Stories about Antigua and Barbuda
After the SID4 conference in Antigua & Barbuda, ‘small islands’ fight to maintain ‘special case’ status at the UN
“We are not creating these problems but they’re tremendously disruptive to our development [...] SIDS are on the frontline, and we are one of the most vulnerable groups.”
Why small islands need their own Marshall Plan
The Fourth UN Conference on Small Island Developing States will negotiate a 10-year agenda that requires an unprecedented financing package to meet the existential scale of the challenge being faced.
Year in review: In 2023, the climate crisis was top of mind for the Caribbean
Of the many stories Global Voices Caribbean covered this year, the lion's share have been linked to global warming, and the importance of climate justice to the region's survival.
COP28 delivers ‘death certificate’ for island nations
The Global Stocktake is meant to be the big outcome of the climate negotiations this year, but we have significantly deviated from restricting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
King Charles’ coronation stirs little interest in the Caribbean, save for how he plans to respond to calls for reparations
"King Charles must translate the rhetoric of sorrow into the truly meaningful language of immediate reparations."
As Earth Day approaches, the Caribbean continues its struggle with a tidal wave of plastic, but remains hopeful
Despite the gloomy picture, it is fair to say that the Caribbean is fighting back against plastic, and is finding that in this effort, partnerships are effective.
Sandbar breach threatens Antigua & Barbuda’s Ramsar site
Codrington Lagoon is a wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention but its sandbar integrity has been compromised by breaches that threaten the well-being of its ecosystems.
The year in review: What the Caribbean looked like in 2022
The stories the Global Voices Caribbean team covered this year saw a stronger leaning towards pressing concerns like the environment and crime.
Did 2022 see the Caribbean become more ‘gay-friendly'?
While Barbados is the latest regional territory to deem its "buggery" laws unconstitutional, there has been some confusion — and even legal reversals — over LGBTQ+ rights in other Caribbean nations.
‘Global South’ countries declare COP27 a case of climate inaction
With just one day left in the global conference, there still has not been the establishment of a Loss and Damage funding facility as developed nations tiptoe around the agenda item.
Loss and Damage in the Caribbean: We see it, we feel it, we know it
The climate crisis has been having detrimental effects on the Caribbean, on food production, health, ecosystems, tourism, fresh water availability, energy production, livelihoods, human productivity, critical infrastructure and economic development.
Antigua & Barbuda is the latest Caribbean country where ‘anti-buggery’ laws have been deemed ‘unconstitutional’
On July 5, the country's High Court ruled that clauses in the Sexual Offences Act criminalising homosexual sex were against citizens’ constitutional rights to both privacy and freedom of expression.
The overturning of Roe vs. Wade unsettles the Caribbean, most of which doesn't have progressive abortion laws
"Apart from women deeply inculcated with religious dogma, the time cannot be far off when women throughout the Caribbean will use their voting power to demand the right to choose."
Incumbent Commonwealth secretary-general fires a shot across the bow of a rival Caribbean candidate, and the region is taking note
In an April 27 interview on Antigua and Barbuda's national television station, Patricia Scotland said she would be "incredibly pleased" if Jamaica's Kamina Johnson Smith stood down.
What does Jamaican politician Kamina Johnson Smith's bid for Commonwealth secretary-general say about Caribbean political solidarity?
The post of Commonwealth secretary-general is currently held by Patricia Scotland, who is Dominican by birth, and whose re-election the Caribbean community publicly supported ... until Jamaica announced its own candidate.
2021 in review, from a Caribbean point of view
While the Caribbean was primarily focused on rising COVID-19 infection rates, a steady stream of variants, and strong vaccine hesitancy, the pandemic wasn't the only story affecting the region in 2021.
St Lucia announces it will host a ‘vaxxed’ Carnival in 2022, but is it realistic?
"We have to ensure that we preserve the health of St. Lucia while creating an economic activity for our people to benefit from.”
Antigua and Barbuda says polluters ‘must pay,’ as climate change remains existential threat to Small Island Developing States
Many small island developing states (SIDS) are struggling to survive, prompting the Caribbean island state of Antigua and Barbuda to call for financial compensation at COP26 for "loss and damage".
In the face of elite tourism projects, the Barbuda Warbler isn't the only one that might lose its home
After 2017's Hurricane Irma, Barbudans were made to evacuate the island. Little did they know this would coincide with the washing away of their centuries-old communal land rights.
Caribbean denounces Trump’s decision to put Cuba back on terrorism list; hopes for a reversal with Biden
Some expect the Biden/Harris administration to re-establish a working relationship with the island; other Cuban commentators find that unlikely. Either way, CARICOM wants Cuba taken off the US' terrorism list.
The Caribbean's case for reparations: Part III
Reparatory justice can play an important role in dealing with challenges like disease, climate change and COVID-19, all of which pose existential threats to the region.
