Opinion

Ilio Durandis: Volunteering in Leogane

Op-Ed: Haiti’s Development Paradigm

Above: Haiti’s Citadelle Laferrière (UN Photo/Victoria Hazou) By Eric Martin Op-Ed Contributor I read with interest several recent articles in the Caribbean Journal that provide a mix of commentaries on development in Haiti. I apologize in advance should I misrepresent …

Forbes: Women and Politics in Jamaica

Above, from left: Jamaican Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller, MP Sharon Hay-Webster (JLP) and Culture Minister Olivia Grange By Marcia Forbes, PhD Op-Ed Contributor Patriarchy in Place The debate rages on around the world and is about to get really …

Ilio Durandis: The Affair Belizaire and What it Means for Haiti’s Rule of Law

Above: Arnel Belizaire By Ilio Durandis Op-Ed Contributor Haiti’s 1987 constitution is supposed to be the supreme law of the land. However, in Haiti, the rule of laws means different thing to different people at different times. I often say …

Op-Ed: Developing the Right Small Business Act for the Bahamas

Above: Bay Street in Nassau (CJ Photo) By Mark A Turnquest Op-Ed Contributor After my organization hosted the country’s first Small Business Summit in 2009, it was evident that the Bahamas needed a national strategic plan for the development of …

Rowe: Holness, Nine-Day Wonder?

Above: National Security Minister Sen. Dwight Nelson, Finance Minister Audley Shaw and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness (Photo: OPM Jamaica) By David P Rowe Op-Ed Contributor In 1554, Lady Jane Grey was, for nine days, Queen of England before her …

Forbes: Social Media & Politics in Jamaica

By Marcia Forbes, PhD US President Barack Obama became the virtual embodiment of successful use of social networks like YouTube, Twitter and the then-still-alive My Space by a politician. Today, every politician dreams of millions of Facebook friends and hundreds …

Dean: Innovation and the Art of Failing Up

Above: Steve Jobs (Photo: Apple) By Royann Dean The death of Steve Jobs struck a nerve in the global community. In my lifetime, I cannot recall anyone who has been showered with such praise from so many different parts of …

Op-Ed: Ilio Durandis: Is Haiti Really Open for Business?

Above: UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos and Haitian President Michel Martelly (UN Photo/Marco Dormino) By Ilio Durandis At least since 2009, Haitian politicians have taken deep pride in saying that Haiti is open for business. I remember back in the …

Sylvan Jolibois: Haiti’s Second Revolution

Above: a man climbs the steps at the 200-year-old palace of King Henri-Christophe of Haiti, near Cap-Haitien (UN Photo: Victoria Hazou) By Sylvan Jolibois, Jr Op-Ed Contributor Having recently celebrated its second century as an independent nation, the republic of …

Ilio Durandis: Haiti Does Need an Army

Above: a UN training exercise in Haiti (UN Photo/Victoria Hazou) By Ilio Durandis Haiti’s army was disbanded in 1995, shortly after the first return from exile of President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Ever since, the reinstating of the army has been …

Marcia Forbes: Jamaica after Golding

By Marcia Forbes A Fractious Party The ruling Jamaica Labour Party is a political party that has experienced a fair share of internecine conflict driven by various factions and what some describe as “unbridled self-interests.” The 1999 “Gang of Five” …

Op-Ed: Royann Dean on Building a Creative Economy in the Caribbean

Above: the Cayman Enterprise City project By Royann Dean Throughout election season in the region, we will inevitably hear talk about sustainable development. Sustainable is commonly synonymous with ‘environmental’ but also includes economic sustainability. Creativity is not likely to be …

Tim Peck: For a Sustainable Tourism Model, Look to Antigua

Above: Carlisle Bay, Antigua By Tim Peck The Caribbean tourism industry waits with bated breath for the announcement of the OECS Common Tourism Policy on October 1. As the first policy of its kind for our region, a tourism blueprint …

Remembering the Life of Eugene Dupuch

By Sir Arthur Foulkes Judge Nathaniel Jones, a distinguished Judge of United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeal and former General Counsel for the NAACP, once surveyed the large number of persons entering the legal profession in that country and …

Op-Ed: David Rowe on the End of the Line for Christopher Coke

By David P Rowe Op-Ed Contributor Christopher Coke is a violent, politically affiliated Jamaican drug lord who was arrested while disguised as a woman in the company of a friendly pastor. Yesterday, Mr Coke struck a plea bargain with the …

Irwin Stotzky: Haiti, Here We Go Again

Above: a girl stands in front of her home for persons displaced by the earthquake in Port-au-Prince. (UN Photo: Logan Abassi) By Irwin Stotzky Op-Ed Contributor The news from Haiti is grim. Nineteen months after the devastating earthquake, the future …

Op-Ed: OBMI’s Tim Peck on How to Improve the Caribbean Hotel Market

By Tim Peck Despite challenges the Caribbean has faced in the past few years, the future for the industry shows great potential. The prudent hotel owner should now be focusing on repositioning their property to preserve their asset and prepare …

Editorial: Looking to Latin America

Brazilian air carrier TAM A Caribbean Journal editorial The shortest distance between Trinidad and Venezuela, at the Paria peninsula, is just seven miles. But as the World Bank’s most recent Global Economic Prospects report showed this week, the economic distance …