Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, E Nigel Harris (left), chats with Dr Yash Tandon (right), executive director of the South Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, at the ninth annual Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) conference at the Mona Visitor's Lodge Wednesday evening. Principal and pro-vice chacellor of UWI, Mona, Professor Gordon Shirley (2nd left) and director of SALISES Professor Neville Duncan share in the moment. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

ACADEMICS, especially political economy scholars, must not be afraid to tell governments real, non-diplomatic truths, according to Dr Yash Tandon, executive director of the South Centre in Geneva, Switzerland.

"We who research, write and critique have an obligation, in my view, to speak truth to power, to say how things are and how they should be from the vantage point of some distance from political power and authority," Tandon said.

He was speaking at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies' (SALISES) ninth annual conference at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Wednesday night. He said the challenges some Caribbean intellectuals have made to the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the CARIFORUM group, was a case in point.

"They are speaking truth to power now, not tomorrow, not after the event, but today in the heat of battle," Tandon said.
He said, however, that there were two truths - existential and diplomatic. The former is based on experience, and the latter is negotiated.

"In the case of the economic negotiations between EU and ACP countries, the diplomatic truth put out by the European Commission and some of the governments in Africa and the Caribbean confounds all logic and all ideas on the ground," Tandon said.

But, he said the World Trade Organisation is based on a "mercantilist ethos" which pressures small, vulnerable economies "to conform to agreements entered into previously, largely in a conspiratorial manner, by the bigger trading blocs and countries, such as the USA and the European Union."

In telling their truth to politicians, Tandon, said, academics should also offer an alternative vision, taking into account, the difficult decisions leaders must make.

"When do politicians get an opportunity to [provide] academics with a reality check?" he asked. "The point I want to make is the pressure to make decisions and the circumstances in which you are forced to make those decisions do compel you sometimes to throw overboard every principle that you cherish. Or else, you lose political power. The difficult choice you have to make is to stay in power and compromise your principles or get out of power," Tandon said.

This year's SALISES conference was held in honour of Professor Norman Girvan, under the theme, 'Reinventing the political economy tradition of the Caribbean'. Grivan made the closing presentation at the conference Friday evening.

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