Stories about Belize
As Jamaica braces for a direct hit, relief efforts have begun for islands shattered by Hurricane Beryl
Weather experts may be fascinated by Beryl's exceptionality, but those who have been routinely battered fear that all the factors that make Beryl stand out may well become the norm.
Can ‘blue bonds’ be the solution to Belize’s debt?
The country is expanding on the foundation of NGOs and private reserves that have been selling carbon for decades and swapping debt for the conservation of nature.
Year in review: In 2023, the climate crisis was top of mind for the Caribbean
Of the many stories Global Voices Caribbean covered this year, the lion's share have been linked to global warming, and the importance of climate justice to the region's survival.
COP28 delivers ‘death certificate’ for island nations
The Global Stocktake is meant to be the big outcome of the climate negotiations this year, but we have significantly deviated from restricting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
One woman’s mission to protect mangroves in Belize
"We’re not only getting rain wash erosion, but [also] high impact wave erosion on the other side because we’ve removed all our mangroves and continue to do it with impunity."
Belize’s co-management framework is a model for community conservation
Since 1984, Belize has protected its natural environment through co-management; these efforts were recently formalised by the government under a new Protected Areas Co-management Framework.
Caribbean journalists: ‘Shortfalls in climate reporting can be improved’
Caribbean journalists are finding it essential to report on climate justice issues, and ensure those who play a greater role in causing climate change are held accountable.
King Charles’ coronation stirs little interest in the Caribbean, save for how he plans to respond to calls for reparations
"King Charles must translate the rhetoric of sorrow into the truly meaningful language of immediate reparations."
How Belize’s bright biodiversity is inextricably linked to blue carbon
Leveraging blue carbon will require ambitious, conservation-forward policies to maintain and restore coastal and marine ecosystems in order to mitigate the crippling effects of the climate crisis.
Did 2022 see the Caribbean become more ‘gay-friendly'?
While Barbados is the latest regional territory to deem its "buggery" laws unconstitutional, there has been some confusion — and even legal reversals — over LGBTQ+ rights in other Caribbean nations.
The Caribbean responds to Queen Elizabeth II's complicated legacy
Many in the region have been attempting to achieve a fine balance between acknowledging Queen Elizabeth II's steadfastness and wrestling with a legacy that inflicted its share of pain.
Antigua & Barbuda is the latest Caribbean country where ‘anti-buggery’ laws have been deemed ‘unconstitutional’
On July 5, the country's High Court ruled that clauses in the Sexual Offences Act criminalising homosexual sex were against citizens’ constitutional rights to both privacy and freedom of expression.
The Caribbean's ‘looming’ food security storm suddenly seems more threatening
It is estimated that there are as many as 2.8 million people — nearly 40 percent of the population — suffering from food insecurity in the English-speaking Caribbean, most of them from low-income households.
‘Seh Yu Sorry!’ Royal visit to Jamaica sparks protests and calls for slavery reparations
"[Queen Elizabeth II] has done nothing to redress the suffering that took place during her reign [and] the entire period of British trafficking of Africans, enslavement, indentureship and colonialization."
World Oceans Day: The Caribbean Sea faces dual threat of climate change and overfishing
It is clear the Caribbean is on the frontline of climate change, and its creeping impact on the marine environment is showing itself in various ways.
Caribbean denounces Trump’s decision to put Cuba back on terrorism list; hopes for a reversal with Biden
Some expect the Biden/Harris administration to re-establish a working relationship with the island; other Cuban commentators find that unlikely. Either way, CARICOM wants Cuba taken off the US' terrorism list.
From COVID-19 to Caribbean literature, this is what the region looked like in 2020
COVID-19 was at the top of the news cycle this year. In the Caribbean, the pandemic exacerbated already existing issues, but also allowed regional netizens to reimagine their collective future.
World AIDS Day 2020: How has the Caribbean dealt with HIV during COVID-19?
Threatened livelihoods, disruption in supply chains, and changes in health care delivery are all challenges which people living with HIV/AIDS in the region have had to grapple with under COVID-19.
The Caribbean's case for reparations: Part III
Reparatory justice can play an important role in dealing with challenges like disease, climate change and COVID-19, all of which pose existential threats to the region.
The Caribbean's case for reparations: Part II
"We transformed these broken colonies into functional democracies without any support […] and now we have this debt crisis because we were abandoned by those who plundered our wealth."
The Caribbean's case for reparations: Part I
"When a wrong has been committed, it must be repaired. If you recognise that colonization has been a source of massive crimes against humanity, then reparations are legitimate."
