A FEW days ago, the Caribbean and African institutions and states again got together to find ways of deepening their ties. This was done at the second AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum; it was organised in Guyana this year after a successful inaugural forum last year in Barbados. And I think it was such a good experience.

Guyana and other Caribbean countries need to deepen ties with states in Africa. As global south regions, there is much we can learn from each other, and much we can help each with. Notably, both regions are among the most vulnerable to global crises, be it climate change, food insecurity, or energy insecurity. Both regions are vulnerable to these crises because of historical exploitation from developed nations- a point that was not forgotten once during the forum.

It was really interesting listening to African business leaders talking about climate change and how we should be responding to it, in particular. During a panel discussion focused on energy security and climate change, many of those business leaders outlined the stark socio-economic reality of vulnerable countries. That is, instead of focusing on whether energy should come from diesel-fired power plants or solar panels, countries have to first focus on having any electricity at all. And instead of focusing on digitalisation, countries need to focus on getting food for their people in the first place. Those leaders also noted that the Caribbean and Africa have been among the regions that have not contributed significant amounts of harmful emissions but have been hard-hit by disasters, so they shouldn’t bear the brunt of the responsibility for climate action. And they called out developed nations for failing to provide the climate finance they committed to years ago. So, they argue that the historically disadvantaged regions should now be able to develop their resources and take care of their people.

Those comments reminded me of those by Caribbean Historian Professor Verene Shepherd some years ago. According to her, our countries faced historical exploitation and it should come as no surprise that our countries today are underdeveloped.

These are all comments I heard from Guyanese and Caribbean officials before, but hearing them again, this time from officials from the African continent, helped to underscore the challenges faced by global south countries. She also pointed out that the land degradation caused by the monocropping of sugar and mass deforestation led to the loss of valuable, protective forestry. The production of sugarcane, research Professor Shepherd referenced, has led to the loss of species and habitats.

And even worse, she stated, is the dynamic of the “Global North” and “Global South,” or the “developed world” and the “developing world” which illustrates global uneven development.

So she said climate reparations are necessary. And she isn’t the only one. Loss and damage funding, which some believe can be likened to climate reparations (though there are nuances to both) is a huge part of international climate talks now.

Back to the AfriCaribbean forum, though. The conversations didn’t only focus on the issues and injustices. They also spotlighted key ways the two regions can collaborate more to guarantee mutual development. Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali called on both regions to take ownership of their plans instead of allowing developed nations to continuously, for lack of a better word, influence their (the Caribbean’s and Africa’s development plans). The Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Philip Pierre and the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley echoed similar sentiments.

Importantly too, Prime Minister Mottley shared her belief that the two regions stand to gain a lot if they join hands to push the development of their sport and culture. She said cross-regional partnerships could help sportspersons in the Caribbean get access to the best facilities and training in Africa and vice versa. She also said regions must capitalise on their common yet unique cultures. So musicians, artists, and filmmakers in both regions must be supported.

Though I got to listen to a few of the discussions, it was great seeing people talk about the need for a stronger partnership between the two regions. Tangible business partnerships were forged, but I hope we will have a stronger connection with Africa in the months and years to come.

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