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  • Strengthening the ties that bind; Jamaica, CARICOM and the links with South Africa

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – A lightly edited address by former Prime Minister P J Patterson at the Institute for Global Dialogue in Pretoria, South Africa on April 26, 2013. I welcome this pleasant occasion which allows me to address the Institute for Global Dialogue, a thriving brainchild of our living legend, Nelson Mandela. Not only sons and daughters of South Africa,…

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  • Declare war on T&T, Barbados

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – Having read Ronald Mason’s blast against CARICOM, and the insipid reply by Hilbourne Watson, I must intervene. The whole thinking about CARICOM has gone off track. This business of whether Jamaica should be in or out is beside the point. Who told Trinidad and Barbados to set up shop in our backyard? After all! I say we…

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  • Kick CARICOM to the kerb

    (Part 2) KINGSTON, Jamaica – It would be foolhardy at the commencement of any trial for attorneys to believe they will be persuasive with only an opening statement. I dare not believe that, and as such I welcome the dialogue triggered by the response to my column on May 5. I do not fear globalisation because this country can rival…

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  • Kick CARICOM to the kerb

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – There comes a time when the only thing to do is make clear, definitive, unambiguous statements about things of importance. Here goes. I am a Jamaican, I am NOT a Caribbean man. I want no part of the totally useless creation we label CARICOM. The peoples who populate those islands 1,000 miles away from my home are…

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  • Not a Caribbean man?

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – TENSION is developing toward the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) from some quarters in Jamaica. This was exemplified by a column in the Gleaner newspaper written by an Immigration attorney, Mr Ronald Mason. I believe it is fair to summarise what Mr Mason said as follows: He is a Jamaican; not a Caribbean man. He wants…

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  • The CCJ And The Death Penalty

    PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Last week in the Senate an interesting exchange took place between Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and some PNM senators during the period set aside for questions to ministers. The essence of the argument was that the Attorney General indicated that he could prepare a draft bill within 48 hours on the death penalty. He then…

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  • Private sector needs representation at regional level

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade A.J. Nicholson has appealed to the Jamaican private sector to participate in establishing an association to represent their interests at the regional level. He has also invited the private sector to participate in the preparatory process for a special session of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Trade and Economic…

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  • On foreign front, T&T hands full, or filling up

    PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The visit later this month of US Vice President Joe Biden, and the attendant holding here of the equivalent of a Caribbean summit, call attention to this country’s standing in the region and the world. Those events underscore T&T’s international recognition and its responsibilities within Caricom and beyond. The choice of T&T as the venue…

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  • Changing European policy

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – Spend time in Brussels, or in any other European capital that has a close relationship with the Caribbean, and it soon becomes apparent how fast thinking about policy is changing on a broad range of issues that may affect the region’s long-term interests. Look at the matter from the other direction, however, and it is clear that…

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  • Growing shift in global clout

    BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – SOME very interesting comments made the rounds last week when the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Barbados released the latest report on the Human Development Index. One of the comments attested to the fact that countries in the South are leading the way in terms of global economic growth. Another comment had to do with the…

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