Activist groups aim to create future vision
Beach habitat being dug up in North Side
(CNS): A number of increasingly active community groups engaging in campaigns and stirring public discourse on environmental and the socio-economic issues are hosting a public awareness community event later this month with the view of creating a new 2020 vision for the country. Save Cayman, Save Barkers, Saved the Cove and the Cruise Port Referendum campaign, along with the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, are inviting the public to a town hall meeting to discuss a new, more sustainable future for Cayman.
Katrina Jurn, one of the lead organisers behind the campaign for a people-initiated referendum on the government’s proposed cruise berthing facility, explained that the town hall community event, scheduled for 19 January in South Sound, is to help share information about environment, conservation, sustainable development and the relevant legislation surrounding these issues, as well as socio-economic issues and voter rights.
The meeting follows an increase in grassroots movements that have successfully pushed issues onto the political agenda and growing awareness of the need for Cayman to do much, much more to protect its natural resources and heritage.
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“We are inviting citizens, community groups and government agencies to come together to share, learn, engage and collectively visualise the future we hope to see for our islands,” Jurn told CNS, as she announced plans for the meeting.
“The groundswell of support and concerns expressed from various sectors of the Caymanian community is at the heart of this event and the people-initiated referendum. There are many stakeholders who want to protect our country and understand how decisions are being made. The various topical issues impacting us all today have the potential to negatively impact current and future generations in a myriad of ways. These concerns include environmental, socio-economic and long-term financial concerns,” Jurn added.
“The lack of strategic long-term planning and public engagement continues to drive the concerns of many citizens. We understand the need for unity as we all want to live in a Cayman that is safe, clean, environmentally protected and demonstrates stability, participatory democracy, sound financial management and good governance,” she said, as she urged people to come out to the meeting.
“Cayman 2020 we hope will be the start of a new era of greater community involvement in building a better Cayman for all citizens and residents,” Jurn added.
In 1998/99 a committee was formed that embarked on a project to consider the future of the Cayman Islands, entitled Vision 2008. A national ten-year plan was shaped to guide development for an evenly balanced vision, where all Caymanians would benefit in a sustainable, harmonious and prosperous future and that the quality of life in Cayman would not be harmed by development.
But that plan was never implemented, and now many people believe that what has transpired is exactly what they did not want to happen, such as constant development largely benefitting a handful of people, while the majority of the population has been detrimentally impacted as the environment and way of life is constantly under attack.
At this forthcoming meeting, participating groups will be making presentations on a range of topics, including sustainable development, tourism, social well-being and community development, as well as environmental conservation efforts and legislation. Admission is free and open to all.
Category: Community, Land Habitat, Local News, Marine Environment, Science & Nature
Save our entitlement!
50 storey buildings are fine, but should be inland, miles from seven mile, and solely for medium/low cost residential….moratorium should be placed on smb heights at 10…and raise taxes on smb corridor development, offer incentives for east end, etc….spread the love
very bad idea
Oh goody. More populist waffle to add to the landfill.
As much as I hate to see this beautiful island end up like the concrete jungle of Miami, what is the alternative? I remember in 1980 there was only the Holiday Inn, Royal Palms and the Galleon Beach. Crime was relatively low, there wasn’t many vehicles crowding up the roads and it was safe to walk anytime day or night, and you could leave your house/vehicle unlocked. Now, it’s a whole lot different. There are far more expats invading this island, the birth rate of Caymanians have grown and the crime rate has escalated. We all have to move on with the times, like it or not. We have to provide education and work for our home grown in order to survive. We cannot go backwards or we’ll become a third world country that can only provide tax free status and that will be for overseas wealthy people. This is not going to help individuals of this island that want to work outside the finance industry. We need, like any country, the financial injection whether it be from tourism or financial investment. We need to provide what people want and need. Not all want to sit under a coconut tree all day consuming ganja and drinking rum hidden in a brown paper bag like the old days down by the bakery in town. However, I agree that the environment should be protected to a certain extent without jeopardising our future generation. This island relies on tourism, and We also need hotels and we need shops to provide work for residents of this island. We can’t survive only on fishing! Unfortunately, we need the roads to accommodate the horrendous amount of vehicles travelling on a day to day basis. My argument would be, do we need this large influx of expats entering this island that are not coming in to work on a professional level. That are roaming the streets and robbing and burglarising hard working business people and residents. This is the problem with the Border Control here. Building a few condo’s are the least of your problem. You cannot have it all ways people. Penny and the bun comes to mind. If you want a wealthy island you have to provide what people want. As much as I hate to say, we cannot survive just being a tranquil little island anymore.
Just one problem with your xenophobic rant, the vast majority locked up in Northward are Caymanian. Until you sort out your social inadequacies, education and parenting skills nothing will change.
Expats drive your economy, without them you will be a third world nation.
Northward hosts plenty of expats. Check your facts.
Jamaicans and their offsprings offsprings with Macstatus are indeed Caymanian.
It depends. It also does not mean they are not Jamaican.
Save our landfill from those who seek to destroy it!
What a noble cause Ms Katrina Jurn an others has brought to our attention . The biggest thing we can do for our Country , protect our Environment and the Islands future for the future Generations .
I urge everyone to join them in Town and be part of the future. And leave your political party at home in bed , because they are the ones that aren’t seeing that future must be protected .
It’s only a noble cause if the Darts say it is.
I see what you’re doing here, so downvote is a good vote.
Promising news!
There is a need for a Green Party in Cayman made up largely of millennials and the younger generation as the old boys and girls in the Legislative Assembly are taking these islands down the drain with ideas such as 50 storey buildings, a new port and no solutions to garbage pick up and the never ending dump problem.
50 story buildings are much much better for the environment than urban sprawl with cluttered roads, leaking sewerage systems, fertilizer and insecticide on lawns, and haphazard garbage collection. Just sayin.
I’d take almost any liberal party over the theocratic business first conservative duopoly currently in place
Thankfully the government cant spew the same anti-left propoganda as their counterparts in the US and UK because liberals have never held power in Cayman
But Im sure if they would they could
How is 30+ years of perpetual conservative governments working out for us Caymanians?
I don’t care what colour they identify with, so long as: this one is replaced ASAP with an inclusive modern government, where the elected Legislative Opposition is allowed to perform their democratic duty and function – to shadow and participate; the DoE, Protected Marine Parks, and National Conservation Law need to mean something; the basic Standards in Public Life Law is freely enacted to ensure good governance; and there is full compliance with Public Finance and Management Law, including adherence to all of the public disclosures required in regards to proposed procurements, big-ticket expenditures, and conflicts. The GT and Brac dumps need to be capped and sealed, and new lined facilities created following best practice. Our obligations to provide basic human civil rights and dignities can no longer be ignored. In a rising rate environment, we need to be retiring debt, budgeting for recurring upcoming expenses, as well as a territorial calamity reserve. It’s no longer quaint to sit and watch our usual autocrats stumble into redacted 6, 7, and 8 figure errors from our public account, while simultaneously neglecting so many higher-social priorities. A 9 figure error proceeding without valid EIA, engineering studies, or an applicable Business Case – right now in total darkness! How far do we let this go Cayman? Sign the petition. Enough is enough.
Will there be refreshments?
How about “Save Sanity”?
don’t the ‘dorks’ understand that the same things they are destroying is what attracted the foreigners to Cayman in the first place!
when Cayman has finished with their destruction the same people they think they are planning for are the same ones that will be hightailing out of here.
Doubtful
Hightailing out of here? Make my day.
These are the trouble makers who are out to give our leaders nothing but a hard time on everything they do. Thank goodness that our great Premier and his government know what to do and we have the wonderful CPA head who steers that body well. Let Dart & CHEC get on with things as we desperately need the development and construction jobs.
Is this sarcasm?
7:09, One is not a trouble maker beause one is concerned about the environment and the concreting over of Grand Cayman.
You are a troublemaker to the scumbags in control.
The fact that you think the CPA steers anything speaks volumes about either your gullibilty or stupidity….take your pick.
You are just upset because your kind can not sway our leaders or the CPA. Cry all you like the port and Barkers expansion is happening. We need the development desperately.
Who T F is my kind??? I am Caymanian…been here my entire 46 yrs of life, worked at Planning and a best friend on CPA board. Dont try to tell me how the CPA works. You are completely in the dark!!
Wow very touchy there fella! If you are that well connected than you know how it works. The projects will proceed as directed!
you people will soon learn, being a Caymanian is not a qualification.
When will you all realize that money rules the picture now.
Anonymous at 12:53 Please do not say you are a Caymanian and spoil it for the rest of us. Who let you out anyway?
Troll!
Great idea to bring the Referendum petition and community issues like Save Barkers and Beach Access for all under one roof. Thank you CPR!
CPR should bear in mind next time that the face of their group matters a lot. Please ensure that all of your spokespersons can deliver your message with good manners and decorum. Negative behaviors usually turn away the people you want to get onboard. Also ensure that everyone is enlisted for the same cause.