Since the beginning of the nineties, international organisations have managed to keep the issue of poverty and social exclusion a high priority. Perhaps the highest expression of that interest has been the programme on the Millennium Development Goals, which has led to an overall examination of the causes of poverty and the means by which progress could be made in overcoming this dilemma.

Governments adopted a formal commitment to ensure the fulfilment of those important goals. However, although it can be said that the world economy, as well as the economies of many of the countries of our Region, has grown, such an impetus has been achieved by maintaining a high concentration of income, along with high levels of social inequality.

Even though there have been obvious signs of government commitment, they have not been successful enough to achieve the desired results. In the case of several Greater Caribbean countries, a limited reduction in poverty has been observed. But this result is not due solely to the measures adopted within the Millennium Goals. For many countries that have confirmed that reduction in poverty, it is more the result of remittances sent by emigrants and the expansion of the informal sector of the economy.

In other words, the slight improvement experienced by the poor of the region has stemmed from their own actions, by developing those initiatives that have been forced on them by social exclusion, as is the case of emigration.

Those obvious setbacks in the fight against poverty manifest themselves in the outcome of elections. This has affected the traditional political parties that have always had electoral control, and which have been rejected to some extent by a population that no longer wants to believe in perpetual promises.

The weariness of vast sectors of the population has contributed to the emergence of a new leadership, whose commitment tends to be established directly between the electorate and the leader, without mediation, with the objective of consolidating social movements more than formal organisations of political participation.

If we look at the electoral results over the last few months, throughout the continent, we will observe how the popular vote has been focussed, either by giving victory to the alternative leaders or consolidating them in second place. The fact remains that in any case, they are being portrayed as true political forces, without which the governance of their respective countries cannot be guaranteed.  

This confirms that the vote has been radicalised among the socially excluded, with them leaning toward those positions which they believe identify more with their aspirations for change and with the urgency to achieve the development goals that have been so often postponed. Perhaps the time has come to listen to the voices from below.

Dr Rubén Silié Valdez is the Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States. The views expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS. Comments can be sent to: mail@acs-aec.org