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Caribbean Unity... Together We Stand United

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Caribbean Unity... Together We Stand United

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"CSME". Ministry Of Foreign And CARICOM Affairs, 2018, https://foreign.gov.tt/services/csme/.  Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

"Caribbean Elections - Understanding Regional Integration". Caribbeanelections.Com, 2019, http://www.caribbeanelections.com/education/integration/integration.asp.Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

"Carifesta 2019 – Ministry Of Community Development Culture And The Arts". Cdca.Gov.Tt, 2019, http://www.cdca.gov.tt/culture-and-arts/trinidad-tobago-hosts-carifesta-xiv-in-2019/. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

"History Of The CARIFESTA – CARIFESTA XIV". Carifesta.Net, 2019, https://carifesta.net/history-of-carifesta/.  Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Carstens, Agustín. "Regional Integration In A Globalizing World: Priorities For The Caribbean, Key Note Speach By Agust&Iacute;N Carstens, Deputy Managing Director, IMF". IMF, 2006, https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2015/09/28/04/53/sp050106. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Ragbir, Nandika. "GLOBALIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CARIBBEAN: The Poverty And Inequality We’Ve Suffered.". Littleusgoneglobal?, 2015, https://littleusgoneglobal.wordpress.com/2015/03/13/globalization-and-its-impact-on-the-caribbean-the-poverty-and-inequality-suffered/. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Rodríguez, Ennio, and Anneke Jessen. "The Caribbean Community: Facing The Challenges Of Regional And Global Integration | Publications". Publications.Iadb.Org, 1999, https://publications.iadb.org/en/publication/10893/caribbean-community-facing-challenges-regional-and-global-integration. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Secretariat, CARICOM. "REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT : THE RELEVANCE OF FUNCTIONAL COOPERATION.  KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED BY DR. EDWARD GREENE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL, HUMAN AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY SECRETARIAT, AT THE OAS/UNESCO CONFERENCE ON CARIBBEAN HIGHER EDUCATION, 11 APRIL 2010, PARAMARIBO, SURINAME — Caribbean Community (CARICOM)". Caricom.Org, 2010, https://caricom.org/media-center/communications/speeches/regional-integration-and-development-the-relevance-of-functional-cooperatio.  Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Secretariat, CARICOM. "Community Institution Profile — Caribbean Community (CARICOM)". Caricom.Org, 2019, https://caricom.org/about-caricom/who-we-are/institutions1/caribbean-tourism-organisation-cto.  Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Tromp, Dr. Emsley D. "The Caribbean Marketplace; Succeeding In A Globalizing World - Central Bank". Centralbank.Cw, 2007, https://www.centralbank.cw/index.php?eid=1734.  Accessed 10 Apr 2019.

Many Nations... One People. 2019, http://www.carifesta.com/. Accessed 10 Apr 2019.
"Caribbean Single Market And Economy". Youtube, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSnkwF9lNM0&t=47s
"TEAC 2018 Video 1- Understanding Caribbean Tourism (English)". Youtube, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJenhB-T1-0&t=174s

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Given what was discussed above, I firmly believe that if the Caribbean chooses to join the global market, they choose to increase integration with the worlds economy in which according to research they would NOT be able to withstand given their diminutive size.

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Under CARICOM came the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME) in which integrates the Caribbean economically. The aim behind the CSME was to achieve by the year 2015, the full mobility of goods, services, capital and people and the harmonization of economic policies in which from my judgement has been partially achieved as there are still discrepancies in economic policies surrounding Caribbean states. According to the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, “CSME is an essential element of integration in the Caribbean Community.” This integration scheme is aimed at benefitting the people of the region by providing more and better opportunities which would in turn benefit the overall Caribbean Community.
The video below greatly explains CSME and how it has benefited the Caribbean community with respect to economic integration and overall Caribbean inter-island development

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It should be noted that the organisations listed below were formed under CARICOM in an attempt to better develop the Caribbean region within specific areas.

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With that being said....

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Why is it KEY for Caribbean Development  

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Why is it KEY for Caribbean Development  

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As stated by Agustín Carstens, Regional integration is critical to helping the small island nations of the Caribbean to overcome “some of the natural disadvantages and limitations that small countries face with respect to the unavoidable forces of globalization”

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According to Caribbean Elections, regional integration “is the process by which two or more nation-states agree to co-operate and work closely together to achieve peace, stability and wealth to ultimately develop ones state.” Regional integration primarily begins with economic integration and it progresses into including political integration.

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Ultimately,  through extensive research, the integration of global markets has  been deemed to cause several issues within the Caribbean community.  One can say, that Caribbean countries are diminutive in size if compaired to larger “first world” countries.   Merely, due to size, these Small Island States are placed at a  disadvantage when it comes to globalisation or joining the global market.

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According to Soros, Globalisation is the free movement of capital and the increasing domination of national economies by global financial markets and multinational corporations." In other words, globalisation entails economic,cultural and political integration on an international forefront.

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The Caribbean Festival Of Arts known as CARIFESTA is an embodiment of Caribbean Integration according to CARICOM. CARIFESTA has been a stimulant for the strengthening of regional integration among Caribbean countries through art and culture. According to the Ministry of Community Development, this festival is seen as a launching pad for regional artist to showcase their Caribbean talents and skills to the rest of the world. The festival allows the region to come together, to co-mingle and create one community. CARIFESTA, is seen as a tool to culturally develop the Caribbean. If Caribbean countries were to join the global market, their culture, norms and practices would be heavily influenced by extra regional territories due to Xenocentrisim. The Caribbean region would most likely have to follow the international “laws” formulated around what is globally accepted for culture and what it should entail which would ultimately wipe out or severely change our culture thus resulting in the loss of our Caribbean Identity.

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CTO also known as the Caribbean Tourism Organisation i(CTO) s very instrumental in the development of the Caribbean identity. According to CARICOM, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation was formulated for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people.  The CTO has been proven to be beneficial to economies that rely solely on revenue earned from the tourism sector, as they are tourism driven states; a prime example is Barbados. A main characteristic of this organisation is that it, “encourages coordination with respect to research planning and the efficient allocation of local, regional and international resources at both government and non-governmental levels in tourism development.” With that being said, this organisation develops the Caribbean not only in the tourism sector but also educationally as another aim is to provide training and education for Caribbean nationals and for international travel agents based in the Caribbean. The short  video attached below thoroughly justifys the importance of the CTO and how it can be critical factor in the Caribbeans sustainable development.

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TEAC 2018 Video 1- Understanding Caribbean Tourism (English)

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The Caribbean Community also known as CARICOM is an organization which aims at “formalizing a customs union, foreign policy coordination and functional corporations,” throughout the Caribbean.  The main focus and aim of CARICOM, is to achieve economic integration and cooperation among its many member states. Caribbean countries are integrated politically and economically through the formation of CARICOM and by extension CSME. The Caribbean community is integrated politically in a sense that challenging worldwide policies can often be achieved through regional agreements. A current example of CARICOM displaying political integration, is the united stance adopted by the Caribbean Community in relation to the political challenges facing Venezuela at this time. Moreover CARICOM members continue to take steps to deepen and widen their integration scheme.

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CARICOM, CSME, CTO and CARIFESTA et al, are some of the Caribbean organisations that promote Caribbean integration and in turn develops the Caribbean islands politically, economically, culturally and in areas of sports

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Why shouldn't Caribbean countries join the Global Market

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Why shouldn't Caribbean countries join the Global Market

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1. Small States such as Caribbean islands cannot influence their export prices in turn, Caribbean islands would be disadvantaged if extensive globalization occurred; hence they would have to accept the worlds set export price which most likely would not be favourable to CARICOM.
2. In Addition, even though Multinational corporations are key factors for the improvement of welfare in Caribbean countries, it has been proven by The World Bank and the United Nations that even though these small states enter into contracts with these international firms (for the development of their economy)  it has been affirmed that they exploit the region of their profits. For example, the Sandals resort in Jamaica exploits the country as all profits made from the resort goes entirely back to the home country. From my understanding, Jamaica would have agreed on Sandals entering their country as at the time, it would have been beneficial for their tourism driven economy but what they didn’t know was that it would take years for them to begin to make any profits off the contract they previously signed.
3. Furthermore, as said best by the president of the Central Bank Netherlands, “we the world need to realise that Caribbean countries alone, by their sheer size, cannot survive in a globalising world and that in order for the Caribbean to combat globalization, “greater labour mobility should serve to ameliorate  shortages within the region as some regional economies inevitably grow faster than others.”  He further expressed that the islands would lose their well-founded sense of Caribbean identity in which analyst such as Eric Williams and Marcus Garvey fought hard for.

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In order for regional integration to work, there it needs to be a complement and not a substitute for integration with the global market.

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Considering what was stated above, Caribbean integration is beneficial to all the small islands because it allows them to strengthen their bond politically, economically and culturally.   This sort of integration brings an awareness throughout the islands as well as the entire world.