What is the Integrationist?
The Integrationist is a vehicle established to foster the deepening of the Caribbean Integration process through the generation and dissemination of information rooted in scholarly research.
The work of the Integrationist started when the UWI-CARICOM Project – a collaboration between the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus – started in December 2009. Upon the conclusion of the UWI-CARICOM Project in December 2010, the Integrationist was formed in order to continue the work of empowering Caribbean nationals to be effectively involved in the continuing development of the region.
What does the integrationist do?
The Integrationist infuses the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the global population with pertinent perspectives on CARICOM and the work of its Secretariat through information gathered by rigorous research and contained in invaluable publications, and radio and television documentaries. In addition, the Integrationist has chosen cultural showcasing as an avenue for exposing distinguishing attributes of the Caribbean people.
How do we do it?
The Integrationist concentrates its attention on expanding accessibility to the works and contributions of the region’s leading intellectuals and opinion-formers, including those in the Diaspora, on issues of relevance to countries of the Caribbean and in promoting acceptance of a shared vision of integration and development.
It does this through providing the region’s leadership forums and the general public with papers formal presentations and articles that address Caribbean issues of historical, political, economic, social and cultural dimensions written by the best minds in the Caribbean Community and the Caribbean Diaspora.
The Integrationist intends to use every platform of life to promote unity among all nationals of the Region. Each Member State has its peculiarities, but together make a distinctive blend of rich culture – a heritage that remains undiluted!
How the Integrationist contributes to Caribbean development?
The Integrationist published it first book in 2000 titled “CARICOM: Beyond Survival”. This book offered a historical progression of the Integration Movement beginning with the failure of the Federation, through the difficulties of the 1970’s and 1980’s,identified and analysed the challenges which the twenty-first century would present and highlighted the opportunities available the Region.
Since then, the Integrationist has published over thirty books and boasts an enviable database of select papers, articles, speeches by the region’s leadership and a documentary on regional integration.
Its contributors to the expansion of the knowledge base of the region’s readership to issues of Caribbean development include scholars of the ilk of Distinguished Professor Clive Thomas, Sir Shridath Ramphal, Professor Norman Girvan, former Prime Minister of Jamaica The Most Honourable P.J. Patterson, former Prime Minister of Barbados the Honourable Owen Arthur and former World Court Judge Dr. Mohammed Shahabuddeen. Their papers offer solutions and strategies aimed at transforming the Caribbean and repositioning it for effective partnership at the global level in this twenty-first century.
We boast publications dedicated to the works and contributions of two of the region’s outstanding scholars and distinguished sons of the Caribbean soil, the Honourable Lloyd Best and Professor Rex Nettleford some of which we happily share with you on this site.
In December 2000 the UWI Mona Campus choir – The University Singers – toured Guyana under the auspices of The Integrationist. The group belted out their songs with the grace and spunk that can only be claimed by Jamaicans. And Guyanese indulged! This example in 2000, was just a foretaste of the grand cultural Harmony excursions to be pulled off by the Integrationist in the future.
The University Singers at the National Cultural Centre, Guyana 2000