February 6, 2008
Links for Feb. 6, 2008
Caribbean: Murder capital of the world from Economist
What Latin American leaders want of the next US President from the LA Times
Nicaragua and Venezuela fight over an island from the NY Times. (Anyone remember Malvinas/Falkland Islands?)
Soca’cise from Jamaica Observer
February 2, 2008
February is Reggae Month in Jamaica – But Does the Government Really Care About the Music?
At the beginning of the year, Jamaican PM Bruce Golding declared February Reggae Month throughout the country in perpetuity. A number of reggae-related events had already been planned, including UWI’s Global Reggae Conference from February 18-24, and the Africa Unite/Smile Jamaica series of events, culminating in a big concert on the 23rd.
Ironically, Golding’s declaration came at the heels of embarrassing news of the Jamaican government’s own neglect of the country’s cultural history. Keep reading →
January 31, 2008
Links
Trinidad Carnival from BBC Caribbean
World Bank Discussing Jamaican Debt from Caribbean Net News
Castro’s Response to Bush’s State of the Union published in Granma
January 11, 2008
More on Chid Sexual Expoitation
To follow up on the last post, I wanted to point out an article in today’s Nuevo Diaro. Apparently, the Minister of Children and Adolescents, Norma Moreno, announced a 15% increase in child sexual exploitation in Nicaragua.
January 7, 2008
Gringos, Sex, and Murder in Nicaragua
Nicaragua, it has been said, is the next Costa Rica. It’s a dubious forecast. One indication of its veracity is the sharp rise in sexual tourism in Nicaragua over the past decade. It is so brazen that in some popular beach towns, it’s difficult to distinguish sex tourism from dating. There, middle-aged American men dangle Nicaraguan women half their age from their arms as they walk down the street. Such sights have caused palpable tension between the Nicaraguan people and the American tourists and retirees living in seaside mansions. Keep reading →
January 5, 2008
Cost of Caribbean Living
A visitor to the Caribbean might be surprised the first time she walks into a grocery story. Developing country + agricultural history = low food prices, the equation might seem to go. Wrong. Not only do high import taxes lead to astronomical prices for ordinary goods that aren’t grown or manufactured on a small island (I couldn’t find a cutting board in Jamaica for less than $50), but factors including flooding, the reduction of arable land, and free trade agreements have led to high prices for even domestic produce. A recent story by the BBC, along with a forum discussing the high cost of living in the Caribbean, sheds light on this dilemma.
December 28, 2007
LAT on The Balloon Effect
MALPASSE, HAITI — Three beefy men wearing wraparound sunglasses and gold chains leaned against their SUV at this remote border crossing with the Dominican Republic. As one of them muttered into a walkie-talkie, four Haitian policemen pulled up looking like they meant business.
The SUV’s back hatch was opened. The cops eyeballed its load of opaque-plastic-wrapped bundles. One officer picked up a package the size of a bread loaf, appraising its weight with his forearm. Read full LA Times article here
December 27, 2007
NYT on “south to south” migration
Nicaraguans build Costa Rican buildings. Paraguayans pick Argentine crops. Nepalis dig Indian mines. Indonesians clean Malaysian homes. Farm hands from Burkina Faso tend the fields in Ivory Coast. Some save for more expensive journeys north, while others find the move from one poor land to another all they will ever afford. With rich countries tightening their borders, migration within the developing world is likely to grow. Read full article here.
December 26, 2007
Welcome & Los Rakas
Welcome to Tings an’ Times. For my first post, I’d like to direct your attention to the band Los Rakas. Like the goal of this blog, the music of Los Rakas bridges the cultures and stories of the Caribbean and the US.
