Hundreds of thousands are likely to have died, millions are in need, their homes having been lost. Many wait for medical care. Safe water is in short supply and the rainy season starts in May. Could it have been different in Haiti? Would good planning have eased the pain of the shocks?
The case of Haiti's devastating earthquake and the reactions it has elicited sharply illustrate an array of seemingly dichotomous ways of understanding obligations of "international assistance and cooperation," which are taken up by authors in this issue.
This article discusses different views about sustainable development, emphasizing -- on the basis of a survey conducted in Brazil, Mexico, and Cuba -- the role of rural women in food production and natural resource management, the strength of the rural women's movement in the conquest of rights, and the decisive participation of women in defining proposals for public policies that guarantee gender equality in rural areas. A brief comparative analysis leads us to conclude that the development model in the three countries still prioritizes the male figure in relation to land tenure, access to credit and purchase of equipment or other material resources, it is suggested that both in Cuba, a socialist country, and in Mexico and Brazil, capitalist counties, the assumptions of social policies directed to rural female workers should take into account the basic needs of rural women to guarantee a more humane and sustainable development. Adapted from the source document.
At different times in its history, the Caribbean has been a strategic region -- initially with the arrival of the first Europeans in the late 15th century, then, among other things, by its proximity to the Panama Canal & later as a result of the Cuban revolution. But for some years now it has played a less important role internationally. However, as Viktor Sukup points out, "Russia's recent rapprochement with Cuba & Venezuela & the increasing engagement of China in the region" suggest that the Caribbean still has strategic importance.
It is not uncommon to hear about how corporations bring investment to developing countries and even their willingness to address problem areas such as environmental contamination and child labor practices. But in some cases, corporations leave a trail of destruction of violence. The article highlights the Caribbean region of Colombia, where the construction of a mega-port has seen the displacement of communities and takeover of property and livelihoods with complete impunity.
