There are a variety of governmental and political systems practiced around the world; Most fall under the democratic, communist, and socialist regimes, with the remaining few being monarchical, in addition to the recent growth of theocratic rule by Islamic states. Of course, there are many variations on these systems to explore. However, it is important to mention totalitarian, military and other forms of dictatorship.
The application herein is for small nation states in the Caribbean, Central America, Africa and the Pacific regions. Such is the case for Belize, with its system of parliamentary and constitutional democracy – where a novel concept of “creative governance” would increase resilience, strengthen its collective identity and provide safety nets from external shocks to ensure its survival in a futuristic and global environment guarantee .
Undoubtedly, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the global economy. Small nation states will certainly be hampered for years to come, and the potential for a failed state scenario cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is extremely important for small nation-states to improve and strengthen their political and economic systems in order to be better prepared for the future. A significant obstacle to development in these small states are the major divisions between their people and their political institutions.
Belize and other small nation-states must be creative in more ways than one to ensure their indefinite survival. First, they must reduce their divisions and unite their people under one roof: “country first,” then party and politics. There is a great need for cooperation, integration and above all reconciliation. Creative governance falls under the principles of coalition building in the private, public and political sectors. Coalition government is difficult to achieve and takes many years to develop, but is important in states where the country’s sovereignty depends on it, such as Israel.
In Belize, the unsubstantiated Guatemalan claim, the main obstacle to our sovereignty, the high crime rate and gun/gang violence further undermining the country’s stability, as well as the economic situation caused by Covid-19 also make the development of a collaborative/coalition approach for governance is not only important, it is a necessity. There needs to be a more inclusive approach to governance. Small parties and independent candidates need to be more consistent and even work together to achieve greater success.
The benefits of creative and coalition governance are numerous. The main obstacle is the prevalence of conflict due to the larger number of actors and ideas, but once there is a concerted effort to manage these conflicts constructively, gains can be made. An additional benefit of involving independents and coalitions in governance is that area representatives are more committed to their constituency than to their party. Those who want to govern and are sincere in their intentions must consider this approach – promoting reconciliation, cooperation and inclusion – and ending the division that could ultimately endanger the survival of the Belize nation.
