Tag: Canada

Refuse to Lose – Canada’s Model of Ascent

Posted on October 21, 2019 in Ethos, Locations, Strategy

Go Lean Commentary

10 Lessons from Canada’s History – #6 – Neighbor: Frienemy
What is a frienemy?
“Frenemy” (also spelled “frienemy”) is an oxymoron and a portmanteau of “friend” and “enemy” that refers to “a person with whom one is friendly, despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry” or “a person who combines the characteristics of a friend and an enemy”. – Wikipedia.

In the last submission in this series, it was established that “Yes, we can” succeed in competition with the US despite the dominance of the American hegemony.

Canada does! 

They are the greatest example of a Frienemy, in their association with the US. They cooperate and they compete. The have beaten America in the past and continue to do so even today. Just look, at their recent victories here in the sporting world:

VIDEO – Canada beats USA in soccer for the first time in 34 years! – https://www.bttoronto.ca/videos/canada-beats-usa-in-soccer-for-the-first-time-in-34-years/

Canada wins 2-0 against USA in soccer and Kyle Lowry officially signs his contract extension with the Raptors.

In truth, all neighboring countries are in competition with the US, if only to retain their citizens from “taking their talents to South Beach“. So many of the Caribbean Diaspora have taken their talents to “South Beach, South Toronto or South London”. The economic impact of their absence has been duly noted in research and analysis and the conclusion is bad:

Caribbean loses over 70% of tertiary educated citizens to the brain drain

What more can we learn from Canada, from their turn-around of losing and ascent to a competitive super-power on their own?

Consider the history highlights here, (and the depictions in the Appendix VIDEO below):

While the United States of America got its start in 1776 – by declaring and fighting for freedom from Great Britain – Canada was not formed as a nation until 1867, almost 100 years later. During those “Bad Old Days”, they could only stand idly by and watch the US take … parts of Maine, Northwest Territory, Oregon Territory, etc.. The purpose of their 1867 Confederation was the uniform quest to: Stand its Ground against America.

They – Canada – got sick and tired of being “sick and tired” and finally developed the attitude to:

Refuse to lose – a commitment by a group or society to the values of quality, success and winning.

If we model Canada’s example and adopt this attitude then we too will believe that we can compete with the US and even be better. This is a theme in the 2013 book Go Lean…Caribbean; it serves as a roadmap for the Caribbean to be a better homeland to live, work and play. This commentary continues the series on the Refuse to Lose ethos; this is Part 5-of-6. The full series is cataloged as follows:

  1. Refuse to Lose: Lesson from Sports
  2. Refuse to Lose: Remediating ‘Columbus Day’
  3. Refuse to Lose: Introducing Formal Reconciliations
  4. Refuse to Lose: Despite American Expansionism
  5. Refuse to Lose: Canada’s Model of Ascent
  6. Refuse to Lose: Direct Foreign Investors Wind-Downs

It is the assertion of this series of commentaries that the Caribbean can win, despite American dominance. How can we win or “Refuse to Lose“? Among the many strategies, tactics and implementations embedded in the Go Lean roadmap is the goal to learn the lessons from Canada’s history.

Among the 370-pages of the Go Lean book are the turn-by-turn instructions on “how” … to adopt new community ethos. The book presents the strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies to execute so as to lose less often and win more. The book presented one advocacy on Lessons from Canada – their 150-Plus-years of history – entitled: 10 Lessons from Canada’s History; (Page 146). Consider some specific plans, excerpts and headlines from that advocacy in the book, here:

1 Lean-in for the Caribbean Single Market
This treaty calls for the confederation of the Caribbean region into a single market of 30 member-states and 42 million people, similar to the original 1867 confederation for Canada. The history of Canada synchronizes with the aspirations of the CU Trade Federation. In this Canadian context, confederation generally describes the political process that united the colonies in the 1860s and related events, and the subsequent incorporation of other colonies and territories. Today, Canada is a “G8” advanced economy, made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories, ranking among the largest in the world, due its abundant natural resources and well-developed trade networks, including one with the US, a long and complex relationship. Canada has been a Northern Star, as a guide and refuge to Caribbean hopes and dreams.
2 Confederation for Defense – Strength in Numbers
The American Civil War caused security threats for Canada. The Union (US North) encouraged Irish immigration and sourced their Army (a million-man strong) with many Irish fighters. Since many Irish immigrants maintained animosity towards the British, there were documented cases of terroristic attacks against Canadian targets, i.e. the Fenian (an Irish Brotherhood) raids. This corresponded with the Little Englander philosophy, whereby Britain no longer wanted to maintain troops in its colonies.Confederation was therefore necessary to promote security for the related colonies of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia – amounting to a population of slightly over 2 million people
3 Multiple Cultural Legacies and Languages
4 Better than a Republic – (Civil War Lesson for a Technocracy)
5 Assuage Human Flight – Provide Alternative
6 Neighbor: Frienemy
Despite the cooperation needed for the St. Lawrence Waterway – (see Appendix UA) – the stated US desire, doctrine of Manifest Destiny, was to govern the entire North American continent. The US had fought wars against English-Canada interests and many believed that the US would annex the other colonies governed directly by England, as the US acquired the Oregon Territory. These reasons provided the motivation for the initial Canadian Confederation to expand from coast-to-coast, and serve as a role-model for the CU to target the entire region of the Caribbean Sea geography.
7 Aboriginal Relations Need Local Governance
8 Mastering Natural Resources
9 Federal / Provincial Outsourcing
10 Population Concerns – Not enough Natural Growth
Canada could not contend with the aging population (more retirees with fewer workers); they adapted a liberal immigration policy in the past decades and now their 2011 census counted 33,476,688, up over 6% in 5 years, and 20% over 20 years. The CU has the same challenge and needs its confederation to assuage the negative actuary equations.

Canada has ascended – now a “G8” advanced economy country – despite being in the shadows of the US. We, in the Caribbean can ascend too.

The subject of the Canada’s role model have been addressed in many previous commentaries; consider this sample list here:

https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=15662 Manifesting High-Tech Neighborhoods in Toronto, Canada
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=14954 Overseas Workers – even to Canada – not an ideal solution
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=14541 Viola Desmond – One Canadian Woman Made a Difference
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=14174 Canada: “Follow Me” for Model on ‘Climate Change’ Action
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=13321 ‘Pluralistic Democracy’ – Canada’s Model of a Multilingual Society
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=12369 Canada @ 150 Years Old – Happy Canada Day 2017
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=12322 Canadian Model for Ferries: Economics, Security and Governance
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=9480 10 Things We Want from Canada and 10 Things We Do Not Want
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=6937 Women in Politics – Canada’s Model of Political Equality
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=3694 Jamaica-Canada employment program generate millions for economy
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=3582 For Canadian Banks that Invest Regionally: Caribbean is a ‘Bad Bet’
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=510 Florida’s Chilly Welcome for Canadian Snowbirds – Bad Model

In many ways, Canada has presented the ethos of Refuse to Lose to their American neighbors and have benefited as a result. They may not always win, but they Refuse to Lose and this makes them a better homeland in their pursuits of “life, liberty and happiness” and their overall goal to be a more harmonious society – a more perfect union.

We need that same Refuse to Lose ethos for the Caribbean Way Forward so that we can start winning. We have lose too much already. We hereby urge every Caribbean stakeholder to Refuse to Lose; this is how we will make our homeland a better place to live, work and play.  🙂

About the Book
The book Go Lean…Caribbean serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the technocratic Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU), for the elevation of Caribbean society – for all member-states. This CU/Go Lean roadmap has these 3 prime directives:

  • Optimization of the economic engines in order to grow the regional economy to $800 Billion and create 2.2 million new jobs.
  • Establishment of a security apparatus to ensure public safety and protect the resultant economic engines.
  • Improve Caribbean governance to support these engines, including a separation-of-powers between the member-states and CU federal agencies.

The Go Lean book provides 370-pages of turn-by-turn instructions on “how” to adopt new community ethos, plus the strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies to execute so as to reboot, reform and transform the societal engines of Caribbean society.

Download the free e-Book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

Who We Are
The movement behind the Go Lean book – a non-partisan, apolitical, religiously-neutral Community Development Foundation chartered for the purpose of empowering and re-booting economic engines – stresses that reforming and transforming the Caribbean societal engines must be a regional pursuit. This was an early motivation for the roadmap, as pronounced in the opening Declaration of Interdependence (Pages 12 – 13):

xi. Whereas all men are entitled to the benefits of good governance in a free society, “new guards” must be enacted to dissuade the emergence of incompetence, corruption, nepotism and cronyism at the peril of the people’s best interest. The Federation must guarantee the executions of a social contract between government and the governed.

xvi. Whereas security of our homeland is inextricably linked to prosperity of the homeland, the economic and security interest of the region needs to be aligned under the same governance. Since economic crimes … can imperil the functioning of the wheels of commerce for all the citizenry, the accedence of this Federation must equip the security apparatus with the tools and techniques for predictive and proactive interdictions.

xxiv.  Whereas a free market economy can be induced and spurred for continuous progress, the Federation must install the controls to better manage aspects of the economy: jobs, inflation, savings rate, investments and other economic principles. Thereby attracting direct foreign investment because of the stability and vibrancy of our economy.

Sign the petition to lean-in for this roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation.
————-

Appendix VIDEO – How the USA grew from 13 Colonies to 50 States – www.westgateschool.org/apps/video/watch.jsp?v=162718

Posted October 26, 2017 – Featuring archival footage and lively graphics, this informative, live-action program traces the expansion of the United States from 13 colonies to 50 states. Explores the stories behind the acquisitions of the different territories as well as the figures involved in each acquisition. The program covers the Louisiana Purchase, the Texas Annexation, the Gadsen Purchase and more, while helping to develop map-reading skills and an understanding of U.S. geography.

Share this post:
, , , ,

Climate Change Catastrophe: 12 Year Countdown

Posted on October 15, 2018 in Ethos, Government, Social, Strategy

Go Lean Commentary

So do not make any plans beyond 12 years …

… that is the warning …

… from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report from this respected body asserts that if there are no mitigations, then the catastrophic future that we all dread will be unavoidable. Life may continue on the planet, but the status quo would be no more. See the news story on the UN Report here and the continuation in the Appendix below:

Title: We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN
Sub-title: Urgent changes needed to cut risk of extreme heat, drought, floods and poverty, says IPCC

The world’s leading climate scientists have warned there is only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

The authors of the landmark report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released on Monday say urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to reach the target, which they say is affordable and feasible although it lies at the most ambitious end of the Paris agreementpledge to keep temperatures between 1.5C and 2C.

The half-degree difference could also prevent corals from being completely eradicated and ease pressure on the Arctic, according to the 1.5C study, which was launched after approval at a final plenary of all 195 countries in Incheon in South Korea that saw delegates hugging one another, with some in tears.

“It’s a line in the sand and what it says to our species is that this is the moment and we must act now,” said Debra Roberts, a co-chair of the working group on impacts. “This is the largest clarion bell from the science community and I hope it mobilises people and dents the mood of complacency.”

Policymakers commissioned the report at the Paris climate talks in 2016, but since then the gap between science and politics has widened. Donald Trump has promised to withdraw the US – the world’s biggest source of historical emissions – from the accord. The first round of Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday put Jair Bolsonaro into a strong position to carry out his threat to do the same and also open the Amazon rainforest to agribusiness.

The world is currently 1C warmer than preindustrial levels. Following devastating hurricanes in the US, record droughts in Cape Town and forest fires in the Arctic, the IPCC makes clear that climate change is already happening, upgraded its risk warning from previous reports, and warned that every fraction of additional warming would worsen the impact.


…

See the remaining article in the Appendix below.

Source: Posted The Guardian – London Daily Newspaper October 8, 2018;retrieved October 15, 2018 from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report

This is not Armageddon … yet. But the Bible does provide a justification that redeeming mankind will only happen at the precipice, just as man’s perilous rule reaches the point of unavoidable destruction of the planet. That scripture reads:

18  But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time came for the dead to be judged and to reward+ your slaves the prophets+ and the holy ones and those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining* the earth.”+ – Revelation 11:18 New World Translation

Yes, truly, “we” are ruining the earth. Some people (countries) more so than others. But despite whether we are the guilty culprits or not, we still only have one planet … and it needs some attention. Or else …

… after 12 years, no more earth, the way we know it.

All the evidence is in front of us. To ignore it, we do so at our own peril. As related previously, the Numbers don’t lie: as of this past May, the earth has had 400 straight warmer-than-average months. See other aligned blog-commentaries that echoed this assessment:

https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=14925 Climate Change Doubt?! Numbers Don’t Lie …
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=14832 Manifesting Environmental Change
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=11858 Islands are Disappearing – The Cautionary Tale of Kiribati
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=9455 Fix ‘Climate Change’ – Yes, We Can
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=7103 COP21 – ‘Climate Change’ Acknowledged
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=6893 A Meteorologist’s View On Climate Change
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=4673 ‘Climate Change‘ Merchants of Doubt … to Preserve Profits!!
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=2465 Book: ‘This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate’
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=2276 Climate Change May Affect Food Supply Within a Decade
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=1883 Climate Change May Bring More Kidney Stones
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=1817 Caribbean grapples with intense cycles of flooding & drought

Are we saying that the earth will be destroyed in 12 years?

No!

But the mitigations that are feasible to assuage this problem, only have a limited shelf-life. After 12 years, there may not be any turning back from a Greenhouse planet. Once we accept this fact – the eventuality of the Climate Change Catastrophe – only then can we start to make effort to address the truth: our “house is on fire”.

There should be no doubt, we must act now.

What are we going to do about it?

Yes, we can … make a difference … still. But now we cannot hit or miss; we are at the precipice.

Perhaps this reality now is why one of the world’s most notorious Climate Change Denier is finally, begrudgingly, owning up to the fact that … “there might be something to this Climate Change” thing.

We’re talking about US President Donald Trump. See  the VIDEO here:

VIDEO – President Donald Trump’s ’60 Minutes’ Interview: Climate Change, etc. –  https://youtu.be/_D8OfRiEff4

TODAY
Published on Oct 15, 2018 – In an interview with “60 Minutes,” President Trump backed off earlier statements that climate change is a hoax, and also said that he doesn’t “trust everybody” in the White House. He also commented on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation and the ongoing Russia investigation.

This is how destiny works. We can run from it, deny it or hide. But it will still catch up with us.

The earth is destined to suffer great catastrophes due to Climate Change … in 12 years!

Let’s do our share, everyone, everywhere to see if we can abate this reality.

The book Go Lean…Caribbean – available to download for free – serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the technocratic Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU), to reform and transform all of Caribbean society – all 30 member-states. There is the need to shepherd our own communities to do our share to abate Climate Change. While the problem is too big for us alone in our region, we must still act … nonetheless. We cannot sit back, fold our arms and expect everyone else to do the heavy-lifting. No, we must even lead, since we are on the frontlines of over-heated hurricanes.

This is a lesson learned from Canada; they are on the frontline of melting ice-caps – think icy Northwest Passage – so they are stepping-up to act and show the world how to act. They are not waiting for “deniers to wake up and stop denying”; they are putting in their mitigation now … anyway. Then they are telling and showing the world what to do in following their example. This was detailed in a previous Go Lean commentary as follows:

Canada … has the longest total coastline among all of the countries of the world, at 125,567 miles. …

If Climate Change is to continue unabated, this country has a lot to lose – catastrophic storms, melting ice caps, thawing permafrost and rising sea level. …

Canada is prepared to take the lead, to put the Western Hemisphere on its shoulders and carry the load for arresting Climate Change. …

Thank you Canada for this model. Now, we – the Caribbean – need to step up to carry our own load for better mitigation of Climate Change threats; we need to do our part in lowering our own carbon footprint. We can make a difference. Canada can make a difference. As related in a previous blog-commentary, the same as the threat of Acid Rain was subjugated, so too, curative measures can be put in place to lower the greenhouse gases in the environment. This is why Canada has a Champion for the Environment – Catherine McKenna – at the Cabinet level.

Good model …

The Go Lean roadmap addresses all aspects of Caribbean society – economics, security and governance – and then declares: “Do this; Do that; Do Something; Do Everything”. The roadmap presents these prime directives in this regards:

Fixing Climate Change in the US or Canada is out-of-scope for this Go Lean movement; but we still need them to act. We also need Europe, China, India – all Big Polluters – and all countries of the world to act. We must stand on soap boxes, podiums and stages and tell the world – everyone must listen; we must make them listen. This is now everyone’s job, everyone’s responsibility.

We only have 12 years!

Make no plans for Year 13 and beyond. 🙁

There is hope! The Go Lean book and roadmap stresses that reforming and transforming the Caribbean’s societal engines to abate Climate Change is possible; it is conceivable, believable and achievable. But this is heavy-lifting.

The Go Lean book provides 370-pages of turn-by-turn instructions on “how” to prepare and respond for Climate Change catastrophes. See this sample of strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies from the book:

Community Ethos – Deferred Gratification Page 21
Community Ethos – Economic Systems Influence Individual Choices / Incentives Page 21
Community Ethos – The Consequences of Choices Lie in the Future Page 21
Community Ethos – “Crap” Happens Page 23
Strategy – Mission – Prepare for Natural Disasters Page 45
Strategy – Agents of Change – Climate Change Page 57
Tactical – Confederating a Permanent Union Page 63
Tactical – Fostering a Technocracy Page 64
Separation of Powers – Emergency Management Page 76
Separation of Powers – Meteorological & Geological Service Page 79
Anecdote – “Lean” in Government Page 93
Implementation – Security Initiatives at Start-up – Unified Command & Control Page 103
Implementation – Industrial Policy for CU Self Governing Entities Page 103
Implementation – Ways to Deliver Page 109
Implementation – Ways to Foster International Aid Page 115
Implementation – Ways to Benefit from Globalization – Produce, Not Just Consume Page 119
Advocacy – Ways to Better Manage the Social Contract Page 170
Advocacy – Ways to Foster Cooperatives Page 176
Advocacy – Ways to Improve for Natural Disasters Page 184
Advocacy – Ways to Improve Emergency Management Page 196
Advocacy – Ways to Improve Transportation – CNG Buses and Electric Street Cars Page 205
Advocacy – Ways to Develop the Auto Industry – Embrace Alternative Energy Page 206

Are we up to this challenge?

We must work at it … as if our life depends on it.

It does!

We need all hands on deck! This is an Inconvenient Truth but its the truth nonetheless. We urge all Caribbean stakeholders to lean-in to this Go Lean roadmap for change, to get our homeland more active in the solution and abatement of Climate Change. Let’s get going. 🙂

Download the free e-Book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

Sign the petition to lean-in for this roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation.

—————-

Appendix – We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN (Cont’d)

This is the continuation of the news article from the Guardian Newspaper …

Scientists who reviewed the 6,000 works referenced in the report, said the change caused by just half a degree came as a revelation. “We can see there is a difference and it’s substantial,” Roberts said.

At 1.5C the proportion of the global population exposed to water stress could be 50% lower than at 2C, it notes. Food scarcity would be less of a problem and hundreds of millions fewer people, particularly in poor countries, would be at risk of climate-related poverty.

At 2C extremely hot days, such as those experienced in the northern hemisphere this summer, would become more severe and common, increasing heat-related deaths and causing more forest fires.

But the greatest difference would be to nature. Insects, which are vital for pollination of crops, and plants are almost twice as likely to lose half their habitat at 2C compared with 1.5C. Corals would be 99% lost at the higher of the two temperatures, but more than 10% have a chance of surviving if the lower target is reached.

Sea-level rise would affect 10 million more people by 2100 if the half-degree extra warming brought a forecast 10cm additional pressure on coastlines. The number affected would increase substantially in the following centuries due to locked-in ice melt.

Oceans are already suffering from elevated acidity and lower levels of oxygen as a result of climate change. One model shows marine fisheries would lose 3m tonnes at 2C, twice the decline at 1.5C.

Sea ice-free summers in the Arctic, which is warming two to three times faster than the world average, would come once every 100 years at 1.5C, but every 10 years with half a degree more of global warming.

Time and carbon budgets are running out. By mid-century, a shift to the lower goal would require a supercharged roll-back of emissions sources that have built up over the past 250 years.

The IPCC maps out four pathways to achieve 1.5C, with different combinations of land use and technological change. Reforestation is essential to all of them as are shifts to electric transport systems and greater adoption of carbon capture technology.

Carbon pollution would have to be cut by 45% by 2030 – compared with a 20% cut under the 2C pathway – and come down to zero by 2050, compared with 2075 for 2C. This would require carbon prices that are three to four times higher than for a 2C target. But the costs of doing nothing would be far higher.

“We have presented governments with pretty hard choices. We have pointed out the enormous benefits of keeping to 1.5C, and also the unprecedented shift in energy systems and transport that would be needed to achieve that,” said Jim Skea, a co-chair of the working group on mitigation. “We show it can be done within laws of physics and chemistry. Then the final tick box is political will. We cannot answer that. Only our audience can – and that is the governments that receive it.”

He said the main finding of his group was the need for urgency. Although unexpectedly good progress has been made in the adoption of renewable energy, deforestation for agriculture was turning a natural carbon sink into a source of emissions. Carbon capture and storage projects, which are essential for reducing emissions in the concrete and waste disposal industries, have also ground to a halt.

Reversing these trends is essential if the world has any chance of reaching 1.5C without relying on the untried technology of solar radiation modification and other forms of geo-engineering, which could have negative consequences.

In the run-up to the final week of negotiations, there were fears the text of the report would be watered down by the US, Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich countries that are reluctant to consider more ambitious cuts. The authors said nothing of substance was cut from a text.

Bob Ward, of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, said the final document was “incredibly conservative” because it did not mention the likely rise in climate-driven refugees or the danger of tipping points that could push the world on to an irreversible path of extreme warming.

The report will be presented to governments at the UN climate conference in Poland at the end of this year. But analysts say there is much work to be done, with even pro-Paris deal nations involved in fossil fuel extraction that runs against the spirit of their commitments. Britain is pushing ahead with gas fracking, Norway with oil exploration in the Arctic, and the German government wants to tear down Hambach forest to dig for coal.

At the current level of commitments, the world is on course for a disastrous 3C of warming. The report authors are refusing to accept defeat, believing the increasingly visible damage caused by climate change will shift opinion their way.

“I hope this can change the world,” said Jiang Kejun of China’s semi-governmental Energy Research Institute, who is one of the authors. “Two years ago, even I didn’t believe 1.5C was possible but when I look at the options I have confidence it can be done. I want to use this report to do something big in China.”

The timing was good, he said, because the Chinese government was drawing up a long-term plan for 2050 and there was more awareness among the population about the problem of rising temperatures. “People in Beijing have never experienced so many hot days as this summer. It’s made them talk more about climate change.”

Regardless of the US and Brazil, he said, China, Europe and major cities could push ahead. “We can set an example and show what can be done. This is more about technology than politics.”

James Hansen, the former Nasa scientist who helped raised the alarm about climate change, said both 1.5C and 2C would take humanity into uncharted and dangerous territory because they were both well above the Holocene-era range in which human civilisation developed. But he said there was a huge difference between the two: “1.5C gives young people and the next generation a fighting chance of getting back to the Holocene or close to it. That is probably necessary if we want to keep shorelines where they are and preserve our coastal cities.”

Johan Rockström, a co-author of the recent Hothouse Earth report, said scientists never previously discussed 1.5C, which was initially seen as a political concession to small island states. But he said opinion had shifted in the past few years along with growing evidence of climate instability and the approach of tipping points that might push the world off a course that could be controlled by emissions reductions.

“Climate change is occurring earlier and more rapidly than expected. Even at the current level of 1C warming, it is painful,” he told the Guardian. “This report is really important. It has a scientific robustness that shows 1.5C is not just a political concession. There is a growing recognition that 2C is dangerous.”

Source: Posted The Guardian – London Daily Newspaper October 8, 2018;retrieved October 15, 2018 from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report

Related: Overwhelmed by climate change? Here’s what you can do

Share this post:
, , , ,
[Top]

Manifesting High-Tech Neighborhoods

Posted on September 11, 2018 in Ethos, Industries, Strategy

Go Lean Commentary

Previously … we said:

“Build it and they will come”.

Now … we are saying:

Get out of the way and ‘they’ will come and build it.

It could be that simple – there are players who want the opportunity to test their theories, manifest their visions and explore their ideas. They will come to you and build High-Tech neighborhoods, but only if you let them, not trample on their sensibilities and not block their progress.

Are you willing to cooperate in a climate like that? Can you “live and let live”?

The answer is not so obvious. A lot of people treasure their independence. They are willing to endure whatever disposition in life as long as they “do it their way”. This is why Self-Governing Entities are so critical in this plan for a new Caribbean.

Self-Governing Entities (SGE), as defined in the book Go Lean … Caribbean, allows communities to apply changes to a limited geographic area. (Truth be told, it is hard to change whole countries; it is easier to change just a small area at a time).

The Go Lean book serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the technocratic Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU), for the elevation of Caribbean society – for all member-states, bottoms-up neighborhood by neighborhood. The book defines SGE’s as follows (Page 30):

Self-Governing Entities
The CU will promote and administer all Self-Governing Entities (SGE) throughout the region. This refers to scientific labs, industrial parks, commercial campuses, experimental hospitals, and even foreign bases. These facilities will not be subject to the laws of the local states of their address, rather CU, international, foreign sovereignty, or maritime laws, thus spurring [Research & Development or] R&D.

Who will be the owners/investors of the Self-Governing Entities that embark in the new Caribbean?

Many candidates abound! Here is one example. Here is Google – and their subsidiary Sidewalk Labs – as they engage their test-plan and manifest their vision for a limited urban area … in Toronto, Canada. See the full story here:

Title: Google’s parent company just reached an agreement with Toronto to plan a $50 million high-tech neighborhood
By: Leanna Garfield

  • On Tuesday (07/31/2018) morning, Waterfront Toronto’s board unanimously agreed to work with Sidewalk Labs to develop a 12-acre swath of the city into a high-tech neighborhood.
  • Sidewalk Labs, the urban-innovation arm of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, had committed $10 million for the planning process, and an additional $40 million in investment has now been unlocked. The entire development is expected to cost at least $1 billion.
  • The company has been quiet about the exact plans for the neighborhood, but its CEO, Dan Doctoroff, has spoken about how urban environments could be improved through self-driving cars, machine learning, high-speed internet, and embedded sensors that track energy usage.

——————

Sidewalk Labs — the urban-innovation arm of Google’s parent company, Alphabet — just got the green light to plan a high-tech neighborhood on Toronto’s waterfront.

On Tuesday morning, the board of Waterfront Toronto, the organization administering revitalization projects along the Canadian city’s waterfront, unanimously agreed to work with the company to design the neighborhood. Final approval to physically develop the plans is likely to happen next year.

Called Quayside, the neighborhood will be designed to prioritize “sustainability, affordability, mobility, and economic opportunity,” according to Sidewalk Labs. The city of Toronto and Sidewalk Labs call the larger project “Sidewalk Toronto.”

Sidewalk had already committed $10 million for the planning process, and an additional $40 million in investment was unlocked with the board’s approval. The entire 12-acre development, however, is expected to cost at least $1 billion, The Wall Street Journal estimated.

The agreement “lays out a path towards a transparent, collaborative partnership with Waterfront Toronto and the people of Toronto,” Josh Sirefman, Sidewalk Labs’ head of development, told Business Insider in a statement. “We look forward to working together to develop a groundbreaking plan to improve the lives of people living in Toronto and cities like it around the world.”

The company has been quiet about the exact plans for the neighborhood, but Sidewalk Labs’ CEO, Dan Doctoroff, has spoken about how urban environments could be improved through self-driving cars, machine learning, high-speed internet, and embedded sensors that track energy usage.

“We are excited to take this next step with Sidewalk Labs to set the stage for a transformational project on the waterfront that addresses many critical urban issues faced by Toronto and other cities around the world,” Waterfront Toronto tweeted Tuesday.

Based on 2017 renderings, it looks as if Sidewalk Labs wants Quayside to be a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. The preliminary illustrations include bike-share systems, apartment housing, bus lines, and parks.

The project has been in the works for more than a year. In March 2017, Sidewalk Labs responded to Toronto’s request for proposals to redevelop the waterfront parcel. The planning process kicked off with a community town-hall meeting in November where residents discussed their thoughts and concerns about the project.

Business Insider previously reported that locals had expressed worries that Quayside could become a “new Silicon Valley,” bringing issues like gentrification, higher housing prices, and income inequality.

The plan-development agreement became public on Tuesday afternoon after Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs signed the deal.
Source: Business Insider Magazine – posted July 31, 2018; retrieved September 6, 2018 from: https://www.businessinsider.com/google-sidewalk-labs-toronto-neighborhood-2018-7?utm_content=buffer2ecae

From the Caribbean to Google: “We want some of that!”

It is our hope that with the appropriate governmental structure in place, Google (Alphabet) may bring some of those investment dollars – see related Appendix VIDEO – to our Caribbean shores. This type of investor was an early motivation for this roadmap for regional cooperation and confederation, as pronounced in the opening Declaration of Interdependence (Pages 13):

xxiv. Whereas a free market economy can be induced and spurred for continuous progress, the Federation must install the controls to better manage aspects of the economy: jobs, inflation, savings rate, investments and other economic principles. Thereby attracting direct foreign investment because of the stability and vibrancy of our economy.

Following and studying the machinations of the Google company/enterprise is a good idea. This company “puts its money where its mouth is”. We have previously identified these Research & Development efforts that have manifested over the years:

https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=3974 Google and Mobile Phones – Here comes change
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=1743 Google and Novartis to develop ‘smart’ contact lens
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=1277 The need for highway safety innovations – here comes Google

In a previous Go Lean blog-commentary, it was related how it is much easier to reform and transform a country by focusing on families, neighborhoods and cities. Do this again and again, and the whole nation, even the region is transformed.

Imagine Caribbean islands and coastal states with SGE’s peppered throughout the region. This is the new Caribbean that is being presented: reforming and transforming the full region, one neighborhood at a time. Imagine too, if the transformations are technological: electric street cars, self-driving vehicles, high-speed internet, and smart energy systems.

The Art & Science of cities is very important for this Go Lean roadmap to elevate Caribbean society. The Go Lean book applied detailed analyses of a number of cities (Caribbean city: Freeport, Bahamas; American cities: New York City; Omaha, Nebraska; Detroit, Michigan; Los Angeles City-County), then proceeded to detail the needed strategies, tactics and implementation to reform Caribbean urban areas. In fact, the CU/Go Lean roadmap has these 3 prime directives:

  • Optimization of the economic engines in order to grow the regional economy to $800 Billion and create 2.2 million new jobs. This roadmap calls for Self-Governing Entities, even in urban area, so as to optimize industrial policy.
  • Establishment of a security apparatus to ensure public safety and protect the resultant economic engines. Urban areas always have additional protections compared to rural areas.
  • Improve Caribbean governance to support these engines, including a separation-of-powers between the member-states and CU federal agencies. SGE’s are managed only at the federal level, but there must be negotiations with local/municipal governments.

The Go Lean book provides 370-pages of turn-by-turn instructions on “how” to adopt new community ethos, plus the strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies to execute so as to reboot, reform and transform the societal engines of Caribbean society … including the urban communities. There is even one advocacy that relates specifically to urban optimization; consider the specific plans, excerpts and headlines from the book on Page 234 entitled:

10 Ways to Impact Urban Living

1 Lean-in for the Caribbean Single Market
This treaty allows for the unification of the region into one market, thereby expanding to an economy of 30 countries, 42 million people and a GDP of over $800 Billion (according to 2010 metrics). The mission of the CU is to enhance the economic engines of the region, fostering institutions like capital markets, secondary mortgage funds and consumer credit reporting. These initiatives will facilitate local governments and town-planning efforts by providing the financing vehicles, and eco-system, for the real estate developers and municipal governments to predict the supply-and-demand..
2 Self-Governing Entities

The CU will promote and administer all self-governing entities (SGE) throughout the region. This refers to scientific labs, industrial parks, commercial campuses, experimental hospitals, and even foreign bases. These facilities will not be subject of the laws of the local states of their address, rather CU, international, foreign sovereignty, or maritime laws; but depend on the local infrastructure to provide basic needs. Thereby creating jobs and economic activity.
3 Proximity to Healthcare
4 Online Education Facilitation
5 Optimizing Transportation Options

The CU will spearhead transportation solutions for intra-city transit, so as to assuage urban traffic congestion. This will include rail options such as above-ground light-rail and street cars on the major arterial roads. The development of toll roads, with price-traffic elasticity, is a basic CU strategy for urban transportation infrastructure. So too, is bicycle options; the CU will foster local deployments of bicycle paths, dedicated lanes and on-demand bike sharing/rental programs; (see Appendix ZU). Bike Sharing is a synergistic solution for health/wellness and transportation. A lot of urban areas in the Caribbean region are old cities, designed centuries ago; therefore they have small quaint streets – perfect for bicycling.
6 In-sourcing
7 Service Continuity – ITIL
8 Financial Guarantees
9 Big Data Analysis

The CU’s embrace of e-Government and e-Delivery models allows for a lot of data to be collected and analyzed so as to measure many aspects of Caribbean life, including: trade, economic, consumption, societal values and macro-performance, and media consumption. This way, “course adjustments” can be made to strategic and tactical pursuits.
10 Legislative Oversight

In addition to the book, previous Go Lean commentaries related details of urban life and how best-practices can be applied so as to make the Caribbean homeland a better place to live, work and play. Here is a sample of previous blogs:

https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=11386 Making Better Cities
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=8573 Build a Street Car System and Harvesting the Growth
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=6016 Model of Urban Solutions – Cooperative Refrigeration
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=4587 Burlington, Vermont: First city to be powered 100% by renewables
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=3641 ‘We Built This City …’
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=3326 M-1 Rail: Alternative Motion in the Motor City
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=1731 Ode to Omaha, a Model City
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=1596 Book Review: ‘Prosper Where You Are Planted’

The Go Lean book and these accompanying blogs posit that economic success can be forged by doubling-down on R&D in Caribbean cities. We can improve one urban neighborhood at a time. Before we know it, we have changed the whole region.

We can do better, than our Status Quo.

There are many role models to follow.

The foregoing example – Google-Sidewalk Labs in Toronto, Canada – is a manifestation that the change we seek is conceivable, believable and achievable. Yes, we can … make our homelands better places to live, work and play. 🙂

Download the free e-book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

Sign the petition to lean-in for this roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation.

—————–

Appendix VIDEO – Inside the construction project promising to transform Toronto’s waterfront – https://youtu.be/PAgTA6tQdZs

CityNews Toronto
Published on Jun 27, 2018 – It’s a $1.25 billion multi-year project that promises to transform how Torontonians live, work and play along the waterfront. Tina Yazdani checks in on the creation of a new shoreline and flood protection system in the Portlands.

Share this post:
, ,
[Top]

Saint Lucia Recognized as ‘Best Island in the Caribbean’

Posted on May 29, 2018 in Economics, Social, Strategy

Go Lean Commentary

Saying that “we are the best”, really does not bring any solace.

Just ask the people in St. Lucia! Do they feel like they are the “best island in the Caribbean”? (Economically, they are below average; their GDP ranking for the region is 18 of 30; see Table 1).

But it is true, the Caribbean does some things well; and some islands do the “well” even better than others:

There are features of Caribbean life that work very well now. We are currently the “best address” in the world. If one has the resources, there is no better place to call home – imagine a lottery winner relocating to a Caribbean paradise. Further, if someone has the resources for only a short time-frame, there is no better place to vacation. And thus, as a regional community, the Caribbean is best at servicing: Tourism, Cruise Operations, Offshore Banking, and Specialty Agriculture.

Tourism
Tourism is the primary economic driver for almost every “CU“ member-state. In economics, a measurement of demand is the price indicator. During the “high” season – winter peak – Caribbean hotels, of a high-quality rating, can be priced at thousands of (US) dollars … per night. There is the demand; then follows, the supply systems to meet the demand. This peak period, throughout the Caribbean, lasts from December to April. – Book Go Lean…Caribbean Page 58.

While we may have the “best of this and the best of that”, our dispositions in the Caribbean are still inadequate, bad and sometimes failing. On the one hand, we may have the best addresses on the planet for tourism, but on the other hand, we have blatant failures in so many other areas of society. So if the goal is to forge a better place to live, work and play, then we need to accept that only the “play” part is enjoying some measure of success and the ranking of “Best” is simply not enough.

See this news article here:

Title: Saint Lucia Recognized as Best Island In the Caribbean

Press Release: Saint Lucia has been recognized as the “Best Island in the Caribbean” by Global Traveler at their Sixth Annual Leisure Lifestyle Awards. Global Traveler is a monthly publication that attracts some 300,000 readers and connects with U.S.-based frequent, affluent, international travellers who have an average net worth of $2 million.

The awards cocktail took place on the rooftop of Sofitel Los Angeles, Beverly Hills. This award marks the destination’s second ‘Best Island in the Caribbean’ honour in the 6-year life of the Global Traveler Leisure Lifestyle Awards, Saint Lucia having won the inaugural award in 2013.

Saint Lucia registered a record-setting year in 2017, with year-to-date numbers for 2018 improving over the same period last year. First quarter figures for 2018 show a 17.8% increase in stay-over arrivals and a 13.5% increase in cruise arrivals over last year’s record.

Remarking on Global Traveler award, Minister for Tourism Hon. Dominic Fedee stated, “This is an award of recognition to the hard work and dedication of every hospitality worker and to every Saint Lucian. It is the Saint Lucian story and its majesty which continues to attract visitors to the destination making it a world-class holiday and business destination for travellers.”

Global Traveler also highlighted Saint Lucia as a ‘dream come true’ port of call for cruise visitors. The award survey was conducted in the Global Traveler magazine through an insert in subscriber copies, as a direct mail questionnaire, online and in emails. Saint Lucia beat out nine other destinations for the top honour, including Aruba, Grand Cayman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Bahamas, Curaçao, Nevis, Jamaica the British Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“We believe Saint Lucia is a unique Caribbean destination which offers something to every traveller and this award is in recognition of our destination’s appeal. We will continue to find creative ways to present Saint Lucia in the marketplace as we seek to increase market penetration, awareness and visitor arrivals,” stated the Executive Chairperson of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority Agnes Francis.

Each year, Global Traveler awards the GT Tested Reader Survey awards, the Leisure Lifestyle Awards and the Wines on the Wing awards.

Source: Retrieved May 29, 2018 from: https://stluciatimes.com/2018/05/22/saint-lucia-recognized-as-best-island-in-the-caribbean/

So the appeal to the U.S.-based affluent traveler is “spot on” for Saint Lucian tourism; but maybe this is not good enough; see the still low GDP-Per-Capita figures in Table 1. Experiences shows that catering to the rich will ever only generate a limited success, because this is only a limited population – think the One Percent. Imagine if “we”, the entire Caribbean are able to appeal and deliver to the other 99 Percent. Maybe then, there would be more prosperity for a better Caribbean.

This is the assertion of the book Go Lean…Caribbean – available to download for free. It posits that with a unified approach the Caribbean region can launch certain empowerments that can elevate all of the region to better deliver on the tourism product. The book explains that these empowerments will make the region better, not just to play, but to live, work and play.

The Go Lean book serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the technocratic Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU), for the elevation of Caribbean society – for all member-states. The book provides 370-pages of turn-by-turn instructions on “how” to adopt new community ethos, plus strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies to execute so as to transform the economic engines of the region. For example, to supplement the affluent market for tourism stay-overs, the book urges the targeting of an alternate special population with the following advocacies:

  • 10 Ways to Enhance Tourism in the Caribbean Region (Page 19)
The Bottom Line on Snowbirds

A snowbird is someone from the U.S. Northeast, U.S. Midwest, Pacific Northwest, or Canada who spends a large portion of winter in warmer locales such as California, Arizona, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt region of the southern and southwest United States, Mexico, and areas of the Caribbean. Snowbirds are typically retirees, and business owners who have a second home in a warmer location or whose business can be easily moved from place to place, such as flea market and swap meet vendors. Some snowbirds carry their homes with them, as RV’s or campers (mounted on bus or truck frames) or as boats following the east coast Intracoastal waterway. In the past snowbirds were frequently wealthy with independent income who maintained several seasonal residences and shifted residence with the seasons to avail themselves of the best time to be at each location; this custom has declined considerably due to changing patterns of taxation and the relative ease of long distance travel compared with earlier times. Many of these “snowbirds” also use their vacation time to declare permanent residency in low- or no-tax income tax states (where the tax bases are augmented by high tourism taxes), and claim lower non-resident income taxes in their home states. Canadian snowbirds usually make sure they retain residency in Canada in order to retain health benefits.

See Appendix VIDEO below.
  • 10 Ways to Improve Transportation (Page 20)
# 3 Turnpike: Ferries

For the most part, the CU member-states are islands [or coastal states] thereby allowing for a viable means of transportation via sea navigation. By deploying ferries, the CU facilitates passenger travel for business and leisure.
  • APPENDIX IC – Alaska Marine Highway System (Page 28)
Model for the CU

The CU envisions a similar water-based highway system of ferries and docks to facilitate passenger, cargo and vehicle [(i.e. RV’s)] travel connecting the islands of the Caribbean region to the mainland ports. This ferry system will be a component of the Union Atlantic Turnpike.

So kudos to St. Lucia…

… but let’s do even better than the status quo. We have the opportunity to benefit from a year-round tourism product; plus the successful diversification of the regional economy. In fact, this CU/Go Lean roadmap has these 3 prime directives:

  • Optimization of the economic engines in order to grow the regional economy to $800 Billion and create 2.2 million new jobs.
  • Establishment of a security apparatus to ensure public safety and protect the resultant economic engines.
  • Improve Caribbean governance to support these engines, including a separation-of-powers between the member-states and CU federal agencies.

The vision of an interconnected ferry system throughout the region requires a better interdependence among all the Caribbean islands. This is the quest of the Go Lean/CU roadmap. The book stresses that transforming the Caribbean societal engines must be a regional pursuit. This was an early motivation for the roadmap, as pronounced in the opening Declaration of Interdependence (Pages 12 – 14):

xi. Whereas all men are entitled to the benefits of good governance in a free society, “new guards” must be enacted to dissuade the emergence of incompetence, corruption, nepotism and cronyism at the peril of the people’s best interest. The Federation must guarantee the executions of a social contract between government and the governed.

xvi. Whereas security of our homeland is inextricably linked to prosperity of the homeland, the economic and security interest of the region needs to be aligned under the same governance. Since economic crimes … can imperil the functioning of the wheels of commerce for all the citizenry, the accedence of this Federation must equip the security apparatus with the tools and techniques for predictive and proactive interdictions.

xxiv. Whereas a free market economy can be induced and spurred for continuous progress, the Federation must install the controls to better manage aspects of the economy: jobs, inflation, savings rate, investments and other economic principles. Thereby attracting direct foreign investment because of the stability and vibrancy of our economy.

xxvi.  Whereas the Caribbean region must have new jobs to empower the engines of the economy and create the income sources for prosperity, and encourage the next generation to forge their dreams right at home, the Federation must therefore foster the development of new industries … [and] invigorate the enterprises related to existing industries like tourism … – impacting the region with more jobs.

The vision of an interconnected ferry system throughout the Caribbean region has been detailed before in these previous blog-commentaries:

https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=12322 Ferries 101: Economics, Security and Governance
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=9179 Snowbirds Tourism – First Day of Autumn – Time to Head South
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=510 Snowbirds Need for Winter Hospitality

Ferries will transform all areas of Caribbean life. So the Go Lean roadmap is conceivable, believable and achievable for transforming the regional tourism product. Our Best can be even better still.

Let’s do this; let’s make our homeland a better place to live, work and play. 🙂

Download the free e-Book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

Sign the petition to lean-in for this roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation.

————

Appendix – Table 1 

Click on Photo to Enlarge

————

Appendix VIDEO – Anne Murray ~ Snowbird (1970) – https://youtu.be/x0oc3IR4qGQ

Published May 26, 2011 – Music in this video; Learn more

  • Song: Snowbird
  • Artist: Anne Murray
  • Writers: Gene MacLellan
  • Licensed by: UMG (on behalf of Universal Music Canada); EMI Music Publishing, SOLAR Music Rights Management, CMRRA, and 10 Music Rights Societies.
Share this post:
, , ,
[Top]

Overseas Workers – Not the Panacea

Posted on May 23, 2018 in Economics, Industries, Strategy

Go Lean Commentary

What do you want to be when you grow up?

This question is usually asked of young ones while they are still fostering their development. This question normally reflects the role models that the young ones perceive.

A similar exercise can be applied to developing countries. So we ask the question of the developing Caribbean nations:

  • What do you want to be when you grow up?
  • Who is your role model?
  • Which country’s template do you want to consider?

The easy answers could be the US, the EU or Canada, but our practices belie a different role model. Our region seems to be copying North Korea. There is a jobs program that exists in our region that is 100% modeled on North Korea; it is their Overseas Worker program. See more details on the North Korean program here:

Estimates of the number of North Koreans overseas vary considerably. Some researchers, as well as a 2015 report by the UN Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights, cite roughly 50,000 overseas workers. Other analysts have given larger estimates, ranging as high as 120,000 overseas workers. A fact sheet published by the U.S. Mission to the UN in 2017 cites 100,000 overseas workers, bringing in revenue of over $500 million annually.

The reason for this variation hinges mostly on the difficulty of estimating the number of North Korean workers in China. The number of North Koreans legally entering China has increased significantly in recent years, with over 188,000 reported entrants in 2015, including 94,000 entrants identified as “workers and crew”. This may be connected to a reported2012 informal agreement between Beijing and Pyongyang allowing for an increased number of North Koreans to work in China. However, data on the number of reported entrants does not necessarily reflect the total number of North Korean workers in China. On the one hand, some North Korean workers may have been placed in entry categories other than “workers and crew,” and workers might stay longer than one-year periods. One the other hand, it is not clear whether the “worker and crew” category includes transportation workers who may enter China on a routine basis for very short terms, or how often North Korean workers (particularly those stationed in the border area) travel back and forth across the border — in either case, any given worker would be counted as an “entrant” multiple times in a single year.

Successive UN Security Council resolutions have imposed progressively stronger sanctions on the employment of North Korean overseas laborers. The most recent, Resolution 2397 adopted in December 2017, requires member states to repatriate all DPRK nationals earning income in their territory within 24 months.
…
North Korea’s overseas workers are typically closely managed by DPRK state-run enterprises, which contract with foreign partners to provide labor. While conditions may vary from place to place, human rights advocates note that North Korean overseas workers often labor under intense conditions, face restrictions on their movements, and keep little of their wages. Other analysts argue that work abroad nonetheless provides North Koreans with the opportunity to earn more money than they could at home, and that foreign work is often seen as desirable within North Korea.

While it appears that the majority of state-organized North Korean overseas workers are men, women comprise a majority of the undocumented North Koreans living in China. Due to their vulnerable status, undocumented North Korean women are often subject to sex trafficking or forced marriage.

Source: Retrieved May 23, 2018 from: https://www.northkoreaintheworld.org/economic/north-korean-overseas-workers

Overseas Workers?! There are so many dangers; so many threats; and so many downsides that no government should be encouraging this role model – the North Korean model – for any country. India – see Appendix B – had bad experiences with this practice and have now added new empowerments to better protect its people from the dangers of overseas employment. Yet, our Caribbean member-states seem to be “cruising for a bruising” by inviting their own overseas workers programme. Is this who we want to be when we grow up?

Sad!

Now see this news article here, reflecting the demand for overseas employment in one Caribbean member-state. The demand is so high that the abuse has begun; see the article here:

Title: St Lucia warns of false advertisements for Canadian farm worker programme

CASTRIES – The St Lucia government has warned of “false advertisements” in circulation on the social media and other platforms indicating that the Labour Department here is now accepting applications from nationals for work under the Canadian Farm Worker Programme.

In a statement, the Labour Department said that it has “been swamped with scores of citizens in recent days seeking to register in response to the false notice”.

“Citizens are informed that the Department of Labour is currently not in the process of accepting new applicants to the programme. The department currently has a database of over five hundred citizens registered for the programme. This database is the first point for consideration in the event new opportunities become available,” the Ministry of Labour said in the statement.

St Lucia is among a number of Caribbean countries whose nationals participate in the annual work programme in Canada and the statement quoted Labour Minister Stephenson King as saying that he is “working feverishly with existing and prospective employers for additional opportunities for St Lucians”.

The Department said it also wanted to take the opportunity “to thank employers and all citizens for continuous support,” adding “rest assured we will continue working for you”. (CMC)
Source: Posted May 20, 2018; retrieved May 23, 2018 from: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/159035/st-lucia-warns-false-advertisements-canadian-farm-worker-programme

So according to the foregoing – “St Lucia is among a number of Caribbean countries whose nationals participate in the annual work programme in Canada” – when the question is asked: Where are the jobs in the Caribbean? The answer in St. Lucia and these other Caribbean countries is:

Overseas!

Commentators conclude that North Korea is Hell on Earth! See the related story in the Appendix VIDEO. We must do better than copying their economic model!

The book Go Lean…Caribbean – available to download for free – serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the technocratic Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU), for the elevation of Caribbean society – for all member-states. Our quest is to do better for Caribbean jobs; in fact the CU/Go Lean roadmap has these 3 prime directives:

  • Optimization of the economic engines in order to grow the regional economy to $800 Billion and create 2.2 million new jobs.
  • Establishment of a security apparatus to ensure public safety and protect the resultant economic engines.
  • Improve Caribbean governance to support these engines, including a separation-of-powers between the member-states and CU federal agencies.

Overseas jobs in Canada is not the panacea for what ails the Caribbean economically. Rather than look to Canada, we must look inwardly at our region so as to fix our broken local economic engines, not just look “across the waters” for others to solve our problems for us.

The book stresses that reforming and transforming the Caribbean economic engines must be a regional pursuit. This was an early motivation for the roadmap, as pronounced in the opening Declaration of Interdependence (Pages 12 – 14):

xi. Whereas all men are entitled to the benefits of good governance in a free society, “new guards” must be enacted to dissuade the emergence of incompetence, corruption, nepotism and cronyism at the peril of the people’s best interest. The Federation must guarantee the executions of a social contract between government and the governed.

xvi. Whereas security of our homeland is inextricably linked to prosperity of the homeland, the economic and security interest of the region needs to be aligned under the same governance. Since economic crimes … can imperil the functioning of the wheels of commerce for all the citizenry, the accedence of this Federation must equip the security apparatus with the tools and techniques for predictive and proactive interdictions.

xxiv. Whereas a free market economy can be induced and spurred for continuous progress, the Federation must install the controls to better manage aspects of the economy: jobs, inflation, savings rate, investments and other economic principles. Thereby attracting direct foreign investment because of the stability and vibrancy of our economy.

xxvi. Whereas the Caribbean region must have new jobs to empower the engines of the economy and create the income sources for prosperity, and encourage the next generation to forge their dreams right at home, the Federation must therefore foster the development of new industries, like that of ship-building, automobile manufacturing, prefabricated housing, frozen foods, pipelines, call centers, and the prison industrial complex. In addition, the Federation must invigorate the enterprises related to existing industries like tourism, fisheries and lotteries – impacting the region with more jobs.

The Go Lean book provides 370-pages of turn-by-turn instructions on “how” to adopt new community ethos, plus the strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies to execute so as to reboot, reform and transform the economic engines of Caribbean society. Just “how” can the stewards for a new Caribbean create local “innovative” jobs in our region? This is the actual title of one advocacy in the Go Lean book. Consider the specific plans, excerpts and headlines here from Page 152, entitled:

10 Ways to Create Jobs … in the Caribbean Region

1 Lean-in for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy
The CU will allow for the unification of the region into one market, thereby creating a single economy of 30 member- states, 42 million people and a GDP of over $800 Billion. The CU’s mission is to create high-paying jobs for the region, beyond the minimum wage (defined below). Many high-wage industries would be promoted, incentivized and regulated at the federal level, even new industries created. Jobs come from trade; the CU goal is to improve trade. The CU will thus institute Enterprise Zones and Empowerment Zones – SGE’s – with tax benefits: rebates, abatements – as job creation pockets. The CU will capture data, micro and macro-economic metrics, to measure the success/failure of these initiatives.
2 Feed Ourselves
The industries of agri-business allow structured commercial systems to grow, harvest and trade in food supplies. Many of the Caribbean member states (Lesser Antilles) acquire all their food in trade, the agricultural footprint is very small, though some countries (Greater Antilles, Belize, Guyana & Suriname) have a low opportunity cost for producing food. But with the Trade Federation in force, intra-region trade will be the first priority. When the demand is qualified, quantified and assured, the supply and quality there in, will catch up.
3 Clothe Ourselves
4 House Ourselves
In the US, it’s a truism of the National Association of Realtors® that “housing creates jobs”. With the repatriation of the Caribbean Diaspora, local building supplies and new “housing starts” will emerge in the Caribbean. Plus, the CU will facilitate mortgage secondary market and pre-fabulous construction thereby fostering new housing sub-industries.
5 Update Our Own Infrastructure and the Industries They Spun

Roads, bridges, ports, ship-building dry-docks, utilities and media outlets create companies and jobs for implementation and maintenance. Many of the infrastructure projects will cover the transportation sector; with improvements here, the result will be more traffic (passenger & cargo). This opens new modes for travelers/visitors/tourists to come to their favorite resort destination. (Consider Fast Ferries boats and Spring Break). Also, the CU will correct the void of no auto manufacturing industry in the Caribbean region, despite a market of 42 million people.
6 Steer More People to S.T.E.M. Education and Careers
7 Help Regional Businesses Find Foreign Markets
8 Welcome Home Emigrants
9 Welcome “Empowering” Immigrants
10 Draw More Tourists
The North American upper-middle-class market should not be the only target, better infrastructure and promotion can channel more tourists to the region. There can be a year round improvement in tourist arrivals, rather than just the “high” season. The CU will promote events with wide appeal to attract more tourists from around the world, year-round. The facilitation, support and promotion of the events will create multitudes of jobs, if only temporary.

Once these new “innovative” local direct jobs are created, then the job multiplier factor is engaged. The Go Lean book (Page 259) describes this factor and effect as follows:

… not only do innovative industries bring “good jobs” and high salaries to the communities where they cluster but that their impact is “much deeper” than their direct effect. … A healthy traded sector benefits the local economy directly, as it generates well-paid jobs, and indirectly as it creates additional jobs in the non-traded sector. What is truly remarkable is that this indirect effect to the local economy is much larger than the direct effect.

The subject of overseas jobs in Canada have been visited before. There was a previous blog-commentary from January 8, 2015 that detailed the experience for Jamaica; this previous study is one reason why we are able to conclude that this type of employment program, overseas, is not the panacea:

Jamaica has one of the highest rates of societal abandonment in the Caribbean. In a previous blog-commentary, it was revealed that the Caribbean loses more than 70 percent of tertiary educated to brain drain, but Jamaica’s rate is at 85%; (plus 35% of the secondary educated population leaves). This Foreign Guest Worker program, in the foregoing article, seems to be a “double down” on the itinerant Jamaican strategy. Imagine the analogy of a teenage runaway leaving his family behind; then when the parents finally discover that prodigal’s son’s whereabouts, they send another child to join them, rather than encourage a return home and a plea to prosper and be planted at home.

The people of Jamaica deserves better.

The people of the Caribbean deserves better. We do not have to repeat the same mistakes as India, North Korea or other Caribbean states; we can … and must do better. We must create local jobs. This is conceivable, believable and achievable. Yes, we can make our homeland a better place to live, work and play. 🙂

Download the free e-Book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

Sign the petition to lean-in for this roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation.

————–

Appendix A VIDEO – North Korea Literal Hell On Earth – https://youtu.be/DGA0_4pyOrw

Paulraj P.

Published on Mar 15, 2017 – Must Read:  WEIRD AND BIZARRE FACTS ABOUT NORTH KOREA, THE MOST REPRESSIVE AUTHORITARIAN COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, A LITERAL HELL ON EARTH

…

Listen to Yeonmi Park , escaped from North Korea and now a human right activist, who like any other North Koreans  was once forced to  collect  human and animal poo for the government ,  knew about love for the first time, only after watching “Titanic”,  speaking  in One Young World Summit in Dublin. Keep tissues.

————–

Appendix B – India’s Overseas Workers Passport – Emigration Act, 1983

The Emigration Act, 1983 is an Act passed by the Government of India to regulate emigration of people from India, with the stated goal of reducing fraud or exploitation of Indian workers recruited to work overseas. The Act imposed a requirement of obtaining emigration clearance (also called POE clearance) from the office of Protector of Emigrants (POE), Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs for people emigrating from India for work. As of 2017, this requirement applies only for people going to one of 18 listed countries.[1][2][3][4]

Background

Indians emigrated, both temporarily and permanently, to a number of countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, and the economies of south-east Asia. The bulk of emigration from the 1970s onward was to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.[3] Recruiting agents played a role in connecting workers to foreign jobs and charged the workers or the employers some share of the revenue. The Emigration Act, 1983 was passed to address concerns related to defrauding and exploitation of workers by the recruiting agents and other problems they might face upon going abroad.[3]

Provisions

Creation of the Office of Protector of Emigrants (Chapter II)

Chapter II, Section 3 of the Act provided that the Central Government may appoint a Protector General of Emigrants and as many Protectors of Emigrants (POE) as it sees fit, as well as their respective areas of operation. Later Sections of Chapter II defined the duties of Protectors of Emigrants in more detail, provided for emigration check-points, and provided for other emigration officers.[2][3]

Registration of recruiting agents (Chapter III)

The Act made the Protector General of Emigrants and other Protectors of Emigrants the authorities who could register recruiting agents. A person could operate as a recruiting agent for emigrants only if registered. The Act also provided details on the application, terms and conditions, renewal, and cancellation of registration.[2][3]

Permits for recruitment by employers (Chapter IV)

All employers were required to recruit either through a recruiting agent with a valid registration, or obtain a permit for recruitment. The procedure for obtaining, validity period, and cancellation of permits was detailed in the law.[2]

Emigration clearance (Chapter V)

Any citizen of India seeking to emigrate was required to have emigration clearance from the Protectorate of Emigrants (POE). The application process for emigration clearance, and potential grounds for rejection, were detailed.[2]

As of 2017, passport holders could either have ECR status (emigration check required) in which case they need to obtain emigration clearance, or have ECNR status (emigration check not required) in which case they do not need to obtain emigration clearance.[3] The ECR/ECNR distinction does not appear to have been stated in the original language of the Emigration Act, 1983, which seems to suggest that anybody emigrating for work is required to obtain emigration clearance.[2] The requirements for getting to ECNR status have been progressively relaxed over time, starting from being restricted to people such as graduates and income tax payers and now applying to a much wider set of people including those who have completed matriculation (class 10 of school).[5][6]

Source: Retrieved May 23, 2018 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emigration_Act,_1983

Share this post:
, , , ,
[Top]

Flying the Caribbean Skies – The Need to Manage Airspace

Posted on April 26, 2018 in Government, Strategy

Go Lean Commentary

“America First!”

These words are a constant declaration from the American President Donald J. Trump. According to the Wall Street Journal, they summarize President Trump as follows:

“Mr. Trump is a brash nationalist contemptuous of global institutions and wary of foreign entanglements”.

To this we say: “When someone tells you who they are, believe them”.

This assessment is very important for us in the Caribbean. The US is the 800-pound gorilla in our neighborhood; they can go and stop anywhere they choose in this hemisphere. They will always be seeking American Self-Interest first, so do not think that the US may be putting their foreign neighbors first, especially us in the Caribbean. This assessment is also true when it comes to managing the Caribbean Airspace; if we leave it up to the US, we will always find ourselves subservient and in second place. So what do we do or have been doing? Leaving it up for the US to manage the Caribbean air traffic control has placed us in a secondary priority, even here in our own countries.

This is the focus of this series of commentaries on Flying the Caribbean Skies. This entry is 3 of 3 in this series from the movement behind the book Go Lean … Caribbean in consideration of societal defects in the region’s management of air travel. There is a need for Caribbean people to adopt a policy of Caribbean First when it comes to managing the Airspace in our own territory. There is a lot that needs to be done and it might mean “life and death”. The other commentaries in the series are cataloged as follows:

  1. Flying the Caribbean Skies: New Regional Options
  2. Flying the Caribbean Skies: ‘Shooting Ourselves in the Foot’ – ENCORE
  3. Flying the Caribbean Skies: The Need to Manage Airspace

All of these commentaries relate to “how” the stewards for a new Caribbean can empower regional commerce by optimizing the air travel eco-system, and the dependent industries. In truth, the Go Lean book asserts that a Caribbean First policy is needed to reboot all societal engines: economics, security and governance. Yet, the record clearly shows that despite the clear role model and cautionary warnings, the Caribbean member-states have operated as parasites of the American hegemony rather than protégés.

This indictment is especially evident in the matter of Air Traffic Control. (See the importance in the Appendix VIDEO below).

This was a source of concern in the motivation for the Go Lean book. The book – available to download for free – serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the technocratic Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU), for the elevation of the full Caribbean society – for all member-states. This CU/Go Lean roadmap addresses all societal engines and has these 3 prime directives:

  • Optimization of the economic engines in order to grow the regional economy to $800 Billion and create 2.2 million new jobs.
  • Establishment of a security apparatus to ensure public safety and protect the resultant economic engines.
  • Improve Caribbean governance to support these engines, including a separation-of-powers between the member-states and CU federal agencies.

The topic of Air Traffic Control (ATC) overlaps economics (transportation solutions facilitate commerce), security and governance. Currently, there is a separation-of-powers in which many Caribbean member-states delegate their Air Traffic Control functionality to the American FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). So Caribbean aviators have to pay a fee to the US authorities. The quest here is to bring this ATC functionality back “home”, but to CU federal authorities. See this summary here from the book (Page 205):

Aviation Coordination, Promotion and Safety Regulations
The CU mandate is to facilitate the region’s economics through transportation solutions. Aviation plays a key role, and so there is the need for regional coordination and promotion of the region’s domestic and foreign air carriers. The CU will execute these functions along with Air Traffic Control and Safety regulations, thus mirroring both the FAA & National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the US. The CU will be vested with subpoena and prosecutorial powers.

This need – to bring the ATC functionality home – has been vocalized in the Caribbean region. See here, a related news-article originated out of the Bahamas:

Title: Government ‘Aggressively’ Moving On Airspace Control Takeover

By: NATARIO McKENZIE

The Minister of Tourism and Aviation yesterday said the Government is “aggressively” moving to establish Bahamian airspace via a Flight Information Region (FIR).

The former Christie administration last January hailed as a “landmark accomplishment” its agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which will result in Bahamian aircraft operators no longer having to pay overflight fees to the US for domestic flights.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, though, said the previous government’s achievement was not as big as it had been made out to be.

“I don’t know what their landmark airspace deal was. All they did was get a concession for Bahamian airline companies to fly through Bahamian airspace and not pay a fee to do so,” he argued. “The Government is very aggressively pursuing the establishment of what is the Bahamian airspace, and I’m hoping that in the next six months we can be in a position where we can say this is our airspace.

“We can also hopefully begin the process of earning revenue from it, and also putting in a safety regime so that over time we can take control of our airspace and hire Bahamians to manage it.

“Right now the vast majority of our airspace is being managed by the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s a tedious and tiresome process, but I think we are close.”

Under international laws, countries require airlines and other aircraft to pay a fee for the right to fly over their airspace.

The administration of those rights in the Bahamas has been performed by the FAA since 1952, meaning Bahamasair and other Bahamian-owned carriers have had to pay the US for the privilege of flying over their own country.

Source: Posted January 17, 2018; retrieved April 22, 2018 from: http://www.tribune242.com/news/2018/jan/17/govt-aggressively-moving-on-airspace-control/

QQQ Just because the US is the “800-pound gorilla” in North America does not mean that they execute all regional administration in the most efficient and effective manner. In fact, this commentary has cited numerous American defects, such as dysfunctions with guns, school-shootings and Police-on-Black shootings. So the American way is not always the best way.

In fact, the US’s footprint for ATC, the FAA, is not known for embracing the latest cutting edge technologies. Consider this encyclopedic reference here:

Technology
Many technologies are used in air traffic control systems. Primary and secondary radar are used to enhance a controller’s situation awareness within his assigned airspace – all types of aircraft send back primary echoes of varying sizes to controllers’ screens as radar energy is bounced off their skins, and transponder-equipped aircraft reply to secondary radar interrogations by giving an ID (Mode A), an altitude (Mode C) and/or a unique callsign (Mode S). Certain types of weather may also register on the radar screen.

These inputs, added to data from other radars, are correlated to build the air situation. Some basic processing occurs on the radar tracks, such as calculating ground speed and magnetic headings.

Usually, a flight data processing system manages all the flight plan related data, incorporating – in a low or high degree – the information of the track once the correlation between them (flight plan and track) is established. All this information is distributed to modern operational display systems, making it available to controllers.

The FAA has spent over US$3 billion on software, but a fully automated system is still over the horizon. In 2002 the UK brought a new area control centre into service at the London Area Control Centre, Swanwick, Hampshire, relieving a busy suburban centre at West Drayton, Middlesex, north of London Heathrow Airport. Software from Lockheed-Martin predominates at the London Area Control Centre. However, the centre was initially troubled by software and communications problems causing delays and occasional shutdowns.[9] – Wikipedia.

In summary, with the smart application of technology and best-practices, a technocratic CU will be able to do “more with less”.

How about the US Territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands?

One reason that the FAA manages the Airspace for many Caribbean member-states is because the FAA has the responsibility for these two territories. But the American stakeholders have a long history of “playing nice” with other Airspace domains – think: US Air Force and Naval bases in foreign countries, plus Canada and Mexico in North America.

The Airspace management for Puerto Rico and the USVI can legally be delegated to the CU.

There is also a movement to privatize or corporatize ATC’s. Proponents argue that moving ATC services to a private corporation could stabilize funding over the long term which will result in more predictable planning and rollout of new technology as well as training of personnel. This is the case in Canada[21]:

The Canadian system is the one most often used as a model by proponents of privatization. A privatization has been successful in Canada with the creation of Nav Canada, a private nonprofit organization which has reduced costs and has allowed new technologies to be deployed faster due to the elimination of much of the bureaucratic red tape. This has resulted in shorter flights and less fuel usage. It has also resulted in flights being safer due to new technology. Nav Canada is funded from fees that are collected from the airlines based on the weight of the aircraft and the distance flown.

The CU’s ATC effort – and other governing initiatives – is therefore proposed to reflect the cutting edge of operational best-practices. This is the nature of a technocracy! The Caribbean needs better governance and better Airspace management. This could enhance our economic lifeblood (better air travel eco-system means more air arrivals, more stay-overs, more hotels nights, restaurants, taxi cabs, etc.) and also affect life-and-death, as related to air traffic security. This is how we reform and transform Caribbean society.

The Go Lean roadmap originated to improve regional governance. This was pronounced in the opening Declaration of Interdependence (Pages 12 – 13):

xi. Whereas all men are entitled to the benefits of good governance in a free society, “new guards” must be enacted to dissuade the emergence of incompetence, corruption, nepotism and cronyism at the peril of the people’s best interest. The Federation must guarantee the executions of a social contract between government and the governed.

xii. Whereas the legacy in recent times in individual states may be that of ineffectual governance with no redress to higher authority, the accedence of this Federation will ensure accountability and escalation … for good governance …

xvi. Whereas security of our homeland is inextricably linked to prosperity of the homeland, the economic and security interest of the region needs to be aligned under the same governance. Since economic crimes … can imperil the functioning of the wheels of commerce for all the citizenry, the accedence of this Federation must equip the security apparatus with the tools and techniques for predictive and proactive interdictions.

xxiii. Whereas many countries in our region are dependent Overseas Territory of imperial powers, the systems of governance can be instituted on a regional and local basis, rather than requiring oversight or accountability from distant masters far removed from their subjects of administration. The Federation must facilitate success in autonomous rule by sharing tools, systems and teamwork within the geographical region.

xxiv. Whereas a free market economy can be induced and spurred for continuous progress, the Federation must install the controls to better manage aspects of the economy: jobs, inflation, savings rate, investments and other economic principles. Thereby attracting direct foreign investment because of the stability and vibrancy of our economy.

The Go Lean book provides 370-pages of turn-by-turn instructions on “how” to adopt new community ethos, plus the strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies to execute so as to reboot, reform and transform our societal engines. The book details how society can be elevated by optimizing Airspace regulation, Air Traffic coordination and Air Safety.

This will help in our quest … to make our homeland a better place to live, work and play. 🙂

Download the free e-book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

Sign the petition to lean-in for this roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation.

————-

Appendix VIDEO – A Typical Day in America’s Airspace – https://youtu.be/8pYiC7bTUxQ



NASA Video

Published on May 20, 2013 – This series of simulations created using NASA’s FACET software shows the pattern of air traffic over the continental United States at various times, including Sept 11, 2001. It illustrates just how complex our air transportation system is and how challenging it is to make changes. This series was created several years ago with the National Air & Space Museum and continues to play at the “America by Air” exhibit in the museum on the Mall.

 

Share this post:
, , ,
[Top]

Viola Desmond – One Woman Made a Difference

Posted on March 15, 2018 in Government, Locations, Planning, Social

Go Lean Commentary

In North America, there is Black History Month and there is Women’s History Month …

This story – about Canadian Viola Desmond – is both!

Viola Desmond challenged racial segregation at a cinema in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, in 1946. She refused to leave a whites-only area of the Roseland Theatre and was convicted of a minor tax violation for the one-cent tax difference between the seat she had paid for and the seat she used which was more expensive. Desmond’s case is one of the most publicized incidents of racial discrimination in Canadian history and helped start the modern civil rights movement in Canada.

In 2010, Viola Desmond was granted a posthumous pardon, the first to be granted in Canada.[2][3] The government of Nova Scotia also apologized for prosecuting her for tax evasion and acknowledged she was rightfully resisting racial discrimination.[4] … In late 2018 Desmond will be the first Canadian born woman to appear alone on a $10 bill which was unveiled by Finance Minister Bill Morneau and Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz during a ceremony at the Halifax Central Library on March 8, 2018.[5][6] Desmond was also named a National Historic Person in 2018.[7]
…

[Reverend] Dr. William Pearly Oliver – [a Social Justice Champion in the vein of Martin Luther King] – reflecting on the case 15 years later[21] stated regarding Desmond’s legacy:

    “… this meant something to our people. Neither before or since has there been such an aggressive effort to obtain rights. The people arose as one and with one voice. This positive stand enhanced the prestige of the Negro community throughout the Province. It is my conviction that much of the positive action that has since taken place stemmed from this …”.

Desmond is often compared to Rosa Parks, given they both challenged racism by taking seats in a Whites only section and contributed to the rise of the Civil Rights Movement.
Source: Retrieved March 14, 2018 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_Desmond

Yes, one woman, or one man, can make a difference in society. Viola Desmond proved it! Her commitment to justice and righteous principles compelled her community to take note and make a change.

“Wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.” – Michael Jackson’s song: Man in the Mirror (1987).

Canada today is a very progressive society. From the Caribbean perspective, Canada is now a role model for a pluralistic democracy and Climate Change action. As is the experience, positive reform always starts with one person. In a previous blog-commentary, the movement behind the book Go Lean…Caribbean explained how immigrants to a new community (and minorities) normally go through a long train of abuse, then toleration, followed by acceptance and then finally celebration. Today, Canada is celebrating Viola Desmond; see the news article in the Appendix below.

The success of this community – Canada – has been hard fought, but they did the heavy-lifting and now are enjoying the fruitage of their labor. People from all over the world “are beating down the doors to get in”.

Poor Caribbean communities. We have NOT done the heavy-lifting and our people “are beating down the doors to get out”. (Many times, they flee to Canada for refuge).

This is what the book Go Lean…Caribbean – available to download for free – warned: “Push and Pull” factors are resulting in an abandonment of Caribbean homelands for foreign shores like Canada; (Page 3). Now to learn and apply this lesson.

The Viola Desmond story resonates with us in the Caribbean. Since she was a Black Woman and the majority population of 28 of the 30 Caribbean member-states is Black, we share the same ancestral heritage – Africa – colonial origins – slave trade – and history of oppression as Canadian Blacks. Plus a large number of our Caribbean Diaspora who fled their homeland lives in Canada – one estimate is near a million.

The Go Lean book posits that one person – an advocate like Desmond – can make a difference (Page 122). It relates:

An advocacy is an act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending a cause or subject. For this book, it’s a situational analysis, strategy or tactic for dealing with a narrowly defined subject.

Advocacies are not uncommon in modern history. There are many that have defined generations and personalities. Consider these notable examples from the last two centuries in different locales around the world:

  • Frederick Douglas
  • Mohandas Gandhi
  • Martin Luther King
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Cesar Chavez
  • Candice Lightner

The Go Lean book seeks to advocate and correct the Caribbean, not Canada, and the people who love our homeland. Yet still we can learn lessons from Canada’s history (Page 146) and direct our regional stakeholders to a Way Forward based on best-practices gleaned from Canada’s dysfunctional past. The book, in its 370 pages, serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the technocratic Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU), to move our society to a brighter future, by elevating our societal engines – for all member-states. This CU/Go Lean roadmap has these 3 prime directives:

  • Optimization of the economic engines in order to grow the regional economy to $800 Billion and create 2.2 million new jobs.
  • Establishment of a security apparatus to ensure public safety and protect the resultant economic engines.
  • Improve Caribbean governance to support these engines, including a separation-of-powers between the member-states and CU federal agencies.

The book stresses that reforming and transforming the Caribbean societal engines must be a regional pursuit – we must become a pluralistic democracy: Black, White, Red and Yellow. Our problems are too big for any one Caribbean member-state to contend with alone. This was an early motivation for the roadmap, as pronounced in the opening Declaration of Interdependence (Pages 12 – 14):

xi. Whereas all men are entitled to the benefits of good governance in a free society, “new guards” must be enacted to dissuade the emergence of incompetence, corruption, nepotism and cronyism at the peril of the people’s best interest. The Federation must guarantee the executions of a social contract between government and the governed.

xix. Whereas our legacy in recent times is one of societal abandonment, it is imperative that incentives and encouragement be put in place to first dissuade the human flight, and then entice and welcome the return of our Diaspora …

xxxii. Whereas the cultural arts … of the region are germane to the quality of Caribbean life, and the international appreciation of Caribbean life, the Federation must implement the support systems to teach, encourage, incentivize, monetize and promote the related industries for arts … in domestic and foreign markets. These endeavors will make the Caribbean a better place to live, work and play.

xxxiii. Whereas lessons can be learned and applied from the study of the recent history of other societies, the Federation must formalize statutes and organizational dimensions to avoid the pitfalls of communities like East Germany, Detroit, Indian (Native American) Reservations, Egypt and the previous West Indies Federation. On the other hand, the Federation must also implement the good examples learned from developments/ communities …

The Go Lean book provides 370-pages of turn-by-turn instructions on “how” to adopt new community ethos, plus the strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies to execute so as to reboot, reform and transform the societal engines of Caribbean society.

The Go Lean movement calls on every man, woman and child in the Caribbean to be an advocate and a champion, or at least appreciate the championing efforts of previous advocates. Their examples can truly help us today with our passions and purpose. Consider this sample of prior blog/commentaries where advocates and role models have been elaborated upon:

https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=14139 Carter Woodson – One Man Made a Difference … for Black History
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=11963 Oscar López Rivera – The ‘Nelson Mandela’ of the Caribbean?
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=11442 Caribbean Roots: Al Roker – ‘Climate Change’ Defender
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=10801 Caribbean Roots: John Carlos – The Man. The Moment. The Movement
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=10114 Caribbean Roots: Esther Rolle of ‘Good Times’
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=9948 Caribbean Roots: Sammy Davis, Jr.
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=9300 Edward Snowden – One Person Making a Difference
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=8724 Remembering Marcus Garvey: Still Relevant Today
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=8495 The NBA’s Tim Duncan – Champion On and Off the Court
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=8328 YouTube Millionaire: ‘Tipsy Bartender’ Bahamas Origins
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=8165 Role Model Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=7682 Frederick Douglass: Role Model for Single Cause – Death or Diaspora
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=866 Bob Marley: The Role Model and Legend … lives on!

Thank you Viola Desmond, for being a good role model, and a reminder: Black Girls Rock!

We conclude about Viola Desmond as we do about our own Caribbean champions and advocates; we said (Go Lean book Valedictions on Page 252):

Thank you for your service, love and commitment to all Caribbean people. We will take it from here.

The movement behind Go Lean book, the planners of a new Caribbean stresses that a ‘change is going to come’ our way. We have endured failure for far too long; we have seen what works and what does not. We want to learn from Canada’s History – the good, bad and ugly lessons.

There are the 5 L‘s. We have now Looked, Listened, Learned and Lend-a-hand; we are now ready to Lead our region to a better destination, to being a homeland that is better to live, work and play. Let’s move! 🙂

Download the free e-Book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

Sign the petition to lean-in for this roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation.

————

Appendix – Viola Desmond On New Canadian $10 Bill

March 12, 2018 – Canadian hero Viola Desmond is the face on the new $10 bill in Canada, which goes into circulation at the end of March.

Viola Desmond was thrown in jail in Nova Scotia in 1946 because, in a movie theatre, she wanted to sit downstairs where the white people were allowed to sit. She didn’t want to sit up in the balcony, where the black people had to sit. The police held her in jail overnight. The dignified and brave Desmond paid a fine of $20 the next day, even though she had done nothing wrong. Today, we think of her for being a brave advocate for the rights of African-Canadians and helping to inspire the human rights movement in Canada.

(Learn more about Desmond on Historica Canada’s Viola Desmond page.)

It is a great honour to have your face on a country’s money. This is the first time an African-Canadian woman has been featured on Canadian paper money. (Queen Elizabeth is featured on the $20 bill.)

There’s something else interesting about the new bill. For the first time, it is vertical, meaning it’s meant to be looked at up-and-down rather than horizontally (across).

The new bill also features a number of images that are reminders of human rights. For instance, there is an image of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where Desmond’s story is part of the permanent collection. There is an image of a feather, to recognize rights and freedoms for Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. And it features a paragraph from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (section 15, which says, “Every individual is equal before and under the law.”

Viola Desmond’s sister, Wanda Robson, was one of the first people in Canada to receive a copy of the new $10 bill. In a Bank of Canada video (below), she said her sister’s photo on it is “so life-like. It’s as if she’s in this room!”

Source: Retrieved March 14, 2018 from http://teachingkidsnews.com/2018/03/12/viola-desmond-on-new-canadian-10-bill/

Related Videos
The video below (1:00) is a “Heritage Minute” produced by Historica Canada. It tells the story of Viola Desmond.

——–

VIDEO – Heritage Minutes: Viola Desmond – https://youtu.be/ie0xWYRSX7Y

Historica Canada
Published on Feb 2, 2016 – The story of Viola Desmond, an entrepreneur who challenged segregation in Nova Scotia in the 1940s. The 82nd Heritage Minute in Historica Canada’s collection. For more information about Viola Desmond, visit: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca…

——–

Additional Video: Wanda Robson sees Canada’s new $10 note featuring her sister (Viola Desmond) for the first time  – https://youtu.be/dfdlPrglcS8

Share this post:
, , , ,
[Top]

Canada: “Follow Me” for Model on ‘Climate Change’ Action

Posted on February 6, 2018 in Government, Strategy

Go Lean Commentary

It is good to have friends …

    … people who share comradery with you, empathize with your challenges and are willing to collaborate with you on solutions.

For the Caribbean, when it comes to Climate Change concerns, we have that friend … Canada. Yippee!

But that was not always the case. This is now only possible because of new leadership. Back in 2015, Canada elected a new government and Prime Minister – Justin Trudeau. Out with the old, in with the new; see 2015 news article in Appendix below. Rather than “sticking their head in the sand” – this means you United States of America – Canada is “taking the reins” to forge attitudinal change among the world’s Great Powers.

But Canada’s motivation is more than just being the “leader of the pack”, they have real concerns, risks and threats:

Canada, the second largest country in the world by total area, is comprised by ten provinces and three territories. Canada also has the longest total coastline among all of the countries of the world, at 125,567 miles.
Countries With The Most Coastline – World Atlas 

If Climate Change is to continue unabated, this country has a lot to lose – catastrophic storms, melting ice caps, thawing permafrost and rising sea level.

Ditto for the Caribbean. (We similarly have lots of coastlines).

Truly, Canada can look at their Caribbean brethren – Canada’s shares the same British Colonial heritage with 18 of the 30 Caribbean member-states – and pronounce: Follow Me!

This declaration was truly the theme of the presentation by Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change as she visited the US cities of Miami, Florida and Houston, Texas. Listen to the full AUDIO-Podcast news story here:

Newswire Title: Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, promotes NAFTA, climate action, and ocean protection, in Houston and Miami

Canada NewsWire – MIAMI, Jan. 24, 2018 – Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, travelled to Houston, Texas; and Miami, Florida, to promote NAFTA, increased collaboration on ocean health, coastal solutions, clean technology, and renewable energy opportunities.

In Houston, Minister McKenna met with the Mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner. Mayor Turner is Co-Chair of US Climate Mayors, a coalition of 391 US mayors working together to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. They discussed NAFTA and the importance of the Canada-US trade relationship to the economy of Houston and of Texas. Texas sells $24.1 billion in goods and services to Canada, and 459 700 jobs depend on trade and investment with Canada. The Mayor noted that the city remains a global oil-and-gas centre while diversifying and taking advantage of the opportunity of clean growth and renewable energy.

During her visit to Houston, the Minister visited BP’s Wind Energy Remote Operations Center, where logistics and conditions for 16 wind farms across the US are monitored. Today, Texas produces more wind energy than any US state, and power generated by wind is expected to exceed coal-generated power in the state, in 2018.

As part of the Climate Campus tour, Minister McKenna visited the University of Houston, where she met with professors and students working on energy and environment law. She also met with researchers at the new Hurricane Resilience Research Institute created after Hurricane Harvey. The Institute is focused on issues including flood-mitigation management during severe storms and the building of resilient communities. Minister McKenna hosted a town hall at Texas A&M University at Galveston and met with ocean scientists looking at ocean health, energy, and maritime complex and visited one of the University’s ocean research vessels.

In Miami, Minister McKenna emphasized the importance of NAFTA to the Florida economy at a round table with Florida businesses and trade associations and in discussions with the Mayor of South Miami, Philip Stoddard. Canada is Florida’s most important economic partner. Each year, Canada and Florida trade $8 billion worth of goods, and 620 000 jobs in Florida depend on trade with Canada.

Minister McKenna met with representatives of NextEra Energy, Inc., North America’s largest generator of energy from wind and sun and the third-largest utility in the US. They discussed opportunities for further investment by NextEra Energy in Canada’s North as well as in provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.

The Minister visited the Brickell City Centre Climate Ribbon and the City of Miami Beach Convention Center. These two sites showcase how the city is adapting to sea-level rise and more frequent, intense, and prolonged tidal flooding exacerbated by climate change. The Climate Ribbon, which was designed in part by Guelph-based company RWDI, spans the length of three city blocks and acts as an architectural air conditioner in the summer and umbrella when it rains.

The City of Miami Beach Convention Center has the world’s single-largest pumping station, which removes displaced groundwater that is surging due to rising sea levels. The Convention Center is home to a living sea wall and natural mangroves, which help to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of flooding caused by climate change.

The Minister also convened a round table of ocean and environmental experts to discuss Canada’s G7 presidency focus on ocean protection and marine litter.

Quotes
“My meetings in Houston and Miami reinforced the strong ties between Canada and these important Canadian partners on trade and the environment. I was heartened to see the shared commitment by local governments and business to NAFTA and the good middle-class jobs it creates in both countries. It was also incredible to see the transition of the economies of both Houston and Miami toward clean growth and to meet with innovative clean-energy and clean-technology companies, many of which are looking at investment opportunities in Canada. I was also impressed by the leadership from the mayors of both Houston and Miami on climate change as well as the efforts to build more communities more resilient to extreme weather events.” – Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2018/24/c5640.html

——–

AUDIO-Podcast – Canadian Minister Of Environment And Climate Change Visits Miami – https://soundcloud.com/wlrn/444pm-canadian-minister-of-environment-and-climate-change-visits-miami

Published on February 5, 2018 – The Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, promotes Climate Action and ocean protection in Miami.

The book Go Lean…Caribbean and accompanying blogs have asserted that the threat of Climate Change is real. There is no scientific doubt of this reality – just consider the destructive realities of this past hurricane season – the only doubt is political. If the US wants to deny this reality, they do so at their own peril – remember the American territory of Puerto Rico. Canada is prepared to take the lead, to put the Western Hemisphere on its shoulders and carry the load for arresting Climate Change.

Thank you Canada for this model. Now, we – the Caribbean – need to step up to carry our own load for better mitigation of Climate Change threats; we need to do our part in lowering our own carbon footprint. We can make a difference. Canada can make a difference. As related in a previous blog-commentary, the same as the threat of Acid Rain was subjugated, so too, curative measures can be put in place to lower the greenhouse gases in the environment. This is why Canada has a Champion for the Environment – Catherine McKenna – at the Cabinet level.

Good model …

The book Go Lean…Caribbean – available to download for free – prepares the Caribbean region for the heavy-lifting of monitoring, managing and mitigating the acute risks of Climate Change to the environment from a Caribbean perspective. These Climate Change threats are real for us: Global Warming and rising sea-levels. We must act now! Though no Caribbean country is among the BIG polluters, we must still act, just so that we are not hypocritical … and provide a good model ourselves.

Then there are the economic issues. Catherine McKenna, in the foregoing presentation to Miami officials, related that there is no need for a trade-off between environment and economics. No, it can be economically sound, and even advantageous, to cater to environmental needs. Imagine the fuel cost savings from alternative energy options, new industrial expressions for transportation solutions and construction jobs for retrofitting previous structures.

The Go Lean book serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the technocratic Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU), for the elevation of Caribbean society – for all member-states. This CU/Go Lean roadmap has these 3 prime directives:

  • Optimization of the economic engines in order to grow the regional economy to $800 Billion and create 2.2 million new jobs.
  • Establishment of a security apparatus to ensure public safety and protect the resultant economic engines.
  • Improve Caribbean governance to support these engines, including a separation-of-powers between the member-states and CU federal agencies.

The effort to reform and transform the Caribbean societal engines as a regional pursuit has always been among the motivations of this Go Lean roadmap, as pronounced in the opening Declaration of Interdependence (Pages 12 – 13):

i. Whereas the earth’s climate has undeniably changed resulting in more severe tropical weather storms, it is necessary to prepare to insure the safety and security of life, property and systems of commerce in our geographical region. As nature recognizes no borders in the target of its destruction, we also must set aside border considerations in the preparation and response to these weather challenges.

iii. Whereas the natural formation of the landmass for our society is that of an archipelago of islands, inherent to this nature is the limitation of terrain and the natural resources there in. We must therefore provide “new guards” and protections to ensure the efficient and effective management of these resources.

iv. Whereas the natural formation of the landmass is in a tropical region, the flora and fauna allows for an inherent beauty that is enviable to peoples near and far. The structures must be strenuously guarded to protect and promote sustainable systems of commerce paramount to this reality.

xi. Whereas all men are entitled to the benefits of good governance in a free society, “new guards” must be enacted to dissuade the emergence of incompetence, corruption, nepotism and cronyism at the peril of the people’s best interest. The Federation must guarantee the executions of a social contract between government and the governed.

xvi. Whereas security of our homeland is inextricably linked to prosperity of the homeland, the economic and security interest of the region needs to be aligned under the same governance. Since economic crimes … can imperil the functioning of the wheels of commerce for all the citizenry, the accedence of this Federation must equip the security apparatus with the tools and techniques for predictive and proactive interdictions.

xxiv. Whereas a free market economy can be induced and spurred for continuous progress, the Federation must install the controls to better manage aspects of the economy: jobs, inflation, savings rate, investments and other economic principles. Thereby attracting direct foreign investment because of the stability and vibrancy of our economy.

The Go Lean book provides 370-pages of turn-by-turn instructions on “how” to adopt new community ethos, plus the strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies to execute so as to monitor, manage and mitigate the challenges of Climate Change. The book also present lessons from Canada. One advocacy specifically focuses on the path of wisdom Canada undertook during the course of its 150-year history. That advocacy (Page 146) is entitled: 10 Lessons from Canada’s History; consider some specific plans, excerpts and headlines from that advocacy in the book:

1 Lean-in for the Caribbean Single Market
This treaty calls for the confederation of the Caribbean region into a single market of 30 member-states and 42 million people, similar to the original 1867 confederation for Canada. The history of Canada synchronizes with the aspirations of the CU Trade Federation. In this Canadian context, confederation generally describes the political process that united the colonies in the 1860s and related events, and the subsequent incorporation of other colonies and territories. Today, Canada is a “G8” advanced economy, made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories, ranking among the largest in the world, due its abundant natural resources and well-developed trade networks, including one with the US, a long and complex relationship. Canada has been a Northern Star, as a guide and refuge to Caribbean hopes and dreams.
2 Confederation for Defense – Strength in Numbers

The American Civil War caused security threats for Canada. The Union (US North) encouraged Irish immigration and sourced their Army (a million-man strong) with many Irish fighters. Since many Irish immigrants maintained animosity towards the British, there were documented cases of terroristic attacks against Canadian targets, i.e. the Fenian (an Irish Brotherhood) raids. This corresponded with the Little Englander philosophy, whereby Britain no longer wanted to maintain troops in its colonies.

Confederation was therefore necessary to promote security for the related colonies of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia – amounting to a population of slightly over 2 million people
3 Multiple Cultural Legacies and Languages
4 Better than a Republic – (Civil War Lesson for a Technocracy)
5 Assuage Human Flight – Provide Alternative
6 Neighbor: Frienemy

Despite the cooperation needed for the St. Lawrence Waterway – (see Appendix UA) – the stated US desire, doctrine of Manifest Destiny, was to govern the entire North American continent. The US had fought wars against English-Canada interests and many believed that the US would annex the other colonies governed directly by England, as the US acquired the Oregon Territory. These reasons provided the motivation for the initial Canadian Confederation to expand from coast-to-coast, and serve as a role-model for the CU to target the entire region of the Caribbean Sea geography.
7 Aboriginal Relations Need Local Governance
8 Mastering Natural Resources

The Oil, Fisheries, Forest/Timber of Canada has been managed to contribute success to its economic engines. Plus, strategic Public Works (see Canadian Pacific Railway in Appendix UB) have provided great models for the CU today.
9 Federal / Provincial Outsourcing
10 Population Concerns – Not enough Natural Growth

In addition, the book presents these Appendices that details more examples of prudence in Canada’s history:

  • Appendix UA – St. Lawrence Waterway (Page 308)
  • Appendix UB – Canadian Pacific Railway (Page 309)

Lastly, these previous blog-commentaries detail a lot of the issues and developments in the quest for the Caribbean to lower our own carbon footprint and mitigate for Climate Change. See this sample:

https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=13985 EU Assists Barbados to Go Green
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=11858 Looking and Learning from the Cautionary Tale of Kiribati
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=10367 The Science of Green Batteries
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=9455 Fix ‘Climate Change’ – Yes, We Can
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=7449 Due to Climate Change, ‘Crap Happens’ – So What Now?
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=7103 COP21 – ‘Climate Change’ Acknowledged
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=6893 A Meteorologist’s View On Climate Change
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=6016 ‘Hotter than July’ – Reality in the Caribbean
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=4673 ‘Climate Change‘ Merchants of Doubt … to Preserve Profits!!
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=2465 Book: ‘This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate’
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=2276 Climate Change May Affect Food Supply Within a Decade
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=1883 Climate Change May Bring More Kidney Stones
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=1817 Caribbean grapples with intense cycles of flooding & drought
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=915 Go ‘Green’ … Caribbean

We must learn from Canada and prepare for new governmental leadership to shepherd our homeland. We have the heavy-lifting task of championing Climate Change, to minimize further damage to our region. We have no further excuse! We know that the US will not take the lead in this regards; we must look elsewhere and within!

Now is the time for all of the Caribbean – the people, businesses, institutions and governments – to lean-in for the optimizations and opportunities to abate Climate Change and to lean-in to this Go Lean roadmap. This emulates Canada.

We must stand-up for ourselves; and while “things are bad” environmentally; the Caribbean disposition will only get worse if nothing is done. We must start this quest ourselves! While this quest is easier said than done, and takes a lot of heavy-lifting, it is conceivable, believable and achievable to make our homeland a better place to live, work and play. 🙂

Download the free e-book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

Sign the petition to lean-in for this roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation.

———-

Appendix – Climate change ‘important priority,’ Canada’s new environment minister says

The international community is “really excited” to see Canada back at the table for climate change talks in Paris, Canada’s new environment and climate change minister said Tuesday.

Catherine McKenna, who is in Paris meeting with environment and energy ministers from around the world in advance of the UN climate change conference, said the Canadian delegation has received a “huge reception” and she has made it clear that climate change will be a “very important priority” for the new Liberal government.

“We haven’t been at these types of climate negotiations and what I’ve learned is that there’s a real appetite to get a global framework, a new global framework to tackle climate change,” McKenna said Tuesday. “But there’s still a lot of work to do.”

Former prime minister Stephen Harper skipped the UN climate change summit in New York last year, but he did send his environment minister. Under the Conservative government, Canada withdrew from the Kyoto agreement that required developed countries to reduce their emissions by 2012.

See the rest of the article at this link here:
Source: Posted November 10, 2015; retrieved February 6, 2018 from: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/climate-change-important-priority-canada-s-new-environment-minister-says-1.2651321

Related 2015 VIDEO:

Published November 10, 2015 – Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna says she “will do whatever she can” to help the climate talks.

Share this post:
, ,
[Top]

Making a ‘Pluralistic Democracy’ – Multilingual Realities

Posted on October 24, 2017 in Ethos, Government, Industries, Social

Go Lean Commentary

So, what has happened in our Caribbean region of 42 million people and 5 colonial legacies (American, British, France, Netherlands, Spain) was inevitable:

Multilingual society!

There is no getting around it. If the planners for a new Caribbean want to form a unified, integrated community, they will have to select one of these language options:

  1. Dutch
  2. English
  3. French
  4. Spanish
  5. All of the Above

The answer must be #5. This is because the Caribbean is not a singularity; not in language, ethnicities nor culture.

In fact, the planners, the movement behind the book Go Lean … Caribbean has presented that quest: to first make the Caribbean’s member-states a “Pluralistic Democracy”; and form a Single Market economy.

This “Pluralistic Democracy” would mean a society where the many different ethnic groups (and languages) have consideration, equal rights, equal privileges and equal protections under the law; where there are no superior rights to any majority and no special deprivations to any minority. The expectation of this Pluralism is for any one person to be treated like everyone else. The legal definition of Pluralism as a political philosophy is as follows …

… the recognition and affirmation of diversity within a political body, which permits the peaceful coexistence of different interests, convictions and lifestyles.[1] While not all political pluralists advocate for a pluralist democracy, this is most common as democracy is often viewed as the most fair and effective way to moderate between the discrete values.[2] – Wikipedia

This vision of a Caribbean “Pluralistic Democracy” should be more than words, but action too. The truth of the matter is that while this writer is English-speaking, the majority of the Caribbean’s population is not. Notice the correct Population and Language Distribution summary here and the full details in the Appendix below (based on 2010):

  Population: Dutch English French Spanish
Totals 42,198,874 809,834 6,747,229 9,887,899 24,753,912
Percentage 100.00% 1.92% 15.99% 23.43% 58.66%

The movement behind the book Go Lean…Caribbean has repeatedly related that there is a need for new stewardship of the Caribbean societal engines (economics, security and governance). Our region – collectively and individually – is in crisis due to our many societal defects and dysfunctions. The book opened with this declaration:

There is something wrong in the Caribbean. It is the greatest address in the world for its 4 language groups, but instead of the world “beating a path” to these doors, the people of the Caribbean have “beat down their doors” to get out.

The Go Lean book posits that the best-practice for reforming and transforming our society will come from confederating and collaborating a regional response to our local inadequacies; that the problems in Caribbean society are too dire for any one member-state to assuage on its own; there is the need for a regional technocracy. Further, the book explains that an integrated collective is the only way to contend with the Agents of Change (Page 57) that have dynamically affected the Caribbean eco-systems. These Agents of Change include:

  • Technology
  • Globalization
  • Aging Diaspora
  • Climate Change

The Agent of Change of Globalization implies trade of goods, services and capital with stakeholders in any location around the world. It goes without saying that the natural language of Globalization will be …

… it is what it is!

Here in the Caribbean, we must contend with the above 4 primary languages, plus a number of Creole spin-offs (think: Haitian Creole French and Papiamentu in the Dutch Caribbean). So we are not able to declare any one language standard. And this is OK, as we are ready for this Brave New World! We have spanned the globe and identified the best tools and techniques for managing a multilingual society.

In terms of tools, notice below this innovative technology being introduced in the North American marketplace, this year:

VIDEO 1 – Google Pixel Buds are wireless headphones that translate in real time – https://youtu.be/KE_DtGgovjc

Tech Insider

Published on Oct 4, 2017 – Google Pixel Buds are $160 wireless earbuds introduced during their October Pixel event. Designed to wrap around the back of a user’s neck, the headphones can use Google Assistant to answer questions and translate languages in real-time.

——–

VIDEO 2  – See how Pixel Buds translate languages on the fly – https://youtu.be/B_BQjRs94ec

CNET

Published on Oct 5, 2017 – Read the CNET review article here – http://cnet.co/2yJA95f
CNET’s Lexy Savvides and Sean Hollister try out the real-time translation feature for Google’s new Pixel Buds.

In terms of techniques, since our Caribbean territory is not the first region to contend with a multilingual population – and we will not be the last – we have great role models to consider.

The book Go Lean…Caribbean presents … Canada as such; a great role model that provides lessons-learned for a multilingual society. The Go Lean book – available to download for free – serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the technocratic Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU), for the elevation of Caribbean society – for all 30 member-states – to foster a “Pluralistic Democracy”. The reference to Canada’s role-model continues further:

  • 10 Lessons from Canada’s History (Page 146)
    #3 – Multiple Cultural Legacies and Languages
    Canada is officially bilingual (English/French) & multicultural at the federal level. The need to structure legal frameworks for diversity was a compelling motivation for confederation, (and an example for the CU to model). The[ir] constitution allows for individual provinces to reflect realities of their populations & cultural differences.

VIDEO 3 – O Canada in 11 different languages – https://youtu.be/1jROsqdrLdk

Published on Jul 1, 2017 – Canada’s national anthem sung in 11 different languages

»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

For more than 75 years, CBC News has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians.

This vision is very though-provoking for the Caribbean. It asserts that if we want to elevate our societal engines then we must do the heavy-lifting of reforming our value systems or our community ethos – the spirit that informs our beliefs, customs and practices –  to embrace all people in the region – despite the language – into an integrated brotherhood. This is the charter of the CU/Go Lean roadmap; it has these 3 prime directives:

  • Optimization of the economic engines in order to grow the regional economy to $800 Billion and create 2.2 million new jobs.
  • Establishment of a security apparatus to ensure public safety and protect the resultant economic engines.
  • Improve Caribbean governance to support these engines, including a separation-of-powers between the member-states and CU federal agencies.

The Go Lean book provides 370-pages of turn-by-turn instructions on “how” to adopt new community ethos, plus the strategies, tactics, implementations and advocacies to execute so as to reboot, reform and transform the societal engines of Caribbean society. There is a lot of consideration in the book for optimizing communications to the masses. Consider the Chapter excerpts and headlines from this sample on Page 186 entitled:

10 Ways to Improve Communications

1 Lean-in for the Caribbean Single Market & Economy (CSME) Initiative: Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU).
2 CU Defense Pact: State Militias & Naval Operations
The collective security agreement of the CU will allow the creation of a Homeland Security Department, to defend the member states against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The size of the CU market will allow it to afford cutting edge equipment, systems and training …
3 Media Industrial Complex

The CU will oversee the radio spectrum used for radio, television and satellite communications. The radio spectrum must be regulated on a regional level, because the islands are so close to each other and foreign states, that there must be coordination of the common resource pool – the spectrum is limited. This FCC-style (USA) oversight will also extend to internet broadband (wireless & wire-line) governance. With the CU’s financial reforms, the emergence of card-based and e-payment systems will allow for the full exploitation of the media business models. Also, the CU, through licensing, can mandate a certain amount of programming of the educational, inspirational and public service variety.
4 4 Simultaneous Languages – SAP-type Channels

The technology used for SAP (Secondary Audio Programming) channels will be deployed extensively to cover all four languages (Dutch, English, French and Spanish) in broadcasts to multi-state markets. Official websites, by the CU administration will be published in the four languages and this practice encouraged for private websites.
5 Public Broadcasting
6 Press Secretary / Public Relations Officers
7 Journalism Industry Certifications
8 Libel and Slander Due Process
9 Internet & Social Media
10 Libraries and Archives

The CU will build and maintain libraries throughout the region, in a hub-and-spoke fashion. The central library, in the CU’s capital seat, will maintain the domain for all the official archives for the governmental administration, and then further provide intranet access to all the satellite library branches. The libraries are also pivotal for e-Learning in the CU.

In order to ensure success for the Caribbean’s future, the region must foster a better landscape for communicating to all people everywhere. (This includes sign-language for the hearing-impaired as well). Imagine hurricane and tsunami warnings, lives could be at stake!

Yes, this Go Lean roadmap considers the heavy-lifting of structuring Caribbean society to be a “Pluralistic Democracy”. This is far better than the unsustainable status quo. “Unsustainable” is an understatement; we have a crisis; we are bleeding our populations front-and-center. Communicating with our citizens in their Mother Tongue does feel more welcoming. There are direct references to jobs as well, with this multilingual advocacy.

The Go Lean book describes (Page 212) the Call/Contact Center industry that can be fostered in the Caribbean. Wherever there are people speaking the same language, local Caribbean Call Centers can be utilized to communicate with these people. The book specifically identifies 12,000 new …

Direct and indirect jobs at physical and virtual call centers

Imagine telemarketing, collections and customer service calls to Dutch-speaking people in Amsterdam … from Aruba. Or calls to French Canadians … from Martinique. This multilingual-based industry helps the people in the Caribbean to prosper where planted.

This – a “Pluralistic Democracy” – is indeed a Brave New World.

  • Welkom – Dutch
  • We welcome it – English
  • Bienvenue – French
  • Bienvenido – Spanish

Now is the time for all stakeholders in the Caribbean – in all language groups – to lean-in to this Go Lean roadmap. We can  just be ourselves, speaking our Mother Tongue. This is pivotal for our quest for a “Pluralistic Democracy”; this commentary is the final Part 3 of the 3-part series on this subject. The full collection is as follows:

  1. Making a “Pluralistic Democracy” – Respect for Diwali
  2. Making a “Pluralistic Democracy” – Freedom of Movement
  3. Making a “Pluralistic Democracy” – Multilingual Realities

Yes. this “Pluralistic Democracy” vision is a BIG deal, yet it is conceivable, believable and achievable for making the Caribbean homeland better to live, work and play. 🙂

Download the free e-Book of Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

Sign the petition to lean-in for the roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation.

———–

Appendix – Caribbean Population and Language Distribution

Member Language Population Dutch English French Spanish
Anguilla English 13,477 13,477
Antigua and Barbuda English 85,632 85,632
Aruba Dutch 106,000 106,000
Bahamas English 342,000 342,000
Barbados English 279,000 279,000
Belize English 320,000 320,000
Bermuda English 67,837 67,837
British Virgin Islands English 24,000 24,000
Cayman Islands English 56,000 56,000
Cuba Spanish 11,236,444 11,236,444
Dominica English 72,660 72,660
Dominican Republic Spanish 9,523,209 9,523,209
Grenada English 110,000 110,000
Guadeloupe French 405,500 405,500
Guyana English 772,298 772,298
Haiti French 9,035,536 9,035,536
Jamaica English 2,825,928 2,825,928
Martinique French 402,000 402,000
Montserrat English 4,488 4,488
Netherlands Antilles
(Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eust, St Maarten)		 Dutch 231,834 231,834
Puerto Rico Spanish 3,994,259 3,994,259
Saint Barthélemy French 8,938 8,938
Saint Kitts and Nevis English 42,696 42,696
Saint Lucia English 160,765 160,765
Saint Martin French 35,925 35,925
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines English 120,000 120,000
Suriname Dutch 472,000 472,000
Trinidad and Tobago English 1,305,000 1,305,000
Turks and Caicos Islands English 36,600 36,600
US Virgin Islands English 108,848 108,848
Totals 42,198,874 809,834 6,747,229 9,887,899 24,753,912
Percentage 100.00% 1.92% 15.99% 23.43% 58.66%

 Source: Page 66 of book Go Lean … Caribbean; Published November, 2013.

Share this post:
, , , ,
[Top]

Canada @ 150 – Happy Canada Day – Encore

Posted on July 1, 2017 in Social, Strategy

It’s July 1, Happy Canada Day.

150 years ago today, Canada – as a confederated country – got its start!

Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada) is the national day of Canada. A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the Constitution Act, 1867 (then called the British North America Act, 1867), which united the three separate colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada.[1][2][3] Originally called Dominion Day (French: Le Jour de la Confédération), the holiday was renamed in 1982, the year the Canada Act was passed. Canada Day celebrations take place throughout the country, as well as in various locations around the world, attended by Canadians living abroad. – Source: Wikipedia.

VIDEO – Happy Canada Day 150 Years 1867- 2017 – https://youtu.be/PPF9WQ7xRXw

Published on Jun 30, 2017 – Retrieved July 1, 2017 – Happy Canada Day 150

There are many Caribbean people in Canada; it is the Number 3 destination for our Diaspora (behind the US and the UK). So a celebration of Canada is relevant for this movement behind the book Go Lean … Caribbean; these ones are observing-reporting on the affairs of Canada, and its relevance to the Caribbean homeland. There are so many things we want from Canada, and so many things we do not want.

In fact, this was the actual title of a previous blog-commentary from October 14, 2016, encored here below.

=========

Go Lean Commentary – 10 Things We Want from Canada and 10 Things We Do Not Want

“The Caribbean is the greatest address in the world”…

… so argues the book Go Lean…Caribbean in it’s opening (Page 3). Yet, a large number of Caribbean people live abroad. They live in places like the US, Canada, the UK and Europe. This commentary is Part 2 of 4 in a series examining the destinations of the Caribbean Diaspora. The full series is as follows:

  1. 10 Things We Want from the US and 10 Things We Do Not Want
  2. 10 Things We Want from Canada and 10 Things We Do Not Want
  3. 10 Things We Want from the UK and 10 Things We Do Not Want
  4. 10 Things We Want from Europe and 10 Things We Do Not Want

So for Canada, we must ask the questions of our Diaspora there:

cu-blog-10-things-we-from-the-canada-photo-1

  • Why do they live in Canada and what can we learn from that experience?
  • What can we gather for the Pros and Cons of Canadian life?

There are “push and pull” reasons why Caribbean citizens have emigrated in the past – and continue to do so now – to places like Canada.

“In the 2006 census, 578,695 Canadians reported that they originated from the Caribbean, and the overwhelming majority of these people have immigrated to Canada since the 1970s. … the largest populations of Canadians of Caribbean origin were from Jamaica (231,110), followed by those from Haiti (102,430), Guyana (61,085) and Trinidad and Tobago (58,415).” – Historica Canada

To our chagrin, the extent of that societal abandonment is so acute that it is now at an atrocious 70% rate among the region’s college-educated classes. Yes, this is bad! The frank admission, in the Go Lean book, is that the Caribbean has societal defects … in the economic, security and governing engines of society.

In the course of these Go Lean blog-commentaries, we have looked inward and identified the defects of our society. Now we need to look at these refuge countries and glean the Good and Bad of those destinations. This can be considered a “competitive analysis” as the Caribbean region is competing with these foreign locales for the hopes and dreams of our young people. (See the full immersion of Caribbean culture in Toronto in the Appendix-VIDEO below).

Here is a laundry list of the Good and the Bad of Canada; and how the roadmap to elevate Caribbean society, the Go Lean book, describes how the lessons should be applied in the implementation of the Caribbean Union Trade Federation (CU):

Canadian Imports

10 GOOD Things We Want from Canada

10 BAD Things We Don’t Want from Canada

1

 Free Market Economy Canada has always embraced Free Market capitalism; today, their brand is more Liberal Socialism than Conservative Republicanism. Many social programs are offered to Canadian residents as a result, so the government plays a BIG role in the lives of most citizens. The Go Lean roadmap promotes Free Market principles for the region’s industrial development. The structure of Self-Governing Entities allows for further Free Market expressions without local government constraints. Massive Tax Burdens Many Canadians complain of high taxes. The governments defend the policy as necessary to support the many social programs (healthcare, subsidized college education, advanced infrastructure, etc). The Go Lean roadmap advocates deploying balanced tax schemes that mostly “skim off the top”. The CU will deploy systems to help member-state governments do better at collecting their tax revenues. Overall the Caribbean tax burden will increase, but only marginally.

2

 Universal Healthcare Canada is a great example of successful healthcare for all of its citizens. They ensure that everyone has access and quality delivery. This minimizes the expensive repercussions of indigent care. The Go Lean roadmap calls for schemes to mandate healthcare insurance for every adult. With the leverage across the 30 member-states and 42 million people, the wholesale cost could be reduced. Healthcare Egalitarianism The Canadian Health delivery is a Single Payer and not an insurance program. So everyone gets the same level of treatment. The realities of healthcare is that different people have different needs, so a “one size fits all” approach is not preferred. The Go Lean roadmap advocates for a mandated insurance solution. The key is that every adult will be required to select some insurance plan, of their choosing.

3

 Weather – Cool Summers Climate Change is a reality. So the warm seasons in Canada now last longer, 8 months instead of 6 months. Summertime in Canadian cities is pleasant, without air-conditioning. The Go Lean roadmap promotes better infrastructure for Caribbean cities, developing refrigeration utilities for urban areas. This will leverage energy costs for cooling. Weather – Cold Winters Canadian winters are not preferred, especially the months of January and February. The Caribbean Diaspora dread life there for those months. The Go Lean roadmap details the invitation to Canadian senior citizens to be Snowbirds in the Caribbean for the whole season. The economic returns of this strategy are too appealing to ignore.

4

 Tourists There is a lot of competition for Canadian tourists; the Caribbean continues to make the case that its region is the best tourist destination in the world. The region wants to continue to appeal to Canadians of all demographic persuasions to come visit the islands for stay-overs (land-based hotels) and/or cruise ships. We want to forge vacation options and traffic for the upper, middle and lower classes of Canadian society.The CU forges plans, advocacies and re-boots to further enhance the Caribbean tourism product array. Expatriate Workers During the early days of nation-building, many Canadians workers came to the English-speaking Caribbean to work jobs (teachers, nurses, bankers, etc.) that many locals could have done. This practice led to the ethos that “White” Canadians were “better” than local personnel. The Go Lean roadmap dictates a labor standard where local workers get priority for jobs, then regional citizens, then and only then foreign workers (like Canadians).The Single Market would have freedom of movement but with this labor-qualifying caveat.

5

 Capital There is a long history of Canadian banks in the Caribbean region. (Think Scotiabank, Royal Bank of Canada, and the First Caribbean-CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce)). Despite recent losses for Canadian banks in the Caribbean region, there is still the need for these banks’ active participation in the region. The Go Lean roadmap calls for strenuous oversight for the Caribbean Dollar (C$) and regional banks participating in transactions using this currency. Devalued Currency The Canadian dollar was 1-to-1 with the US dollar in the 1970’s. The currency has since been devalued, but only a little; between $.95 and $1.08. When a Caribbean financial transaction is executed in US dollars, a Canadian customer has to endure higher prices. The C$ is not designed to be pegged to the US dollar, rather a basket of foreign currencies including the Euro, British Pounds and Japanese Yen. So Canadians doing business in the Caribbean will not be as vulnerable to US$ fluctuations.

 Canadian Imports (cont’d)

10 GOOD Things We Want from Canada

10 BAD Things We Don’t Want from Canada

6

 Supportive Defense Canada is not a militarized state like their American neighbor, but they do feature a robust internationally respected Army, Navy, and Air Force in support of their homeland.The CU roadmap provide for a complete Homeland Security apparatus to defend the Caribbean region. In addition, there is a comprehensive Intelligence Gathering and Analysis functionality. Deportees Canada repatriates Caribbean citizens guilty of criminality on Canadian soil. So these one become the concern for Caribbean authorities once deported.The Go Lean roadmap calls for proactive mitigations for “bad actors” that might bring a lawless ethos to the homeland. We seek a treaty with Canada for full intelligence sharing for those affiliated with organized crime (gangs) and low-level felons.

7

 Foreign Aid Canada was one of the only foreign supporters for the defunct West Indies Federation; they have always shown our region “love”. Plus they always step up to aid the Caribbean in their “time of need” after natural disasters (earthquakes and hurricanes). But they prefer to help as a regional bloc rather than country by country.The CU/Go Lean roadmap is designed to process all foreign aid from Canada; from both the Canadian government and NGO’s. Condition for Philanthropic Support Many Giving Organizations attach strings to their gifts. The burdens of compliance is so difficult that many times, public-private entities – think Red Cross – attach themselves to the gifts to ensure accountability. This adds an additional layer in administrative costs, and less funding goes to the beneficiaries.The CU envisions a federal agency for oversight of the NGO’s in the region. We must do the heavy-lifting ourselves, rather than submitting perils of “bad actors”.

8

 ‘First Nation’ Reconciliation Like other European settlers in the New World, Canada had a history of repression of the indigenous peoples, but this country has reconciled that bad history with many positive empowerments. The Go Lean roadmap calls for formal reconciliation commissions to settle a lot of bad treatment in the past. Virtual Segregation Canada has the same history of racial divide as many other American Northern cities. While not a legal segregation, there is a de facto segregation with many ethnic migrants living in pockets.
The CU proposes repatriation back to the Caribbean homeland. There is nothing like being home.

9

 Bilingual Co-existence Canada is a bilingual society, with the majority French culture in Quebec Province. The English and French co-exist well and insist on bilingual media expressions. The Go Lean roadmap calls for multilingual media and government communications. There is also the need for Minority Equalization for different language groups. Quebec Pull for French Caribbean Migrants Many French-speaking Caribbean people target Quebec as the destination for their emigration. In the 2006 Census, there were 102,430 people of Haitian descent living in Canada. The CU/Go Lean roadmap calls for managing the country of Canada as a competitor for the hearts of our youth.

10

 Professional Sports Role Model Despite the regional domination of continental sports (baseball, football, basketball) by Americans, Canadians still dominate in their own rite – they are usually among the best hockey players in the world. They nurture the skills from youth participation up to the professional levels. The Go Lean roadmap calls for empowering the sports eco-system in the region, allowing for more opportunities for amateur, collegiate and professional participation. Other benefits of the regional focus will include better oversight of sports academies, agents and leagues. Recruitment of Caribbean Athletes During the 2016 Rio Olympics, there were many Track and Field athletes representing Canada that were of Caribbean heritage. Canada extends a “welcome mat” to these ones, therefore encouraging more to naturalize and discouraging loyalty to the Caribbean homeland. The Go Lean roadmap seeks to reboot the Caribbean societal engines. This will lower the “push and pull” factors that cause citizens to flee to other countries and switch their allegiances. This will allow athletes to fully engage their professions without leaving home.

Canada has been a frequent topic for considerations from the Go Lean movement (book and blogs). The opening Declaration of Interdependence (Page 14) recognized that there is value in considering the Good and Bad examples of Canada, with this statement:

xxxiii. Whereas lessons can be learned and applied from the study of the recent history of other societies, the Federation must formalize statutes and organizational dimensions to avoid the pitfalls of communities … On the other hand, the Federation must also implement the good examples learned from developments/ communities like … Canada….

The book specifically addresses Canada with these direct references of community ethos, strategies, tactics, implementations and advocates:

Community Ethos – Deferred Gratification – Cold Weather Residents Must Wait Until Spring Page 21
Community Ethos – Economic Systems Influence Individual Choices Page 21
Community Ethos – Minority Equalizations – Model of Canada’s Territories Page 24
Community Ethos – Ways to Help Entrepreneurship Page 28
Strategy – Invite empowering immigrants – Like Canadians Snowbirds Page 46
Tactical – Separation of Powers – Secretary of State – Trade Mission Offices Page 80
Implementation – Reason to Repatriate – From Canada Page 118
Planning – Lessons Learned from the previous West Indies Federation –Canada’s Support Page 135
Planning – Lessons from Canada’s History Page 146
Advocacy – Ways to Better Manage the Social Contract Page 170
Advocacy – Ways to Impact the Diaspora – Toronto‘s Large Pocket Page 218
Advocacy – Ways to Impact Foundations – Many Canadians NGO’s Page 219
Advocacy – Ways to Protect Human Rights Page 220
Advocacy – Ways to Improve Elder-Care – Snowbirds Invitations Page 225
Advocacy – Ways to Empower Women – Canada‘s great example Page 226

In addition, previous Go Lean blog/commentaries addressed many issues in regards to Canada and the interactions of Caribbean people and Canada; see sample list here:

https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=9179 First Day of Autumn – Time for Canadians to Head South
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=6937 Canada’s Great Example of Women in Politics
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=3694 Economic Help: Jamaica-Canada Employment Program
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=3582 For Canadian Banks: Caribbean is a ‘Bad Bet’
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=1014 A Canadian’s View: ‘All is not well in the sunny Caribbean’
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=732 Turks and Caicos Drama with Canadian Healthcare Contract
https://goleancaribbean.com/blog/?p=214 Canada: The Best Address/Destination … per this Bahamian

The Go Lean book serves as a roadmap for the introduction and implementation of the CU. Our scope is to impact the Caribbean’s economic, security and governing engines, not Canada’s. But we do hope to engage the Caribbean Diaspora living there.

There are Good lessons and Bad lessons that we can learned from Canada. So let’s pay more than the usual attention to these insights. Everyone is urged to lean-in to this Go Lean/CU roadmap for the Caribbean Union Trade Federation, to make our region a better place to live, work and play. 🙂

Download the book Go Lean … Caribbean – now!

———

Related Article: 10 Fast Facts About Caribbean Immigrants In Canada

———

Appendix VIDEO – Caribbean West Indian Street Food｜Toronto  – https://youtu.be/8ECKojESpOs


Published on Jun 18, 2016 – If you never had West Indian/Trini/Caribbean food, you are seriously missing out. They might not be the healthiest foods out there but it is definitely hot and delicious. Their foods are pretty much like their people, warm and welcoming. I’ve had doubles once before and it made me realize what I have been missing out my entire life. The aloo pie with tamarind sauce gave me the exact same shiver. No fancy complexity, just simple west Indian food.

Share this post:
, ,
[Top]