Thought From Guadeloupe

Hurricane Hugo...20 years ago!

2009-09-15T22:46:00.002-04:00

20 years ago Hurricane Hugo almost blew Guadeloupe away.
This milestone in the life of most Guadeloupean adults is remembered today. As a matter of fact, most people around 70 or 80 years old now remember this hurricane as the worst catastrophe ever experienced.
One thing 'positive' (should I use the term positive) about Hugo is that since the notorious dates of Sept. 15 and 16 1989, Guadeloupean people have started building their houses in a safer way.

Global Voices and MS Action Aid Denmark project

2009-09-08T21:01:00.003-04:00

I'm part of a wonderful and exciting project as a #gvmentor, please check it out!

A new rise in the prices of household gas

2009-09-06T11:28:00.012-04:00

In December 2008, Guadeloupe was shaken by a social conflict targeting the skyrocketing prices of gas. Car and other vehicle users all felt very concerned with this issue, since the price of gas is a significant budget item in the household finances.
As a matter of fact, transportation in Guadeloupe is mostly an individual matter, since the public transportation system is still quite disorganized with irregular schedules, moving bus stops etc...

Although the local authorities have tried to set up a proper transportation system, it remains at the level of individual interests for a small number of people.
With this ineffective transportation system and carpooling which remains a distant concept, most Guadeloupean families have as many vehicles at home as members. Of course, let's not talk here about the environmental cost of all this.

Therefore, no wonder why the price of gas stirs so much emotion in the country and why it was among the first claims of the 44 day social movement in Guadeloupe (from Jan. 20th 2009 to Mar. 5th 2009)led byt the LKP (Lyannaj' Kont Pwofitasyion). After negociations and public discussions, Guadeloupeans learnt in February that "la SARA" the company which refines and retails household gas in Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana is part of a shady business endorsed by the French authorities, which allows the company to set up their own prices (which is not the case in ALL the other French departments, where many gas retailing companies are in a situation of competition). In all the effervescence of the social conflict, one of the biggest achievments appeared to be the lowering of the prices of household gas to a level that seemed fair to people and not to businessmen.

However, the prices which have been frozen since last March, are now about to go up again. This announcement made by Marie-Luce Penchard, the French Secretary of State for the Overseas Departments (coincidentally, a Guadeloupean woman appointed quite recently...) has not only caused discontent among the population but also brought back the ghost of the 1 month and a half long all-out strike.

The only certainty is that prices are going to go up significantly in a close future but no one knows if it will be the only rise.

Social networking in the Caribbean

2009-09-05T22:44:00.002-04:00

Many Caribbean users of social networks have chosen the "majors": Facebook or Twitter. However, they can also use the underrated 'CaribTweet'. In there, people from all the islands can meet up and share tweets, which can be "RT" (retweeted) on Twitter.
Interesting regional tool!

First step

2009-09-05T20:30:00.001-04:00

After being an author for GlobalVoicesOnline for a few months now and a translator from English to French for a year (yeah!), I've eventually decided to share my very own thoughts with the world.
Welcome to my blog!