Mahogany CoConut Blog

One Caribbean Nation. First published 8/21/13   UPDATED As the Caribbean continues the battle against COVID-19, the MCG, encourages all Caribbean citizens at home and in the Diaspora to grow and eat more fruits.  Breadfruit Mango Barbadian Cherry Pomegranate Plums Soursop                                                                           Ackee  Jamaica Mammy apple Sugar apple  Golden Apple in Barbados/Pommycythere in Trinidad and Tobago Guinep Jamaica / Akee Barbados

One Caribbean Nation. Saving the Caribbean Sir Hilary Neckles The opportunity to participate in last week’s CARICOM Heads of Government meeting served to focus my mind around the existential threat to the Caribbean posed by the COVID-19 virus. Caribbean imagination can be forgiven if it is beginning to head in this direction of thought—that the cascading combination of global warming, annual hurricanes, economic downgrades, and coronavirus constitutes a cocktail of apocalyptic proportions. The daily destruction of life, and the diminishing of our way of life, have opened up the inner strengths and weaknesses of Caribbean society and sovereignty. For me, the meeting settled two important matters. Paramount is the issue of where we are in respect of the regional migration and management of the coronavirus. With glowing pride, I congratulate our prime ministers, whose bold strategic actions certainly created the context for all of us to save the Caribbean. Having acted with swi...

One Caribbean Nation. Grim picture DUKHARAN: IMF PREDICTIONS ON SHRINKING ECONOMY ‘OPTIMISTIC’ by Marlon Madden Marla Dukharan Prominent economist Marla Dukharan has painted a picture of far worse declines in economic growth for 2020 than the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted for Barbados and Caribbean economies. In addition, she said the IMF’s forecast that global growth would rebound in 2021 would be based on “how long a recovery process takes – how long it takes to get a [COVID-19] vaccine and wider testing going”. Adding that there were a lot of variables that were not yet known, Dukharan said chances are that the IMF targets would have to be revised again. In its forecast just last week, the IMF said it was expecting the global economy to contract by three per cent this year, and then grow by 5.8 per cent in 2021, while describing the COVID- 19 pandemic as “a crisis like no other” and the lockdown worse than the great depression. The IMF is forecasting t...

One Caribbean Nation. Caribbean Heads of Government As the Caribbean continues to battle the COVID-19, our vulnerabilities to the vagaries of global politics/trade become more pronounced. The most recent revelation concerns the alleged refusal of US ports to release vital equipment needed in the region to combat the spread. While the US embassies in some regional countries, are denying this claim, it is obvious that small and relatively poor countries, are incapable of countering such developments. Being caught in the crossfire of global political and other   conflicts is nothing new to the region. We were made to fight for the British armies, in wars that were not of our making. We recall American naval bases in some territories, placed there to bully governments from becoming too close to Castro’s Cuba. Of course, at that time, the cold war between the USA and Russia dominated global politics. Today, we witness a kind of coziness between these once declared super...

One Caribbean Nation. Dr Eric Williams Many regional commentators are of the firm opinion, that the post COVID-19 economies, will have to consider putting the Agriculture industry, at the forefront of economic planning. While we certainly do not want to engage in pessimism, we suspect that some who share this view, may be quite optimistic and are avoiding historical truths. The belief that the region should feed itself is nothing new.   Over forty-five years ago, the then Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago addressed the “The Caribbean Food Crisis” and the need to halt the level of food imports. Williams saw the inability of the region to deal with the Energy Crisis as directly linked to our failure to produce more food and create a vibrant regional agricultural sector. His analysis of the social and economic negatives resulting from the damage that food imports were creating in regional economies, are as relevant now as they were almost a half century ago. In addre...

One Caribbean Nation. The National Flag Of Cuba Cuban Medical Personel Barbados Cuban Medical Personel Jamaica The often-ridiculed political progressives in the region are perhaps reflecting with some degree of satisfaction, at the assistance being offered by the Cuban government and greatly needed by some region governments and health officials, as we battle with the rampant COVID -19. The Cuban health professionals, who are extremely popular, are the results of an allegiance to the then Fidel Castro regime, going back to its darkest days. We recall persistent attempts made by successive American presidents, to drive a wedge between the Cuban government and those Caribbean leaders, who refused to bend to the most powerful global power and its wishes to destroy the Cuban people and their revolution. Throughout that dark period, progressive forces were making note of the educational thrust of the Cuban government, to instill in their citizens , that education must be ...

One Caribbean Nation. As the region continues to grapple with what will be a long fight against the COVID-19, the enforcement of   some restrictions surrounding   church and worship and the movement toward such new approaches as   virtual funeral services, have brought into focus , the convergence of : religion , culture, politics and the COVID-19. The region has devoted followers of all the major religions. However, Christianity is the most dominant because of the numerical strength of the Afro Caribbean populations. Politicians are always cautious when social and economic issues become of critical concern to religious leaders. In some regional countries where other faiths such as Muslim and Hindu are numerically high and politically active, the balancing act becomes more pronounced.   Holidays and cultural customs, representing different races and cultural groups, have been given equal prominence on the national calendar, in order to avoid charges of di...

One Caribbean Nation. COVID-19, Caribbean futures and the unfinished business of decolonisation Dr. Don Marshall As the current decade dawned, a set of protracted global interacting and converging crises foretold serious challenges ahead for countries pursuant of meeting the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Three months into the year 2020, the coronavirus pandemic known as COVID- 19 marked the convergence of the hitherto crises. The three principal crisis aspects have been: 1) the growing influence of financial markets over the unfolding of economy, polity and society (with the net effect of transposing its volatility onto everyday life and social reproduction); 2) a global power-shift in the locus of production, growth and capital from hegemonic Western geo-spaces to Southeast Asia (implying long-term changes in norms, values and praxis in global governance structures and institutions); and 3) climate change effects beckoning...

One Caribbean Nation. Tribute to Venice Richards Venice Richards Mike Goddard (FP) BY MIKE GODDARD, RETIRED JOURNALIST AND COMMENTATOR Venice Richards was one of the best, if not the best jockey the Southern Caribbean has produced. He had it all and he did it all. “Pappy” as he was reverently dubbed, was the epitome of horseracing excellence. He won the most prestigious races, rode the best horses and provided some of the most exciting finishes race fans could have ever hoped for. Horses like Bentom, Sandford Prince, Quain, Royal Colours, Royal Salute, Quisical and Street Vendor are some that had the distinct services of the frequent Caribbean champion jockey. Venice Richards was the master of his skills. He had class. He had style and poise. His judgment of pace was uncanny. Whether he was in the lead or tracking somewhere in the chasing pack, his determination and ability to win were never absent. Some of the most exciting finishes I have eve...