The CARIB CHAMBER along with the Director of Outreach Programs, Mrs. Rose Woodard, spearheaded an effort and sponsored Mr. Bise Wood St. Eugene, founder of Organization for Holistic Development of Communities in Haiti (ODEVICH), an organization based in Port au Prince, Haiti, which focuses on providing educational opportunities to children in the community of Ferrier Morne L’hopital, as well as developing the health of the whole community through agricultural initiatives, supporting income generation projects, and providing assistance to widows.

Bise Wood recently completed a comprehensive training program at Morning Star Fishermen in order to benefit his community by exploring a sustainable source of food, much needed in a country where many lack adequate access to food, particularly of nutritional value. His training encompassed integrated combinations in eight main areas of working with various appropriate technologies, breeding & feeding fish, managing waste, maximizing growth, gardening, weeding, and general maintenance of the fish farm.

The CARIB CHAMBER will continue to support Mr. Saint Eugene Bise Wood in his endeavors to promote progress in the community of Ferrier and we welcome any additional assistance. Furthermore, we hope to identify community leaders such as Bise Wood each year for specific technical trainings such as this one.

“Teach a person to fish and raise vegetables and the whole community eats”

Pictured are Executive Officers of the CARIB CHAMBER meeting with Consul General of  Barbados Hon. Colin S. Mayers and Consul Ms. Resa A. Layne in Miami, Florida to discuss the importance of addressing Sustainabiltiy, Economic Development and Disaster Reduction for the Caribbean Region.

In recent discussions with experts and scientist from around the world the Caribben region has been identified as a region in “crisis”.  Scientists have identified a number of vulnerabilities for the Caribbean Island nations and the Gulf of Mexico states from the impacts of climate change. Some of the major ones include:
• sea level rise
• salt water intrusion in estuaries,
• risk to mangroves
• increased frequency and/or intensity of hurricanes
• potential new rain patterns jeopardizing water security
• potential reduction of crop production jeopardizing food security
• bleaching of coral reefs jeopardizing both tourism and fishing
• impacts on coastal zone infrastructure due to sea level rise.

The Blue Community conference is slated for May 3-6, 2011 in Orlando, Florida that will address these issues. The 3-day conference will be hosted by the CARIB CHAMBER along with Disneyworld, Disney Events, Waves of Change and Friends of the UN at the Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Florida.

Specific Themes of the Conference will include Sustainability, Disaster Reduction, and Economic Development through Eco-Tourism. The Conference will further show how all three of these themes are interrelated
and that solutions to these challenges work in synergistic ways.

Water resource management is also a major challenge for the Caribbean region with the advent of Climate
Change. The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology in Barbados describes the challenge this
way:
“The Caribbean faces inexorable climate change during the 21st century. This phenomenon will have a profound
effect on the long-term sustainable socioeconomic development of the islands and is likely to jeopardize
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. All economic and social sectors will be adversely affected.
The water resources sector on most islands is one that will be strongly impacted by climate change.
Against a background of increasing demand for potable water, sea-level rise may lead to flooding of lowlands
and seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers, while variability in climate may see more intense rainstorms resulting
both in increased run-off leading to increased flooding and reduced recharge leading to aquifer depletion.
Such impacts will have a negative ripple effect on other vital aspects of regional economies such as the
tourism, recreational, agricultural and industrial sectors. Unfortunately, adequate management of water resources
on many Caribbean islands is sorely lacking.”

Food imports in the Caribbean region almost double that of exports. Furthermore new WTO rules have significantly
decreased the profitability of the primary plantation exports of bananas, sugar cane, rice, and coconut.
This in turn has created more employment problems with the lower prices offered for the exports.
The opportunity is available to diversify Caribbean agriculture and enhance more of the Caribbean food supply
through selling to increasing tourist markets and growing metropolitan areas. This in turn could increase
profits, lower the imbalance of trade, and improve employment for the agricultural industry.
While Caribbean agriculture has declined the marine fishing resources have been largely undeveloped.
Sound sustainable management of Caribbean fishing resources could greatly improve both the food supply
and economy of the region. The science, technology, expertise and solutions exist! Strategies  that have been developed will be addressed at the conference. They offer cost saving components as well as practices to increase the sustainability of a community thus increasing the possibilities of visits from those seeking ecotourism or sustainability preferences.  Together the strategies of sustainability, disaster reduction, and ecotourism will assist the Caribbean Region on a path to a healthier and more prosperous future.

 Join us on May 3- 6, 2011, in Orlando, Florida to help learn how to address these important issues affecting the  Caribbean region.

PLACE: Cuban Club, 2010 Avenida Republica De Cuba, Ybor City, Tampa, Florida 33603

DATE: Saturday, Oct 23, 2010

TIME: 6:00pm – 9:00pm

TICKETS PRICE: $25.00

PURCHASE: http://caribchambereducation.eventbrite.com/

Call Rose @ (352) 437.4941 for tickets and information!

Donation Form / Flyer: Click Here

Blue Community Strategy Conference for Caribbean

• The venue for the conference on May 3 – 6, 2011 will be at  the Walt Disney World, Coronado Springs Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, Florida.
• Attendees include “C” level representatives from: government, science and technology, non-governmental organizations, colleges and universities, business, industry and labor from British, French/Creole, Dutch & Spanish Caribbean nations and the Gulf Coast states in the U.S.A.
• There are several collaborators of whom have confirmed their attendance to participate in this conference. Each bringing unique perspectives and expertise on Sustainabilty, Disaster Reduction & Economic Development specifically for the Caribbean region. Event Flyer/pdf: Click here
• CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: Dr. Noel Brownn, Dr. Reese Halter, Salvano Briceno, Dr. Tim Crisman, Rebecca South, Dr. John Ogden, John Lehnhardt, Dr. David Randle, Stan Doerr and David South
• With the impacts of climate change growing, the Caribbean region and the Gulf coast states in the U.S. may be one of the most vulnerable regions in the world for impacts from climate change. This region faces higher risks of new drought cycles, increased hurricane frequency and/or intensity and more challenging economic development in economies based on tourism.
•  Dr. Noel J. Brown, Director General of the Waves of Change campaign, Dr. David W. Randle, Managing Director of the Waves of Change campaign and Derek Lloyd, President/CEO of CARIB CHAMBER, have developed positive relationships with Walt Disneyworld, Disney Events Group, various academic, government, private and for profit and non-profit organizations throughout the Americas and the Caribbean that would benefit from their participation and attendance to the conference. Through this collaborative relationship a methodology has been developed to effectively translate the science of climate change to language that the attendees and general public will both understand and be motivated to respond to. In addition the Disney Events Group has a unique media network to share this message with large public audiences in a way that is both entertaining, engaging and informing.
• The conference will provide the opportunity for a wide variety of organizations and leading experts to collaborate through an interdisciplinary approach and to showcase bench mark programs to address the conference issues.
• If you should have any questions in the mean time feel free to call Derek directly at 1+727.919.2030 or email at president@cacctb.com  Website: www.bluecommunity.info    Pdf: Event Info - Click Here 
• Pdf: Conference Agenda – Click Here
• Pdf: Registration Form -  Click Here
• Come join us on May 3rd – 6th, 2011 in Orlando, Florida

CHAMBER with Disney Events - Blue Comm Strat Mtg

The CARIB CHAMBER met at the law offices of Fowler White, Boggs downtown Tampa in August to begin to discuss the planning and program agenda for IB Summit 2011. Current President of IB Summit 2010-11. Mr. Bill Flynn, International Attorney, Fowler White, Boggs hosted the meeting. Monthly planning meetings are scheduled to continue efforts in making the IB Summit a success in March 2011 in Tampa.

The CARIB CAHAMBER along with 10 Bi-national Chambers of Commerce from the Tampa Bay region are on tract to host the 5th annual event in March.. The CARIB CHAMBER continues to play a leadership role in its 5th year of  the IB Summit event. IB Summit attract international keynote speakers, companies and professionals from numerous diverse business sectors such as transportation, tourism, legal, marketing, medical, academic, financial to name a few.

IB Summit Vision: Draws together members of the Suncoast business area, to leverage our extensive networks, reaching both our diverse regional community and our worldwide contacts. As such, it supports local collaboration, innovative thinking and economic growth. It also creates practical opportunities and contacts for the many trade and business opportunities that our region can build through our local bi-national communities, and their associations throughout the region, nation, and the world.

CHAMBER ORGANIZATIONS: British American Business Council (BABC), Chinese Chamber of Commerce (CCCTB), Caribbean Chamber of Commerce (CACCTB), French American Business Council of West Florida (FRAMCO), Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (TBHCC), Philippine American Chamber of Commerce (PACC), Scandanavian Baltic Chamber of Commerce (SBCC)

Next event: Thur March 10th, 2011, Tampa, Florida / Go to: www.ibsummit.org for more details

The International Business Summit (“IBS”) is an annual event that brings together the resources of our region’s diverse communities, to build economic prosperity for the Tampa Bay area. IBS is a committee of many Bi-national Chambers of Commerce and Trade Association in the Tampa Bay area who organizes this event.

The CARIB CHAMBER along with 10 bi-national Chambers of Commerce from the Tampa Bay region are on tract to host the 5th annual event in March 2011. The Chamber continues to play a leadership role in the IB Summit that has attracted international keynote speakers, companies and professionals from numerous diverse business sectors such as transportation, tourism, legal, marketing, medical, academic, financial to name a few.

IB Summit Vision: Draws together members of the Suncoast business area, to leverage our extensive networks, reaching both our diverse regional community and our worldwide contacts. As such, it supports local collaboration, innovative thinking and economic growth. It also creates practical opportunities and contacts for the many trade and business opportunities that our region can build through our local bi-national communities, and their associations throughout the region, nation, and the world.

Next event: Thur March 10th, 2011, Tampa, Florida / Go to: www.ibsummit.org for more details