"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
We recall with amusement how our forefathers entered St. Thomas “through the window,” but Alice’s observations of life in the present-day Virgin Islands through the looking glass (as introduced in …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — VI seen through ‘looking glass’”
In Pursuit of Peace in Africa: An Autobiography, by retired Kenyan Army Lieutenant General Daniel Opande, was published a few months ago in Nairobi, Kenya, but sharp-eyed readers will spot …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Kenyan author’s VI ties noted”
During my first visit to the United Kingdom since 2012, my first priority was to claim my senior citizen’s benefits, like entitlement to free travel on public transport. However, I …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Gov’t called out over closed libraries”
Over five years ago, I received a “blast from the past:” an email from an organiser of a UNESCO workshop in Antigua in the mid-1980s on the use of mini/micro …
Continue reading “Commentary — Book on Cornish in Caribbean seen as important to VI history”
A recurring theme throughout more than 100 commentaries I have contributed to the Beacon has been the Virgin Islands’ ties over time with Cornwall, a county in southwest England. Last …
Whatever the reasons for the premier’s attempts to fast-track residency and belongership applications, the genie is out of the bottle: The eruption of heated arguments for and against the proposal …
Virgin Islanders living in the United Kingdom who have registered to vote there would serve the territory’s best interests by supporting a Remain party like the Liberal Democrats or Greens …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Decolonisation committee reconsidered”
The world’s first formal stock exchange was established in Amsterdam in the early 1600s. The two major companies listed on it were the Dutch East India Company (founded in 1602) …
Continue reading “Commentary — ‘A contrarian view of independence’”
Moves towards e-government are welcome but overdue in an economy dependent on telecommunications to make its tourist product and financial services industry more attractive and efficient. We might emulate Estonia’s …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Ideas offered for e-gov’t, telecoms”
I am related to seven different kiwi (New Zealander) families, the first descended from a war bride taken in 1917 to a gold-mining town in South Island, better known for …
Continue reading “Commentary — Concerns about hackers linger”
I am following up my letter of last week, “Cyberattack victim recounts his ordeal,” to alert voters to possible external interference in our election, without compromising police investigations into the …
While we rebuild better, let’s consider the needs of the disabled residents in our midst. It also makes good commercial sense to encourage them to participate more actively in their …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — VI urged to rebuild to be disability friendly”
By Peter Moll Before Hurricane Irma, I narrated a series of chronicles about my time as a librarian in Malawi. The most recent instalment, which appeared in the Beacon the …