The Kwanzaa began today in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the U.S. and several other Caribbean Islands.  It is a seven day celebration that began in 1966.  Each day focuses on a principle that reaffirms the African commitment to themselves, their families, their community, and their black struggle for equality.  The daily principles are;

• December 26^th – Umoja – Unity
• December 27^th – Kujichagulia – Self-Determination
• December 28^th – Ujima – Collective Work & Responsibility
• December 29^th – Ujamaa – Cooperative Economics
• December 30^th – Nia – Purpose
• December 31 – Kuumba – Creativity
• January 1^st – Imani – Faith

The seven Kwanzaa principles are referred to as the Nguzo Saba, and are intended to serve as guideposts for meditation and daily living.  The greeting each day of Kwaanzaa is Habari Gani, and the reply is Habari Gani followed by the principle of the day. Kwanzaa is celebrated by people of African descent in North America, the Caribbean and other part of the world connected to African heritage.  It was created by M. Ron Karenga in 1966.

The St. Croix Source has the schedule for this week’s Kwanza events.  The events vary from a 7K run honoring the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, plays and songs, and much more. There will be family gatherings all over the Virgin Islands for the next seven days.  Also check out the local celebrations held in all of the Windward and Leeward islands.  Enjoy each of your Kwanzaa days. Habari Gani!

So, at the end of 2009 Puerto Rico went into a panic because Gov. deJongh of the USVI was successful in having the USVI  now get the proceeds from the “rum cover-over tax” that is provided to the U.S. Territory who produces the rum.  We are talking about MILLIONS of dollars!  A political war began in Congress with friends of Puerto Rico proposing that the 100+ year old “rum cover-over tax” reserved for the island Territory that produced the rum be distributed by population in the Territories instead of to the specific island.  Puerto Rico has 4 million residents.  The USVI has 160,000. That would mean the USVI would produce the rum and the lions share of “rum cover-over tax” would go to Puerto Rico.  Fortunately, the bill has never made it to a vote so nothing has changed and at this point.  The USVI is proceeding with their Diageo contract and begin producing Captain Morgan.

A brand new chapter in the Rum War began this week. The lobby group for Puerto Rico, National Puerto Rico Coalition, has changed tactics and personally attacked key leaders in the USVI. Now it has become personal and the verbal exchanges have become quite vigorous. V.I. Delegate to Congress, Donna M. Christensen, on Thursday bitterly denounced the tactics being used by the National Puerto Rico Coalition (NPRC), accusing the group of willfully misrepresenting the truth in the latest round of the Rum Wars.

Here is what the lobbying group, NPRC, did. Earlier this week representatives of the NPRC held a press conference in Washington asking the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Christensen, Rep. Charles Rangel and Assistant Secretary of Interior Anthony Babauta to find out whether or not any of them stand to benefit from the territory’s public-private partnership with Diageo’s St. Croix production facility.

Her voice bristling with indignation, Christensen fired back, saying the Puerto Rico lobbying group has taken “a page out of the Republican playbook,” launching personal attacks on its adversaries when it can’t win an argument on its merits. “These charges are outrageous and unfounded and are nothing more than a desperate attempt to spread falsehoods and innuendo since their year-and-a-half campaign to derail legally binding agreements has failed miserably,” Christensen said.

Diageo had tried for over a year to negotiate an extension of its rum production agreement with Puerto Rico without success. “The suffering of the Puerto Rico citizens, the loss of jobs and dire economic conditions, that is on the watch of the leaders in Puerto Rico. The result of Diageo leaving Puerto Rico is their fault,” Christense said. “Diageo tried to negotiate a new contract … The blame is on Puerto Rico for not doing their job.” It appears that Puerto Rico is making a disparate attempt capture a portion of the “rum cover-over tax” that they will now loose because of their ineptness.  It seems similar to what one experienced in the third grade when someone got the ball you wanted to play with and you wanted it back – childish behavior.

In a written statement on Thursday, Diageo’s vice president for North America, Virginia Sánchez, expressed confidence in that Congress “will see that any changes made to existing cover-over program which may impact our agreement will be extremely harmful to the economy of the USVI today and in the future.” The Diageo representatives previously said “no member of the U.S. Congress had any kind of role in the negotiation or the approval” of the agreement with the V.I. government which extends for a period of 30 years.  Sánchez said that allegations that there were deals made in dark rooms are “pure fiction”. The Rum War is not over yet, but the USVI does seem to be ahead of Puerto Rico two to nill and we are in the third quarter of the match.  More to come.  Contact me anytime for information regarding the lifestyle happenings in the Caribbean.

Hospitals, schools, the capital building, stores and most buildings in the capital city and surrounding communities have collapsed.  There are no services available and the dead are being left where they lay. It is unimaginable to think of how the poorest nation in the Caribbean can deal with such devastation, or how any of us could manage through this catastrophe.  “We expect the damage to be significant and the loss of lives catastrophic,” said Christa von Hillebrandt, the head of Puerto Rico Seismic Network in Mayaguez.  She estimated that in Haiti, the earthquake lasted anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute.  Von Hillebrandt said that two major fault lines run through Haiti: one in the north, the other in the south. Therefore, she said it was no surprise that Haiti was hit with a destructive earthquake.

Officials from disaster relief organizations across the territory say that the best way to help Haiti in the aftermath of Tuesday’s massive earthquake is by sending monetary donations.  Our State Department has set up a method for each of us to do our part by texting the number “90999″ and put in the message the word “Haiti”. (As of 1-15-10, over $8 million US was raised just in two days from people donating $10 at a time!  WOW!) It will immediately send $10 to the Red Cross – 100% of it will get to the Red Cross.  Please take a moment and do this IMMEDIATELY!  You will then get a text back from the Red Cross thanking you for your contribution.  Please do this now.  The monetary donations will be used to purchase emergency relief items there thus injecting money into the local economy.  You can also go to DoubleTake Clothing and purchase a “Help Haiti” t-shirt and they will send $5 to the American Red Cross. ( Spread the word about these shirts.)

In a noontime press release, Gov. John deJongh Jr. and Senate President Louis P. Hill urged residents to coordinate their relief efforts.  “We are asking each and every Virgin Islander who wishes to offer their assistance with the recovery in Haiti to work with us and within the guidelines given us by the American Red Cross, the Haitian Embassy and F.E.M.A.,” deJongh and Hill said.  Within the next 24 hours, a disaster-management team will be on the ground and in place to focus the necessary resources in the primary relief areas, where food, water, temporary shelter and emotional support will be provided.

In addition, Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, Red Cross, C.A.R.E. and Rotary International have all provided relief.  “Rotary is working on an efficient way for people to make donations, which we hope to unveil in the next 24 hours,” said Roger White, who is part of Rotary International’s District 7020 Haiti task force.  “We are looking to find out what the priority of needs is and looking at logistics,” said David Edgecombe, special assistant to the USVI governor for external affairs. “We want to avoid getting relief items and then have no way of getting them there without knowing the best routing. The needs are clearly great … it is going to take a little while for us to get the lines of communication open and accurate data as to how best to get goods to people in Haiti.”  “The Red Cross is specifically telling those who want to help to send money at this time,” Edgecombe said.

Click on each of the following links for additional ways to be of help to this world crisis;  Haiti Community Support; American Red Cross of the Virgin Islands;  Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands;  Rotary – St. Thomas;  C.A.R.E. ; Catholic Relief Services;   DoubleTake Clothing.  Please act now!

Kwanzaa means “first fruits of the harvest” in the very traditional Africa and is now celebrated around the world.  There are seven days of celebrating family, community and equality.  Each December 26^th the Kwanzaa celebration begins and it ends on January 1^st.  Each day of the Kwanzaa celebration focuses on specific principle.

The seven principles are collectively referred to as the Nguzo Saba, and serve as guideposts for meditation and daily living.  The greeting each day of Kwaanza is Habari Gani, and the reply is Habari Gani followed by the principle of the day. Kwanzaa is celebrated by people of African descent in North America, the Caribbean and other part of the world connected to African heritage.  It was created by M. Ron Karenga in 1966.

• December 26^th – Umoja – Unity
• December 27^th – Kujichagulia – Self-Determination
• December 28^th – Ujima – Collective Work & Responsibility
• December 29^th – Ujamaa – Cooperative Economics
• December 30^th – Nia – Purpose
• December 31 – Kuumba – Creativity
• January 1^st – Imani – Faith

Celebrations began all over the Caribbean today.  The traditional opening of Kwanzaa on St. John was in Cruz Bay near the ferry dock and the Beach Bar.  The Sigma Theta Omega Chapter again welcomed the community to the celebration which was made up of residents and tourists alike. The Love City Pan Dragons played the America National Anthem and Virgin Islands March. The 3 Sweet trio sang the Black National Anthem and South African Anthem.  There were other student performances, as well as the St. John Cultural Dancers.

No matter where you are in the Caribbean there will be celebrations this week.  There will be dinners each evening with family and friends who prepare Caribbean/African dishes to share with all who come.  Make sure you find a community of people with whom to celebrate this important traditional experience.  The principles are ones to integrate into all of our lives everyday, not just the last week of December.   Habari Gani!

For example, today a gay man in Barbados could still be sentenced to life in prison if he is found guilty of homosexual acts. In Jamaica, a man can be sentenced to ten years hard labor.  In Trinidad & Tobago a man found guilty of homosexual acts can be sentenced to twenty five years in prison.  However, there are still some Caribbean countries that don’t criminalize female-to-female sexual acts.   ALL of the Caribbean island nations except for the Bahamas and Cuba have criminalized homosexuality to in some manner.  There are just a few acts in this world that greatly anger me, and one of them is discrimination in any form.  Universal access to AIDS prevention, education and medical treatment need to happen NOW!

A  2009 UNAIDS report found that heterosexual sex is the main ways that HIV transmission is occurring in the Caribbean.  The latest available information shows that at least 240,000 people in the Caribbean are infected with HIV!  Because of the criminalization of homosexual acts, men are having sex with men, being infected by HIV, but then are having sex with women in order to claim they are not homosexuals therefore spreading the HIV virus into the general population.  It is an insane cycle that is creating such a high infection rate in the Caribbean.

Throughout the Caribbean there are laws that focus on providing individual rights, freedoms and protection from any form of discrimination.  But, these laws that are imbedded in the constitution of all Caribbean states are totally incompatible with the laws that criminalize homosexual behavior.  Most Caribbean states have ratified or signed the United Nations’ International Covenant On Civil and Political Rights which has been used to repeal laws against homosexuality.  But, still the laws against homosexual conduct prevail in the Caribbean.

A further result of these laws against basic human rights is allowing hate crimes to be legitimatized.  Follow the logic here, crimes against gays are generally ignored because of the laws that brand gays as criminals.  Make sense?  Of course not!  There needs to be laws in place that immediately protect gays from hate crimes, which would be a BIG step in ending discrimination – if these laws are actually enforced.  The real hurdle to any anti-discrimination laws are enforcement.  With the criminalization of homosexual acts as law, then gays still run the risk of becoming victimized within the legal system for their sexual behavior and actually then going to prison in the midst of defending themselves from a hate crime.  It is insane!

So, what can each of us do who care about these critical health and human rights issues that still need to be addressed?  We can send a message to each of our Caribbean lawmakers to take a stand against the laws which are currently in place that criminalize homosexuality that are contrary to all aspects of HIV/AIDS prevention and control and are totally incompatible with human rights issues.  Please do this TODAY!

So, I have started my travels to Tortola to begin my internet reporting of the 2009 BVI Charter Yacht Society Boat Show  that will be headquartered at Village Cay Marina.  This is the annual gathering of the charter yacht community from all over the world that shows up for four days of previewing the finest charter yachts you will ever see.  Each of the crew members have worked for a months preparing their yacht for this show.  The Brokers will be inspecting the boats and their crew in order to see which ones they will have in their inventory of vacation yacht charters they will recommend to their clients back in their specific regions of the world.  It is a stressful time for the crews to make sure everything is perfect, inside and outside of their yachts, for each of the four days of the show.  They will also be preparing dishes to be sampled and some of their favorite rum drinks will be mixed  in order to intice the Brokers to stay on their yacht long enough to get a sense of what it would be like to have clients on board for a week or more of fun in the sun on a fully crewed yacht.  I am fortunate enough to be the one that is doing the internet reporting on the show each day while posting my many articles on this site for the enjoyment of all those who are unable to be here personally.  I look forward to you checking in and leaving your comments over the next week of my reports from both shows.

2009 Charter Yacht Society Boat Show – Village Cay Marina, Tortola,  BVI

Thursday November 5th – Day One

Broker Registration: 8:30 am Village Cay Marina at the Gazebo

Viewing of Yachts: 9 am – 5 pm Village Cay Marina

Broker Scrabble/Yacht Hop: 6 pm – 8:30 pm on board participating vessels

Friday November 6th – Day Two

Viewing of the Yachts: 9 am – 5 pm Village Cay Marina

Expo in the Park:   6 pm – 10 pm Noel Lloyd Park – Includes the following events:

• Official Opening by the Premier
• Napkin Folding Contest
• Random draws
• VISAR presentation:

Exhibitors include:  A Looking Glass,  Aragorn’s Studio,  Bobby’s Marketplace,  Caribbean Cellars,  Cay Electronics,  Clear Water,  CYM/Proudly African,  Golden Pavilion Villa,  Green Technology BVI,  Horizon Yacht Charters,  Journeys Health Spa – Leverick Bay Marina,  LIME, Locally Yours,  Myetts Restaurant & Boutique,  Rainbow Visions Photography,  Riteway,  Romasco Group,  Royal BVI Yacht Club,  Samarkand Jewellers,  TICO,  TortolaExpress,  Trellis  Bay Cybercafe,  VISAR   Sponsored by: BVI Tourist Board

Saturday November 7th – Day Three  

CYBA Annual General Meeting: 7:30 am Nexus Restaurant

Viewing of the Yachts: 9 am – 5 pm Village Cay Marina

Culinary Contest:  Starting at 11 am – 3:30 pm.  See  Culinary Contest for details.

Governor’s Reception:  7 pm at the Governor’s House

Sunday November 8th – Day Four

Viewing of the Yachts:  9 am – 5 pm Village Cay Marina

Broker & Crew Dinner Party:  7 pm – 10:30 pm Nanny Cay Resort & Marina (shuttles provided from Village Cay & Maria’s)    Sponsored by:  Nanny Cay Marina & LIME

Monday November 9th – Lay Day

Broker Daysail to Peter Island:  9 am until 3:30 pm.  Drop off at Peter Island for transport by chartered ferry to St. Thomas – Yacht Haven Grande  for the Virgin Island Charter League Fall Boat Show  that opens on morning Tuesday, November 10^th. 

St Thomas Fall Yacht Show – November 10^th-12^th – Yacht Haven Grande Marina

Monday November 9^th

Check-In: Noon – 6pm Pool Side – YHG

Dress is casual and swim wear is encouraged.  After a long day of preparing your boat for the show, cool off with your fellow yacht crews and catch up on off-season exploits while enjoying cocktails and appetizers around the pool. Sponsored by Hooters of St Thomas, Wikked,  Budget Marine,  and Bellows International

Tuesday November 10^th

Check-In begins at 8:00AM – Information Kiosk  North Lawn – Coffee provided by Bad Ass Coffee

Yachts Available for Viewing – 9:00AM-12 noon

Brokers Luncheon – 12 noon-1:00PM  Gourmet Box Lunches Furnished    VICL Main Tent – Guest Speaker TBA

Yachts Available for Viewing – 1:00pm-5:00pm

Champagne Dock Walk – 6pm-10pm – Yacht Haven Grande   Dress: Island Casual – Music provided by Ros Abijah As the Caribbean sun sets in the West, listen to cool steel drums and enjoy the tasty offerings and appetizers prepared by the Caribbean’s best Charter Yacht Chefs.  Sip and sample the new wine and champagne offerings provided by our local wine distributors and available for charter menus this season. Sponsored by V.I. Wine Wholesale,  Dyonasis Wine Distributors, Premier Wine and Sprits, Bellows International

Wednesday November 11^th

Eggs and Issues Breakfast – 7:30-9:00am – VICL Tent An informational exchange of ideas and suggestions between boats and brokers on mutually beneficial subjects ranging from charter contracts to cancelation policies.

Yachts Available for Viewing – 9:00am-12 noon

Brokers Luncheon - 12 noon-1:00pm – Gourmet Box Lunches Furnished – VICL Main Tent

Guest Luncheon Speaker – Territorial Economic Forecast – First Bank of St Thomas

Yachts Available for Viewing – 1:00pm-5:00pm

U.S. Virgin Islands Governor’s Reception – 7:00PM to 10:PM – Governors Mansion Catherineberg

Transportation from Yacht Haven Grande North Lawn:  6:30PM   Dress: Island Black and White

Transportation provided by CYBA    Sponsored by:  Theodore Tunick and Sons Insurance, the Virgin Islands Department of Tourism,  Reef Co,  Antigua Inflatibles

Thursday November 12^th

Yachts Available for Viewing – 9:00am-12 noon

Open Lunch Hour – 12 noon-1:00pm Enjoy local lunch locally at the restaurants of Yacht Haven Grande. Fat Turtle, Wikked, Peg Legs, Hubbly Bubbly, or Bad Ass Coffee

Yachts Available for Viewing – 1:00pm-5:00pm

Taste of Two Islands: Land and Sea – 7:00PM – 10:00PM Dress: Island Casual – A Fund raising Event in Partnership with WTJX Channel 12 Public Television Featuring the finest culinary offerings from over thirty restaurants and resorts of St Thomas and St John,  as well as the finest Charter Yacht Chefs in the Caribbean.

Lnks To All Of The Event Sponsors and Dignitaries

Gov. John deJongh, Jr. – http://www.governordejongh.com/index.html

Virgin Island Charter League – http://www.vicl.org/

Yacht Haven Grande – http://www.yachthavengrande.com/index.php

Shopping at YHG:   http://www.yachthavengrande.com/index.php?sv_path=4507,2526427

Governors Mansion Catherineberg – http://donwiss.com/pictures/St-Thomas-2006/h0008.htm

Hooters Of St. Thomas – http://www.hooters.to/usvi/

Wikked Restaurant – http://www.wikkedrestaurant.com/about.html

Fat Turtle Restaurant – http://www.fat-turtle.com/about.html

Peg Legs Restaurant – http://www.entreevi.com/index.pl/article?id=1088138

Hubbly Bubbly Restaurant – http://www.entreevi.com/index.pl/article?id=1142648

Budget Marine – http://www.budgetmarine.com/Store.aspx?id=St.%20Thomas

Bellows International – http://bellowsinternational.com/overview.shtml

Bad Ass Coffee – http://www.badasscoffee.com/aboutus.php

Ros Abijah – Concert – http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&rlz=1T4GFRD_en&resnum=0&q=Ras+Abijah+%E2%80%93+Virgin+Islands&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=_lXvSv2OBoHOsQPZlez1Aw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CA4QqwQwAA#

V.I. Wine Wholesale – http://www.viwinewholesale.com/mm5/merchant.mvc

Dyonasis Wine Distributors – http://usvihta.com/st-thomas-allied-members/premier-wines-spirits.html

Premier Wine and Sprits – http://usvihta.com/st-thomas-allied-members/premier-wines-spirits.html

First Bank Of St. Thomas – http://www.firstbankvi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=315&Itemid=956

CYBA – http://www.nandjyachtsforsale.com/cyba-broker.html

Theodore Tunick and Sons Insurance – http://www.theodoretunick.com/tunick800/main%20page.html

Virgin Islands Department of Tourism – http://www.usvitourism.vi/

Reef Company – http://www.reefco.net/

Antigua Inflatable’s – http://www.seagullinflatables.com/

WTJX Channel 12 Public Television – http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wtjx

At last year’s Coastweeks there were 1,400 volunteers on St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix who picked up 18,600 pounds of trash from 43 miles of beaches!  St. Thomas won the prize for the most garbage, if anyone would really want that prize – 12,275 pounds of trash.  St. John was second with 3,000 pounds of trash, and St. Croix was third with 2,035 of trash.  The environment has no winners when our citizens are creating such a mess of Mother Nature’s playground.  This is in the same category of contributing to the well being of the earth as the USVI Waste Management Authority contract to create alternative energy in the USVI from trash.

This year’s Coastweeks begins at Brewer’s Bay.  The cleanup will be from 8AM to noon and everyone can help – from kids to the elders.  Heather Hitt, Coastal Zone outreach coordinator at the Planning and Natural Resources Department, would prefer that people not litter so there would be no need for cleanups, but said that since it does occur, it’s important to pick the litter up.   Ms. Hitt has suggested that volunteers bring their bathing suits and snorkels so the ocean floor near the beaches can be cleaned up, too.

The Friends of V.I. National Park, which coordinates efforts on St. John, plans a cleanup at Drunk Bay. It will start at 9 a.m. Sept. 19 in the Salt Pond parking lot. Those participating will then walk through Salt Pond Beach to Drunk Bay.  “It’s a place where a lot of debris from the BVI lands,” said Friends Program Manager Audrey Penn.  The Friends picked Drunk Bay because it’s not easily accessible, so adopt-a-beach groups don’t pick it.

This year, Coastweeks on St. Croix received a $2,700 grant from the V.I. Waste Management Authority to pay for student transportation to the beaches for cleanups, Taylor said. She hopes to get about 40 student groups to do cleanups because transportation will be provided.  “It’s important to get to them early on,” she said. “Lots of kids still litter, and if we get to the kids, we get to the parents.”

You can assist with organizing your local Coastal Cleanup Week, or be a volunteer, no matter where you in the world.  Cleaning up the trash is extremely satisfying.  Personally discovering how the trash is impacting our oceans is extremely sad.   If you would like to participate in they USVI Coastweeks activities, call Taylor on St. Croix at 340.692.4046, Hitt on St. Thomas at 340.774.3320, ext. 5117, or Penn on St. John at 340.779.4940.  I hope to see you on the beach sometime in September or October doing your part to make a difference.  Let me know what beach you decide to attack.  Your Caribbean lifestyle detective remains on duty.  Until next time…fair winds!

This project has been a long awaited event that will now use USVI waste and convert it into energy for the islands.  Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority  has also contracted Alpine Energy Group to reduce the Territory’s two landfills that are bursting at the seams.  Both of these critical contracts are for 20 years.

“The project clearly demonstrates that two government agencies can really work together and reach a turning point from which they can both move into the future as they responsibly are guardians of our natural resources.”  Gov. John deJongh Jr.  said during the press conference.

Alpine will invest $440 million to build both of the refuse-derived fuel-and-power-generation facilities on St. Thomas and St. Croix.  It is projected that over 146,000 tons of solid waste will be used to for the conversion of fuel, producing about 33% of V.I. Water & Power Authority’s current peak generation load.  This is a BIG step by the Territory to move away from a 100% dependence on fossil fuels.

Alpine President James Beach  said at the signing’s press conference, “It’s called a take-or-pay contract.  WAPA is obligated to buy 75 percent of our output when the facility is up and running.”  If WAPA needs to purchase more power, they can do so at a discounted rate as part of this important agreement.

Governor John deJongh Jr.  also said, “These plants will begin moving WAPA away from complete dependency on fossil fuel for electric-power generation and water production, and it will be the first time in the Virgin Islands history that fossil fuel has not been used to generate electricity and potable water.  It is also the first time that the government has developed a viable solution to the landfill and solid-waste issues in the territory.”

As a further demonstration of the USVI’s commitment to becoming a model “Green” Caribbean Territory, V.I. Waste Management also has implemented “The Preserving Paradise Campaign”.  It is a three-part program designed to introduce the Authority’s concepts of environmental education and community pride to three different facets of the community –  Preserving Paradise Kids,  the Business Partnership, and the Community part of this program. The three-pronged program has been embraced by all aspects of the USVI.

Jim Walberg’s  Editorial Comment:  These environmental projects are examples of a community/nation that has no choice but to find solutions to their dependence on fossil fuels and their waste disposal issues that any island country faces.  Wherever we are in the world, these same issues will need to be fully addressed.  The fact is,  they need to be addressed immediately by EVERYONE in our world.  It will only happen when there is no choice but to do so because of the mess being left behind.  Click here  for more information.  Until next time…your Caribbean islands lifestyle detective remains on duty.

The mission of VISFI is: To provide a working educational farm enterprise that integrates sustainability in education, environment, and community through quality instruction in Agroecology and related fields.  The National Geographic Geotourism Challenge promotes innovations that benefit local communities and cultural landscapes in tourist destinations. The 2009 theme is “The Power of Place: Sustaining the Future of Destinations.”

The VISFI St. Croix project  was chosen as one of the ten finalist by a panel of judges that included Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dr. Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement, and Keith Bellows, editor of National Geographic Traveler.  “Our 2009 entry is about how farm-based education can be used in a structured format to teach about self-sustainability and cultural identity, and promote healthy development,” said Nate Olive, program co-founder and VISF program director. “The real winners of this program, regardless of the outcome of the contest, will be the children we interact with daily.”

The project is called Natural Mentors, a four-part program about nature survival, environmental awareness, organic-food production and mentoring relationships.  More than 900 Virgin Island youth have participated in it this year.  This program would not be possible without the cooperation of VISFI and Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism  (CHANT); Anne Marie Gibbs and students at Complex High School; the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands; Lana Vento Charitable Trust; and the Virgin Islands Department of Tourism’s  “My Community” program.

The VISFI program combines experiential learning, outdoor lecture, field laboratories, personal and group research projects, leadership development, and local environmental awareness.  All of these pieces work together to create a comprehensive educational experience.  The outcome for the participants is personal growth, self-awareness, and community development in each student relationship with agriculture and the environment.  They promote healthy agriculture through intelligent, sustainable farm design coupled with environmentally conscious practices and principles.  The outcome that VISFI is creating is family and community based agricultural enterprises that will be sustainable for all future generations.

In the future, VISFI hopes to create a global network of small farm and educational farm campuses to facilitate the sharing of information, ideas, and sustainable agriculture and resource management technologies.  Representatives of the farm institute ask that people to go online and vote for VISFI. Votes may be cast through August 12th.  The top three winners will each receive $5,000.  Please support this important Geotourism Challenge.  Until next time, your Caribbean lifestyle detective  remains on duty.