I comment on a new book by Dr Terrence Farrell on the economic development experience of Trinidad and Tobago since Independence. Click here 

More (medals per capita tables)

The generation of young Caribbean adults who did not live under colonialism, nor the dictatorships of Batista and Duvalier, must play a leading role in the re-thinking of our region and its identity. It must be a collective reflection on many levels: regionally, nationally,,   locally, and across generations…

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One of the distinguishing features of politics in Trinidad and Tobago over the last forty years has been the tendency for political parties to quickly dispense with the lofty ideals expressed in their manifestos once they get into Government. The People’s Partnership Government promised “new politics”, but the evidence before us calls that into question…

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Prime Minister Tillman Thomas’s proposals to the Heads of Government deal with reforming CARICOM governance to address the ‘implementation deficit’, management of the Secretariat, prioritising the benefits of economic integration, resolving issues in the movement of Community nationals, mobilising civil society in support of integration and an immediate action plan.

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Study Shows Jamaicans ‘Averse’ to Caricom Jamaica Observer

CLR James was arguably, one of the outstanding personalities of the 20th century. In a life that spanned nine of the century’s decades he embraced most of its great social movements with passion, eloquence, and brilliant insights. His impact extended far beyond his native Trinidad and Tobago to the entire Caribbean, Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States and Africa…

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Click here for China in the Caribbean

As citizens successfully block a proposed aluminum smelter, is Trinidad and Tobago changing course away from dependence to mega-industrial projects gas to supporting small-scale farmers and fishers?…

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At this moment in our history, the issue is not whether we integrate, but how. Thus, our history and the history taught to our children must answer the crucial question of how we came to be one new people..Unless we adopt a new regional identity, and engage in a passionate and concerted drive towards growth and development, our lack of identity will continue to hold us back…

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Law Student Calls for Jamaica’s Egypt Jamaica Gleaner

Text of Marc Ramsay’s Facebook letter and comments On The Ground

In the three and a quarter centuries between 1492 and about 1820, four enslaved Africans left the Old World for every European. During those years, Africans comprised the largest forced oceanic migration in the history of the world. Who were they? Who organised the slaving voyages? Which parts of Africa did they come from? How did they reach the Americas? And where exactly did they go?…A new Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade draws on five decades of research in archives around the north and south Atlantic to provide 189 detailed and sumptuously drawn maps that answer many questions…

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The hurricanes of the last few weeks in the Caribbean have reinforced in my mind a growing sense that Caribbean states may be more and more facing a challenge of existential threats. (I prefer this idea to the discourse of ‘failed states’, which I find rather obnoxious and patronising; being associated with a political agenda of ‘humanitarian interventionism’ and the contemporary incarnation of the doctrine of imperial responsibility.) By existential threats I mean systemic challenges to the viability of our states as functioning socio-economic-ecological-political systems; due to the intersection of climatic, economic, social and political developments…

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Go to http://lists.pambazuka.org/pipermail/c-epas/ to read responses to “Existential Threats” (thread beginning November 1, 2010)

Join the conversation by submitting comments below or sending a message to c-epas@pambazuka.org

Click here for ‘Global Crisis’ (PDF file),  ,  

Chapter 9 in Alleyne, Frank; Denny Lewis-Bynoe and Xiomara Arcibald (Eds.) Growth and Development Strategies in the Caribbean. Barbados: Caribbean Development Bank, 2010; 199-218.

The paper discusses economic integration initiatives from the launch of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) in 1965 to developments in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) up to 2010. It uses a political economy perspective to discuss characteristics, underlying theories, embedded strategies, implementation problems and economic outcomes; and concludes by outlining a possible research agenda.

Click here for paper (PDF File)

Jay Mandle is W. Bradford Wiley Professor of Economics at Colgate University, USA

In a lecture last April, Dr. DeLisle Worrell, the Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados pointed out that “the standard of living of the typical Barbadian was transformed in the 3 decades after World War II.” He added, significantly, “that improvement has continued.” Certainly the first part of Worrell’s formulation is correct….But the inference that seems to follow from Worrell’s comment, namely that the progress experienced in the past has continued in the present, must be qualified…

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Third Distinguished Lecture, The Cropper Foundation; UWI, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago; September 1, 2010

Biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, and sustainable development are very closely linked. The indigenous knowledge systems of the peoples of the South constitute the world largest reservoir of knowledge of the diverse species of plant and animal life on earth. For many centuries, their indigenous agricultural systems have utilized practices and techniques which embody, what one scientist has called ‘Principles of Permanence’- ..

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T&T biodiversity holds key to future Michelle Loubon, Trinidad Guardian

Cropper Foundation launches book Michelle Loubon,Trinidad Guardian

Organic agriculture the way to,   go–expert Julian Neaves, Trinidad Express

Biodiversity critical to small islands–Sankat Michelle Loubon Trinidad Guardian

The Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean, published today (21st July) by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, shows a dire situation and prospects for Caribbean countries. The cost of the global financial and economic crisis to the subregion is estimated at a huge 10% of GDP in 2009. 10 of 14 Caribbean countries experienced negative growth in that year, the worst performers being the eight countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), which contracted by 7.3% on average…

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Keynote Address at the Seminar-Workshop “Dimensions of Caribbean Space–Building the Greater Caribbean: Towards its own Agenda”, Centro Leon, Santiago, The Dominican Republic, 8 -10 July, 2010

I greet you all in the name of ALL our ancestors in this now and here of the Caribbean we all love and call home, if home is where the heart is or wants to belong. I greet you in the name of Rex Nettleford and all the other luminaries who have been called to higher glory but who have left us a legacy of excellent work…

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It is with great sadness, and a sense of tremendous loss, that the Caribbean economics fraternity has learnt of the passing of Professor Dennis Pantin, former chair of the Economics Department and Coordinator of the Sustainable Economic Development Unit at the UWI, St Augustine…

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Dennis Pantin posthumously awarded Humming Bird Medal (Gold)

‘A Caribbean Hero’–Civil Society Coalition of Trinidad and Tobago

SEDU Condolences Book

Professor Dennis Pantin has died UWI News Release

‘A tremendous loss’ Trinidad Express

A great loss Jamaica Observer

Economist Pantin dies at 61 Trinidad Guardian

Tribute to Professor Dennis Pantin BBC Caribbean

‘He served T&T with passion Finance Minister Winston Dookeran

Dennis Pantin: A Life Lived Well Emancipation Support Committee

Pantin believed in Caribbean economic model Dr Ralph Henry

Pantin laid to rest Trinidad Express

Dennis was a man of integrity – Fr Harvey, Trinidad Guardian (Michelle Loubon), July 21, 2010, http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2010/07/21/dennis-was-man-integrity-fr-harvey

ESC remembers Dennis Pantin, Newsday, July 19, 2010, http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,124281.html

Passing on the dream, Trinidad Express (Michael Harris), July 19, 2010, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/98723999.html

Dennis Pantin: A life well lived, Trinidad Express, July 18, 2010, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/98690239.html

Pantin made massive contribution, Trinidad Express, July 18, 2010, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/letters/98721199.html

CARICOM Secretary-General mourns the passing of Prof. Pantin, CARICOM Secretariat website, July 16, 2010, http://www.caricom.org/jsp/pressreleases/Pres325_10.jsp,

Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago website, July 17, 2010, http://www.news.gov.tt/index.php?news=4748,

Guyana Chronicle, July 18, 2010, http://www.guyanachronicleonline.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16209:caricom-mourns-the-passing-of-revered-caribbean-economist&catid=2:news&Itemid=3,

Stabroek News Guyana, July 19, 2010, http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/stories/07/19/caricom-mourns-dennis-pantin

Birthday funeral for Dennis Pantin, Trinidad Guardian (Michelle Loubon), July 16, 2010, http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2010/07/16/birthday-funeral-dennis-pantin

He served T&T with passion, Trinidad Express, July 16, 2010, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/business/98579444.html

A major loss for our nation, Trinidad Express, July 15, 2010, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/98479709.html

A tremendous loss, Trinidad Express (Curtis Rampersad), July 14, 2010, http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/98392249.html,

Stabroek News Guyana, July 15, 2010, http://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/regional/07/15/uwi-professor-dennis-pantin-dies

Caribbean mourns loss of Professor Dennis Pantin, Prensa Latina, July 14, 2010, http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=205709&Itemid=1

Tribute to Professor Dennis Pantin, BBC Caribbean website (Norman Girvan), July 14, 2010, http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2010/07/100714_girvan_dennis_pantin.shtml, Trinidad and Tobago News, July 14, 2010, Antigua Observer, July14, 2010, http://www.antiguaobserver.com/?p=37229, http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=4022, Jamaica Observer, July 15, 2010, http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/A-great-loss_7797307, The Gleaner Jamaica, July 16, 2010, http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100716/news/news91.html

Dennis Pantin, Professor of Economics at the UWI, has died, Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago website, July 14, 2010, http://www.news.gov.tt/index.php?news=4701,

Caribbean Daily News, July 14, 2010, http://www.caribbeandailynews.com/?p=13023

Or why every school child in the English speaking Caribbean should be taken to see the Citadel in Cap Haitien

It is exceptional for a book to take 45 years from its conception in 1964 to its publication in 2009. Plantation economy was conceived in the university flats on St John’s Road in St Augustine, over a long weekend of brainstorming between myself, Lloyd, and Alistair McIntyre, who came by as often as his duties in the university permitted...

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Essays on the Theory of Platation Economy, by Lloyd Best and Kari Polanyi Levitt, (University of the West Indies Press, 2009) was recently launched at an event on the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies. Present among the large gathering was co-author Kari Polanyi Levitt, Emerita Professor of Economics at McGill Universty, who recently received an Honorary Doctorate from the U.W.I. Reproduced here are the remarks by Bryan Khan, a recent economics graduate of the U.W.I., St Augustine.

On February 25th 2010, the University of the West Indies celebrated the launch of the much anticipated – Essays On The Theory of Plantation Economy – by Lloyd Best and Kari Levitt. This publication, some four decades in the making, marks a distinct moment in the timeline of Caribbean academia..

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