Small Cards, New Horizons: Barbados-Guyana Mutual Recognition of IDs
Vanessa Mason$*Once again, there is local concern in Barbados about a small step in fostering closer regional ties. Effective July 1, 2026, citizens of Barbados and Guyana will have two options to travel between their nations: by passport or by national identification (ID) card. Similar to the Enhanced Cooperation in Free Movement regime among four CARICOM states (Barbados, Belize, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines) that came into effect on October 1, 2025, the announcement has already stirred security, administrative and legal concerns. The concern is understandable and stems largely from a lack of information; that failure lies squarely with those responsible for communicating these changes.
Once Upon a Time: Diplomacy in the Image of Our Times
Vanessa Mason$* In watching recent regional and international events, I pondered whether political discourse, and diplomacy more specifically, is in decline or being remade in the image of the times. This is a question that I am certain concerns not only seasoned career diplomats but average citizens. To avoid any misunderstanding, I use ‘diplomacy’ here to mean specifically the conduct of international interactions and communications between states.