“There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’s counsel – that will stand.” – Proverbs 19:21 Caribbean countries continue to grapple with the twin challenges of refinancing government debt and growing the economy. The refinancing of government debt is the responsibility of the parliament which has to debate and approve traditional sources …
“For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.” – Psalm 62:5 As the Daily Word reminds us “Life emerges from within, in perfect order. On the branch of a cherry tree, swelling buds are ready to burst into blossom in perfect order. In much the same way, I am …
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” – 3 John 1:2 Tourism is the single major sector that is important in every Caribbean country. Two to three weeks ago, American Professor of Economics, C. Fred Bergsten advised the flagging tourism-dependent Caribbean countries to …
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” – Matthew 11:29-30 This week, here is an amalgam of web feeds which may inspire hope for the future of …
“Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin” – Proverbs 18:24 International development is big business. It is reported that official global aid flows from North to South are over US$100 billion annually. However, China and India, former aid recipients, are rapidly entering the field as aid providers …
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me” – Philippians 4:13 There is much lip service being paid to entrepreneurship in the local, regional and international press. It is an obvious foundation for a sustainable solution to stymied economic growth because it involves the individual (with an idea), the basic unit of production …
“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts” – Philippians 4:7 Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller (1895-1983) was an American architect, systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, and futurist. One of his quotes reads as follows: “None of us knows when or how our life on this Earth will end, but we are …
“That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by” – Ecclesiastes 3:15 I spent the first 10 of the last 15 years, with different teams of colleagues, first identifying the constraints to enterprise development in the Caribbean and then developing a model of …
“Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13 The Caribbean has the potential to be a unique attractive region of the world not only for its residents but also as a tourist destination and an investment haven for diverse legal business activities. Yet, there is growing evidence that …
“May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony” – Romans 15:5 As I set about writing this column with the state of the Barbados economy weighing heavily on my mind, I was inspired to recall the following Shakespearean quotation: “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken …
“Believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father” – John 10:38 Barbados is certainly not blessed with an abundance of mineral reserves but yet historically it has been admired and respected, in regional and international circles, as one of the most …
“For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.—2 Timothy 1:7 Last week’s column was entitled “Embracing Spiritual Abundance”. I received an above average number of responses to the column; some may have predicted this. All of these were complimentary and inspiring …
“Love is patient; love is kind … It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Last week we once again celebrated the birth of Christ. We reunited with friends and family, we engaged in culinary delights, we imbibed many a beverage and we exchanged gifts, …
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” – 1 Corinthians 3:6 Hard work, hard work, hard work! It’s a reference to the fact that in order to achieve anything worthwhile in life, one has to diligently apply oneself to the tasks with which we are faced. Without hard work, nothing grows but “weeds”. …
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and … to let the oppressed go free” – Luke 4:18 It has been reported in the press that since December 3 2013, an International …
“For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” -Matthew 10:20 The rate of national economic growth is most impressive when we have sustained enterprise development, one successful enterprise after another. Weak economic growth impacts negatively on employment, savings, inflation, net foreign exchange earnings, use of natural resources, …
“When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” – Matthew 6:3-4 I always look forward to the Annual Sir Winston Scott memorial lecture mounted by the Central …
“The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace” – Numbers 6:26 The Lok Jack GSB BizBooster is billed as a catalyst for development and growth of small and medium sized enterprises that will increase national and regional prosperity. It is a commercial business incubator powered by the University of the West …
“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart”. 1 Samuel 16:7 Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting …
“In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode” – Exodus 15:13 On the international scene, around the regional setting and in our local surroundings, policy makers are very focused on economic growth. Indeed, any country should want to cultivate a smart partnership …
” I will place my dwelling in your midst”- Leviticus 26:11 I take around with me in my passport folder a little card which says “Especially for You -Thought for every day” in which is inscribed, in my mother’s handwriting, the following words of wisdom: “Limitations surround us because we believe in our inability to …
“So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them” – 1 John 4:16 We on earth are all spiritual beings having a human experience and not human beings having a spiritual experience, as some …
“This God – his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him” – Psalm 18:30 The Universe we live in is governed by Divine spiritual laws. Sometimes our egos get the better of us and we are tempted to create our own …
“See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! – 2 Corinthians 6:2 The agricultural revolution, which took place in the 18th and 19th centuries, was a period of agricultural development which saw a massive and rapid increase in agricultural productivity and vast improvements in farm technology. Farming and farm machinery …
“Let us go out early to the vineyards, and see whether the vines have budded, whether the grape blossoms have opened … There I will give you my love”—Song of Solomon 7:12 The Index Mundi is promoted as the home of the Internet’s most complete country profiles. Here is what the Mundi has to say …
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 The Caribbean is a diverse multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-culinary, multi-genre (musical) and multi-lingual region officially made up of an archipelago of islands and selected mainland emerging territories nested between North and South America, Central America in the West …
“On his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season … In all that they do, they prosper” – Psalm 1:2, 3 David Cameron Gikandi’s book “A Happy Pocket full of Money” espouses “Your Quantum Leap into the Understanding, Having and …
“Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!” – Psalm 150:4 In my last column “Seek Comfort in Good Business Health”, I drew a business analogy with the child mortality rate (the death of a child before the child’s fifth birthday) which globally declined from 89 per 1000 children (8.9%) in …
“As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.—Isaiah 66:13” According to Webster’s dictionary, comfort means to give strength and hope; to ease grief or trouble. “Comfort” was the Daily Word’s offering on Saturday supported by the following: “No matter what difficulty you may be facing today, God wants to bring you comfort. …
“For God all things are possible” – Matthew 19:26 Last week the focus in this column was on the potential for the youth. They were encouraged to turn their ideas and innovations into sustainable commercial realities. They were advised that even if a situation may seem impossible or a problem may appear to be unsolvable, …
“Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” – Luke 2:19 There is an organisation in Johannesburg South Africa called “Young & Able” which started operations in 2003. Its mission is to help young people live up to their potential by discovering their purpose. Its aims are to (1) inspire youth to …
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff–they comfort me” – Psalm 23:4 I have been relentlessly promoting concepts of enterprise development in this column. The reason is simple. Sustainable economic growth is a necessary component of socio-economic well-being of the …
“If they listen, and serve him, they complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness” – Job 36:11 There is an interesting line of which I was reminded recently “The past is history, the future is a mystery and Today is a gift. That is why we call it the present”. Maybe we …
“You shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” – Isaiah 55:12 The inequitable distribution of wealth is an inevitable consequence of our history, politics, policies and practices. We continue …
“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord” – Psalm 31:24 I was recently introduced to the term crowdfunding at an interactive dialogue session on “Smart partnership inclusivity strategies for leveraging technology – Financial Inclusion” in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The participant, an African Ambassador resident in Europe, …
“Revive me according to your word” – Psalm 119:25 The CIA World Factbook reports at February 21, 2013 as follows: “Barbados is the wealthiest and most developed country in the Eastern Caribbean and enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America…in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism …
“Peace be to the whole community, and love with faith, from God” – Ephesians 6:23 I have recently interacted fairly passionately with several segments of the enterprise and mentorship community in Trinidad and Barbados. While facilitating a retreat in Trinidad last week, I had occasion to mention the visionary quote “sustainable economic growth can only …
“You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forward I make you hear new things, hidden things that you have not known” – Isaiah 48:6 The Caribbean team of three, Dianne Lalla-Rodrigues (Director of the Antigua and Barbuda Bureau of Standard), Lennox Lewis (Owner and Chairman, I.T. …
“The Lord is good…he protects those who take refuge in him, even in a rushing flood” – Nahum 1:7 I came across a beautiful article on balance while surfing the net, it was about the potential harmony of a dining experience. The synopsis was “Your dining experience is more than great food. It is a community …
“I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security” – Jeremiah 33:6 The troubled economies of the Caribbean are sure to keep us looking for ways to address all the talk of recession, depression, inflation and currency devaluation in the years ahead. …
“The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” – Genesis 2:7 When a baby takes its first breath this begins the process of life on earth and this life ends when the last breath has been taken. In the interim, since the lungs …
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act” – Psalm 37:5 Three weeks ago a friend of mine from school days and I were reflecting on recent changes in our personal lives. He wrote “If you remember many years ago you introduced me to The Power of Positive Thinking …It …
“You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be” – Deuteronomy 15:8 Each country in the world strives for sustainable development. One element of sustainable development is sustainable economic growth. Sustainable economic growth in any given country can only take place, one successful enterprise after another. Each …
“Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good” – Genesis 50:20 On my return from my first focused visit to Singapore in 1993, I wrote an article to the press entitled “Barbados the Singapore of the Caribbean”. This interest signalled the advent of a hobby to develop an innovative …
“Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path” – Psalm 27:11 The Brundtland Commission’s report (1987) defined sustainable development as: “Development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. The principles of sustainable development are not only associated with …
“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance” – James 1:2-3 “Patience is a Virtue” is a proverbial phrase that has withstood the test of time. Difficult times in one’s life might be induced by economic …
“This is my comfort in my distress, that your promise gives me life” – Psalm 119:50 We all have moments of distress but God’s ever present love should be our greatest comfort. This was manifested this week by a scenario which occurred at a bank. I have a relationship with the tellers at this bank …
So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas,a]”> and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ Luke 19:13 I met a Caribbean colleague for the first time at Compete Caribbean’s strategic regional dialogue on private sector development in the Caribbean and the Compete Caribbean regional consultative forum two weeks ago. …
“Peace be within you” – Psalm 122:8 One way to establish peace and harmony both within ourselves and in the world is to create smart partnerships. A partnership is entered into because of the synergy which one expects to gain from the relationship. The twain or many shall become one and the benefits are expected …
“Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation” – Psalm 25:5 The Caribbean Centre for Organizational Excellence (CCOE) presented their inaugural Conference in Barbados on March 12, 2013. This year’s conference, hosted under the theme “Achieving Excellence in Caribbean Organizations”, examined how organisational excellence contributes to organisational …
“I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” – John 8:12 As the light of life falls on our children, shadows are cast. It is in the comfort of these shadows that parents reflect on their stewardship as parents. A …
“With us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles” – 2 Chronicles 32:8 Let us borrow from the concept of “persistency” usually associated with an insurance company. “Persistency is the percentage of the company’s already written policies remaining in force, without lapsing, year after year. Since persistency is a …