitution and beyond that, defy the judgment of the Supreme Court? I don’t think so.
What I perceive to have occurred is a failed attempt at a grab for increased power. One need not look any further than the case of Venezuela, to gain some insight as to what Zelaya attempted to do.
One of the fundamental differences in this case involved a critical miscalculation by Zelaya. Initially, unlike the Venezuelan President, Zelaya presumably does not have an adequate level of loyalty from the military, as does President Chavez.
Second, it appears as though those who are vested with the responsibility to ensure that the different branches of Honduras’ government remain separate and accountable through checks and balances, were not asleep at the wheel. Kudos to those who did their job, as required, under what must have been a highly stressful situation.
Frank Edward Paco Smith, Jr. is a Belizean who currently resides in Belize. He has a BA in Social Sciences from the University of California at Irvine (USA), an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA) from UWI Cave Hill and an MSc. in Governance and Public Policy from UWI Mona.
Certain, mainstream, media houses have presented a neat little package which depicts the events in Honduras as a “military coup”. Certainly, it depends on how one defines such an event, but given the history of Latin America, that term carries a negative connotation.
I have come to understand that Zelaya ignored a judgment of Honduras’ Supreme Court and set upon a path to hold a referenda vote, which was not sanctioned. Apparently, he instructed the Army Chief to mobilise security forces to facilitate the vote. When his order was not carried out, Zelaya fired the Chief.
The Supreme Court informed as to the illegality of his actions and requested that the Army Chief be reinstated. In all, Zelaya took it upon himself to attempt to hold the referendum vote, without the logistical support of the Army and, incidentally, in contravention of the judgment of the Supreme Court.
It has been revealed that the Supreme Court informed him of not only the illegality of such an act, but also told him of the potential consequences. When faced with the facts, it is said the Zelaya was given an option; either proceed with the vote and face prosecution under the law or resign as President and receive safe passage to a neutral country.
My understanding is that he signed a letter of resignation and opted to go into exile, rather than face the music.
With that said, and if it is indeed fact, this is where I take issue with those organizations and countries which provided a knee-jerk reaction to the unfolding situation in Honduras.
Specifically, I take issue with the Organisation of American States. This entity, which is led by Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, immediately called for the re-instatement of the “democratically elected President of Honduras”. My disdain with the OAS runs deeper than just this matter, but I will attempt to remain focused.
By no stretch of the imagination do I claim to be an expert on the affairs of Latin America, but being a Belizean, I have a keen interest in matters that can potentially affect the well-being of my country.
The OAS has based its position on the notion that Article 19 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter should be applied to the present situation in Honduras. Admittedly, I am no expert on the aforementioned charter, but I am someone who believes in the equal application when invoking judgments.
To my knowledge Article 19 can be applied to matters which cause any unconstitutional interruption of the democratic order. I do not share Secretary General Insulza’s view that Article 19 should be applied in this instance, especially given the fact that unlike how matters have been characterised in the mainstream as a ‘military coup’, there are more substantive and critical inputs which have contributed to the critical mass.
Case in point, when one talks of “any unconstitutional interruption of the democratic order”, how exactly does the trampling of individual’s rights to the freedom of speech and expression factor into the equation?
There is a nation in South America, where the voice of any and virtually all opposition is being summarily silenced. Opposition leaning television and radio stations are being shutdown, based on trumped-up charges. There is even the case of a leader of the major opposition party having to seek asylum in a neighbouring country, in order to escape persecution from the newly self-styled Latin American strongman, who incidentally appears to have the tacit support of Secretary General Insulza.
Let’s be real. How is it that the OAS, who is tasked with addressing and facilitating regional matters, appears to be so overtly biased when taking positions on matters of concern? Maybe I missed it, but has the OAS expressed any concerns, let alone taken any action against the South American government who has undoubtedly engaged in the aforementioned activities?
Getting back to the matter of Honduras, it was reported that the Venezuelan President expressed something to the effect that he would fight and defeat those who have taken over in Honduras, following Zelaya’s departure. Can someone tell me whether such a vow contravenes some statute of the OAS?
What it sounds like to me is that a leader of a foreign country has publicly expressed his intention to proactively meddle in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. Where is Mr Insulza’s castigation of such expressed intentions? To date, I have heard nothing from the OAS which calls upon President Chavez to temper, what I hope is, his rhetoric.
Again, I see a great disparity in the manner in which the OAS selectively chooses to address issues. My friends, I detect a very insidious and certainly dangerous trend. I won’t go as far as calling the Secretary General a “Chavista”, just yet. But if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, there is a strong likelihood that it very well may be a duck.
Concerning a different issue, the recent moves by the OAS to specifically facilitate the potential for Cuba to re-enter the regional body also deserves closer scrutiny. I am not against Cuba’s re-entry, but I have a concern when special concessions are made for specific countries in order to appease certain, regional leaders. If one of the basic tenets of the OAS involves the need to facilitate and promulgate democracy and democratic institutions, I think that precept should remain paramount. Again, the matter of Cuba is a completely different issue, but I believe it is important to acknowledge especially when one perceives a certain trend in the anglings of the OAS.
Although I am a stickler for the rule of law, one must give credit where it is due. Prior to the current situation in Honduras, President Chavez had proven rather effective in co-opting support throughout Latin America to legitimise his self-styled socialist revolution. This can be attributed to many factors, including his capacity to: plan, evoke stirring rhetoric and above all capitalise on the frustrations of many disenfranchised individuals throughout Latin America, who have developed a lingering disdain for the systems and structures which have perpetuated considerable economic inequalities.
In all, President Chavez has proven a very astute tactician. I do not agree with many of his tactics, but I admit that he has proven rather effective, to this point. Bearing this in mind, I hope that my fellow Caribbean counterparts are taking a critical view of these issues, for the lure of ‘petro-dollars’ is appealing.
Yet, I do not wish to see the general tradition of freely contested elections become a thing of the past in the Caribbean. Choice is important and the potential for certain elements of a self-styled socialist system do not appear to share synergies with this concept. In other words, be mindful of those who bear gifts, for more often than not, they come with invariable conditionalities.
I applaud Honduras’ Congress and the people of that nation for stopping former President Zelaya in mid-stream. My disquiet is ever-growing for the position taken by those nations and organisations, worldwide, who wish to focus primarily on Zelaya being the 'democratically elected' president of Honduras. They should stop with their knee-jerk reaction and realise that although Zelaya was democratically elected, within his capacity as the Executive...he is not above the law, as set forth in Honduras' Constitution.
Unfortunately, the entire realm of International Relations is becoming perverted much like the notion of Human Rights. The latter began as a meaningful concept, but has morphed into an internationally sanctioned sorry excuse for perpetrators of (local) crimes; whereby they commit atrocious violations (e.g. murder, rape, etc...) and once apprehended, their rights and not those of the victims, become paramount. Unfortunately, it appears as though the major players in the realm of international relations have succumbed to this misguided concept.
In sum, I applaud those who stood up to Mr Zelaya, a presumptive authoritarian in the making. As for the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean, wake up! Stop these aspiring autocrats before they gain a strangle-hold on your respective: seat(s) of power, economies and ultimately your destinies. It is interesting because they are a new breed; one which consistently reminds the masses of the atrocities brought about by leaders who were propped-up by “the Empire”.
What they fail to explain is that similarly, yet uniquely, they are constructing their personal fiefdoms, at the expense of the masses. I guess at the core level, it is politics as usual. This time, at least in one case, it has taken on a distinctively local dynamic and is backed by wealth derived from natural resources.
With the misguided calls proffered by the OAS and other organisations, it will be a challenge for Honduras to defy their calls for Zelaya's re-instatement. Yet, I encourage them to stay the course, for once they are convinced that their actions were within the legal parameters set by the Constitution of Honduras, the law is on their side. Don't let the external forces dictate your internal matters, on this level!
On the whole the recent activities in Honduras have opened a ripe discussion as to whether the questionable reasoning of a regional body holds primacy over the laws of a sovereign nation, in such instances.
As the world continues to mourn the death of Michael Jackson and the details of his final hours emerge, it appears that it may be another in a long line of celebrity drug overdoses. Jackson is reported to have taken a number of painkillers known as opioids on a regular if not daily basis.
Michael Jackson inhabited his own rarified world, and we are used to hearing about drug overdoses in the context of fast-lane inhabiting music and film stars, like Jackson and Heath Ledger, who died of an opioid overdose last year. But even among average Americans, deaths from drug overdoses have been rising and have reached crisis levels in our country. A recently-released report by the Drug Policy Alliance documents the extent of the problem: drug overdose is now the second-leading cause of accidental death in America, surpassing firearms-related deaths. Many of those affected are young people. Among teenagers there has been a steep rise in misuse of prescription drugs. A December 2008 survey of high school seniors reported that more than 15 percent of high school seniors reported using prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. But it’s not just young people who are dying of overdoses: overdose is the number-one injury-related killer among adults in Michael Jackson’s age group: 35-54.
This spike in overdose deaths is almost entirely attributable to increasing numbers of people overdosing on legal, prescription drugs; overdose deaths from heroin and other illegal drugs have leveled off in many places as a result of harm reduction efforts. Most of these drugs are opioids, which can include both opium-derived drugs like morphine and codeine, and synthetics like Oxycontin and Vicodin, both of which were allegedly used by Michael Jackson, and Demerol, with which he reportedly was injected just before he died. Other commonly prescribed opioids include Percodan and Percocet. Some of the drugs involved in overdoses have been diverted to the black market and sold illegally, while others are obtained through legal prescriptions. Pain patients can misunderstand their doctors’ instructions and accidentally exceed their prescribed doses of painkillers.
But in Michael Jackson’s case, if it was caused by an opioid overdose, his death might have been averted had people close to him had access to a simple and reliable antidote: naloxone, otherwise known as Narcan.
Naloxone, if administered to someone who has stopped breathing as a result of an opioid overdose, can reverse the effects of the overdose and restore normal breathing in two to three minutes. Naloxone has been used effectively in emergency rooms to reverse overdoses for over 30 years. Tens of thousands of lives could be saved if naloxone were more widely available and more people (including doctors, pharmacists and other health care professionals, as well as law enforcement professionals, many of whom are currently unfamiliar with naloxone), were trained in its use.
Cities with programs that increase the availability of naloxone, among them Chicago, Baltimore and San Francisco, have seen their overdose rates decline dramatically. New Mexico, which for years had a high number of deaths from drug overdoses, saw a 20 percent decline in such deaths after the state’s Department of Health began a naloxone distribution program in 2001. Naloxone itself has no abuse potential, making it a good candidate for over-the-counter availability. If people who are prescribed an opioid were also be given a prescription for naloxone, with instructions for them and their caregivers on how to administer it, this spike in overdose deaths could be reversed.
But our country’s drug war mentality prevents this safe and effective remedy from being made more widely available. Fear that doing so will encourage drug use causes the government to restrict naloxone’s availability. This "abstinence only” mindset is the same one that for years has prevented the federal government from funding syringe exchange programs -- proven to reduce the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases -- for injection drug users. Just as the "abstinence only” model has proven a failure at preventing unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, it has been a failure at reducing drug use or the harms associated with drug use. Rather than continuing these failed policies, we need evidence-based solutions to the problems of drug misuse and drug overdose.
Fortunately some attention is now being paid to the overdose crisis. A bill known as the Drug Overdose Reduction Act was recently introduced in Congress by Rep Donna F. Edwards (D-MD). The bill would create a federal grant program to provide cities, states, tribal governments and community-based groups with funding to prevent and reduce overdose deaths; task the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with responsibility for reducing overdose deaths; commission studies on the efficacy of various strategies to reduce overdose deaths; and create a nationwide surveillance system for monitoring overdose trends. A Facebook group called Purple Ribbons for Overdose Prevention now has nearly six thousand members across the country and is growing daily.
Another part of the solution to the overdose crisis are "Good Samaritan/911” laws, which provide immunity from arrest and prosecution for drug use or possession to anyone who calls 911 to report an overdose. Many lives could be saved if friends of overdose victims weren’t afraid of being prosecuted if the police are called to the scene. New Mexico last year became the first state to pass such a law, and similar legislation is now pending in several states.
We need to accept the reality that people will always use drugs, whether legal or illegal, prescribed or sold on the street, mood or performance enhancers, pain killers or stress reducers or sleep-enablers. We are a nation of drug users. We must learn how to reduce the harms associated with our drug use, including reducing the unconscionable and unnecessary number of deaths from overdose.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 29 - Kenya on Monday confirmed the first case of Swine Flu involving 20-year-old British student who is on a field trip in Kisumu.
Public Health Minister Beth Mugo broke the news on Monday, saying that the patient may have had contact with the initial suspected case that turned negative on Saturday in Nairobi.
“The patient has been quarantined at a hotel in Kisumu,” she told a press conference at her Afya House office.
On Saturday a suspected case of Swine Flu in Kenya tested negative after momentarily spreading panic across Nairobi.
Ministry of Public Health officials said tests conducted at the Kenya Medical Research Institute – based Centre for Disease Control produced no traces of the H1N1 influenza virus.
Samples were taken from a 20-year old Kenyan female student who had arrived from London and reported that she may have come into contact with someone exhibiting symptoms of the flu.
She was rushed to the AAR Health Clinic at Sarit Centre, Westlands where doctors immediately alerted KEMRI officials who took over the case.
AAR Public Relations Officer Juliet Ratemo said: “We closed the AAR Health Centre and took all measures to ensure that our staff and other patients present did not come into further unprotected contact with the patient.”
News about the patient had spread across Nairobi via SMS overnight on Friday, spreading panic as people sought to know the authenticity of the text messages.
In mid this month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) raised the Pandemic alert status from phase 5 to phase 6, which meant that the disease had reached the emergency level.
“It’s not killing more people, it’s not more aggressive than before so don’t think because we have elevated the phase to 6 the disease has become more severe, no! It is about geographical spread. We have been expecting the worst, we are lucky it’s not that bad,” Dr David Okello, WHO Kenya Director had said.
After the alert was raised, Public Health Minister Beth Mugo said the government had stepped up surveillance of the influenza H1N1 and over 50,000 doses of the drug Tamiflu was in the stock pile for use in case of an outbreak in the country.
She had also said there was a ready isolation facility at the Kenyatta National Hospital in case of an outbreak.
The first case of influenza H1N1 virus was reported in late April in Mexico.
According to the WHO website, by Friday, there were 59,814 confirmed cases of the swine flu around the world. 263 people have died of the disease.
The H1N1 strain is a new type of virus that has not circulated previously in humans. The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another and from one country to another.
Young people under the age of 25 years are the main casualties in all the countries. A similar outbreak occurred in 1918 but was more severe than the current epidemic but the WHO warned that this may change hence the need for more vigilance.
Kenyans can get more information on the disease through the following contacts: 0722- 331 548,020-204 0542, 271 8292. HOW IT SPREADS AND SYMPTOMS
The virus typically spreads from coughs and sneezes or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the nose or mouth. Symptoms are similar to those of the seasonal flu, and may include fever, sneezes, coughs, headache, muscles or joint pain, sore throat, chills, fatigue and runny nose.
The CDC notes that most hospitalizations have been people with underlying conditions such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, or a weakened immune systems. In an attempt to slow the spread of the illness, a number of countries, especially in Asia, have enforced strict quarantines on travellers showing any symptoms, along with travellers seated nearby any infected persons.
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