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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

GUEST POST by s.p.

As a regular contributor on whoismcafee, s.p. is one of few who are able to bring first hand knowledge to our discussion about the current state of Belize.  After he posted this, I asked permission to post it here.
   **  Thank you s.p.  **


 It's part of a thread, so head over to JM's blog, about 3/4 way thru the post :  'Channel 4'  if you want to read the whole thing.



Apology accepted.  And I appreciate your concerns and your desire to help Belize.  I must say you are fighting a very very tuff fight.  It's so hard to explain if you haven't lived there.  The people on top in Bze do not want change.  It's the corruption and the inability for the poor to get ahead that makes the very few on top get richer and richer.  Sad.  But very true.  There is absolutely no 'due process'.  The poor people are basically treated like slaves. 
Look at what the local banks do......they charge Belizeans twice the interest rate (18-20%) than they do foreigners.  Why do they do it?  Because they can.  And the poor in Belize are too naive, too uneducated, to fight back.  How can the average worker pay 20% (plus the crazy fee's) on his mortgage?
 When the U.S banks got in trouble in 2008 the FIRST thing that was done was to bail them out.  Before it was decided who was responsible for the banking demise they were bailed out.  Why?  Because a Country can NOT function w/o a proper banking system.
Belize does not want a proper banking system.  It would mean the poor may move ahead.  But more improtantly it would mean that zLord Ashcroft would make less $$.  And that's not allowed.  The PM continues to mock Ashcroft but yet somehow his law firm continues to represent him.  
It's a joke!!!  When the U.S. banks crashed the Belize banks were all laughing at us.  They went on and on about how their formula worked, and how if the U.S followed their business plan (50% down and 20% interest on home mortgages) then we [the banks] would not have gotten in trouble.  But what they fail to mention is that under their formula people need to live in shacks and will work their entire lives to pay off that shack.  
But none of this matters.  The poor stay poor.  Ashcroft gets richer.  Believe me, I could write a book on the shit that I saw.  Gas is double what we pay.  Electric is double.  Cell service is 4 or 5x what we pay.  Internet, more $$ for much less service.  And check the airline prices.  I could almost fly to Europe for what I have to pay for a tix to bze.  Ug!  Why do I even start?  It's just so annoying.




   ♫........ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuMlHdxiIZ8

39 comments:

  1. So now the big question. WHAT do you think will be the motivator that finally gets the people to stand up and say NO MORE! ?? We've all seen the comments hurling disgust at the GOB and the Police....from Anonymous. We saw the frustration after the George St. massacre. Then we saw the fear. Fear of the Police. And rightfully so.... I said it before, I'll say it again. Answering a thrown bottle that hit no one, with a barrage of bullets does not reflect a well trained police force, or a 'serve and protect' mentality. I would be afraid too.
    What we would like to find are some reputable sources who can help facilitate any sort of donations/products for distribution, without fear of them taking everything for themselves. Sandwillow has been doing some research, and we will post the results soon. All suggestions are welcomed. DB, Blue, you have first hand knowledge too, right? Your input is invaluable.
    And so, I'll take this opportunity to invite all the whoismcafee followers who were hoping to be part of change for Belize to join us here. We aren't John McAfee, but we are trying...... :)

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    1. Hi Web, this is so cool you know how to do this stuff. It took me awhile to get an account (I'm slow, Lol!) but yaay, I did it! I think a grass roots organization(s) for Belize could be started as people in all communities come together, become aware that help is available to them, for them... Just a thought, or concept idea; an organation(s) name, (example) ABC's (Action Belize Citizens) Act. Also, structure accountability within organized help. Begin with non-profit, tax exempt status, outside Belize control,unfair Govt. regulations, taxation.. Neighbors Now Belize,raise individual awareness (word of mouth) for outside help available. Build safe environment for trust, outreach, with flexible protection measures. (A campaign to learn how to accomplish the goal). Baby steps. Find model organizations to volunteer information HOW...to operate freely, (International) to avoid unfair explotation or misuse of funds, trust funds, donations, key charity groups, (if there are any such groups?) Also community citizens (receive help/donations) (maybe sign up, establish a list of families) private resource groups willing to participe can communicate directly via contact within grass roots organization, start a chain of priorities, needs, a private list bulletin board correspondance program personal (like this) to add names, from bottom up level. Appeal to the people who know the routine, know the ropes, and are fed up! Work within private (groups/teams) build an operation base, solid within Belize, for Belize. Kevin K

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    2. Hey Kevin, glad you found us. I love that you have so many great ideas. . . . we will be able to accomplish many things by working together, and not getting discouraged. Reading some of the expected hurdles/road blocks DB and s.p. described, it would be easy to give up before we started. Their first hand knowledge gives us an idea how hard a climb this will be, but nothing is impossible. You have a great amount of energy & enthusiasm, we need to find you a task, lol.

      Over the next few days I'll be organizing the posts and trying to make finding information easier. Thanks for the comps, but it's all by the seat of my pants, lol. I'm new to this, and thankfully everyone is being patient while I learn. ;-)

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    3. I'm a humanitarian, believe in; critical mass - the tipping point. I'm convinced - this is a spearhead, positive life changing experience...and it's happening here, now.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology_(philosophy)

      #Intentionality

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    4. "that which appears"

      perception

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology_(philosophy)

      #Intentionality

      A spearhead experience here and now..The Law of the Few."The Law of the Few", or, as Gladwell states, "The success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social gifts."[3] According to Gladwell, economists call this the "80/20 Principle, which is the idea that in any situation roughly 80 percent of the 'work' will be done by 20 percent of the participants."[4] (see Pareto Principle) These people are described in the following ways:
      Connectors, are the people in a community who know large numbers of people and who are in the habit of making introductions. A connector is essentially the social equivalent of a computer network hub. They usually know people across an array of social, cultural, professional, and economic circles, and make a habit of introducing people who work or live in different circles. They are people who "link us up with the world ... people with a special gift for bringing the world together."[5] They are "a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack [... for] making friends and acquaintances".[6] Gladwell characterizes these individuals as having social networks of over one hundred people. To illustrate, he cites the following examples: the midnight ride of Paul Revere, Milgram's experiments in the small world problem, the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" trivia game, Dallas businessman Roger Horchow, and Chicagoan Lois Weisberg, a person who understands the concept of the weak tie. Gladwell attributes the social success of Connectors to the fact that "their ability to span many different worlds is a function of something intrinsic to their personality, some combination of curiosity, self-confidence, sociability, and energy."[7]
      Mavens are "information specialists", or "people we rely upon to connect us with new information."[4] They accumulate knowledge, especially about the marketplace, and know how to share it with others. Gladwell cites Mark Alpert as a prototypical Maven who is "almost pathologically helpful", further adding, "he can't help himself".[8] In this vein, Alpert himself concedes, "A Maven is someone who wants to solve other people's problems, generally by solving his own".[8] According to Gladwell, Mavens start "word-of-mouth epidemics"[9] due to their knowledge, social skills, and ability to communicate. As Gladwell states, "Mavens are really information brokers, sharing and trading what they know".[10]
      Salesmen are "persuaders", charismatic people with powerful negotiation skills. They tend to have an indefinable trait that goes beyond what they say, which makes others want to agree with them. Gladwell's examples include California businessman Tom Gau and news anchor Peter Jennings, and he cites several studies about the persuasive implications of non-verbal cues, including a headphone nod study (conducted by Gary Wells of the University of Alberta and Richard Petty of the University of Missouri) and William Condon's cultural microrhythms study.


      The tipping point.

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    5. Fantastic Kevin....and I absolutely believe in the 80/20 principal. Always have.
      I wonder which 'label' everyone associates with? If any.
      And what if you relate with more that one?


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    6. That's interesting.
      Connectors, Mavens, Persuaders. So that's what we need.

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  2. IMHO, it is going to take some strong leaders within Belize to effect change. Anything coming into Belize gets inspected & possibly confiscated, if it is not going to an established NGO, or organization. Even if you could find an organization or individual person willing to take donations, who would we know to trust? It would take a network of people there currently, willing to investigate & take on this task. The government has some control over the NGO's, and can cancel any, their interpretation, not found in compliance of the Belizean NGO act. It probably would not be financially feasible for an NGO to be set up for this purpose: www.belizelaw.org/lawadmin/PDF%20files/cap315.pdf

    Nothing gets done in Belize without the government's ok, so could we send donations/products there, and actually have them reach their intended purpose? That would be amazing if it could be realized, and I honestly do not know. The cynical part of me, says "not likely", but somebody with experience in the organizations there, created to assist the needy, might have a more positive outlook. I do not know if Oxfam is, or could be, involved there, or like many of the international NGO's, are only involved in times of emergency, such as hurricane devastation.

    It is great that there are so many organizations to protect the environment there, sadly the environment gets way more attention than the people. Not that the protecting the environment is not important, but how to get the same attention for the people? I am clueless.

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    1. So we would have to smuggle in help? Yep, that sounds about right. SMH

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  3. I had no idea how difficult it is to get donated goods to the people that need them. And why shouldn't I know this? It's been on the news, I guess I ignore it. When the soldiers went into the palace in Iraq they found rooms stuffed with goods from International aid societies, items that were never going to make it to the people in need. And it wasn't the first time, that story has been repeated over and over again.
    So, learning, but not getting anywhere. I thought Hiefer International went every where, even though not what I'm looking for, I checked anyway, they don't work in Belize.
    It would be cool to get some info and put it back on JM's site, but I'm afraid that site is going to be long gone before I find anything.

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    1. It's interesting, but I can't find any major organizations (that help) in Belize. If I interpret properly, The Human Rights Worldwide group will start an investigation based on certain complaints. They put people on the ground to get to the bottom of the accusations.....this may be the way to go? I thought Hiefer Int'l was everywhere too. It seems as though the entities who are capable of helping the Belizean people are no where to be found in country. Makes you wonder?

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  4. I don't understand what happened with the Brits. they were in Belize. What did they do?

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  5. The British left Belize a two party political system, and because his father had been a Colonial civil servant there, they gave Michael Ashcroft his introduction to Belize. Lord Ashcroft has been at the root of many financial controversies in Belize, he gets richer, the country gets poorer. If you are asking were things better for the Belizeans, was the quality of life better under colonial rule? No, I don't think so, but with everything that has been happening the past few years, maybe an older Belizean would think otherwise.

    This NGO was still in operation in 2005, but I believe it may be defunct, I cannot find any recent references of it. The Society for the Promotion of Education and Research (SPEAR). SPEAR is committed to empowering people to struggle for justice, democracy and sustainable Development. I found an undeveloped FB page, and the little info I did find was from here:

    http://www.wiser.org/organization/view/4cbd830e425940dbb44e4107f7e8a650/section/main

    I wonder if it fell about due to lack of funding, or for other reasons? I wish there was an email for Diane Haylock.

    Maybe a better possibility would be the Sisters of Mercy. The website states that they do operate in Belize, and click on the "HOW WE SERVE" tab, it sounds promising, if still in Belize. www.sistersofmercy.org

    We really need to correspond with a native Belizean, to get some facts, find out what organizations are operational, get some sense of direction. How to find a way to galvanize a population to stand up for itself? I do not know if there is an organization for that one, but instilling pride goes along way.

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  6. I checked on Spear and it did seem promising, then the links didn't work and I couldn't find recent updates, I liked the mission statement but I think the're gone.
    I can't understand the Brits not setting up an education system. Did they try and fail?
    The major names in Charity aren't in Belize. I find that astonishing. They would have tried, so maybe kicked out?
    I too would love to hear from an older Belizian.
    I contacted Catholic Charities but no response yet. Where have the catholics been, they're every where, usually with free education?
    Would love to know the answers to this stuff.
    ...........................................................................
    Does anyone else have trouble proving they're not a robot? I think I see abstract paintings instead of letters.OR I'm a robot.

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    1. I promise you - 99% of the Belizeans over the age of say 60 would say it was better pre 1981. I know many older belizeans and have had this exact conversation w/ many of them omany many times.

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    2. Welcome !
      Can I ask if you are in Belize? If you have read the comments, you'll know we are looking for some contacts/leads in country, so I'm just curious if we can pick your brain. LOL Glad you joined us.

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    3. I am an American who was a neighbor of John's. I own a vacation home in San Pedro. I spent about 6 months a year there for about 7 yrs. A lot less now. Cannot deal with the nonsense any longer. It is not the same place it was when I came almost 10 yrs ago. Not sure how involved I want to get in all of this. I have too much going on in the U.S right now and I really tr to keep my distance from the Belizean Bullshit. I am just trying to sell some of my property in Belize. Once it is gone I will never look back. The place is a nightmare!

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    4. Thanks for answering..... :(

      Your honesty is greatly appreciated, and your horrors in Belize are met with compassion. I'm sure I'm not alone with best wishes for the speedy disposal of your property and any other ties to Belize. If you know of any entities that could help us assist Belizean children to a better future, please let us know. Otherwise, feel free to stop by and add to the conversation as often as allowed by your (hectic) schedule. Good Luck

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    5. I will be in Belize later this month. Not sure of exact dates but when I am there I will do some checking. Also, will send some emails out to a few people/friends in Bze. Will let you know what I come up with. There are a few people you can trust there that truly have good intenions and do want to help. Most eventually get tired and frustrated...not too mention "screwed" and leave. But I will check for you. And to be honest, its not that I am even that busy.....but more tired of Bze. Most of you have been dealing with the Belize bullshit for only a few months. Myself, almost 10 years. At this so point for me its just so hard to help. I have such a lack of faith and respect for their system, and I have been so beaten up by that Country...its almost hard for me to care.I know that is not the right attitude to have......and I guess I must have mixed emotions on this topic which is the reason I continue to post and follow things.

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    6. No worries, mate. We're new and only as jaded as the stories we've read, you on the other hand have long since lost that warm fuzzy feeling. We've all been there with our own "Belize", so trust me, we get it. Your offer of help despite that is very generous. Thanks.

      A couple of us actually think this would be a terrific project for Sam to get involved with. She could be the Eva Peron of Belize. >>>>sigh>>>

      Wish I knew why so much of the population there is willing to just bend over and take it. :(

      Thanks again S.



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    7. They're used to it. And don't know any better.

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    8. I actually think Blue/David said some intereseting things in that ramble on the "Who is John Mcafee" site. He described the society as devided/seperated.
      Most of the time the less you have the more afraid you are of losing it.
      Information would be amazing, anything you can find out will hopefully be put good use.

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    9. s.p. ? did it really take me this long to catch on? SLOL

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    10. no, pretty sure you "get it" by now....lol.

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  7. It is hard at times deciphering the codes, I usually have to do it twice.

    www.sistersofmercy.org might be who are looking for, and is a faith-based organization. From their site:

    Meeting needs often requires more than direct service, so we also look for ways to change unjust social and political systems that cause problems and deny access to education, healthcare and safe housing. From grassroots letter-writing campaigns and socially responsible investing to witnessing for justice in public marches and demonstrations and speaking with a corporate voice, Sisters of Mercy of all ages participate by working, advocating and praying for justice.

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  8. Does anyone remember my post on whoismcafee re: Ashcroft? It was for a reason and selling passports was not it. I also asked JM straight up friend or foe. I know the man well, again it's all documented.

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    1. I don't remember, I'll need to directions. Would like to read it.
      I was thinking about sending an e-mail to the editor of the San Padro Sun, ask her if she knows of any projects or charities that she believes are legit and/or grass roots. Good idea or not?

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    2. It can't hurt. I think it was someone at the SPS who was following in the beginning, and knew John. Certainly worth a try. We need to rally the expats to get up and do something to help too. They have numerous resources at their fingertips, having lived in developed countries, and recognizing where they could assist. For the most part, the comments I have read from them make me think they're pretty selfish. I would love to be proven wrong.

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  9. I remember. Between your post and it's implications, and the words of our Belizean residents, i would surmise that Ashcroft is a very powerful man. And greedy. Very very greedy.
    Should I worry about my safety now? smh

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  10. Went to the Sisters of Mercy site. They say they are in Belize but (again but) they list the schools and hospitals in the central America area with nothing in Belize. I want to find out what they are doing in Belize and couldn't find anything, not only that but when I tried to contact couldn't because of that stupid "mail server not installed" can't even contact them unless I do something to my computer.
    The problem I have with just donating to a religious org is that you don't get to say I want this to go here, it goes where ever.
    If we could get one of the Srs to correspond then we could find out what is needed and send items instead of cash, if we find nothing else. This is, again, where we could use the help of someone in Belize.

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  11. They have a school in Belize. St, Catherines Acadamy.
    Again, any Belizeans around that know anything about this school?

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  12. Hey Sandwillow,
    There is a recent comment by a new poster, I asked if he/she was in Belize. Hope to hear back.
    Don't you find it odd how few international groups are in Belize? More like a dictatorship than a democracy.

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  13. Heifer Project is one of my favorite charities. I like their philosophy but I have heard rumors that they do not manage the gifts well and some families will kill their animal for food rather than keep it as a renewable resource. They are not in Belize, which I find interesting.

    There do not seem to be too many of the "big" name charities operating in Belize. Again, interesting.

    I have an issue with faith based charities since they tend to push their belief system and change the culture. In my experience, they all do it to some degree.

    Most ex-pats are on an extended vacation and have no interest in preserving the indigenous culture. Well unless it is for their amusement. John was different which is why he didn't fit in with them.

    Perhaps the UN has something? We could also pick an area and write to the school. Maybe we could coordinate with the principal. The idea of giving things instead of money is what got John in trouble. He was very charitable. I am not sure how much it was appreciated and how much was just expected of him being a "rich white man".

    There are cultural differences at play and we will need to work within their cultural paradigm if we are going to make any kind of difference. It really will take someone who lives there to lead the change. It is possible though, that we help to educate the generation that will create the change they need.

    I don't know, just rambling really.

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    1. Not rambling at all SL, they're all good ideas, which is exactly where we are right now. Shooting out ideas, and doing some preliminary research, so we can weed out what won't work. Then we can concentrate on what does.

      We all agree that we need some 'boots on the ground', and I have every faith that we will find the right person to lead the charge so to speak. It's not going to happen overnight, but it will happen. I really love the mentoring idea too. The kids access to computers would be my big concern. We will at some point need a company (501c3) name and letterhead to start contacting the different groups we want to work with.

      Sandwillow has been systematically going through the different entities that she finds, and has found some no longer exist. If you, or anyone finds that a group or charity is no longer functioning in Belize, could you please let her know.....in comments now. I'll probably add a page just for talking? One thing that does exist in Belize, albeit not a charity, is it's membership in the International Criminal Court. Information about the ICC can be found in the first URL in the "Belize' section.

      Thanks for the good ideas......keep on thinkin' :)

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  14. Good Ideas SL, I have an issue with faith based too. Although I attended St Catherine AC which seems to be affliated with St. Catherines in Belize, who knew, I sure didn't, I wasn't exactly a model student, wasn't even close. The boarding school is closed but the college is still open, the Srs may have info. Going to visit in 2 weeks.

    Sent an E-mail to the San Padro Sun, who knows. I gave them my Email but also invited anyone with info to come here. So Maybe.

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    1. I have the name of one Sister that actually worked in Belize who is currently at St Catherine KY. I believe she's in her late 70's she couldn't have been there recently. I'll know more after the 11th.

      Thinking, grass roots is it. We need to find someone there and someone reputable. this is not going to be easy.

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  15. I found an encouraging link today. The article it came from, not so much. It seems Belize has refused to sign the UN Anti-Corruption Convention. For the last 8 years. The article is short, but there is a video I played from the sidebar, and that's how I even started looking, so check it out too.

    SL, can you please explain how to code a link for here in the comments? "B", who was here early on, said that was how he had done it. Thank you :)

    for now..c&p

    http://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2011/11/30/belize-not-a-signatory-to-the-united-nations-anti-corruption-convention/

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