y
all accounts, the Eighth Annual New York Carib News Multi-National
Business Conference, held in the Bahamas earlier this month, proved
highly constructive. It brought together business executives from the
United States and the Caribbean with senior government officials and
members of the US House of Representatives to discuss such crucial
subjects as the impact of globalization on the Caribbean, how
legislative actions in Washington DC affect the Caribbean, and corporate
linkages between the US and Caribbean nations.
Among those attending were 21 members of the Congressional Black
Caucus, including Charles Rangel, the ranking Democrat on the House Ways
and Means Committee, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, as well as members
of the New York City Council and the New York Senate who represent
substantial Caribbean American constituencies. Also present and speaking
were a number of Caribbean leaders such as Perry Christie, the Bahamas
Prime Minister; Dr. Kenny Anthony, PM of ST. Lucia; Dr. Denzil Douglas
PM of St. Kitts/Nevis along with Edwin Carrington, Caricom
Secretary-General; Julian Hunte, President of the United Nations General
Assembly; Harry Belafonte; Ambassador Andrew Young and David Dinkins.
Rep.
Rangel commented that for him the highlight of the conference was
exploring the difficulties Caribbean countries are having in trade
issues with the United States and the European Union. "Since so much of
that legislative jurisdiction is in my committee, and since we always
have a representative there from the United States Trade Office, a lot
is accomplished here by very astute diplomatic negotiations," he
explained. He mentioned particularly Billie Miller, Barbados’ Minister
of Foreign Trade, as one of the most skilled people in that area.
Rangel went on to say that sometimes when people talk about removing
barriers to trade, they make it sound as though all nations are equal in
terms of competition. However, it’s impossible for countries in the
Caribbean that have been handcuffed by colonial powers for so long to
effectively keep up with European and American standards as though
they’re on a level playing field.
"The people in this area need a transition before they can remove all
of the protections that they’ve built in for themselves," he stated.
"Basically Americans will have to understand this. I think the more we
talk and the more we see the real problems smaller nations face, the
more sensitive we become and the more relationships improve."
What stood
out for City Council Member Yvette Clarke was the changing climate for
trade between the United States and the Caribbean nations as discussed
at the conference.
There are negotiations going on around the Free Trade Agreement of
the Americas which many of the nations feel will put them at a
disadvantage. There is concern about the heavy-handedness with which the
US is trying to establish the new entity to oversee the new Free Trade
Agreement. "There’s almost an imposing of the US will, not a taking into
account the sovereignty and will of the people of these nations," Clarke
said. "The US comes to the table already knowing what it wants these
countries to do, but if the nations feel they see things differently, it
becomes a contentious point where negotiations actually break down."
She believes, too, that the conference was invaluable for Caribbean
Americans such as herself and nationals of Caribbean descent because it
helps keep them abreast of these issues concerning the
self-determination of individual Caribbean nations.
This
enables them to be much more pointed in their advocacy on behalf of
these countries, making sure they’re not taken advantage of as they
negotiate with the US.
Council Member Dr. Kendall Stewart felt, too, that it was a very
useful conference, not only in terms of the many economic issues
discussed, but for other sessions looking at such matters as
cross-border collaborative education and critical health issues,
particularly AIDS. Since there are so many people, US tourists and
Caribbean nationals, who travel back and forth between the islands and
the US, he would like to see the US government play a much stronger role
in helping some of the more economically challenged nations combat the
problem of AIDS.
While he was glad there was discussion about Haiti at the conference,
he hopes that next year, on the 200th anniversary of Haiti’s
independence, there can be even more concentration on the issues facing
Haitians refugees. He also hopes a stronger stand can be taken on behalf
of Cuba, which has done so much for other Caribbean islands and the rest
of the world, with their medical scholarships, for example. He wants to
see more discussion to at least bring out the injustices that continue
to be perpetrated against Cuba by the Bush administration.
"The best thing is," he said, "the conference brings people together,
gets us on the same wave length and makes us think and see what to do to
move forward. It helps us understand how some of our Caribbean brothers
and sisters are thinking."
