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Cholera in Haiti: Gone but not forgotten
By Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, Director, Pan American Health Organization The cholera outbreak that began in Haiti in October 2010 caused some 820,000 cases and killed 9,792 people. Thanks to the hard work of the government and people of Haiti, in partnership with PAHO and other agencies, there have been no confirmed cases of cholera…
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Are you a time saver or a time waster?
We are a planet of time-saving and time-wasting fanatics. Remember the tale about the race between the tortoise and the hare? While the arrogant hare goofed around and napped, the slow but steady tortoise crossed the finish line first. In the days of old, consumers visited the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. They chatted,…
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Extreme events are reversing development goals
By Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General Cyclones in the Caribbean and Pacific, devastating bushfires in Australia, recurrent floods and droughts in Asia and Africa, increasingly bring tragic loss of life to our nations and communities, inflicting physical and mental trauma on survivors, and causing irreparable damage to centuries old ways of life and undermining prospects for…
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China, the Caribbean and the West: serving whose interest?
By Sir Ronald Sanders Caribbean countries are being warned by the government of the United States of America (U.S.) and U.S. writers that they should limit their dealings with China. In the course of these warnings, several allegations are made, suggesting sinister Chinese motives and even corrupt relations between Chinese institutions and local politicians who…
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A solution to myriad 2020 Appreciation Days
Around the globe, there are many national awareness days in any given month. Many of these bring awareness to health concerns and important issues. However, some are official or unofficial days probably declared by the bored, irked or goofy, I assume. Some celebrations are silly, some weird, and some ridiculous. Many revolve around glorifying food.…
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Contest for OAS Secretary-General: The Caribbean’s interest
By Sir Ronald Sanders The contest for the post of Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) is now well and truly joined. The election for the post will be held on March 20, and there are three contestants whose nominations were submitted by December 15, 2019 – the date set by the Permanent…
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Musings on 2020
By Sir Shridath Ramphal QC The Year 2000, we knew, began a new Millennium. It marked a measurable change. 2020 feels like the start of a new immeasurable era. At that midnight hour 20 years ago, our mood was one of hopeful challenge as we looked to the new period ahead. Tonight, our disposition is…
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A weak, worn-out Caribbean will not serve its people in 2020
By Sir Ronald Sanders As 2019 ends and the new year dawns, the world faces a troubling period of uncertainty. This precariousness will affect international and regional organizations as some powerful governments pursue a policy of de-linking from the established international system, encouraging fragmentation of regional groups and imposing their own agenda through various methods…
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CARICOM finds its winning voice
By Sir Ronald Sanders It is a valid criticism of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries that they have more often failed than succeeded in coordinating their foreign policy actions. This tendency has been displayed in the Organization of American States (OAS) over the last three years, causing celebration among those countries that fear the voting…
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Withdrawal of Canadian banks: opportunity to remedy, not repeat mistakes
By Sir Ronald Sanders The untidy and muddled way in which Canadian banks are withdrawing from the countries of the Commonwealth Caribbean is a direct result of insufficient attention being paid by governments to the terms of their entry at the time. Commonwealth Caribbean countries are those that were former colonies, or are still territories…
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Foreign and local investment: fairness for all
By Sir Ronald Sanders There has always been tension between encouraging foreign investment and promoting local entrepreneurship. In many countries, local businesses are expected to pay a range of domestic taxes while governments exempt foreign investors from obligation for the same taxes in order to attract their money, knowledge and, in some cases their technological…