Question

1. The Following quote has been extracted from an article written over eight (8) years ago by Michael Harris in the Trinidad & Tobago Express Newspaper page 13 dated Monday 27th February 2012.

The fact is that CARICOM hardly touches the consciousness of any of the people of the Caribbean and if it were to die today its death would cause nary a ripple. the core of the problem with CARICOM has always been that, in its conception and purpose it was a gigantic trick played on West Indian people by their leaders. CARICOM was used as a barren surrogate for the old age dream of West Indian nationalism.

Do you agree with the position taken by Michael Harris? Would you miss CARICOM if it "disappeared"

Answer 1

CARICOM is the oldest surviving integration movement of 15 countries which mainly had the main objective of promoting economic cooperation and association among the member countries so that the advantage of an integrated economy can be obtained in the form of equitably distributed wealth and economic development and coordinated foreign policy. This was formed in 1973 after the Treaty of Chaguaramas was adopted. But if we look at the present significance of this economic collaboration, it does not have any major significance as the member countries were never coordinated with each other in the manner as it was expected. The organization is becoming just for the namesake but hardly has any impact on the lives and the business of the people. Despite all the noble aims and objectives behind the inception of CARICOM, the initiatives taken by the countries were not so effective to make this association a major economic group. Thus I do agree with the given statement and in my opinion, there will not be any major impact of this organization could have been dissolved as there is no major impact of it on the economies of the member countries.

In my opinion, no one is going to miss this association too much as it has hardly any impact on the lives of the common people