BAHAMAS: Group asking govt to offer human rights education. Members of the Bahamas Human Rights Network (BHRN) yesterday suggested that the government allocate a certain amount of money to educate more Bahamians of their rights as citizens. Full article

BAHAMAS: Young Liberals blast FNM on crime issues. The Progressive Young Liberals on Thursday charged that The Free National Movement government has done nothing for the country since taking the reins of government on May 2. The youth arm of the Progressive Liberal Party also warned the government to stop their "finger-pointing" and state their plans to move the country forward within the next five years. Full article

BERMUDA: HRC launches major survey. The Human Rights Commission (HRC) is encouraging members of the public to take part in a major survey launched this week. Full article

BERMUDA: Education Minister provides reform update. Education Minister Randolph Horton yesterday updated members of the public on the progress of education reforms proposed by the Hopkins Report. Full article

BERMUDA: New website will match students with employers. A new website, which will help students access career opportunities online by matchmaking them with employers, is nearing completion. Full article

BERMUDA: Who's our Young Sports Personality of the Year? You've cast your votes for the men and the women, now it's the youngsters turn. We have profiled 12 of the top young sports stars of the year and are asking you to pick your favourite. Full article

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: BVI Banking Association conducts sessions with ESHS students. The BVI Banking Association Community Relations Committee took time out of their banking schedule to conduct presentations to several hundred students at the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Full article

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: NAPS makes donation to Family Support Network. NAPS President Anthony Lewis said that the funds were raised through a walk-a-thon organised by the members of NAPS against crime and violence and held last month. Full article

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: Ministery/Dept. of Education set new vision, priority areas. The Ministry and Department of Education and Culture will be moving forward with a new vision, and a number of set priority areas, the outcome of a three-day Professional Development Seminar held in November. Full article

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: BVI Technical & Vocational Institute honours students. The BVI Technical and Vocational Institute (BVITVI) held its first awards ceremony yesterday, where students were honoured for excellent performance in technical and academic areas. Full article

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: No one is safe from AIDS! Members of the Elmore Stoutt High School Drama Society give the audience something to think about at the AIDS Benefit Concert held last Friday at the Sir. Rupert Briercliffe Hall. The skit centred around a young married woman (pregnant) who refused to get tested for HIV because it is her belief being married meant she was safe. Full article

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: Student expelled for punching teacher. A form two student of the Elmore Stoutt High School was expelled for punching a female teacher in the face last week. Full article

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: Scholarships available for Roehampton University. The Ministry of Education and Culture is informing the general public that Roehampton University in London is accepting applications for their scholarship programme to pursue Masters Degrees in Special Education Needs and in Human Rights Practice for one year and two years of study, respectively. Full article

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: BVI further builds capacity to deal with HIV/AIDS. Two workshops, one held in the BVI last week and one to begin today in Antigua, are providing opportunities for the Territory to enhance its response to HIV/AIDS as part of activities to commemorate World AIDS Day. Full article

CAYMAN ISLANDS: Huckabee YCLA speaker. Mr. Mike Huckabee will be the keynote speaker for the Young Caymanian Leadership Awards on 16 February at The Ritz–Carlton, Grand Cayman. Full article

CUBA: Cuba to Sign World Human Rights Pacts. Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Felipe Perez Roque announced on Monday that Cuba will soon sign the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Full article

DOMINICA: Professor: Lack of interest among youth in politics. A Caribbean educator has alluded to a high level of disenchantment among young voters, which could cripple democracy in the region. Full article

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Body Shop Athletic Club’s “Body Kids” promotes health in youngsters. There are 300 million obese people in the world and there’s proof that most of those adults were obese when young or one of their parents was overweight. So the Body Shop Athletic Club has started Body Kids, a novel training program for children, aimed at contributing to the development of healthy adults. Full article

JAMAICA:  Gov't to seek overseas funding for education transformation. EDUCATION Minister Andrew Holness says the government may have to look overseas for funding next year for the education transformation programme. Full article

JAMAICA: Gang war cripples Newland. Residents of Newland, one of Portmore's lower-income communities, are crying for help as a bitter gang war has them living in fear for their lives. Full article

JAMAICA: 'Jobs the main cure for crime'. Jamaica's business leaders moot more employment oppourtunities as crucial to halting rampant crime. "We need growth of real jobs, really moving to occupy time and to also have persons gainfully employed," said Mark Myers, president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce. Full article

NETHERLAND ANTILLES: St. Dominic High girls empowered through Girl Power programme. Participants at the St. Dominic High School who took part in the Girl Power and the St. Maarten AIDS Foundation programme on building self-esteem, self empowerment and self values in young girls graduated yesterday from the three-day workshop. Full article

STA LUCIA: AIDS exhibition a disappointment. Advocates for Safe Parenthood Improving Reproductive Equity (ASPIRE) in collaboration with The St Lucia National Organization of Women (NOW) are livid. They believe they have been shafted and they are not very happy about what they say is “blatant disrespect and disregard for them and the people of St Lucia.” Full article

STA LUCIA: St. Lucia holds National Advocacy Workshop. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in conjunction with the Central Statistics Office and various stakeholder groups on the island assembled at the NIC conference room on Monday to discuss plans aimed at improving data collection on the informal sector and on informal employment on the island. Full article

STA LUCIA: Students lining up for Junior Achievement. Junior Achievement originated from an attempt by private and public entities to engage young people in positive activities and get them involved in the business world. The program was introduced to St Lucia in 1996 starting off with six participating schools. It has since expanded to 82 schools. Over the past five years, thousands of students have been part of the program. This year 2500 students are expected to participate. Full article

STA LUCIA: Young writers take ‘Grandma’s Backyard’ on the road. For years our teachers have encouraged our nation’s children to read. The Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort took this encouragement to new heights when they recently hosted William and Miles Rabun, the precocious youngsters who wrote a story about their grandmother’s backyard, and turned it into their very first published book. Full article

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: 'Loss in workforce from AIDS'. The University of the West Indies, Health and Education Unit has estimated an annual four per cent loss of Trinidad and Tobago's workforce if the present HIV/Aids pandemic is not addressed. Full article

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Top cop: Gang murders rise. GILBERT REYES, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of crime, admitted yesterday that gang-related murders in the country were climbing. He said there were 357 murders so far for this year, rapidly closing in on last year’s figure — 368 — and 386, recorded in 2005. Full article

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Today is Human Rights Day. THIS year, the focus is on Children’s Rights and, Trinidad and Tobago is being commended for being the first country to table the Status of Children Amendment, International Child Abduction and Family Court Bills, in the House of Representatives. Full article

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Domestic violence kit to provide guidelines for cops. National Security Minister Martin Joseph yesterday received a copy of a manual from Attorney General Brigid Annisette-George which is the first such document that has laid out specific guidelines to help police respond more effectively to cases of domestic violence. Full article

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Of demonstrations, porno, free education. Education continues to be one of the major priorities of the Government as evidenced by the enormous allocations made every year to this sector in the annual budget. The new fiscal year 2007/2008 saw the sector being given $7.6 billion. Full article

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: Caregivers want more help from Govt. They were all headlines in recent weeks that shocked the nation. But to caregivers at children's homes throughout the country they were par the course: they were not rare cases of child abuse but almost everyday occurances. Full article

TURKS & CAICOS: Young boy at Al Gore’s presentation shares Environment Q & A. When Al Gore visited the country for his talk during the 2007 Conference on the Environment, one brave young soul stood up among the crowd of mature audience and asked the very meaningful question “What could a child like me do to help protect the environment in the Turks & Caicos Islands?”. That courageous and smart young boy is Gabriel Saunders, 11 years old. Full article

TURKS & CAICOS: CELEBRATE VOLUNTEERISM. As Albert Einstein said: "Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value". Full article

TURKS & CAICOS: TCI Red Cross at work on World AIDS Day. The TCI Red Cross in Providenciales continues to provide help and services to the local community through various outreach programs and activities, one of which was the Christmas Book Fair held on Saturday, December 1st, 2007 at Grace Bay Pharmacy Car Park. The Fair coincided with the celebration of the World AIDS Day, a cause supported by the Red Cross. Full article

US VIRGIN ISLANDS: BET forums on HIV-AIDS scheduled in St. Croix high schools. BET Networks' celebrity health forum, "Rap-It-Up," returns to the Virgin Islands this week with high school students on St. Croix taking part in candid discussions about HIV-AIDS awareness and sexual health. Full article

US VIRGIN ISLANDS: Students, Officials Mark End of Hassel Island Cleanup. More than 180 students, members of several local organizations and public officials flocked to the Crown Bay Marina early Saturday morning for the culmination of a month-long cleanup of Hassel Island in St. Thomas harbor. Full article

US VIRGIN ISLANDS: Not for Profit: Nazareth Lutheran Church's Women's Group. Crocheting and other crafts are more than relaxing hobbies for the Nazareth Lutheran Church's Women's Group. They're part of doing good works for others. Full article

US VIRGIN ISLANDS: Young Calypsonians Rock Island Center. If you thought the future of original calypso writers and singers was in jeopardy on St. Croix, you should have been at the Island Center for the Performing Arts Sunday. The young calypsonians at the Junior Calypso competition demonstrated this traditional Caribbean song form is in good hands. Full article

US VIRGIN ISLANDS: Central High Students Get the Rap on HIV/AIDS. Students at St. Croix Central High School had their awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS heightened Thursday with the help of Black Entertainment Television (BET) Rap-It-Up forum. "These kids are wiser in wisdom, but lacking in knowledge," said Vikki Johnson, BET's manager of public affairs. "BET is a familiar brand of entertainment that can help educate young people." Full article

US VIRGIN ISLANDS: People Affected by Violence and Abuse Hang Their Issues on the Line. Women and men wrote, painted and drew personal messages about the impact of domestic violence and sexual abuse on themselves, family members and loved ones in a workshop Wednesday evening at the Alice S. Pfaelzer Children's Center in Christiansted. Full article

US VIRGIN ISLANDS: UVI Students Place Third in National Future Business Leaders Contest. Students from the UVI's St. Thomas campus chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America, Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL), recently won third place at the FBLA Fall National Leadership Conference. Full article