Minister of Finance, Sustainable Development and ICT Camillo Gonsalves has written a book about climate change and its impact on sustainable development in small island states (SIDS)
The book, “Globalised. Climatised. Stigmatised.”, is a 186-page collection of essays about the specificities, opportunities and developmental challenges of small island states.
It will be launched on Monday at the Calliaqua Town Hall.
The book launch will feature a review by University of the West Indies Lecturer Tennyson Joseph, and comments by community activist, social commentator and “globalisation warrior” Renwick Rose.
The book discusses debt, diplomacy, sovereignty, blacklists, inequality, climate change, the blue economy and the role of the state in development and other topics.
In the book, the minister takes an expansive overview of the various ways in which “smallness and islandness” affect the progress of islands in global affairs.
Globalised. Climatised. Stigmatised. was also launch on April 17 at the United Nations by the President of the United Nations General Assembly and discussed by a panel of experts including the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for climate change, the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, the chair of the Pacific Small Island Developing States and the Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations.
Calling the book an excellent example of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ “thought leadership” at the United Nations, President of the United Nations General Assembly María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, said, “‘Globalised. Climatised. Stigmatised.’ is a provocative title that very neatly captures the essence of the challenges faced by Small Island Developing States. . . it already has a guaranteed place on my bedside table, and I warmly commend its messages to you all.”
Which press is publishing this book?
I ask this important question because most of the books written by Vincentians have been self published (aka “Vanity Press” publications paid for by the author) rather than published by reputable houses after being sent to knowledgeable reviewers for consideration.
Just as I thought, this book, which is mainly or exclusively a collection of Camillo’s speeches, was “independently published” (https://books.google.ca/books/about/Globalised_Climatised_Stigmatised.html?id=mQbZwwEACAAJ&redir_esc=y), meaning its printing was paid for by the author.
This is something that anyone with money can do if they wish to flatter themselves.
Like father, like son.
Among all the many examples of the hypocrisy of our Caribbean leadership regarding all manner of environmental issues, the latest is the just “published” (meaning “self/privately/independently published,” also known as “Vanity Press” published) collection of mainly if not exclusively speeches by Camillo Gonsalves, our Minister of Finance, the son and heir apparent to Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of SVG, which all blame mostly home-grown environmental and other problems on … you guessed it … external actors and polices (https://books.google.ca/books/about/Globalised_Climatised_Stigmatised.html?id=mQbZwwEACAAJ&redir_esc=y; see Jomo Thomas’ review of a pre-publication version of the book at: http://thevincentian.com/globalized-climatized-and-stigmatized-p17009-110.htm).
Like nearly all his Caribbean political peers, Gonsalves Jr. is compelled to deflect blame for or totally ignore our country’s contribution to global environmental change and destruction (such as the government burning of rubber tires, indifference to sand mining, tolerance for the dumping of garbage in empty lots and drains leading to the sea, support for local and Japanese whaling, no recycling facilities, and no environmentally sustainable national sewerage disposal) from its immediate local source to its questionable international sources because it is political expedient to do so.
“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone” has no meaning for these hypocritical and power-hungry politicians.
Forgot to mention one of out greatest environmental sins: the destruction of our life-preserving rain forests by greedy marijuana growers, a process that this and the previous NDP goverment could have substantially reduced using additional manpower and overseas aid but refused to do so because they knew that the export of weed to neighbouring countries and overseas brought in much scarce foreign revenue, especially Yankee dollars, but which also brought in the illegal firearms that helped increase our murder rate.
If he was spending the time he is paid for doing his job and doing it properly he would have no time to write a book. Books are retirement projects.
It’s amazing here is a young man who is not allowed to talk on his own behalf, remember the New York fiasco and the diplomatic policeman, and the Yuri matter. Daddy had to be the mouthpiece. Has daddy approved the content of this book, because written word is even more permanent than spoken word. Is there a statement at the front that says edited and approved by Ralph E Gonsalves?
Another good insight Jolly Green. C. Ben also mentions some true information, mentioning facts that cannot be mentioned by reporters or they will be labeled as biased. Like Marxs and many certain leaders, the former leader of North Korea also loved to write. Believing himself to be intellectually far above others. Some of these politicians are totally in love with themselves and thier superior intellect, since they also inform us they have been appointed by God himself!
There goes no-side, straight-shooting ben-David at it again: telling it like it is. I’m waiting for the political labels it is going to earn him.
What do you mean Patrick, be more explicit for us lesser beings?
Folks no politician has the answers for global warming, how the rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer. What are the governments doing with folk’s tax money collected for global warming? Piss-all! The UN like religions is the root of all the world’s evil.
IT (the Internet) came on too fast and has crippled the entire world’s economies. Workers were replaced by machines controlled by programs that don’t take a break and never have to go to sleep. Manpower was once used on assemble lines, now its machines doing the job and for much cheaper. Brazil, China and several African countries are destroying the forests and rivers which effect of the lives and living standards and condition of the entire world’s population.
Folks no one has the answers for the world’s problem. It may take another WORLD WAR to reduce the stress. If the book has answers for the problems listed, then that would be great reading.
Skeck… No politician has found the answer to Global Warming because it has been proven beyond any doubt to be a big hoax. Actual data from NASA proves that the globe is actually cooling, starting about 10 years ago.
Why do all the fossil fuel companies fund the Global Warming agenda? Not only, but particularly, the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds that are into coal and own Mobile and Exxon?
C-Ben is designing the cover of Yuggi’s new book which will tell all, right down to embarrassing measurements. Thank you David for your support for the new book.
G.T., What will the new book be called? “The Boys Wonder and Labour’s Love”? Or, “A Boy’s Love and the Wonder of Labour”? “Labour’s Love Lost”? “Yuggi Bare and the Boy Wonder”? “Wonder Woman and The Boy Wonder”? So many possibilities!