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Whitney Mélinard

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Whitney Leah Mélinard (born 2001) is a Kalinago activist from Dominica. She is the founder of the Kalinago Ripple Effect Initiative to promote solutions to social issues in the Kalinago Territory.[1][2]

Biography

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Mélinard is from the village of Mahaut River in the Kalinago Territory. She attended Sineku Primary School and Castle Bruce Secondary School. After sitting for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams in 2018, she entered the LEAD Institute to study law.[3]

In 2017, Hurricane Maria damaged much infrastructure in Dominica; several parts of the island, including the Kalinago Territory, still lacked wireless internet service in 2020. In spite of this limitation, the government mandated online learning for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, Mélinard released a video criticizing the unfairness of this situation. She pointed out that families in these areas were forced to rely on expensive mobile data plans, or to travel outside of the Territory. She also noted that internet service providers may be unwilling to invest in this part of the country due to systematic racism.[4][5]

Mélinard's video received varying responses. The Minister of Education, Octavia Alfred, dismissed Mélinard's criticism since Mélinard was currently studying outside of the Territory.[6][7] Oscar George, the Minister of State with responsibility for Telecommunications and Broadcasting, admitted that the Kalinago Territory had not been reconnected to the Internet; he still took issue with the charge of racism, saying that "Government is not mandated to develop telecommunication infrastructure and services".[8] Craig Nesty, the Executive Director of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC), attributed delays to business considerations of the telecom sector.[9][10] However, both opposition Senator Ernie Jno Finn[11] and the Minister for Rural Modernization Cozier Frederick voiced support for Mélinard.[12] The CEO of Digicel Dominica contacted Mélinard personally to discuss ways to improve.[13][5] In a December 2020 poll held by the Kalinago Association, Mélinard was voted the Most Inspiring Kalinago Youth (Female) of 2020.[14]

Mélinard used her platform to bring attention to other issues facing the Kalinago. In an Inter Press Service interview, she proposed granting land titles for the Kalinago as a means of economic independence, and spoke of the need to consider indigenous viewpoints in international environmental accords.[15] In January 2021, she founded the Kalinago Ripple Effect Initiative, a social advocacy group with six focus areas: combating child abuse, promoting disability rights, elder care, treating substance and alcohol abuse, increasing vocational training and employment, and promoting self-identity and leadership.[16] She advocated improving the curriculum of Kalinago history and language taught in schools.[17]

In March 2021, Mélinard wrote an open letter to the president of the National Youth Council of Dominica (NYCD). In her letter, Mélinard criticised the NYCD 1st Vice President Phael Lander for leading a youth rally for the ruling Dominica Labour Party. The NYCD is an explicitly nonpartisan NGO, and Lander's public partisanship contravened its Constitution.[18][19] While the NYCD executive initially refrained from disciplining Lander,[20] it eventually suspended him for three weeks in the face of public pressure.[21]

In May 2021, Mélinard joined the Alternative Peoples' Party (APP) and became its 2nd Deputy Leader. She stated that she did not intend to run for political office, but rather to increase public awareness of Kalinago issues.[22][23] Mélinard resigned in October 2021 to protest infighting among the party founders.[24][25] In her resignation letter, she stated her plan to take a hiatus from politics and complete further education.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "Call for NYCD 1st VP to resign amidst accusations of public display of partisan politics". Dominica News Online. 2021-03-23. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  2. ^ carlislejb (2021-06-03). "National Youth Council wants to end the "Strong Bodies Strong Minds Pilot Project"". Nature Isle News. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  3. ^ "Whitney Melinard responds to reaction to her video statement". Dominica News Online. 2020-06-11. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  4. ^ "Student expresses concern about lack of internet access in Kalinago Territory and other east coast areas". Dominica News Online. 2020-06-11. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  5. ^ a b carlislejb (2020-06-09). "Kalinago student laments lack of WiFi access for studies". Nature Isle News. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  6. ^ "Education minister refutes claim of "systemic racism" made by Kalinago Territory student". Dominica News Online. 2020-06-11. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  7. ^ Popovic, Caroline (14 June 2020). "Malgré les sourires, les Kalinagos de la Dominique souffrent de l'absence d'internet depuis l'ouragan Maria en 2017". Martinique la 1ère (in French). Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  8. ^ "Government Awaiting Service Provider Solutions for Three-Year Internet Blackout in Areas". Dominica Vibes. 2020-06-12. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  9. ^ "CEO of the NTRC, Craig Nesty notes the digital divide which exists in Dominica, is due to the low economic returns of various communities, following Hurricane Maria in 2017". Q95FM. 19 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  10. ^ "NTRC Executive Director Craig Nesty seeks to address student concerns over the difficulty of internet access in the Kalinago Territory and in other communities across Dominica". Q95FM. 10 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  11. ^ "Ernie Jno Finn supports Kalinago student's appeal for internet access". Dominica News Online. 2020-06-19. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  12. ^ "Minister for Rural Modernization and MP for the Salybia Constituency Cozier Frederick has voiced his support for the concerns of vocal Kalinago Youth Whitney Melinard". Q95FM. 15 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  13. ^ "Whitney Melinard receives positive response from a major telecommunications company after viral post". Kairi FM. 2020-06-11. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  14. ^ "Kalinago Man and Woman and Most Inspiring Youth (male and female) of 2020". Dominica News Online. 2020-12-28. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  15. ^ Kentish, Alison (2020-12-23). "Indigenous Leaders want Traditional Knowledge to be Centrepiece of New Global Biodiversity Framework". Inter Press Service. Archived from the original on 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  16. ^ "Leader of Kalinago advocacy group, Whitney Melinard, calls for more state resources to tackle child sexual abuse". Dominica News Online. 2021-05-04. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  17. ^ "Youth Activist Whitney Melinard says not enough is being done to preserve and teach Kalinago history and language in Dominica, and that 'living as a Kalinago without a true sense of identity, is no life at all'". Q95FM. 2020-08-14. Archived from the original on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  18. ^ "Call for NYCD 1st VP to resign amidst accusations of public display of partisan politics". Dominica News Online. 2021-03-23. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  19. ^ carlislejb (2021-03-23). "Kalinago Youth writes to NYCD seeking answers". Nature Isle News. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  20. ^ "NYCD revokes decision to place 1st VP on 2-week suspension". Dominica News Online. 2021-03-24. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  21. ^ "NYCD takes disciplinary action against 1st VP for breach of group's constitution". Dominica News Online. 2021-03-26. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  22. ^ "Twenty–year–old Whitney 'Leah' Mélinard has become APP's deputy political leader". The Sun Dominica. 2021-06-10. Archived from the original on 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  23. ^ "Whitney Mélinard appointed as 2nd deputy political leader of APP". Dominica News Online. 2021-05-19. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  24. ^ a b "More resignations from an embattled APP executive". Dominica News Online. 2021-10-15. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  25. ^ "RIP, APP". The Sun Dominica. 2021-10-26. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
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