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Caribbean bananas growers have welcomed an agreement between the United States and the European Union (EU) to end a long-running trans-Atlantic banana war. The United States will lift $191 million of sanctions on EU exports under the agreement to end the eight-year dispute over EU banana import rules. Washington, at the behest of US corporations Chiquita Foods International and Dole Foods, had launched the banana war against the preferences the EU gave to its Caribbean former colonies even though it was so small a share of the market. The Caribbean Banana Exporters Association, representing growers in the Windward Islands, Jamaica, Belize and Suriname, said the EU decision to scrap plans for a "first come, first served" system of distributing banana import licenses would help small Caribbean growers survive. "On the face of it so far it is welcome news. We were totally opposed to first come, first served, which would have destroyed the Caribbean industry," CBEA European representative Gordon Myers said. Instead the European Union agreed to allow bananas to be imported through licenses distributed on the basis of past trade until 2006, when a tariff-only system will take effect.
This war has taken a toll on banana production in many Caribbean countries, depressing prices, and creating unemployment and insecurity. Even now it is not clear how this agreement will change that.

Dole unhappy with deal
But, everyone is not happy with the deal. Dole Food Co, which recently overtook Chiquita to become the larget banana producer in the world, is not. It. criticized this agreement saying it unfairly favors its chief rival, Chiquita Brands International Inc. Dole said the settlement merely perpetuates a closed system that favors European companies and Chiquita. It had favored a free markets approach during the transition to a tariff-only system, the company said. Chiquita praised the agreement saying it would allow a "partial recovery in future periods" of its sales in the EU.

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Guyana burning

"If I can't have you, then no one else will" states the bitter unrequited suitor as he kills her for rejecting him. We have all heard that line in the movies or on TV.

Is this what the bitter losing Peoples National Congress (PNC) leader Desmond Hoyte is doing to Guyana? In addition to the violent protests, PNCr supporters have recently burnt down at least 12 businesses in the capital city of Georgetown. A day after, with police barricades around the grim smouldering ruins, and shuttered shops, thousands of protestors took to the streets. No, not to protest the terrorist arson, but to protest the Government appointment of Roger Luncheon as head of the Presidential Secretariat. Let us hope Hoyte will not kill Guyana because he can’t have her.

As Guyana Burned….
If only Dennis Hoyte, the leader of Guyana's opposition Peoples National Congress party would heed the words of a true leader, Patrick Manning, of T&T's Peoples National Movement party. He said he refused to exploit the racial divide of the population, which is almost 50-50 between blacks and east Indians. He did not want his country to end up like Guyana. In his words "We have been able to escape death and only because of the wisdom of the PNM.... It justifies the position we have taken. It is not our intention to burn down the place, we operate in accordance with the law and we believe we will get justice in the courts of our country,"

Editors Note: Give Guyana the guns and we would have another Kosovo, Ruanda, Bosnia, Yugoslavia on our hands. The irresponsible leadership of the PNM’s Desmond Hoyte to violence, mayhem and aggravation of racial hostility deserves widespread condemnation. Or shall we wait until it too becomes a Kosovo, Ruanda, Bosnia……

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HIV/AIDS epidemic in WI

Jamaica's Minister of Information, Maxine Henry, was the bearer of alarming news recently. The Caribbean has the second highest incidence of HIV/AIDS in the world and the highest in the Americas. In Jamaica 40 persons per 1,000 are infected. That's 4% of the entire population!
So Jamaica is embarking on an intensive public education program, which will be supported by the political directorate, opinion shapers, and other sector leaders in the country.
It's better late than never, but not only did Hot Calaloo sound the alarm, but it proposed measures to lessen the problem over 7 years ago. It did this in its headline article of the February 1994 edition. The article, titled, "Save the world, use a condom" is still timely and so is republished below:

SAVE THE WORLD - USE A CONDOM

by Michael Phillips(1994)

There is a deadly disease out there now which has the potential of devastating the world's population as no other disease has. The disease, of course is AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The disease is contagious and transmission by sexual intercourse is probably the greatest means by which it is being spread. Condoms have been recognized as preventing such transmission. Attempts have been made to promote the use of condoms, but in my estimation they have been woefully inadequate, when we consider that the future of our civilization could well be at stake. Condoms are just not accessible enough.

I remember the first time I bought a condom in this country (USA). I was eighteen years old and in this country from Jamaica about four months and enrolled in college. I was too embarrassed to go to the drug store only a block from my home because the clerks knew me there. So I set off on foot to the next drug store, about 10 blocks away, but where I was anonymous.
I was hoping the clerk would be a nice kindly gray-haired middle-aged man, but as luck would have it, it was an attractive young lady who seemed to be no more than 3 years older than I. Besides, at that time, condoms were kept behind the counter not out front for your selection. You had to ask for them. With feigned nonchalance, I walked towards the counter, trying to mentally prepare myself to pop the big question. Suddenly and almost unexpectedly a voice boomed out, or so it seemed to me.
"Can I help you ?"
It was the clerk, the attractive young miss.
"God! These Americans talk so loud sometimes" I thought to myself. I felt as if everyone in the store turned and was looking at me as if awaiting my answer too.
"No..no..just browsing." I heard myself say and I proceeded to carry out the charade by showing a particular interest in the ingredients on the label of the nearest aspirin bottle. Browsing was difficult to do in that store because unlike the present cavernous supermarket looking pharmacies so popular today, this was a small almost hole-in-the-wall looking drug store. I considered sallying forth to the next drug store but the prospect of another 10 block walk discouraged that idea. Instead, I decided to continue to "browse" while I collected my thoughts and summoned up my courage.
I did not want to have to repeat myself. I would make a deliberate effort to speak slowly and clearly as I knew that often my soft voice and my then thick Jamaican accent created a difficulty in people understanding me. Finally, I was ready. I approached the counter. I faced the clerk who by this time was viewing me with some suspicion. I made my request just as I had rehearsed it.
But the clerk looked puzzled.
"French letter?" she repeated querulously and then to my chagrin proceeded to direct me to the stationary display. I had never heard the word "condom" before. In Jamaica a condom was a "French letter" or a "frenchie". "How stupid of me," I thought as I realized my mistake. Americans called them 'prophylactics'. "I should have asked for prophylactics." So I studied the stationery for a few minutes, then ventured back to the clerk and this time requested 'prophylactics'.
Not so easy. Instead of receiving the product , I was bombarded with a barrage of questions.
"Three pack or twelve?"
"Latex or lambskin?"
"Reservoir end or plain?"
"Dry or lubricated?"
By the time I finally received the product I was an emotional wreck. Even the attractive clerk's kind words as she gave me the package "to hurry back" did not relieve my embarrassment.

Thank goodness, times have changed and there is much easier access to condoms, but still not easy enough.

For many, spontaneity is a very important aspect of sexual intercourse. On many occasions when a sexual opportunity occurs, to whip out a condom at the critical time often gives the impression of premeditated rather than spontaneous sex.

"Oh, I always carry around a pack of condoms for a rainy day," would probably arouse skepticism.

Besides, even carrying one around for emergencies, so to speak, creates another problem. It is usually carried around in the wallet in the back pocket, where it inevitably serves as an auxiliary cushion, a function for which it is most unsuited. Often, by the time it is needed, it seems to be suffering from dry rot, looks so disheveled, and even its barrier abilities seem doubtful. Instead of preventing a disease, it looks more like it could either cause one or promote abstinence.

An alternative such as, in the heat of the moment to say,

"Uh oh, darling, I have to make an emergency trip to the all-night drugstore. Just hold that position till I return in about 30 minutes."

Now, that's a very safe responsible thing to do but most unlikely. It would never happen. Not only would she not hold that position, she would bar the door so that he would never darken it again. Under these circumstances, there are many who would throw caution to the winds instead and risk death for sex. This is not new as throughout the ages so many have taken incredible risks for sex.

The problem is the condom should not be all the way in the drugstore ,but should be right there when you need it. How? Simple, condoms,like "Savoir faire", should be everywhere. Let us inundate the place with condoms. In some countries, its difficult to get a match, but here everywhere you go you are bombarded with books of matches for free, ostensibly to light carcinogenic cigarettes. One is never out of matches. Well condoms should be distributed like matchbooks, - free, extensive and plentiful. Restaurants, every hotel room, the supermarket, the candy store, vending machines, as promotional advertising - you get the picture. We've got to take these lifesaving devices out of the shadows and put them on guard everywhere. We can no longer pussy-foot around with some false piety or propriety whilst the civilization is threatened. We must act boldly and decisively and we must act now.

Of course, I am sure that they are some who consider free condoms for all to be too expensive. Actually it is a bargain when we compare it with the phenomenal costs for the treatment for Aids. These costs are so high that our entire system of medical treatment could soon be in danger of collapse under this financial burden.

I am not talking about condoms just for a night of stolen passions or for singles only. No, the goal is to promote the voluntary use of condoms for all sexual intercourse except procreation. Married people need protection too. Lets face the facts, extra-marital sex has been, is and will probably continue to be a reality in our society. Of course, your spouse has not strayed, but why bet your life on it? Besides, I strongly believe that when sacrifices are to be made, everyone should be asked to make them. So just as we all use a knife and fork to eat instead of our bare hands, we all will use a condom for sex instead of our bare.....

"But who will pay for this and how will we get public acceptance" are questions which spring to mind. And there are answers to them, but the objective of this article is to obtain a commitment to these novel ideas so that from this commitment the means of implementation will be sought and executed.

Finally, "condom" is an ugly sounding name with historically negative connotations. So lets change the name to something more positive, a name which emphasizes its mission. Instead of "condom", how about APD, the acronym for Aids Protection Device. It fits right in to this technological computer age of acronyms and as we know with condoms, fit is very important.

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Amnesty International condemns Ja Police

Report findings
The human rights group, Amnesty International, has blasted Jamaica's security forces in a report released late Tuesday on killings and violence by the police. In an 83-page document Amnesty said the government must act now in order to rid the society of undesirable and illegal behaviour. "Amnesty International is gravely concerned that the authorities in Jamaica, despite numerous assurances to the contrary, are failing to prevent serious and systematic human rights violations at the hands of the police and other members of the security forces, including the use of excessive lethal force, extra-judicial executions, and torture and other cruel inhuman and degrading treatment," the organisation said.

Next to South Africa, Jamaica has the world's highest rate of police killings per capita. The figures cited Jamaica, with about 2.6 million people, police killed 140 people in the year 2000, is equal to a rate of 5.4 people per 100,000.

Jamaica Govt. response
The Jamaica government has characterized the report as biased, one-sided and misleading. They cite specific examples such as:

• Use of exaggerated figures for the number of homicides in 1997
• Their incorrect assertion that post mortem examinations into violent deaths were discretionary under Jamaican law
• Their false claims that no disciplinary or criminal action was taken when civilians were killed by police
• It ignores or belittles all initiatives taken by the Government to deal with instances of police misconduct

Hot Calaloo response
Hot Calaloo considers the role of the police such a vital part of society, that we have monitored the problem of police brutality in Jamaica for many years. I witnessed it personally in 1990 and have made a crusade against it since then. At that time, I watched in horror as two policemen beat an unarmed, unresisting woman outside Doctors Cave in Montego Bay and in front of many other witnesses. I was on my way to the airport to depart to the US. Despite contacting the police authorities, the media, human rights groups, my complaint was ignored even though I tried by telephone, cable and by letter.

But, happily, things are different now and such police action would be investigated and not tolerated today. Commissioner Forbes deserves credit (and has received credit from Hot Calaloo) for his campaign to reduce police brutality. His job is complicated because this brutality was firmly entrenched in the police over many years. I am sure among senior officers he has faced opposition, (just like the Commissioner of Prisons in his department). Just recently, with the Commissioners blessing, support, and assistance, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce's Innercity Development Committee have published and distributed widely a 28-page document outlining a code of conduct for police-citizens relations. The book outlines the appropriate conduct for citizens if they are being approached, arrested or charged by the police and the appropriate conduct for the police too.

At the same time, Jamaica is waging a battle with the extremely high crime wave. The number of police killed this year could well be amongst the highest in the world. Other problems the Jamaica policeman faces are:

• Low wages
• Sparse resources - many a police station does not have basics such as an operational automobile nor telephone.
• Low morale
• Public and widespread criticism for incompetentcy and calls for overseas help

Amnesty International was out of line
I have a tremendous respect for Amnesty International, but I think their criticism is not only excessive and harsh, but destructive. They have failed to appreciate the complexity of the problem and the tremendous strides the Government and Commissioner Forbes in particular has made to reduce this problem. It is destructive because their harsh sensationalist condemnation will further depress the morale of the force and undermine those in the force working to change things. Instead of bludgeoning the entire system they should be encouraging the forces working for change. This is what is more likely to get the desired result.

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Killer bees sting Guyana farmer to death

A Guyanese farmer died after he was attacked by a swarm of killer bees, the latest casualty since the fierce strain of African insects reached the South American nation in the 1980s. The 47 year old farmer was engulfed by the swarm of honey bees on a Friday while working in a small agricultural community just west of the capital Georgetown, relatives said. After the bees attacked him, he stumbled some 2-1/2 miles from the farmland to his home, where his sons took him to a local hospital. He died that Sunday.

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S. African leader visits Elian Gonzalez

South African President Thabo Mbeki stopped in on 7-year-old Elian Gonzalez during a visit to Cuba, visiting his school and hugging the boy who spent months at the center of an international custody battle. Mbeki greeted Elian outside his second-grade classroom in the coastal city of Cardenas. Cuban President Fidel Castro was also present and leaned down and spoke with the boy. Mbeki left Cuba after a three-day visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two already friendly nations. Gonzalez was found off the Florida coast on Thanksgiving Day 1999 after a boat wreck killed 11 other people including his mother. He was seized by federal agents and returned to his Cuban father, after a months-long fight by his Miami relatives to keep him in the United States.

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Segregation persists in the US

Segregation persisted in big cities over the past decade amid the USA's growing racial and ethnic diversity, said a report that provoked calls for stronger enforcement of laws against housing discrimination. Distinct living patterns continued to hold sway in large urban centers where most of America's blacks, Hispanics and Asians are located, said the report released by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. With forecasts suggesting even greater diversity in the future, advocacy groups urged federal and local governments to step up enforcement of fair-housing regulations and upgrade education in minority neighborhoods. Blacks and whites were most likely to be segregated in the Detroit metropolitan area, the study said, while whites, Hispanics and Asians were most likely to live separately in New York. Recently released Census 2000 data showed that Hispanic, black and Asian population growth far outpaced that of whites over the 1990s. The Hispanic population drew virtually even with non-Hispanic blacks as the nation's largest minority group.

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Americans arrive to study in Cuba

A U.S. flag was flown and the American anthem was played as Cuba welcomed eight young Americans arriving here to study medicine courtesy of the government. The six women and two men from minority families arrived in Havana earlier this month. They are the first Americans to attend a free six-year program to become physicians originally designed for impoverished students in Latin America. President Fidel Castro offered to extend the free medical training to include up to 500 Americans when he met last May with a delegation from the Congressional Black Caucus. The U.S. State Department later said it would not oppose the program, saying that it had been American policy to encourage contact between ordinary Cubans and Americans.

Editor's Note: Have Caribbean students participated in this program and if so how many?

Email to HotCalaloo.

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Actor Steven Seagal inna-rub-a-dub style

Steven Seagal is more than just a butt-kicking action film star - he's also a musician, a reggae musician. Seagal's debut album will include songs recorded with some of the leading names in Jamaican music. "Doing movies took up all of my time but music has always been my first love," Seagal, star of the action dramas such as "Marked for Death", "Under Siege" and his latest release "Exit Wounds," told the Gleaner newspaper recently in Kingston, Jamaica. Seagal, who plays guitar, has recorded songs with Beenie Man, who won a Grammy this year for best reggae album ("Art and Life") and singer Toots Hibbert. He's also recorded a cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song."

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WI lose Test Series to South Africa

The West Indies did something they had never done before against South Africa in cricket. They won a test match. Unfortunately they lost 2 to allow SA to win the series 2-1. They went into the third test already trailing 1 to 0. They drew this test, but it was a moral victory for SA. as the WI surviving two batsmen resorted to all sorts of delaying tactics which were unsportsmanlike and definitely not cricket.

The score for the last three tests are as follows:

TEST 3 (draw)
1^st Innings: SA 454 (DJ Cullinan 134, SM Pollock 106 n.o., ND McKenzie 72, Dillon 4 for 154) WI 387 ( RD Jacobs 113 n.o., Brian Lara 83, CL Hooper 73, Kallis 6 fo 67)
2^nd Innings: SA 197 for 9 declared (DJ Kullinan 82, Ramnarine 5 for 78); WI 88 for 7 ( Boje 4 for 17)

TEST 4 (SA won by 82 runs)
1^st Innings: SA 247 ( HH Gibs 85, McGarrel 4 for 72); WI 140
2^nd Innings: SA 215 for 7 declared ( Walsh 4 for 56); WI 240 ( B Lara 91,Boje 4 for 118)

Test 5 (WI won by 130)
1^st Inning: WI 225 ( B Lara 81, Pollock 5 for 28, Donald 4 for 54); SA 141 ( Dillon 4 for 32)
2^nd Inning: WI 301 ( RD Jacobs 85, M Samuels 59, Pollock 4 for 56}; SA 255 ( ND McKenzie 55, HH Gibs 51, Kallis 51)

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