Through your column and on behalf of the Gibraltar National Dance Organisation (GNDO), I would like to thank everyone who has supported the recently organised Dance Nationals to select Gibraltar's National Team. The dancers who have now qualified become members of the National Team and will compete at the forthcoming IDO European Championships.

It is thanks to everyone's support that the local championships have been a success:

Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Cultural Services, Triay and Triay, Gibmedia, Santos Choir, Andrea Simpson, Desiree Demianenko, Edilio Pagano, Mimi Marcac Mirceta, CK Transport, Easi-Print, On-Pointe Dance Shop, Gibraltar College, Sound Reinforcement Systems, Mark Galliano, John Mackintosh Hall staff and Jebel Tarik Security.

I would also like to thank all Gibraltar Academy of Dance, Mediterranean Dance School, Show Dance Company, Stylos Dance Studios, Transitions Dance Academy and Urban Dance for their entries as well as all the teachers, chorographers, dancers and parents who supported our event.

My sincerest gratitude to all the volunteers who gave freely of their time for the young people: Christian Santos, Deidre Prescott, Michael Prescott, Lawrence Robles, Alfred Rumbo, Zaskia Byrne, Clive Yeo, Adrian Lopez, Michael Perez, Allan Garro, Robert Balban, Wendy Garro, Belize Cortes, Natalie Mesilio, Noemi Chipolina and Corallyn Chipolina.

We look forward to organising the biggest dance event in our community's history…The IDO European Championships that will be held in Gibraltar from the 1st to 4th October 2015!

Yours sincerely,

Seamus Byrne

President

14-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR

The difficult questions we have often avoided, says Alvarez

May 14, 2015

Equality Rights group chairman Felix Alvarez has controversially highlighted the many 'freedoms to express still pending in Gibraltar to this day. Thorny, difficult questions we have often avoided, year after year,' numbering amongst them the topics of abortion, free contraception, decriminalization of marijuana use, age discrimination and its role in unemployment, as well as religious influence and civil rights in a secular society.'

Speaking at the fourth marking of International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) this year, which was dedicated to the theme of freedom of expression, and accompanied by Minister for Justice Gilbert Licudi and Opposition Spokesperson, Jaime Netto, he called for the establishment of an annual Press Awards system 'to recognize the important role of the media and its professionals. They are quite rightly subject to scrutiny and criticism, but we must also promote and support a free press. Strong democracy and civil society are just not possible without them,' he added.

Mr Alvarez then went on to comment on the important democratic role of the media in Gibraltar, detailing the need for the establishment of a body that will independently address issues of complaints against both the broadcast and published media 'in order to provide third party objectivity and scrutiny at a formal level.

'Gibraltar,' Mr Alvarez said, 'is one house, one home, and its People are one family without distinctions' and he reminded the audience of the important work of Albert Risso and Sir Joshua Hassan in founding the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights, pointing out how the birth of Gibraltar as a modern State with its own identity is founded on the desire for civil rights.

14-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR

Trade mission to strengthen ties between Gibraltar and U.S. companies

May 14, 2015

AmCham Gibraltar says its 2015 Gibraltar Trade Mission is designed to strengthen and improve existing business ties between Gibraltar and the United States as well as to create new opportunities, the Trade Mission will focus on financial and maritime services and on e-Commerce.

"We have so much to offer here and AmCham is thrilled to be hosting our second annual trade mission for U.S. companies to come to Gibraltar," said James Lasry, AmCham President. "Gibraltar is an extraordinary place to do business and this is an exciting opportunity to showcase our vibrant local economy. This Trade Mission will allow us to draw attention to our key industries and highlight opportunities for U.S. companies to invest in Gibraltar. We are looking forward to a successful event."

The AmCham 2015 Trade Mission will take place on June 22nd-23rd and will offer key networking opportunities for AmCham Gibraltar members to develop relationships and successful business partnerships with U.S. companies.

In order to ensure that its members can most effectively use the Trade Mission to their benefit, AmCham will provide pre-Trade Mission training with Kevin Allen who counts Google, Burberry, Smythson, and Verizon among his global clients. He was the architect of MasterCard's "Priceless" campaign.

14-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR

When the Foreign Office says that they will take 'What is required' to defend Gibraltar they mean nothing will be done WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR?

May 14, 2015

Britain will do whatever is required in defence of Gibraltar, said the Foreign Office following the latest incident at sea when the Guardia Civil boarded a local vessel and an RGP officer received a minor injury.

Now we are told by the Foreign Office that Britain will do 'whatever is required' in defence of Gibraltar which, judging by past experience, it means that nothing effective will be done.

The public has heard it all before, nice words and no action has always been the order of the day.

By making such high-sounding but meaningless statements all the Foreign Office is doing is fooling themselves, because no one in Gibraltar will fall for it.

Enough is enough. From the early days of such incursions, the promise from the FCo was that the exercising of jurisdiction by Spanish vessels in British Gibraltar waters would not be tolerated, but the oppositive has been the case.

From the word go the Gibraltar Government has been urging that a tougher approach be undertaken by the UK in defence of Gibraltar's legitimate rights. This has been repeated time and again, but those whose responsibility it is to effectively discharge their duties keep doing nothing.

All the Govenment can do is lodge complaints, but the UK, as being responsible for Gibraltar's security, defence and foreign affairs, are the ones who should take whatever action is required in defence of the British people of British Gibraltar.

But, time and again, they do nothing.And the Spanish get away with exercising jurisdiction in British waters as if such waters belonged to them.

What a carry on!

And for the RGP to come out assuring the public that they will look after their interests regrettably is not upheld by their policy at sea which is to stay berthed in the confort of their expensive patrol boats unless and until someone puts out an emergency call! Then, it can be too late.

Surely the police and other enforcement agencies ought to be out there patrolling our waters and ensuring that their presence will act as a deterrent.

But that is not the case. Boat owners from Gibraltar are not being taken proper care of even when it is expected that some Spanish action could take place.

So that when the police eventually come out, it is too late and the Spanish will have taken whatever action they have wanted to take.

What is the point of the Gibraltar government investing so much money in equipping the RGP with more and more resources when such resources are not used to provide the service to this community that ought to be provided?

Surely the time is long past when an in-deph and proper review should have been undertaken of police policy at sea in the knowledge that the Spanish keep behaving in a hostile manner.

What are they waiting for. a really nasty accident to happen?

14-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR

Women in need

May 14, 2015

Dear Sir,

I am organising a charity event and hope to raise as much money as possible for Women In Need. My open seminar will be taking place this Thursday 14th May at 5pm which is a Women and Pensions Awareness Campaign as there appears to be a lack of information available to Women and young ladies in Gibraltar in planning for a future with security.

Unite will also be attending as a guest speaker. I am trying to raise as much money as possible for Women in Need and wondered if you would like to help promote this charity event.

Tanya Wilkinson

14-05-15 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR

Your freedom ends where your neighbour's starts

May 14, 2015

Street Talk

Today the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia is celebrated at the Piazza with a rally by gay rights groups. The theme this year is freedom of expression, something this column very rightly emphasises as a right and responsibility within our community so we thought we would go and ask the people in the street what they thought of this sacrosanct tenet of our democratic society.

Adrian Cabedo said that though he liked to express himself "the results of expressing your own opinion can be catastrophic in a place this size" especially if you care about what others think or say about you.

"What we are here is very egoistic and everybody cares more about themselves generally speaking, so I think they're all quite happy to say whatever they want and suffer the consequences," he continued. "I've not heard of anyone not being able to express exactly what they want for fear of anything which leads me to believe that everybody can say and do what they want."

True llanito

Alfredo Loddo said that freedom of expression was available all year around in Gibraltar: "As in every democracy we just express what we feel even though we have to be careful about what is libellous.

"Lately there is more freedom on social media than what they were expressing while before everything was being controlled."

Additionally he said gay people have the same rights to express an opinion irrespective of their gender: "Everybody has a right to express what they want and they should be respected for it. Any forum is positive if it represents the feelings of the Gibraltarians and the fact they are unique in being neither English nor Spanish."

With locals travelling more he does admit that "widening our scope gives us more views" but that what we will never change is the desire to be "Gibraltarian first and then everything else".

A certain Paul said that "the ability to express ourselves through social media for example, creates more channels to do so anonymously maybe" helps out people in our community.

"Sometimes people may take social media too far in the way authorities pay attention to them because it's not like we are being governed by it," he added. "But, at the same time, people just express things in the heat of the moment to let off steam and sometimes it's rubbish what is coming out.

"It's important to be able to express whatever with our fear of repercussions."

Prejudice

Pitto said that as we all live in close proximity freedom of expression can be harder, so he prescribed people to stick to their guns: "Because you know the politicians personally you can approach them while in UK your MP is just a cross on the paper."

On the subject of homophobia he said people are changing their mentalities: "The old-fashioned ways of the 19th Century are being swapped for modern realities of what it is because while before it was hidden beneath the bed now people are finally coming out with it. It will take time but slowly this shift is coming."

Pitto insisted that what we have here is heaven compared to across the border: "They won't admit it openly but in private they will tell you they wished they were like in Gibraltar because while the people are the same everywhere it is their system that's corrupt over there."

"I don't have a problem with anybody and just say what I want, when I want," said Daniel. "On the other hand, people are so close to each other here you could offend people if you have certain views on certain things.

"One thing I've seen is a lot of racism here, especially against black people and they certainly can't express what they're feeling. I remember we were working on a site and one of the foremen started shouting at one of the black lads even though the day for him had finished and he was just sitting there fixing his radio.

"Suddenly the foreman kicked his radio across the room and when we told him he had no right to do that, he had a go at us and walked off. That's something I find disgusting."