Nov. 29, 2007 -- Delegates from 17 Caribbean countries are expected in Trinidad and Tobago on December 4 for the Fourth Biennial General Assembly of the Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers (ACM).

Journalists and journalists organisations will discuss the state of the media in their respective countries, consider a number of resolutions and ACM reports and elect a new executive committee to run the organisation for the next two years.

A special address will be delivered by recently-appointed Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Dr Donald Peters.

His presence is a part of attempts by the ACM to deepen ties with regional agencies and institutions with which Caribbean journalists interface on a regular basis.

Two resolutions already tabled for discussion relate to the role of the Caribbean Institute for Media and Communication (CARIMAC) in the training of regional journalists, and the continuing state advertising boycott of the Stabroek News in Guyana.

Proposals are also being developed to pursue the production of an Elections Handbook for Caribbean Journalists and the development of a Young Caribbean Journalists Mentoring Programme.

The ACM is currently developing a Caribbean Network of Young Journalists (http://www.acmediaworkers.com/CNYJ/home.htm) and has been responsible for a number of training workshops designed for young regional journalists over the past 12 months.

ACM President Dale Enoch said he is satisfied with the work of the ACM over the past two years. "We have been able to develop and grow and to entrench ourselves as the premier organisation representing Caribbean journalists and media workers," he said.

In time for the General Assembly this year, the ACM is partnering with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) for the Caribbean Area and Digicel T&T to stage two workshops to be attended by delegates to the General Assembly.

"Information for Action IV:  The Rights of the Child - Building the Future" has been organised by UNIC and the ACM in association with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). This workshop will be held on December 3 and 4.

On December 5, the ACM and Digicel will explore the issue "Bridging the Information Divide - The Role of Telecommunications in the Caribbean."

Enoch said the programme of activities for journalists in attendance will "further promote our vision of a journalistic fraternity equipped to play an important role in painting an accurate picture of the Caribbean reality."

Journalists from the following countries have confirmed their attendance: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Maarten, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

The National Association of Caribbean-American Journalists (NACAJ) has also indicated its intention to attend.

The current ACM executive comprises:

President: Dale Enoch (T&T)
First Vice President: Peter Richards (St Lucia/T&T)
Second Vice President: Bert Wilkinson (Guyana)
General Secretary: Wesley Gibbings (T&T)
Assistant General Secretary: Nita Ramcharan (Suriname)
Member: Michael Bascombe (Grenada)
Member: Canute James (Jamaica)

Past General Assemblies have been hosted in:

Barbados (2001)
St Lucia (2003)
Barbados (2005)

This year's Assembly will be hosted at the Cascadia Hotel in Cascade, Trinidad.