WORLD VIEW: Small countries need an IMF that is a lender of conscience
AS undesirable as it may be, governments of Caribbean countries that are not in International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes are being pushed in that direction.
INSIGHT: Mixed signals sent by large gatherings have put campaign season in the crosshairs
IT has been more than a year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with possibly less time before the next general election, political parties have been faced with a conundrum. When they would typically be pounding the pavement and filling up parks and town halls across the country, they, too, are at the mercy of the emergency orders – or at least they should be.
INSIGHT: We must proceed with caution - now’s not the time to shoot ourselves in the foot
JUST a few weeks into the first jabs going into the arms of Bahamians, reports of increased cases of COVID-19 since January have shown the urgency for citizens to get vaccinated.
INSIGHT – BEHIND THE WALLS: An ex-con and his 15 years in Fox Hill prison
The familiar scent of human filth permeating the air is what Charles Rolle remembers as a constant during his 15-year stay at the Bahamas Department of Corrections (BDC).
WORLD VIEW: No, the idea of CARICOM is not dead
A commentary, published on March 8 by Camillo Gonsalves, a Minister of the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines, was headlined “Every Island for itself’. The first line was unequivocal in stating “The idea of CARICOM died on December 16, 2020”.
WORLD VIEW: Time running out to stop Haiti falling deeper into the abyss
AT a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on March 17, I said that “no resolution is perfect, and no resolution satisfies every country, but we cannot sacrifice achieving good on the altar of desiring perfection”.
INSIGHT: The long road to creating a billing system for hospital
For decades, thousands of people have used the Princess Margaret Hospital and other health facilities without ever being sent a bill creating the perception for many that we have a “free” public health service.
INSIGHT: The road back has begun but there’s a long way still to go
A year ago, countries all around the world were in lockdown as governments scrambled to make sense of their pandemic responses.
INSIGHT: We have the vaccine – now it’s time to win hearts and minds
WITH the arrival of 20,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, there should be a sense of relief after a full year of a global pandemic. However, worries persist over the need to convince the community to take the jab.
INSIGHT: Global problems such as COVID cannot be solved by adhering to national boundaries
It was on March 15, 2020, that the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in The Bahamas. More than a year has elapsed, and the pandemic shows no signs of abating. The situation is no better in most countries of the world. One of the few known ways to combat the coronavirus is the COVID-19 vaccine, developed simultaneously by many companies and countries across the world.
WORLD VIEW: Small states diplomacy pays dividends on ‘de-risking’
IT was an odd law into which to place it, but new and welcome directives on “de-risking” - which has plagued Caribbean countries - has become law in the United States.
INSIGHT: Delays and frustrations but the end of the tunnel is in sight
THERE was a sense of relief among Bahamians on social media when it was announced the first vaccines would arrive in the country today. When this news was followed by an update that the vaccines would be delayed until Wednesday because of “logistical issues with the airline overseas”, that relief shifted to weary cynicism.
INSIGHT: A million dollars for a smart new complex - now tear it down
AN estimated $1m of taxpayer dollars has been wasted in the part construction of a new building on the campus of Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute which is now “just sitting there out back waiting to be demolished”, Insight can reveal.
POLICE ADVICE: Learn to listen and avoid conflict
Conflict is a normal and necessary part of healthy relationships. After all, people aren’t expected to agree on everything at all times. Therefore, learning how to deal with conflict—rather than avoiding it, is crucial.
WORLD VIEW: US–Cuba normalisation could increase production of COVID-19 vaccines
IF US President Joe Biden eases the trade embargo against Cuba, one benefit to developing countries, including the Caribbean, could be greater access to coronavirus vaccines at an affordable price.
