April 15, 2025 • 45 mins
In this episode, Anthea McLaughlin from the Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance helps to reshape our understanding of disaster relief and philanthropy across the Caribbean's 22 nations. Together they explore how strategic, year-round support builds stronger communities that can withstand increasingly severe climate events.
- Caribbean philanthropy isn't just for wealthy donors but is deeply embedded in community practices
- The disaster cycle requires attention before, during and after hurricanes through mitigation, preparation and recovery
- Organizations like CDEMA coordinate regional disaster response while civil society organizations implement on the ground
- Women are particularly vulnerable during disasters yet lead many community resilience efforts
- Mental health support is critically overlooked in disaster response but essential for long-term recovery
- The diaspora can have greater impact by pooling resources through trusted organizations
- Supporting Caribbean resilience creates a "multiplier effect" that strengthens global networks
- Building relationships with trusted organizations ensures donations reach intended communities
Resources Mentioned:
- Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance - https://cariphilalliance.org/
- Kerry-Ann's commentary on Caribbean Disaster Relief
- The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)
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- Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode
of Carry On Friends theCaribbean American experience.
And I am excited yes, I say itevery time but I'm really
excited when I'm talking to myfellow Caribbeans about topics
that are of interest to me, tothem and really benefits all of
us, and this is a topic that Iam excited to get into.
(00:23):
But before we get into thetopic, welcome to the podcast
Amthea.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Thank you.
Thank you, I'm well, very, verywell.
I'm good to be here on apodcast with the Caribbean
sister that's leading the wayand talking about important
topics that matter to Caribbeanpeople and to the diaspora and
to the world.
So thank you so much for havingme.
It's a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Thank.
Thank you so much for having me.
It's a pleasure, thank you,thank you for being here.
So why don't we tell thecommunity of friends a little
bit about who you are, caribbeancountry you represent, and
about the work that you do?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Okay, so I'm Thea McLaughlin, caribbean sister.
My journey is shaped by myCaribbean heritage.
I would say my experiences aremultifaceted and multi-country.
My years have been spentworking in New York City, where
I spent a lion's, I would saythat my early years I saw the
(01:29):
power of community-driven givingin my life, whether through
informal support networks thatwe all are familiar with as
Caribbean women are living in aCaribbean family, living in a
Caribbean community, seeingchurches, local leaders stepping
up to the plate.
But my time in New York City, Ithink, was a time where my
(01:52):
approach to philanthropy wasmostly defined.
There Spent time, many years, Iwon't say I hate to say the
number, but it's over 17 yearsin New York City working in a
public-private initiative andthere, as you know, working in
New York City, you see a lot ofthings, but it's a city of
immigrants again.
You see resilience, you seeinnovation there, right in front
(02:16):
of you, but you also see issuesof inequality when you're there
, and so most of my time in myprofessional career, working in
the child welfare system inparticular, I saw a lot of
inequities there and that sortof mobilized me and pushed me to
think more strategically abouthow do I help people.
In what ways do I help people?
And so my work has focused oneducation education reform, in
(02:41):
particular, early care andeducation.
Education reform, in particular, early care and education.
Spending time looking atunder-resourced communities and
how young children and familiescan access the early care and
education system, in particular,child welfare and youth, is
something that was near and dearto my heart.
We saw children.
When I was there in the earlyyears it was 84,000 children in
(03:04):
foster care.
Now we're down to 15,000.
And I can say that myorganization played a
significant part in making thathappen and making sure that our
children actually got realignedand spent their time mostly
close to their communities wherethey were from.
And I would also say that youknow, in terms of workforce
(03:45):
development issues, that was abig piece looking at ways in
which you know families couldactually access financial
institutions and to get supportfor their livelihoods and get
the same time.
I recognize that you know, inthe philanthropic system,
whether within New York City,united States and even if you
look at the UK in particularnever worked in the UK, but you
know there is very much strongconnections there in the
Caribbean that funding wasreally not driven necessarily by
community, but by donorpriorities.
Even there in the United States,and if you come here in the
(04:07):
Caribbean, you know we alsostruggle with the same issues,
and so I know that theimportance of inclusion is
important.
Having locally led decisionmaking and actions are also
important, and the mostimportant of all, as we all know
, is trust, building trust inthe system.
You know, philanthropy issomething that is dear to my
(04:30):
heart, and I look forward toseeing a system that works on
behalf of families and childrencommunities all over the world,
and that we have a globalphilanthropy system that can
support the Caribbeanholistically, intentionally and
strategically, and that they getto see and experience the
Caribbean the way I experienceit, which is full of opportunity
(04:53):
and innovation right here, andwe just need to figure out how
we can harness philanthropy tobring out all of that in the
Caribbean, Anthea, as you weretalking, I was like wait, I look
like I have to bring Antheaback on one, two, three, four,
five other topics.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
But, for right now.
You didn't mention the name ofthe organization you are
associated with.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Oh, caribbean Philanthropic Alliance.
Oh, my goodness.
So yeah.
So now all my experience hastaken me right to Caribbean
Philanthropic Alliance, where Iworked.
I was there as a board member.
It started in 2019.
And here I'm now leading thecharge at the alliance to bring
it to life in a real way whereit impacts the communities
(05:38):
across 22 countries.
And so, within the Caribbean,we're reshaping philanthropy as
we know it, making sure thatit's not a reactive response to
crisis but a long-term strategictool to resiliency and to
empowerment, and that, you know,the work of philanthropy is
something that people wouldunderstand, that it's not
(05:59):
something that is separate andapart for them.
When we think aboutphilanthropy, sometimes you
think about it's all the way upthere in the ivory tower, and
when we look at the history ofthe Caribbean in terms of
philanthropy, we've always beenphilanthropists in our
communities.
It's just a narrative that wehave to understand and embrace
and make it strategic andintentional, and so I'm here now
(06:22):
to make that happen within thecontext of this organization,
the Caribbean PhilanthropicAlliance.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
You're so right.
You know philanthropy is such abig and bougie word, you know.
But you know every day.
You know community neighbors.
We practice philanthropy, youknow, especially when I saw it
growing up.
I saw it every day.
Now let's go back and let'stalk a little bit about the
mandate.
You know your experiencecovered a wide breadth of things
(06:51):
that you would have done in theNew York.
So what specifically does theCaribbean Philanthropic Alliance
cover and how do you engagepeople in the region and in the
diaspora?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Okay, so Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance covers so
many areas, all areas thatimpact children and family and
communities' lives.
So when we talk about CaribbeanPhilanthropic Alliance, we talk
about it as a space that istransforming philanthropy.
A space that is transformingphilanthropy and so that the
(07:29):
resources that are in existencewithin the Caribbean and
globally are equitable.
And so it's important thatphilanthropic resources reach
the people that it deserves toreach and that it reaches the
communities and families in need.
So that's important.
In an equitable way.
We talk about it in terms ofshifting the narrative.
We want to make the case thatthe Caribbean is not just a
(07:49):
recipient of aid, but a hub ofinnovation and resilience, the
solutions that's key.
We are mobilizing the diaspora.
That's important as well.
Caribbean diaspora is a globaleconomic force and by engaging
the diaspora, it's importantthat we understand who they are.
But where we see it, thediaspora is a self-sustaining
(08:13):
network that we need to tap intoand we need to engage and
support.
And, of course, bridging theglobal philanthropic community
is important as well.
We spend time working withinternational funders, national
development banks, impactinvestors to align resources
within the Caribbean.
So it's really positioning theCaribbean as a strategic
(08:34):
investment opportunity in theglobal philanthropic space.
So we spend time there and, ofcourse, you know, in terms of
our mission in particular, it'sall about empowering Caribbean
communities and making themself-sufficient.
So you know, to do that, wehave to move our philanthropy
into the spaces of education andentrepreneurship and capacity
(08:57):
building so that our communities, they can thrive on their own
terms is what I would say andthe other diaspora is there to
provide the connections into thespace as well.
Caribbean philanthropy has fourparticular areas, so one is
really as well, when we talkabout philanthropy and you talk
(09:19):
about that, the high towerreality that the people see it
as a way and separate from them.
One of the things that we'redoing at Caribbean Philanthropic
Alliance is creating acommunity within the
philanthropic community withinthe Caribbean, and we're doing
it by convening philanthropy and, as you know, we're small,
(09:39):
we're 22 countries, but we'retiny countries and we have to
build that community so thatpeople can come into a phase and
feel free to talk about thedifferent issues that impact
them within the philanthropicspace as well.
We have philanthropy that hasbeen here for years, that have
digital foundation, you haveSandals foundations, you have
(10:02):
all different types offoundations that have been here,
who have been giving, but theyneed a space to talk about how
they're giving, and so thephilanthropic alliance is giving
them that opportunity to cometogether to talk strategically,
intentionally, about how they'regiving and how they can
maximize and leverage theresources that they are already
giving within the Caribbean, andto do it in a different way.
(10:24):
We are in different times, sowe need that space to think and
also to build trust among eachother.
I think that's very critical.
And then again, it's also aboutlooking at the resources that
come into the space, and so whenwe talk about equitable
resources, we need to understandthe type of resources that are
coming in, whether it's from theglobal philanthropy community,
(10:46):
from the diaspora community,remittance communities, you know
wherever it's coming from, weneed to understand it.
So Caribbean PhilanthropicAlliance is that place in which
we can begin to sort of dissect,disaggregate that data so that
we can be more strategic abouthow we give.
Giving is not just giving andjust giving a check.
It's how you give that check,how you give that money, and to
(11:09):
give that money is to haverelationships in communities.
So we talk a lot aboutcollaborative philanthropy and
trust-based philanthropy, andit's looking at different ways
and different practices in termsof how you give, but having a
relationship with the communityis most important, so you're
able to give where it's neededand you also give it in an
(11:30):
empowering way.
That's the key.
And then, of course, there aremany initiatives that are
occurring across the Caribbeangrassroots initiatives that have
been there from the verybeginning that need support.
Grassroots initiatives thathave been there from the very
beginning that need support, andso we call that within
Caribbean Philanthropy Allianceregional accelerated actions and
(11:51):
we talk about in the context ofsustainable development goals
and all of those things.
But you can get confused there.
What we do know is that there'sa lot of projects happening on
the ground that need support.
Then they need support in aspecific way.
You know there are communities,marginalized communities, in
particular women, indigenouscommunities that are doing a lot
of work, that need support.
They need to be fueled andphilanthropy needs to partner
(12:15):
with them to ensure that theyare able to provide the services
and the resources that they areproviding currently in a very
empowering way.
And so Philanthropy Alliance isreally here to support the
Caribbean community and also, atthe same time, most importantly
is to provide the systemicchange within the philanthropic
(12:36):
community as well, there are alot of changes that we need to
make, and the CaribbeanPhilanthropic Alliance is there
to help to make those changes aswell, in a way that people can
hear it and implement it as well.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
So what I'm hearing it seems like Caribbean
Philanthropic Alliance.
You coordinate with thecommunity, obviously, but you
also are building partnershipswith existing foundations, right
, but then are you also havingdirect communication with, like,
(13:11):
maybe, the diaspora, or donors,like everyday donors?
Okay, great.
So we have all these threedifferent elements in which
you're engaging with thecommunity Individual donors,
institutional donors, and thenyou have the community, the
recipients of the donations.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Absolutely so.
When we talk about globalphilanthropy, we're talking
about regional philanthropy,which is the Caribbean region
itself, and then globalphilanthropy in terms of
international donors that are inthe Caribbean that are actually
providing resources, and thatinternational community includes
the institutional donors thatwe all know.
(13:51):
So if you talk about the GatesFoundation, you talk about the
big donors that are in the space.
We have Open Society Foundationthat is here within the
Caribbean.
That has been here for a very,very long time.
That is also part of CaribbeanPhilanthropic Alliance.
That has been here for a very,very long time.
That is also part of CaribbeanPhilanthropic Alliance.
They are big donors in thisspace, and there are many more
international donors that arewanting to come into the space
(14:12):
as well and need a place to beable to navigate what they do
with the money.
So that's where we would comein.
And then you have the donorcommunities, the individuals
themselves, like the diasporacommunity.
You could have high rollersthat are interested in giving as
well.
They are donors and that areinterested in finding out where
(14:36):
to put their money.
So they're all part of thatglobal philanthropic community,
and we now know that there aresmall pockets of money and
there's circles of giving thatare happening here in the
Caribbean, but also outside,that can be created.
They're already there, you know, in our diaspora community.
They're part of many differenttypes of entities.
(14:59):
You have church-based, relatedkind of communities that give
all the time, particularly indisasters.
They are part of that globalcommunity as well, and so the
Caribbean Philanthropic Allianceis there for all of the donor
community, all of the globalphilanthropic community, whether
large or small, and to helpthem navigate the space.
(15:22):
So when I talk a lot about thecommunities because we are sort
of the bridge, we call ourselvesthe trusted navigator that when
you're coming into a space thatwe'll be able to navigate you
to the right place and to guideyou where you need to go, and
just to understand that theproblems and the challenges are
huge, the opportunities are alsoimmense as well.
(15:42):
So much opportunity in theCaribbean.
Lunges are huge, theopportunities are also immense
as well so much opportunity inthe Caribbean and that you need
a place in which you're able tonavigate and understand what's
happening on the ground.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So you mentioned disaster, which is how we got
here.
So for context, I recorded thatsolo episode just kind of
talking about my frustrationwith hurricane relief and
disaster relief.
Basically, and particularlylast year with the hurricanes,
(16:13):
there was a lot of activitygoing on in different places
that were soliciting donationsand funds and to outsiders and
even to some people inside thecommunity it feels disjointed
and disorganized Like I wassurprised when someone texted me
and was like hey, what is areputable organization that I
(16:33):
should give my money to?
Because there were so manydonate here activities.
They were like wait, there aretoo many, I don't know which one
to give and which one to trust.
And then I thought it was aone-off thing, but I had maybe
three more texts after thatasking me the same question, and
(16:54):
so that prompted me to recordthis episode, being really
frustrated because hurricanehappens every year in the
Caribbean and I feel like,because we know that this
happens every year, we're beingvery reactive to how we one
begin to engage the diaspora inour hurricane season.
Should we prepare, you know?
But not only the preparation,but the accountability when we
(17:18):
give this money, how do we knowit's going where it's supposed
to go?
How do we know it's being spentin the communities we want it
to be spent in?
So I know I had shared theepisode with you.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
I saw the episode and I thought it was excellent and
it's timely.
It's always timely for theCaribbean because we're not new
to disasters, right to disastersright.
So I think we are a poster whenit comes to not only
experiencing disasters, but howwe survive and respond to
disasters.
In many cases, we are a regionthat can share how to respond
(17:55):
and how you can be resilient.
So I have to protect theCaribbean and say that we could
be a role model for the world interms of resiliency and
particularly in the climatespace.
I would say that there's a lotof work happening and I think in
your podcast you talked aboutSADEMA in particular and you
said you just newly discoveredSADEMA.
(18:17):
That has now has been aroundfor a little while and, as you
know, it is a CARICOM entitythat you know supports the
participating states in theCaribbean 19 of them and they
have a particular way in whichthey respond to disasters.
So the key thing here there is aproactive system that exists in
(18:37):
the Caribbean and the key thingis how do you access it?
You know, I guess you could saythere are several ways in which
mitigation is the biggest one,right?
So that's the prevention andrisk piece.
How do we reduce the severityof disasters before they occur?
How do I identify those risksand implement strategies right
(18:58):
to minimize that impact?
And you know that is happeningon the ground.
The key thing is we need moresupport for it.
You know we need to assess therisks, more Assessments of those
risks.
They're important.
You know what are some of thepotential hazards that are
happening.
So you mentioned it, kerianne,and you're not the expert in,
(19:19):
but I thought you were very good.
You know you were very good.
You know you talked abouthurricanes, you talked about
floods, you talked aboutearthquakes.
Those are the potential hazardsthat are there with the
assessment.
So we need more money for thoserisk assessments so we can be
proactive.
You know assessments around landuse planning, I guess, is a big
thing.
Zoning laws it's there, but weneed to be more vigilant in the
(19:42):
Caribbean about that.
So when it happened last yearwith Hurricane Beryl and you saw
the devastation in Grenada, yousaw it in Caracool it was
monumental.
Everything was flattened andthe first thing that came to my
mind is my God.
So what were the zoning laws?
What was the land use of?
What was the construction laws?
What was in place, you know?
So, looking at that, is a bigpiece.
(20:02):
You know, how do we improve theinfrastructure within the
Caribbean before the disasterstrikes?
So we need to strengthen ourroads, our buildings, our
utilities, all those things.
We also know that we're havingless money coming into the
system.
We are international.
Early warning systems are beingjeopardized, as you know, with
(20:22):
cuts in the United States, so weare going to have to shore that
up here within the Caribbean,right.
So that's going to be one bigpiece.
How do we implement technologynow to detect and alert
communities of impendingdisasters?
We need money for that.
We have Caribbean MeteorologyInstitution for that.
They're going to need moremoney for that.
We have a Caribbean meteorologyinstitution for that, but
they're going to need more moneyfor that.
And then you know, in terms ofprotection, environmental
(20:46):
management protection,protecting our mangroves, our
wetlands, our forests, which weall know are natural buffers for
us in the Caribbean that's justthe risk mitigation.
But that needs money andresources and there are many
organizations that are here inthe Caribbean that are doing
that work.
And what we need is probablyyou need a guide to figure out
(21:08):
from the diaspora communitywhere to go to put that money.
Careful Alliance is not a placethat does all those things,
obviously, but we are connectedto the space with organizations
that do that.
So that's one.
I would say.
That's risk and mitigation.
And then when you talk aboutpreparedness I think that was
your big ask actually you know,my God, you know how do we
(21:30):
prepare.
You know our communities and,again, we have plans.
Sedema is the one that doesmost of that, the disaster
response plans, and they createall those emergency protocols,
evacuation, sheltering and allof that.
But there's also a big civilsociety community here in the
Caribbean that does thecommunity awareness and
(21:50):
education components of thingsright.
They are the ones that actuallyteach public about disaster
risk and preparedness on theground.
So SIDIMA does the big broadstuff and the civil society
actually does the work on theground.
So SIDEMA does the big broadstuff and the civil society
actually does the work on theground.
And we also know you know thatwomen are the ones you know that
experience it first.
They're the ones that areclosest to the environments,
they're the most vulnerable,they're the ones when a disaster
(22:12):
happens.
We know that they're the onesthat have to take care of their
children and figure it out onthe ground how to ensure that
their children are fed and, atthe same time, providing food on
the table.
And so when we talk aboutcommunity awareness and
education, predominantly thoseare the people who do it are
women.
Women are the ones who do it.
So we have to give money toorganizations that provide
(22:35):
supports to women within thespace.
That's providing support rightthere.
And then you know, then youhave the resources that we all
know Diaspora does a lot of workon, and that is, you know, they
are actually the ones that sendresources to the Caribbean.
So, carrie-anne, we don't wantthe resources when the disaster
happens, we want it before,right.
So that's the stockpiling ofresources.
(22:56):
How do we stockpile food, water, medical supplies, equipment
for rapid response?
So SEDEMA, you know, is thatspot.
There they collect and thenthey connect all the civil
society.
But we need to have anintentional space for that, and
that's something we could talkabout as well, and I'll just
keep that there.
And, of course, thecommunication systems.
(23:17):
I will say strengthen thecommunication systems is also
key.
You know, information sharingbetween networks before, during
and after the disaster.
That's what it needs to happen,right?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
So we need to sort that out, as well, what Anthea
is doing is in the world whereinformation overload is
happening, we cannot expecteverybody to know.
Like I said, I did my researchand just happened upon Sedema
(23:50):
Right.
I don't know if anyone else waseven aware of their existence
in the diaspora.
I'm not in the region, so inthe region might have some
awareness, but in the diasporaespecially when you said the
diaspora you know we mobilizeand we're a self-sustaining
network.
When I share this with otherpeople, they were like what they
didn they actually do and whatwe have to do a better job of is
(24:23):
bridging the organizations inthe region and how they're
communicating with the diaspora,because we don't know, there
can't be an assumption that wedo know and we need to do a
better job of that.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
And the only thing I would want to add so you know,
so one is the mitigation, therisk, the preparedness.
But of course you know,recovery is ongoing.
So you already know, hurricaneBeryl, they're still recovering.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Right, you know you restore normalcy, you build
resilience in affectedcommunities right.
But it's about long-termreconstruction and development
that needs to happen.
So the money should not havestopped.
It should have been ongoing.
And the key thing is where doyou keep on sending this money
to do these different things?
So we know that in Grenada itwas battered.
(25:10):
So rebuilding homes still needsto happen today, right.
Schools, hospitals right.
The infrastructure needs to bemore disaster resilient.
So now it's about building.
So when they build now, in 2025, we have to make sure that they
are within the disasterresilient framework or
(25:33):
regulations.
That's pretty important.
Financial aid for job supportfor businesses and workers.
I already explained that womenare probably on the front line.
So if you see civil societyorganizations that are providing
support to women, that is beingproactive in the space as well.
And, of course, you know one ofthe things that's also very
(25:54):
important is psychosocialsupport.
He's also offering mentalhealth and trauma counseling,
not for those that are justexperienced it, but you know
those that are worried about ithappening as well.
So when you give money tomental health institutions that
are providing support,psychosocial support, you're
actually you're ahead of thegame.
(26:14):
You're supporting families thatare at risk as well, that are
at risk as well.
One of the things we do focus alot on the physical
infrastructure, where we talkabout disaster, but there's a
mental health issue that needsto be addressed Young children
in particular, who have not beenable to go to school.
You look in St Vincent, thevolcano can you imagine the
(26:36):
disruption in those families andwhat that means?
So we need to do assessments onwhat really happened to those
families psychologically andwhat kind of supports that they
need, what kind of costing theyneed and, of course, with all of
that, we also need to look atpolicies as well, right, so we
need to make sure that disastermanagement plans that SEDEMA has
and all the different nationaldisaster organizations have in
(27:00):
their independent countries thatthey incorporate the lessons
learned so that this year 2025,those lessons of 2024 are
incorporated and that we don'tmake those mistakes again and
strategies that were working.
We need to keep on doing it aswell.
So I would say that if you wantto provide support to women
groups now you are beingproactive in the space.
(27:23):
There is an organization thechair of our board, she runs
Glasgow Chain Foundation and shelast year provided support to
entrepreneurs, to businesseswithin Jamaica that lost
everything in their business andthey needed to start up again.
That lost everything in theirbusiness and they needed to
start up again.
So if you approve, monitorBright support to entrepreneurs
(27:44):
within St Elizabeth now you arebeing proactive in the space.
It doesn't necessarily have tobe a disaster written all over,
but it means that these are theissues that are imminent.
That would address the issue ofmitigation and risk and provide
support to these businessesahead of time.
(28:06):
And so you know, I would urgethat if the diaspora wants to
give, they have to continue togive throughout the year, and
that would address a lot of theissues before the next disaster
happens, which is going tohappen in between July and
November, as you astutely shared, and we all know that it's
(28:26):
getting faster and more furious.
And if policies within theglobal environment are not
adhered to and we see a lot ofretraction happening in that
space, it means that we aregoing to feel the heat even more
, figuratively and literally.
Our seas are going to be warmerand it just means that
(28:47):
hurricanes are going to comemore faster and they can become
more furious, and we are goingto be the ones bearing the brunt
right, we are the ones thatleast contribute to CO2, but, at
the same time, we are the onesthat feel it most down here in
the global South and, inparticular, in the Caribbean.
And so, in terms of giving, wehave to look at all aspects of
the disaster cycle.
(29:08):
You know, if you want to givemoney before it happens, you
want to give money during or youwant to give money for the
recovery.
It's a cycle and I think it'simportant that it's not a
one-time response and that eachphase fits into the other and
recovery should include strongermitigation measures, as I say,
(29:29):
to prevent repeated disasters.
And at the same time, when theytalk about it, they talk about
integrating risk reduction,preparedness, response, recovery
all at the same time, and thatyou know we have to have a
response that addresses all ofthat and the cycle of the
disaster realities inunderground communities.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
I am again very grateful for this conversation
because you're already educatingus that supporting disaster
recovery happens before, duringand after, and I don't think
many people realize that afterthe headlines and the news cycle
have gone away, there is stillwork to do.
(30:13):
Right, especially when we livein the diaspora, remember.
So you're mostly speaking to adiaspora audience, right, we
don't get other than socialmedia or being intentional.
If you subscribe to One SpotNews or wherever and I'm not
endorsing one over the other tostay connected to Jamaica,
you're not seeing the constantnews cycle of what recovery
(30:35):
looks like.
We get maybe the one week,maybe two week news cycle and
after that it's out of our cycleand it's like almost an out of
sight, out of mind type thing,unless you have family in
affected countries and so youare still connected in a way.
But you know that.
You know what happens in Grenadais not only Grenadian support,
(31:08):
et cetera, et cetera.
And so the Caribbean and thediaspora largely.
Where can we go and identifyorganizations that we want to
support before, during and afteror anywhere in that cycle?
Is that on your website?
Is there another way?
Educate us on that, because Ithink that is the critical piece
(31:29):
that we need to be able toshare that information Right.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
I guess there's no real hotspot.
I can say that you know you cancome to Carrefour and you get
all the information.
Go to CEDEMA and you can getinformation.
There's a governmental bodythat you should go to.
So CEDEMA probably is the spacethat you would go if you want
to see what's happening acrossthe Caribbean In the
(31:54):
philanthropy space withinCaribbean Philanthropic Alliance
.
What we did last year is what wecalled Trusted Partners
Initiative, which was reallysaying to the world that, okay,
the disaster struck, but hereare some organizations that you
can go to.
So SIDIMO is on the list.
We actually had the Meteorologyon the list as well.
Organization on the list.
We had Sandals Foundation onthe list.
We had IGNAC on the list aswell.
Organization on the list.
(32:15):
We had Sandals Foundation onthe list.
We had IGNAC on the list, andwhat we said was and you noticed
, we didn't have 50 people onthe list, why?
Because we said we wanted toensure that whoever we are
recommending, we know whatthey're doing right.
So the issue of trust is veryimportant and we know that the
money, when it goes there, it'sgoing to be used in a way where
(32:36):
the money is going to be sharedin a way that meets the mission
of that particular organization.
So it's not a cause.
You know, they are anorganization that we would say
is a great place to go becausethey are there at the time that
the disaster happens.
They are on the ground 100%,but they're also doing recovery
(32:58):
work as we speak, right, so it'snot just feeding and shelter
but it's also dealing with thetrauma.
So they would have servicesthroughout the year where they
are providing psychosocialsupports to families within the
Caribbean.
So, you know, I would say theCaribbean Philanthropic Alliance
is a good space to start.
One of the things that we'relooking at is sort of like a
(33:18):
resilience fund is what we wantto build, and that resilience
fund is not necessarily adisaster fund, necessarily, but
a resilience fund where you cancome into the space, into the
Caribbean philanthropic space,and you can say I want to give
money to women, right?
Women entrepreneurs, because ifthey're more financially
empowered that when a disasterstrikes, they are able to
(33:43):
withstand that disaster more,because that's also very
important, you know.
And so you know, if you want togive money to organizations
providing educational resources,it's the same thing.
Or, as you all know that, youknow, in a time of disaster.
As many of us know, we are moreat risk in terms of sexual
assaults and all those things.
But if you want to give moneyto women who are facing issues
(34:05):
around sexual devastation thereare organizations that do that
you can give money there.
That will be part of theresiliency fund as well.
So we're looking to puttingtogether a resiliency fund that
will give the opportunity forthe diaspora to decide how they
and where they want to give aswell.
So, of course, I will sayCarafella Lads is a good spot as
(34:27):
well.
Of course, there are UNorganizations that are doing
great work.
You know and you can godirectly to them.
There's, you know, unesco.
There's UN portals that you cango to as well.
And you know we're dealing withthe issue of fragmentation.
It's a real issue.
Right, it's fragmented and sothere needs to be more
(34:48):
realignment in terms of a placein which people can go and feel
that they can trust.
And you know, trust only comeswith relationships as well.
It's just reality, can'tsugarcoat it.
Really.
It's about buildingrelationships.
So you know, the philanthropiccommunities that you want to
give to, you have to havesometimes have to have
relationships with them as welland see that there's a
(35:10):
credibility there and look atthose organizations that are
connected within the spaces thatyou're in and just say that
it's not all about disaster,it's also about opportunities
that exist.
You know we have a strong artsand culture in our organizations
that is robust, that needs tobe healthy.
(35:31):
We have so much talent here inthe Caribbean and you know the
stronger you know our youngpeople are and the ability to be
able to provide supports wherethere's already strength will
make us stronger in a time ofdisaster.
It's almost like you know youneed to prop us up now so that
when disaster comes, we're moreresilient.
(35:52):
And there's so many differentinnovations and spaces where you
can provide support as well.
And our sun culture is thelifeblood of the Caribbean.
It's our gold as well.
We have the sea and the sun,but we also have the people, and
the people are the ones thatare.
You know our human resources isour stronghold within the
Caribbean and we really need toprovide support to them.
(36:15):
And by providing support tothem and by providing support to
them, you're providing supportto the world, because the entry
point to the world is also theCaribbean.
If you support the Caribbean, Imean the biggest piece here is
why support the Caribbean.
We support the Caribbean formany different reasons, and one
is that we can tell a storyabout resilience that we can
(36:36):
share with the world.
I think that is something thatI think is very critical.
I would say that we are provingground for resilience in the
Caribbean and that we are amicrocosm of global challenges,
whether in climate action,disaster response or economic
diversification.
We have innovations here thatwe can teach the rest of the
(36:59):
world.
And then, of course, you know Ilook at you, Carrie-Anne you're
in the diaspora.
Look at who you are.
You're amazing.
You are here advocating onbehalf of the Caribbean, because
the diaspora connections makethe difference.
You know we call it themultiplier effect.
When funders fund in theCaribbean, they're not just
supporting a small region,they're strengthening global
(37:21):
networks, like our Caribbeanpeople who are abroad.
You know you contribute in somany different ways to the space
, forming arts and culture.
Carrie-anne, I don't know yourbackground completely, but you
know the diaspora communitycontributes significantly to the
economies of the world.
You know.
So if you support us in theCaribbean, the multi-fly effect
(37:42):
is amazing.
And you know, when we talkabout philanthropy, we talk
about philanthropy as beingcatalytic.
You know Meaning thatphilanthropy is a space where we
understand that governments andmultilateral agencies alone
cannot solve Caribbeanchallenges and philanthropy can
(38:04):
sort of fill those critical gaps.
We can support the grassrootsorganizations, we can mobilize
communities, can build adaptivesystems, and we have recognized
that we have to do it togetherand government plays a
significant role for scaling.
But philanthropy can catalyzeand make things happen so that
global philanthropy that Italked about, which includes the
(38:26):
diaspora, we can actuallycatalyze a lot of innovations by
small giving and also the bigmillions of dollars as well.
But we can make that criticaldifference within the space.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
I am so grateful for this conversation and, as you
wrap up, I just want to makesure that the resilience list or
fund that you are doing just tomake sure that once that is in
place, you share that with me soI can disseminate that to my
audience and, you know,encourage people to go check out
(39:00):
Caribbean Philanthropy Alliance, because you know it starts
with education and knowledge andawareness about what exists and
how.
You know we all work on abudget, so we go going to start
budget out.
You know the giving right, thesupport, before June.
You know June is right there,june is right there and so this
(39:28):
episode obviously is coming outbefore June.
So before June we have to getourselves in a place and it
don't stop at June.
We anticipate because you knowI lived through Hurricane
Gilbert, I mean, and I know whatthat was like.
You even bringing up the mentalhealth support after I didn't
think of it honestly, because Iremember going through Gilbert
(39:49):
and thought I had a fun time.
I couldn't imagine what my momwas going through or my
grandmother, everyone else wasgoing through.
Now, as an adult, I canappreciate some of the things
that they probably were dealingwith.
So you've just broughtsomething to my attention that
you know like, yeah, obviouslythis makes sense, but when,
until someone says it, you'relike, oh, you're right, that is
(40:11):
something we need to address,right, so support you want to
make sure we are ready tosupport when June comes, but
hurricane season got all through.
But, as I said in my previousepisode, we don't have to wait
till a hurricane hits.
We have to do mitigation, wehave to prep, we have to do a
whole bunch of things, so weshouldn't be waiting Hurricane
(40:35):
coming.
I agree, hurricane coming is.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
We need to be prepping because but in terms of
philanthropy, one of the thingsit helps you with and that's
why you know I'll say you knowI'm pitching to say join Capital
Alliance.
We're a membership organizationas well.
If you want to be part of agiving community and you want to
give, you want to donatepersonally, you can do that
Absolutely.
And if you have large sums ofmoney and you're a corporation
(41:00):
or a business and you want tojoin Caribbean Philanthropic
Alliance, this is the time to doit, because you'll meet other
business people like yourselfwho are thinking strategically.
You know, okay, this is how Iwant to give.
You may have $10,000, but thenyou may have 10 people with
$10,000.
Now you have $10,000, but thenyou may have 10 people with
$10,000.
Now you have $100,000.
Now we can put an interestingprogram together.
And you couldn't do it byyourself, but you can do it
(41:20):
within a space where there areothers that are partners like
you to think together about howto give.
And so I would just inviteeveryone to, you know, to.
You can peruse the website andif you want to join as a
corporate person, a businessperson or individually and
you're a we give back to theCaribbean and to ensure that our
(41:41):
brothers and sisters have whatthey need in times of disasters
and before you know.
(42:02):
So I'll just invite everybodyto join and to be part of the
movement.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Thank you so much.
And you know I think that's agreat place to end.
Join, be a member, because youknow where your money is going,
you build trust, you learn aboutthe organization, you build
trust and you have a level ofconfidence Because, again, you
know, we have co-workers, wehave colleagues and you know I
(42:30):
don't know if anything about you, but I have some really great
colleagues that I work with andI'm a nine to five.
Something happens they're likeoh my goodness, Is your family
OK?
And they'll be like where canpeople send donations?
So it's not only just you yourwork colleagues also may want to
support you and so now you canhave confidence to say here's a
trusted organization that youcan send donations to.
(42:53):
So it's not just people in theCaribbean, it's those people
connected to us who want tosupport.
And we can now confidently sayhere are some places that you
can send money to to help theCaribbean in any part of the
cycle of recovery.
Right, and I'm really excitedthat we are able to have this
(43:14):
conversation.
It's just the beginning andit's also for us to stay
connected to organizations likethis, to to keep up with what's
happening so we can speakknowledgeably to our peers,
family members, and to buildtrust Because, let's be honest,
you know, some people may havebeen burnt from giving
(43:34):
previously, so they aresuspicious, and so we have to
rebuild trust, even within ourown communities, and it starts
here with knowledge and, youknow, connecting to the right
organization.
So, enthea, I want to thank youso much for being on the
podcast, for educating us aboutall the stages of recovery and
the unseen aspects of recovery,which is, the psychological,
(43:58):
social, emotional aspects ofrecovery for adults and children
, and I'll make sure I'll puteverything about where people
could connect website socialmedia in the show notes.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
Yes, and I'll send you information so you can do
your promotion as the way you doit.
Yes, and I'll send youinformation so you can do your
promotions.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
The way you do it.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yes, and thank you for your wonderful platform and
you know I look forward tosharing with you again and
connecting with you again and Iwant you to come and join.
Come and join Carousel as well.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
Wonderful.
Love to have you.
We're not going to end theconversation, so Anthony and I
will have a little chit chat inthe after show.
But you know, as I love to sayat the end of every episode,
walk good.
And if you're not a member ofthe Carry On Friends community,
please come over and join.
I'll have information aboutthat in the show notes.
(44:47):
And, again, like me, say walkgood.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
Walk good, my sister walk good.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
Thank you.
Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode
of Carry On Friends theCaribbean American experience.
And I am excited yes, I say itevery time but I'm really
excited when I'm talking to myfellow Caribbeans about topics
that are of interest to me, tothem and really benefits all of
us, and this is a topic that Iam excited to get into.
(00:23):
But before we get into thetopic, welcome to the podcast
Amthea.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Thank you.
Thank you, I'm well, very, verywell.
I'm good to be here on apodcast with the Caribbean
sister that's leading the wayand talking about important
topics that matter to Caribbeanpeople and to the diaspora and
to the world.
So thank you so much for havingme.
It's a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Thank.
Thank you so much for having me.
It's a pleasure, thank you,thank you for being here.
So why don't we tell thecommunity of friends a little
bit about who you are, caribbeancountry you represent, and
about the work that you do?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Okay, so I'm Thea McLaughlin, caribbean sister.
My journey is shaped by myCaribbean heritage.
I would say my experiences aremultifaceted and multi-country.
My years have been spentworking in New York City, where
I spent a lion's, I would saythat my early years I saw the
(01:29):
power of community-driven givingin my life, whether through
informal support networks thatwe all are familiar with as
Caribbean women are living in aCaribbean family, living in a
Caribbean community, seeingchurches, local leaders stepping
up to the plate.
But my time in New York City, Ithink, was a time where my
(01:52):
approach to philanthropy wasmostly defined.
There Spent time, many years, Iwon't say I hate to say the
number, but it's over 17 yearsin New York City working in a
public-private initiative andthere, as you know, working in
New York City, you see a lot ofthings, but it's a city of
immigrants again.
You see resilience, you seeinnovation there, right in front
(02:16):
of you, but you also see issuesof inequality when you're there
, and so most of my time in myprofessional career, working in
the child welfare system inparticular, I saw a lot of
inequities there and that sortof mobilized me and pushed me to
think more strategically abouthow do I help people.
In what ways do I help people?
And so my work has focused oneducation education reform, in
(02:41):
particular, early care andeducation.
Education reform, in particular, early care and education.
Spending time looking atunder-resourced communities and
how young children and familiescan access the early care and
education system, in particular,child welfare and youth, is
something that was near and dearto my heart.
We saw children.
When I was there in the earlyyears it was 84,000 children in
(03:04):
foster care.
Now we're down to 15,000.
And I can say that myorganization played a
significant part in making thathappen and making sure that our
children actually got realignedand spent their time mostly
close to their communities wherethey were from.
And I would also say that youknow, in terms of workforce
(03:45):
development issues, that was abig piece looking at ways in
which you know families couldactually access financial
institutions and to get supportfor their livelihoods and get
the same time.
I recognize that you know, inthe philanthropic system,
whether within New York City,united States and even if you
look at the UK in particularnever worked in the UK, but you
know there is very much strongconnections there in the
Caribbean that funding wasreally not driven necessarily by
community, but by donorpriorities.
Even there in the United States,and if you come here in the
(04:07):
Caribbean, you know we alsostruggle with the same issues,
and so I know that theimportance of inclusion is
important.
Having locally led decisionmaking and actions are also
important, and the mostimportant of all, as we all know
, is trust, building trust inthe system.
You know, philanthropy issomething that is dear to my
(04:30):
heart, and I look forward toseeing a system that works on
behalf of families and childrencommunities all over the world,
and that we have a globalphilanthropy system that can
support the Caribbeanholistically, intentionally and
strategically, and that they getto see and experience the
Caribbean the way I experienceit, which is full of opportunity
(04:53):
and innovation right here, andwe just need to figure out how
we can harness philanthropy tobring out all of that in the
Caribbean, Anthea, as you weretalking, I was like wait, I look
like I have to bring Antheaback on one, two, three, four,
five other topics.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
But, for right now.
You didn't mention the name ofthe organization you are
associated with.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Oh, caribbean Philanthropic Alliance.
Oh, my goodness.
So yeah.
So now all my experience hastaken me right to Caribbean
Philanthropic Alliance, where Iworked.
I was there as a board member.
It started in 2019.
And here I'm now leading thecharge at the alliance to bring
it to life in a real way whereit impacts the communities
(05:38):
across 22 countries.
And so, within the Caribbean,we're reshaping philanthropy as
we know it, making sure thatit's not a reactive response to
crisis but a long-term strategictool to resiliency and to
empowerment, and that, you know,the work of philanthropy is
something that people wouldunderstand, that it's not
(05:59):
something that is separate andapart for them.
When we think aboutphilanthropy, sometimes you
think about it's all the way upthere in the ivory tower, and
when we look at the history ofthe Caribbean in terms of
philanthropy, we've always beenphilanthropists in our
communities.
It's just a narrative that wehave to understand and embrace
and make it strategic andintentional, and so I'm here now
(06:22):
to make that happen within thecontext of this organization,
the Caribbean PhilanthropicAlliance.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
You're so right.
You know philanthropy is such abig and bougie word, you know.
But you know every day.
You know community neighbors.
We practice philanthropy, youknow, especially when I saw it
growing up.
I saw it every day.
Now let's go back and let'stalk a little bit about the
mandate.
You know your experiencecovered a wide breadth of things
(06:51):
that you would have done in theNew York.
So what specifically does theCaribbean Philanthropic Alliance
cover and how do you engagepeople in the region and in the
diaspora?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Okay, so Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance covers so
many areas, all areas thatimpact children and family and
communities' lives.
So when we talk about CaribbeanPhilanthropic Alliance, we talk
about it as a space that istransforming philanthropy.
A space that is transformingphilanthropy and so that the
(07:29):
resources that are in existencewithin the Caribbean and
globally are equitable.
And so it's important thatphilanthropic resources reach
the people that it deserves toreach and that it reaches the
communities and families in need.
So that's important.
In an equitable way.
We talk about it in terms ofshifting the narrative.
We want to make the case thatthe Caribbean is not just a
(07:49):
recipient of aid, but a hub ofinnovation and resilience, the
solutions that's key.
We are mobilizing the diaspora.
That's important as well.
Caribbean diaspora is a globaleconomic force and by engaging
the diaspora, it's importantthat we understand who they are.
But where we see it, thediaspora is a self-sustaining
(08:13):
network that we need to tap intoand we need to engage and
support.
And, of course, bridging theglobal philanthropic community
is important as well.
We spend time working withinternational funders, national
development banks, impactinvestors to align resources
within the Caribbean.
So it's really positioning theCaribbean as a strategic
(08:34):
investment opportunity in theglobal philanthropic space.
So we spend time there and, ofcourse, you know, in terms of
our mission in particular, it'sall about empowering Caribbean
communities and making themself-sufficient.
So you know, to do that, wehave to move our philanthropy
into the spaces of education andentrepreneurship and capacity
(08:57):
building so that our communities, they can thrive on their own
terms is what I would say andthe other diaspora is there to
provide the connections into thespace as well.
Caribbean philanthropy has fourparticular areas, so one is
really as well, when we talkabout philanthropy and you talk
(09:19):
about that, the high towerreality that the people see it
as a way and separate from them.
One of the things that we'redoing at Caribbean Philanthropic
Alliance is creating acommunity within the
philanthropic community withinthe Caribbean, and we're doing
it by convening philanthropy and, as you know, we're small,
(09:39):
we're 22 countries, but we'retiny countries and we have to
build that community so thatpeople can come into a phase and
feel free to talk about thedifferent issues that impact
them within the philanthropicspace as well.
We have philanthropy that hasbeen here for years, that have
digital foundation, you haveSandals foundations, you have
(10:02):
all different types offoundations that have been here,
who have been giving, but theyneed a space to talk about how
they're giving, and so thephilanthropic alliance is giving
them that opportunity to cometogether to talk strategically,
intentionally, about how they'regiving and how they can
maximize and leverage theresources that they are already
giving within the Caribbean, andto do it in a different way.
(10:24):
We are in different times, sowe need that space to think and
also to build trust among eachother.
I think that's very critical.
And then again, it's also aboutlooking at the resources that
come into the space, and so whenwe talk about equitable
resources, we need to understandthe type of resources that are
coming in, whether it's from theglobal philanthropy community,
(10:46):
from the diaspora community,remittance communities, you know
wherever it's coming from, weneed to understand it.
So Caribbean PhilanthropicAlliance is that place in which
we can begin to sort of dissect,disaggregate that data so that
we can be more strategic abouthow we give.
Giving is not just giving andjust giving a check.
It's how you give that check,how you give that money, and to
(11:09):
give that money is to haverelationships in communities.
So we talk a lot aboutcollaborative philanthropy and
trust-based philanthropy, andit's looking at different ways
and different practices in termsof how you give, but having a
relationship with the communityis most important, so you're
able to give where it's neededand you also give it in an
(11:30):
empowering way.
That's the key.
And then, of course, there aremany initiatives that are
occurring across the Caribbeangrassroots initiatives that have
been there from the verybeginning that need support.
Grassroots initiatives thathave been there from the very
beginning that need support, andso we call that within
Caribbean Philanthropy Allianceregional accelerated actions and
(11:51):
we talk about in the context ofsustainable development goals
and all of those things.
But you can get confused there.
What we do know is that there'sa lot of projects happening on
the ground that need support.
Then they need support in aspecific way.
You know there are communities,marginalized communities, in
particular women, indigenouscommunities that are doing a lot
of work, that need support.
They need to be fueled andphilanthropy needs to partner
(12:15):
with them to ensure that theyare able to provide the services
and the resources that they areproviding currently in a very
empowering way.
And so Philanthropy Alliance isreally here to support the
Caribbean community and also, atthe same time, most importantly
is to provide the systemicchange within the philanthropic
(12:36):
community as well, there are alot of changes that we need to
make, and the CaribbeanPhilanthropic Alliance is there
to help to make those changes aswell, in a way that people can
hear it and implement it as well.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
So what I'm hearing it seems like Caribbean
Philanthropic Alliance.
You coordinate with thecommunity, obviously, but you
also are building partnershipswith existing foundations, right
, but then are you also havingdirect communication with, like,
(13:11):
maybe, the diaspora, or donors,like everyday donors?
Okay, great.
So we have all these threedifferent elements in which
you're engaging with thecommunity Individual donors,
institutional donors, and thenyou have the community, the
recipients of the donations.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Absolutely so.
When we talk about globalphilanthropy, we're talking
about regional philanthropy,which is the Caribbean region
itself, and then globalphilanthropy in terms of
international donors that are inthe Caribbean that are actually
providing resources, and thatinternational community includes
the institutional donors thatwe all know.
(13:51):
So if you talk about the GatesFoundation, you talk about the
big donors that are in the space.
We have Open Society Foundationthat is here within the
Caribbean.
That has been here for a very,very long time.
That is also part of CaribbeanPhilanthropic Alliance.
That has been here for a very,very long time.
That is also part of CaribbeanPhilanthropic Alliance.
They are big donors in thisspace, and there are many more
international donors that arewanting to come into the space
(14:12):
as well and need a place to beable to navigate what they do
with the money.
So that's where we would comein.
And then you have the donorcommunities, the individuals
themselves, like the diasporacommunity.
You could have high rollersthat are interested in giving as
well.
They are donors and that areinterested in finding out where
(14:36):
to put their money.
So they're all part of thatglobal philanthropic community,
and we now know that there aresmall pockets of money and
there's circles of giving thatare happening here in the
Caribbean, but also outside,that can be created.
They're already there, you know, in our diaspora community.
They're part of many differenttypes of entities.
(14:59):
You have church-based, relatedkind of communities that give
all the time, particularly indisasters.
They are part of that globalcommunity as well, and so the
Caribbean Philanthropic Allianceis there for all of the donor
community, all of the globalphilanthropic community, whether
large or small, and to helpthem navigate the space.
(15:22):
So when I talk a lot about thecommunities because we are sort
of the bridge, we call ourselvesthe trusted navigator that when
you're coming into a space thatwe'll be able to navigate you
to the right place and to guideyou where you need to go, and
just to understand that theproblems and the challenges are
huge, the opportunities are alsoimmense as well.
(15:42):
So much opportunity in theCaribbean.
Lunges are huge, theopportunities are also immense
as well so much opportunity inthe Caribbean and that you need
a place in which you're able tonavigate and understand what's
happening on the ground.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So you mentioned disaster, which is how we got
here.
So for context, I recorded thatsolo episode just kind of
talking about my frustrationwith hurricane relief and
disaster relief.
Basically, and particularlylast year with the hurricanes,
(16:13):
there was a lot of activitygoing on in different places
that were soliciting donationsand funds and to outsiders and
even to some people inside thecommunity it feels disjointed
and disorganized Like I wassurprised when someone texted me
and was like hey, what is areputable organization that I
(16:33):
should give my money to?
Because there were so manydonate here activities.
They were like wait, there aretoo many, I don't know which one
to give and which one to trust.
And then I thought it was aone-off thing, but I had maybe
three more texts after thatasking me the same question, and
(16:54):
so that prompted me to recordthis episode, being really
frustrated because hurricanehappens every year in the
Caribbean and I feel like,because we know that this
happens every year, we're beingvery reactive to how we one
begin to engage the diaspora inour hurricane season.
Should we prepare, you know?
But not only the preparation,but the accountability when we
(17:18):
give this money, how do we knowit's going where it's supposed
to go?
How do we know it's being spentin the communities we want it
to be spent in?
So I know I had shared theepisode with you.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
I saw the episode and I thought it was excellent and
it's timely.
It's always timely for theCaribbean because we're not new
to disasters, right to disastersright.
So I think we are a poster whenit comes to not only
experiencing disasters, but howwe survive and respond to
disasters.
In many cases, we are a regionthat can share how to respond
(17:55):
and how you can be resilient.
So I have to protect theCaribbean and say that we could
be a role model for the world interms of resiliency and
particularly in the climatespace.
I would say that there's a lotof work happening and I think in
your podcast you talked aboutSADEMA in particular and you
said you just newly discoveredSADEMA.
(18:17):
That has now has been aroundfor a little while and, as you
know, it is a CARICOM entitythat you know supports the
participating states in theCaribbean 19 of them and they
have a particular way in whichthey respond to disasters.
So the key thing here there is aproactive system that exists in
(18:37):
the Caribbean and the key thingis how do you access it?
You know, I guess you could saythere are several ways in which
mitigation is the biggest one,right?
So that's the prevention andrisk piece.
How do we reduce the severityof disasters before they occur?
How do I identify those risksand implement strategies right
(18:58):
to minimize that impact?
And you know that is happeningon the ground.
The key thing is we need moresupport for it.
You know we need to assess therisks, more Assessments of those
risks.
They're important.
You know what are some of thepotential hazards that are
happening.
So you mentioned it, kerianne,and you're not the expert in,
(19:19):
but I thought you were very good.
You know you were very good.
You know you talked abouthurricanes, you talked about
floods, you talked aboutearthquakes.
Those are the potential hazardsthat are there with the
assessment.
So we need more money for thoserisk assessments so we can be
proactive.
You know assessments around landuse planning, I guess, is a big
thing.
Zoning laws it's there, but weneed to be more vigilant in the
(19:42):
Caribbean about that.
So when it happened last yearwith Hurricane Beryl and you saw
the devastation in Grenada, yousaw it in Caracool it was
monumental.
Everything was flattened andthe first thing that came to my
mind is my God.
So what were the zoning laws?
What was the land use of?
What was the construction laws?
What was in place, you know?
So, looking at that, is a bigpiece.
(20:02):
You know, how do we improve theinfrastructure within the
Caribbean before the disasterstrikes?
So we need to strengthen ourroads, our buildings, our
utilities, all those things.
We also know that we're havingless money coming into the
system.
We are international.
Early warning systems are beingjeopardized, as you know, with
(20:22):
cuts in the United States, so weare going to have to shore that
up here within the Caribbean,right.
So that's going to be one bigpiece.
How do we implement technologynow to detect and alert
communities of impendingdisasters?
We need money for that.
We have Caribbean MeteorologyInstitution for that.
They're going to need moremoney for that.
We have a Caribbean meteorologyinstitution for that, but
they're going to need more moneyfor that.
And then you know, in terms ofprotection, environmental
(20:46):
management protection,protecting our mangroves, our
wetlands, our forests, which weall know are natural buffers for
us in the Caribbean that's justthe risk mitigation.
But that needs money andresources and there are many
organizations that are here inthe Caribbean that are doing
that work.
And what we need is probablyyou need a guide to figure out
(21:08):
from the diaspora communitywhere to go to put that money.
Careful Alliance is not a placethat does all those things,
obviously, but we are connectedto the space with organizations
that do that.
So that's one.
I would say.
That's risk and mitigation.
And then when you talk aboutpreparedness I think that was
your big ask actually you know,my God, you know how do we
(21:30):
prepare.
You know our communities and,again, we have plans.
Sedema is the one that doesmost of that, the disaster
response plans, and they createall those emergency protocols,
evacuation, sheltering and allof that.
But there's also a big civilsociety community here in the
Caribbean that does thecommunity awareness and
(21:50):
education components of thingsright.
They are the ones that actuallyteach public about disaster
risk and preparedness on theground.
So SIDIMA does the big broadstuff and the civil society
actually does the work on theground.
So SIDEMA does the big broadstuff and the civil society
actually does the work on theground.
And we also know you know thatwomen are the ones you know that
experience it first.
They're the ones that areclosest to the environments,
they're the most vulnerable,they're the ones when a disaster
(22:12):
happens.
We know that they're the onesthat have to take care of their
children and figure it out onthe ground how to ensure that
their children are fed and, atthe same time, providing food on
the table.
And so when we talk aboutcommunity awareness and
education, predominantly thoseare the people who do it are
women.
Women are the ones who do it.
So we have to give money toorganizations that provide
(22:35):
supports to women within thespace.
That's providing support rightthere.
And then you know, then youhave the resources that we all
know Diaspora does a lot of workon, and that is, you know, they
are actually the ones that sendresources to the Caribbean.
So, carrie-anne, we don't wantthe resources when the disaster
happens, we want it before,right.
So that's the stockpiling ofresources.
(22:56):
How do we stockpile food, water, medical supplies, equipment
for rapid response?
So SEDEMA, you know, is thatspot.
There they collect and thenthey connect all the civil
society.
But we need to have anintentional space for that, and
that's something we could talkabout as well, and I'll just
keep that there.
And, of course, thecommunication systems.
(23:17):
I will say strengthen thecommunication systems is also
key.
You know, information sharingbetween networks before, during
and after the disaster.
That's what it needs to happen,right?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
So we need to sort that out, as well, what Anthea
is doing is in the world whereinformation overload is
happening, we cannot expecteverybody to know.
Like I said, I did my researchand just happened upon Sedema
(23:50):
Right.
I don't know if anyone else waseven aware of their existence
in the diaspora.
I'm not in the region, so inthe region might have some
awareness, but in the diasporaespecially when you said the
diaspora you know we mobilizeand we're a self-sustaining
network.
When I share this with otherpeople, they were like what they
didn they actually do and whatwe have to do a better job of is
(24:23):
bridging the organizations inthe region and how they're
communicating with the diaspora,because we don't know, there
can't be an assumption that wedo know and we need to do a
better job of that.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
And the only thing I would want to add so you know,
so one is the mitigation, therisk, the preparedness.
But of course you know,recovery is ongoing.
So you already know, hurricaneBeryl, they're still recovering.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Right, you know you restore normalcy, you build
resilience in affectedcommunities right.
But it's about long-termreconstruction and development
that needs to happen.
So the money should not havestopped.
It should have been ongoing.
And the key thing is where doyou keep on sending this money
to do these different things?
So we know that in Grenada itwas battered.
(25:10):
So rebuilding homes still needsto happen today, right.
Schools, hospitals right.
The infrastructure needs to bemore disaster resilient.
So now it's about building.
So when they build now, in 2025, we have to make sure that they
are within the disasterresilient framework or
(25:33):
regulations.
That's pretty important.
Financial aid for job supportfor businesses and workers.
I already explained that womenare probably on the front line.
So if you see civil societyorganizations that are providing
support to women, that is beingproactive in the space as well.
And, of course, you know one ofthe things that's also very
(25:54):
important is psychosocialsupport.
He's also offering mentalhealth and trauma counseling,
not for those that are justexperienced it, but you know
those that are worried about ithappening as well.
So when you give money tomental health institutions that
are providing support,psychosocial support, you're
actually you're ahead of thegame.
(26:14):
You're supporting families thatare at risk as well, that are
at risk as well.
One of the things we do focus alot on the physical
infrastructure, where we talkabout disaster, but there's a
mental health issue that needsto be addressed Young children
in particular, who have not beenable to go to school.
You look in St Vincent, thevolcano can you imagine the
(26:36):
disruption in those families andwhat that means?
So we need to do assessments onwhat really happened to those
families psychologically andwhat kind of supports that they
need, what kind of costing theyneed and, of course, with all of
that, we also need to look atpolicies as well, right, so we
need to make sure that disastermanagement plans that SEDEMA has
and all the different nationaldisaster organizations have in
(27:00):
their independent countries thatthey incorporate the lessons
learned so that this year 2025,those lessons of 2024 are
incorporated and that we don'tmake those mistakes again and
strategies that were working.
We need to keep on doing it aswell.
So I would say that if you wantto provide support to women
groups now you are beingproactive in the space.
(27:23):
There is an organization thechair of our board, she runs
Glasgow Chain Foundation and shelast year provided support to
entrepreneurs, to businesseswithin Jamaica that lost
everything in their business andthey needed to start up again.
That lost everything in theirbusiness and they needed to
start up again.
So if you approve, monitorBright support to entrepreneurs
(27:44):
within St Elizabeth now you arebeing proactive in the space.
It doesn't necessarily have tobe a disaster written all over,
but it means that these are theissues that are imminent.
That would address the issue ofmitigation and risk and provide
support to these businessesahead of time.
(28:06):
And so you know, I would urgethat if the diaspora wants to
give, they have to continue togive throughout the year, and
that would address a lot of theissues before the next disaster
happens, which is going tohappen in between July and
November, as you astutely shared, and we all know that it's
(28:26):
getting faster and more furious.
And if policies within theglobal environment are not
adhered to and we see a lot ofretraction happening in that
space, it means that we aregoing to feel the heat even more
, figuratively and literally.
Our seas are going to be warmerand it just means that
(28:47):
hurricanes are going to comemore faster and they can become
more furious, and we are goingto be the ones bearing the brunt
right, we are the ones thatleast contribute to CO2, but, at
the same time, we are the onesthat feel it most down here in
the global South and, inparticular, in the Caribbean.
And so, in terms of giving, wehave to look at all aspects of
the disaster cycle.
(29:08):
You know, if you want to givemoney before it happens, you
want to give money during or youwant to give money for the
recovery.
It's a cycle and I think it'simportant that it's not a
one-time response and that eachphase fits into the other and
recovery should include strongermitigation measures, as I say,
(29:29):
to prevent repeated disasters.
And at the same time, when theytalk about it, they talk about
integrating risk reduction,preparedness, response, recovery
all at the same time, and thatyou know we have to have a
response that addresses all ofthat and the cycle of the
disaster realities inunderground communities.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
I am again very grateful for this conversation
because you're already educatingus that supporting disaster
recovery happens before, duringand after, and I don't think
many people realize that afterthe headlines and the news cycle
have gone away, there is stillwork to do.
(30:13):
Right, especially when we livein the diaspora, remember.
So you're mostly speaking to adiaspora audience, right, we
don't get other than socialmedia or being intentional.
If you subscribe to One SpotNews or wherever and I'm not
endorsing one over the other tostay connected to Jamaica,
you're not seeing the constantnews cycle of what recovery
(30:35):
looks like.
We get maybe the one week,maybe two week news cycle and
after that it's out of our cycleand it's like almost an out of
sight, out of mind type thing,unless you have family in
affected countries and so youare still connected in a way.
But you know that.
You know what happens in Grenadais not only Grenadian support,
(31:08):
et cetera, et cetera.
And so the Caribbean and thediaspora largely.
Where can we go and identifyorganizations that we want to
support before, during and afteror anywhere in that cycle?
Is that on your website?
Is there another way?
Educate us on that, because Ithink that is the critical piece
(31:29):
that we need to be able toshare that information Right.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
I guess there's no real hotspot.
I can say that you know you cancome to Carrefour and you get
all the information.
Go to CEDEMA and you can getinformation.
There's a governmental bodythat you should go to.
So CEDEMA probably is the spacethat you would go if you want
to see what's happening acrossthe Caribbean In the
(31:54):
philanthropy space withinCaribbean Philanthropic Alliance
.
What we did last year is what wecalled Trusted Partners
Initiative, which was reallysaying to the world that, okay,
the disaster struck, but hereare some organizations that you
can go to.
So SIDIMO is on the list.
We actually had the Meteorologyon the list as well.
Organization on the list.
We had Sandals Foundation onthe list.
We had IGNAC on the list aswell.
Organization on the list.
(32:15):
We had Sandals Foundation onthe list.
We had IGNAC on the list, andwhat we said was and you noticed
, we didn't have 50 people onthe list, why?
Because we said we wanted toensure that whoever we are
recommending, we know whatthey're doing right.
So the issue of trust is veryimportant and we know that the
money, when it goes there, it'sgoing to be used in a way where
(32:36):
the money is going to be sharedin a way that meets the mission
of that particular organization.
So it's not a cause.
You know, they are anorganization that we would say
is a great place to go becausethey are there at the time that
the disaster happens.
They are on the ground 100%,but they're also doing recovery
(32:58):
work as we speak, right, so it'snot just feeding and shelter
but it's also dealing with thetrauma.
So they would have servicesthroughout the year where they
are providing psychosocialsupports to families within the
Caribbean.
So, you know, I would say theCaribbean Philanthropic Alliance
is a good space to start.
One of the things that we'relooking at is sort of like a
(33:18):
resilience fund is what we wantto build, and that resilience
fund is not necessarily adisaster fund, necessarily, but
a resilience fund where you cancome into the space, into the
Caribbean philanthropic space,and you can say I want to give
money to women, right?
Women entrepreneurs, because ifthey're more financially
empowered that when a disasterstrikes, they are able to
(33:43):
withstand that disaster more,because that's also very
important, you know.
And so you know, if you want togive money to organizations
providing educational resources,it's the same thing.
Or, as you all know that, youknow, in a time of disaster.
As many of us know, we are moreat risk in terms of sexual
assaults and all those things.
But if you want to give moneyto women who are facing issues
(34:05):
around sexual devastation thereare organizations that do that
you can give money there.
That will be part of theresiliency fund as well.
So we're looking to puttingtogether a resiliency fund that
will give the opportunity forthe diaspora to decide how they
and where they want to give aswell.
So, of course, I will sayCarafella Lads is a good spot as
(34:27):
well.
Of course, there are UNorganizations that are doing
great work.
You know and you can godirectly to them.
There's, you know, unesco.
There's UN portals that you cango to as well.
And you know we're dealing withthe issue of fragmentation.
It's a real issue.
Right, it's fragmented and sothere needs to be more
(34:48):
realignment in terms of a placein which people can go and feel
that they can trust.
And you know, trust only comeswith relationships as well.
It's just reality, can'tsugarcoat it.
Really.
It's about buildingrelationships.
So you know, the philanthropiccommunities that you want to
give to, you have to havesometimes have to have
relationships with them as welland see that there's a
(35:10):
credibility there and look atthose organizations that are
connected within the spaces thatyou're in and just say that
it's not all about disaster,it's also about opportunities
that exist.
You know we have a strong artsand culture in our organizations
that is robust, that needs tobe healthy.
(35:31):
We have so much talent here inthe Caribbean and you know the
stronger you know our youngpeople are and the ability to be
able to provide supports wherethere's already strength will
make us stronger in a time ofdisaster.
It's almost like you know youneed to prop us up now so that
when disaster comes, we're moreresilient.
(35:52):
And there's so many differentinnovations and spaces where you
can provide support as well.
And our sun culture is thelifeblood of the Caribbean.
It's our gold as well.
We have the sea and the sun,but we also have the people, and
the people are the ones thatare.
You know our human resources isour stronghold within the
Caribbean and we really need toprovide support to them.
(36:15):
And by providing support tothem and by providing support to
them, you're providing supportto the world, because the entry
point to the world is also theCaribbean.
If you support the Caribbean, Imean the biggest piece here is
why support the Caribbean.
We support the Caribbean formany different reasons, and one
is that we can tell a storyabout resilience that we can
(36:36):
share with the world.
I think that is something thatI think is very critical.
I would say that we are provingground for resilience in the
Caribbean and that we are amicrocosm of global challenges,
whether in climate action,disaster response or economic
diversification.
We have innovations here thatwe can teach the rest of the
(36:59):
world.
And then, of course, you know Ilook at you, Carrie-Anne you're
in the diaspora.
Look at who you are.
You're amazing.
You are here advocating onbehalf of the Caribbean, because
the diaspora connections makethe difference.
You know we call it themultiplier effect.
When funders fund in theCaribbean, they're not just
supporting a small region,they're strengthening global
(37:21):
networks, like our Caribbeanpeople who are abroad.
You know you contribute in somany different ways to the space
, forming arts and culture.
Carrie-anne, I don't know yourbackground completely, but you
know the diaspora communitycontributes significantly to the
economies of the world.
You know.
So if you support us in theCaribbean, the multi-fly effect
(37:42):
is amazing.
And you know, when we talkabout philanthropy, we talk
about philanthropy as beingcatalytic.
You know Meaning thatphilanthropy is a space where we
understand that governments andmultilateral agencies alone
cannot solve Caribbeanchallenges and philanthropy can
(38:04):
sort of fill those critical gaps.
We can support the grassrootsorganizations, we can mobilize
communities, can build adaptivesystems, and we have recognized
that we have to do it togetherand government plays a
significant role for scaling.
But philanthropy can catalyzeand make things happen so that
global philanthropy that Italked about, which includes the
(38:26):
diaspora, we can actuallycatalyze a lot of innovations by
small giving and also the bigmillions of dollars as well.
But we can make that criticaldifference within the space.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
I am so grateful for this conversation and, as you
wrap up, I just want to makesure that the resilience list or
fund that you are doing just tomake sure that once that is in
place, you share that with me soI can disseminate that to my
audience and, you know,encourage people to go check out
(39:00):
Caribbean Philanthropy Alliance, because you know it starts
with education and knowledge andawareness about what exists and
how.
You know we all work on abudget, so we go going to start
budget out.
You know the giving right, thesupport, before June.
You know June is right there,june is right there and so this
(39:28):
episode obviously is coming outbefore June.
So before June we have to getourselves in a place and it
don't stop at June.
We anticipate because you knowI lived through Hurricane
Gilbert, I mean, and I know whatthat was like.
You even bringing up the mentalhealth support after I didn't
think of it honestly, because Iremember going through Gilbert
(39:49):
and thought I had a fun time.
I couldn't imagine what my momwas going through or my
grandmother, everyone else wasgoing through.
Now, as an adult, I canappreciate some of the things
that they probably were dealingwith.
So you've just broughtsomething to my attention that
you know like, yeah, obviouslythis makes sense, but when,
until someone says it, you'relike, oh, you're right, that is
(40:11):
something we need to address,right, so support you want to
make sure we are ready tosupport when June comes, but
hurricane season got all through.
But, as I said in my previousepisode, we don't have to wait
till a hurricane hits.
We have to do mitigation, wehave to prep, we have to do a
whole bunch of things, so weshouldn't be waiting Hurricane
(40:35):
coming.
I agree, hurricane coming is.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
We need to be prepping because but in terms of
philanthropy, one of the thingsit helps you with and that's
why you know I'll say you knowI'm pitching to say join Capital
Alliance.
We're a membership organizationas well.
If you want to be part of agiving community and you want to
give, you want to donatepersonally, you can do that
Absolutely.
And if you have large sums ofmoney and you're a corporation
(41:00):
or a business and you want tojoin Caribbean Philanthropic
Alliance, this is the time to doit, because you'll meet other
business people like yourselfwho are thinking strategically.
You know, okay, this is how Iwant to give.
You may have $10,000, but thenyou may have 10 people with
$10,000.
Now you have $10,000, but thenyou may have 10 people with
$10,000.
Now you have $100,000.
Now we can put an interestingprogram together.
And you couldn't do it byyourself, but you can do it
(41:20):
within a space where there areothers that are partners like
you to think together about howto give.
And so I would just inviteeveryone to, you know, to.
You can peruse the website andif you want to join as a
corporate person, a businessperson or individually and
you're a we give back to theCaribbean and to ensure that our
(41:41):
brothers and sisters have whatthey need in times of disasters
and before you know.
(42:02):
So I'll just invite everybodyto join and to be part of the
movement.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
Thank you so much.
And you know I think that's agreat place to end.
Join, be a member, because youknow where your money is going,
you build trust, you learn aboutthe organization, you build
trust and you have a level ofconfidence Because, again, you
know, we have co-workers, wehave colleagues and you know I
(42:30):
don't know if anything about you, but I have some really great
colleagues that I work with andI'm a nine to five.
Something happens they're likeoh my goodness, Is your family
OK?
And they'll be like where canpeople send donations?
So it's not only just you yourwork colleagues also may want to
support you and so now you canhave confidence to say here's a
trusted organization that youcan send donations to.
(42:53):
So it's not just people in theCaribbean, it's those people
connected to us who want tosupport.
And we can now confidently sayhere are some places that you
can send money to to help theCaribbean in any part of the
cycle of recovery.
Right, and I'm really excitedthat we are able to have this
(43:14):
conversation.
It's just the beginning andit's also for us to stay
connected to organizations likethis, to to keep up with what's
happening so we can speakknowledgeably to our peers,
family members, and to buildtrust Because, let's be honest,
you know, some people may havebeen burnt from giving
(43:34):
previously, so they aresuspicious, and so we have to
rebuild trust, even within ourown communities, and it starts
here with knowledge and, youknow, connecting to the right
organization.
So, enthea, I want to thank youso much for being on the
podcast, for educating us aboutall the stages of recovery and
the unseen aspects of recovery,which is, the psychological,
(43:58):
social, emotional aspects ofrecovery for adults and children
, and I'll make sure I'll puteverything about where people
could connect website socialmedia in the show notes.
Speaker 2 (44:10):
Yes, and I'll send you information so you can do
your promotion as the way you doit.
Yes, and I'll send youinformation so you can do your
promotions.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
The way you do it.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yes, and thank you for your wonderful platform and
you know I look forward tosharing with you again and
connecting with you again and Iwant you to come and join.
Come and join Carousel as well.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
Wonderful.
Love to have you.
We're not going to end theconversation, so Anthony and I
will have a little chit chat inthe after show.
But you know, as I love to sayat the end of every episode,
walk good.
And if you're not a member ofthe Carry On Friends community,
please come over and join.
I'll have information aboutthat in the show notes.
(44:47):
And, again, like me, say walkgood.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
Walk good, my sister walk good.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
Thank you.
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