CARIFOCUS

Hats off to President Ramotar’s UNASUR Speech

By Ronald Singh

            As a vehement advocate of Guyana's integration with our Southern neighbors, I laud President Ramotar for being so forthright in his recent remarks about Guyana's commitment to UNASUR. I am very heartened by his position on our expectations of, and interests in the Union. To that end, I take pride in penning my thoughts on some very pertinent aspects of the president's Summit speech.

To begin, he set the minds of sister CARICOM nations at ease by reiterating that our initiative to support and move towards integration with UNASUR should not be taken as a signal of an intention to abandon CARICOM. However, while we undoubtedly have the capacity to pursue integration in both groupings, I feel the current pace of CARICOM integration suggests that many member-states might need the support of walking canes to assist their movements.

            Further, the president made it clear that combating environmental problems and organized crimes is not possible by go-it-alone, one nation initiatives. Mr. Ramotar also highlighted the role and importance of integration in trade. In my estimation and conviction, the key to Guyana's long-term sustainable economic prosperity lies with our southern neighbors. Clearly, thirteen nations that boast around 400 million inhabitants paint a vivid picture of vibrant potential markets for almost anything we can produce.

However, such benefits would not flow automatically. To seize the opportunities, and benefit from economic surges, we need to shift the paradigms of our mindset and socio-cultural mannerisms. We must refocus to look not only to the north, but also to the south. We must also acquire, at minimum, a working knowledge of languages spoken by our neighbors. Additionally, to penetrate and function effectively in those markets, we must indulge in cultural sensitivity programs.

            In essence, President Ramotar's speech has set the tone for our long-term prosperity. However, we must retool and redesign to take advantage of emerging markets in the wake of UNASUR integration.