ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Wednesday september 9, 2015 Sport | page 23 brenton’s inspired to go higher Back to CrossFit training High of 91 Low of 81 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. editorial | page 4 one year later: anyone remember the ey report? Scotland StepS down from cIfa James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former Sports Minister Mark Scotland has become the latest member of the Cayman Islands Football Association executive to step down from his role. Mr. Scotland, who was chairman of the Youth Committee – one of three appointed po- sitions on the ruling executive – will be re- placed in the role by former national team player Neil Murray, who currently runs the primary school football leagues. Paul Macey, the acting general secretary of CIFA, announced his resignation from the Executive Committee last week. Mr. Scotland was part of the Cayman del- egation in Zurich in May for the FIFA annual congress, during which CIFA President Jeffrey Webb and other football officials were ar- rested on corruption charges. He did not respond to calls from the Cayman Compass this week, but he is under- stood to have chosen to step aside. Meanwhile, acting CIFA President Bruce Blake has appointed two senior football coaches, Ernie “Gillie” Seymour of Athletic Sports Club and Roy “Huta” Ebanks of West Bay’s Future Sports Club to head up a new na- tional football development committee. The shake-up, along with the nomina- tion of Armando Ebanks as the association’s new treasurer last month, means that al- though there may not have been the whole- sale changes called for by Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden, there are some fresh faces in the administrative body. Mr. Blake announced the changes in a se- ries of memos to CIFA members last week and Teacher’s mission supports Syrian refugees James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An image of a lifeless child washed up on a Turkish beach has stirred emotions and galvanized public at- tention to a growing refugee crisis in Europe. For John Gray High School teacher Ted Todd, the picture, pub- lished across the world last week, hit closer to home. Mr. Todd, a mathematics teacher, spent his summer holiday in Turkey working with refugees from the Syrian conflict. Many of them were young children like the 3-year-old boy in the image, later identified as Aylan Kurdi. The boy was one of 12 refu- gees to drown attempting to reach the Greek island of Kos in a small, overcrowded boat. During his five weeks working in Istanbul and on the Turkish side of the Syrian border, Mr. Todd met many families in similar situations, fleeing conflict and prepared to make dan- gerous journeys in order to seek a normal life. One family, a father, his brother and 10-year-old-son, were planning to make the same boat journey to the Greek islands where Europe’s open borders would make it possible for them to travel to Germany. “We saw them off at the bus sta- tion in Istanbul. I gave them some U.S. dollars and wished them the best. We didn’t really know whether they would make it. They were putting them- selves at the mercy of people smug- glers,” said Mr. Todd, who was largely working in a community center in Istanbul during his visit. He has since heard the family EY reform plan: One year later brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com It has been a year since the Cayman Islands government announced an ambi- tious public sector reform plan to restruc- ture the civil service, amalgamate certain services, privatize others and sell off cer- tain public assets. The reforms were based on a $155,000 consultant report done by the Ernst & Young accounting firm, and al- though many of the recommendations were longer-term projects, Premier Alden McLaughlin said in April that six areas in particular had been iden- tified as issues the government would pursue immediately. The Cayman Compass takes a look at the latest progress on the proposed reforms. Merger of government ‘watchdogs’ Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has said government was in the process of put- ting together a business case for the merger of the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Complaints Commissioner’s Office. What this merger would entail, or even what aspects would be merged, is still unclear. There is no certainty regarding John Gray High School teacher Ted Todd spent his summer in Turkey working with Syrian refugees. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » The Cayman Islands government has had a year to peruse and implement the recommendations of the EY report. - pHoto: taneoS ramSaY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Wednesday september 9, 2015 • Cayman Compass www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - WEDNESDAY - $8.00 THE TRANSPORTER (PG13) 1:00 | 4:15 | 7:00 | 9:20 SHAUN THE SHEEP (PG) 12:45 | 3:00 | 5:10 | 7:20 | 9:30 FANTASTIC FOUR (PG13) 4:00 | 9:50 NO ESCAPE (R) 1:30 | 4:30 | 7:15 | 10:00 SINISTER 2 (R) 3:40 | 7:20 | 9:40 DRAGONBALL Z (NR) 1:20 MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E (PG13) 12:50 I 6:45 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (PG13) 12:55 | 3:50 | 6:50 | 9:45 CorreCtion A photo caption on page one and a story on page eight of Tuesday’s edition of the Cayman Compass incorrectly named the bid winner of the first phase construction contract at Owen Roberts International Airport. The contract for the first phase of the $55 million airport expan- sion project construction was awarded to Arch & Godfrey. The design for the project was earlier awarded to RS&H of Jacksonville, Florida and its local partner Chalmers Gibbs Architects. the Cayman Compass strives for accuracy and is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can email the editor at newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com. Dangerous driving arrest in road death James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 35-year-old Bodden Town man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving following the road colli- sion that led to the death of young father Matthew Owens on Saturday. The man, who was ini- tially arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, returned to George Town po- lice station on Tuesday where he was also arrested on sus- picion of the second offense. He was bailed to return to the police station on Sept. 23. Mr. Owens, who worked at Atlantic clothing store in George Town, was killed after he was knocked from his motorcycle in a collision that also involved a Toyota Mark II and a BMW on the Linford Pierson Highway around 1 a.m. The man arrested was the driver of the BMW, police said. Anyone with information can call police on 949-4222 or Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(tiPS). Opposition appears to have swept Trinidad elections PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) – The main opposition party in Trinidad and Tobago ap- pears to have easily de- feated the ruling coalition and ousted the country’s first female prime minister, ac- cording to unofficial returns that were expected to be rati- fied Tuesday. Opposition leader Keith Rowley of the People’s National Movement was ex- pected to become prime min- ister after his party cap- tured 23 of the 41 seats in Parliament, according to media and party tabulations. The 66-year-old geologist by training, who has served 29 years as a senator in Parliament, said the energy- dependent country faces “very rough waters ahead” because of the steep decline in prices for oil and natural gas. “The PNM is in good hands and we will manage the affairs of the country in the interest of all the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” Rowley said. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, whose co- alition appeared to have won 18 seats, conceded defeat. “We are disappointed but re- spect the wishes of the elec- torate,” she told supporters at her Siparia constituency office. She had held power since May 2010. Official results were ex- pected to be released Tuesday by the Elections and Boundaries Commission. Voting was peaceful in Monday’s election in the twin- island nation. Both sides had pledged to address voter con- cerns about crime, corruption and an economy weakened by falling oil prices in the en- ergy-dependent nation. The two rivals have a sim- ilar ideology and their sup- port base is divided largely along ethnic lines, with people of East Indian descent sup- porting Persad-Bissessar and her People’s Partnership Coalition and those of African descent supporting the People’s National Movement. The two also have traded accusations of corruption, some lobbied by ousted former world soccer offi- cial Jack Warner, who was seeking to recapture a seat in Parliament while fighting ex- tradition to the U.S. on cor- ruption charges. Warner, one of 14 people indicted in the U.S. involving international soccer’s gov- erning body FIFA, appears to have lost his bid for a seat in the Chaguanas East constitu- ency by a large margin. “This is my last hurrah in poli- tics,” the 71-year-old former FIFA vice president said after the vote. Firearms stolen from West Bay home Legally owned fire- arms were stolen from a West Bay home sometime during the day Monday, the Royal Cayman Islands Police reported. RCIPS officers said the residents at the address on Mount Pleasant Road left around 6:30 a.m. Monday and reported the break-in when they returned around 4 p.m. the same day. A shotgun and a .22-cal- iber rifle were taken from the safe where they were stored, according to police. A quantity of ammunition was also taken. Police said it appeared that the guns had been locked in a safe, as required for pri- vate gun owners, but that the burglars managed to locate the keys and open the safe. “The RCIPS would like to remind gun owners to prop- erly secure weapons, and also ensure that the keys to gun safes are also properly secured,” a statement from the department read. CIFEC rEopEnIng postponEd The start of the new school year at Cayman Islands Further Education Centre has been postponed. According to a gov- ernment statement is- sued Tuesday, CIFEC, which was due to reopen Wednesday morning, will remain closed “due to technical difficulties with the timetable.” Officials said par- ents would be informed Wednesday of the new re- opening date. Opposition leader Keith Rowley of the People’s National Movement was expected to become prime minister after his party captured 23 of the 41 seats in Parliament. Keith rowley3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday september 9, 2015 179511_PRINT2-Butterfield-4colx1Page 1 7/23/15 12:53:28 PM More than 100 ready to shave heads for Hannah By Kelsey JuKam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 100 people have signed up to have their heads shaved at the third annual Heroes for Hannah shave event to raise money for childhood cancer research. The fundraiser, inspired by Hannah Meeson, who was diagnosed with a type of brain cancer in 2012, is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday at The Wicket in Cricket Square. Heroes for Hannah is a “Hero Fund” of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, de- scribed as the largest private funder of childhood cancer research in the United States. Among those who have signed up for head shaving are MLAs Winston Connolly and Roy McTaggart, and a team from the Cayman Islands Fire Service who call themselves “The Firebalds” who will shave in uniform in memory of Dimitrie Connor who died of brain cancer in 2013 at age 15. Kids are also signing to take part in the event, in- cluding Matteo Carbini, 9, and Olly Thorpe, 6. Olly will also donate her 9-inch blonde ponytail to Wigs for Kids, a charity that provides wigs and other support to children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, alopecia and other medical issues. On her St. Baldrick’s par- ticipant Web page, Olly has a message about why she is shaving her head and helping her friend Hannah. “Hannah is brave and funny and I like to play with her,” the message reads. “If I shave my hair and people give money then the sci- entists can find a cure or medicine that does not damage the kids so much. And it’s just hair, and mine will grow back.” Olly has raised almost $3,000 and has a goal to raise $5,000. Organizers of the event aim to raise $250,000 this year. Last year’s Heroes for Hannah Shave Event raised nearly $300,000. “We are humbled to see the Cayman community united in the fight against childhood cancer,” Gaylene Meeson, Hannah’s mother, said in a press release. “Hannah has a 5 percent chance of surviving the next five years and in the highly probable event of relapse, there are no known suc- cessful medical trials for us to follow,“ Ms. Meeson said. “All childhood cancers com- bined receive only 4 percent of U.S. federal funding for cancer research, so without vital research funded by or- ganizations like St. Baldrick’s, Hannah and children like her will not survive.” Every dollar raised from the event, which is run by volunteers, supports St. Baldrick’s childhood cancer research grants. Childhood cancer survi- vors in Cayman including Skylar “Mimi” Ebanks, Annabelle Reading, Beau Shields, Tayden Grant and Charli Foster are also in- volved in raising funds for research and awareness. There is no treat- ment available for child- hood cancer in the Cayman Islands, so it is necessary for patients to travel to the U.S. for treatments and checkups. Organizers expect more than 1,000 people to attend the Heroes for Hannah event this year, which will include a silent auction, balloon prize raffles and food and drink specials from the Brasserie. Attendance is free. For more information, visit www.stbaldricks.org/events/ heroesforhannah.Hannah Meeson and Olly Thorpe Police helicoPter tracks down rogue dirt biker Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A police chase through Bodden Town late last week nabbed a dirt bike rider who officers said was speeding while driving an unreg- istered vehicle. According to police, the dirt bike operator failed to stop after blowing past of- ficers who were monitoring traffic in Bodden Town, and then tried to evade officers in the ensuing pursuit. After patrol units on the ground lost the dirt bike rider, the police Air Support Unit tracked the 19-year-old suspect to a Bodden Town home where he was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving without insurance, registration or a certificate of road worthiness. Trouble with dirt bikes being operated illegally and unsafely on Grand Cayman roads has been reported by residents from North Side to West Bay since the start of this year. Most recently, a woman riding as a pillion passenger on a dirt bike was critically injured when the bike collided with an SUV in late July. The 21-year-old man op- erating the dirt bike was also hurt when it collided with a Toyota RAV4 at the entrance of Liberty’s Restaurant on Reverend Blackman Road in West Bay. According to police, the collision occurred when the Toyota’s driver, a 17-year- old female, was turning right into the restaurant car park and the dirt bike, which was heading in the opposite direction, collided with the SUV. The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Wednesday sepTember 9, 2015 • Cayman COmpass “In the lives of nations and of people, there exist singular moments of opportunity, where fortune presents two divergent paths toward very different futures, and where decisions made determine the differ- ence between soaring success and foreseeable failure. “Now is such a moment for the Cayman Islands. It is high tide for our good ship, the time for our leaders to choose whether to follow the new course that has been charted for them, or to remain where we are and recede into global irrelevance.” — Cayman Compass Editorial Board, September 2014 Today we mark the first anniversary of the Cayman Islands government’s publication of the Ernst & Young report on reducing the size, scope and cost of the public sector. Our mood on this occasion is one of solemn remembrance of what could have been, rather than of joyous celebration of arduous but necessary deeds accomplished. Twelve months after the release of the report — when we bestowed “special praise and recognition” upon Premier Alden McLaughlin as “captain of the HMS Cayman,” deserving of his country’s support in his “defining moment” — we look up to see that the public sector has been downsized neither in size nor scope. Throughout the halls of the Government Admin- istration Building, and the myriad of satellite offices scattered across Cayman, the business of government remains “business as usual.” And so here we are, in mid-September 2015, a year older and, perhaps, a year wiser. Rather than ticking off boxes on the list of things that have been accomplished in the past year, we find ourselves referencing “Priority 1 recommendations” from the EY report that represent things our govern- ment has failed to do: • Sell surplus property and establish a real estate investment trust • Outsource Health Services Authority operations • Enter into joint venture between private sector and Cayman Islands National Insurance Company • Spin off the tourist element of the Cayman Turtle Farm • Divest the Water Authority • Improve transparency of operations and strategic benefits of Cayman Airways • Privatize the Postal Service • Sell Radio Cayman • Outsource services provided to various government departments • Restructure or merge Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and General Registry. Of the 14 “Priority 1 recommendations,” the gov- ernment can be said to have made progress (actual or nominal) in maybe four areas: waste disposal and collection (by continuing to commission reports on Cayman’s already well-documented landfill problems); Airports Authority (by pursuing the expansion of the Owen Roberts International Airport); Port Authority (by pursuing the cruise berthing project for George Town harbor); and education (by proposing the new Education Bill which would set up the legal framework for the establishment of U.K.-style academies, known in the U.S. as charter schools). Even in those relatively positive instances, thus far there is little to show in the way of results except for paperwork, which we might be tempted to describe as better than nothing; except that in the absence of action, paperwork is really worse than nothing, after accounting for wasted time and effort. In July 2014, with the publication of the EY report looming on the horizon, this Editorial Board posed the following question: “Does this elected government have the fortitude to challenge the 4,400 Caymanian public servants who comprise the country’s single-largest voting bloc; or will they, like their predecessors, ultimately crumble?” The unfortunate answer, it seems, has become apparent. One year later: Anyone remember the EY report? Putin won in Ukraine Marvin Kalb Special to The Washington Post The war in Ukraine has slipped off the front pages. Eighteen months ago, when Russian President Vladimir Putin seized Crimea and then instigated a pro-Russian re- bellion in the Donbas region, Ukraine was hot news. Putin was roundly denounced, and Russia was hit with dam- aging economic sanctions. East-West relations soured badly, and diplomats won- dered whether they were wit- nessing the beginnings of an- other cold war. Now Ukraine, as a European crisis, has lost its urgency. One reason is the rush of other news, from global economic jitters and the flood of desperate Arab and African migrants to Europe to the preoccupying nuttiness of the U.S. presi- dential campaign. But there is another equally important reason. Putin seems to have won his little war in Ukraine, and his Western critics watch from the sidelines, sputtering with helpless rage. Roughly a year ago, Putin faced one of the biggest de- cisions of his presidency: whether to strike a compro- mise deal with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko or openly commit his troops and tanks to the war. Much to the surprise of many ob- servers, the Ukrainian army and militias seemed a battle away from defeating Putin’s rebels. Putin, facing defeat, doubled-down and ordered his forces to cross the border and turn back the Ukrainian advance. He clearly wanted to prove to Poroshenko and his Western backers that in a war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia would win. Within a few weeks, Putin and Poroshenko reached agreement on a rickety cease- fire, which predictably did not hold. Early this year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel rushed to negotiate another cease-fire, but she knew, as did President Obama, that it depended in large part on whether Poroshenko and his Kiev colleagues would extend recognition to rebel leaders grant them autonomous status within Ukraine. This was and remains a bitter pill for Poroshenko to swallow. He faces violent opposition from right-wing extremists, and he runs a fragile country in serious economic and po- litical trouble. More impor- tant, perhaps, he knows by now that neither Germany nor the United States will fight for Ukraine. Yes, they will offer warm words of support, modest financial and military assistance, of course – but ap- parently little more. In this environment of caution and retreat, Putin has, slowly but surely, “frozen” the conflict, much as he did in 2008 in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Far more than Western leaders, Putin can now in- fluence and, when necessary, control the flow of economic, political and diplomatic de- velopments in Ukraine. For this “victory,” Putin has had to pay a heavy price. His economy has floundered, his reputation has suffered and Russia has experienced a re- turn to domestic disorder and discontent that is real, even spreading. But as yet this has not had any discernible effect on his position within Russia. He seems perfectly capable of retaining his almost dictato- rial grip on political power. I sometimes dream an impossible dream – that somehow we could magi- cally transport Ukraine into Western Europe, where it would prosper as a Western democracy with a vibrant economy. It deserves such a fu- ture. But we cannot. Ukraine will always share a common border with Russia in much the same way that it shares a common culture, language and religion with Russia. For most of its existence, Ukraine has been a part of Russia, sep- arating itself as an indepen- dent nation only in 1991, when the Soviet Union disintegrated. Ukraine lives uncomfortably in Russia’s “near abroad,” its backyard, its “sphere of influ- ence.” Whether we like it or not, Russia is the dominant power in Eastern Europe, and no so- lution to the current crisis can realistically emerge unless and until Russia and Ukraine work out an acceptable modus vi- vendi between them. Putin’s attitude toward Ukraine is similar to that of other Russian leaders. He is not breaking new ground. His definition of nirvana is a Slavic confederation con- sisting of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine – all, as he puts it, “historically Russian land.” Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, he labels “the mother of all Russian cities,” and he speaks of the “aspiration of the Russians, of historical Russia … of ancient Rus,” as Russia and Ukraine bound together by a common history of more than a thousand years. Putin can tolerate an in- dependent Ukraine so long as it is “friendly” to Russian na- tional interests, and, as any good despot, he trusts only himself to define this friend- ship. Down the road, he has hinted that he would like to convene a Yalta-type confer- ence, at which he and other world leaders would re- draw the map of post-1991 Europe. It’s not a very likely possibility, but Putin thinks he has time. He has Ukraine squirming in the palm of his hand, and he sees his Western adversaries as weak, divided, corrupt and, maybe, in this circumstance, ready to strike a deal to his liking. The writer is senior adviser at the Pulitzer Center and a fellow at the Brookings Institution. His book “Imperial Gamble: Putin, Ukraine and the New Cold War” will be published this month. © 2015, Washington Post In this environment of caution and retreat, Putin has, slowly but surely, “frozen” the conflict, much as he did in 2008 in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday september 9, 2015 Professor weighs key health issues relative to Cayman By Kelsey Jukam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands is among the world leaders when it comes to women’s health in some measures, ac- cording to Dr. Irene Jillson of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., but the ter- ritory seriously lags in others. Dr. Jillson, an assistant professor, noted in a lecture hosted by the Business and Professional Women’s Club in Cayman, that Caymanian women live 83.8 years on average – more than a decade longer than the global average. But as other data pre- sented by Dr. Jillson sug- gests, Cayman still has a long way to go in improving the quality of women’s lives, es- pecially when it comes to the health of adolescent girls. “Girls are being bullied, there’s some kind of phys- ical violence towards them, they’re drinking,” Dr. Jillson said. “There are all kinds of things here that are hap- pening … [that are] not being addressed.” Dr. Jillson, who has taught courses in global health sys- tems and research and has conducted extensive policy re- search in Latin America, the Caribbean and in other parts of the world, discussed global health indicators – health statistics – and contrasted those with data about health in the Cayman Islands during Monday’s lecture. “Your health indicators are actually much better, the key indicators are much better, than those globally,” Dr. Jillson said, although she noted that the rate of dia- betes in the Cayman Islands is much higher than regional and global rates. While maternal health, re- productive health and HIV are three of the top 10 issues in women’s health that many countries struggle with, ma- ternal mortality, infant mor- tality and the HIV rates are all quite low in Cayman, she said. She also praised Cayman’s vaccination policy. Narrowing her focus to adolescent health, however, Dr. Jillson found some data on youth in the Cayman Islands “very disturbing.” She was surprised, for in- stance, at the numbers she found relating to how much boys and girls under the age of 18 are drinking. She cited a 2007 study by the World Health Organization in collabora- tion with the United Nations and the Centers for Disease Control, which surveyed more than 1,000 students in the Cayman Islands. Twenty- seven percent of boys and 27.9 percent of girls ages 13 to 15 reported that they had drunk so much alcohol that they were really drunk at least once in their life. “This is disturbing be- cause I know these data from many countries,” Dr. Jillson said. “Globally, there are usually rather signifi- cant differences between boys and girls.” Dr. Jillson also noted the high number of girls who reported being bullied or physically attacked. But she said she was especially “stunned” by the number of girls who reported that they had contemplated suicide. In the same World Health Organization survey, 25.5 per- cent of female respondents compared to 13.2 percent of male respondents reported that they had seriously con- sidered attempting suicide during the past 12 months. “This actually made me teary-eyed,” Dr. Jillson said. According to more recent studies, like the Adolescent Health and Sexuality survey conducted in the Cayman Islands in 2012, the number of students contemplating suicide is even higher than the figures quoted during Dr. Jillson’s lecture. That survey found that 30.7 percent of girls and 14.2 percent of boys had contemplated suicide within the past 30 days. Other data in the 2012 study was not broken down by gender, and Dr. Jillson said she is “concerned about the tone of at least some of [that] report.” The quality and avail- ability of health data in the Cayman Islands was an- other area of focus for Dr. Jillson’s lecture. “In reading the data from Cayman, I was really con- cerned,” Dr. Jillson said. “I re- ally think you need to push for accurate, up-to-date, decision- relevant data. What do I mean by decision-relevant data? I can find almost no disaggre- gation in your data and what we know is that the clearer the data, the better you’re able to make the decisions about targeted programs or actions.” She said it was difficult for her to find any data about cancer or death rates by con- dition, and that available data on drug abuse lacked “speci- ficity and clarity.” She also said that Cayman’s National Health Policy and Strategic Plan is “very general.” “Let me just tell you the words that are not in that document,” Dr. Jillson said. “Women, gender, adoles- cence, alcohol, drug abuse, STDs – I could find al- most nothing about STDs, which is disturbing, because let me tell you, when you have high levels of kids en- gaging in binge drinking, you have STDs.” She encouraged mem- bers of the Business and Professional Women’s Club to play a key role in con- structing the next strategic health plan, and to encourage policymakers to focus on get- ting more and better data. BPW President Andrea Williams said, “We learned so much from Dr. Jillson and we hope to take what we’ve learned and make a difference in these issues af- fecting women’s health in the Cayman Islands.” Susan Watling, who at- tended the lecture and who serves on the Health Committee of BPW, said Dr. Jillson’s words are “triggering so much creativity already,” as members were already cir- culating emails on Monday afternoon about ways to ad- dress some of the health and data issues discussed. “Dr. Jillson came in at a very good time because she’s an igniter for all of us in terms of making the next steps to improve health and wellness better in the Cayman Islands,” Ms. Watling said. Dr. Jillson teaches in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, the School of Medicine and the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Dr. Irene Jillson, center, who gave a lecture on women’s health issues to the Business and Professional Women’s Club, with club members, from left, Andrea Williams, Rachel Gaunt, Susan Watling and Alyssa Christian. - Photo: Kelsey JuKam6 LOCAL NEWS Wednesday september 9, 2015 • Cayman Compass 926-7368 Based on my research now is a great time to invest in Cayman real estate. The market is HOT, so why wait? You should call my dad as he is good at what he does and can help you nd that special home or investment property! Call Lisa 327-9931 lisa@rainbow.ky Member CIREBAMember CIREBA LISA’S LISTINGS TROPIC CENTRE SMB OFFICE Second Floor CI $1350 NOW COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR RENT SMITH ROAD CENTRE 1st Class Hurricane Building Executive O ce Suites 800 to 15,000 Square Feet 24/7 Stand By Generator CCTV & On-Site Security. Lowest Rental Rates for GT. 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By integrating Safety, Aesthetics, E ciency & Ergonomics into your designs we ensure lower long and short-term costs. • CONSULTING • MEP DESIGN • ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION • EMERGENCY AND BACK/UP POWER • QUALITY ASSURANCE & CONTROL • SERVICE CONTRACTS SURGE PROTECTED POWER BARS Electrical Services “Right from the start” Unit B11, Kingbird Warehouses Kingbird Dr, Industrial Park Tel: 345-945-1108 Cell: 345-926-1108 darsco@candw.ky www.darsco.com Up to 8 outlets and 10 feet long Ideal for House, O ce or Job-Site These are two of our Satis ed Hospitality Customers DARSCO acted as Consultant, Designer and Contractor for both customers Darsco Cayman Like us on Facebook NEW STOCK We helped set a construction record of 98 days Students explore medical field at Health City camp Nineteen students be- tween the ages of 12 and 14 took part in Healthcare Explorers Day Camp, hosted last month by Health City Cayman Islands. The free camp, which gave local youth the oppor- tunity to get a behind-the- scenes look at the East End hospital and a preview of a career in healthcare, was held on Aug. 20. “It’s important to en- courage our youth here in the Cayman Islands to consider medicine as a career choice. At Health City, we pride our- selves on career development and continued learning and skill enhancement, so a day like the Healthcare Explorers Day Camp is very close to our hearts,” Dr. Chandy Abraham, Health City’s facility director and head of medical services, said in a press release. Dr. Irka Ebanks, a Caymanian doctor at Health City, opened the event with a discussion of her medical career path. MLA Winston Connolly also spoke to the students about healthcare as a career choice and discussed the government’s plans to as- sist more Caymanians in the medical field. The students also met with a speciality doctor in a field of their choice. Several students also won prizes donated by the Cayman Turtle Farm and Dolphin Discovery. Health City plans to make the day camp an annual event, as “the day was a huge success,” according to the press statement. Gene Thompson, Health City project director and the sponsor of the program, spoke to students at the end of the day, encouraging them to continue to study hard. “These are our future doctors, so it is important to nurture their interest,” Mr. Thompson said in the press release. “As I said to the students, hopefully in the years to come, some of them will be here, prac- ticing medicine at Health City, telling other students about their career path to becoming a surgeon.” Health City also hosted 23 college and high school se- niors in a two-week intern- ship program this summer.Students are given a tour of the Health City facilities. Enterprise City gives office space to marine institute Will enable enhancement of outreach, partnerships Cayman Enterprise City has donated free zone of- fice space to the Central Caribbean Marine Institute. The nonprofit organization conducts research and edu- cation programs at its Little Cayman Research Centre, where the institute studies local and global issues such as the impact of climate change, biodiversity, and local human actions on coral reef resilience. While the Little Cayman station supports this re- search and offers educa- tion programs to hundreds of local children each year, the group says a home of- fice in Grand Cayman will allow for the expansion of its community outreach and local partnerships. “This is incredibly gen- erous of CEC. We are a non- profit organization with a modest budget, and gifts like this have a tremendous impact on our capacity to share and grow our work,” said Denise Clegg, CCMI di- rector of advancement. “We are thrilled to create a home base on Grand Cayman, to expand our outreach to local schools and businesses. We know that Caymanian chil- dren are the future stewards of our precious marine en- vironment, a resource that we all love, and that makes the Cayman Islands such a thriving community and des- tination for visitors.” CCMI’s educational pro- grams aim to give students a better understanding of critical issues facing ma- rine ecosystems, and to im- prove community apprecia- tion and understanding of conservation. In recent years the organization has been in- volved in coral nurseries and studying the resilience of endangered corals. “The work that CCMI does is obviously good for Cayman and for the ma- rine environment gener- ally – and their education outreach teaches Cayman’s youth about the importance of preserving Cayman’s ma- rine environment for this and future generations. As CEC has launched the Cayman Maritime Services Park and begins to work with busi- nesses in the maritime sector, we feel this partnership with CCMI is timely,” said Charlie Kirkconnell, CEO for CEC. CCMI plans to move into Cayman Enterprise City this month. Ms. Clegg and CCMI staff will be there part time to expand their outreach during the new school year. “This is perfect timing,” she said. Charlie Kirkconnell, CEO of Cayman Enterprise City, Denise Clegg, director of advancement for CCMI, and Brittainy Slade, outreach and development coordinator for CCMI.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Wednesday september 9, 2015 whether the government will move forward with a pro- posed data protection re- gime, which would fall under the information com- missioner, or a police com- plaints commission, which could be placed under the complaints commissioner. “The idea at a very high level is to merge these of- fices to where they’ll be in one location, hope- fully cross-training staff to where we can have a more efficient service,” Mr. Manderson said. The move has been op- posed by Acting Information Commissioner Jan Liebaers and former Complaints Commissioner Nicola Williams. Independent law- makers Arden McLean and Ezzard Miller have also voiced their opposition to the plan, stating that the merger would compromise the independence and integ- rity of the offices. Former Information Commissioner Jennifer Dilbert has also spoken out about the merger, stating it appeared to be unfeasible and that it would not lead to any cost savings, since only 10 employees currently work in the two offices. “Certainly, we will not go down this road if we felt the independence of these of- fices will be compromised,” Mr. Manderson said. “On the contrary, we feel that it could be enhanced.” Premier McLaughlin was contacted for com- ment regarding the proposed merger; his office indicated he would make a statement “in due course.” Communications merger The EY report recom- mended selling government- owned broadcaster Radio Cayman, but that pro- posal was rejected by Mr. McLaughlin’s government. Instead, lawmakers said they wished to proceed with a merger of the radio sta- tion, government’s television channel and Government Information Services. Last spring, a number of private sector entities, including Cayman Islands media professionals, met with U.K. consultants to discuss the proposed merger. A report was ex- pected from those consulta- tions, but to date no report has been made public. The merger could affect some of the 35 employees who work for the three de- partments, but statements from the premier earlier this year seemed to leave in question whether the merger would happen. Radio Cayman and Government Information Services, which includes the operation of the gov- ernment-owned television channel, CIG-TV, each re- ceive about $1 million in annual subsidies, according to figures projected in the 2015/16 budget. Public utilities A bill to create the Cayman Islands Public Utilities Commission is ex- pected to come before the Legislative Assembly in the fall. The creation of such an all-in-one regulator was rec- ommended by the EY consul- tant report. A draft of the legislation has not been made public. The Public Utilities Commission is proposed to be the regulator of all local utility industries, including electric, telecommunications and water. It would also seek greater regulation of gas prices by requiring oil com- panies to provide their oper- ating costs and fuel markups to government. Government Planning and Infrastructure Minister Kurt Tibbetts has acknowledged there will be a number of is- sues involved in setting up the commission, aside from those dealing with oil prices. For instance, depending on how the entity is set up, the Water Authority, Cayman – which is owned and operated by government – could end up becoming the “regulator” of its competition, Cayman Water Company, which serves Seven Mile Beach and West Bay. Also, there are the standard difficulties of what to do with current regulatory bodies, such as the Electricity Regulatory Authority or the Information and Communications Technology Authority, if all are to be folded into one commission. To assist in amalgamating all the regulatory functions, Mr. Tibbetts’s ministry has hired a consultant on a three- month contract to “develop the framework” for the Public Utilities Commission. The Public Utilities Bill would likely serve as “um- brella legislation” that guides each regulatory agency in its work, Mr. Tibbetts said. ‘Surplus’ land sale The government has indi- cated it will pursue this op- tion in the EY report, but that a sale of surplus land will earn the public sector far less than the potential figure stated by the accounting firm. Premier McLaughlin’s of- fice said the expected value of surplus land sales was “in the region” of $8 million to $10 million. The EY consultants report advised government to sell $65 million worth of surplus properties by the end of 2015. The premier said all lands considered for sale were viewed as “non-strategic” by the government, meaning the Crown had no particular purpose identified for them in either short-term or long- range plans. Properties in- volved in the sale were lo- cated in all districts in the Cayman Islands, and a busi- ness case for the sale was being developed, the premier said. Public tendering would begin for sale of the lands when that process was com- pleted, he added. The identification of properties to be sold was done following a review by the government Lands and Survey Department. Retirement age A recommendation to raise Cayman’s retirement age has been accepted and is being acted upon in draft leg- islation that was earmarked to go to the Legislative Assembly later this year. The proposed Labour Relations Bill, 2015, which could be considered by law- makers at the next assembly meeting in October, seeks to raise the retirement age for private sector workers from 60 to 65. Although the legis- lation does not directly af- fect civil servants, whose employment is governed under a different law, it is presumed the civil service will follow suit. However, the local busi- ness community has raised concerns regarding a number of other provisions in the new labor bill. The concerns expressed by the business community are not related to the proposal to raise the re- tirement age. Cayman Brac schools The recommendation to merge three primary school campuses in Cayman Brac has not been acted on, ac- cording to Brac officials. “To the best of my knowl- edge, and I’m here on the ground, that has not hap- pened,” Brac District Commissioner Ernie Scott said. The initial proposal was to consolidate West End Primary with the Spot Bay and Creek Bay primary schools in an effort to re- duce administrative and operating costs. EY reform plan: One year later The reforms were based on a $155,000 consultant report done by the Ernst & Young accounting firm. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Wednesday september 9, 2015 • Cayman Compass On Literacy Day, minister cites local issues Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Education Minister Tara Rivers, marking International Literacy Day on Tuesday, said that de- spite recent improvements in literacy for Cayman stu- dents, there are still stu- dents leaving school without the reading and writing skills they need for the modern workplace. In a similar statement last year, the minister said the number of Year 11 stu- dents who received a Level 2 pass in English went from 59 percent in 2011 to 70 percent in 2014. A new strategic plan for government schools aims to have 85 percent of students reading on level in Year 1 by the end of this school year. By 2020 the goal is to have all students leaving Year 2 reading and writing on level, according to a separate statement from Ms. Rivers. “There still remains a segment of students who leave our schools without obtaining the literacy levels they require to contribute fully to the development and sustainability of our so- ciety,” Ms. Rivers said in the written statement this week. She writes that the new 2015-2019 Cayman Islands Teaching and Learning Strategy puts the initial focus on literacy. She notes, “Improving literacy stan- dards continues to be one of the highest priorities for the Cayman Islands Education System, as literacy under- pins the life-skills of all in- dividuals in our community.” Ms. Rivers continues, “Literacy enables all of us to create sustainable soci- eties, allowing for lifelong learning which enables in- dividuals to make choices that promote economic growth through employ- ment, gender equality, and social development.” The theme for this year’s International Literacy Day, a program from the United Nations, is “literacy and sustainable society.” At the opening ceremony for the two-day literacy conference in Paris, UNESCO’s Qian Tan, assistant director general for education, said Tuesday that there are more than 750 million people around the world without basic lit- eracy, two thirds of whom are women. “Without literacy,” he said, “an equitable and sustainable society cannot be realized.” In Cayman, Ms. Rivers said, the theme for the year “demonstrates the in- terconnectedness of lit- eracy learning and the implications it has on de- veloping sustainable soci- eties in our home here in the Cayman Islands and across the world.” In her welcome mes- sage to teachers this year, the education minister said, “Literacy is the building block, the foundation, for all other learning.” In the prepared state- ment, Ms. Rivers said, “We know that there still re- mains a segment of students who leave compulsory edu- cation at the end of Year 12 without obtaining the lit- eracy and numeracy skills they require to be successful in life. This reality has be- come even more evident in the wake of the baseline in- spection reports.” Government schools have a partnership with the Rotary Sunrise off- shoot LIFE program – an acronym for “Literacy is for Everyone,” – to tap vol- unteers to help kids catch up on their reading skills and work with adults to improve literacy. said the association was seeking to hire a full-time general secretary and an- other office staffer, with Donovon Kellyman now scheduled to leave at the end of September. “We would like to offi- cially thank Mark Scotland and Paul Macey for their many years of service to football as CIFA Executive Members and wish them all the best for the future,” he wrote to clubs. Mr. Blake confirmed he has stepped down from his job at Maples and Calder and is cur- rently assisting in the CIFA offices. “Please note that my time with CIFA is purely voluntary, as always, and that I will not be get- ting paid or compensated in any way,” he wrote in the memo. Government pulled its $130,000 annual funding to the football association last month, citing con- cerns about the election process for the leadership of the organization. In a separate development, CIFA’s accounts were later referred to the Anti- Corruption Commission. Scotland steps down from CIFA made it to Munich, where there is an organized pro- gram for handling refugees. In Turkey, which is not part of the European Union, the situation is very different. Much of the responsibility for handling the refugees streaming across the border from Syria falls to the chari- table sector. Hundreds of thousands live in camps on the border. Many more live under the radar in large cities like Istanbul, where they are safe but have little access to work or education. Mr. Todd worked with Small Projects Istanbul. Money raised by the teacher has helped the charity rent a building which has been transformed into a community center for Syrian families. “The donations in Cayman have been used to pay rent on the center for the next year and to refurbish it,” he said. The center includes class- rooms and preschool fa- cilities for young children and will also host English and Turkish lessons for adult refugees. Of the 4 million refu- gees who have fled Syria, 1.4 million are currently in Turkey. For many, it is a staging post to reach other parts of Europe. “Most of them want to go back to Syria, but they know that is not likely to be possible for several years. So they are trying to get to Germany or Sweden or the U.K. because these countries have proper programs for re- settlement and amalgama- tion,” Mr. Todd said. “The people I met were ordinary people. In Syria they had their lives, they were shopkeepers, factory workers and businesspeople. Then suddenly everything changes and it becomes a struggle for survival.” Some left Syria because their homes were bombed, some because their towns were taken over by the Islamic State terror group, others wanted to avoid being called up to fight in the army of Bashar al-Assad, the nom- inal president of Syria who now controls just a third of the country. The conflict is messy, with various rebel groups fighting Assad’s forces and each other, while ISIS con- tinues to take over large swathes of territory, estab- lishing a fundamentalist Islamic state. In the border areas with Syria where Mr. Todd trav- eled to bring supplies to a primary school for refugee children, he found an illus- tration of how muddled the conflict has become. “We met a group of guys who were running a café in a border town. They used to be freedom fighters against Assad. They said they stopped fighting be- cause they didn’t know anymore who they were fighting against and they didn’t want to be killed themselves by people who didn’t know who they were fighting or why.” Mr. Todd, also a church member at St. Ignatius, said the church had made sizable donations to help the chari- ties he was working with. He said the trip and the donations were possible because of the support of John Gray High School, St. Ignatius, Fidel Murphy’s, Sports Port and Advantage Graphics, which had donated time, money or services. Teacher’s mission supports Syrian refugees Donations from people in Cayman helped pay for school supplies and the rent and refurbishment of a community center for Syrian refugees. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Freddie Gray’s family settles with Baltimore for $6.4 million BALTIMORE (AP) – The par- ents of Freddie Gray reached a tentative $6.4 million set- tlement with the city of Baltimore, nearly five months after their 25-year-old son was critically injured in po- lice custody, sparking days of protests and rioting. The deal, announced Tuesday, appeared to be among the largest settle- ments in police death cases in recent years and happened just days before a judge is set to decide whether to move a trial for six officers charged in Gray’s death. Gray’s spine was injured April 12 in the back of a pris- oner transport van after he was arrested. Gray, a 25-year- old black man, died at the hos- pital a week later. In the after- math, Gray became a symbol of the contentious relation- ship between the police and the public in Baltimore, as well as the treatment of black men by police in America. The settlement still needs the approval of a board that oversees city spending. That board will meet Wednesday morning. “The proposed settlement agreement going before the Board of Estimates should not be interpreted as a judg- ment on the guilt or innocence of the officers facing trial,” Mayor Stephanie Rawlings- Blake said in a news release. “This settlement is being pro- posed solely because it is in the best interest of the city, and avoids costly and pro- tracted litigation that would only make it more difficult for our city to heal and po- tentially cost taxpayers many millions more in damages.” Rawlings-Blake refused to comment further on Tuesday at an unrelated news conference. The settlement does not resolve any factual disputes, and expressly does not con- stitute an admission of lia- bility on the part of the city, its police department or any of the officers. The settlement has nothing whatsoever to do with the criminal proceed- ings, the press release said. In July, New York City set- tled for $5.9 million with the family of Eric Garner, an un- armed black man who died after being put in a white po- lice officer’s chokehold. The city of Chicago settled in 2001 a wrongful death law- suit by the family of LaTanya Haggerty, who was shot to death by police, for $18 million.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Wednesday september 9, 2015 Sandstorm sweeps Middle East An unseasonal sandstorm swept across the Middle East on Tuesday, blanketing Lebanon and Syria, causing the deaths of at least five people and sending hundreds of others to hospitals with breathing difficulties, officials said. We Buy Gold!We Buy Gold! Cash For Gold Silver, Coins and Broken Jewelry Cash Paid on the Spot! Call 927-8565 Cash For Gold • Shedden Road DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED? #1 Alexander Place • Dorcy Drive, GT 926-5425 caymankarateacademy@gmail.com www.caymankarateacademy.com 4 Weeks of Karate for $69 including Uniform BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL Germany open to 500,000 refugees each year as crisis grows BERLIN – A top German of- ficial said his country could take half a million refugees a year “for several years,” even as some critics ques- tioned Tuesday whether gen- erous asylum policies serve to entice more migrants to make the dangerous trek for Western Europe. “I believe we could surely deal with something in the order of half a mil- lion for several years,” Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel told broadcaster ZDF late Monday night. He spoke amid signs that the migrant flow – many from war-battered Iraq and Syria – is only escalating amid a humanitarian crisis that has sharply tested European cooperation and fundamental policies such as open borders. Hungarian authorities on Tuesday began busing weary migrants and refugees to a nearby registration center, defusing some tensions at Hungary’s southern border with Serbia. But the human tide hardly ebbed, with a steady stream of people seen trying to approach Hungary, their gateway into the European Union. Hungary has made frantic and confused efforts to con- trol the huge number of mi- grants transiting the country as they try to reach Germany, leaving many trapped for days outside the border vil- lage of Roszke and furious at their treatment by Hungarian authorities. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced fresh efforts to complete a fence to keep the refugees out. The U.N. refugee agency, meanwhile, said it is con- cerned about the lack of proper reception facilities in the border area and that hu- manitarian aid needs to be stepped up there. A ship crammed with thousands of migrants docked in the Greek port of Piraeus near Athens. Greek authorities, meanwhile, rushed to send help to the is- land of Lesbos off the Turkish coast, where 20,000 migrants have been growing increas- ingly frustrated by the long wait in squalid conditions for a ferry to the mainland. Further up the route trav- eled by the majority of mi- grants entering the conti- nent, a record 7,000 Syrians reached the Greek border with Macedonia, the U.N. refugee agency reported Tuesday. Greek television broadcast chaotic scenes as migrants struggled to cross And on the border be- tween Hungary and Serbia, migrants slept in an open field after clashing with police the day before. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who ousted his defense minister late Monday over a missed deadline for building a border fence, told the newspaper Magyar Idok that the government would speed up construction. Gabriel said that other European nations needed to do more to address the crisis, even as Britain and France – two nations criticized for not doing enough – pledged to take in tens of thousands of asylum seekers. Germany – the nation taking in the lion’s share, an estimated 800,000 by year’s end – has continued to lead the way. The govern- ment pledged Monday to hire 3,000 more police offi- cers and spend $6.7 billion more to address the crisis, in- cluding emergency housing for 150,000 people. Yet even as German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her nation should be “proud” of its response, other European leaders and domestic critics blamed Germany – as well as simi- larly generous nations such as Sweden – for offering ben- efits so lucrative that they had become an incentive for asylum seekers to risk their lives over land and sea. Germany responded to the criticism Monday by an- nouncing a reduction in cash handouts for asylum seekers during their initial months of processing, instead saying it would offer them more food stamps and in-kind aid. Berlin also said it would push to have western Balkan countries such as Kosovo de- clared “safe” in a bid to weed out the many thousands of migrants now claiming asylum from countries not at war. The German maneuvers reflected the complex nature of Europe’s migrant crisis, in which desperate Syrians and Iraqis are searching for sanc- tuary in the wealthy coun- tries of Europe’s core along with a host of economic mi- grants pouring in from coun- tries as far-flung as Pakistan and Bangladesh. “We want to reduce the number of pull factors, and I think it’s a big step for- ward that we have consensus in our government to reduce the monetary benefits for those seeking asylum,” said Stephan Mayer, a German na- tional lawmaker and home affairs spokesman for the Christian Social Union, part of Merkel’s ruling coalition. In the crowded refugee centers across this nation of 81 million people, asylum seekers have conceded that they have come to Germany because it is doing more to help than other nations in the region. Mohammed Mazher Alkilany, 28, a former PR con- sultant for the Damascus tourism board who is living in a temporary shelter in east Berlin, said his family of three is living on 233 euros a month provided by the gov- ernment – a sum he described as too little to cover the cost of warm clothes and blankets for the coming winter. But they are also living in free temporary housing in a building outfitted with a playground and rooms with shared kitchens, bathrooms and washing machines. He insisted, though, that he did not come to Germany simply for its generous benefits. “I came here because Germany is safe; there is no war,” he said. “Germany is the best in Europe. France is no good, you cannot get lan- guage classes there, but in Germany you can learn the language for free.” Although Sweden is of- fering similar aid, he said it was “too far away, it is very cold, and it is always night there.” A few European nations have been willing to set up operations to legally and safely bring, for example, Syrian refugees directly from bordering nations such as Turkey and Lebanon. But they have put strict limits on numbers, with all 28 EU na- tions offering just over 53,000 such spots since 2013, ac- cording to U.N. figures. That is a drop in the ocean com- pared with the more than 4 million Syrian refugees. Instead, European nations have preferred to deal with asylum seekers only at the point when they are politi- cally forced to – after the ref- ugees physically cross their borders. Analysts say that a shift in policy would reduce the incentives to make the perilous voyage to Europe’s shores but that there was little political support for such an effort. British Prime Minister David Cameron announced Monday that Britain would resettle 20,000 Syrian refu- gees directly from the Middle East over the next five years – a figure equal to the number of asylum seekers Germany took in over the weekend. Cameron, however, said Britain was nevertheless acting with “head and heart” by accepting refugees only from camps around the Syrian border, while seem- ingly taking a jab at nations such as Germany for en- couraging illegal trips by ac- cepting so many. “We want to encourage people not to make that dan- gerous crossing in the first place,” Cameron said. Up to now, Britain has resettled only 216 Syrian refugees through its government program. © 2015, The Washington Post Gabriel said that other European nations needed to do more to address the crisis, even as Britain and France – two nations criticized for not doing enough – pledged to take in tens of thousands of asylum seekers. Young refugees arrive at the main train station in Munich, Germany on Monday. - Photos: APNext >