Caribbean Economic GovernanceArticle - Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Jamaica’s assertive gangs symptom of deeper crisis
Urban warfare in downtown Kingston has led some to refer to Jamaica as the next narco-state (we already have one, Guinea-Bissau). Christopher (“Dudus”) Coke, the don whose requested extradition by the United States has triggered this furore, is being compared to Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug cartel boss. The unofficial figure of 60 dead in four days (including two policemen and one soldier), and the pictures of pitched gun-battles in the barricaded streets of Tivoli Gardens between the Jamaican Defence Force and reputed members of the Shower Posse led by Coke are not reassuring.
Article - Friday, May 28, 2010
Jamaica’s gang violence a symptom of regional crisis
Urban warfare in downtown Kingston has led some to refer to Jamaica as the next narco-state. Christopher (“Dudus”) Coke, the don whose requested extradition by the United States has triggered this furore, is being compared to Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug cartel boss. The unofficial figure of 60 dead in four days (including two policemen and one soldier), and the pictures of pitched gun-battles in the barricaded streets of Tivoli Gardens between the Jamaican Defence Force and reputed members of the Shower Posse led by Coke are not reassuring.
Publication - Friday, January 29, 2010
Caribbean Regional Governance and the Sovereignty/Statehood Problem
The authors of a new paper on Caribbean regional governance cite the urgent need for a frank debate about sovereignty and statehood. They propose steps the region's leaders can take to design a new set of governance arrangements for CARICOM, and argue that it is only with an updated concept of sovereignty that effective institutions can be built to assist the region.
Article - Monday, January 25, 2010
Wind power a viable, but unreliable source of energy in quake shattered Haiti
TORONTO - Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister is eyeing the potential for wind power along Haiti's coastline as part of the effort to improve the earthquake ravaged country's capacity for power production.
Article - Tuesday, January 19, 2010
As we scramble to help Haiti, we see the seeds of a new unity in the Americas
It is impossible not to be moved by the desperate scenes of death and destruction in Haiti. That such devastation should befall a country that has known nothing but hardship for decades tests the faith of even the truest of believers. And yet, out of the ashes, a phoenix may rise. And as the nations of the western hemisphere scramble to provide aid and figure out how to co-operate in the reconstruction, the seeds of a new western unity may be planted.
Article - Friday, January 15, 2010
After the mayhem, the real challenge is to fix Haiti
This week’s catastrophic earthquake in Haiti is the latest tragedy to hit the 205-year-old nation. Looking beyond the immediate rescue and recovery, the special relationship that Canada enjoys with Haiti puts it in a position to mount future initiatives to rebuild the impoverished country.
Publication - Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Caribbean Papers Summaries: Released and Forthcoming
This publication is a compilation of summaries and abstracts of previously released and forthcoming Caribbean Papers. Summaries included cover topics such as regional transportation, the communications industry, national and regional identity, migration and social partnerships.
Article - Sunday, September 20, 2009
The return of Bernard Coard
Last May, the Point Salines airport in Grenada was renamed the Maurice Bishop International Airport. Two years ago, Bishop's daughter, Nadia, met with Bernard Coard in Richmond Hill prison in a moving moment of reconciliation. The recent release of Coard and his fellow inmates after 26 years in prison is thus a chance for reflection and rapprochement.
Article - Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Military coups and banana republics
The ouster by the military of President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras, taken unceremoniously from his official residence in Tegucigalpa, and flown, still in his pajamas, to San José, Costa Rica, is a novel challenge. Leaving military coups behind is one of Latin America’s great accomplishments. Democracy, albeit with imperfections, is the norm, with the single exception of Cuba, and the times when the region was chiefly known for “coups and earthquakes” seemed to be over.
Article - Wednesday, May 6, 2009
CIGI lecture examines U.S. – Cuba relations
Waterloo, Ontario – May 6, 2009 – Cuban-relations expert Daniel Erikson will give a talk at The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) on May 6, as part of CIGI’s Signature Lecture Series.