Miami Dade College (MDC) will host ÃƒÆ’ƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“Only Sustainable,” the 2010 International Conference on Renewable Energy, on Thursday, Nov. 4 and Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 at its Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami.

The “Only Sustainable” conference is considered to be the most important gathering on renewable energy in the U.S., Latin America and Europe. It is especially relevant not only for its economic and social significance, but also for the topics to be discussed and the roster of distinguished panelists and guest speakers that will include public officials from the local, state and federal government, as well as local business leaders and government officials from Spain.

The participation of renowned professional and institutional figures within the energy sector is a major part of this conference. This two-day event will feature in-depth discussions and presentations on several prominent international projects.

Jamaican nationals were able to utilise the services of several domestic agencies at a Community Outreach Day, staged last Saturday (September 25) by the Consulate General in Miami and partnering agencies, at the University Area Community Development Center, Tampa, Florida.

Although the event was marred by sporadic rainfall, scores of Jamaicans were able to access services such passport applications, processed by representatives of the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), and birth, death and marriage certificates courtesy of the Registrar General's Department (RGD).

Speaking with JIS News, PICA's Acting Operations Manager, Citizenship Services, Desmond Graham, explained that he was able to respond to several inquiries on passport and citizenship applications, and was satisfied with what was accomplished throughout the day.

Renowned Jamaican scientist, Professor Henry Lowe, whose research led to the discovery of a new cancer drug treatment, has been invited to make a special presentation at the Eighth Annual Congress of International Drug Discovery Science and Technology (IDDST) in Beijing, China.

Lowe's presentation will be on research work on Jamaican medicinal plants, parti-cularly his recent work with Tillandsia recurvata, otherwise called ball moss, which has demonstrated potent anti-cancer activities during testing.

The IDDST Congress, which is being held October 23-25, is considered to be a leading international event that highlights scientific and technological breakthroughs, and will focus on bringing the next blockbuster drug to market.

As apart of their annual meeting the Florida Association of Black Owned Media, Inc. (FABOM) began it’s day of business and candidate queries and issues with a breakfast with Alex Sink, Florida’s Democratic candidate for Governor. FABOM is Florida’s only organization representing established African American owned media.

Sink: ÃƒÆ’ƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…“I can’t win without the Black vote”.

Sink outlined a detailed Education Policy Plan with specifics that address the alarmingly low Black male graduation rates, the negative impact of the FCAT on grade school performance, Pre-K investment, upgrading public school curriculum and technical schools as a continuing education option for students interested in education alternatives. Sink made clear that she understood the importance of education as the vehicle that breaks down barriers to progress. She said it is “my priority,” pointing to her 27 page plan that includes many education issues of particular importance to Black Floridians. A particular concern of the organization was the high dropout rate of Black males. Sink said her task force will address those concerns along with other important education issues. Sink also said she intends to restore the Small and Minority Business initiatives and the Matchmaker program. She also confirmed plans to appoint a Black to the Parole and Probation Commission.