Lifestyle
[OPINION] It’s About Time: A New Generation Speaks Aloud
Published
5 years agoon
![This handout image released on December 11, 2019 courtesy of Time shows the Time person of the Year cover with Greta Thunberg [Handout/Evgenia Arbugaeva/TIME/AFP]](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_720,h_405/https://floridanationalnews.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Greta-Thunberg-TIME-cover.jpg)
NEW YORK, N.Y. (FNN NEWS) – TIME’s Person of the Year is usually synonymous historically with people with a lengthy presence in the world and equal influence. However, this 92-year-old franchise has taken a turn from their own tradition by recognizing 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg as its 2019 Person of the Year.
While many other teenagers are learning to drive or going on their first date or getting ready to enter high school, Greta has taken on the most challenging cause to date: the fight against climate change.
She was only eight years old when she first learned about climate change, or “global warming,” and even at that age, found it alarming that government officials were not taking it as seriously as they should. She decided to take action by way of solitary protest in front of Stockholm’s Parliament and, like wildfire, she was joined by thousands when she garnered media attention and encouraged others to follow suit.
Since that first courageous leap of action, she has met with high-powered officials and clergy (presidents, the United Nations, the Pope) and continues her fight to bring awareness, not just to the problem of global warming but to the inactions of our leaders in government. After all, our governments have the power to invoke change and hold accountable all corporations and industries that are not working towards a sustainable future that will allow us to reduce our carbon footprint, thereby slowing the rapid progression of climate change and giving hope to the future generations for better atmospheric conditions.
Adults usually dole out scolding to kids, but the roles were reversed when Greta spoke before the U.N. General Assembly. “We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth…how dare you?”
All that she has said and done to encourage the youth to action is incredible. But what is most phenomenal is that Greta has Asperger’s syndrome. A person diagnosed with Asperger’s does not process nor is led by emotions the way most people do and would have an all-absorbing interest in a particular subject matter. She does not have the luxury of being dismissive of what is a global epidemic, nor can she stand by and accept the complacency in which global warming has been addressed.
Greta is proof of the adage that “one person can make a difference” no matter how small the change or how young the individual.
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Kareen Kennedy is Entertainment and Business Associate Editor for Florida National News contributor. | info@floridanationalnews.com
Lifestyle
St. Lucian Dona Regis-Prosper Named First Female Secretary-General and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization
Published
2 years agoon
July 13, 2023
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the premier tourism development agency for 25 Caribbean countries and territories, has appointed Dona Regis-Prosper the new Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer. Beginning her assignment on September 1, 2023, Regis-Prosper, who hails from St. Lucia, is set to make history as the first woman to assume leadership of the intergovernmental body.
With an impressive career that spans more than 22 years, Regis-Prosper brings an unparalleled depth and breadth of knowledge and experience in the tourism industry to the CTO. She has lived and worked in multiple Caribbean destinations, and served as Director of Marketing and Product Development of the St. Lucia Air and Seaports Authority; Director of Business Development for Margaritaville Caribbean Group in Jamaica; CEO of the Tortola Pier Park in the British Virgin Islands; and General Manager of the Antigua Cruise Port where she is currently employed.
Chairman of the CTO, Kenneth Bryan, who is the Minister of Tourism and Ports of the Cayman Islands, welcomed Regis-Prosper to the regional body. “We are extremely pleased to have Dona Regis-Prosper come on board to lead the CTO. Her vast experience, strategic insight, and impressive track record in the tourism sector make her an exceptional choice to propel our organization into a new era,” he stated, adding that having more women in positions of influence enhances the efficiency of the region’s major economic earner and sends positive messages of encouragement and inspiration for women and girls across the Caribbean.
A dynamic and transformative leader who has built and sustained a strong network of professionals in both the public and private sector (working closely with regional government officials, tourism stakeholders, and industry professionals), Regis-Prosper emerged as the top choice from a pool of more than 60 highly qualified applicants. The rigorous selection process included multiple rounds of interviews and a comprehensive assessment related to addressing some of the most pressing issues faced by the regional tourism industry.
Chairman Bryan disclosed that throughout the selection process, ministers, commissioners and directors lauded Regis-Prosper’s transformational leadership style. “They found her to be innovative, forward-thinking, results-driven, and solution-oriented,” he said, noting that her perspective on managing the climate crisis was particularly well-received, illustrating her deep-seated passion for sustainability and her ability to develop practical solutions to critical industry issues.
Regis-Prosper takes over the organization’s leadership reins from Acting Secretary General and CEO Neil Walters, CTO’s Director of Finance and Resource Management, who has been filling the position following the retirement of Barbadian Hugh Riley in 2019. The other two Caribbean tourism professionals to serve in the region’s top tourism post include the late tourism stalwart Jean Holder and Vincent Vanderpool Wallace, former Bahamas Director General and Bahamas Minister of Tourism.
Of her new role, Regis-Prosper stated, “I am deeply honored to have been selected to serve as Secretary General of the CTO and am grateful for the trust and confidence the CTO Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism and the Board of Directors have placed in me. I eagerly look forward to working with our dedicated team and diverse stakeholders to promote the Caribbean tourism sector, champion sustainability, and continue to foster impactful relationships and deliver ROI for our members.”
With a Master of Business Administration degree, Certified Professional Marketer qualification, and significant experience in business development, strategy, marketing and sustainability, Regis-Prosper is well able to lead the Caribbean tourism sector into a bright and prosperous future, Chairman Bryan asserted.
Lifestyle
Dezerland Action Park Orlando to host I-Drive Throwdown
Published
2 years agoon
July 12, 2023
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