“This year’s Civil Society Forum, held March 2014 in Bahia Brazil, focused on Quality of Life, Partnerships for a Positive Impact. IDB’s Office of Institutional Integrity (OII) emphasized the responsibility of Civil Society groups to serve as the “watch dog” for IDB funded projects. ConSOC is vital to country development; we have the obligation to organize ourselves to the … [Read more...] about ConSOC in The Bahamas
How do you measure the value of a dream?
If you are like me where you only visit your hometown a few times per year then you may understand when I say “visiting my hometown is filled with moments being relived through deep reflections that evoke varying emotions.” Well, last summer, on one of those rare trips, I met up with a childhood friend and immediately my mind started jogging down memory lane. My friend … [Read more...] about How do you measure the value of a dream?
Dog, Cockroaches and White Elephants
Yesterday, Day 1 of a conference on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs, 3Ps or P3s) in the Caribbean, I heard references to these animals and creepy crawlers. As a new dog owner I took offense, as did several others. Speakers were trying to explain that a badly designed PPP turns out to be a dog, or a cockroach or a white elephant. Whichever is more palatable as a … [Read more...] about Dog, Cockroaches and White Elephants
Eat to Live. Not to Die.
The data is deadly! Almost too scary to put into words. But it’s time to face the fat ugly truth: Suriname like so many of its Caribbean neighbors has joined the fat parade. According to a local newspaper, 30% of the male population between the ages of 15 and 50 are well on their way to eating themselves to death. A recently published WHO/PAHO survey which looks at the risk … [Read more...] about Eat to Live. Not to Die.
Solid Foundation
Strengthening public fiduciary systems have received a considerable amount of attention on a global scale in the last few decades. So far, attempting Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms has been perplexing for most developing countries with not much to show in terms of desired results and impact. Many factors have been posited for this including; the lack of … [Read more...] about Solid Foundation