EDITORIAL

Editorial: Out of disaster, new growth... and hope Published on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 Email To Friend    Print Version This week represents something of a milestone for the Net News group, being the first time the same Net News publication has appeared on the newsstands in two countries in our region on the same day. Drawing on our experience in producing, printing and shipping the first printed newspaper to be published in the Cayman Islands less than a week after the landfall of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, this week we produced, printed and shipped a similar post-hurricane edition to the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). The Cayman issue took us four days from hurricane landfall to delivery, even in the difficult conditions we were then operating under, whereas our new TCI edition was delivered within two days. And, in the same way that the first post-Ivan edition of Cayman Net News heralded a return to normalcy for the Cayman Islands, we hope that the first post-Ike edition of Turks and Caicos Net News will likewise presage new growth for the TCI out of the devastation of two tropical cyclones. Co-incidentally, the impact of Hurricane Ike on the Turks and Caicos Islands on September 7, 2008, mirrored the corresponding impact of Hurricane Ivan on the Cayman Islands on September 12, 2004. Both storms struck within a few days of each other in September and each was the “I” storm in that year’s sequence. Grand Cayman was the worst affected by Ivan and Grand Turk was the worst affected by Ike. Likewise the outpouring of support, locally regionally and internationally for the Cayman Islands in their time of need is also being echoed in similar expressions and offers of help for the TCI. We were particularly gratified to see that our government has offered whatever assistance we can render to our sister British Overseas Territory and, at the time of writing, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has placed 10 officers on stand-by to fly to TCI to assist with law enforcement and security in the post-hurricane situation. Those who experienced the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ivan will remember that law enforcement and security was a particular concern for a while. Of the other British Overseas Territories in the region, the British Virgin Islands has also offered assistance and Bermuda will be sending members of the Bermuda Regiment, in the same way that such assistance was also provided to us. We are also confident that the determination and resolve of the people of the Cayman Islands to overcome the trials and tribulations brought about by Hurricane Ivan will be matched by a corresponding determination and resolve on the part of TCIslanders to repair and rebuild after Hanna and Ike. All in all, September seems to have been an unlucky month for disasters in recent years, as we reflect not only on the anniversary of Hurricane Ivan in the Cayman Islands but also of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, DC, in 2001. In another year, we are sure that TCIslanders will also be looking back at Hanna and Ike with a sense of accomplishment at how much they will have achieved during the coming twelve months. We are optimistic that the Net News Group will also be a part of that recovery as we expand our brand name throughout the region and beyond. Political and economic union is a hot topic within our region at this time, especially following the recent “Manning Initiative” between Trinidad and Tobago and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean (OECS) member states. The Cayman Islands has traditionally kept the concept of any involvement with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) greater than our existing associate member status very much at arm’s length and there is no indication that this attitude will change anytime soon. Nevertheless, as a Caymanian media group, through our regional news website Caribbean Net News, we have already played a small part towards regional unity over the past five years, not only in bringing the region together, but also in creating a greater global awareness of the Caribbean as a whole, rather than as individual and diverse countries and territories. In this way, at least, we remain hopeful that the Cayman Islands can therefore play a part in regional cohesion and growth.   Reads : 818 Back... 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