GRADE SIX SOCIAL STUDIES
Hello Boys and Girls, Today we continue to learn about the history of the Caribbean integration movement.
Let us remind ourselves that:
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CARICOM means the Caribbean Community and Common Market
CARICOM is an attempt by Caribbean countries to integrate so as to achieve political, economic and functional cooperation.
The attempt at integration of the Caribbean Region started with the formation of the British West Indies Federation.
The British West Indies Federation existed from January 1958 to May 1962. However, key areas of co-operation that existed were maintained and strengthened.
Emerging out of the CARIFTA Agreement is the CARIFTA Games which started in 1972. It is an annual international youth athletics event for junior athletes from member countries.
The Heads of Government felt that CARIFTA could not satisfy the need for integration in the region. So, at the seventh Heads of Government Conference they made the decision to transform CARIFTA into a Common Market and to form the Caribbean Community and make the common Market an important part of it. Following that decision was the signing of the Georgetown Accord in Georgetown, Guyana in April 1973 by all members of CARIFTA except Antigua and Montserrat. This Accord set out the time when the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) was to be established. The Treaty of Chaguaramas establishing the Caribbean Community was given careful thought to ensure closer integration. It was signed on July 4, 1973 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago by the Heads of government of the four More Developed Countries (MDCs): Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Why these countries are called More Developed Countries? CARICOM however came into effect on August 1, 1973.
Following the establishment of CARICOM, the Heads of Government of the Less Developed Countries (LDCs) – Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, signed the Treaty of Chaguaramas on April 17, 1974 and became membesr of CARICOM on May 1, 1974. The other LDCs – Antigua and Barbuda and St. Kitts & Nevis joined CARICOM on July 5, 1974. All of the LDCs except Belize are also members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).The Bahamas joined CARICOM on July 4, 1983, non-Englishspeaking country, Suriname joined on July 4, 1995, and Haiti another non-English-speaking country joined on July 2, 2002.
Exercise What is the official language of each of the non-English-speaking members of CARICOM?
1. Identify these countries on a map of the Caribbean.