A number of high-profile posts were to follow and Guyana's independence in 1966 brought fresh demands on his time. First he became Attorney-General and then, after a series of ministerial positions during the late '60s and early '70s, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. It has been speculated that his relentless pursuit for just international relations, and for trade based on justice, ultimately hindered his chances of being appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations. But to this day, Sir Shridath presses on. Sir Arthur Lewis IN 1979, Sir Arthur Lewis became a standard-bearer for Black intellectuals. He became the first person from the Caribbean ever to gain a Nobel Prize, winning the award for economics in 1979.
"They were walking toward me on the street, then they pulled up their locks, shook them back in, and smiled," she recalled, with a laugh. "I shook my locks at them, too. They would go, 'Yo!' And I'd say, 'Yo!' It was fun to get that type of acknowledgement. It showed how we are connected as Africans. There's nothing that can make that go away." [Russo], she added, also discussed now Cubans might benefit from a more open relationship with the U.S.A., even though it may change Cuba's moral character. While [Linda Jennings] hopes better communication is achieved through the blockade's elimination, she is worried that America's dominant influence would alter Cuba's innocence. It seems like today, in our communities, the lack of material items makes Black people feel inferior. Cubans don't, seem to have that problem, Jennings said. Black people have propelled themselves to a more material, individualistic society, which has made too many of them forget who they truly are to themselves. Having seen Cuba's society in person I don't understand why a Cuban would want to defect here."
Recipients of the fellowships, funded by the International Development Research Center in Canada, are Lester Wilkinson of Trinidad and Tobago; Margaret Brito of Barbados; and Jamaicans Diana Thorburn, Lisa Ann Taylor and Charles Edwards. The cultural studies initiative is the UWI's response to the perceived need to address the issue of Caribbean development and an acknowledgment that leadership in the region can only be as good as the critical analytical performance of those responsible for developmental planning. Ms. Brito is in the second year of an M.Phil. program at the UWI's Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. Her research will examine the economic potential of Barbados' cultural manifestations such as its popular music, dancer, theater and religion.
In 1996, the colleges and universities of America yielded thousands of graduates, 27% of them black, and of those, 12% were of Caribbean descent. These young Caribbean graduates are a unique entity. They represent a conglomerate of knowledge that could be utilized in America or in the Caribbean. Each year, a new group of Caribbean graduates faces an interesting dilemma: to build a life in the country that has educated them or to build a life in the country that holds their heritage, culture, and traditions. Should a young man from Jamaica who has come to the U.S. to become a doctor not go back to Jamaica at the end of his schooling armed with and American degree and better his own country? Should the young woman from Belize with a B.S. in biology from Cornell not return to Belize and put her knowledge to work for the betterment of her country?
The reception to the idea was favorable. In 1994, further discussions were held with Mexico, Columbia and Venezuela and with Argentina and Chile. The response was positive and to further support the idea, the ambassadors of the Latin American countries who were accredited to Jamaica, and Spain's ambassador, formed the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean as a forum for exchanging ideas and considering financial participation by their governments. In 1994, the Latin American-Caribbean Centre was created to facilitate economic, trade, research and cultural ties between the Caribbean and Latin America. The center's fundamental objective is to build strong commercial, cultural and academic ties between the Caribbean and Latin American regions and among the Caribbean countries. According to Ms. Insanally, "Economic development is one of the principal objectives of LACC. Expanding trade, investment, and tourism between the Caribbean and Latin American countries will generate income and employment, as well as stimulate technological modernization and international competitiveness. Academic and cultural development are important ends in themselves, and they also stimulate business relationships, and vice versa."
Each session runs for three to four weeks and involves two courses covering such topics as: English and the Caribbean Child; Arts and Culture in Trinidad and Tobago; Caribbean Dance; Caribbean History and Politics; Heritage Studies on Barbados; Caribbean Marine Environment; Gender in the Caribbean Society; Languages and Dialects of the Caribbean; and, Reggae, Rastafari and Jamaican Culture. Depending on the courses chosen, students may find themselves in Barbados, Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago. However, Caribbean Marine Environment is a regional course which takes participants to at least two countries in the region. Accommodation is offered in the residence halls of each campus. [Summer] in any of the Caribbean islands presents a wonderful opportunity for participation in cultural activities. These include the various emancipation and independence celebrations, Crop Over (a Barbados carnival) and other festivals, including folk and popular music festivals such as Sumfest (Jamaica's largest reggae festival).
