The Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies opened its 26th annual research conference at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus (UWIFIC) yesterday, bringing together scholars, policy professionals, and activists to reimagine development frameworks for small island developing states.
Under the theme “Reimagining Society and Value: Building Resilience in Small States,” the three-day conference is slated to challenge traditional economic models that rely heavily on monetization and quantitative measures while overlooking societal value and environmental sustainability.
Campus Registrar Dr Camille Samuel highlighted the urgency of addressing development challenges, noting that recent World Bank statistics reveal about 24 percent of Caribbean youth remain unemployed, with female youth unemployment standing at approximately 29 percent.
“These are not just debate topics. These are topics that help us shine a light on who we are as a people,” Samuel told attendees.
Dr Samuel added, “When you convert [the World Bank statistics] to 1.8 million of our young people out of jobs, then you understand what we’re doing is not just a job. It is a way of life for us. We have to stand together, lock arms together, and focus not just on asking the tough questions, but on action and putting into place proactive steps to make the future that we want.”
Professor Lloyd Waller, Director of SALISES at the Mona Campus, emphasized the conference’s role in building regional resilience amid global challenges, including cyber terrorism, uncertain geopolitics, and political apathy.
“Resilience is about preparing for, managing, and recovering from a crisis,” Professor Waller said. “We are in a good position in terms of building resilience by engaging in these topics – re-evaluating, re-examining, re-assessing not just the economics and social systems of the Caribbean, but valuing our own value.”
Dr Sandra Sookram Director of SALISES at the St Augustine Campus emphasized that the conference theme invites participants to “critically sit, rethink traditional notions of societal values, and explore innovative paths with resilience and sustainable development.”
Meanwhile, UWIFIC Principal Professor Justin Robinson delivered the feature address, analysing recent global trade developments following what conference organizers termed the “Trumpquake”.
Robinson examined a paper by economist Stephen Miran, now Chair of the US Council of Economic Advisors, which outlines a strategy to reset the global trading system through tariffs, currency policy changes, and debt restructuring.
He questioned whether this approach represents a feasible path forward and what implications it might have for Caribbean economies.
“From a Caribbean perspective, the immediate implication for us is likely inflation,” Robinson noted. “Our countries could face direct inflationary pressures, and we are not going to benefit from what Miran sees as the potential currency offsets that may cushion inflationary impacts in the US.”
