 Welcome to Nation Beat. I am General Norville, bringing you this brief on the pulse of our nation and highlights around the heart, St. Lucia. Schools are to reopen as tropical storm Isaac moves away from the lesser antelies, school-based assessments and our mandatory for most subjects. St. Lucia to celebrate the ideals of democracy. And the Caribbean Challenge to Live Healthier Lives. We begin with the biggest concern, the weather. Conditions may have been calmed during Thursday, however, cloudiness associated with tropical storm Isaac is expected to continue to affect the lesser antelies as Isaac moves across the eastern Caribbean Sea. Isaac is moving toward the west near 20 miles per hour and this general motion is expected to continue over the next few days. On the forecast track, Isaac should move farther away from the lesser antelies and then move across the eastern and central Caribbean Sea through the weekend. Now, since tropical storm Isaac is moving away, the Department of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations, in consultation with the St. Lucia Med Services and the National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, has informed that schools will reopen for normal operations Friday, 14 September 2018. Officials expressed gratitude that the country has been spared any calamity as a result of the storm's passage. The Department of Education, along with NEMO, urges everyone to continue making the necessary preparations and to always stay informed of weather conditions during this hurricane season. Meantimes, illusions are being cautioned against weather source information on local weather. Director of NEMO, Valda Joseph says the information disseminated by her office and sister agencies are specific to St. Lucia. We want to remind the public that what is relevant to St. Lucia is coming out of the St. Lucia Met Office and the National Emergency Management Organization of St. Lucia. What is happening in Martinique, what is happening in Dominica would be discussed by the entities and the experts for these areas. We need to emphasize that we rely on information from the experts. They are analyzing the situation based on the data that they have and so what we are getting in St. Lucia is what is relevant to St. Lucia. The fact that Martinique is under a tropical storm watch or warning or whatever the case might be and St. Lucia is not does not mean that there is something wrong with what is being put out in St. Lucia. What is being put out has been analyzed based on the circumstances, the environment, the situation that is relevant to us and that is what we need to take note of as we proceed and as we put our actions in place. The Caribbean Examination Council CXC has been explaining the reason behind its decision to make school-based assessments mandatory for most subjects that it offers at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate CSEC level. Pre-Satney report. From 1979 when CXC began offering examinations school-based assessments were part of that equation. Though this has changed over the years the SBA component remained for several subject areas however not for English and Mathematics. With the new change in policy all candidates within the school system must now provide an SBA for those two core subjects. Though not a very popular move within the Caribbean CXC Public Relations Manager Cleveland Sam is convinced the decision will better enable students to pass English and Mathematics and other subjects with the compulsory SBA component. Measurement specialists all agree that SBAs are an authentic way of measuring students. It gives the students an opportunity to impose their own ideas, their own thinking on the subject matter, on the assessment and on their learning. If CXC wanted to introduce SBAs for Math and English for a very long time but there was significant pushback in the past but I think we have gotten to the stage where we have convinced our stakeholders that this is good practice. Candidates who registered to sit CXC CSEC subjects privately and not through the school system must sit an alternative paper in place of the SBAs. Mr. Sam emphasized the availability of examination resource material on the CXC website for both private and school-based candidates to be more adequately prepared to sit the exams. The third paper is supposed to test the same set of skills that the SBA should test only it is tested in a paper format. What we also encourage the private institutions to do is to come on board with us, get your tutors up to date get them involved in the things that the examination mark get them involved in other aspects of the CXC world marking the examination scripts participating in our workshop so that they can become familiar with the whole SBA process. The CXC official says students who fail to submit their SBAs may be disqualified from sitting the exams itself. CXC this week engaged students of forms 3 and 5 of secondary schools in the north and south of the island as well as their parents in dialogue on better preparing candidates to sit the exams and to inform them of the free resources available to assist with their studies. Resource persons from tertiary institutions on the island were also on hand to give students the information they require to make the next step in their education. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development I am Chris Satney reporting. Forestry and wildlife conservation officers are sparing no efforts to conserve and protect the island's limited resources. Forestry and wildlife conservation officers have caution that St Lucia's wildlife is under threat. With an increase in land development and owing to St Lucia's finite ties, the country's native species are becoming increasingly displaced. Pius Haynes, the senior wildlife conservation officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, said the top three major threats to the country's wildlife are land development, invasive species and natural disasters. St Lucia is a very small island state and by just a majority of its size, it is at risk. We have threats such like, you know, development, like, you know, conversion of lands into agriculture, intensive agriculture, also into residential developments and, you know, tourism and so on. So a lot of our habitats, St Lucia only has a set amount of land. Our land is finite. It is not an infinite resource. So then we have our habitats in different pockets of St Lucia and sometimes, you know, they find themselves in private lands and they get developed whether for hotel development or, you know, residential complex or whatever. And we find that, you know, we lose in our wildlife in Africa because once you lose the habitat, then you lose the wildlife. Natural disasters such as storms and hurricanes are another concern for conservation officers, as are forest fires. Notwithstanding conservation officers are sparing no efforts to fulfill the department's mandate. Assistant Chief Forestry Officer Alwyn Donnelly said the work of wildlife officers encompasses the entire forest range. The wildlife protection gives the department, you know, that mandate, you know, to manage wildlife on the island and that includes managing its habitat, you know, as well. And wildlife, as we think of it, as it's also defined in the act, you know, it's like every wildlife belongs to the state. St Lucia's wildlife conservation officers ensure that the regulations within the Wildlife Protection Act are maintained. A call for action with urgency prevailed at the recently concluded Six Special Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Finance and Planning, COFAP. COFAP falls under the Caribbean Community Caricum and addressed the many issues plaguing the region. Topping the list, however, was the inaction or the slow pace of the organization to act on the many initiatives on the agenda. A great emphasis was placed on bolstering Caricum member states' economic positions and COFAP has committed to playing an active role in that regard. The Six Special Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Finance and Planning, COFAP, was convened with the aim of advancing a number of development initiatives get towards enhancing the use and operation of the single market and economy. Caricum's Secretary-General Ambassador, Irwin Larocke, indicated that in the governance arrangements of the community, COFAP has a critical role to play in advancing Caricum's single market and economy. He further noted that deliberations of the Council during that meeting would seek to address issues that affect the lives of citizens of Caricum. Also on the agenda, according to the Secretary-General, was the important role of deposit insurance in enhancing the financial safety net, preserving financial stability mechanisms and the development of a regional integrated capital market. As a result of the negative impact of the financial and economic crisis in the past decade on our region and in the pursuit of the CSM's goal of sustainable economic growth for our community, a commission on the economy was established. The Commission within its limitations has provided thoughtful and insightful recommendations. There is no doubt such a commission could have a continuing role to play in confronting the challenging economic situation facing our member states. However, to adequately perform its functions in light of the rapidly changing developments impacting our growth prospects, there is need to restructure the commission as a body of independent experts with a time-bound mandate. The ideas of the COFAP in this regard will be instrumental in helping the Commission to deliver on such a mandate. Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and Chair of the Meeting Gaston Brown provided a synopsis of the recommendations by COFAP highlighting the importance of each item on the agenda. Caricum Heads of Government have been calling for the finalization of some of the relevant instruments before the Intersectional Meeting in February of 2019 and others by next July. Brown says that it is imperative that these items, namely the community investment policy and investment code and incentives regime and an integrated capital market starting with the adoption of model securities market legislation be given the required attention. Our financial cooperation initiatives are therefore aimed at mobilizing financial resources within the community and attracting capital from new sources by enhancing the fiscal and investment regimes. It is again such a background that it is imperative for us to pursue urgently the efforts advanced and necessary legal measures to complete those initiatives. It is taking us far too long to finalize the instruments which have been before our councils for many years. Instead of flogging and flogging the issues let us recommit to a more efficacious implementation of regional policy initiatives. The Council for Finance and Planning co-fab is responsible for economic policy coordination, financial and monetary integration of member states. This is Nation B. Up next, then Lucia to celebrate the ideals of democracy. Good parents plan ahead for emergencies especially for children who require extra care. So your evacuation plans should include assistance in lifting a wheelchair user, a way to communicate with the blind and deaf or having on hand whatever they may need to be comfortable. Plan for emergencies. Plan for your children. The Inland Revenue Department advises that our main office located on the first and third floors of the Heraldine Rock building will be closed from 12.30pm on Thursday, September 13, 2018 to Friday, September 14. In the interim all payments can be made at the Accountant General's Department, Treasury, Ground Floor, Diana Building, Jeremy Street. Clients wishing to make general queries inclusive of tax clearances, filing of personal taxes, income tax codes and registration of businesses or companies should come to our large and medium section located on the third floor Bank of St. Lucia Bridge Street. The IRD deeply apologizes for any inconvenience caused. Welcome back. St. Lucia joins the rest of the world in celebrating the ideals of democracy under the theme democracy under strain, solutions for a changing world. PCS International Day of Democracy is an opportunity to look for ways to invigorate democracy and seek answers to the systematic challenges it faces. This includes tackling economic and political inequalities, making democracies more inclusive by bringing the young and marginalized into the political system and making democracies more innovative and responsive to emerging challenges such as migration and climate change. Jack Hanks and Compton reports on the activities planned by the St. Lucia Electoral Department. On Saturday, September 15, St. Lucia joins the rest of the world in the observance of the International Day of Democracy. The day provides various countries with an avenue to review the state of democracy. This year we want to focus on our staff. We want to bring in somebody to do a lecture on the topic where we're going to invite the commissioners, the staff members and other invited persons to come and listen to that lecture. We also, we would be visiting the schools as we usually do presentations on the whole electoral process and democracy. In addition to educating citizens on the role of the importance of democracy through school visits and media appearances, the Electoral Department will tour electoral boundaries and launch a process checklist video presentation. The video presentation will highlight the requirements for obtaining a national ID card. This presentation will be produced by local animator Ted Sanderford. As it relates to our checklist with regards to the requirements to register or to obtain a national ID, we have gone one step further to try and encourage young people and to do something different. That's why we're using Ted Sanderford to do the whole list in that animation format. The theme for this year's observance is democracy under strain, solutions for a changing world. Reporting from the Government Information Service, I am Jack Kingston Compton. The importance of healthy lifestyles and healthy choices to living a long life is being underscored this month as St. Lucia joins in observance of Caribbean Wellness Day. Anisia Antoine has more. Caribbean Wellness Day, CWD, is an annual event which provides an opportunity to increase the awareness of the non-communicable diseases in the Caribbean. In keeping with CWD activities for 2018, the St. Lucia Health and Wellness Centre in partnership with the Ministry of Health launched a series of events to sensitize the public on adult health. On the 15th of September 2007, curriculum heads of government established Caribbean Wellness Day to commemorate the inaugural summit that discussed the social and economic burden of chronic non-communicable diseases that had been affecting the people of our region. Since then, Caribbean Wellness Day continues to be celebrated across the region every second Saturday of September by promoting wellness through physical activity, elimination of risk factors such as stress, tobacco, alcohol and promoting disease control and treatment. According to the Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health in St. Lucia, non-communicable diseases are the main causes of death. On September 27th, 2018, the United Nations will be hosting its third high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases. The impact of non-communicable diseases on families, productivity and one's quality of life cannot be underestimated. In St. Lucia, non-communicable diseases are the main causes of death and chronic illnesses, cardiovascular diseases and when we talk about cardiovascular diseases, we group together hypertension, strokes and heart disease. These combine that the leading cause of death in St. Lucia followed by cancers and diabetes. Though the Ministry of Health is the main custodian for health matters, the fight against NCDs cannot be won by depending solely on one sector. The activities for Caribbean Wellness Day will be observed under the theme it's your job, live healthy, be healthy, let's build healthy communities. From the Government Information Service, I am Anisia Antwan reporting. Consultant on the Caribbean Results-Based Management RBM system, Evan Green, says the implementation of the system will allow policymakers to first analyse the results they are seeking in rolling out an initiative. Green indicated that the approach utilised often focuses on desegregation, whether it be by income level, gender or geographic area to name a few. Disaggregation means also setting targets that are based on those disaggregated areas. So maybe you're trying to target particular groups, whether they're economic groups, sex groups, sector, thematic, etc. So having a focus on that from planning, so not just counting in a disaggregated way but planning to count in a disaggregated way, planning to target your programming in that disaggregated way. So the results-based management approach is sort of turning the pyramid around, saying first, what do we want to see at the end? What change do we want to see? And based on that change, what are the medium term changes we need to see if we want to see those long term changes and then what are the short term changes we need to see on the ground? And then what activities do we need to implement in order to achieve those changes versus in the inputs that we need for those activities to achieve those results? It is hoped that this approach will replace what Green describes as the usual setting out to do something without proper planning. Carrickam's Director of Strategic Management Craig Beresford emphasized the importance of disaggregation to policy formulation. As we implement the decisions that the Member States has access to implement, we want to understand how it's impacting the different groups. So for instance, if you implement an HRD strategy and you find that your boys are being disenfranchised, based on those indicators, it will tell you exactly what percentage of them are being disenfranchised. And it will allow us now to feed that information into policy formulation where we can make adjustments so that we can put in place more programs so we can get back our boys. The Government of St. Lucia has since indicated its intentions to make internal changes, allowing it to benefit fully from the implementation of the system. As part of its corporate outreach activities, St. Lucia assisted two entities in the hosting of their 2018 summer programs, HRWISE and Roblo Public Library were the recipients. HRWISE's Youth Development Program, EDGE, Empower, Discover, Grow, Excel exposed participants between the ages of 16 and 21. Recognizing that invests in Lucia's mandate is to create sustainable jobs, the three-week summer workshop covered softer skills for job readiness. These included communication, workplace etiquette, and ethics. The second recipient, Roblo Public Library, hosted a summer camp under the theme of securing a bright of future, upholding the law. Activities included presentations by a social worker, a police officer, a religious leader, a special feature on disaster preparedness. As we say goodbye, this reminder that all schools will reopen Friday 14 September 2018 following the passage of Tropical Storm Isaac. Awakened Isaac should move farther away from the lesser Antilles and then move across the eastern and central Caribbean Sea to the weekend. That's Nation Beat. Join us next time as we fill the pulse and heart of our community. I am Danelle Norville.