Our Ethos
As the Caribbean’s first grassroots think tank, our mission is to build bridges between research and policy in CARICOM by contributing policy-relevant research to domestic and regional challenges. By engaging both policymakers and civil society, we aim to build awareness and influence strategic, forward-thinking policy decisions.
Our core aim is to create sustainable, long-term regional development strategies for CARICOM Member States.
Given the political, economic and social challenges in the region, it is integral that we promote innovative thinking and workable, cost effective strategies for:
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deeper integration;
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long-term sustainable social and economic development;
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trade policies that support domestic policy goals;
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energy policies that minimize environmental impact;
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climate change adaptation strategies;
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a vibrant and diverse agricultural sector.
We also seeks to educate and engage civil society in reshaping institutions, developing social infrastructure and enhancing rule of law. To this end, we hope to support the development of an innovative, forward-thinking society.
We are an independent policy research institute, and our ideas and policy recommendations are freely available to individuals and organizations within and outside the region. We are not affiliated with any political party or interest group, and remain committed to advocating change through ideas, research and education.
What We Do
Research is the core component of our work. We produce articles, reports and briefs on integration, social and economic policy, trade, development, foreign policy, energy and climate change, and agriculture. Our staff aims to disseminate our findings through the internet, print and broadcast media throughout the region.
We also aim to host events to promote dialogue and form linkages between domestic and regional policymakers, private sector entities, students, academics and other interested parties.
Research and Publications – In order to contribute to policy dialogue across the region, we conduct both broad and specific research in a number of key areas.
Communication – We aim to publish our research as clearly and as concisely as possible in order to reach a wider audience.
Events – Recognizing the need for communication between regional stakeholders, we aim to host events to promote greater policy dialogue between various actors across the Caribbean.
Blog – In keeping with the evolution of information dissemination, we aim to publish briefs of all our publications on our blog.
Due to the diversity of our staff, a wide array of views is represented. However, all of our staff and associates support our vision. Our research takes into account both current and historical issues in the region, and we work towards solutions that will be functional, practical and affordable.
We believe that the issues faced by the region can only be resolved through thorough planning and execution of short- and long-term strategies that maximize benefit and minimize loss. We also believe that the involvement of civil society is integral to the success of any policy, and we work toward greater involvement of civil society in the development process.
We aim to produce groundbreaking publications and build a reputation for excellence. To this end, we will seek partnerships with distinguished experts and organizations that share our vision.