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ICM Party Elects Genevieve Whitaker President

On April 26, 2009 – The members of the Independent Citizens Movement Party elected its officers for the St. Croix District, selecting Genevieve Whitaker as its new president. Whitaker, who is the secretary of the party’s territorial committee, intends on working with the party’s leadership, members of all generations and fellow Virgin Islands regardless of political or nonpolitical affiliations, in advancing issues of education, self-determination, unity, economic stability, energy and the environment, efficiency in government and other areas of concern. By way of background, the ICM Party was formed by a group of concerned citizens in 1968 spearheaded by the founder, the late Esther Brow Moorhead, an entrepreneur and leader in grassroots politics, to give the V.I. an alternative to the machine politics responsible for the continuing deterioration of the community. It is a reform political party, free of obligations and dedicated to responsible and responsive government based on the principles of equal freedom and opportunity for all. Also elected during the April 12 meeting were George Moore as vice president, Naomi Joseph as secretary, and Diana James as treasurer.
Profile of Genevieve Whitaker: ICM Party St. Croix Chapter President Genevieve Whitaker is a 25-year-old, aspiring human rights attorney and human rights activist. She was born on St. Croix and received her law degree from Stetson University College of Law where she received the Public Service Recognition Award for her exemplary service locally and worldwide as well as Certificates in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford and George Washington University School of Law’s Continuing Education Summer Program. She also received a Certificate in International Humanitarian Law from Santa Clara University School of Law. Genevieve received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and World Affairs from the University of Tampa with Honors Program Distinction. Genevieve is a product of the Virgin Islands public and private school system, having graduated from St. Mary’s School at the top her class, attending St. Joseph High School where she was an honor student, and graduating with honors from the St. Croix Educational Complex Magnet Program. Throughout her high school, undergraduate, and law school careers, she was a very active member of her communities, serving as a St. Croix Civil Air Patrol cadet commander, the secretary/executive board member of the United Nations Association of the USA’s Tampa Bay Chapter and founding chair of the Young Professionals for International Cooperation Program (YPIC) and a YPIC national policy chair for international law. Whitaker, an advocate for civic education in her capacity on the Board of Directors and Director of Volunteer & Youth Advocacy of Partners for Freedom & Democracy, organized the organization’s inaugural youth conference: “Youths, the Law and Leadership: Empowering Youths to Achieve,” held in Abuja, Nigeria (2008). The purpose of PFD is to promote freedom, strengthen democracy through the rule of law, and advocate for civic awareness and education. Genevieve’s passion for human rights, led to her appointment as the Florida legislative coordinator for Amnesty International-USA (AIUSA), leading its lobbying efforts in the Florida as well as in the nation’s capital. She was recognized as an outstanding Stetson University College of Law graduate as founder of the school’s first Amnesty International USA Chapter (See Link: Stetson Law graduates record number of students May 12 in Gulfport).
As a firm believer in the importance of mentoring, she has worked with youth all her life, to include her service during high school as an U.S. attorney (Virgin Islands) peer helper, a girl scout assistant troop leader for at-risk girls while employed part-time with the law firm of Holland & Knight LLP’s Charitable Foundation incTampa, Florida, as a full-time undergraduate, and during her law school career serving as Certified Guardian Ad-Litem in the Sixth Circuit (St. Petersburg, Florida) for abused and neglected children as well as a volunteer tutor/mentor for the Florida Center for Survivors of Torture’s Refugee Youth and Family Program.
Whitaker returned to her beloved home right after graduating from law school with the desire and zeal to take her message of human rights to the place she calls home, serving in various capacities in the government, private and nonprofit sectors. She served as a legal counsel in the 27th Legislature and a radio personality, co-hosting and producing the “Beyond Politics” program. served a Researcher for the Virgin Islands Commission on Judicial Disabilities, worked as an Associate for the Law Office of Rohn & Cameron LLC and worked with for the Fifth Constitutional Convention during their first substantive retreat involving all committees of the convention to devise a first draft. Genevieve, a licensed educational consultant, is the sole member, CEO & Owner of The Whitaker Consultant Group LLC and serves as the secretary and legal counsel for the Caribbean Institute for New Humanity Inc. (CINH) founding the organization’s women’s group, Sisterhood for Humanity Initiative (See Link: http://groups.to/sisterhood4humanity/) and blogger/creator of A Renewal of VI Politics (See Link: http://renewvipolitics.blogspot.com/). The mission and vision of CINH is: to institutionalize the repair of African-Caribbean societies resulting from the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery.

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