Caribbean and Commonwealth elder statesman, Sir Shridath Ramphal, has given permission for papers covering 72 years of public life in the Caribbean, the Commonwealth and internationally, to be released on the Internet.
This was announced in a press release yesterday by 6 Gear Studio Inc, which stated that it has been authorised by Ramphal to act on his behalf concerning the website.
6 Gear Studio Inc is based in Oistins, Barbados, and according to its Facebook page, is a full-service design and production company.
In his distinguished career, Guyanese-born, Sir Shridath ‘Sonny’ Ramphal, has served in such pre-eminent positions such as, Assistant Attorney-General of the West Indies Federation, Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs of Guyana, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and concurrently, Chancellor of the University of Guyana, the University of the West Indies, and Warwick University, in England.
According to the release, he is the only person to have served on all the Global Commissions that produced pioneering reports on the environment, development and disarmament, between 1980 and 1995. He was also Chairman of the West Indian Commission, whose 1992 report, “Time for Action”, is still regarded today as the seminal blueprint for Caribbean development.
Sir Shridath also served in other capacities, including President of the World Conservation Union, Special Adviser to the UN Conference on Environment and Development, Chief Negotiator for the Caribbean on External Economic Relations, and as a mediator and facilitator in elections and constitutional crises.
He also takes the honour as the longest-serving Commonwealth Secretary-General from 1975 to 1990 and played a lead role in ending institutional racism in Southern Africa, particularly in terminating apartheid in South Africa. Nelson Mandela said of him: “He is one of those men who have become famous because, in their fight for human justice, they have chosen the whole world as their theatre.”
The website, www.sirshridathramphal.com offers free access to Sir Shridath’s speeches and other submissions from 1950 to 2022.
