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To amplify the voices of the vulnerable, the marginalized and the excluded. |
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Since its inception in 1986, Panos Caribbean has been working to help empower the most marginalized and vulnerable persons in the region through projects and other activities on issues related to children and youth, public health, media community & environment as well as gender.
Panos Caribbean works to amplify the voices of the poor and the marginalized through the media and ensure their inclusion in public and policy debate, in order to enable Caribbean communities and countries to articulate and communicate their own development agenda.
Panos Caribbean is a regional organization which helps journalists to cover sustainable development issues that are overlooked and misunderstood. We also help people who are affected by certain issues to express themselves through the media, and as such participate in arriving at solutions.
Panos focuses on themes which transcend national boundaries, such as child rights, HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation, gender and community solutions to development challenges.
Panos works to ensure that development information is effectively used to foster informed public debate, to promote participation by all groups in society and achieve accountability of leaders and policy makers.
Children, people living with HIV/AIDS, farmers, fisher folk and other people directly impacted by development policies, are enabled to produce their own information.
We particularly focus on amplifying the voices of the poor and marginalized.
Panos Caribbean also includes the Caribbean diaspora from around the world in communicating their perspectives. Panos works in four Caribbean languages: English, French, Kreyol and Spanish.
It coordinates training seminars, stakeholder conferences, journalistic fellowships and the production of print, radio and TV materials.
Panos undertakes these activities in partnerships with local and regional associations, journalists, NGOs and other information stakeholders.
The Panos Institute Caribbean is based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Since 2005, it also operates an office in Kingston, Jamaica.
The global network of Panos Institutes also includes: Panos Eastern Africa (Kampala – Uganda and Addis Ababa – Ethiopia), Panos South Asia (Kathmandu – Nepal, Dhaka – Bangladesh, New Delhi – India, Colombo – Sri Lanka and Karachi – Pakistan), Panos Southern Africa (Lusaka – Zambia), Panos West Africa (Dakar – Senegal and Bamako – Mali) and Panos Great Lakes.
Each Institute is independently chartered and governed with its own programme to fulfill related missions; however, much work is undertaken jointly.
Panos is supported by a diversity of donors such as Plan Haiti, Catholic Relief Services, the international development agencies of the UK, USA, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, the National Institutes of Health (USA), the European Union, the Open Society Institute and several UN agencies.
The mission of Panos Caribbean is to promote sustainable development and social justice in the Wider Caribbean region by empowering people, especially the poor and vulnerable, to produce information and share their perspectives on development issues across language and political borders.
Panos Caribbean envisions a Caribbean society in which independent, accurate and timely information is fully utilised as a key resource for development; and where local, marginalised and vulnerable people, groups and communities have access to such information, and the ability and opportunity to express their views, realities and expectations.
Panos works, through communications, to achieve three strategic goals considered essential for the realisation of sustainable development and social justice in the Caribbean Caribbean.
1. Build economic, social, cultural and ecological resilience, defined as the ability to cope with change, at individual, household, community, national and regional levels.
2. Strengthen and secure the rights of individuals and communities, through equitable access to the essential social, cultural, economic and environmental requirements for a decent life.
3. Improve governance and build accountability, through participation in decision-making, evidence-based policy-making, effective implementation and monitoring.
Dorienne Rowan-Campbell, President (JAMAICA)
For 30 years, Dorienne Rowan-Campbell has been an international consultant on gender, human resource development, training, and environment. She started her career as a broadcast journalist in Canada, quickly specialising in improving the portrayal of women. She founded an environmental enterprise “Rowan’s Royale” which produces organic Blue Mountain Coffee. Rowan’s Royale aims to be a model for organic enterprises and highlights environmental issues and the role a small farmer can play in combating climate change, environmental degradation and disaster mitigation. She currently participates in a team implementing ICT and organic farming workshops for women farmers in the Caribbean. Rowan-Campbell is a qualified organic farm inspector. She also runs a community greening project in her neighbourhood which has set up the first regular recycling collection service in Jamaica.
Melinda Bickerstaff, Treasurer (USA)
Melinda Bickerstaff has worked for many years in change management, human capital strategy and implementation and strengthening of teamwork in the corporate sector. She is currently employed as Senior Vice President at Healthy Companies International, a consultancy which helps executives of companies to improve performance. From 2006-2008, she was Chief Learning Officer at Discovery Communications, where she lead the functions of talent and knowledge management, organisational development and transformation, leadership, succession planning and performance management. Prior to this, she worked at Bristol Myers Squibb (5 years) and KPMG Consulting (4 years). For many years, Bickerstaff also served on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) and received numerous awards for her leadership and contributions to the Society and to the field of workplace learning and performance.
Yves Renard, Director (SAINT LUCIA)
Yves Renard has a particular interest and experience in participatory approaches to natural resource governance and sustainable development policy. He currently works as an independent consultant, in the Caribbean and internationally. Between 1992 and 2001, he served as Executive Director of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), an organisation that works to foster the development and adoption of policies and programmes in support of increased participation and collaboration in natural resource management. Renard has edited books and published a number of guidelines, articles, papers, and reports on issues of natural resource management, sustainable development, culture, and community development.
Cletus Springer, Director (SAINT LUCIA/USA)
Cletus Springer is currently the Director of Sustainable Development at the Organisation of American States (OAS), responsible for the design and implementation of sustainable development cooperation among OAS member states. A graduate of the University of the West Indies (Public Administration and Mass Communication), Oxford Brooks University (Urban/Regional Planning Studies) and Aberdeen University (Environmental Impact Assessment), he has widely published on environmental management and planning. In the 1990s, he was Permanent Secretary, respectively in the Ministry of Tourism, Public Utilities, Civil Aviation and National Mobilisation of Saint Lucia; and in the Ministry of Planning, Development, Environment and Housing. In 1998, he joined the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) as advisor in policy and strategy development. Subsequently, Springer headed a consultancy practice working for Caribbean governments and intergovernmental institutions. Springer is also the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI).
Nicole A. Brown, Director (JAMAICA)
Nicole A. Brown has worked on the relationship between natural resource management and human development as a facilitator, writer, evaluator, and designer/implementer of programmes and participatory processes for the past 25 years. She has extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction; natural resource management and biodiversity conservation; and community and stakeholder mobilisation and participation. Nicole has a particular interest in communicating technical issues to lay audiences and has written and co-authored several training manuals and toolkits used in the Caribbean. She is a trained evaluator who has worked in the inter-governmental and not-for-profit sectors in the Caribbean, Central America and the Commonwealth.
Weaver Destin, Director (HAITI)
With a Diploma in Journalism and International Relations and Training in Health Communication programmes and project management on development issues, Weaver Destin is a Haitian professional with more than 20 years in the media, communication and development sectors. After 4 years as a journalist in radio and television, he served with UN Agencies, including UNFPA and UNDP, in the field of communications and worked with several national and international civil society organisations in Haiti. Since 2009, he is the Executive Director of Perspectives pour la Santé et le Développement (PESADEV), a national NGO aims to fight poverty and promote development in marginalised communities.
Partnerships and collaborations are essential elements of Panos Caribbean’s operations. We develop partnerships with existing organisations, networks and agencies to enhance the implementation of our objectives, as follows:
Local and national civil society organisations (CSOs) and community based organisations (CBOs): Joint project implementation; Assistance in gaining credibility and trust with beneficiaries; Panos providing support to their institution building.
Regional CSOs: Joint project implementation; Panos providing support to their region-wide coverage and communication.
International CSOs: Collaboration implementation of activities in the Caribbean; Infusion of knowledge of and interest in Caribbean activities.
Other Panos-es: Joint project implementation; Panos Caribbean contributing to and initiating global outputs; Panos supporting their development in its areas of expertise.
Community, local, national and regional media: Joint activities (in particular regarding youth journalism); Panos providing training, and supporting the production and dissemination of relevant media productions; Panos supporting their knowledge on development themes.
International media and international news agencies: Dissemination of Caribbean media productions; Panos supporting their information base on Caribbean development themes.
Networks of journalists: Panos providing training; Joint production of stories; Dissemination mechanisms; Panos providing institutional and programmatic support.
Governments and authorities: Panos supporting their communication activities on themes of interest to Panos; Collaboration in project implementation.
Local, national, regional and international donor agencies: Panos supporting their understanding of the role of media in development: Panos providing a project implementation mechanism; Panos supporting their information base and their local/ regional/international coverage and outputs.
Other corporate sector (non-media): Panos supporting their understanding of the role of media in development.
New partners are indicated with *
| HAITI: | ||
| NGO/CBOs | AIDS Relief Association for National Solidarity (ASON) Association of Youth Journalists of Croix-des-Bouquets (AJJCE) CARE Haiti Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Children – Source of Life Family awareness (Konesans Fanmi) * Friends of Nature (FAN) * GHESKIO Centres Haitian Coalition for the Defense of Child Rights (COHADDE) Haitian Movement for Rural Development (MHDR) Internews * Maison Arc-en-Ciel (Rainbow House) Makaya Foundation * National Coalition to Combat Drugs (CONALD) |
National Associative Network for the Integration of Disabled People (RANIPH) Perspectives on Health and Development (PESADEV) Plan Haiti Promoters of the Goal No-AIDS (POZ) Save the Children (Canada, UK, USA) Seguin Foundation * SEROVIE (new name for GRASADIS) Society for the Facilitation of Social Communication (SAKS) Step-by-step (Pazapa) * Voice of the Child Journalists of Fort Liberte (VEJFOL) Youth Emancipated Without AIDS (JESS) Youth Photographers Club of Jacmel (CLUJEPHJ) |
| Media | Anayizz Groupe Medialternatif (GM)/Alterpresse Haiti en Marche Le Matin Le Nouvelliste Radio Anse D’Hainault Radio Boukman Radio Echo Radio Éclair Radio Flambeau (Cayes Jacmel) Radio Flambeau (Gros Morne) Radio Futur Media (RFM) * Radio Galaxie Radio Gamma Radio Hispagnola Radio Horizon Radio Ibo Radio Inite Popile Radio Kiskeya |
Radio Massacre Radio Maxima Radio Melodie Radio Metropole Radio Nationale Radio Nirvana Radio Parole de Vie Radio Provinciales Radio Signal Radio Solidarite Radio Trans-Atlantique Radio Tele Express Radio tet-a-tet Radio Tet Ansanm Radio Venus Radio Vwa Pep La Radio Zantray Tele Eclair |
| Journalistic networks | Association of Haitian Journalists (AJH) Association of Haitian Photographers (APH) Association of Women Journalists (AMIFEJ) |
Centre for Communication on HIV/AIDS (CECOSIDA) SOS Journalistes |
| Government entities and local authorities | Ministry of Environment Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) |
Ministry of Social Affairs (MAS) Office of Citizen Protection (OPC) * |
| Academic institutions | University Quiskeia | |
| Inter-governmental agencies | Caribbean Community (CARICOM) * International Organisation on Migration (IOM) * United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) |
United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) UNIFEM * |
| JAMAICA: | ||
| NGO/CBOs | Association of Women’s Organisations in Jamaica Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation Combined Disabilities Association Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ) Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency * Windsor Research Centre * |
Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) Jamaica Network of PLHIV (JN+) Mocho Community Development Association (MCDA) Women’s Media Watch (WMW) Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC) Women Working for Progress |
| Media | Public Broadcasting Corp of Jamaica (PBCJ) Radio Bess FM Power 106 Radio Hot 102 FM Radio Irie FM Radio Kool 97 FM Roots FM |
JNN RJR The Jamaica Gleaner The Jamaica Observer The Voice (Clarendon) The Sunday Herald Television Jamaica (TVJ) * |
| Government entities and local authorities | Bureau of Women Affairs * Climate Change Division * Jamaica Bureau of Standards * Ministry of Health |
National Meteorological Service |
| Academic institutions | Caribbean Training and Production Centre (CPTC) Institute for Gender and Development Studies, UWI, Mona * | Lennon High School, Cedars, Clarendon |
| Inter-governmental agencies | Global Environment Facility/ Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) |
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) * United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) |
| In the region: | ||
| NGO/CBOs | AIDS Action Foundation – St. Lucia Caribbean AIDS Alliance – Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA) – Barbados Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) – Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC) – Jamaica |
Christian Aid – Haiti, Jamaica * Helpage International * Latin American and Caribbean Coalition of AIDS Service Organizations (LACCASO) – Venezuela Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS (REDOVIH+) – Dominican Republic Red Cross/Red Crescent Women of the Americas – USA |
| Media | Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) | Caribbean Media Broadcasting Partnership (CBMP) * |
| Journalisticnetworks | Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) – Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Environmental Reporters Network (CERN) – Barbados |
Circle of Health Journalists (CIPESA) – Dominican Republic |
| Academic institutions | University of the West Indies (UWI) – Centre for Latin American Studies | Caribbean Institute for Media and Communication (CARIMAC) |
| Inter-governmental agencies | Caribbean Community Centre on Climate Change (CCCCC) – Belize Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) – St. Lucia * Commonwealth Foundation Organisation of American States (OAS) * Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) |
UNEP – Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) – Jamaica UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) * United Nations Women’s Fund (UNIFEM) – Barbados |