Activists campaign for public say in development
(CNS): Amplify Cayman, a non-profit organisation focused on promoting a sustainable future for the Cayman Islands, has launched a social media campaign and petition urging legislators to give the public more say on major projects, such as roads, runways, airports and ports. The Democracy Over Destruction campaign aims to get MPs to listen to the people.
The activists are urging residents to write to their elected officials demanding that parliament protects coastal environments from destructive public projects. The local activists said there is now widespread support across the islands for sustainable development that doesn’t harm the environment and for solutions to traffic other than roads.
With the proposed extension of the East-West Arterial and the Owen Roberts International Airport redevelopment set to significantly damage critical ecosystems in the North Sound, such as mangroves and seagrass, the activists plan to gather the opinions of people who value Cayman and disagree with capital projects that lead to environmental destruction.
Amplify Cayman said the campaign aims to promote a healthy democratic process because decision-making in parliament without data and input from constituents is poor governance. It includes a petition, which will be presented to Cabinet, as well as an open letter for constituents to share directly with their MPs.
“Amplify Cayman is pro-sustainable development, not anti-development,” said Emily DeCou, one of the founding members of the NPO. “We recognise that a balance needs to be struck whereby socioeconomic needs are met within the constraints of our finite environment. Developing with the intent of delivering positive solutions to traffic and promoting more luxury tourism will not result in a positive impact long-term for the nation if it results in the destruction of our natural resources,” she added.
The NPO wants the government to use tools to approve developments that meet the nested interdependence framework, explored in Amplify Cayman’s People’s Sustainability Charter, published in September 2021. “Our Charter is a holistic framework to ensure community and nature are balanced with economic growth,” DeCou said.
There is considerable anecdotal evidence that the local community wants to see environmental impact assessments for major capital projects that will affect the health of Cayman’s fragile coastal lagoon ecosystems, especially the Central Mangrove Wetlands. The islands also rely on healthy mangroves, seagrasses and wetlands for food security, weather regulation, support for our economy, storm protection, biodiversity and leisure.
These resources form part of the local culture and support residents’ collective quality of life, the activists stated in their release.
Both the EWA and the proposed runway extension threaten the health of these ecosystems, which rely on a healthy North Sound. The petition calls on parliament to respect the laws and the Constitution and to support the necessary EIAs for both these projects and future coastal development.
However, MPs made it clear that they would not agree to this when a motion was brought to parliament for the government to consider starting the next phase of the EWA without an EIA. Every member present, including the premier, voted to support the motion.
Nevertheless, Amplify Cayman insists that EIAs must be conducted for both these projects, given the negative impact they will have on the North Sound, among many other issues.
See the petition here.
Visit Amplify Cayman’s website or social media pages.
Download the letter to send to your MP here.
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Category: development, Local News, Politics
The Nolan Principles are simply tenets which every parent should teach their children. That’s a bit much to expect in today’s society, but these principles are really not that hard to be met, especially by any adult who has the will!!
Can anyone see the Nolan Principles in action in the Cayman Islands?
These Seven Principles of Public Life apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder. This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally, and all people appointed to work in the Civil Service, local government, the police, courts and probation services, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), and in the health, education, social and care services. All public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also apply to all those in other sectors delivering public services.
1.1 Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
1.2 Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
1.3 Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
1.4 Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
1.5 Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
1.6 Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.
1.7 Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
The Nolan principles are fundamental to any democratic society governed by the rule of law.
Thank you 8.29….but you left out ..”except for our uneducated, unprincipled politicians.”
So 7.39 why would you want them excluded?
Then what is government for? So, you say no need government or ministers anymore. Just have the governor.
Vote for every project and future plan instead of electing a government every 4 years?
Yes we need good future for cayman in every aspect through a good government, elect wisely when we get a chance every 4 years.
I don’t think not for every project, people are not good at deciding every project that is why we have departments, laws etc
The Governor and direct rule for 3 years.
The Cayman Islands needs a voter-led petition that seeks amendments to the Elections Law to kick out and disqualify MPs with serious charges pending and/or recorded convictions. Coincidentally, that also sorts out some of this EIA short-cutting and corruption at the same time. Voters might limit the field of aspiring lawmakers to those with a real high school diploma and genuine earned college degrees. Maybe apply new term limits to discourage career kleptocracy. Maybe removing grandparent preconditions. These governance guardrails won’t magically appear without voters starting the ball rolling and sending it to the Governor for Assembly follow-up. Needs 6,143 valid signatures out of the 23,569 registered.
Will they go after all those (Caymanian included of course) who have already developed that which should have been left alone? Of course not. That would mean about half of everyone who owns a home or building. Would you be willing to destroy your own home and bring the land back to what it was? Then you are all not worthy of going after anyone else. Development is part of human nature and can not be stopped by human nature. Better to put your energy into sustainable development or try fixing the inevitable dump soon come disaster mountain in the middle of the island.
Looks like Amplify Cayman is upbto their usual “Stop the Govt campaign”. Note that only Government capital projects are singled out for neefing public input. Meanwhile private developers continue with destroying the environment piece by piece.
Government are accountable to the people who have a say in how the government coffers are dispensed. But you are right that they seem to favor developers who the people have no say about. Which one are you?
So after certain people have become millionaires from developing properties they purchased, soon after arriving here she now wants to halt it??? Typical hypocrisy from these people.
Eh?
These people? Do go on..
The voting public should have a say in a lot of things, including who is eligible and who’s disqualified to set foot in the Parliamentary Assembly.
She could have also handed him a textbook on any subject whatsoever.
Or a coloring book
Isn’t that what the objective of the Premiers sustainability policy is ? Or is it that they recognize he really has not done squat ?!
The developers, enablers & excavators will win the day. Business as usual.
Pass the rum.
Passing rum instead of standing up and saying something is the legacy of apathy embraced by Caymanian voters.
Pass the rum and the dutchie.
All this is going to do is make things even slower. Vote better Government. That’s the key here. Educated, intelligent people and you’ll be further ahead than what your electing now.
Better leadership is still not possible with current Elections Law.
12.16 Stop with the xenophobic attitude. Foreign us not alsayd better. You are not superiorm you just dream of it. The election law is ok as long as it keeps people like you from holding elected office in Cayman.
How about Planning Notices…when did those become optional?!?
Notice my D9 dozer plowing down mangroves!
We as caymanians have the right to sell everything out for the maximum profit we can. Don’t let the driftwood tell us otherwise.
Had their parents scraped a living 100 years ago on these rocks they would be selling out as well.
Leave it to the daft Yanks and Canadians to buy everything up hoping for a profit. Us landed Caymanians are the smartest in the room.
GG, enjoy the swamp nerds.
Xenophobic and stupid. That what this sounds like. It also has really nothing to do with the article. Also, if you sell today, you have nothing for tomorrow.
Smartest in the room you say?
Very short sighted oped, but time will tell who the ultimate winners of this gamble will be. So far it doesn’t look good for Caymanians.
I would be willing to bet you’re an expat trolling Caymanians with this comment, although there is some historical accuracy in your trolling.
All these complaints by foreigners who come here to beat out paying taxes in their own country and after they have a boatload of money they want to stop our economic miracle. I say go back to where you came from and leave us alone.
200% Troll, Clickbait.
so obvious too AYE?
Elected by the people every four years or so, what more say do the people really need? This is just silly.
So, not holding leaders accountable is good? Got it.
They are held accountable every four years. Capiche?
Every 4 years. It’s called a democracy.
Democracy isn’t a lever that only becomes available once every four years. That’s the part that Cayman gets completely wrong.
It is the part that politician mouthpieces (the above posters) keep pushing others to get wrong. Many people do not so it is a constant struggle to shout down social activism with cries of ‘only every 4th year’.