Only Room for Excellence

The Caribbean screams good health with its breathtaking beauty, cooling breezes and natually preserved hideaways in countries like Guyana and Dominica. One would imagine that the Caribbean is the perfect environment in which to rest, relax and also recuperate. While millions visit the region in order to relax, the big question is whether they are ready to trust us with their health.

It is no idle boast that Barbados has an excellent cadre of nurses and doctors, with some abroad that might very well be willing to return as part of a new venture. This is an excellent reason to believe that such trust can be built. Some may very well say that we already have a positive answer to the question of trust as there are already success stories in the region. The Cross Roads rehabilitation centre in Antigua and Barbuda is one such example and the Fertility Clinic in Barbados, is another. In fact it was Dr. Skinner that expressed the view that especially in this area that there was only room for excellence. Barbados must therefore get it right when interfacing with clients.

Health and wellness runs the gamut of health care interventions from sophisticated cutting edge medical procedures to cosmetic and alternative medical treatments.This means that the development of an industry in this area would create many opportunities for the provision of services both directly and indirectly.

The Caribbean does not have that many options and it would make sense to capitalise on a long established tourism industry. A health and wellness industry holds much for the region including additional foreign exchange with an expected mandate of raising the general standard of health care for the country as a whole.

Initiatives in this area however require a great deal of capital and a great deal of determination to make them work. In Barbados there are many examples of failed or frustrated attempts. There are always only a few of us that are risk takers. If we are not a part of that group, for the sake of our countries we must ensure that we do not put obstacles in the way of those that are prepared to take the necessary risks.

Follow-up was promised in order to ensure that the workshop is not the end of the process, but the beginning. It is expected that an investment mission will soon be coming to the region from Canada seeking partnerships and opportunities. We look forward to this.

An Indigenous Stroke!

The Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination was the forum for the delivery of a lecture on the topic

The EPA and the Building of Post Colonial Economy in the Caribbean

by Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur. It was described as "brilliant" by Professor Hillary Beckles who hosted the lecture and indicated that it was the first in a disinguished series of lectures that would be sponsored by the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

Fmr. Prime Minister Arthur began by stating that in his view the new Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union marked a significant departure from past arrangements in several respects. There was the breaking up of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States; reciprosity had to be a feature and it had to be WTO+, meaning that substantially all trade had to be liberalised. He also noted that the negotiations had been conducted in the context of the fact that the ties of a shared history with Europe had been eroded significantly. If the EPA had not been agreed Caribbean nations faced the prospect of commodities entering the duty-paid.

Arthur, an economist noted that the trade rules had changed over time. In the past they had been premised on trading arrangements that had at their core a developmental agenda. He was of the view that it was unfortunate the development studies was no longer considered seriously by the University. There was no longer a multi-disciplinary approach to developmental strategies by serious Caribbean scholars. He compared our times with the times of great Caribbean scholars like William Demas.

At the same time the Washington Consensus had done away with the notion that there should not be full reciprocity where states were unequal. A developmental agenda with the industrialised nations had turned primarily into a dialogue about security, money laundering, migration and taxation.

Fmr. Prime Minister Arthur recognised that while the EPA might have some imperfections the agreement did take into account the concept of special and differential treatment where arrangements were being made amongst unequal states. The EPA had therefore recognised some progress in treating S&D in a way that the modern WTO type agreements had not done. The EPA also puts substantial emphasis on market access in services where mutual recognition agreements have to be negotiated amongst professionals and institutions of learning. In his view then, it was absolutely critical for the appropriate implementation mechanism be created and put to work in order to ensure that the benefits of the agreement would be realised.

It would take the ingenuity and the industriousness of the region to make this new approach work in our own indigenous way!

The forum attracted many distinguished individuals including Sir Neville Nicholls,Sir Henry Forde, Dame Billie Miller,Dame Patricia Symmonds, Sir Richard Cheltenham, and the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Mia Mottley.

Former Prime Minister Arthur to talk Business

Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur will deliver a lecture on Tuesday March 11, 2008 at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination at 7:30pm. The lecture is entitled The EPA and the Building of a Post-Colonial Economy in the Caribbean.

The new economic arrangement between the Caribbean States and the European Union was negotaited under the Owen Arthur administration under the immediate direction of Dame Billie Miller. The then Government's emphasis had been on ensuring that the new industries were also taken into account in ensuring access to the European market. These industries include professional services, culture and entertainment and information technology.

According to the UWI Notebook "He has long maintained that the Caribbean depends more, in absolute and relative terms, on a favourable and appropriate international trading system than any other grouping of societies"

Former Prime Minister Arthur is an economist who served as Barbados' Prime Minister from 1994 to 2008.

Shabeau is Five!

Running a succesful magazine anywhere is difficult and we must therefore congratulate Ms. Joan Ward and her team for reaching that five year milestone. We want her to go on from strength to strength in this business venture which is an expression of Caribbean people.

The magazine highlights Shades of Caribbean Beauty and is therefore doing its part to bring the Caribbean region together. The Annual Face of Shabeau competition has been a success and has given designers, make up artists and models the opportunity to perfect their skills. Some have gone on from the Face of Shabeau to work internationally. The magazine however highlights a number of other social and cultural issues. It is competing well with all of the foreign magazines that are on our shelves in the region.

Recently Shabeau along with the C.B.C. Chat Room held a make-over competition and the winner Kelly Ann Bowen, a teacher will be featured on the cover of the Shabeau Magazine. The Make-Over created a great deal of interest all across Barbados and we look forward to seeing a repeat of this initiative in the future.

The committment and dedication shown by Ms. Ward is a great example of what you need to succeed in business. She has made a dream a reality not only for herself but for many others in the industry.

Fresh, Exhilerating Gifts!

It isn’t everyone who gets to do what he or she loves but Patricia Fields a Director of Imagedecor Gifts finds herself in that position today. This entrepreneur has been involved in more than one start up business during her career. However this one represents a personal passion in delivering beautiful gifts for every occasion. Many people were able to delight their loved ones with beautiful gift presentations on Valentine's Day.

Image Decor provides a service where every gift is designed with the attention that makes the recipient feel truly special. She credits the company's success with providing a consistently high quality service- “doing what you say you will do”. In starting the business a plan was developed and a committed was made to work through any challenges.

Image Decor started in March 2005 and Mrs. Fields credits the success of the company with an emphasis on continuing to improve her craft by understanding the trends in the industry. This can be done through the Internet and by attending trade shows that deal with both products and training.

It is not surprising then that she was recognised by Rave Review Magazine as one of the 100 top basket designers in USA for the Florida region. She collected her Certificate of Excellence earlier this year.

The Internet has been a feature of Image Decor and orders have been received from overseas for individuals living in Barbados.

Image Decor will be expanding its services as new opportunities arise for collaboration with other businesses like a local gift shop or a chocolatière in France. See our links to contact Image Decor.