Black Immigrant Daily News

By Sir Ronald Sanders

All the countries of ‘the Americas.’ i.e., those in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean are experiencing political, social and economic trials to some extent.

In large part, these trials, in most countries, are the result of several factors, including persistent historical societal inequalities, the lingering economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the prices of food, oil and gas, and the worldwide chain of supply of goods and services.

However, in some countries of ‘the Americas’, the tribulations are caused by undemocratic practices by governments or other power holders.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), usually reliable for the thoroughness of its investigation and analysis, recently published its Democracy Index for 2022. The Index is based on five categories: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties.

The EIU ranks only 4 countries of ‘the Americas’ among the top 22 fully democratic nations of the world. These are: Uruguay (11), Canada (12) Costa Rica (17) and Chile (19). The United States of America (US) is ranked at number 30 of the 167 countries that were examined.

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) experiences its seventh consecutive year of decline in 2022 in the EIU table. The area’s average score fell to 5.79, down from 5.83 in 2021. However, I point out that The Bahamas, Barbados and the 6 independent countries in the Eastern Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines, were not examined. This omission is probably due to the smallness of the populations of these countries, although it is an omission in the EIU analysis which should be corrected.

According to the EIU, the countries driving the 2022 decline in the LAC are Haiti (-0.68), El Salvador (-0.66) and Mexico (-0.32). Countries recording more modest declines include Peru (-0.17) and Brazil (-0.08). Peru’s declining score ranks it lower than a “flawed democracy”.

“Weak state capacity” is cited by the EIU as a major cause of the region’s low scores related to the functioning of government and political culture.

The analysis concludes that “the most extreme case of weakening state capacity in the region is Haiti, which experiences the area’s steepest fall in score in 2022”. Stating that the interim prime minister, Ariel Henry, has “failed to re-establish the state’s control over parts of the country, ceding ground to heavily armed gangs, many linked to drug-trafficking networks”, the EUI blames Mr Henry for “failing to call elections, which led to significant score downgrades”. The EUI also regards Henry’s call for foreign intervention to help re-establish order, as “an abdication of leadership and a damaging admission that the country is no longer capable of self-rule”.

Regarding Peru, this country has declined rapidly into political chaos. As I pointed out in a recent commentary, the cause of the current crisis, while it is a struggle for power between rival political parties, is rooted in economic discrimination and marginalization of indigenous people. Even in the midst of social and political upheaval, which should have demanded inclusionary dialogue to find a solution, the response has been a disproportional use of force by the military against protestors, resulting in the deaths of 58 persons so far.

These events in Peru led to the introduction of a Declaration at the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) by Antigua and Barbuda and Colombia. The Declaration, which was adopted by the OAS on January 30, called for “respect the right to assembly and for protest to be exercised in a peaceful manner” and for the resumption of dialogue to “build consensus to overcome the current situation”, and also for “the prompt holding of free, fair and transparent general elections, with international electoral observation.” The latter is unlikely to happen anytime soon. The Peruvian Congress has refused to bring forward the date of elections, even though the current President of Peru, Dina Boluarte, has called for it in the wake of angry demonstrations.

Both Peru and Haiti will occupy the attention of the member states of the OAS in the coming weeks. Haiti will be a greater priority for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Haiti is now run, for all practical internal purposes, by more than 200 armed gangs, according to United Nations and Haitian National Police figures. The situation has worsened since 9 October 2022, when Prime Minister Henry wrote to the OAS Secretary-General, Luis Almagro, asking countries “that are friends of Haiti” to deploy “without delay a specialized international armed force” to address “the breakdown in security.” There was no formal response from the OAS, although diplomatic representatives have informally expressed concerns about the provision of an “international armed force”, who would contribute to it, how would it be financed, under what terms, including immunity, would it operate, and for how long.

Pierre Espe?rance, the Executive Director of the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) in Haiti, claimed in a publication on February 2, that “the root of the problem lies in the corruption of successive governments and their increasing use of gangs to suppress public protests, provide personal protection, and ultimately to retain their hold on power.” Espe?rance rejects an international armed force entering Haiti, saying: “… such a force cannot possibly be effective in the current political chaos. Henry effectively rules on his own, with no Parliament, as just last month, the mandate of the 10 remaining members of the Haitian Senate expired for lack of elections in recent years. And yet, elections make no sense in the current tumult.”

The internal situation in Haiti, as in Peru, poses enormous difficulties for the world’s governments to help. In both countries, there has first to be internal political agreement that external governments can support. Everyone wants to help, but all the parties within Haiti and Peru must first agree on the nature of the help they want and the terms on which it could be provided.

The issues to be settled internally are precisely the categories in the EUI index of Democracy: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Over the past years, countries of the Caribbean, like many others worldwide, have experienced high rises in food prices and agricultural inputs. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war have further exacerbated these costs and those related to imported goods. In addition, many Caribbean countries have relied heavily on imported goods over the years whilst also suffering from a decline in the export of prime agricultural crops, such as bananas and sugar cane, that traditionally and significantly contributed to their economies.

These factors have led to an increasing need to transform the region’s agriculture food systems and find ways of boosting the export of other indigenous crops to increase foreign exchange earnings and rebuild economies. To support this effort, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean, in collaboration with the Governments of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, are launching a regional cluster of projects on Promoting Windward Islands Food Production and Trade Corridor through National and Regional Value Chain Development.

On Friday, February 3, 2023, the Ministers of Agriculture from these countries, along with other government representatives, will join the FAO for an hour-long virtual launch, presentation and discussion on the regional projects. Other regional partners to be in attendance include the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

26 November 2021, Rome, Italy – Taro corms on sale at the market of Piazza Vittorio.

The discussions will focus on plans under the project to build resilient and competitive value chains that can promote exports and reduce the importation of goods. The regional projects aim to replace agri-food imports that have had a toll on Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) economies by increasing the capacity for countries in the region to produce and export quality agricultural produce. The steps being undertaken under the project are foreseen to contribute to the CARICOM food-importation bill reduction by 25 per cent by 2025 initiative and other global and regional targets such as those under the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Dr Renata Clarke, FAO’s Sub-regional Coordinator for the Caribbean, remarked that “there was a dire need in the region to build cohesion among governments and partners in our efforts to improve local agricultural production, enhance intra- and inter-regional trade and build more resilient agri-food systems that also promote the consumption of local produce by locals. The regional launch aims to catalyse this transformation.” She added that by making linkages with other regional initiatives geared towards reducing CARICOM’s import bill and increasing agricultural exports, the region could accelerate its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and be better positioned to withstand the impacts of the current global food crisis.

The projects have just begun implementation by assessing the value chains with the greatest potential for success on the global market. Dasheen has so far been identified as a crop of good potential and FAO will continue its work with the countries to understand the challenges and opportunities for growing a dasheen industry that can consistently produce high quality dasheen in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. The FAO Caribbean’s Value Chain Methodology, which has had success in other Caribbean countries over the years, is to be applied during implementation of the projects and will also be a blueprint for building other industries in the region.

It is expected that the projects being launched will also improve livelihood opportunities and increase the potential for value-added production, whilst also promoting better production, a better environment, better nutrition and a better life for the countries’ people.

The projects fall within FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme and are expected to run over the next two years.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

More than 200 persons from Barbados, the Caribbean, USA, and Europe visited the “Crochet for a Cause: Ridge to Reef” Project Exhibit of the Community Empowerment and Environment Partnership (CEEP) program under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) implemented by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The exhibit stationed at Norman Centre from Monday 23-Friday 27 January highlighted the impact of climate change through the creation of a crocheted village and underwater, sea landscape. The informative display featured crochet replicas of trees, houses, solar panels, vegetable gardens, fish, turtles, and a living, vibrant, protected coral reef, contrasted with a bleached coral reef. Visitors were able to learn about the thirty (30) crochet artisans who participated in the program and were exposed to informational leaflets from the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Blue and Green Economy.

During the closing reception, GEF SGP National Coordinator Dr. David Bynoe expressed appreciation for the excellent work of the community stating, “It’s amazing what you have achieved in this space. You have transformed it. You have made it very clear how you can mix crochet and the environmental work that we do. Taking art and using it as a teaching tool is very unique and innovative.” He emphasized the importance and benefits of the coral reef to the Caribbean and the need for the government, civil society and the private sector to continue to work together to empower people.

GEF SGP National Coordinator Dr. David Bynoe views the coral reef portion of the exhibit with Elaine’s Caribbean Crochet Founder Nikisha Toppin

Dr. Vicki Estwick of Versatile Crochet Threads spoke to the camaraderie developed during the three-month program noting that she was “very proud to be a part of this group of women who have come together to show the world that the environment is important to everyone and that any type of art can be used to share the message of how important our earth is.” Elaine’s Caribbean Crochet Founder Nikisha Toppin in her vote of thanks noted the various entities from the private and public sector who contributed to the execution of the project and the hosting of the exhibit.

The “Crochet for a Cause: Ridge to Reef” project administered by Elaine’s Caribbean Crochet through the Barbados Youth Business Trust used the artform of crochet to educate persons on environmental issues such as marine pollution and coral reef degradation. The CEEP is organized by GEF SGP UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, and Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Blue and Green Economy.

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