In the wake of pervasive global challenges
exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Caribbean stands at a critical point
in its economic development. Development and Diplomacy: Resetting
Caribbean Policy Analysis in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic is an illuminating exploration of the
region’s need to recalibrate and reshape its developmental policy strategy.
Under the stewardship of Winston Dookeran
and Dr M. Raymond Izarali, the volume embarks on a comprehensive examination of
the frontiers in economic policy analysis: convergence, complexity,
competitiveness, and the circular economy. These frontiers, often discussed in
isolation, collectively establish the theoretical framework for the World
Economic Forum’s “The Great Reset Initiative”, aimed at rebuilding a more
sustainable, equitable, and inclusive world following the pandemic.
Thought-provoking chapters – written by
scholars and practitioners both within and beyond the region – span issues such
as the challenges facing small island states, the adequacy of orthodox growth
models, regional advances in policy structures, liberalism, investment and
capital flows, and health diplomacy to name a few and encapsulate a
multidisciplinary approach. This approach expertly weaves together the
disciplines of economics, politics, and diplomacy to forge not only a holistic
understanding of Caribbean policy dynamics but also forge a clear path to translating
research findings into actionable policy insights, which could propel the Caribbean
towards a future of renewed prosperity and shared success.
Development and Diplomacy is
a sequel to previous publications, such as Winston Dookeran’s Power, Politics
and Performance: A Partnership Approach for Development (2012); Crisis
and Promise in the Caribbean: Politics and Convergence (2015); The Caribbean on the Edge: The Political Stress of Stability, Equality,
and Diplomacy (2022)
and Dookeran and Carlos Elias’s Shifting
the Frontiers: An Action Framework for the Future of the Caribbean (2016). This volume is poised to
empower professors and students in the field of development studies, policy
leaders and practitioners within agencies, and the voices of citizens and
advocates shaping public discourse.
Winston Dookeran is currently secretary general of EUCLID University ‐ a United Nations registered intergovernmental institution of higher education. Recently, he was Professor of Practice at the University of the West Indies and Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto, Canada.
Dr. M. Raymond Izarali is a Philosopher and Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology and a Fellow and former director of the Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa, at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada.
