(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – As a new member in Caricom, Suriname must try its best to breathe new life into Caribbean partnerships. ‘Twenty-three years after the Grand Anse Declaration, no decisive action has been taken to realize the Caricom dream,’ a critical Shridath Ramphal said last Thursday in his keynote address commemorating the 44th anniversary of the Anton de Kom University of Suriname (Adekus).
Ramphal is one of the most outspoken regionalists who constantly voices his concerns on the future and integration of the Caricom. ‘It seems that the idea of Caricom has been an empty shell. In 1989 Caricom political leaders stated in their Grand Anse Declaration that they drew their inspiration from cooperation and solidarity. Then, they expressed their desire for a deepening of the integration process and to strengthen the Caribbean community. Since then, nothing notable has happened.’
The 84-year-old professor has an impressive resume. This year he published ‘Caribbean Challenges’, a wakeup call for Caricom leaders to either integrate or disintegrate. However, all is not lost. Ramphal points out that Suriname has an important task to put Caricom back on the map. ‘Suriname may be a new member, but implication of newness does not require passive acceptance of the status quo, but active addition of what seems to be lacking. I look to Suriname to breathe new life into the trade organization so that it can return to realizing its objectives.’ The professor points out that Caribbean integration and unity are unachievable if regionalism is not the starting point in every individual government’s agenda. ‘Decisions are meaningless without solving the problem of implementation.’
Ramphal does not consider quitting though, especially not now when he sees a government in office in Suriname that wants to push on ahead. Vice President Robert Ameerali, who delivered a brief address at the Dies Natalis of Adekus, confirmed Ramphal’s feelings. ‘Rest assured that we are dedicated and will stay the course to realizing successful integration of Caricom.’ Ramphal says that it is now up to the university to pick up the challenge and create those intellectuals that could continue the integration process.
