Godfrey St. Bernard

gstbiser@gmail.com and godfrey.stbernard@sta.uwi.edu

BIODATA

Dr. Godfrey St. Bernard obtained his Ph.D. in Social Demography from the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada in 1993 and is currently employed at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES - formerly the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) in the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago. He has been the beneficiary of several prestigious fellowships and awards, including the CIDA/CELADE Fellowship in 1987 and 1989 and a Population Council Fellowship in 1991.

In the 1980s, he worked as a professional statistician in the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and continues to be a strong advocate for the development of official statistical systems and the analysis of social phenomena embracing social statistical analysis. Dr. St. Bernard’s current research interests include social measurement, population dynamics in Caribbean societies and human development challenges.

Globally, he has worked as a consultant traversing every continent. His publications cover a range of issues including population dynamics, development studies, Caribbean family structures, adult literacy, social measurement, ethnicity and youth. He is also the co-author of a book entitled: Behind the Bridge - Politics, Power and Patronage in Laventille, Trinidad.

ABSTRACT

In the aftermath of the volcanic crisis of the late 1990s and the uncertainty that continues to prevail regarding the active status of Soufriere Hills Volcano, tremendous development challenges continue to face the Caribbean island of Montserrat. In its thrusts toward facilitating sustainable development, the Government of Montserrat has embarked upon three sustainable development plans that have given some primacy to population policy. Migration policy is critical to population growth on the island. Specifically, the government has to seek innovative means of attracting Non-Montserratians and Montserratians to the island and at the same time, recognize that the stock of in-migrants is not as critical as their age distribution.

The paper is primarily geared towards demonstrating how Montserrat’s natural environment is instrumental in influencing prescriptions that ought to be implicit in the government’s migration policy. It claims that the natural environment is intrinsically amenable to stimulating in-migration and as such, offers suggestions for stimulating such in-migration, for example, the establishment of geriatric enclaves, bi-lateral arrangements with off-shore universities and research institutions, and the promotion of eco-tourism.

The paper relies upon official demographic statistics, population projections and qualitative data derived from interviews with key informants. Implicitly, the paper provides a qualitative discourse that is indicative of thrusts amenable to developmental prospects on the island. Such discourse is worthwhile insofar as it constitutes a medium for stimulating debate, consensus and prospective action.

© Godfrey St. Bernard, 2008. Page last revised November 3, 2008.

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