University of California LA (UCLA) lecturer and researcher Dr. Keston K. Perry discusses community governance and reparative ecology at a recent lecture at USM.
PHILIPSBURG--University of California LA (UCLA) lecturer and researcher Dr. Keston Perry underscored the need to restore community governance and promote reparative ecology in the Caribbean during a lecture at University of St. Martin (USM) on Thursday last week.
His lecture, delivered as part of USM’s ongoing 35th-anniversary celebration lecture series, coincided with the passing last week of Tropical Storm Ernesto, which has since been upgraded to a hurricane.
Perry’s presentation centred on the concept of community governance, a framework that emphasises local decision-making and control over resources as a means of empowering communities and fostering sustainable development. In his view, restoring these power structures is crucial for the Caribbean, a region that continues to grapple with the legacies of colonialism and economic exploitation.
“I refer to this as a crisis of imperialism,” said Perry, who teaches at UCLA’s African American Studies Department and is a native of Trinidad.
“I am centring here on imperialism because it’s important to understand the dynamics of greenhouse gas emission and accumulation are inflected by the political and economic system(s) and structures that have existed since the industrial revolution and solidify themselves in our societies as slave plantation economies.”
Perry argued that the Caribbean’s reliance on tourism mirrors the historical plantation economy, where external forces decided the rules for local life and labour. This model, he said, creates vulnerabilities in the region, including vulnerability to climatic events, and undermines the capacity for self-sustained growth and resilience.
The lecture also addressed the concept of reparative ecology, which Dr. Perry described as an approach to ecological restoration that includes social justice alongside environmental repair.
USM said in a press release that the lecture had drawn a small, but engaged crowd who asked questions about connecting the ideas of community governance to the wider community and population.
USM President Dr. Antonio Carmona Baez echoed Dr. Perry’s sentiments in his remarks, emphasising the university’s commitment to fostering critical discussions that address the region’s most pressing challenges. “As we celebrate USM’s 35th anniversary, it is vital that we continue to engage with ideas and solutions that can drive positive change for St. Maarten and the wider Caribbean,” he said.
Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Gale Rigobert in welcoming the guest speaker and attendees emphasised USM’s role as a thought leader and its corresponding responsibility to interrogate issues that are important to the community. More importantly, she underscored the need to encourage more dialogue among community and civil society groups, and between the university and the community.
The lecture was part of an ongoing series at USM in celebration of the university’s 35th anniversary. These lectures aim to attract local, regional and international experts and thought leaders to USM and St. Maarten and encourage dialogue on topics of interest. The lecture series will continue throughout the rest of the year.
