Caribbean and international Journalists headed to Antigua to discuss Cricket and natural disasters that affect the Caribbean

St. John’s, Antigua – Caribbean and international Journalists will meet in Antigua on June 14, with industry and Government leaders to continue their examination of the economic opportunities offered by Cricket World Cup 2007. Better preparedness for hurricanes and other natural disasters lashing the Caribbean with increasing frequency is also up for examination in Antigua.

The Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx), produced by Counterpart International, is where journalists with representatives of the travel industry, private sector and government plot out how tourism can improve the lives of people in the region.

How has the recent spate of natural disasters in the Caribbean affected the region’s biggest industry? How “natural” are these disasters and what did man have to do with them? Is it really possible to prepare for a disaster? Is it true other regions have early warning systems unavailable to the Caribbean? Just some of the questions up for answer at the first CMEx to hit Antigua.

And how bad is the problem? Remember Hurricane Ivan and the recent Guyana floods? According to the United Nations Guidelines for Reducing Flood Losses, “When natural disasters such as flooding occur in developing nations, they can effectively wipe out decades of investments in infrastructure and the personal wealth of many of its people, not to mention the countless loss of lives, physical injuries, sickness and psychological trauma that result from the disasters.”

“We have seen this in the Caribbean and CMExPress (the one day forum) will seek to foster education about, and bring media attention to, these development challenges,” explained Dr. Basil Springer, chairman of Counterpart Caribbean, who added that the deadly Asian tsunami gives us a lot to consider in our own region.

And how is the region preparing for one of the biggest bonanzas to hit the Caribbean in decades? CMEx participants will hear how well they will do by the massive Cricket World Cup in 2007. It will continue the discussions held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad in February when Chris Dehring, Managing Director and CEO of ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc., said, “The Cup was a very complex event for the region to host, and all countries, under a fast turning clock, need to unite to deliver an event to world class standards, in order to achieve the operational requirements and economic and strategic objectives of the West Indies Cricket Board and ICC.”

Since its inception in 2001, Counterpart has staged eight CMEx meetings in the Caribbean, helping sharpen skills, offering freelance and training opportunities for Caribbean media in North America, forging smart partnerships between public and private sector organizations, and encouraging the implementation of sustainable tourism initiatives that safeguard the environment and enrich Caribbean communities.

CMExPress sponsors and supporters include American Express, Antigua and Barbuda Department of Tourism, Association of Caribbean Media Workers, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Barbados Tourism Authority, Black Entertainment Television, Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism, Caribbean Broadcasting Union, Caribbean Hotel Association, Caribbean Star Airlines, Caribbean Sun, Coco Kreole, Continental Airlines, Half Moon Montego Bay, Jamaica Pegasus, Jamaica Tourist Board, Ruder Finn, Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Tourism, United Nations Development Programme, and the United States Agency for International Development.

For further information, visit www.caribbeanmediaexchange.com.