GRADE SIX SOCIAL STUDIES
Hello Boys and Girls, This week we will identify and describe various institutions and associate institutions that assist with the smooth running of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM and help to promote its development.
Institutions of CARICOM
What is an institution? Check your dictionary or encyclopedia for a definition. Discuss the definition with a group of friends. Here is another meaning. Read and discuss it also. An institution is an organisation such as a university, church, or bank having a social, educational or religious purpose. Within CARICOM, an institution is comprised of Ministers of Government from each member state. These Ministers usually organise meetings to deal with matters of co-operation in services such as health, education, finance, foreign policy, agriculture, natural disaster preparedness, climate change, and communications. The institutions make it much easier for CARICOM to achieve its objectives. Some institutions of CARICOM are stated below.
Associate Institutions
Associate Institutions are independent organisations which work in close cooperation with the Institutions of CARICOM, but they are not part of the Treaty of Chaguaramas arrangement. Associate Institutions of CARICOM are the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Caribbean Law Institute (CLI) / Caribbean Law Institute Centre (CLIC), University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Guyana (UG), Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
• CDB assists Caribbean nations in financing social and economic programmes in its member countries, for example, projects in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, tourism, mining, housing, education, waste management, pure water, environment protection and poverty reduction. This institution which was established in 1970 has its headquarters in St. Michael, Barbados.
(CLI / CLIC) was established in 1988 to promote activities that would further clarify the laws affecting trade, commerce and investment in the Region. CLI shares personnel and information with the Florida State University (FSU) and the University of the West Indies (UWI). Its offices are located in Tallahassee and at the Caribbean Law Institute Centre (CLIC) in Barbados.
University of the West Indies (UWI) serves 18 Englishspeaking countries and territories in the Caribbean. This university consists of the Mona Campus, Jamaica, the Saint Augustine Campus, Trinidad & Tobago and the Cave Hill Campus, Barbados.
University of Guyana (UG) was established in 1963. This university has two campuses – one at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara and the other at Tain, Berbice.
For You to Do
1. What kind of assistance can CARICOM give to one of its members devastated by hurricane or earthquake? 2. Add to the list of CARICOM institutions at least two other institutions not given. 3. Find out about OECS and WICB. Goodbye boys and girls.