The integration process: Are you a part of it?
OBJECTIVES
1. Examine the role of individual citizens, business organisations and government in the integration process.
2. Explain the role of regional agencies in the integration process.
ROLE OF CITIZENS
Citizens’ sensitisation and participation in the design and execution of programmes are critical to the success of regional integration efforts. Citizens must be enlightened, mobilised and engaged, thereby enhancing the collective goal of regional integration. We must strive to create an innovative, peaceful, ready-to-lend-a-hand, thriving and unified region filled with citizens who feel empowered within each country to grasp the opportunities for sustained growth and self-development.
Caribbean integration will only go forward when there is an indication that citizens are aware of the importance of their role in the movement, because it is indeed a very big and critical role. Citizens in the Caribbean region (CARICOM) must be made aware that they are not only citizens of a country, but they are also members of the region. The integration process is proving to be a major concern for the region as there are still conflicts that are reoccurring.
1. Citizens must be made aware of their role in Caribbean integration. It is the citizens’ responsibility, also, to be cognizant of the culture, activities and other significant events happening in the region.
2. They must willingly invest in local and regional business, becoming great entrepreneurs.
3. They should support the effort by buying goods produced in the region; buy locally, as encouraged in Jamaica by all governments, past and present.
4. They must show solidarity not only in their individual country, but the CARICOM region.
What role do you play in your country that helps in enhancing regional integration?
ROLE OF BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS
This sector is viewed as having the potential for creating economic linkages – to reduce foreign currency expenditure, to utilise local raw material inputs, and to enhance economic and social conditions generally. These business must be flexible, able to respond rapidly to the market, innovative, and must realise that they are the key sources of job creation. Entrepreneurs are, therefore, very vital in the integration process.
1. They must ensure that there is a good, striving, healthy competition in the region.
2. They must focus on the quality and quantity of goods and services produced so that they can compete on the international market.
3. There will also be the need for businesses to have a wide choice of goods and have aggressive advertising campaigns so that the CARICOM market can be visible on the international scene.
4. Businessmen must make use of opportunities for investment in the region. When this happens, loyalty will be promoted and this will engender/encourage regional support.
5. Opportunities for investment and employment provided. Employment must be viewed as one of the central roles of the integration process, since it will make visible the contribution of citizens as they provide goods and services.
State THREE reasons why business persons in the Caribbean are tentative with regard to investment in the region.
ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT
Governments can only provide the enabling environment, but the business sector and citizens have to be the engine of growth and development. A government must play an important role in enhancing citizen awareness of the importance of regional cooperation. It is also the role of the government to ensure that the citizens of CARICOM are given greater recognition throughout the region.
1. Increasing levels of international awareness of citizens and enhance their competitiveness.
2. Educating citizens about the objectives and benefits of integration is also key. Education is the most effective way to bring about change as citizens and students are made aware of the benefits of integration.
3. Ensuring that legislation made in the region is void of all forms of discrimination.
4. Enacting policies which will make it easier for working and travelling in the region.
5. Harmonising policies/agreements which will be beneficial to the integration process.
6. Honouring all protocols by ensuring that treaties signed are observed, and making the effort to think about the region in spite of particular territories.
REGIONAL AGENCIES AND THEIR ROLES
CARDI (THE CARIBBEAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE)
Established in 1975. Headquarters located at St Augustine in Trinidad.
It was established in order to contribution to the sustainable economic well-being of Caribbean people by the generation and the transfer of appropriate technology through agricultural research and development.
WICB (WEST INDIES CRICKET BOARD)
Established in 1920. Headquarters in St Johns, Antigua and Barbuda.
It was established to sustain West Indies cricket as the sporting symbol of the region and the WI team as the dominant team in international cricket.
CONCACAF (CONFEDERATION OF NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ASSOCIATION OF FOOTBALL)
Established in 1961.
Headquarters in New York City, United States.
It was established to develop the game of football within the region.
OECS SPORTS DESK
Established in 1984. Headquarters in St Lucia.
It was established to promote the effective marketing of sports and to support regional activities, in particular regional championships, and to ensure that all member states receive maximum benefits from programmes aired.
CEHI (CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH INSTITUTE)
Established in 1988. Headquarters in St Lucia.
It was established to address environmental issues and to enhance the sustainable development of the region.
CAREC (CARIBBEAN EPIDEMIOLOGY CENTRE)
Established in 1975. Headquarters is in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
It was established to improve the health status of the people in the Caribbean by advancing the capability of member countries in epidemiology, laboratory technology and related public health disciplines through technical cooperation, service, training, research and a well-trained and motivated staff.
CDERA (CARIBBEAN DISASTER EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCY)
Established in 1991. Headquarters in Barbados.
It was established to coordinate relief in response to any natural disaster and to provide information on disasters that are likely to affect Caribbean states.
CMC (CARIBBEAN MEDIA COMPANY)
Established in June 2000. Headquarters in St Michaels in Barbados. It was established to provide a free flow of intraregional news.
UWI (UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES)
Established in 1948.
Located in Mona, Jamaica; Cave Hill, Barbados; and St Augustine, Trinidad.
It was established to propel the economic, social, political and cultural development of West Indian society through teaching, research, innovation, advisory and community service, and intellectual leadership.
CXC (CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL)
Established in 1972. Headquarters in Barbados.
It was established to provide regionally and internationally recognised secondary school-leaving examinations.
CCJ (CARIBBEAN COURT OF JUSTICE)
Established around 2001 Headquarters in Port of Spain, Trinidad. It was established to provide for CARICOM an accessible, fair, efficient, innovative and impartial justice system located within the immediate region.
RSS (REGIONAL SECURITY SYSTEM)
Established in 1982. Headquarters in Barbados.
It was established to provide a collective response to security threats that may impact the region. It is, therefore, geared to sustain stability and the well-being of member states.
ACTIVITY
Research and explain ways in which THREE of the agencies within CARICOM have recently helped or responded to the needs of CARICOM citizens, and with what success, in the past three years.