In today’s world of globalization, do efforts at Caribbean integration still have any relevance for Caribbean development, or should we all aspire to be citizens of the global village? by Cleve Gray https://padlet.com/ccgray7/cedjleom53fc en-us 2019-04-19 02:24:48 UTC 2019-04-19 03:46:39 UTC hello@padlet.com In today’s world of globalization, do efforts at Caribbean integration still have any relevance for Caribbean development, or should we all aspire to be citizens of the global village? ccgray7 https://padlet.com/ccgray7/cedjleom53fc/wish/352701577 Globalization is an ongoing process that involves interconnected changes in the economic, cultural, social, and political spheres of society. As a process, it involves the ever-increasing integration of these aspects between nations, regions, communities, and even seemingly isolated places. The nations of the Caribbean region, in their efforts to develop, have sought for many years to have regional integration. Integration as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary Online, is the action or process of successfully joining or mixing with a different group of people; the action or process of combining two or more things in an effective way.

The Caribbean, in its efforts for greater international recognition, economic and political independence, has for years used Caribbean integration as its driving force.

The Caribbean, for which there are many definitions, is that region that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, and the surrounding coasts. The region is southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America and north of South America. These islands generally form an arc that delineate the eastern and northern edges of the Caribbean Sea. The Caribbean islands, consisting of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Jamaica) on the north and the Lesser Antilles (from the virgin islands in the north to Trinidad and Tobago to the south and includes the Leeward Antilles to the west of Trinidad and Tobago).

Politically, through regional organisations such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that was formed to promote regionalism, the Bahamas, Belize, Guyana and Suriname are considered to be part of the Caribbean. Additionally, the majority of the Caribbean countries practise the Westminster-style parliamentary system with the exception being Cuba that practises a communist system.

Historically, it describes the area that experienced European colonization, slavery, indentureship and the plantation system. Since all Caribbean countries were affected by these institutions, it has become typical to identify a country with the specific European power that dominated it. Thus, the Caribbean is divided into English, French, Dutch and Spanish speaking countries or territories.

Culture is defined as ‘designs of living’: the values, beliefs, behaviour, practices and material objects that constitute a people’s way of life. For the region that is the Caribbean, those aforementioned categories were derived from our history of colonialism, slavery and migration e.g. food, religion, music and family structure.

The concept of 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. Usually integration involves one or more written agreements that describe the areas of co-operation in detail, as well as some coordinating bodies representing the countries involved. This co-operation usually begins with economic integration and, as it continues, comes to include political integration. Regional Integration in the Caribbean is mainly through the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM.

The idea of Caribbean integration is not a new one, the first attempt at this process was called the West Indies Federation and it was established on the 3 January 1958 and disestablished on 31 May 1962. The Federation comprised of 10 territories namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, the then St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago. This was a short-lived political union between various islands in the Caribbean that were colonies of the United Kingdom. The intention of the Federation was to create a political unit that would become independent from Britain as a single state.

The Federation enjoyed some success, most notable was in the field of education, where the then University College of the West Indies (UCWI), which was established in 1948 with one campus at Mona, Jamaica, opened its second campus at St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, in 1960. It is known today as the University of the West Indies (UWI) with another campus established in Barbados.

The Federation however faced several problems. These included the governance and administrative structures imposed by the British to disagreements among the territories over policies. It soon collapsed after Jamaica expressed its discontent with affairs in the Federation. To Jamaica, it appeared that the Federation would hamper its development and movement towards independence, shortly after Jamaica left the Federation. Trinidad and Tobago was the next country to leave with then Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams famously saying, “one from ten leaves nought", meaning that without Jamaica no Federation was possible.

The collapse of the Federation did not mean the end of achieving Caribbean integration. In December 1965, the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) was established by countries that had just received independence status, with the goal to unite their economies and to give them a joint presence on the international scene and more specifically, to encourage balanced development of the Region by increasing trade, diversifying trade, liberalising trade and ensuring fair competition amongst the member states. By 1973 CARIFTA evolved into the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that still exist to this day.

Other efforts to further Caribbean integration include the establishment of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) to promote economic integration amongst the member states personified byfree movement of goods and services, right of establishment, a common external tariff, free circulation, free movement of capital, a common trade policy, free movement of labour and other economic, fiscal and monetary measures and policies. The establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), to replace the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) as the final appellate jurisdiction for both civil and criminal matters from those member states that have withdrawn from JCPC; to interpret and apply the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (which established the Caribbean Community) when issues of such nature arise. One of the most forces around the world is sports and the Caribbean is no different, hence the formation of the West Indies Cricket Team, that brought pride and joy to the Caribbean in the 1970’s and 80’s.

As the saying goes, “there is more in the mortar than the pestle”. One of the major hindrances to a fully functioning CSME is the diversity that exists within the Caribbean Region. Secondly, the issue of transportation cost throughout the region has, in some cases, restricted mobility, e.g.. It costs more to travel to Barbados from Trinidad than it is to travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Additionally, and this is from personal experience, a loophole exists as it pertains to the Rights of Establishment. Persons are landed for a period of six (6) months to establish their businesses.  At the end of the given time frame, they apply for an extension, ultimately they end up getting married and apply for Permanent Residency, which is something that ought not to happen. The irony of the CCJ is that it was agreed to and established by ten (10) Member States, inclusive of Trinidad and Tobago and headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, however, Trinidad and Tobago has not accepted the CCJ as its final appellate jurisdiction. 

Once designated as sport played by the upper echelon in society (the whites), cricket has ignited passion throughout the region, especially matches against our main coloniser England and with the war cry of David Rudder’s “Rally Round the West Indies” blasting in the background, EPIC! Sadly, with the state of West Indies cricket today, divisiveness has encroached and is threatening to destabilize integration efforts.
 
Caribbean integration is not as simple as one may think it is. A lot of hard work is still needed to overcome the many challenges that the region faces. Firstly, there is the issue of wealth creation and economic diversity. Trinidad and Tobago’s revenue is derived mainly for the energy sector, contributing about 40% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), whereas other member states derive their revenue from either Tourism or Agriculture which accounts for as high as 90% of GDP. Though these GDP percentages may look high, a lot of revenue is lost due to badly negotiated royalty tax contracts with foreign companies servicing the energy sector, preferential tax breaks given to the larger hotel chains, like Sandals for example, that are not owned by locals. This results in a lot money leaving the shores of these Member States and not to the benefit of its citizens or the development of critical infrastructure, thus propagating the ideology of Mercantilism as these persons, businesses or entities continue to rape our natural resources and subjecting our people to a life of servitude that once existed on the plantations where some slaves worked as domestics in the houses of the slave owner. So in reality there is no common wealth.

Due to our colonial history and interloping done by the Europeans, the Caribbean region has inherited varying cultures, languages and political ideologies. Thus, each country has its own national identity. For the region to move forward as one, we must endeavour to create a Caribbean identity. For this to become a reality, we must overcome our ethnic and cultural diversity, learn to accept who we are as a people and dispel the concept of double consciousness, as I am certain if an offer is made for us to return to our “homeland,” it would be refuse.  Additionally, and probably the most important to the creation of a Caribbean Identity is being able to free ourselves from the US Imperialism, which has influenced our Caribbean society, from movies, fashion, music, direct foreign investments and security initiatives. Though economically advantageous, we must maintain our sovereignty if we are to be truly independent.
         
Some would argue that Caribbean integration would never occur but I beg to differ. In the song titled, “Celebrate CARICOM” written by Ms. Michele Henderson of Dominica, integration is personified, in particular the second verse, which says, 
                      “Though great and diverse be our ethnicities, 
                    The bonds that unite us are stronger than these
                    We dine we pray we love, we dance and we play
                        We relate to each other the West Indian way
                                           Today as people united
                              Determined and steadfast we stand
                                 We look to a brand new horizon
                          The future now firmly in our hands”

This song was adopted by CARICOM to be used at ceremonial and Community events and in essence is our Caribbean Anthem. Through continued education of our citizens, to give them a true understanding of where we came from, where we are and where we need to be in addition to steadfast leadership from our Caribbean Heads theefforts at Caribbean integration still have relevance for Caribbean development that allow us to take our rightful place in the global village as, “One people, one Caribbean”.
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