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Jose Antonio Abreu on Venezuela's El Sistema miracle

In a rare interview, El Sistema founder José Antonio Abreu talks about his passion for Venezuela's extraordinary musical programme that gives children a route out of poverty

Young students with El Sistema founder Abreu (centre) and conductor Gustavo Dudamel in Caracas, Venezuela. Photograph: Sandra Bracho/PR company handout

Maestro José Antonio Abreu works in an office situated in an unremarkable shopping mall in central Caracas, a few steps from one of the city's major thoroughfares. On the afternoon we meet, the sun is shining and the streets are bustling. Nevertheless, to make the short journey by foot from a nearby car park, we are accompanied by three conspicuously armed guards.

This is Caracas, one of the most violent cities in the world. Venezuela's murder rate is three times that of Iraq and four times that of Mexico. On average, 53 people are murdered here every day.

This grisly statistic is on my mind as I am ushered in to meet Abreu, the 73-year-old former economist and conductor whose visionary philosophy has, since 1975, been based on the notion that a free, immersive classical musiceducation for the poorest of the poor might positively influence the social problems plaguing the country.

Abreu's hypothesis has been overwhelmingly vindicated, with more than 380,000 children engaged in national music programmes, more than 80% of whom come from low- or middle-income areas. Of the two million graduates of the programme since its inception, many have gone on to become not just musicians, but lawyers, teachers, doctors and civil servants. Yet it remains one of the great paradoxes of "El Sistema", as Abreu's Fundación Musical Simón Bolívar has come to be known, that no matter how successful it is, how manyGustavo Dudamels it creates, how many wealthier nations seek to emulate it, the Venezuelan crime rate still climbs.

Abreu agrees that the statistics are "extremely grave". But he points to evidence that also seems to prove that without El Sistema's extensive network of nucleos(community music schools), orchestras and choirs, they would be considerably grimmer. "The Inter-American Development Bank, the Venezuelan State and the Andean Development Corporation are continually supervising the foundation's projects," he says, "because they have invested so many resources. Wherever there is an impact evaluation study, the results are unanimous. Children engaged in the programme attain above-average results in school and show a tremendous capacity for collective community action. The orchestra and the choirs, the heart of the programme, help create a sense of solidarity. Involvement becomes a weapon against poverty and inequality, violence and drug abuse."

Abreu himself is a humble and ascetic figure who has dedicated his life to what he describes categorically as a "human development" project. "The idea came to me because I saw that in Venezuela, music education did not include orchestras for young people," he explains, "but I also could see, in the few existing music schools at that time, that the children who were participating in orchestras developed with a much more humane perception of their role within society. They had a completely different set of values."

The scheme was launched, famously, with just 11 kids in a local garage – a far cry from scenes at, say, the Royal Albert Hall 30-odd years later, but his conviction of the possibility of social transformation through music was absolute even then. "At our first rehearsal, I was certain of it," he says, beady brown eyes glittering. "I told those first 11 members of the orchestra that we were creating the beginning of a network that would eventually turn Venezuela into a musical power by rescuing children from low-income families."

A few days later, I ask Frank di Polo, the violinist and original leader of the orchestra, if he remembers the moment. "Of course," he laughs. "Maestro Abreu knew all along what he was creating and what it could achieve."

El Sistema, despite the nickname, is not actually a "system" of music education, but, as Abreu insists, "a conception regarding the function of music within society". It is a vast network of schools, orchestras and choirs that now extends to all 23 provinces in Venezuela, and touches an estimated three adults for every child engaged in the programme. Whether Hugo Chávez or Henrique Capriles triumphs in October's forthcoming presidential elections, it is inconceivable that they should withdraw support for the programme. Seven successive Venezuelan administrations from across the political spectrum have supported El Sistema – to the tune of around 90% of its operating budget. The funds, tellingly, have always been disbursed by the social services rather than culture departments. This is surely down to the laser political vision of Abreu, whose tiny form and Mother Theresa-esque manner belie a formidable, strategic intelligence. "The fundamental element that has determined support has been the results El Sistema has proved in the social field," he says. "For Venezuelans, music education is now a constitutional and legal right."

Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra in a performance of Bernstein's Mambo, one of the encores at this 2007 New Year's Eve concert in Caracas. Link to this video

Next week, the most visible and thrilling exponent of that principle returns to the UK, when Dudamel, 31-year-old music director of Los Angeles Philharmonic, brings his "other" orchestra, the Simón Bolívar Symphony, toRaploch, Scotland, for a concert alongside the El-Sistema-inspired initiative Big Noise. The gig launches the London 2012 Festival and, along with the orchestras' subsequent residency at the Southbank Centre, which will be live-streamed on the Guardian website, is likely to unleash a new wave of Dudamania in Britain.

Did Abreu always realise what he had on his hands with Gustavo? "Of course," he says; he knew "from the very beginning" that his was a "superlative" talent. Yet Dudamel is far from unique.

A young girl practises violin at home in a slum area of Caracas. Photograph: Carlos Cazalis

Take Christian Vasquez, 28-year-old music director designate of Stavanger Symphony Orchestra; or Diego Matheuz, who has taken over at La Fenice, Venice's legendary opera house, aged 27. It is not at all fanciful to propose that in coming years, many more European, American and Asian music institutions will have a spirited young Venezuelan at their helm, usually with terrifically emotive hair.

This represents something of a dilemma for Abreu, mentor and father figure to all these wildly gifted young maestri. One reason why El Sistema works so well is its familial mechanism: as soon as a child is accomplished enough, they begin to help teach younger generations. If the most talented teenagers leave as soon as the big musical agencies – including the Berlin Philharmonic, in the case of Sistema double bassist Ericson Ruiz – come calling, the system may falter.

Abreu admits it can be difficult to reconcile the need to allow his brightest proteges to spread their wings internationally with the need to keep them in Venezuela as all-important role models, but he repeats that this is a "human development project". El Sistema exists, he maintains, "to strengthen the moral and spiritual development of the country" in whichever form that takes.

There are many who believe this quietly charismatic man should be in line for the Nobel peace prize. Sir Simon Rattle, who describes El Sistema as "nothing less than a miracle", has been advocating it since 2008. But Abreu shakes his head. "The biggest reward is the opportunity to keep doing our work," he says. The international attention his system receives "creates a great sense of reward and responsibility". He indicates a poster on the wall emblazoned with the phrase "Tocar y Luchar", the official motto of the programme ever since that afternoon in the garage. "To play and to struggle: that came from our earliest experience when we had so many obstacles for undertaking the project – lack of spaces, instruments, financial resources," he explains. "To play – it's a form of striving, so we can show the validity of the efforts we are committing ourselves to. The struggle is against the obstacles that present themselves. So there was always this double meaning within the kids, to be both artists and social fighters."

The slogan is more applicable today than ever. "We are still facing the gravest social problems, and we have a challenge to incorporate as many excluded children as possible," Abreu admits. "We need more teachers, instruments, space, funding." The number of kids engaged in El Sistema programmes is estimated to hit the half-million mark by 2015, which seems mind-boggling; but Abreu points out that 33% of Venezuela's 30m population is under 14. I get the sense that he will not rest until every one of those children has access to a local nucleo.

"We know that the efforts we put into it are not enough, given the size of the challenge ahead. But this is our dream. And we will keep fighting for it, every day."

Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra open London 2012 Festival in Raploch on 21 June, then perform at the Royal Festival Hall on 23 and 26 June as part of Southbank Centre's Festival of the World. Both RFH concerts will be live-streamed atguardian.co.uk/bolivarlive. More about the Southbank Centre's Sounds Venezuela festival here.

José Antonio Abreu on Venezuela's El Sistema miracle

In a rare interview, El Sistema founder José Antonio Abreu talks about his passion for Venezuela's extraordinary musical programme that gives children a route out of poverty

Young students with El Sistema founder Abreu (centre) and conductor Gustavo Dudamel in Caracas, Venezuela. Photograph: Sandra Bracho/PR company handout

Maestro José Antonio Abreu works in an office situated in an unremarkable shopping mall in central Caracas, a few steps from one of the city's major thoroughfares. On the afternoon we meet, the sun is shining and the streets are bustling. Nevertheless, to make the short journey by foot from a nearby car park, we are accompanied by three conspicuously armed guards.

This is Caracas, one of the most violent cities in the world. Venezuela's murder rate is three times that of Iraq and four times that of Mexico. On average, 53 people are murdered here every day.

This grisly statistic is on my mind as I am ushered in to meet Abreu, the 73-year-old former economist and conductor whose visionary philosophy has, since 1975, been based on the notion that a free, immersive classical musiceducation for the poorest of the poor might positively influence the social problems plaguing the country.

Abreu's hypothesis has been overwhelmingly vindicated, with more than 380,000 children engaged in national music programmes, more than 80% of whom come from low- or middle-income areas. Of the two million graduates of the programme since its inception, many have gone on to become not just musicians, but lawyers, teachers, doctors and civil servants. Yet it remains one of the great paradoxes of "El Sistema", as Abreu's Fundación Musical Simón Bolívar has come to be known, that no matter how successful it is, how manyGustavo Dudamels it creates, how many wealthier nations seek to emulate it, the Venezuelan crime rate still climbs.

Abreu agrees that the statistics are "extremely grave". But he points to evidence that also seems to prove that without El Sistema's extensive network of nucleos(community music schools), orchestras and choirs, they would be considerably grimmer. "The Inter-American Development Bank, the Venezuelan State and the Andean Development Corporation are continually supervising the foundation's projects," he says, "because they have invested so many resources. Wherever there is an impact evaluation study, the results are unanimous. Children engaged in the programme attain above-average results in school and show a tremendous capacity for collective community action. The orchestra and the choirs, the heart of the programme, help create a sense of solidarity. Involvement becomes a weapon against poverty and inequality, violence and drug abuse."

Abreu himself is a humble and ascetic figure who has dedicated his life to what he describes categorically as a "human development" project. "The idea came to me because I saw that in Venezuela, music education did not include orchestras for young people," he explains, "but I also could see, in the few existing music schools at that time, that the children who were participating in orchestras developed with a much more humane perception of their role within society. They had a completely different set of values."

The scheme was launched, famously, with just 11 kids in a local garage – a far cry from scenes at, say, the Royal Albert Hall 30-odd years later, but his conviction of the possibility of social transformation through music was absolute even then. "At our first rehearsal, I was certain of it," he says, beady brown eyes glittering. "I told those first 11 members of the orchestra that we were creating the beginning of a network that would eventually turn Venezuela into a musical power by rescuing children from low-income families."

A few days later, I ask Frank di Polo, the violinist and original leader of the orchestra, if he remembers the moment. "Of course," he laughs. "Maestro Abreu knew all along what he was creating and what it could achieve."

El Sistema, despite the nickname, is not actually a "system" of music education, but, as Abreu insists, "a conception regarding the function of music within society". It is a vast network of schools, orchestras and choirs that now extends to all 23 provinces in Venezuela, and touches an estimated three adults for every child engaged in the programme. Whether Hugo Chávez or Henrique Capriles triumphs in October's forthcoming presidential elections, it is inconceivable that they should withdraw support for the programme. Seven successive Venezuelan administrations from across the political spectrum have supported El Sistema – to the tune of around 90% of its operating budget. The funds, tellingly, have always been disbursed by the social services rather than culture departments. This is surely down to the laser political vision of Abreu, whose tiny form and Mother Theresa-esque manner belie a formidable, strategic intelligence. "The fundamental element that has determined support has been the results El Sistema has proved in the social field," he says. "For Venezuelans, music education is now a constitutional and legal right."

Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra in a performance of Bernstein's Mambo, one of the encores at this 2007 New Year's Eve concert in Caracas. Link to this video

Next week, the most visible and thrilling exponent of that principle returns to the UK, when Dudamel, 31-year-old music director of Los Angeles Philharmonic, brings his "other" orchestra, the Simón Bolívar Symphony, toRaploch, Scotland, for a concert alongside the El-Sistema-inspired initiative Big Noise. The gig launches the London 2012 Festival and, along with the orchestras' subsequent residency at the Southbank Centre, which will be live-streamed on the Guardian website, is likely to unleash a new wave of Dudamania in Britain.

Did Abreu always realise what he had on his hands with Gustavo? "Of course," he says; he knew "from the very beginning" that his was a "superlative" talent. Yet Dudamel is far from unique.

A young girl practises violin at home in a slum area of Caracas. Photograph: Carlos Cazalis

Take Christian Vasquez, 28-year-old music director designate of Stavanger Symphony Orchestra; or Diego Matheuz, who has taken over at La Fenice, Venice's legendary opera house, aged 27. It is not at all fanciful to propose that in coming years, many more European, American and Asian music institutions will have a spirited young Venezuelan at their helm, usually with terrifically emotive hair.

This represents something of a dilemma for Abreu, mentor and father figure to all these wildly gifted young maestri. One reason why El Sistema works so well is its familial mechanism: as soon as a child is accomplished enough, they begin to help teach younger generations. If the most talented teenagers leave as soon as the big musical agencies – including the Berlin Philharmonic, in the case of Sistema double bassist Ericson Ruiz – come calling, the system may falter.

Abreu admits it can be difficult to reconcile the need to allow his brightest proteges to spread their wings internationally with the need to keep them in Venezuela as all-important role models, but he repeats that this is a "human development project". El Sistema exists, he maintains, "to strengthen the moral and spiritual development of the country" in whichever form that takes.

There are many who believe this quietly charismatic man should be in line for the Nobel peace prize. Sir Simon Rattle, who describes El Sistema as "nothing less than a miracle", has been advocating it since 2008. But Abreu shakes his head. "The biggest reward is the opportunity to keep doing our work," he says. The international attention his system receives "creates a great sense of reward and responsibility". He indicates a poster on the wall emblazoned with the phrase "Tocar y Luchar", the official motto of the programme ever since that afternoon in the garage. "To play and to struggle: that came from our earliest experience when we had so many obstacles for undertaking the project – lack of spaces, instruments, financial resources," he explains. "To play – it's a form of striving, so we can show the validity of the efforts we are committing ourselves to. The struggle is against the obstacles that present themselves. So there was always this double meaning within the kids, to be both artists and social fighters."

The slogan is more applicable today than ever. "We are still facing the gravest social problems, and we have a challenge to incorporate as many excluded children as possible," Abreu admits. "We need more teachers, instruments, space, funding." The number of kids engaged in El Sistema programmes is estimated to hit the half-million mark by 2015, which seems mind-boggling; but Abreu points out that 33% of Venezuela's 30m population is under 14. I get the sense that he will not rest until every one of those children has access to a local nucleo.

"We know that the efforts we put into it are not enough, given the size of the challenge ahead. But this is our dream. And we will keep fighting for it, every day."

Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra open London 2012 Festival in Raploch on 21 June, then perform at the Royal Festival Hall on 23 and 26 June as part of Southbank Centre's Festival of the World. Both RFH concerts will be live-streamed atguardian.co.uk/bolivarlive. More about the Southbank Centre's Sounds Venezuela festival here.

Suriname president to pay state visit to China

Published on June 9, 2012 Print Version

By Ray Chickrie

Caribbean News Now contributor

PARAMARIBO, Suriname -- A state visit by Suriname’s President Désiré Bouterse to China is being prepared by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Lackin, who himself will soon travel to Beijing to organize the official visit.

Lackin told the Suriname Times, "I will travel to China to prepare the president’s visit."

The expectations are obviously high on both sides he added.

President Desi Bouterse of Suriname. UN Photo/Lou Rouse

During the visit, the two countries are expected to sign various bilateral agreements, especially in the area of financial cooperation and agriculture. Suriname wants China to help develop its agricultural sector. The date of the visit is yet not confirmed, according to Lackin.

"The president currently has a very busy schedule and in China the people are currently in a busy period. Soon they will have national elections,” he said.

China-Suriname ties are strong, and it may not be overstatement to say that it’s the closest among all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations. A New York Times article in 2011 asserted that “With aid and migrants, China expands its presence” in Suriname. “The Foreign Ministry’s elegant new headquarters here is a gift from the Chinese government. Chinese signs on hundreds of businesses, from casinos to grocery shops and furniture stores, beckon the residents of this capital. Chinese work crews are paving roads cutting through the jungle.”

Today, in Suriname, there are two daily Chinese newspapers and a Mandarin school has now opened to service Suriname’s 40,000 strong Chinese population or about 10% of the population.

The mechanisms for expansion of Suriname-China ties are in place through various bilateral agreements. Last year Minister of Public Works, Ramon Abraham signed three memoranda of understanding (MOU) with two major Chinese firms: Cheng International and China Harbor concerning the financing and execution of mega projects totaling some US$6 billion. Among the projects is the construction of 8,000 low-income houses. Two other memoranda were signed with China Harbor, regarding the construction of 500 kilometers of road and a train track from Paramaribo to southern neighbour Brazil, a new harbour and a highway from Paramaribo to the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport at Zanderij.

And with relations with its former colonial power, the Netherlands, at an all time low, the Bouterse government has moved to consolidate ties with Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and the Persian Gulf States. The Netherlands withdrew its ambassador from Suriname and suspended the remaining distribution of funds granted to Suriname during independence in 1975 because the Surinamese Staten (Parliament) passed an amnesty act that pardons Bouterse of his involvement in the 1980 coup.

Lackin said that the EU should not “lecture” Suriname. He said, “The Dutch can keep those 20 million Euros. We don’t really need it, and it could be better used in the Netherlands itself to help their poor who form lines at soup kitchens.”

All Hail The State Visit of Emperor Haile Selassie I -The first 500 years in Jamaica

All Hail

The State Visit of Emperor Haile Selassie I

A student from Glen Stuart Primary School was awarded a souvenir coin by the Emperor when he visited Maggotty, St. Elizabeth.

All Hail the King of Kings, the Lion of Judah, the Almighty One, Ye shall break every chain again and again...

Text of a welcome banner held aloft at Montego Bay's civic reception for Emperor Haile Selassie I, April 23, 1966.

THE HEAT that rose from the tarmac of Kingston's Norman Manley International Airport was nothing compared to the level of expectation that was seeping through the thousands gathered on the tarmac that 21st day of April, 1966. The day was declared a public holiday in honour of the Emperor and people had started arriving from Wednesday night from places near and far, to form the largest crowd to have ever assembled at the Norman Manley International Airport. They came to the airport any way they could ­ by car, by truck, by bus, by bicycle, by foot. Drum beats and chants were heard almost non-stop, providing an almost hypnotic rhythm. The smell of ganja wafted through the air completing a welcome unprecedented in size and expectation for the Emperor on his first state visit to Jamaica.

Interpreter at right translates the speech of Emperor Haile Selassie, given in Arabic, as he addressed both houses of Parliament at Gordon House. On the throne with His Imperial Majesty is Governor-General Sir Clifford Campbell. Seated at left is Lady Campbell.

Brother George Huggins of Accompong, explained the enthusiastic welcome, "it is hard to put in words what seeing this man, this great man, the Lord of lords, in Jamaica meant to us in the Rastafarian community. We had heard so much about him for so long." On the tarmac, some waved palm leaves, some red, green and gold Ethiopian flags, and some blew the Maroon cowhorn known as the abeng in welcome. Everyone kept their eyes on the sky wondering when the plane carrying His Imperial Majesty from Trinidad and Tobago would arrive. Rain began to fall and the crowd continued to wait, hoping even for just a glimpse of the plane through the thick clouds that had formed.

When the insignia of a roaring lion and stripes of red, green and gold finally came into view, the rain stopped. People shouted, "See how God stop de rain." The sound from the crowd was deafening as masses of people rushed to get closer to the island's distinguished visitor. The crowd simply broke down any barriers that stood in their way in their eagerness to position themselves as close as possible to the "King of Kings." But the Lion of Judah did not appear immediately as expected. Instead the plane stood there, silent in a sea of activity and sound. No movement could be seen from within the cabin. The door to the plane finally opened forty-five minutes later, close to 2:15 p.m., and His Imperial Majesty came to the top of the stairs to deplane. The crowd responded with a roar that "was louder than the sound of thunder rolling, louder even than an explosion" recalls Mitsy Seaga who accompanied her husband, Edward Seaga, the then Minister of Development and Welfare. Seaga himself remembers the event as awesome in every sense of the word.

Start of the stampede of Rastafarians who surrounded the Emperor's plane. Their enthusiasm kept the door from opening for forty-five minutes.

The sight must have surpassed even the Emperor's wildest imagination, as tears came to his eyes as he held up his hands in what could have been half a royal gesture and half a call for calm. The crowd, thrilled beyond reason, continued to cry out, " God is with us. Mek me touch his garment," paying no heed to the call for calm.

Mr. Mortimer Planno, A Ras Tafarian leader, mounted the landing steps at the request of officials, bowed to the Emperor and also beseeched the crowd to be calm and let the Emperor pass. With assistance from the military and the police, the Emperor, his daughter and the rest of his entourage were able to leave the airport. They were whisked away to a 5 p.m. civic reception at the National Stadium where another large, excited crowd awaited. The Ethiopian and Jamaican National Anthems were played and the Emperor was presented with the keys to the city by then Commissioner of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC), Mr. Eustace Bird. The Emperor was welcomed by acting Prime Minister, Sir Donald Sangster. The Emperor replied in Amharic calling the visit the fulfilment of a lifelong desire, and thanking the people of Jamaica for their outpouring of affection. The ceremony was, however, marked my human rights protestors bearing large placards with anti-government slogans. The Emperor later attended a state dinner at Kings House where extra police were placed on duty, in response to the enthusiasm of the people of Jamaica.

The next day the Emperor embarked on a packed schedule that included visits to downtown Kingston where he would lay a wreath at the War Memorial in what was then King George VI Memorial Park and attend a sitting of Parliament, again speaking through a translator. He told a small gathering of the press at Kings House that he was particularly happy to be in Jamaica so soon after the island had gained independence. That afternoon the Emperor also visited Vale Royal to see an exhibition of local craft by the Rastafarian Brethren Association which he was advised were his to take back to Ethiopia should he so desire, and that evening he received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of the West Indies in a special ceremony.

On Saturday, April 23, the Emperor and his entourage embarked on a train trip to see the western side of the island. Crowds turned out to greet him along the eight-hour journey where stops were made at Denbigh, Williamsfield, Maggotty and Montpelier before ending in Montego Bay close to 4 p.m. At Spanish Town, when officials tried to hold a presentation ceremony involving the Emperor, a schoolboy and a few policemen were injured and a police car damaged in a stone and bottle throwing incident that may have resulted from one of two reasons according to The Gleaner report of that day: (i) a general sense that police were trying to keep Rastafarians away from the immediate vicinity of the Emperor and (ii) a rumour that the Emperor was not Haile Selassie at all but an impostor foisted on the Jamaican people by the government. The police were forced to resort to the use of tear gas to regain control.

At around 4:15 p.m. the Emperor's car came into view, cheers from the crowd gathered to welcome the Emperor in a 30 minute civic reception in what was then called Charles Square (now known as Sam Sharpe Square). Emperor Selassie I left Jamaica on Sunday, April 24 at 9 a.m. for a state visit to Haiti after inspecting a guard of honour mounted by the First Battalion, the Jamaica Regiment. In contrast to his boisterous welcome, his departure was a sombre scene, with only a few hundred solemn-faced persons on hand to say farewell at the Montego Bay Airport.

Rebecca Tortello

NOTES:

According to Rastafarian belief, Emperor Haile Selassie I is the only true God (originally known as Ras Tafari), and Ethiopia is their spiritual homeland, the true Zion.

Haile Selassie I (1892-1975) was the last emperor of Ethiopia (1930-1974). Born near Harar on July 23, 1892, Selassie’s original name was Lij Tafari Makonnen. He was a grandnephew of Emperor Menelik II. In 1916, when he was 24-years-old, he ousted Lij, Iyasu, Menelik's successor, replacing him with Zauditu, the old emperor's daughter. Selassie made himself regent. When Zauditu died in 1930, he succeeded her, taking the name Haile Selassie I, which means “Might of the Trinity.” His other titles included Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God, and King of Kings.

In 1935 the Italians invaded Ethiopia. Selassie made an impressive plea for help before the League of Nations, but was unsuccessful. He went into exile in England in May 1936 and from there he helped the British plan a campaign that led to the liberation of Ethiopia. He returned to power in 1942. Another attempt to overthrow Selassie was made in 1960 but was quickly stopped. By 1974, however, worsening conditions in Ethiopia— government corruption, inflation, drought, starvation, and Selassie’s perceived hesitancy in dealing with these and other issues — led the army to revolt. Once again, Selassie was removed from power. He was formally deposed in September 1974 and died in Addis Abeba on August 27, 1975. He was 83 years old. Today, some Rastafarians say they are looking forward to the worlds they know he is laying down on their behalf.

Among Selassie’s accomplishments were major land reform, (1942 and 1944), emancipation of slaves (1942), and a revised and somewhat broadened constitution (1955) that provided for universal suffrage. He also played a leading role in the formation of the Organization of African Unity in the 1960s.

Ethiopia, formerly Abyssinia, is a republic in eastern Africa, bounded on the northeast by Eritrea and Djibouti, on the east and southeast by Somalia, on the southwest by Kenya, and on the west and northwest by Sudan. The area of the country is 1,128,176 sq km (435,606 sq mi).

While in Jamaica the Emperor received many gifts including portraits, maps, scrolls and a sculpture presented to him the artist himself, Mallica ‘Kapo’ Reynolds. The Emperor, so touched by the gift, thanked Kapo in English, one of the few occasions in which he did not speak his native Amharic while in Jamaica. Selassie also gave many gifts including gold coins that bore his head, gold cigarette cases and a school at Delacree Pen in Kingston’s west end. WHAT IS IT CALLED? While on his way to Montego Bay, he stopped en route to the Spanish Town Railway Station and laid a stone for the school. In response the Jamaican government announced the award of a scholarship for an Ethiopian tenable at the University of the West Indies.

Other distinguished royal visitors to Jamaica include: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (who came most recently in Feb 2002), Princess Margaret (1962), Princess Anne (1966), Prince Charles (1966, 2000).

Other distinguished visitors include: Fidel Castro (1998, 2000), The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1965), Pele (1971), Pope John Paul II (1993), Bishop Desmond Tutu (1986), Nelson and Winnie Mandela (1991), Mohammed Ali (1967), Margaret Thatcher (1987) and Mother Teresa (1966, 1986).

Sources: The Gleaner, 21-24, April, 1966.

The Gleaner. (1995) A Geography and History of Jamaica. (Kingston: The Gleaner Co. Ltd.) Http://www.bobartsinstitute.edu/Ethiopia1.htm

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A jungle trek for investments in Suriname

Thomas Kostigen's Impact Investor

Commentary: Small nation has chance for sustainable growth

March 16, 2012|Thomas Kostigen

PARAMARIBO, Suriname (MarketWatch) — Suriname has some of the least spoiled and species-rich land on earth, and social entrepreneurs here are working to keep it that way — with a twist: developing a model of conservation and commerce.

Suriname is the smallest sovereign country in South America, yet it has big potential. Technically it is part of the Caribbean, which is experiencing a sort of revitalization thanks to efforts by billionaire private investors and a mandate by the Obama administration to invest more resources in the region.

Mark Plotkin, a Skoll Foundation Entrepreneur and head of the Amazon Conservation Team, tells me that Suriname could be a case study for “getting things right in sustainable development in the tropics.” He says that means everything from eco tourism to microfinance to handicraft development to cultural tourism to payment for ecosystem services to payment for carbon credits. Read more about the Amazon Conservation Team.

“You have two great and obvious advantages in Suriname: one, very low population density with intact ecosystems, and two, the massive mistakes that every one has made in terms of environmental degradation from Mexico to Brazil.” His point: Suriname can learn from the mistakes of the past and set itself up for a prosperous future.

Likewise the social impacts in Suriname abound. The country is in dire need of infrastructure — power, telecommunications, and the like. Alcoa (US:AA) , Iamgold (US:IAG) , and Newmont Mining (US:NEM) are already here digging up the place and mining for metals and minerals. More mining growth is expected. That means more people, more housing, more energy, transportation, food and social service needs — development. Yet Suriname is 80% unspoiled. So the trick is to strike a sustainable balance.

“What’s wrong with forestry done the right way?” Plotkin asks, as I interview him late one night over Parbo Bier in the back of a lodging house by the river that runs through this city. “Why can’t we make sure that the business ‘value added’ is for the tribal peoples who need some money on a regular basis, giving them enough to deal with outside world and still allowing them to live off the land and protect it?”

The businesses here in the humid wilds of the rain forest range from health-care clinics to agricultural operations to eco-tourism outfits, as well as the giant mining multinationals.

You can not only see the prongs of growth springing up in the form of new buildings, you can feel it; there is a bustle in town. Even the architecture begs excitement. Paramaribo’s center looks like the French Quarter of New Orleans (a boat service between the two cities used to exist and the architects drew much of their inspiration from The Big Easy).

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Still, the entire country’s population is less than 500,000. Its gross domestic product is a mere $3.3 billion, (mostly fueled by those mines). Bauxite accounts for 70% of Suriname’s foreign exchange. Growth for the next five years, as estimated by the Investment and Development Corp. in Suriname, is a steady and strong 6% annually.

Beyond its natural resources, Suriname has something else going for it: its link to the Caribbean.

The Caribbean Central American Action (CCAA) organization promotes private-sector-led economic development in the Caribbean Basin, and is seeing new impact investments programs launched. The Inter-American Development Bank is also focusing more on the Caribbean Basin. A source close to the Obama administration says the President has asked that more resources be devoted to the Caribbean. And the uber wealthy impact investor Michael Lee-Chin is making substantial investments in the area. Indeed, Lee-Chin’s Portland Private Equity recently launched the AIC Caribbean Fund, a $225 million vehicle for social enterprises.

Haiti, of course, is a big driving point for much of this attention because of its tragedy. The spotlight, though, is casting light on other Caribbean nations and people are discovering that, well, there are new discoveries to be had.

Take the medicinal qualities and potential for plants found in Suriname, a specialty for ethnobiologist Plotkin. Deep in the jungle where uncontacted tribes roam there are plant remedies for everything from broken bones to depression. The ACT tracks and chronicles these shamanic practices and brews. Fertile investment opportunities lie here for product development programs, which are nonprofit organizations with scientific, technical, clinical development and policy expertise that manage and advance portfolios of global health products. Royalties and income streams that arise from any new discovery are shared — usually with Big Pharma, which often seeds PDPs along with outside investors. (Investment funds are set up for these schemes.)

Compensate for slavery: Jamaica

 Caribbean News.Net

Tuesday 6th March, 2012 (IANS)

 Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has hinted that Britain might want to pay her country compensation for slavery in the days of the Empire.

 She said if Britain wanted to apologise for slavery it would be "fine with us", The Telegraph reported Tuesday. She also repeated her view that the Queen should be removed as head of state of the Commonwealth realm.

 Britain's 27-year-old Prince Harry, who was welcomed by a 21-gun salute as his private jet landed in Kingston Monday for the final leg of his tour of Commonwealth realms in the Caribbean, found himself walking into a diplomatic minefield as a result of Miller's comments.

 In an interview with the BBC recorded hours before Prince Harry touched down at Kingston's Normal Manley Airport, Miller chose the four-day Diamond Jubilee visit to highlight the way her forebears had been wronged by the British.

 Fifty years after Jamaica gained independence Miller returned to the theme of slavery to ram home her argument for the country to become a republic, the newspaper added.

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And the new Miss India Worldwide 2012 is...

Published Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Miss India Worldwide contestants Alana Seebarran of Guyana (L) and Eram Karim of India compete in the evening gown segment of the 23rd edition of the pageant in Paramaribo, late. Seebarran was crowned as the new Miss India Worldwide 2012, after contestants of Indian origin but from 35 different countries competed in the pageant. (REUTERS)

Contestant Alana Seebarran of Guyana is applauded by Bollywood actor Aftab Shivdasani (R), after being crowned the new Miss India Worldwide 2012 in the 23rd edition of the pageant in Paramaribo. Contestants of Indian origin from 35 different countries competed in the Miss India Worldwide Pageant 2012. (REUTERS)

Miss India Worldwide contestant Alana Seebarran of Guyana is crowned as the new Miss India Worldwide 2012 in the 23rd edition of the pageant in Paramaribo. Contestants of Indian origin from 35 different countries competed in the Miss India Worldwide Pageant 2012. (REUTERS)

Contestant Alana Seebarran of Guyana is applauded by other contestants after she was crowned the new Miss India Worldwide 2012 in the 23rd edition of the pageant in Paramaribo. Contestants of Indian origin from 35 different countries competed in the Miss India Worldwide Pageant 2012. (REUTERS)

Miss India Worldwide contestant Alana Seebarran of Guyana is crowned as the new Miss India Worldwide 2012 in the 23rd edition of the pageant in Paramaribo. Contestants of Indian origin but from 35 different countries competed in the Miss India Worldwide Pageant 2012. (REUTERS)

Contestant Alana Seebarran of Guyana (R) reacts next to contestant Varsha Ramrattan of Suriname as Seebarran is crowned the new Miss India Worldwide 2012 in the 23rd edition of the pageant in Paramaribo. Contestants of Indian origin from 35 different countries competed in the Miss India Worldwide Pageant 2012. (REUTERS)

Contestant Alana Seebarran of Guyana is crowned as the new Miss India Worldwide 2012 by her predecessor Ankita Ghazan from Australia in the 23rd edition of the pageant, next to contestant Varsha Ramrattan of Suriname (L), in Paramaribo. Contestants of Indian origin from 35 different countries competed in the Miss India Worldwide Pageant 2012. (REUTERS)

Miss India Worldwide 2012 Alana Seebarran of Guyana (C) poses with runner-up Anvita Sudarshan of Kuwait (R) and second runner-up Olivia Rose of Australia, after the judging of the 23rd edition of the pageant in Paramaribo. Contestants of Indian origin from 35 different countries competed in the Miss India Worldwide Pageant 2012. (REUTERS)

Miss India Worldwide 2012 Alana Seebarran of Guyana (C), poses with runner-up Anvita Sudarshan of Kuwait (R) and second runner-up Olivia Rose of Australia, after the judging of the 23rd edition of the pageant in Paramaribo. Contestants of Indian origin but from 35 different countries competed in the Miss India Worldwide Pageant 2012. (REUTERS)