University College
of the Cayman Islands
21 – 23 March 2012
CALL FOR PAPERS
The University College of the Cayman Islands, in collaboration with the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), the University of the West Indies, Mona, will be staging the 50-50 Conference, 21-23 March 2012. The theme of this conference is Surveying the Past, Mapping the Future.
The significance of the 50-50 insignia is that the year 2012 marks 50 years since the end of the West Indies Federation.This milestone is therefore a fittingtime for retrospectionby the territories that opted for independence, entered into autonomous political arrangements, became integrated into extra-regional states, or remained dependent territories.
It is also an opportunity for collective examination of the future possibilities for, and direction of, territories with varying political arrangements, and of the region as a whole.
With regard to the non-independent territories, while the conference focusses primarily on the British Overseas Territories (BOTs), the non-independent Caribbean (Dutch, French, and U.S.) territories are important participants as they are direct sources of information on functioning of alternative models of constitutional arrangements, such as integration, free association, and independence.
This UCCI conference can therefore serve to begin the process at the institutional level of broadening perspective on the options, other than continued colonial status or independence, available to the BOTs.
Conference Objectives
The objectives of the 50-50 Conference are to:
- bring together the main thinkers and political
actors from all Overseas Territories (regardless of
metropole) and from all the independent territories,
to discuss the last fifty years and to consider the
next fifty;
- foster an intellectually rich environment in which
to discuss critical and urgent issues related to the
divergent paths taken by various societies at the end
of the “Federal Experiment”.
- consider trajectories for the next 50 years of
development of Caribbean societies.
50-50 Opportunity for Reflection,
Analysis and Projection
The Conference will focus on the
following questions:
1. How have the independent countries fared in
all dimensions of society, compared to the non-
independent countries?
2. How did British Overseas Territories (BOTs) relate to
the West Indies Federation?
3. What are the comparative experiences of the French
integrated departments, Dutch autonomous countries
and U.S. dependent territories?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of
continued dependent status, integration, or autonomy?
5. What are the challenges posed by dependency?
6. What are the pros and cons of independence from
Britain from the perspectives of the BOTs?
7. What is the role of international law in the process of
the BOTs’ self-determination?
8. Do BOTs have sufficient independence in domestic
governance?
9. Does the British government fully reflect the views
of BOTs in international fora and what are the options
and rights at present with regard to the BOTs’ direct
participation in international organisations?
10. What are the sources of contention between the
dependencies and the UK?
11. What can overseas dependent territories not do
that they would like to were they independent?
12. What is the current form of Government and its
constitutional and ministerial relationships with the
Governor and the British Government?
13. How important are issues of migration and
multiculturalism to these islands?
14. Is there a relationship between non-independence
and cultural emancipation?
15. How viable are the twin pillars of tourism
and banking for these islands and what are other
possibilities?
16. How viable is the independence option for BOTs?
17. What other options for political equality exist for the
In addition to papers focussed on
the above questions, the Conference
invites presentations on the following
areas as they relate to the overall
conference theme:
- Government, Parties and Policy
- Public Administration
- Security and Crime
- Economic Policy
- Agriculture
- Manufacturing
- Mining
- Energy
- Social Policy
- Caribbean Integration
- Health
- Education
- Tourism and the Hotel Industry
- Popular Culture
- Literature and the Arts
- Critical Thinkers
- Role of UWI (Including SALISES)
- Role of Medicine
- Gender
- Technology
- Environment
Deadline for abstracts is 30 December 2011.
Full papers are due 28 February 2012.
Forward abstracts and papers to:
Dr. Mark Minott, mminott@ucci.edu.ky, or
Dr. Stephanie Fullerton-Cooper,
sfullerton-cooper@ucci.edu.ky
For further information contact:
Dr. L Smith, lsmith@ucci.edu.ky, 1-345-326-3276
or visit www.UCCIconference.ky
