My good friend Bruce Callow was recently nominated for the prestigious British Foreign Service Innovation Award for his work with youth at the Bluefields Nicaragua Prison. Below is a letter he wrote updating us on his progress in December. ~ David Swann

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Hi David,

On December 8th we officially opened the new cells for juveniles and women in Bluefields prison. The conditions in the new cells are similar to a budget youth hostel, they are bright, have proper ventilation and bathroom and shower facilities. UK Ambassador Tom Kennedy and Felix Balladares of the Canadian International Development Agency attended the opening ceremony, along with local officials including the new Mayor of Bluefields.

An additiional outcome of this effort is the way the authorities in Bluefields are now co-operating with each other to find solutions to the problems in Bluefields prison. We have been able to break through a bureacratic impass between the Police, Prison, Judicial and Ministry of the Interior authorities.As a result of this project the prisoners that remain in the police holding cells now have more space than I have every seen in the past three years and the atmosphere is less stressing for them.

This was far more than a government to government project, it was people directly helping people and this solidarity has impressed the Nicaraguans. I met with Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos last Friday and he was very grateful for this effort and thanked us three times at the meeting.

Thank you very much for your contribution to this project and I am happy to share this good news with you before Christmas. Next year we will be doing the same job in the prison in Nicaragua´s second Caribbean city, Puerto Cabezas.

Dr. Swann and Premier Stelmach have agreed to more cordial relations in the next session of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Read the article below:

Alberta MLAs need to tone down rhetoric, dramatics: opposition leaderSource: CBC News

Alberta’s premier and the leader of the official opposition have vowed to improve the level of debate in the upcoming session of the legislature.

Premier Ed Stelmach and Liberal Leader David Swann say the behaviour of MLAs in the chamber needs to change.

The two men met this week to discuss the need to lower the volume and clamp down on the dramatics in the chamber.

Swann said they each promised they would let their caucuses know that it is time to tone down the partisan rhetoric in the house.

“We are ending up with a spiralling down of interest in politics and cynicism about politicians that has to change if we are going to have a more vital democracy here and if we’re all going to get support for the political activities that we want to be involved in, so everyone has to play a part in this shift,” Swann said.

The two men met for the first time since Swann took over his party’s leadership from Edmonton MLA Kevin Taft.

Swann said he is pleased he and Stelmach see eye to eye on the need for better behaviour in the legislature.

“We both agree that respectful relations is the foundation for good public policy,” Swann said.

“We can be very hard, as we will be, on the issues, the goals and the strategies but we will be more respectful. If we have any influence on our caucuses we will be more respectful of the people involved and thereby get a much better result in the end, as far as we’re concerned.”

Swann said everyone would still be able to express their opinion, but he hopes MLAs will make a conscious effort to be a little more civil toward each other, particularly during question period.

The next session of the legislature begins Feb. 10.