The Caribbean Steps Up HIV/AIDS Testing

AIDS Awareness Ribbon

Caribbean Governments Step Up Fight On HIV/AIDS

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
June 20, 2008 (SKNIS)

The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) in collaboration with The Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS, Scotia Bank and the National AIDS Secretariat, Ministry of Health, have joined forces in hosting a National HIV Testing Day to coincide with International HIV Testing Day.

Regional Testing Day, Friday, June 27 2008, provides another unique opportunity to advance universal access to HIV prevention services in the Caribbean and further, to help reduce stigma and discrimination.

The objective of this special initiative is to heighten public interest in Voluntary Counselling and Testing as an effective mechanism for preventing the spread of HIV infection, and further, to help reduce stigma and discrimination.

The general public is asked to be apart of this drive by joining thousands of individuals regionally and internationally who recognizing the worth in knowing their status, will be tested on that day.

Additionally, this is also an opportunity for providing early intervention to persons who may test positive by accessing the free anti- retroviral drugs available in the Federation, thus drastically slowing down the progress of the disease.

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Youth Parade In Nevis To Celebrate “Child Month”

Charlestown Preschool Students March In Parade Charlestown, Nevis June 13, 2008 The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Cabinet Ministers accompanied the Early Childhood Unit, parents, teachers and children in this year’s Child Month parade through the Island Main Road in Charlestown …

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Nevis Police Institute Zero Tolerance For Culturama

Nevis Police Superintendent Seabrookes

Nevis Police Superintendent – Samuel Seabrookes

Charlestown, Nevis
June 13, 2008

Superintendent of the Nevis Division of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force Mr. Samuel Seabrookes, announced that the police would have sole responsibility for security this year and would not tolerate any criminal activity.

“Anyone found with this sort of weapons (guns) will be arrested and charged; no bail period!  So I want to send a clear message out to these people, if they have it in mind to disrupt the Culturama programme, they could change their mind,” Superintendent Seabrookes cautioned during the Nevis National Cultural Foundation’s launch of Culturama 2008 at the Red Cross Building on June 12, 2008.

Superintendent Seabrookes underpinned the Police’s dedication towards encouraging a crime free Culturama festival.

“I want everybody to have an enjoyable Culturama and we the police officers will ensure that without any fear or favour,” he said.

Meantime, Minister of Culture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Hensley Daniel registered the NIA’s support for the police and used the opportunity to make an appeal to the public, to refrain from criminal activity during the summer festival.

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Nevis Culturama 2008 Festival Officially Launched!

Nevis Culturama Check 2008

NIA Contribution Check For Nevis Culturama 2008

Charlestown, Nevis
June 12, 2008

Minister of Culture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Hensley Daniel and the Nevis Cultural Development Foundation hosted a Press Conference on June 12, 2008, at the Nevis Red Cross Building, to launch the activities for this year’s Culturama festival with the slogan “Participate! Make it Great! Culturama 2K8!”

Mr. Daniel, who was a past chairman of Culturama, spoke of the NIA’s contribution to Culturama 2008.

“From our government’s position; the Cabinet and the Premier and my other Cabinet colleagues, we’re in full support of Culturama and we have given the commitment to host a show by Tempo during Culturama. We are in the process of finalising these arrangements and we expect to have one night of the festival given to Tempo again to add that international flavour to Culturama,” he said.

Chairman of the Nevis Culturama Committee Mr. Halstead Byron, assured the public that plans are well on the way towards making Culturama 2008 bigger and better.

“Certainly we are satisfied at the stage where we are at right now in terms of our preparations.  All of our sub-committees, the Culturama Secretariat and so on have been working hard and diligently to ensure that we put on a very exciting and a big Culturama festival this year,” he said.

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African Drumming Drums Up Nevis Youth Interest

IAfrikana Drummers in Nevis

Drummers in Nevis

Charlestown, Nevis
June 09, 2008

Culture Advisor to the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Mr. Halsted “Sooty” Byron has cited that the introduction of African Drumming in schools was responsible for the heightened interest in drumming and the craze for iron bands among Nevis’ youth.

Mr. Byron told the Department of Information in an interview on June 09, 2008, that when drumming was introduced in primary schools as an initiative of the Department of Culture while he served as Director some years ago, the numbers were slight but there had been a spiked interest in recent times.

“Drumming in schools has caught on. When we started first the numbers were very small but up to when I finished dealing with that aspect of the art form in the schools, I think it was going very great.

“We [Department of Culture now the Nevis Cultural Foundation] have now recruited a young man who is also a member of IAfrikana Drummers Keoma George and the young boys and girls in the schools have really taken to it to the extent where we see these iron bands forming all over Nevis. This is a direct spin off from the drums,” he said.

Mr. Byron explained that it was regrettable that parents and adults did not think that an African drum could not make a perfect gift for a young adult or child.

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