Google Ads

Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Arab Spring of 2011 in global context... ...no other event in world politics had such wide-ranging effects both in the region and far beyond

Uncertain World: The Arab Spring in global context

By Fyodor Lukyanov


Much has been written about the Arab Spring of 2011 and rightly so: no other event in world politics had such wide-ranging effects both in the region and far beyond.

The process that began in the waning days of 2010 has toppled regimes in four countries (Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen), reinvigorated political Islam, intensified competition among regional powers both in terms of geopolitical ambitions and the Sunni-Shiite confrontation, and led to a reevaluation of NATO’s role in the world. Finally, it has again raised questions about democratization as a means of resolving problems and the meaning of democracy in the modern world.

The countries at the center of the storm are not the poorest or least developed, with the exception of Yemen. So, these upheavals cannot be reduced to strictly economic factors. The authoritarian regimes in the Middle East, which have remained virtually unchanged since the middle of the 20th century, were long considered the only model of governance suitable for the region. However, the changes in the last few decades have made them look increasingly anachronistic, all the more so since the revolution in the media has made international experiences available to the Arab masses , not the overwhelming majority, but a broad enough swathe of society to provoke change.

Legitimacy is the key issue. It is no accident that the conservative Gulf monarchies, where power is inherited, were shaken but unhurt by the Arab Spring, whereas autocratic republics with formally elected presidents who sought to transfer power to an heir crumbled under popular discontent.

Islamic political parties have clearly come out on top in countries that have already held elections (Tunisia and Egypt), and Islamists are becoming more active in countries that have yet to hold democratic elections (Libya, Yemen and Syria). This is no surprise; decades of one-man or at least one-party rule have left no other foundation for building a new political system.

Democracy can develop further in the Middle East if secular parties are established in addition to Islamic ones and if the forces of political Islam are interested in building modern institutions. Otherwise, the democratic spring will serve only to legitimize a new anti-democratic model, this time Islamic in nature.

Two oil monarchies, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, are at the forefront of the struggle for regional leadership. Their efforts have turned the Arab League, long derided as a club of dictators, into an instrument of regime change (the only exception being Bahrain, where Saudi interference helped suppress the Shiite protest movement) and a pretext for intervention (NATO’s operation in Libya largely succeeded due to Arab support).

The confluence of three processes, great power rivalry in the region (Riyadh - Tehran), Sunni-Shiite confrontation, and increasing international concern over the Iranian nuclear program, is changing the regional context. The risk of military action will increase next year. With the growing alignment of interests among such diverse countries as Saudi Arabia and Israel and the upcoming presidential election in the United States, the prospect of military conflict is rising. The Iranian-Shiite element is moving to the fore in the struggle over Syria. Arab pressure on the Alawite regime increasingly resembles a proxy war against an Iranian ally.

NATO’s intervention in Libya showed that the alliance’s military capability is limited and that the organization itself has become much less of a monolith. In fact, the bombing of Libya was less a NATO operation than an example of individual countries pursuing their own interests. France and Britain gained from their leading role in this campaign, while the United States used Libya to test a model in which leadership is relegated to the Europeans when a conflict is primarily their concern.

This year has yielded contradictory results for the fate of democracy. The invasion of Libya was legally presented as enforcing a no-fly zone, though in reality its direct aim was regime change. The bombing in support of Libya’s “democratic forces,” that is, one side in the civil war, about which nothing was known at the time, went far beyond the bounds of decency, regardless of what you think about the Gaddafi regime. The 20-year transformation of democracy and humanitarian protection from a noble idea to a cynical instrument reached its apogee in Libya and largely discredited these concepts.

Even so, democracy, or rather the desire for the transition of power and the refusal to accept permanent regimes, has taken root and spread all over the world. The public in Egypt and Libya rejected attempts of their leaders to transfer power to heirs. Essentially the same thing happened in other places, such as Transnistria, where people refused to vote for their long-standing ruler or Moscow’s choic, and instead backed an independent candidate. The same phenomenon was seen in Russia, where Vladimir Putin’s unilateral decision to return to the presidency turned the political atmosphere against the government.

Attempts to impose democracy produce the opposite effect but it is impossible to suppress people’s natural desire to express their political views. This is the result not only of 2011 but of the 20 years since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

11:12 05/01/2012

rian.ru

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The CARICOM blueprint for illicit drug trafficking


by Melissa Beale, Research Associate for the Council on Hemispheric Affairs



The 1970s marked the dawning of the drug trafficking phenomenon in the Caribbean. Since then, the tentacles of this multibillion-dollar illegal industry has plagued the West Indian islands with expanding drug cartel ramifications from Central and South America which continue to make use of the islands as a channel to deliver supplies to high-demand markets in the United States and Europe. Drug cartels use the Caribbean as a mode of transit, mainly because of its geographic layout. The cartographic projection of the Caribbean islands provides an advantage to drug cartels which make good use of its long coastlines to transport narcotics by means of fishing boats, speedboats, freighter shipments, yachts, and other modes of small commercial, as well as private sea transportation conveyances, along with light aircraft. For instance, The Bahamas is a favored transit point for Jamaican marijuana and South American cocaine cultivated and processed specifically for sale in the United States. Due to the far-flung Caribbean archipelago that contains over 700 islands spread across some 15,000 square miles[1], only thirty or forty of which are inhabited, thus making it difficult to regulate and detect such illegal activities taking place in such waters. In addition, “small commercial and private conveyances along short-distance maritime and aerial routes”[2] also contribute to what has become a security dilemma.



New Developments: The Spillover Along the U.S./Mexico Border Control



Mexico is infamous for its out-of-control gang violence that escalated from 2006 onward, when President Felipe Calderón began putting increased security pressure on drug trafficking organizations, as well as began to militarize the anti-drug war. In the 1980s and early 1990s, most drugs were trafficked into the U.S. from the Caribbean to South Florida.[3] Currently, however, Mexico is the primary supplier of methamphetamine to the U.S, and is responsible for 95 percent of all cocaine entering the country. With the current tightening of the Mexican/U.S. borders, drug traffickers once again have returned to the Caribbean to transport their narcotics. Due to this increased trafficking in the region, alliances and hostilities also have developed between Central and South American criminal groups and their Caribbean counterparts. As a result, drug and gang violence has been exacerbated along with other associated malignant socioeconomic indicators throughout the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as part of the spill over from the rest of Latin America.



U.S./Caribbean Tactics



Along with the U.S.’ present tightening of its border with Mexico, there seems to be a significant shift in Washington’s focus on international security issues towards the Caribbean, with the creation of the Caribbean-U.S. Security Cooperation Dialogue. This annual event was established in 2010, to deal specifically with drug- related issues. [4] In accordance to a news report, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations was charged that the new subcommittee responsible for creating the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) to control and reduce drug trafficking and related violence within the region, which Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), would oversee the hearing. The CBSI has now decided to expand its focus to provide job training for youth and to help end corruption throughout the CARICOM region. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who attended the Caribbean-U.S. Security Cooperation Dialogue held this November, seems to be supporting an open line of discussions with CARICOM on this matter. In fact, Holder spoke to members of the Judiciary Committee in December. In his testimony in that forum, he asserted that drug trading in the Caribbean “is a national security issue that we must face.”[5] The U.S. must be aware of the fact that drug trafficking and related violence is a global problem and necessitates a global solution. Therefore, Latin America should also be invited to talks, as most Caribbean drug trafficking is a result of Latin American gangs using the region as a means of convergence of narcotics and marketed into the U.S. and Europe. This seems to be the case particularly regarding Puerto Rico, as frequent daily flights and being legally part of the U.S., make it easier for drug traffickers to smuggle their illegal cargo into North America.



Presently, there is a lot of speculation about Puerto Rico becoming a narco-state with the increase in the illicit flow of drugs. Officials have noted that “75 percent of the [year’s] murders are drug-related.”[6] According to a report by CBS news, “Drug smuggling is as much a part of Puerto Rico as palm trees and sand – American sand.”[7] The main reason for this is that “For drug traffickers…once they get to Puerto Rico, no more customs checkpoints on the way to the mainland.”[8] This is also the case for other U.S. Caribbean territories such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, which needs to be examined by U.S. authorities. Greater emphasis, therefore, needs to be made in when it comes to U.S.’ tactics to combat drug trafficking in their Caribbean territories – Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands come to mind since “domestic commercial cargo shipments between these U.S. territories and the continental U.S. ordinarily are not subject to US Customs inspection”.[9] Additionally, these U.S. territories, which are often less rigorously controlled and monitored by officials, become popular ocean drop-off points for Latin American cocaine shipments that have been previously airdropped on other eastern Caribbean islands such as St Martin and St Kitts.



Haiti’s Continuous Vulnerability



With the tightening of U.S./Mexico borders, vulnerable islands within the Caribbean have become even more susceptible to the lure of drug trafficking. Haiti is of particular interest to drug traffickers, as the island’s population has become more prone to participate in this illegal narcotic trade for a number of reasons, such as: poverty and corruption, economic and political instability, as well as an unsafe environment and a profaned ceiling on the availability of jobs – all of which has been worsened by the aftermath of the devastating January 2010 earthquake.



Even before the earthquake, Haiti was the unlucky member of CARICOM, experiencing long periods of poverty and corruption. Of course Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and arguably, the most corrupt. Since the earthquake, poverty has been exacerbated, resulting in many Haitians turning towards drug dealing and trafficking in order to gain a fast injection of income. Furthermore, many Haitians have also started consuming drugs in order to ease the daily challenges of gathering adequate water, food and shelter for their survival. This has created an alarming number of addicts without access to treatment facilities, as there are presently no NGO- or government-sponsored rehabilitation programs or treatment centers available to the public within the country.[10]



The earthquake also has amplified the breadth of corruption on the island, which amply was already present even before the disaster. In 2009 and 2010, a number of Haitian National Police (HNP) officers were arrested for conspiring with drug traffickers and other criminal organizations in gang-related activities.[11] For instance, in an extensively publicized event reported in September 2010, “the Director of the Central Judicial Police, which oversees all HNP investigative units, announced the arrest of seven officers – most of them traffic police from the Brigade d’Intervention Motorisée (BIM) – accused of aiding drug traffickers and kidnappers.”[12] Haitian officers described the seizures as part of a widespread cleanup within the local police force.



Despite Herculean efforts, Haiti still struggles with drug traffickers whose presence has increased significantly after the earthquake. Since a large portion of the country’s infrastructure was damaged, the HNP has been left with additional difficulties to combat drug trafficking. Although Haiti is not a major supplier of drug and products, (only marijuana is grown in certain parts of the island) it is an ideal transit zone in which aircraft from Latin American countries perform drop-offs on a profusion of clandestine, unmonitored runways. Haiti’s topology also features long coastlines, which are woefully inadequate when it comes to the proper number of coast guard stations, and a mountainous interior that is perfect for accommodating drug trafficking routes as police officers are unable to chart the functionality of drug routes in such a geologically intricate area.



Jamaica



Jamaica has experienced similar social and economic instabilities. The largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean, Jamaica is both the largest supplier and most prominent consumer of marijuana in the Caribbean. This is due in part to its thriving Rastafarian culture, in which its followers historically have “viewed marijuana as a medicine, intoxicant, and a religious sacrament.”[13] Many drug traffickers and farmers continue to cultivate the plant in the northeastern part of the island, known as the Blue Mountains. This affords an ideal location for the drug’s cultivation, as the layout of the mountainside, valleys and natural ridges make the production of marijuana difficult to monitor. Traditionally, farmers have been able to conceal their production of marijuana plants amidst banana and coconut trees.



In addition, many drug traffickers have become both respected as well as feared figures within Jamaican society, such as the infamous drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke, one of the most dangerous criminals in the Caribbean and the United States. Drug lords such as Dudus have been able to win the loyalty of the local community by providing “employment, education, medical and food supplies” for their neighbors, when the government was unable to do so.[14] Island governments in the Caribbean, therefore, need to focus on the felt needs of the population in order to allocate adequate funds to social and economic development efforts so that locals do not turn to drug traffickers for such support. But, this is far more easily said than done.



Reduction Challenges



Drug trafficking seems to be on the rise within the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Persistent issues such as poverty, corruption, and political and economic instability recurrent plague these small island-nations. The limited development funding available within these chronically under-financed islands remains an important challenge. Many of them, such as Barbados, rely on tourism for their survival, and with the current relatively unfavorable status of the current world economy, tourists are less likely to be engaging in discretionary traveling around the globe. This has had a spiraling effect on the economic and social stability of islands, where, for instance, many agriculturalists who own small parcels of land or local businesses in St Vincent and the Grenadines now are found turning to growing marijuana for much-needed supplemental income.



Furthermore, numerous Caribbean governments also lack the necessary funds needed to properly address security issues involved in combating drug trafficking, as some islands are still without a designated police force or coastguard service to properly monitor and ward off the danger posed by it. Moreover, these governments usually do not have adequate funds for the creation or maintenance of rehabilitation clinics. This is particularly alarming for women and children who are battling drug addictions as their needs are often far different from those presented by males, and frequently involve sexual trauma on top of their other addictions.[15] Female drug users are dramatically increasing in Central America and in the Caribbean, where the International Narcotics Control Board’s (INCR) annual report has advised CARICOM governments “to ensure that, in efforts to combat drug abuse, adequate programmes are in place to ensure that special attention is given to female drug abusers”.[16] On the bright side, however, islands such as Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago are engaged in preventative programs that target youth, who are particularly vulnerable to the shallow temptations of the drug world, through school lectures and training programs at all levels of education.



In conclusion, the Caribbean drug dilemma exposes the severity of the danger that illicit drug trafficking presents to these small islands, as well as to the rest of the Western Hemisphere. This will continue to be a problem for local CARICOM governments unless they team up with much wealthier, as well as much more developed countries such as the U.S., which can help provide the much needed funds and other resources, such as training of local police officers and coast guard official, in order to professionally rebut this phenomenon.



References for this article can be found here.



The Council on Hemispheric Affairs, founded in 1975, is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt research and information organization. It has been described on the Senate floor as being "one of the nation's most respected bodies of scholars and policy makers." For more information, visit www.coha.org or email coha@coha.org


January 3, 2012


caribbeannewsnow


Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Politics in the Caribbean - 2011: ...Never before in the history of the region have there been general elections in two Caribbean countries on the same date; coupled with a State of Emergency in another; allegations of assassinations against two prime ministers; the surprise resignation of a prime minister, not to mention the democratic change of government in Haiti, all within a 12-month period

Politics dominated 2011 in the Caribbean

By Peter Richards



BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — For political historians, 2011 has provided lots of fresh fodder.

Never before in the history of the region have there been general elections in two Caribbean countries on the same date; coupled with a State of Emergency in another; allegations of assassinations against two prime ministers; the surprise resignation of a prime minister, not to mention the democratic change of government in Haiti, all within a 12-month period.

In addition, Barbados’ Prime Minister Freundel Stuart warned leading members of his administration that any attempt to derail his government would have certain consequences.

“If I understand history at all, if a coup is attempted and it succeeds, the person against whom the coup was aimed usually pays for it with his neck. If the coup fails, the plotters and those who were trying to execute it pay for it with their necks,” he said.

His finance minister, Chris Sinckler, acknowledged that he and 10 of his colleagues were seeking an “urgent audience” with Stuart because some members felt that the Democratic Labour Party’s level of public engagement on issues affecting the country was found wanting.

“I am hoping that by putting this on the record that those who feel that I am after some office and I spend all of my waking hours thinking about how to unseat this person or the other, or cause confusion that would lead to that, I really hope that they would stand down,” he added.

At the start of the year, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves stunned parliament with his disclosure of an alleged assassination plot against him.

“Cocaine traffickers and money launderers are conspiring actively with others to kill the prime minister and on the public airwaves people are being exhorted by some to use any means necessary to remove a democratically elected government,” he added. This statement followed public pronouncements by Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace that the government would fall by the end of 2011.

Nine months later, Gonsalves’ counterpart in Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, caused an even bigger stir when she announced that the police had uncovered a plot to kill her and senior government ministers.

“I am advised by the law enforcement authorities that they have, through their intelligence resources uncovered an assassination plot against members of my government and myself,” she told the nation, adding that the assassination threats were as a direct result of the “successful” 105-day State of Emergency that had severely disrupted the activities of the criminals.

But in the end, despite the detention of 17 people, police were unable to lay any charge and the opposition termed the “assassination plot” as nothing more than “an exaggerated political stunt” by the government.

Whether he was forced out of office or not, Bruce Golding surprised Jamaicans with his announcement that he was stepping down as head of the government in October less than five years after taking the oath of office as prime minister.

“The challenges of the last four years have taken their toll and it was appropriate now to make way for new leadership to continue the programmes of economic recovery and transformation while mobilising the party for victory in the next general elections,” Golding said in a farewell statement.

His successor, Andrew Holness, 39, became the youngest ever prime minister since political Independence in 1962, but also now has the unenvious record of being booted out of office just after two months.

Holness gambled and called a general election on December 29 but the voters decided that Portia Simpson Miller, the first ever woman prime minister they sent packing in 2007, was a better choice to lead the country. They gave her People’s National Party an overwhelming 42-21 margin of victory.

Simpson Miller, affectionally referred to as ‘Sista P’, faces deep problems as she takes over the government, with debt running at approximately 130 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product and unemployment at more than 12 per cent.

The new government has already said it will be seeking to renegotiate the multi-billiondollar Standby Agreement from the International Monetary Fund.

“We have plenty of work ahead of us... you will hear from us soon as we move to put our team in place,” she told supporters, urging all Jamaicans “to work with us as we move this country forward together.

“We will tell you as it is, we will hide nothing from you, when it is tough and rough we will let you know, when it is easy we will let you know,” Simpson Miller said, informing all investors and businesses “that you have a government you can trust”.

The Jamaican election apart, voters in Guyana and St Lucia created history by going to the polls on the same day to elect their respective governments.

For Dr Kenny Anthony, November 28 allowed him another bite at governing St Lucia, following his 11-6 defeat in the 2006 poll. The incumbent United Workers Party (UWP) had been predicting a landslide, but the voters instead sent Stephenson King and his UWP team packing.

“I ask God to give me the strength and courage and most of all the wisdom to manage the affairs of the country in the next few years or until such time it is necessary for me to say goodbye to political life,” an emotional 60-year-old Anthony said.

Donald Ramotar, meanwhile, ensured that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic would remain at the helm of government in Guyana, even though it failed to obtain a majority in the 65-member National Assembly.

Ramotar faced a formidable challenge from the Alliance for Change (AFC) and the opposition grouping, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) that between them controlled 33 of the seats in Parliament.

The 61-year-old economist said the “elections have reaffirmed our maturity as a democratic nation, something of which we should all be proud.

“I wish to therefore congratulate my Guyanese brothers and sisters from all walks of life, who participated in this latest renewal of our democracy, for playing their part in this vital national process! Regardless of the results we are all winners — Guyana and all the people of Guyana,” he added.

In March, Haitians also celebrated the continued renewal of their democracy by electing musician Michael “Sweet Micky” Martelly as their new head of state, replacing Rene Preval, who like Bharrat Jagdeo in Guyana had been barred by their country’s constitution from seeking a third consecutive term in office.

Martelly had received nearly 68 per cent of the votes cast in the March 20 second-round run-off and easily defeated former first lady and law professor Mirlande Manigat.

“We’ll work for all Haitians. Together we can do it,” he promised voters soon after his victory, but Martelly found it was easier said than done, having to nominate three persons before legislators agreed to his nominee for prime minister and the Frenchspeaking Caricom country still coming to grips with the January 2010 earthquake and a cholera outbreak.

Grenada’s Prime Minister Tillman Thomas, the then Caricom chairman, said the successful completion of the presidential election signalled a “renewal of spirit and the rise of a new political generation” in Haiti despite the return to the country of former dictator Jean-Claude ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier and former president Jean Bertrand Aristide.

The High Court is likely to determine the future political careers of Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and his education minister Petter St Jean after the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) argued that the two ministers were illegally nominated to contest the December 2009 general election because they held dual citizenship at the time. A ruling is expected in early 2012.

In Nevis, the opposition Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) has maintained that the July poll won by the ruling Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) was rigged and it, too, has gone to the courts seeking redress.

Despite early pronouncements, the British government failed to name a date for general elections in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) and citizens took to the streets to demand an end to being ruled by London.

But the TCI was not the only overseas territory having problems with Britain. Anguilla’s Chief Minister Hubert Hughes has called on citizens to seriously consider seeking political independence after the governor of the 35 square mile island Alistair Harrison refused to sign off on the 2011 budget.

“We have come far enough and fought hard enough to have an Anguillian governor or governor general, an Anguillian flag and being identified to the world as Anguillians and not ‘Belongers’,” Hughes said.

While the feud between Hughes and Harrison continued at year end, Reuben Meade in Montserrat upgraded his chief minister status to that of premier even while acknowledging that the new Constitution that went into effect from September was not a perfect document.

“We must continue the work of improving the document over time. We must, however, not lose sight of the focus on development issues while at the same time honouring the provisions of the constitution,” Meade said.

In the British Virgin Islands, 67-year-old physician Orlando Smith was voted as premier replacing Ralph T O’Neal in the general election.

The political upheavals in the region were taking place amid the problems associated with the ongoing global economic and financial crisis that continue to thwart socioeconomic development to the point that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Caribbean countries will continue to struggle and governments will have to tighten on their economic spending.

“The Caribbean region continues to struggle to recover from a long and protracted recession. Drags from fiscal consolidation and higher energy prices continue to constrain private demand, while the recovery in tourism flows remains tepid amid high unemployment in advanced economies,” said the IMF’s deputy director for the Western Hemisphere, David Vegara.

For its part, China continued its largesse in the region pumping millions of dollars in assistance to Caricom as part of its diplomatic initiative to improve relations with this region a point that was underscored by Vice Premier Wang Qishan as he addressed the China Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum held in Trinidad.

The economic situation has been blamed by the Trinidad and Tobago Government for its reluctance to provide more than a five per cent wage increase for public workers, resulting in trade unions mounting street demonstrations and warning that a nationwide shutdown of the country is on the cards.

The introduction of the lowcost carrier REDjet is seen by its owners as an attempt to deal with the high cost of travel, but while the Barbados-based carrier appeared to be soaring, its Antigua-based competitor LIAT, was continuing to face financial as well as industrial problems.

Meanwhile, Caricom has also sought to put its own house in order. In August, the regional grouping named Dominican Irwin La Rocque as the seventh Caricom secretary-general, following the resignation of Trinidadian Edwin Carrington after 18 years in the post.

“I am humbled and privileged for this opportunity to continue my service to the Governments and people of the Caribbean Community,” La Rocque said, adding “as we strive towards the goal of a community for all, the confidence of the heads of government, the support of the people of the Community and the committed staff of the Caricom Secretariat are vital in achieving that objective”.

His statement may have had the effect of easing the fears of the population in the region, particularly after Caribbean governments indicated that the process towards a single economy within the 15-member grouping that would have gone into effect by 2015, will now “take longer than anticipated’.

But for the smaller subregional Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, progress was made on August 1, with the free movement of nationals.

But as the historians mull over the political developments of 2011, they will also have to deal with the ongoing crime situation that continues unabated in several Caribbean countries despite efforts by regional governments to push other options rather than resorting to murder in dealing with domestic and personal squabbles.

The Guyana-based Caricom Secretariat has been spearheading national consultations on gangs and gang violence under a project funded by the United Nations Development Programme.

A move by the Trinidad and Tobago Government to implement the death penalty in response to the rising murder rate was defeated in Parliament after the Opposition failed to provide the required special majority needed.

Death, meanwhile, continued to stalk the region in 2011 bringing with it a tragic accident in St Lucia which claimed the lives of 16 people when a mini-bus plunged down a cliff into the sea at Mount Sion in Choiseul in November in what authorities said was “probably the single most vehicular accident or tragedy ever suffered by St Lucia”.

Politicians like former Belize prime minister George Price; St Lucia’s second prime minister Sir Allan Fitzgerald Louisy; Jamaica’s former deputy prime minister and attorney general David Coore; former national security minister, Colonel Trevor McMillan; long standing member of the Opposition People's National Party (PNP), Donald Buchanan and Trinidad and Tobago’s first Governor General Sir Ellis Clarke and former trade and industry minister, Kenneth Valley, died during 2011.

Death also claimed the former governor general of St Lucia, Sir Stanislaus James, Dame Bernice Lake, one of the Caribbean’s foremost jurists, the Jamaican academic Professor Aggrey Brown, journalists and broadcasters Desmond Bourne, Allyson Hennessy, Dame Olga Lopes-Seale; Sharief khan; Keith Smith and Louis Daniel.

The region also mourned the passing of Jeff Joseph, the lead singer of the Dominican group, Grammacks New Generation, the acclaimed folk violinist Joseph Ives Simeon, Veteran mas designer and multiple Band of the Year winner, Wayne Berkeley; Valentina Medina, who served as the Queen of the indigenous Carib population in Trinidad and Tobago.

January 03, 2012

jamaicaobserver

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Multiplying possibilities for CARICOM

By Dr Isaac Newton



2011 wasn’t just another year. Powerful politicians went to jail, joblessness hardened into recession, and many of our assumptions about the status quo froze to death. Some of us were inclined to laugh, but found dark sorrow everywhere our teardrops fell.

Dr Isaac Newton is an international leadership and change management consultant and political adviser who specialises in government and business relations, and sustainable development projects. Dr Newton works extensively in West Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, and is a graduate of Oakwood College, Harvard, Princeton and Columbia. He has published several books on personal development and written many articles on economics, leadership, political, social, and faith-based issues2011 was a powerful reproach for some of the world’s most ruthless dictators. From whispers to daylight, the worthy causes of global protesters prevailed. Where once emerging economies were looked upon with suspicion, European and American dominance of financial markets dwindled. Bad things happened to good companies, due to poor practices by executives, unwise decisions by board members, and self-serving ties between public officials and wealthy elites.

Circles

We didn’t place into perspective, the chaotic gyrations of the global village. Neither did we rely on regional values to reinforce our identity nor reposition ourselves. It was our reluctance to embrace local intelligence that moved CARICOM from bleak orchards to ruined gardens.

We like crony circles. We dislike public-serving ideals.

Reflect! The Caribbean Court of Justice could not expand its acceptance radius. In the politics in which our success rate is formed, economic unification eavesdropped on national elections and discovered that they were parodies of changing cooks or keeping old menus.

Our leaders appeared less able to provide hands-on social and financial answers. Non communicable diseases escalated. Natural disasters were not as brutal. Observe! Violent crimes shook the foundations of our streets and homes. With tearful eyes, we watched peace sink into the sea. At the regional and sub-regional levels, speech-eloquence flourished.

While traveling between islands inspired hostile hospitality, labour unions pushed governments and corporations to bargaining turbulence. Our colleges and universities granted degrees. They did not generate work-related research or expanded quality of life opportunities for Caribbeaners.

If you think you understand the Caribbean mindscape, you don’t understand island people. We congratulated ourselves for sitting on big committees in high places. Good! But we delivered nothing to better the region. Pay attention! Our desire for national growth did not get along with our capacity to overcome micro-thinking. Instead, we thundered mighty promises only to drift further apart.

At the end of 2011, we were still satisfied with square mileage fantasies -- a phenomenon caught in the vagueness of sovereign versus colonial politics.

To escape circles and climb ladders, an underlying question persistently arises: What is the quality assurance test to ensure that the Caribbean goes beyond Twitter talk about regional development?

Ladders

An action-packed vision of self-sufficiency that starts with an appetite for 75 percent food independence should be the Caribbean’s chief activity. Nothing should prevent us from creating cost-containing technologies to reduce our dependency on refined, imported foods.

To climb ladders is to hear vast discoveries screaming for our attention.

Missing is a deep deductive passion for experimental investigation of our immediate surroundings. There is too much sun, wind, water and sand in our midst, not to devise penny cheap transportation and build strong infrastructure. Taking advantage of our advantages will make us cut the edge.

Rather than hurricanes being a source of terror, perhaps our scientific adventures could turn them into a platform of renewable energy. Ever wonder if there is hidden energy to be harnessed from this yearly ritual of howling winds? If not, what else could we extract from stormy rains?

Suppose we constantly challenge our intuitions. We could find healing elements in banana roots and coconut bark. We could grind them with lime juice and sea shells. Upsetting concoction? But perhaps we might uncover combined intelligence that may cure prostrate and breast cancers, high blood pressure and diabetes. Are we curious enough to find out? If our genius is freed from photocopying anxieties, it will bring extraordinary success. But if it’s stifled, it will suffer from self-doubt and baptize everything foreign.

CARICOM could generate a blueprint for thinking globally with all sorts of local connections and sub-regional tradeoffs. We must take a pragmatic approach to economic growth, and a coordinated view of regional diplomacy. But we’ll have to set higher leadership criteria. Empathy and responsibility mixed with competence and justice are necessary traits. Passion, courage, and commitment to regionalism are needed too.

Our growth opportunities require new networks of interdependent alliances to increase gains in investments and stability. We could melt the right economic and social resources to collaborate with Brazil, Russia, India and China. We could further bolster important partnerships with Asia, and gel our interests with US policies for our betterment.

To do this, we-the-people must provide our leaders with advisory and implementation support in areas of urgent need. We must customize solutions with local cultures and global standards, while rewarding and punishing leadership behaviour based primarily on moral principle and operational performance.

I agree with Paul Romer‘s concept of “nonrival goods.” It highlights the power of information and ideas to expand our material world. He observed that:

“…every generation has underestimated the potential for finding new recipes and ideas. We consistently fail to grasp how many ideas remain to be discovered. The difficulty is the same one we have with compounding. Possibilities do not add up. They multiply.”

Pressed for application, our prosperity will multiply at the edge of innovation. I urge us to see lights. Let’s hide the wrinkled wisdom of those adorned with old age deep inside our children. It is then that the powerhouses of today -- our young people -- will be mentored into greatness. Release them to the wonders of possibilities.

2012 will operate in whole. If you sow magnificence, you’ll reap amazement. Upon a contagious Caribbean dream with focus is imprinted the seal of joyful accomplishments. Perhaps CARICOM could reproduce men and women of honour, resplendent with durable characters and spiritual values. This is the essence of regional development.

Drink deep of this truth, and live it!

December 29, 2011

caribbeannewsnow

Friday, December 30, 2011

Blowout in Jamaica General Election: the People's National Party (PNP) Won 41 Seats and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) 22 Seats

BLOWOUT: PNP 41 - JLP 22

by Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
jamaica-gleaner

Jamaica, W.I.


Defying opinion polls that suggested yesterday's general election was too close to call, the People's National Party (PNP) secured a stunning victory, winning 41 of the 63 seats in the House of Representatives.

The party gained 53 per cent of the popular vote.

The result will propel the PNP's president, Portia Simpson Miller, back to the premiership, a job she held for 18 months and lost a mere four years ago when her party was prised from government after more than 18 years in office.

In fact, the defeat of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) meant the first time since the advent of universal adult suffrage, nearly seven decades ago, that an administration has been chucked out after a single term - an outcome that will likely lead to much soul-searching within the organisation.

Indeed, in yesterday's election, several leading JLP figures, including Cabinet ministers Robert Montague and Clive Mullings, spectacularly lost their parliamentary seats

"I want to thank the prime minister who called earlier to congratulate me, and he was very gracious," Simpson Miller said.

"I am humbled by the support of the Jamaican people and I ask you to ensure that you greet JLP supporters with love."

Shaping future together

Simpson Miller said her team would be working with all Jamaicans as one Jamaican family "as we shape the future together".

She had special commendation for Arnaldo Brown, Julian Robinson, Damion Crawford, André Hylton and Raymond Pryce - first-time candidates who secured victories.

She also commended candidates who came close to victory, saying "you are winners".

In conceding the election, outgoing prime minister and JLP leader, Andrew Holness, accepted the result as the will of the people and said the party would listen to the voice of the people.

"It is a time of reflection and introspection for the Jamaica Labour Party. We see it as an opportunity to rebuild and, starting tomorrow, we will be rebuilding," a sombre Holness said.

"It is apparent that the people of Jamaica still have concerns about the JLP and we will reflect on that. I wish the new Government well. They will face several challenges, but I hope for the benefit of the country they will do a good job."

He added: "I was privileged to have served in a short time. I really did not have much room. I had to make the decision that we made. I feel good that I have executed the duties of prime minister over the short time to the best of my ability, and I look forward to another opportunity."

Holness was prime minister for just over two months, having been catapulted to the job after the surprise resignation of his predecessor, Bruce Golding, who accepted that the JLP would have little chance of victory with him at the helm.

Confidence lost

Golding lost public confidence over his administration's resistance of the United States' request for the extradition of now-convicted gangster Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, and the hiring of lobbyists to encourage Washington to go soft on the matter.

In its election manifesto, the PNP promised to renegotiate the country's agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), implement a Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) to arrest the problem of unemployment; and renegotiate the contract of the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) to allow for competition in the transmission and distribution of electricity, among others.

It was also the first time that persons were vying for 63 seats in the House of Representatives.

The JLP won the 2007 general election by a razor-thin majority, securing 32 of the 60 seats in the House. The PNP won the other 28.

The PNP had greeted Holness' announcement of election and nomination day, saying the symbolism of the dates meant a lot to leaders of the party. Simpson Miller celebrated her 66th birthday on nomination day, December 12.

"I want to thank Mr Andrew Holness for giving me the best birthday possible that anyone could ever have. And an excellent Christmas gift for the Jamaican people, and a wonderful and beautiful new year," Simpson Miller said after the election date was announced by Holness in Mandeville.

Nomination day was also special for the PNP's campaign director, Dr Peter Phillips, as it marked the 24th anniversary of his marriage to Sandra Minott Phillips while the eve of yesterday's election was his 62nd birthday.

The PNP has been on the election trail for more than a year. It had blasted the JLP government for the handling of the economy and said it had brought shame on Jamaica with its handling of the extradition request for Coke.

All-island tour

In its bid for leadership of the country, the PNP embarked on an all-island tour during which party officials, led by Simpson Miller and 'Star Boy' K.D. Knight, told the country that Bruce Golding was not suitable to continue as prime minister and that the country needed to go to the polls in a general election.

According to Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson polls, 21 per cent of Jamaicans lined up behind the JLP in June with that number increasing to 26 per cent by November with Holness at the helm.

The last Gleaner-Johnson poll before the election, done on December 17 and 18, found 38 per cent of Jamaicans were prepared to cast their ballot for the PNP, while 36 per cent would vote JLP.

Heading into the election, the PNP was confident that Jamaicans had accepted its message that it was capable of leading a return to sustained economic growth for the country.

The PNP also claimed the turnout at its mass meetings was "overwhelming, demonstrating the fact that the people are ready for a change of Government."

Yesterday's victory added to general election success secured by the PNP in 1955, 1959, 1972, 1976, 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2002.

The JLP won the elections in 1944, 1949, 1962, 1967, 1980, 1983 and 2007.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com

December 30, 2011

jamaica-gleaner

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Sir Clifford Darling... the fourth Bahamian Governor-General of an independent Bahamas is a hero of the labour movement and for the rights and dignity of workers in The Islands

'NATION BUILDER' SIR CLIFFORD DIES

By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net

Nassau, The Bahamas


HIS EXCELLENCY SIR CLIFFORD DARLING, KT., J.P. - Governor-General of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas - 1992 - 1995SIR Clifford Darling, the fourth Bahamian-born Governor General of the Bahamas, died in hospital yesterday morning.

Sir Clifford, who was described as one of the major builders of the modern Bahamas, died in the Princess Margaret Hospital at 5am Monday after a long illness.

Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes said Sir Clifford's passing is particularly hard on him as he was a good friend.

"Along with all the Bahamian people, my wife and I mourn the death of an outstanding Bahamian leader and nation builder. Sir Clifford's passing is also a personal loss as he was for years a colleague, and for decades, a good friend," he said.

"Sir Clifford was among those extraordinary Bahamian leaders who commanded the Bahamian stage during the history-making years of the fifties and sixties and he played his considerable role with dedication and with his characteristic dignity. Even as we mourn his loss, we also thank God for a life that was well-lived and wonderfully fruitful.

"On behalf of a grateful nation I extend sincere condolences to Lady Darling, Sir Clifford's children and other family members during this their time of bereavement."

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham also sent condolences to the Darling family. He said Sir Clifford's passing brings to a close another remarkable career of an early nation builder and pioneer for equality.

"I was saddened to learn of the passing of Sir Clifford Darling this morning. Sir Clifford, the fourth Bahamian Governor-General of an independent Bahamas is a hero of the labour movement and for the rights and dignity of workers," he said.

"His entry into public life was driven by his strong desire to secure equity for fellow disadvantaged taxi-drivers. The success he helped win for taxi drivers set the stage for dramatic political change in our country; a change that began in 1967. Bahamians owe a debt of gratitude to Sir Clifford for his half a century of public service marked by honesty, industry, loyalty and integrity. His proud legacy will not be forgotten. Even as we mourn his passage, we celebrate his life of service and dedication to The Bahamas. May he rest in peace."

Sir Clifford was sworn in at Government House on January 2, 1992, by Chief Justice Joaquim Gonsalves-Sabola, succeeding Sir Henry Taylor, who retired on January 1.

Sir Clifford served as Speaker of the House of Assembly from 1977 until November 13, 1991, when he resigned.

A former Progressive Liberal Party Member of Parliament for Englerston, Sir Clifford was born on February 6, 1922, at Acklins Island to Charles and Aremilia Darling. He attended Acklins Public School and public schools in New Providence.

The former taxicab driver served as general secretary of The Bahamas Taxicab union for eight years and as president for 10.

In the early 1950s, Sir Clifford bargained with hotels for better treatment for taxi drivers. In 1957, Sir Clifford as president, blockaded and closed the airport. A general strike followed in January, 1958. With Sir Clifford's help, an agreement among hotels, tour services and taxicab operators was reached.

Sir Clifford served as a PLP senator from January 1964 to January 1967. He then served as a Englerston MP from January 1967 to October 1969, when he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of State.

In November 1971, he was named Minister of Labour and National Insurance. He was responsible for the introduction of the National Insurance programme on October 7, 1974. Sir Clifford was elected Speaker of the House in 1977 and knighted by the Queen the same year. He was a Stalwart Councilor, the highest honour that can be bestowed on a member of the Progressive Liberal Party.

Sir Clifford is survived by his second wife, Lady Ingrid Darling, and seven children, Clifford Darling Jr., Andrea Darling-Thompson, Sharlene Hanna, Theresa McPhee, Rushena Darling, Lakreisha Darling and Charles Darling.

December 28, 2011

tribune242

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

When we look out on the world... and back at The Bahamas, we agree with those who say that Bahamians -- despite hard times -- have much to be thankful for

The Bahamas has much to be thankful for

tribune242 editorial

Nassau, The Bahamas



IN his Christmas message, published in The Tribune on Thursday, Catholic Archbishop Patrick Pinder pointed out that compared with other nations, the little Bahamas has much for which to pause and give thanks this Christmas. And so, although the dark clouds of crime threaten our islands, yet there are still many signs to encourage Bahamians to believe that there is reason to hope for a brighter future.

The Archbishop shared with our readers the contents of an e-mail, which had been sent to him. It said: "If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

"If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million in the world.

"If you can attend church without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

"If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

"If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer the healing touch.

"If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all."

When seen in this light Bahamians have much to be thankful for. Our economy started to drag after the Lehman Brothers bank crash at the end of 2008. The seismic shock was felt worldwide. It was like a bowling alley gone wild, with one international house after another displaying warning flags until eventually Wall Street was hit and took a tumble. The world banking system is so interwoven that when one stumbled, the others came tumbling after. Not only was the world in financial trouble, but it was also in political turmoil with the Middle East on fire and headed for destruction.

Analysts blamed the financial crash on the "greed, ambition and reckless risk-taking that is now carrying the economy into the worst recession for a century."

The Bahamas was not immune. It too felt the shock waves. Greece was in meltdown, unemployment was out of control with the civil service being cut to bring spending into line. Around the world the first people to feel the belt tightening were the civil servants whose jobs disappeared almost overnight.

The civil service is the first place that governments look to cut costs when their treasuries are under pressure.

Here in the Bahamas, the Prime Minister would have been justified in trimming what for years has been recognised as a bloated and inefficient civil service. He did not.

As Prime Minister Ingraham said today in his Christmas message to the nation -- which will be broadcast by ZNS TV and radio at 8 o'clock tonight -- through prudent planning his government was able to "preserve jobs in the public service and to avoid salary cuts or lay-offs within the public sector as experienced in many developed and developing countries."

This is not to minimise the suffering of many Bahamians during this crisis. Many have lost their jobs, their homes, and really don't know where the next penny is coming from, but when one compares Bahamians' problems with the suffering of the world, the majority of our people have much for which to be thankful.

Government has been criticised for not investing in people during this lean period. However, not only is government investing in people by providing infrastructural jobs, but through these jobs it has enabled many workmen to maintain their dignity by enabling them to earn enough to support themselves and their families.

Government has been criticised for borrowing funds for roadworks. In the end, however, it will be money well spent -- not only will citizens see where their tax dollars have gone, but the infrastructure will have been so improved that it will raise the Bahamian's standard of living and enhance our tourist product -- better roads, better quality and delivery of water and electrical supplies.

Nor has the government neglected the youth. It staff has encouraged the business community to take on young people for training. And many have done so.

Next year, Bahamians face an election. When we look out at the rest of the world -- rioting and killing in the streets to overthrow governments -- we should be grateful for our democratic system. Every five years - although there is a lot of manoeuvring and name calling before hand - Bahamians go to the polls and in an orderly fashion vote their governments in or out. Just look at the turmoil and backwardness of the Middle East whose people have never experienced free elections. Earlier this year after months of street demonstrations and violence, Tunisia's president ended a 23-year rule by fleeing to Saudi Arabia. Tunisia was followed by the ousting of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, again followed by a full scale civil war in Libya, that took out Mummar Gaddafi. That 42-year rule ended in Gaddafi's murder. And now the populace is beating at the doors of Syria's regime. A forest fire is sweeping across the Middle East echoing a people's cry against unemployment, food inflation, corruption, lack of freedom of speech, and assembly and other democratic freedoms -- all the freedoms that we take for granted in our society.

When we look out on the world, and back at the Bahamas, we agree with those who say that Bahamians -- despite hard times -- have much to be thankful for.

And it is on this note that we wish all of our readers a peaceful, and happy Christmas with family and friends, and hope that the New Year will be filled with many blessings.

We also thank our advertisers for their valued business and assure them that The Tribune will give them even better service in the New Year.

December 23, 2011

tribune242 editorial