Lifestyle Columnist, Amanda Alexander
The member states are; Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Monsterrat, St Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago. The Associate Members are; Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks & Caicos Islands. Did you also know that “[CARICOM) is the oldest surviving integration movement in the developing world?” Nope, neither did I.¹
You may be wondering why I’m quizzing you about the Caribbean Community. Before I answer that question, permit me to ask another. What is the purpose of the CARICOM movement? Answer – “It’s a community for all…to create a community that is integrated, inclusive and resilient; driven by knowledge, excellence, innovation and productivity; a Community where every citizen is secure and has the opportunity to realise his or her potential with guaranteed human rights and social justice; and contributes to, and shares in, its economic, social and cultural prosperity; a Community which is a unified and competitive force in the global arena”¹ . (again another fail on my part, so please don’t feel bad).
The CARICOM organisation has specific areas of focus which include:- crime & security, culture, education, energy, environment & sustainable development, foreign policy and community relations, gender equality, health, human development, ICT, investment programs, statistics, tourism, trade, transportation and youth development. Hence. there’s a plethora of industries that one can be involved in.
So, if you hold a passport/or are a citizen of one of the member states, you’re entitled to live and trade in any of those nations. This means you can build and expand your business into any of these regions without having to apply for a residency or working visa. This is absolutely fantastic, given that we can help prosper other Caribbean Islands as well as our own!!!
What I’m getting at today is for us Caribbeans living in the diaspora, to really think about how we ‘the people’ are going to support our respective Caribbean country and community and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.
Yes, I know there are many political views and biases, but let’s put that aside, it is time we took responsibility for our Caribbean lands rather than letting it continue to be bought out by others, whose interests are strictly for monetary gain to the detriment of the economically deprived and educationally challenged individuals.
Think primarily about what you can do for your Caribbean nation and community, not what it can do for you, you’ll be blessed anyway through your service to others. I’m encouraging you to research the CARICOM organisation, it truly is amazing. If you’re of Caribbean descent living abroad and your parent’s country is a member state, get your passport, pray and find out what you can do to support the Caribbean Community through CARICOM.
After all, the Caribbean is more than a holiday hotspot, we are a conglomerate of nations filled with smart entrepreneurs, determined, hard-working, diverse talented intelligent people.
So until next time, remember you are beautiful and wonderfully made – With love Amanda x
Amanda Alexander is a Pastor, Teacher, TV Media Journalist
Founder of Female Dignity, Warrior Women, Amanda Alexander Productions. She serves on the leadership team of New Life Church in Bishops Stortford and is ministry coordinator for
Patrick’s Mission
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Disclaimer: This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to CaribDirect Multi-Media Ltd.
¹ https://caricom.org/our-community/who-we-are/our-governance/member-states-and-associate-members/
