International Journal of Bahamian Studies
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The Role of Leadership in Bahamian Special Economic Zones
Full text linkDuring Edward St. George’s tenure as co-chair of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, he was credited with providing a unique blend of leadership traits which resulted in the city of Freeport’s growth. While a great deal of research has been conducted on the role of economic variables in special economic zone growth, little analysis has been conducted on the role of leadership. This paper reviews relevant theories on leadership styles and uses a case study research method to develop a leadership profile of Edward St. George as compared to three of his immediate successors in leading the Grand Bahama Port Authority. The results indicate that core tenets of St. George’s leadership were authentic and transformational leadership styles, which were less emphasized by his successors. The results of this paper indicate greater consideration should be placed on these humanistic leadership styles in selecting Grand Bahama Port Authority leadership, in order to encourage greater inclusion and special economic zone growth
Research Edge: The First 20 Years
No full textCommunicating research is an important step in the research process. It can be a means of getting informed feedback on a research project in progress, a means of sharing results in the final stage of a research project, or a step in preparing a research study for publication. A public research presentation is also a way of reaching a wider audience than that reached when researchers engage in a topic which results in a scientific paper read by just a handful of cognoscenti
Wrecked Emigrant Ships in The Bahamas: The Wreck of the Barque William and Mary
Full text linkThe Bahamian archipelago is strategically located between the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. However, the hidden reefs and shoals, the changing sandbanks, and the unpredictable winds and currents, especially in the hurricane months, all conspired to make Bahamian waters the terror of navigators and the delight of wreckers during the age of sail. This article explores the wrecks of four emigrant ships in The Bahamas in the early 1850s. The European passengers were leaving poverty-stricken Europe to pursue the ‘American Dream’ but did not reach their destination without enduring the combined perils of weather and the hazards of Bahamian waters. Fortunately, they were rescued by humane Bahamian wreckers and assisted by inhabitants of Nassau and Governor Gregory, who organized their onward journey. In particular, the wreck of the William and Mary exposes the greed and lack of care that ship owners and captains showed in attempting to carry hapless passengers from Europe to the United States of America
Dorian Unmaking Space: Policy, Place and Dislocation
Full text linkWithin an autoethnographic approach, this paper employs concepts such as spatial and climate (in)justice and structural and slow violence to explore disaster capitalism that results from a neoliberal state and its desire to dispose of people it deems as being less worthy. Focusing on the impacts of Hurricane Dorian on Abaco and the fallout, this work builds on other disasters in the region and attempts to draw parallels between the Bahamian government’s response to Hurricane Dorian and the similarity this response shares with other regional reactions to natural disasters
Emergency Response to Hurricane Dorian: Emergent Volunteer Groups and Public-Private Partnerships
Full text linkThe emergency response efforts in the immediate days and weeks following Hurricane Dorian provide valuable guidance for effective preparation for and response to future extreme events. We assess the experiences and lessons learnt from an emergent volunteer group that provided emergency response in the first fifteen days following the landfall of Hurricane Dorian. Drawing from accounts of first responders that convened at the Odyssey Aviation airport in New Providence, the paper highlights the activities, outcomes, and enabling factors of the ad hoc group that supported a wide range of emergency response efforts. The group developed and managed an evacuation centre that processed over 6,000 evacuees from Abaco and Grand Bahama; collaborated to deliver food, shelter and medical attention for evacuees; and found housing for displaced persons. They organized the marine response to the storm; coordinated international organizations; and facilitated landing first responders and initial medical teams into Abaco. They also provided coordination support for the Government of The Bahamas. We highlight the need to include public-private partnerships in national disaster management systems to significantly strengthen national capacities to address the rising risks of disasters
A Living Wage for The Bahamas: Estimates, Potentials, and Problems
Full text linkThis report describes how living wage estimates were calculated for New Providence and Grand Bahama. This report uses primary and secondary sources and is inspired by the Anker methodology. We calculated that 3550 were needed each month as the gross living wage for a full-time worker who must sustain a family of four in New Providence and Grand Bahama, respectively. We estimated the net living wage to be 3400 for Grand Bahama. Our estimates are almost 200% higher than the minimum wage and nearly 130% higher than the poverty line for New Providence; for Grand Bahama, they are almost 300% higher than the minimum wage and 160% higher than the poverty line. The study should inform national discussions on public policy matters related to reducing the country’s cost of living, improving its income equity, and pursuing economic justice for all
Microplastics in The Bahamas: A Reconnaissance Quantifying the Prevalence on Selected Beaches in New Providence.
Full text linkPlastic substances, unlike organic materials, disintegrate over long periods of time. After degradation, larger plastic materials that are broken down into smaller pieces ranging in sizes of less than 5 mm are known as microplastics. To investigate microplastics on Bahamian beaches, this reconnaissance study was conducted on a total of three beaches in New Providence: Cabbage Beach, Goodman’s Bay, and Montague Beach. A total of 30 samples were collected, including 10 samples from each beach along the high tide line, and assessed for microplastics. The microplastics were then visualized using a dissecting microscope with a magnification of 25x or greater. In the 30 samples, an average of 13.5 microplastics were identified at Cabbage Beach; an average of 15.8 were identified at Goodman’s Bay, and an average of 16.3 were identified at Montague Beach. Fibres were the most prevalent type of microplastic observed, but film, pellets, and fragments were also identified. As the concern for the environments of Small Island Developing States grows tremendously, the need for research on the behavior and accumulation of microplastics is crucial
The Responsibility of Community Sustainability from the Frontlines of Climate Change
Full text linkBahamian communities are vulnerably positioned on the frontlines of climate change due to global warming. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Global South, including The Bahamas, have been identified as especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to their unique characteristics. There is now a pressing need for sustainable community development that involves a cross-disciplinary, climate change adaptation approach that promotes resilience strengthening. This type of planning strategy was needed in the preparation and implementation of emergency shelters before the passing of Hurricane Dorian and in the ongoing rebuilding efforts of communities post-Dorian. Further, the way in which key stakeholders engage with these activities has implications on The Bahamas’ capacity for climate change resilience. This paper will identify gaps in adaptation processes within Dorian-hit redevelopment and the national system of sheltering and evacuation. It goes on to argue the need for social equity in planning for the protection of vulnerable communities, inclusive of informal settlements like those destroyed by Hurricane Dorian in North Abaco. Lastly, this paper will make recommendations toward Bahamian climate change resilience
Public Health Policy in The Bahamas: An Overview
Full text linkThis edited transcript was a public lecture delivered by Dr. Duane Sands, MP and Minister of Health at the University of The Bahamas on May 2, 2019 as part of the “Meet the Policy Makers Series” sponsored by the Government and Public Policy Institute of the University of The Bahamas