Essay Sample on the Impact of Globalization on the Caribbean

Globalization entails free movement of national capital, majorly characterized by the increasing dominance of multinational corporations and global financial markets over state economies. The Caribbean nations possess a frivolous resource base on matters natural resources and skill; limited capability amongst public and private institutions, environmental fragility, exclusion from trading lines hence costly transportation as well as high export and import dependence. Consequently, the limitations make it somewhat challenging to compete with developed nations on an equal platform (Karns & Karen, 2004). Global integration has had significant implications for Caribbean countries; both negative and positive as highlighted herein.

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The benefits of global trade and politics can today be felt in the daily endeavors of many Caribbean citizens. Aided by reputable and evident technological advances in the transport industry, the financial stats of the tourism sector indicate an increasing trend of turnover, enabling the nations to reduce overdependence on cocoa, cotton, sugar and other single commodities like sugar. Moreover, the region exports human resource to industrial nations in the global trade bloc, including high skilled experts. This can be attributed to the increasing numbers of Caribbean communities abroad whose remittances have significantly improved the living standards of people back at home. The rapid growth of telemarketing, telecommunications, and the computer hardware and software industry has facilitated the breakdown of trade and communication barriers among members in distant nations (Ahmed, 2001).

Yet, in the face of global openness to trade and communication, high quality human resource capital and robust democratic governmental systems, the Caribbean per Capita GDP has not increased beyond 2% over the last 25 years, which is less than the required development facet to alleviate poverty and unemployment and enable the nations to compete with First Worlds in an equal platform. In the wake of increased campaigns to embrace global trade and treaties, Multi-national corporations (MNC), reportedly exploit the Caribbean region for their profit. Quite conversely, the traders and citizens of the regions are subjected to extreme poverty rates, excessive environmental damages, and repressed human rights. Recent evidence supplied by the UN and the World Bank reveals that the banana planters in Jamaica are facing a significant reduction in profits as a result of importing foreign goods to their nation (Ahmed, 2001). To further demonstrate the relevance and negative impact of the global activities on the Caribbean, take the case of off-shore Caribbean nations in their crisis to adhere to the demands of the developed countries, compelling them to violate their banking policies and make bank-secrecy regulations more transparent. In another case, the looming crisis amongst exporters of banana in the Eastern Caribbean region is attributed to the phased-out Lome Convention, protecting European markets.

Role of International Organizations in a Globalized world on the politics of the Caribbean

The impact of the globalized world on Caribbean governments and politics entails two major consequential perspectives: a new view of politicking that necessitates the conceptualization of issues in global viewpoints and power as a global network as well as facilitating the participation of smaller states through international movements. In such a perspective, the ruling governmental bodies and the local politics do not play the usual central role anymore. The second view delineates the need for new empowerment forms by Caribbean states to act as global players in a rejoinder to the challenges that globalization presents. Following this, the states ought to undergo a reorientation of their focus to emphasize international relations as societies turn their attention to transnational ties (Karns & Karen, 2004).

The new global politics, therefore, necessitates the enlightenment of members of the Caribbean states on new global levels of politics, which are far beyond the limits and bounds of national politics. However, as highlighted by Singh (2004), the fact of power inequality among developed and Caribbean nations is rather indisputable. Examples of the inequalities are prevalent in relative powers of world leaders, the manner in which American and European citizens are accorded diplomatic security away from their homeland, and the level to which the Caribbean governments depend on external economic events and decisions such as fluctuating fortunes of world financial systems and currencies, as well as the IMF and World bank impersonal policies (Karns & Karen, 2004). Without a doubt, there has been a progressive reduction of individual political systems and governmental powers as national events and actions are now considered international activities, occurring outside the nations' bounds, yet having undeniable effects on local citizens.

References

Ahmed, B. (2001, July). The impact of globalization on the Caribbean sugar and banana industries. In The Society for Caribbean studies annual conference papers (Vol. 2, pp. 1-13).

Karns, M., & Karen, M. (2004). The politics and processes of global governance. Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Singh, A. (2004, June). The Caribbean Economies: Adjusting to the Global Economy. In Presentation. Seminar Developmental Challenges Facing the Caribbean. Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago (Vol. 11).