Call for greater Caribbean unity

A call is being made for people in the Caribbean to unite to find solutions to the problems that we face as a result of this global economic crisis.

It is being made by Barbados’ Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones, who delivered Welcome Remarks at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Caribbean Higher Education Administrators (ACHEA) recently in the Roy Marshall Teaching Complex at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Planning, at the University of the
West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, Professor Andrew
Downes (left) and Barbados’ Minister of Education, Science,
Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones, in attendance
at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association
of Caribbean Higher Education Administrators (ACHEA)
recently in the Roy Marshall Teaching Complex at the UWI. 

He said that while there has never been abundance in the region, certain islands do have natural and/or land resources and yet, they are still in need.

“We have never had plenty. We have never! Not in this region. We have never had large amounts of natural resources. Even the drip of oil in Trinidad is still not enough. They had to change out their economy because it would not last forever. Guyana with its large land resources and minerals, they must work the land. Caribbean people must be part of the refurbished development of Guyana with its massive land resources. Yet, we hunger in the region. Why?”

Jones said that one of the ways to overcome this financial crisis is if Caribbean people show an interest in and concern for their fellow West Indians and not just in their own countrymen.

From left: Ambassador of Barbados to CARICOM, His Excellency,
the Honourable Robert Morris; University of the West Indies (UWI),
Cave Hill Campus Registrar, Kenneth Walters; and Registrar at the
Barbados Community College (BCC), Sydney Arthur, in
attendance at the 13th Annual International Conference of the
Association of Caribbean Higher Education Administrators (ACHEA),
recently in the Roy Marshall Teaching Complex at the UWI.   

“I am not only interested in Barbados, or the Dominicans should not only be interested in Dominican, or the Trinidadians should not only be interested in the Trinidadian, or the Tobagonian should not only be interested in the Tobagonian... or any of the others should not only be interested in their own little space, but take a wider view, a regional view of how we working together, can make our institutions stronger – our institutions of learning which stand in the vanguard of whatever we have to achieve in this region,” he insisted.

Furthermore, he maintained, West Indians must have faith in each other and their skills and knowledge, and believe that if they collaborate, they can achieve a lot.

“We can do a lot with what we have. We can revise the skills, abilities and talents of our people to change our Caribbean space. We have established a Caribbean Court of Justice and people said, ‘Well, we might not be ready for it, so let us hold back and see what it does,’ and still some are holding back, even though it is doing well, still holding back. ‘Oh, we have CXC’s, well maybe the GCSE may  be a little better than what we do, so let’s hold back.” (PJT)