Poverty & Social Development: A Caribbean Perspective

Budget in Sessions (2006-2007, Trinidad & Tobago): The Role of Infrastructure Development to Mainstream Social Connectedness
The upcoming budget sessions (for 2006-2007) for Trinidad & Tobago, are not only setting the tones about the testing issues that surround matters of fiscal spaces as government strives to address various scenarios about the effectiveness of public expenditures, and the standing of certain public goods (we can think of education, health and/or housing); Moreover as it has become relevant some fiery debates have also ignited the realms of free discussions about the role of infrastructural development as a cohesive apparatus to steer development objectives.

Yes indeed, within those spectrums it’s interesting to take stocks about the fact, that the application of measured infrastructural development strategies can certainly go a long way, as means to tackle sustainable development. How? Well it might be that solutions can be divided through the combination and integration of effective planning mechanisms, where matters of sustainability to advance the reach of social and environmental goals can come together to bind and enhance balanced contributions toward access, mobility and social connectedness. More >>>

Tags: Caribbean Development Trinidad & Tobago Sustainable Development Fiscal Spaces Sustainability Infrastructure and DevelopmentMonitoring & Evaluation

The studies making up this new section will deal with a significant issue relevant to the region's economic development and will provide analyses extending beyond the scope of an examination of current trends. It is hoped that this new addition will contribute to "the long and difficult task of preparing a complete and fully documented study of economic conditions"

Tags: Caribbean Development Economic Growth Sustainable Development Monitoring and Evaluation ECLAC Policy Making Trade and Development Poverty Reduction Globalization Living Condition

The development of CEDAW has long been hailed as a central mechanism to attack at full fledge matters of gender equality as they move throughout the realms of human rights realities.

As an ongoing platform to strengthen the reach of consultations and assessments vis-à-vis the engagement of Rights-Based Approaches or programming across sectoral work in development, it can certainly mold significant rooms to address constant analyzes in the ways that public discussions or consultations tackle the nagging dynamics pertaining to the development of women.

In fact, within this very shaking and highly challenging nexus, it enables or set the priorities to move away from ambiguous conceptions vis-à-vis rights within the corpus of institutional responses that are needed to steer change through juridical and instrumental capacities.In these regards, setting the tone toward broad public consultations can of course be a task of no small proportions; however when those matters do need to be fully measured and understood, it goes without saying that all possible channels have to be looked upon in order to strengthen dissemination, and social mobilization.

Tags: Caribbean Development Antigua & Barbuda Antigua & Barbuda Gender Equality human rights Human Development Economic, Social and Political Development Monitoring and Evaluation Participatory Development


* Image, Courtesy of www.quantoproject.com/

Leveling the Playing Field to Address the Dynamics of Child Labor
A recent article in the Stabroek News about the status of Child Labor in the country (Guyana), see here, unravels in many instances some food for thoughts re the development and focus in perspectives about the relationships between Child Labor and Poverty.

Tags: Guyana Child Labor Rights Equity Poverty Reduction Strategies Human Development Social Development Monitoring and Evaluation Capacity Development

As a matter of fact, in talking about innovations under these areas, the case of this joint project in the Dominican Republic (Batey area) between the Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Mailman School of Public Health and Batey Relief Alliance shed significant lights about the way that monitoring and evaluation typologies can help target and identify effective delivery of services, counseling and organizational capacity toward low-income and vulnerable groups, More >>>

Tags: Dominican Republic Batey Caribbean Development HIV Universal Access Capacity Development Monitoring and Evaluation Poverty Reduction Strategies Human Development

Digging into the Evidence: The comparative advantage of Regional Integration for the CARICOM

It’s very good to know that the process of Regional Integration for the CARICOM has been refreshed in the lights of new thinking that surfaced from the past CARICOM Heads of Government Conference.

As noted by some analysts, see here, this perspective comes to the shores by trying to move beyond the classical concepts that have been rocking certain dominant issues such as trade and economic development by stepping in with a broad praxis, where complementarities in terms of economic and regional growth centers are approached with some quintessential elements that evolve around improvements in the people’s standard of living.

And yes, as a matter of fact, by addressing such an overhaul when it comes to thinking and actions also means that the dynamics of human development and regional cooperation/integration should be looked upon from various angles and issues that are not solely falling within the span of political choices. In other words, a process whereby policy and decision-makers in the region should put a stress on the role of public policies and the jurisdictional, ethical and conceptual references that come to grip with the fundamentals to balance institutional stability and planning capacity.

Tags: Caribbean Development CARICOM Regional Integration Human Development Capacity Development Institutional Strengthening Monitoring and Evaluation Policy Making


* Photo, Courtesy of Sandra Prince

ICT.... Double Jeopardy or Key to Transformational and Comprehensive Development for the CARICOM

Oh la la, shy steps for me as I'€™m trying to get back on tracks with this blog. I have to confess though that running a blog is not a small matter, a lot having to deal with time and motivation.

But.... as I couldn'€™t let go, here I am stepping back into the fora. And as a best way to re-fashion these dialogues, I've directed my attention toward this piece by Martin Henry where he cuts through the web of ICT and the multiple dynamics that construct the process of Capacity Development.

Thus, traveling within the Caribbean context we find ourselves exploring the gospels of structuralist and developmentalist thoughts with some constant imaging in mind, which are the relationships behind classic approaches to address community needs and values, and how to decipher and apply the best alternatives to carry-out sustainable and comprehensive development strategies.

So, let'€™s roll-out the carpets, pop the champagne and move through this nexus.

Tags: ICT4D CARICOM technology and society Capacity Development Education and Literacy Monitoring & Evaluation e-learning Human Development

Addressing Early Childhood Education in Jamaica
In Jamaica the designs of appropriate standards and partnerships to enhance early childhood education are part of a broad national strategy, where capacity development schemes are geared to enlarge research and practices, and examine “What Works” between various concepts and approaches to learning and center-based early childhood education.

Within this framework, it would be interesting for all stakeholders to address and review two approaches/findings in terms of standard definitions; namely findings to benchmark different data, and indicators that “Meet Evidence Standards” versus “Meet Evidence Standards with Reservations”. For M&E purposes and long-term planning these considerations might add more weight into the decision-making process, and also broaden the knowledge-base when making educational decisions. More >>>

Tags: Caribbean Development Jamaica education Early Childhood Education human development Capacity Development monitoring and evaluation Research & Practice

Looking into the Nexus of Pro-Poor Growth and Equality of Opportunities in Latin-America and the Caribbean
In his own words, Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the IDB, asserts that:

“Latin-America and the Caribbean need a contract of equality of opportunities to ensure that the benefits of economic growth reach the region’s majority”.

As we all know, and taking into context the debates between growth, equality and poverty reduction, there are still unsettled issues about the conditions of growth, and causally structured approaches to examine how inequalities define the impacts of growth on poverty rates.
Despite those challenges, however, it is also good to note that the extensive literature about the subjects can provide some interesting insights about the various dynamics that come between income distribution and equality for the region (see for example, The Income Distribution Problem in latin-America and the Caribbean)

Nonetheless, some of these findings which are of a very technical nature also bring-in a complex problematique for policy-makers, due to the sometimes misleading and conflicting measurements of poverty, growth and inequality.
Thus, elements that mold a complex web for policy-makers, as to fully understand and make use of such findings in order to address policy mixes, and the responsiveness of goals to properly channel growth with poverty reduction. More >>>

Tags: Caribbean Development Income Distribution Growth Equal Opportunities IDB Human Development Poverty Reduction Strategies Capacity Development monitoring and evaluation

In Remittances We Believe….
Let’s hope that the power of gross projections will not derail the real prospects for aid effectiveness and development cooperation, in relation to the real impacts of remittances on development planning.
With all the recent hypes surrounding the amazing growth of remittances in the Caribbean region and Latin-America, see here, and here [Remittances to the Caribbean Region and Latin America will continue to grow in coming years and surpass $100 billion a year by 2010, according to the Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF)], it is also of the utmost importance to look into these perspectives through different angles.

And of course in these debates the complex dynamics between migration and development are points that should not be left on the side, given the needs to understand or rather rally these perspectives into the context of a middle level approach for the policy formulation process, and how to engage certain set of options to level the benefits and reach of remittances toward local development strategies.

As much as these phenomena have been decried by some as levers that can positively impact upon human capital, poverty or investments, just to name a few; it is more than ever important to move the descriptive dialogues toward more comprehensive analyses of the impacts of remittances on development, and how policy options, and governments weigh-in the implications behind the true extent and directions of remittance flows.

Tags: Remittances Caribbean Development Aid Effectiveness Development Cooperation Migration Poverty Reduction Strategies Economic Growth

Child Protection in the Bahamas: A Revamped Approach in Regulations and Legal Provisions
Hey there! I hail these developments toward the enhancement of Child Protection Legislations in the Bahamas (see here). And as demonstrated these adaptations strive to broaden legal provisions vis-à-vis the notion of sexual and emotional abuses; such frameworks have to be part of ongoing and comprehensive reviews of conventions to address the social and structural constructs that evolve around the application of laws. And more often than not, the process of change comes to full fledge as various administrative practices have to be re-assessed in order to steer the implementation of regulatory measures.

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“She said that the Act has implications for the various agencies of the government, “and so we are diligently working to bring the Act into force, and we expect that very soon.”

Tags: Caribbean Development Child Protection Bahamas Social Development Monitoring & Evaluation> Capacity Development Human Development

A Tale of Rising Inflation and High Food Prices in Barbados
When for example excessive increases in food prices constitute a quagmire for decision-makers and elected officials to sort-out, we can honestly say that we are gradually falling into a theatrical demonstration of blame-making.
And on the other end of the spectrum such distortions in the economy bring serious questions in regards to the negative impacts of these shocks as experienced at personal and household levels, and the capacity of (poor households) to purchase goods, or obtain adequate food or housing among others.
Of course, it goes without saying that to try to assess the economic standard of living of families, and individuals under such duress is no short call, given the need to understand (or rather) to integrate household economy within the span of local development strategies.

I guess that these perspectives can be put in parallel with the current dilemmas hovering in Barbados re the latest surge in inflation, and what policies could be better suited to attack Price Controls and Income Distribution. More >>>

Tags: Caribbean Development Barbados Economic Growth Inflation monetary policy Standard of Living Price Control Income and Growth Poverty Reduction Strategies Monitoring & Evaluation

Reversal of Fortunes, or…. (Price Control System in St-Maarten)
The debates over Price Controls can be contentious at least, to very divisive in the first place, as it involves many distinctive views vis-à-vis the policy alternatives needed to level the playing field.
For instance in most forms or attempts of regulations, protagonists find themselves mired in tugs-of-war over the advantages/disadvantages of price regulations that often tend to fall within the realms of political discourses.

Thus, avenues that tend to point toward unsettling directions for policies, which at times appear to be based more on politics rather than sound economics.
And within this paradigm, the effectiveness of policy measures has to take into consideration certain set of indicators whether in terms of short-run benefits or for the pursuit of dynamic efficiency.
These questions altogether bound in the hands of policy-makers and analysts instill enough sweat-making pre-dispositions to weigh the relationships behind the role of monopoly pricing power, competition, prices and quantity, and market equilibrium to debunk the fundamentals of right policies.

These elements are no stranger to the current questions underway in St-Maarten about the adaptation of Consumer Protection Policies, and price controls of basic commodities. More >>>

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“Christopher Emanuel’s complaint about the need for more effective enforcement when it comes to government control of the prices of certain items has some merit, election or no election.”

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Tags: Caribbean Development Netherland Antilles St-Maarten Economic Growth Price Control Consumer Protection Monitoring & Evaluation Policy-Making Standard of Living Poverty Reduction Strategies

Regionalism in Full Fledge
With the growing awareness of the interdependence among countries in the Caribbean zone, the CARICOM is fully embracing a framework for cooperation that take into account the many challenges of globalization, and how to adapt regional economic cooperation iniatives.

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“Caribbean leaders are concentrating on the quest of “a new way of thinking, focused on socioeconomic development and poverty relief”, as witnessed in another meeting of the bloc held in Montego Bay, Jamaica in February.”

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By steadily searching to move from a bilateral or sub-regional approach in regards to certain components in the areas of trade and development (here), we have been seeing the construct of a consensus toward the enlargement of the geographical scope of agreements to address economic cooperation and integration, in synch with objectives of development, stability/security to enhance economic growth, productivity, and poverty reduction. More >>>

Tags: Caribbean Development CARICOM Regionalism Economic Growth Development Effectiveness Capacity Development Poverty Reduction Strategies Policy-Making

Trade and Economic Integration in the Caribbean: A Distinctive Approach to Address Welfare and Economic Efficiency
For a variety of reasons, the coordination of economic policies either at global or regional levels does make sense. And in the current waves that evolve around the objectives of trade liberalization, the process of economic integration comes with many different degrees in terms of institutional arrangements to move the formation of preferential trade agreements.

However, with matters of geographical locations, fiscal coordination, and the settings of common external trade policy among others, some conditions and inquiries about the relevance of two distinct approaches, namely, the multi-lateral and regional ones heighten the debates vis-à-vis the outcomes, and objectives of global free-trade.
And in the midst of these debates, the positions of various school of thoughts re the role of incentives, and protectionism bring-in a distinctive flavor if we take some introspective looks into the historical perspectives liaised with the merits of regionalism versus multi-lateralism, and differentials in terms of arrangements behind the phenomena of trade diversion and trade creation to impact upon and define a country’s capacity to raise its welfare and economic efficiency.
In the core of these debates, the Caribbean can’t be left un-attended as some pending issues in terms of regional and economic integration for Latin-America and the Caribbean (LAC) are prominent to strengthen the agenda liaised with development effectiveness.
And as viewed by some experts some divides are gradually being patched to steer the wheels of change and the integration/harmonization of structured economic relations for the zone. More >>>

Tags: Caribbean Development Latin-America & Caribbean Regionalism Multi-Lateralism Economic Growth Development Effectiveness Trade & Development Policy Making

Trinidad & Tobago: Vision 2020 (and its operational plan)
I’m just a bit late on that one.... Nonetheless, it’s still a piece of news with great resonance, as it carries out the roll-out of Vision 2020 for Trinidad & Tobago.
And in case that some of you out there, don’t already know, this is the blue-print of the T&T government to carry the country toward a developed nation status by 2010.

And responding to the main development challenges that surround us, this plan calls for all segments of civil society to work and create coalitions for change to build the institutional capacity and policies needed to address poverty reduction, education, health, gender equality, HIV/AIDs among others.

So, enough rambling from my side, have a look at the launch of the Operational Plan 2007-2010. More >>>

Tags: Capacity Development Caribbean Development Trinidad & Tobago Human Development Poverty Reduction Strategies Economic Growth Social Development institutional Strengthening Monitoring & Evaluation