CARIBBEAN POLITICS and SOCIETY Caribbean Integration Rationale for Integration. The Caribbean remains fragmented both economically and politically as a result of competition and conflict among the European powers. Fragmentation is in part the product of a long history as separate colonies of a metropolitan power or powers. It is also in part the psychological effects on people of separation by sea. The case for regional integration is both simple and irrefutable. First we are small and we need to achieve economies of scale. We need to achieve such economies in markets, production, the mobilisation of regional capital for regional use, university education, science and technology, sea and air transport to mention some areas. We therefore need to pool as far as is feasible our markets and our financial human and natural resources. We need a single unified and truly common market for goods and services, capital, and trained manpower. In addition we need to coordinate not only the development of our productive sectors but also our economic policies. And we need both a common external tariff and a common set of external trade, economic and other policies. Very basically put, we must come closer together because even the more economically advanced and biggest of us are mere specks of dusts in international terms. To admit that we are specks of dust does not however mean that we should sink ourselves in passive apathy in economic and international matters; rather we should get together to forma an object with more mass and more weight so that our presence could be more easily seen and more effectively used in the promotion of our own interests. We are small states by world and even Hemispheric standards, we are economically and politically weak individual units. We must avoid the temptation if at any given time our individual national economy is more prosperous than those of our other partner states, to be so arrogant as to forget that our economic situation may be suddenly reversed and that therefore we will soon need close links with our partner states in matters concerning both the intra-regional and extra-regional spheres. West Indian history abounds with instances of countries suffering sudden reversals of their economic fortunes. Advantages of Integration. a stronger voice internationally (a) &nbs... ... middle of paper ... ...ess and Hurdles: A European View, Kingston: Kingston Publishers. West Indian Commission (1992) An Overview of the Report of the West Indian Commission: Time for Action, Barbados: West Indian Commission. Issues to Think about: What are your reasons for Caribbean Integration. Is the integration process within CARICOM marred by cynicism, lack of political will and self-aggrandisement of the political directorate? Comment with regard to the issues confronting the realisation of the CSME. What role can the OECS play in strengthening the Caribbean Community? Can the goal of integration be realised without the building of trust? What is the role of the ACS (Association of Caribbean States). Do you think the ACS will enhance or undermine CARICOM? Questions to Consider: 1. “What God have divided no man can put together”. Discuss in relation to Caribbean integration. 2. Assess the approaches to integration in the region and consider what have been the main failures and benefits of the movement. What else needs to be done and why? 3. Should Commonwealth Caribbean countries politically integrate?
The history of Jamaica is extremely jaded with disease, buccaneering, and slavery. First discovered by Europeans in 1494, Columbus stopped on Jamaica on his second trip to the “New World” and encountered the indigenous Arawaks (Encyclopedia Americana, 2001, P 672). Later colonized by Spain in 1509, the land was abandoned when the lack of abundance of silver and gold was discovered. The indigenous Arawaks were overwhelmed with European disease and died out (Encyclopedia Americana, 2001, 672). These times will be some of the most peaceful times in Jamaican history. Buccaneers used Jamaica as a trade center for booty seized from different galleons. Soon following, England will seize as much of Spain’s Caribbean land as possible.
After visiting the country of Jamaica this past summer, I realized how dissimilar some countries can be from the United States. Jamaica was not unlike the United States in a terrible way, but the disparities made me additionally interested in researching about the beautiful and culture-rich country of Jamaica. Even though the majority of facts about the history and culture of the United States and Jamaica are dissimilar, I was surprised to come across some similarities among these two countries.
“Jamaica’s a country of great dichotomy. On the one hand you have a tourist industry with great beaches and resorts, but on the other you have such great poverty and the violence that goes along with that.”(Michael Franti) In this paper, I will talk about the geography, the history of Jamaica, the people that live there now and that lived there in the past, the lifestyle of the society, and the society, like the government and economy.
societies to reexamine their view of the Caribbean. In this paper the following topics in The
...herefore, in order to solve the security issues and maintain the regional peacefully, the U.S. and China has to cooperate rather than compete with each other.
The recorded history of Jamaica begins in May 1494 when Christopher Columbus arrived on the island during his second voyage to the New World. At that point Jamaica was inhabited by the Tainos, a calm and peaceful people who lived simple lives. From as early as our primary school education, Jamaicans are taught that the arrival of the Spanish totally disrupted the tranquillity the Tinos enjoyed; bringing unknown communicable diseases to the island and forcing the Tainos to perform difficult tasks. The marks the beginning of violence and trauma on the island Christopher Columbus described as the “fairest isle mine eyes ever beheld”. Within fifty years the Taino population on the island was wiped out however the transition of the island from a peaceful idyllic paradise to a violent society did not end with the extinction of the Tainos. Rather it was merely the beginning, as by 1513 the Spaniards had begun the transhipment of Africans to the island as slaves. Like the Tainos, the Africans who came to Jamaica, were subjected to slavery and its well documented dehumanizing and traumatic experiences.
Browne, David V. C., and Henderson Carter. Atlantic Interactions. Kingston, Jamaica: I. Randle, 2008. Print.
Ferguson, J. (2003). Migration in the Caribbean:. Minority Right Group International. Retrieved March 7, 2012
Caribbean music is formed based on the tradition of Calypso, Soca, Zouk, and Reggae. They own a diversity style music since being bordered by the islands of Jamaica, Haiti and Trinidad. Morden community has fight for their independence and some islands won their or being a part of invading country only. Specially is the freedom of Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica with their self-sufficient and others now belong to the United States. These things had happening at the sametime that broke the Caribbean culture apart and created a diversity history.
According to Trevor M. A. Farrell, author of perspective, “Decolonization in the English-Speaking Caribbean”, colonialism is when organization of resources of a country being exploited is done for the financial benefit of the oppressor. All the power lies in the hands of the colonizing country (589). The tourism indust...
According to Hill, regional economic integration refers to "agreements among countries in a geographic region to reduce, and ultimately remove, tariff and nontariff barriers to the free flow of goods, services, and factors of production between each other." The prevailing economic argument for regional economic integration is that it creates economic synergy by allowing each country to focus only on what it is most efficient at producing.
Throughout history an even today, Caribbean scholars contend that Caribbean relations are characterized by an interplay of race, class and gender. Clarke agree with this statement and said that, “The social structure of the Caribbean region is based on differences associated with class, race or colour, ethnicity and culture (Clarke, 2013). These three (3) components of race, class and gender affect each other in one way or the other. In other word, one’s class position may be dependent on his or her race or gender or one’s gender may determine his or her class position in society. It is important to note that the interplay of race, class and gender in the Caribbean differs from island to island. This essay will discuss the extent to which
The social composition of the Caribbean is the result of the racial alliance and allocation of occupation. The plural society model becomes apparent to see in the consideration of the racial alliance and distribution of occupation. There is verification of all three theories in the Caribbean society but amongst them plural society is the clear choose to relate to the Caribbean society today, because it best explains what is taking place in society today especially in Trinidad and Tobago.
Jamaica is an island located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and is a nation of the Greater Antilles. This island was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494 and settled by the Spanish in the early years of the 16th century. It is said that the native people who inhabited Jamaica for centuries before were eventually eliminated and replaced by slaves who were brought in from Africa. It was shortly after (1655) that England apprehended the island and established sugar, cocoa and coffee plantation estates as a mean for building the economy. In 1834, slavery was abolished wherein approximately quarter million slaves were freed; slaves who later worked for themselves by becoming small farmers. In 1958, Jamaica increased its independence by joining other British Caribbean colonies in forming the Federation of the West Indies. Full independence was gained when Jamaica withdrew itself from the Federation in 1962. With this came some implications wherein the economy of the country started to fail. It was during the 1970s that this was especially evident where we see that these economic conditions led to great violence which affected all aspect of this small island, Jamaica. With all of that thought, Jamaica managed to stand upright as many rural and resort areas back then remain safe and eventually contributed to the sustainability of the economy.
The Caribbean countries are not taking this lightly. Fortunately they are bringing together intelligence and police forces as well as customs experts in order to combat the problem. However, the article goes on to mention that these are impoverished countries battling against wealthy crime organizations. Who has more power? Along those same lines, an additional cause for concern is the possibility that these same crime organizations may seek political positions or strong-arm Caribbean country governments so that they can effectively operation without much interference. Many members of these crime organizations have been educated in crime in the north and have been deported back to their homelands. This makes for far more sophisticated criminals than their local counterparts. Jamaican authorities say that a great deal of their criminal activity and high per capita murder rate is solely attributed to the problem of deportees.