THE colonial Caribbean nations saw their future as being solidified in integration and so they formed the West Indian Federation which did not last too long.

After Independence they tried again under the name CARIFTA. This proved more successful and an expanding closeness eventually led to a more integrated entity which the world knows as the Caribbean Community – CARICOM.

Since CARIFTA, no West Indian leader has emerged as the definitive symbol of Caribbean oneness. Over the years, some big names emerged and looked likely to take the Caribbean towards a more meaningful closeness. Two of them stand out Forbes Burnham of Guyana and PJ Patterson of Jamaica.

Of the two, Burnham was way ahead. He was seen as the definitive Caribbean leader that could transform the West islands and Guyana into an enduring bond. The West Indian leaders saw this quality in Burnham and by consensus agreed to establish the CARIFTA head office in Guyana.

But the runner stumbles sometimes and Burnham not only stumbled but fell badly and twisted his psychology. He never became the Caribbean saviour that was expected of him.

The vision was there in Burnham but not the soul. It is through the soul the vision becomes reality. Burnham had no soul and his soul train was derailed because power intoxication damaged the train’s engine.

After Burnham, no one rose above the ordinary that the CARICOM region could look towards making integration a viable project. PJ Patterson appeared as someone likely to do what Burnham could have done but for reasons we may never know, Patterson just walked away.

Then came Patrick Manning of Trinidad who birthed the Manning Initiative that sought closer integration between Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad. The Manning Initiative failed because the capitalist class felt that Trinidad did not need integration.

I wrote a column on February 20, 2022 titled, “President Ali must resurrect the Manning Initiative: CARICOM saved us many times.” President Ali should kick start the Manning Initiative renaming it the Ali initiative, this time reaching out to four small states – St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Antigua and Grenada.

Two changes have occurred since the Manning Initiative. One is economic set back in Trinidad may bring about a more positive response from the Trinidadian bourgeoisie and secondly, the Barbadian Prime Minister is a reliable integrationist. The Ali Initiative will definitely see a positive response from the Barbadian Prime Minister.

In that article, I made three proposals which I reproduce here: Guyana should be the first CARICOM land to abolish visa for our neighbours. There have been too many CARICOM nationals languishing in the jails here because they overstayed their time. Secondly, I think UWI should be approached to take over UG’s Faculty of Agriculture.

It makes no sense for UWI to have a Faculty of Agriculture. The three UWI countries constitute square miles that are just a small part of Guyana. There are no deep and extensive research possibilities in agriculture in those three countries than what obtains in Guyana.

Thirdly, have yearly exchanges of police officers and public servants from the three countries working in each other countries. The world is entering a terrible phase and the further integration of CARICOM will become a survival kit.

President Ali has seven more years. I cannot contemplate even for a fleeting moment that he will lose in 2025. I think he will win more seats. He has seven years to work on the Ali Initiative. The integration project will not come about in seven years. I hope it does but I doubt it. There are too many complexities. But President Ali should start the Ali Initiative as early as yesterday.

There has been no iconic Caribbean leader since CARIFTA succeeded the failed West Indian Federation. The world is becoming a more dangerous, selfish place. Leaders are becoming more parochial. The Caribbean needs to pull together in a hostile world where big power generosity is a thing of the past.

By 2028, this country will have a prodigious economy that will allow for Guyana to play a pivotal role in Caribbean integration. I think Mohammed Irfaan Ali is someone we did not expect to emerge as a different leader. Given our traditional political culture, we expected another PNC leader, another PPP leader.

I think Irfaan Ali has broken that pattern. It is within this paradigmatic shift, I suggested that there should be an urgent meeting of the minds between the teachers’ union and the president.

This could be done with the input from both the Education and Labour Ministers. As Dr. Ali takes over the CARICOM chairmanship, he should make the next meeting of the CARICOM Heads to be the exception in the 46 that have gone by.