CDB Offers Flood Relief Assistance to Guyana The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has offered to assist the Government of Guyana in its relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of recent severe flooding in that country. In accordance with CDB's Natural Disaster Management Policy, the Bank can provide a grant to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency of up to USD100,000 to assist CDERA in providing emergency relief. The Bank can also provide an immediate response loan of up to USD500,000 to the Government, if it applies for such assistance, for clearing and cleaning affected areas and restoring services. CDB would provide the engineering consultants to conduct independent inspection and certification of works. In addition, if requested, CDB can participate in a detailed assessment of the social and economic infrastructure and sectoral damage caused by the flooding. An effective recovery strategy and a programme of rehabilitation works could then be developed from this assessment.CDB President, Dr. Compton Bourne, says the Bank very much regrets the damage done to Guyana's social and economic infrastructure. CDB/IDB Facilitate Civil Society Dialogue Representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) will meet for a conference in Trinidad next week. The Caribbean Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank are organising the conference.Participants are expected from 19 countries and 13 regional organizations. The objectives of the conference are to follow up on commitments from the 2005 conference in Barbados hosted by CDB and the IDB, increase opportunities for dialogue between CSOs and CDB/IDB and other Development Partners, as well as to exchange information and experiences between CSOs and CDB/IDB.The conference will take place from January 24 to 25 at the Hilton Hotel in Port of Spain. Senator the Honourable Rennie Dumas, Minister of Local Government in Trinidad and Tobago, will give the feature address at the opening ceremony.Dr. Ivelaw Griffith of Florida International University in Miami and The Hon. Alfred Sears, MP, Minister of Education and Attorney General, Bahamas, will be the presenters. Dr. Griffith will deal with the topic of Regional and National Security with specific reference to Crime, Food Security and Disaster Preparedness, while Mr. Sears will look at Participatory Governance, highlighting the areas of Public Sector Modernisation, Equity and Social Inclusion.It is expected that at the end of the meeting, participants will leave with improved knowledge of CSOs' responsibilities and actions in national decision-making, development planning and implementation; that there will be improved networking amongst CSOs and CDB/IDB and other Development Partners, and that they would have agreed on recommendations and pathways for action.