The Toronto-based Solamon Energy Corporation says it plans to build the largest solar power plant in the Caribbean. The solar company said that the programme, to be built in Jamaica, will cost in the region of CAN$450 million or US$444.2 million. When completed, the farm will “enhance and improve the nation’s energy infrastructure, as well as serve as a beacon to attract additional investment in the ICT (Information Communications Technology) and greentech sectors.”

Solamon’s senior vice president, Ainsley Brown, said the farm would represent one of the region’s first strategic private-public partnerships. “In order to implement a solution of this magnitude sites, several parishes are being considered as future homes of one of three 50-acre plots that when conjoined will provide the Jamaican people with 60MW of clean electricity,” he said.

“This programme represents a comprehensive approach to renewable energy development, energy diversification, job creation and training for the 21st century,” Brown said. “Its success will necessitate a level-headed and like-minded approach at the table, as we are offering to tackle and deal with all elements of risk cooperatively and openly examine the implications of carbon credits, fuel or foreign exchange savings, in order to share the greater benefits of solar with our partners, and the communities they serve over the lifetime of this deal.”

Brown said the mega-project would create many new jobs for Jamaicans, and with the completion of a requisite light manufacturing plant, will establish the island as a “bona-fide greentech hub.” In addition to generating solar electricity and, thereby, reducing for future generations of Jamaicans an “imposing reliance” on fossil fuels, he said the new revenue from the sale of carbon credits will be directed toward establishing employee training and certification programmes, “required to build this and many other similar facilities across the Caribbean.”

“I believe the utility should not be the only one to benefit from the nation going green,” Brown said. “JPS, as it currently stands, benefits from green initiatives, from not having to produce that energy, as well as the fuel-saving and foreign exchange saving, without passing anything onto the green investor or the customer at large,” he said.

The company said it is “excited” to deliver turnkey power plants using renewable solar energy as a resource to Caribbean and Central American countries, and develop mutually beneficial and long-term relationships around the world.

Newly appointed State Minister for Mining, Energy and Information Communication Technology (ICT), Hon. Julian Robinson, says he will be aggressively targeting and pursuing prospects for ICT investments in the country. In an interview with JIS News, Mr. Robinson, who has been assigned responsibility for ICT in the Ministry, headed by Hon. Phillip Paulwell, said Jamaica is viewed “favourably” as an ideal location for business process outsourcing (BPO) by several overseas-based entities engaged in this undertaking.

The State Minister, who was involved in the ICT sector while engaged in investment promotions at JAMPRO, where he previously worked, as well as in private consultancy, disclosed that already, he has been in touch with a number of stakeholders, “who have indicated an interest in moving some of their business operations here.”

Mr. Robinson pointed out that discussions are still taking place, and he is confident that, “with a focus on this area…we can attract the investment.”

“There is a lot that we can do to promote Jamaica as a location for ICT investments and business process outsourcing. We have some advantages as a country…and ICT investments provide a great opportunity for job creation. So, that’s certainly one of the principal areas that I am going to be focused on,” he assured.

The State Minister also highlighted several other key issues which the Ministry would seek to address, including the revitalisation of the bauxite industry, and the associated production costs, which he laments are “too high,” consequent on the high price of energy.

In this regard, he said the Ministry and by extension, the administration, is committed to sourcing and pursuing alternative energy options to oil, in the effort to reduce the nation’s energy bill and to enhance the economy’s competitiveness.

“We will be continuing the work that the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Steering Committee has done. There are a number of other proposals to look at in relation to alternative sources of fuel, and we are committed to doing that, (not only) from the perspective of consumers, who have to pay very high electricity bills, but also from the perspective of businesses that simply can’t compete with our neighbours,” the State Minister said.

Mr. Robinson, who assumed office just over a week ago, informed that he has been familiarising himself with the Ministry’s various agencies and departments, staff and focus areas.

“In my discussions with Minister Paulwell, what we have agreed on is that I will be exposed to all areas and aspects of the Ministry. But, I will hone in specifically on the ICT portfolio. So, I have spent the time understanding some of the issues, and being briefed by the civil servants. We want to be fully acquainted with the issues to ensure that we address them properly,” the State Minister said.

Via – JIS

The Minister of Youth and Culture the Hon. Lisa Hanna, has said she intends to ensure that Jamaica increased its foreign exchange earnings from its cultural content with the proper management and marketing of its products and content. Minister Hanna’s comments came today as she received a courtesy call from officials of the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC).

“I firmly believe that substantially increasing our foreign exchange earnings is a sure path to economic growth for Jamaica and I believe that right now we have a great opportunity to produce market and sell our cultural content to the world.”

Minister Hanna also said that the CPTC must consider broadening its basic training offerings to our young people into areas such as sound, lighting and film so that we can create a cadre of trained professionals for the development of our cultural industries both locally and internationally.

“And as we seek to aggressively market our culture internationally we must move to strengthen our agencies for increased productivity and efficiency.”

CPTC CEO Chantal Hylton-Tonnes told the Minister that the CPTC, which was being “revitalised” and was moving back to its “core mandate” which was to the produce and market “cultural content”. She said the CPTC was receiving considerable interest in material produced by the company in countries such as Japan and Australia. She told Minister Hanna that the company was creating cultural content to be sold overseas so that the company could become sustainable

Mrs. Hylton-Tonnes agreed with Minister Hanna that, “Jamaica’s culture was one of its most valuable assets.”

Mr. Christopher Samuda, Chairman of the CPTC, was also present at the meeting while Mr. Robert Martin, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary; and its Principal Director for Culture, Mr. Sydney Bartley sat with the Minister.

Via – JIS

Virgin Media UK has kicked off a brand new media campaign and the man at the forfront of the blitz is non other than Richard Branson… no wait a minute Usain Bolt? It is Usain Bolt! It’s hilarious in a quirky kind of way and were’re loving it. I just hope the virgin Media customers (and potential customers) in the United Kingdom love it too! But, what’s there not to love, their broadband speed will be doubled starting next month! Full commecial embedded below:

Hi, I am Richard Branson and I am doubling everyone’s Broadband speed

I was taking the balloon for a ride the other day and got thinking: ‘These days, everyone’s doing more and more online. We all tweet, shop, play, video-chat, even watch HD movies.’

Then it hit me. ‘My customers already have the UK’s fastest broadband, but they’d get a lot more enjoyment out of it if I doubled their speeds.’

So that’s what I’m going to do for over 4 million Virgin Broadband customers. Because I can.

Bella Luna Yoga is on a mission to celebrate a global, ever-expanding yoga consciousness. First stop, the tropical climate of the Caribbean! The inaugural Caribbean Yoga Conference will be held February 2-5, 2012 at the Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Bella Luna Yoga is the brainchild of Kimberly Moon, an educator, yoga instructor, and entrepreneur. Born from her passion for yoga and travel, Kimberly founded Bella Luna Yoga, an innovative business that provide resorts with world-class yoga and wellness programming and offers skilled yoga instructors the means to share their love of yoga with the world. Bella Luna’s team of experts offers professional consultations and program development in a variety of areas from yoga and wellness program development and lifestyle coaching to recruiting and placement of professional yoga instructors.

Moon is excited to announce the addition of the Caribbean Yoga Conference to Bella Luna Yoga’s agenda to enhance the world’s passion for yoga. “We are excited to bring people together from around the world who are inspired by the practice of yoga, curious about exploring our planet, and ready to embrace a growing community of practitioners from all walks of life,” says Moon of the warm celebration of sun, sadhana, sand, seva and sangha.
The conference lineup includes workshops for all abilities with world-class instructors including Toni Bergins, Gaia Budhai, Kathryn Budig, Jeffrey Cohen & Andrea Boyd, Seane Corn, Sharon Feanny, Scott Feinberg & Amy Lombardo, Moses Jas Jeet, Noah Levine, Nadine McNeil, Sadie Nardini, Jason Nemer & Jenny Sauer-Klein, Simon Park, Stacey Shanks, and MC Yogi & Amanda G. Topics range from Vinyasa Flow and Journey Dance to Core Strength and Kudalini. The conference will offer two 2.5-hour sessions each day with opportunities for morning meditation and Noon yoga on the beach.

A unique element to this conference is the outreach to the community, and country, where the conference is being hosted. In partnership with Shakti Mind Body Fitness in Kingston, Jamaica, The Caribbean Yoga Conference is pleased to offer The Shakti Love Scholarship. Through The Shakti Love Scholarship, Jamaican youth councilors, social workers, and teachers are invited to bring their passion, knowledge and curiosity to the conference at absolutely no cost. In addition to their own restorative R&R, each scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to learn to yoga-related skills to bring back to their professional lives from some of the world’s most beloved yoga teachers.
The conference will deliver a strong sense of giving back to the community and making a difference in the world we live in. A “Karma Korner” will be setup throughout the conference for participants to learn about different ways to spread good karma in everyday actions. In addition, an off-site karma yoga workshop will be held at The SOS Children’s Village in Montego Bay on Saturday, February 4, 2012, giving participants an opportunity to get involved right away.
“Many yoga conferences involve sitting on a mat, learning and practicing. I want to honor the practice on the mat, but give participants a chance to take immediate action beyond their mat,” Moon says of the importance of the conference’s off-site karma workshop.

Sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $700. The yoga community is an economic power house spending $5.7 billion a year in the US alone, becoming a part of the Caribbean Yoga Conference will give any company’s services and products international recognition, marketing power, and an audience of approximately 500 participants. Current supporters include PRANA; Shakti Mind, Body, Fitness; Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa, a Hilton Property; YOGANONYMOUS; Ancient Language Collection; Jade Yoga; Be Present; Kripalu Yoga Teachers Association; I Love Yoga; Yoga & Life; and the Jamaica Tourist Board.

Complete conference details are available at CaribbeanYogaConference.com. Registration is $345 per person and includes access to all the conference events including your classes, morning meditations, Noon yoga sessions, keynote address, closing address and evening events. Transportation, meals and accommodations are not included.
For additional information visit http://www.CaribbeanYogaConference.com or contact ShawnnaLea Zemanek at (802) 233-6510 or shawnnalea(at)bellalunayoga(dot)com.

World renowned Devon House Ice Cream made National Geographic’s list of Top 10 Places to Eat Ice cream worldwide and now it’s Ackee and Saltfish’s turn to get in on the top 10 list action as it comes in at number two on the top 10 list of National Dishes worldwide.

Despite ackee’s unhappy origins as slave food, Jamaicans have reclaimed it as part of their national dish. A nutritious fruit with a buttery-nutty flavor, ackee resembles scrambled egg when boiled. Jamaicans sauté the boiled ackee with saltfish (salt-cured cod), onions, and tomatoes. Sometimes the dish is served atop bammy (deep-fried cassava cakes) with fried plantains.

Read Full Top 10 list

The First International Reggae Poster Contest 2012 is open for entries for our 2012 edition, The Reggae Poster Contest 2012 from December 26 2011 until March 30 2012. The best posters will be selected by a jury of design profession and will be published in a catalogue/book and exhibited.

THEME: Toward a Reggae Hall of Fame: Celebrating great Jamaican Music.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the First International Reggae Poster Contest 2012 is to continue to build awareness for Reggae music and to celebrate the global achievements of Reggae and its impact on the world. The term Reggae encompasses all the popular Jamaican musical genres; Ska, Rocksteady, Roots Reggae, Dub, Dancehall and the unique Jamaican Soundsystem. We are looking for your talent and vision and we are very excited to see what designers can come up with in their original poster designs that will capture the energy and vibe of Reggae Music.

The goal is simple: Create a poster about Reggae Music – the rest is up to your imagination. Feel free to explore themes of Reggae covering any one of the genres; Ska, Rocksteady, Roots Reggae, Dub, Dancehall and the unique Jamaican Soundsystem. Good luck!

ELIGIBILITY: The First International Reggae Poster Contest 2012 is open to all graphic designers and artists internationally. Artists/Designers are allowed to submit any number of original poster Entries. Posters should not have been published in internet, social medias etc.

RIGHTS GRANTED: Artists/Designers will have rights to their posters. First International Reggae Poster Contest 2012 shall have the right to reproduce and distribute to third parties a limited edition (fewer than 1500 copies) poster copy of each winning Entry in a format of 50cm x 70cm. Reggae Poster Contest 2012 shall have the right to reproduce and distribute to third parties the posters in the First International Reggae Poster Contest 2012 catalogue/book in unlimited quantities.

More about the contest

• Rules and Regulations
• Creative Brief
• Contest Vision
• Committee and judging
• Awards and Prizes
• Official Website

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has announced Cabinet and Ministerial assignments, following today’s swearing-in ceremony at King’s House.

The Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller – Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Development, Information and Sports.

Ministers

Dr. Peter Phillips – Finance, Planning & the Public Service
Sen. Arnold Nicholson, Q.C – Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade
Mr. Peter Bunting – National Security
Rev. Ronald Thwaites – Education
Ms. Lisa Hanna – Youth and Culture
Mr. Robert Pickersgill – Water, Land, Environment & Climate Change
Dr. Fenton Ferguson – Health
Mr. Anthony Hylton – Industry, Investment & Commerce
Mr. Mark Golding – Justice
Mr. Derrick Kellier – Labour and Social Security
Mr. Noel Arscott – Local Government & Community Development
Dr. Omar Davies – Transport, Works & Housing
Dr. Wykeham McNeil – Tourism & Entertainment
Mr. Phillip Paulwell – Mining, Energy & ICT
Mr. Roger Clarke – Agriculture & Fisheries

Ministers Without Portfolio

Dr. Morais Guy – Transport, Works & Housing (Housing)
Sen. Sandrea Falconer – Office of the Prime Minister (Information)
Mr. Horace Dalley – Finance, Planning & Public Service (Public Service)
Mrs. Natalie Neita-Headley – Office of the Prime Minister (Sports)

Ministers of State

Mr. Arnoldo Brown – Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade
Mrs. Sharon Ffolkes Abrahams – Industry, Investment & Commerce
Mr. Ian Hayles – Agriculture & Fisheries
Mr. Colin Fagan – Local Government & Community Development
Mr. Richard Azan – Transport, Works & Housing
Mr. Damion Crawford – Tourism & Entertainment
Mr. Julian Robinson – Mining, Energy & ICT
Mr. Luther Buchanan – Office of the Prime Minister

Senators

Sen. Sandrea Falconer
Sen. Arnold Nicholson
Sen. Mark Golding

Portia Simpson Miller was sworn in for the second time as Jamaica’s prime minister Thursday, pledging to ease its deep poverty, boost the sputtering economy, heal political divisions and sever colonial-era links with Britain. Simpson Miller, whose 1 1/2-year-long first stint in office ended in 2007, took the oath of office before roughly 10,000 guests on the grounds of the rambling, colonial-style mansion that is the official residence of the governor-general.

The 66-year-old politician scored a dramatic victory in last week’s national elections, leading her slightly left-leaning People’s National Party to a 2-to-1 margin in Parliament over the centre-right Jamaica Labor Party. Her opposition faction won a dominating 42 seats in the 63-seat legislature, leaving the incumbent party with 21.

The plainspoken, charismatic Simpson Miller, this Caribbean island’s first female prime minister, takes over from Andrew Holness, a 39-year-old Labor lawmaker who was leader for just over two months. ”After being tested and tempered, I stand before you today a stronger and better person prepared to be of service to my country and people,” Simpson Miller said at the start of a spirited 45-minute speech.

She said her government intends to abandon the British monarch as Jamaica’s official head of state, and instead adopt a republican form of government. Jamaica declared independence from Britain in 1962 but remains within the Commonwealth and has Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.

“I love the queen; she is a beautiful lady,” Simpson Miller quipped, before speaking to the audience in Jamaican patois: “But I think time come.” Simpson Miller also said she will replace the Privy Council in London with the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice as Jamaica’s highest court of appeal. She said this will “end judicial surveillance from London.”

She vowed her government will “ease the burdens and the pressues of increasing poverty, joblessness and deteriorating standards of living” while also pursuing a tight fiscal policy and forging strong partnerships with the private sector and international partners such as the International Monetary Fund.

“My administration will work tirelessly that while we try to balance the books we balance people’s lives as well,” Simpson Miller said. Jamaica is a cash-strapped island with a punishing debt of roughly $18.6 billion, or 130 per cent of gross domestic product.

In the short- and medium-term, the prime minister said her administration will use “state resources” to stimulate jobs through the Jamaica Emergency Employment Program, a centerpiece of her party’s campaign manifesto.

Her People’s National Party said it will try to renegotiate roughly 25 per cent of a troubled $400 million road program financed by China in order to transfer some of the money to the emergency employment program as a way to kickstart the economy.

The prime minister also urged Jamaicans to create a more civil and respectful society and earnestly strive to make the best of themselves. “We will seek to make this country one of brothers and sisters, not of rivals and victims,” she said.

After her speech, Simpson Miller elicited laughter from the audience by dragging a slightly embarrassed-looking Holness, now the leader of the opposition, to the podium and saying she was his “second mother.”

Source – CTV News

The 18th Annual Pepsi Rebel Salute has returned and will feature a superstar line-up, including Stephen Marley, Johnny Obsourne, Maxi Priest, Gramps Morgan, Queen Ifrica, Tarrus Riley, Luciano and Tony Rebel, the festival organizer. The Pepsi Rebel Salute will take place on Saturday, January 14, at the Port Kaiser Sports Club in St. Elizabeth. The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is among the sponsors for the concert event.

Jamaica’s top roots reggae show, the event attracts visitors from the United States, Canada and Europe, who are looking for reggae in a family-friendly environment. The show’s mantra focuses on the principles of positive living. Attendees of the Pepsi Rebel Salute have healthy food and beverage choices including fresh juices, vegetables and fruits. “The continued success of the festival provides yet another opportunity for us to promote Jamaica and its rich musical heritage to a global audience,” said Jamaica’s Director of Tourism John Lynch. “We salute the organizers for creating an environment in which quality reggae can be enjoyed.”

According to festival organizer Tony Rebel, he and his team are working to expand the concert to two days in the future. “We want to redefine and re-imagine the festival experience while expanding the Rebel Salute brand,” said Rebel. “This festival is in a unique position to lift up and support other artistic disciplines while breaking new ground on the festival circuit.