The Democracy Perspective in the Americas

by Odeen Ishmael

Overview

The Democracy Perspective in the Americas presents the author's views on the evolution of democracy in the American hemisphere and the challenges confronting this form of governance. It comprises a collection of his statements and published commentaries on the perspective of democracy from 1993 to 2008, while serving as Guyana's Ambassador to the United States at the Organization of American States (OAS) and in Venezuela.

At the OAS, in particular, Ishmael was deeply involved in diplomatic discussions, in which he presented his perspective of the promotion and development of the democratic process at forums dealing with the organization's agenda.

Since 2004, Ishmael has participated in numerous high-level meetings of the newly-established Union of South American Nations, enabling him to present a front-row view of the political, economic, social, and ideological challenges facing the advance of democracy and the integration of the South American nations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761846215
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/24/2009
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Odeen Ishmael is currently the ambassador of Guyana to Venezuela. He previously served as his country's ambassador to the United States and, simultaneously, as permanent representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) from 1993 to 2003. Since the 1970s, he has been a premier writer on the problems and perspectives of education in Guyana and the wider Caribbean region. He has written extensively on Guyanese history and culture as well as political developments in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 1. Democracy and poverty
Chapter 3 2. The situation in Haiti
Chapter 4 3. Poverty: A destabilizing factor to democracy
Chapter 5 4. A time for healing in Haiti
Chapter 6 5. Colonialsim left a legacy of underdevelopment
Chapter 7 6. The return of President Aristide to Haiti
Chapter 8 7. The OAS must identify proactive methods to build democracy
Chapter 9 8. Women's participation in governance is indispensible
Chapter 10 9. Caribbean countries must pool ideas to develop their resources
Chapter 11 10. The OAS must champion debt relief
Chapter 12 11. Violence against women violates human rights and fundamental freedoms
Chapter 13 12. Economic insecurity can lead to socio-economic and political instability
Chapter 14 13. White Helmets vital in New Global Human Order
Chapter 15 14. Haiti facing economic challenges
Chapter 16 15. The developmental role of the OAS
Chapter 17 16. Eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities
Chapter 18 17. The need for a New Global Human Order
Chapter 19 18. Sustainable development imperative for small countries
Chapter 20 19. Crime undermines democracy
Chapter 21 20. Economic challenges to smaller economies
Chapter 22 21. OAS should set up a permanent disaster assistance unit
Chapter 23 22. Effects of global economic crisis on smaller economies
Chapter 24 23. All nations must adhere to democratic principles
Chapter 25 24. Security concerns of small developing states
Chapter 26 25. Democracy must be consultative and participatory
Chapter 27 26. Hemispheric unity comes about with expanding democracy
Chapter 28 27. There is no perfect democracy
Chapter 29 28. Terrorism - a threat to international peace and security
Chapter 30 29. The situation in Venezuela
Chapter 31 30. Influencing the democratic process in the Americas - A tribute to Simon Bolivar
Chapter 32 31. The importance of political dialogue
Chapter 33 32. Political dialogue imperative for a democratic Haiti
Chapter 34 33. The Inter-American Democratic Charter - its significance, applicability, and potential
Chapter 35 34. Approaches on security in the Caribbean region
Chapter 36 35. All political forces must maintain dialogue
Chapter 37 36. Caricom's support for the democratically elected President of Venezuela
Chapter 38 37. Refusing to have political dialogue breeds conflict situations
Chapter 39 38. Appeal to the international financial institutions to assist Haiti
Chapter 40 39. Economic and security pressures on the Caribbean
Chapter 41 40. Opposition to terrorism is complete and absolute
Chapter 42 41. Working together to deepen democracy
Chapter 43 42. Working together to solve hemispheric problems
Chapter 44 43. Developing a culture of democracy
Chapter 45 44. Political democracy must ensure economic and social democracy
Chapter 46 45. The right to govern must be won through democratic elections
Chapter 47 46. Place emphasis on the social agenda
Chapter 48 47. Alleviating poverty is to promote democracy
Chapter 49 48. Re-assessing democracy in the Americas
Chapter 50 49. Governments must tackle the problem of poverty
Chapter 51 50. Democracy faces new challenges
Chapter 52 51. Caricom's concerns over the FTAA
Chapter 53 52. Caricom can help FTAA process
Chapter 54 53. Cheddi Jagan's vision for hemispheric integration
Chapter 55 54. Advancing democracy with a Social Charter
Chapter 56 55. Establishing the Community of South American Nations
Chapter 57 56. What's happening with the FTAA negotiations?
Chapter 58 57. The South American Community grows as OAS weakens
Chapter 59 58. Democracy threatened by crime and violence
Chapter 60 59. South American Community of Nations to map out economic strategies
Chapter 61 60. Hemispheric leaders commit to fight poverty
Chapter 62 61. Is the Summit of the Americas process facing a crisis?
Chapter 63 62. Extreme poverty remains high in Latin America and the Caribbean
Chapter 64 63. Guyana takes leadership of Rio Group
Chapter 65 64. Advancing the social agenda in South American countries
Chapter 66 65. Is democracy losing its vitality in the hemisphere?
Chapter 67 66. The leftward trend in South America
Chapter 68 67. Is the failure of WTO talks destroying the Washington consensus?
Chapter 69 68. Socialist ideology takes new roots in South America
Chapter 70 69. Rio Group strengthens itself
Chapter 71 70. Cooperation for social and economic development
Chapter 72 71. Developing a mechanism for consultation and coordination
Chapter 73 72. Latin American countries promote social cohesion
Chapter 74 73. More social investment can further reduce regional poverty
Chapter 75 74. Wider international support for the New Global Human Order
Chapter 76 75. UNASUR focuses on its constituent treaty
Chapter 77 76. Advancing democracy to higher levels
Chapter 78 77. UNASUR constituent treaty propels South American integration
Chapter 79 78. UNASUR facilitates dialogue in Bolivian crisis
Chapter 80 The Author

Editorial Reviews

A smart, serious…great leader, and an excellent spokesman for the Caribbean.

Dr. Cesar Gaviria

Everything he writes is well worth reading.

Janet Jagan

I value Ambassador Ishmael's insight into Latin American affairs and always learn something from his analyses.

James Morrison

The Caribbean contribution to the OAS is personified in the virtues of Ambassador Ishmael, through his intellectual force, his wisdom, his dignity.

Esteban Tomic

A welcome addition to Latin Americana. Because of his uncommonly good grounding in this vast area, he has been able to handle it with unusual success.

Dr. Saroja Sundararajan

Ishmael writes in a clear, forthright, unbiased manner, covering a wide range of matters of common concern to the citizens of the region.

Gary Girdhari

On reading the many chapters at leisure or for reference, nuggets of insights are there for the picking.

Vheadline.Com

On reading the many chapters at leisure or for reference, nuggets of insights are there for the picking.

February 2010 Vheadline.Com

The Caribbean contribution to the OAS is personified in the virtues of Ambassador Ishmael, through his intellectual force, his wisdom, his dignity.--Esteban Tomic, former ambassador of Chile to the OAS

A welcome addition to Latin Americana. Because of his uncommonly good grounding in this vast area, he has been able to handle it with unusual success.--Dr. Saroja Sundararajan, Indian historian and author

Ishmael writes in a clear, forthright, unbiased manner, covering a wide range of matters of common concern to the citizens of the region.--Gary Girdhari, Ph.D., editor, Guyana Journal, New York

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