Caribbean American News Executive calls for a more proactive Diaspora response to natural disasters

CaribPR Newswire– In light of the recent damages caused by Hurricane Dennis and now Emily, less than a year after Ivan devastated many Caribbean islands, Felicia Persaud, CEO of Hard Beat Communications, the parent company of the Caribbean World News Network and Hardbeatnews, the only daily news service for Caribbean nationals in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., is urging for a proactive instead of reactive response to natural disasters from the Caribbean community in the Diaspora.

Persaud’s comments come as Grenada again suffered a devastating blow from Hurricane Emily, leaving one dead and as Jamaica and other neighboring Caribbean islands braced for another hit from the second hurricane to pass through the region since the start of the 2005 season.

The New York-based media executive says she’s especially concerned about the apparent lack of organization from Diaspora organizations, many of whom seem to wait year after year until the storms hit, before mobilizing an aid effort.
“This degree of apathy is sickening,” said Persaud, adding that many of the writers at CWNN and Hardbeatnews were hard pressed this week to find organizations to comment on the hurricanes or disclose any aid efforts while many governmental representatives took a wait and see attitude.

“It’s unfortunate,” said the Caribbean-born and editor-in-chief of CWNN and Hardbeatnews. “There should be a group of Caribbean organizations, working in tandem with governmental agencies in the Diaspora, who are ready with a plan of action at the beginning of every hurricane season while raising funds year round to ensure that a Caribbean- American or Caribbean-Diaspora Natural Disaster Fund is available to respond immediately incase a storm does hit.”

“The fact that we’re always scrambling at the last minute speaks volumes of the state of the Caribbean community and our degree of readiness to compete in this global marketplace,” Persaud added.