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11 C’bean countries have Failed States Index
Thursday, 09 July 2009
Eleven Caribbean nations have been included in the 2009 Failed States Index.
The authors of the Index say this does not mean the countries have failed however, there are issues that need to be addressed to avoid de-stabilization.
The report, published by the US organization Fund for Peace, ranks 177 countries based on their social, political and economic indicators.
The best rankings are in the sustainable categories while the alert level is the lowest.
Barbados is the only country in the region to receive a moderate ranking.
Haiti has been placed in the alert level, but the others - the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Venezuela - have all been placed in the warning category.
This means that there are significant pressures that could lead to destabilization in those countries if they are not addressed.
Mark Loucas, the organization's research associate, said that rating does not mean there is impending failure in those countries.
"It is a fact that it has the potential to be very destabilizing but if you look at the Caribbean, some of the issues which have been undermining the progress of so many states are poverty and unequal development, lack of opportunities and economic stagnation which really traps so many people at an economic disadvantage. Not only does that put into question the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Government but also the social and demographic health of the country," he said.
But Grenada objects to the report saying the Failed States Index assessed the region unfairly
Thursday, 09 July 2009
Eleven Caribbean nations have been included in the 2009 Failed States Index.
The authors of the Index say this does not mean the countries have failed however, there are issues that need to be addressed to avoid de-stabilization.
The report, published by the US organization Fund for Peace, ranks 177 countries based on their social, political and economic indicators.
The best rankings are in the sustainable categories while the alert level is the lowest.
Barbados is the only country in the region to receive a moderate ranking.
Haiti has been placed in the alert level, but the others - the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Venezuela - have all been placed in the warning category.
This means that there are significant pressures that could lead to destabilization in those countries if they are not addressed.
Mark Loucas, the organization's research associate, said that rating does not mean there is impending failure in those countries.
"It is a fact that it has the potential to be very destabilizing but if you look at the Caribbean, some of the issues which have been undermining the progress of so many states are poverty and unequal development, lack of opportunities and economic stagnation which really traps so many people at an economic disadvantage. Not only does that put into question the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Government but also the social and demographic health of the country," he said.
But Grenada objects to the report saying the Failed States Index assessed the region unfairly
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