The Parliament of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas passed a Resolution to amend the Constitution of The Bahamas through due process to remove all forms of discrimination against women.

The resolution was passed during an historic Special Joint Sitting of the Senate and the House of Assembly on the occasion of the Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Women's Suffrage Movement on Monday, November 26, 2012.

Parliament, also on behalf of the people of The Bahamas recognised, honoured and saluted Mary Ingraham, Eugenie Lockhart, Georgina K Symonette, Mabel Walker and Dame Doris Johnson, the God fearing women who in their quest for justice and equity for all Bahamians established and led the Women's Suffrage Movement with the support of other women.

Bahamian law enforcement officials and those from the Dominican Republic Tuesday engaged in the second leg of bilateral discussions aimed at addressing a number of key areas that "touch to the core" of the livelihood of Bahamians. Minister of National Security, Dr. the Hon. Bernard J. Nottage, said the outcomes of the talks with respect to Maritime Law Enforcement are "extremely important" as The Bahamas moves speedily to regulate illegal poaching in Bahamian water.

"We cannot downplay the long-term effects of illegal poaching, as it can lead to a depletion of our country's marine resources," Dr. Nottage said.

"Bahamians have very established ideas about statelessness, immigrants and who is a Bahamian," expressed Dr. Ian Bethell-Bennett, Associate Professor in the School of English Studies and organiser of 21st Century Slavery in The Bahamas: A Discussion on Statelessness. The panel discussion organized in conjunction with the School of Social Sciences focused on pressing national issues including immigration, statelessness and trafficking, and their implications on The Bahamas.

"We tend to look at women who are trafficked into The Bahamas as jezebels because they are in prostitution, but why are they being prostituted? How are they prostituted? Are they there of their own free will?" questioned Dr. Bethell-Bennett during his presentation entitled Slave or Jezebel: 21st Century Trafficking in The Bahamas.

On Thanksgiving weekend Bahamas Striping completed the latest Eastern Road improvements at the Newgate Road junction near Blair Estates, proving, the company says, that Bahamians are fully capable of successfully striping any and all public roads projects in the country.

Lead by its UK certified striping trainer, Bahamas Striping says this should once and for all silence any remaining doubters that its team of young Bahamians can't stripe technically difficult jobs in melted thermoplastic. The company says the successful project again proves that foreigners are no longer needed to stripe taxpayer-owned Bahamian roads.

Minister of Tourism Obie H. Wilchcombe brought welcome remarks on board the Carnival Breeze ship as it made its inaugural call to Nassau, Bahamas, on Friday, November 23, 2012 at Prince George Dock.

(BIS Photo gallery/Derek Smith)

In a year of lingering economic challenges, one bank opened the doors this week with staff singing a bright and sunny tune, livening up the lobby with a holiday welcome and song of appreciation to seniors. It was the staff at Harrold Road who went the farthest in the bank network-wide tribute to seniors -- an idea prompted by the desire to let seniors know they are special.

"We wanted to do this on the day that the most seniors come into the bank in person," said Deputy Managing Director Renee Davis.

If you think the police are looking the other way when an empty box of chicken flies by their windshield, think again. If an environmental offender is seen throwing that empty box of leftover lunch out of his car window it will cost him a lot more than the embarrassment of getting pulled over and picking up his tossed out trash. It will cost him $100 in cold hard cash. And those who think they can continue to dump their household debris all over the island, they just better watch their back. The fines for dumping start at $500 and there are many eyes watching.

Environmentalists on Grand Bahama have been waiting a very long time for littering offenses to be taken seriously and the time we have all waited for has now arrived.

It is said that it only takes a spark to get the fire going. This is also true when it comes to igniting the spirit of giving in others.

Earlier this year, Bishop Michael Eldon Student Katelyn Cabral was featured for her generous school project where she collected hundreds of juice boxes and donated them to the Grand Bahama Children's Home (GBCH). Around the same time that Katelyn made her donation, another local student was looking for a way to help her community.

Azariah Brice, a student at Freeport Gospel Chapel, heard of Katelyn's juice drive and took the idea to her school.

Last week the Minister of Education, Jerome Fitzgerald, traveled to local East End Schools to tour the refurbishments and media centre donated by the Grand Bahama Shipyard. Students and staff at the East End Preschool and Primary School (formerly Freetown and High Rock) were delighted to greet the Minister and other dignitaries who came to visit their classrooms.

Minister of Education, Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald, toured the East End Pre-school where he was treated to a delightful song and video slide show from the preschool students and a review of the new lunch tables, water coolers, cubby storage centre and the major refurbishments in the playground area.

Q: I want to get my young child a puppy/kitten for their birthday or Christmas but you guys are discouraging me.

A: If we are discouraging you, it's because after reading your application and talking to you at length we have figured out that you really don't want a family pet for the next fifteen years or so, you just want a gift NOW for your child. We have no problem with a pet being acquired as a gift - as long as the responsible adult has thought this through; truly wants a pet too, is prepared to do the lion's share of the work, and fund all necessary care for the pet, for it's lifetime! A child is not mature enough mentally to be solely responsible for a helpless living being. And obviously they cannot provide the funding for the necessary care.

Q: You have so many dogs and cats - why don't you just give them away for free?

A: Good question! We charge a nominal adoption fee for two reasons.

IN FOCUS, a product of China Daily, conducted an interview with the Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville on Monday, November 26. The focus was on Grand Bahama Island.

Launched in 1981, China Daily was the People's Republic of China's first national English-language newspaper. The well-respected news organisation is now that nation's most frequently quoted source of news, with its stories from across China being used by most news service firms.

I am so pleased to be here in the historic and picturesque township of Governor's Harbour, in the centre of the beautiful Island of Eleuthera, for the official ground-breaking of the first phase of the French Leave Marina Village, which will comprise a hotel and residential community, located on the magnificent rolling hills, with breath-taking views of the harbour, bay, and the iconic setting of Cupid's Cay, joined to the mainland by the nation's oldest causeway.

This is truly an enchanting place, etched forever in the annals of our rich Bahamian history. I am so proud, honoured and indeed filled with nostalgia to reflect today with the good people of Eleuthera on my own ancestral roots, through my mother who was born and grew up on this remarkable "Island of Freedom", the cradle and bedrock of our democracy.

The Exuma Cays and Great Exuma continue to be that region of our country that holds so much natural beauty, yet remains largely underdeveloped and largely untapped for Tourism development.

Exumians will know that the 'shot in the arm' intended to jump start Great Exuma's tourism was the $350 million Emerald Bay development that opened under the Four Seasons brand in 2003. However, by 2008 this development had incurred cumulative operating losses that drove them to bankruptcy with the resort falling into receivership and ultimately closing their doors in 2009.

The Ministry of Transport and Aviation, through the Civil Aviation Department's Air Accident Investigation and Prevention Unit (AAIPU) has now completed its preliminary report on the helicopter accident which recently occurred and is releasing the following statement:

"On Thursday, November 22, 2012 at approximately 1:10PM EST, an AS355F1 Helicopter registration C6-APV, manufactured by Aerospatiale Eurocopter Group, departed Marsh Harbour International Airport with five [5] persons onboard. While attempting to land, control was lost, resulting in the helicopter crash-landing at Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club, Great Guana Cay, Abaco.

The 9th edition of the Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), taking place from December 6-9, 2012, in Nassau, will once again be featuring Bahamian filmmakers in the 'Caribbean Spotlight' which will also showcase films from Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, and Guyana. "I am so proud and love presenting quality Bahamian films and filmmakers, who continue to push the envelope year after year," said Leslie Vanderpool, Executive Director and Founder of BIFF. "We have consistently achieved our goal by showcasing, nurturing and encouraging the filmmakers of The Bahamas."

Those screening films this year from The Bahamas will be Kareem Mortimer, Maria Govan, Dominique Knowles, Toby Lunn, Laura Gamse, Marion Bethel, Will Robinson, and Ryan Lightbourn, along with resident filmmakers Karen Arthur and Thomas Neuwirth.

Barbara Outten, owner of Bake Bahamas, always knew that her recipe for success would involve the baked goods she sold on holidays while working as a banker in Grand Bahama. Her daughter, Tanya, remembers spending college breaks helping her mother in the kitchen fill hundreds of fruit cake orders.

In October 2002, Barbs Bakery opened and expanded product offerings to include elaborate wedding cakes, specialty birthday cakes, cookies and other baked treats. This year, the mother-daughter duo relaunched the company under a new name and new branding.

ADM's Lair, a local Bahamian artisan company made its debut at this year's Bahamas National Trust's Christmas Jollification and according to its CEO, Dandria Miller, the timing was perfect. The annual holiday affair held at the Retreat was ideal for the company's launch, being the country's premiere event for buying unique hand-crafted goods and other holiday products.

Occupying a prime corner porch space, ADM's Lair caught the attention of festival goers with a wide array of decorative items, all personally handmade. Brightly coloured tea towels with crocheted floral designs were popular, as well as decorative wall quilts, and children's quilted sleep/play mats featuring popular cartoon characters.

On Monday, November 26th, the winners of the "Youth Expression Against Drugs" Essay, Rap and Poetry Competition and representatives from the Bahamas National Drug Council (BNDC) visited the U.S. Embassy where they received a special tour and participated in an informal dialogue with U.S. Chargé d'Affaires John Dinkelman.

The twenty youth ambassadors representing public and private schools on New Providence, Grand Bahama and Crooked Island were the winners of the first "Youth Against Drugs" Essay, Rap and Poetry contest co-sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and the BNDC last spring. The students are on their way to Eleuthera to participate in a week long National Geographic Photo Camp.

Bahamian teen sailor Spencer Cartwright continued his year of dominance in the Optimist dinghy events by winning all six of the races he sailed in during the Optimist's Fall Regatta., meanwhile, veteran sailor Donny Martinborough pulled through with a first place finish in the Terry McCoy Memorial Sunfish Regatta.

This year's Optimist event, which pits juniors aged 7 to 15 against each other on the water, featured nine Gold Fleet (Advanced), 11 Silver Fleet (Intermediate) and six Green Fleet (Beginner) competitors representing both New Providence and Abaco.

The first National Kingdor Parkinson's Moving Day is on December 1st, 2012. The Kingdor Parkinson Foundation is a non-profit organisation devoted to educating the public and enhancing the lives of those who have been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. For a person that has been diagnosed with Parkinsons, vigorous movement is critical to slowing down the progression of the disease.

On Saturday, December 1st, we gather on Montague Beach Park at 6am and Walk/Run/Cycle or swim (MOVE for a cause) to raise funds to enable the foundation to continue to educate and sensitise the public as we contribute to research and provide assistance to those affected by Parkinsons.

The Government's blatant shenanigans must stop

I just phoned the Ministry of Grand Bahama to ask if I can go down there and pick up a job application for the proposed Reef Village project at the Our Lucaya Resort, and was told by the Ministry's receptionist that I should go to the "customer service" section of the Ministry of Grand Bahama to collect the job application.

I was further told to bring my passport, health certificate and National Insurance card to the Ministry of Grand Bahama when I come to apply for the private hotel job, as the government ministry was "handling the human resources for the company."

What is the Government of The Bahamas doing handling the job applications or any function whatsoever for a private development?

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Stop illegal fishing in The Bahamas!

When God made The Bahamas he sat back and smiled at its beauty. Its waters were beautiful; its beaches could not be matched anywhere in the world. During my tenure as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries some real slick wheeler-dealer came to my office and explained that if the Government would give him this and that he would build the most magnificent aquarium in the world here.

I smiled and explained to him that I lived in an aquarium; all I had to do was to put on a pair of goggles, jump off any one of these seven hundred rocks and voila, I would be swimming with the fish and have beauty all around me.

But all that glitters is not gold.

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This is how you know your nation is sick

You know this when the media can run a story saying there are 700 teen pregnancies each year in The Bahamas, most of whom are minors between 13 and 15 years of age, and not a single word from anywhere is heard thereafter - not from the church, the police, the government, nowhere - even though if the girls are minors that means they are almost all victims of statutory rape; an offence that now carries a maximum life sentence under the legislative amendments made by the previous administration.

So we have hundreds of documented cases of statutory rape in this country each year and no one says a word, but the newspapers from the front page to back can be filled everyday with story after story about the numbers business, and churches can hold prayer vigils and campaigns asking the public for money to help them encourage the nation to say no to numbers.

But hundreds of rapes of minor girls each year in our country? Who really cares, right?

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The following letter was published in the BAHAMAS GAZETTE and signed by 'M.Z.' dated London, 1786. The most interesting thing about this letter is that the fledgling United States has just introduced paper money and the Loyalist writer considers it might be a ruse to delay or avoid settling debts. The writer would clearly have preferred his American creditors to settle their debts in easily negotiable hard specie like gold or silver. In any case the writer was ultimately to be disappointed, the Federal government agreed to paying reparations to the Loyalists who had lost their property in the United States but cynically put the onus of paying reparations on the States. The States, of course, ignored the matter.

The making of paper money in the American States, is most evidently done to injure foreign creditors, and the injustice is aggravated by its being committed under the sanction of law. The Americans say, their paper will be faithfully redeemed, and that funds are provided for that purpose. If this were actually the case, the injustice would be softened but still it would exist.