CARICOM needs a plan - Regional body will break up unless the leaders wake up

 Steve Lyston, Contributor

Habakkuk 2: 2 ‹ 3 says, "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time."

Without a doubt, CARICOM is going to be under the microscope, with the global happenings - economic problems, crime, violence and the works. The Caribbean islands are positioned strategically to be a force to be reckoned with globally. But the Caribbean islands, because of a lack of vision, selfishness, greed and pride, are reverting to and embracing enslavement.

Even in the dispute that exists between Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, and the problem with Barbados, CARICOM must realise that it is a distraction to further divide and conquer the potentially powerful group of Caribbean islands. Regardless of which Caribbean territory we are from, we are all always regarded as "from the islands."

What other countries - developed countries - are after is the resources that God has given the region. The fear our Caribbean people generally have for God is not appreciated by the other nations that refuse to embrace God.

CARICOM is going to go through a shaking up which will wake them up. They need to seek a plan for the entire region, not to focus on individual islands. We are blessed with sunlight, herbs, water, and we have precious minerals and metals, in addition to the exquisite fruits and goods. The music is world-class! So the question becomes, where are the visionaries?

In order to put plans in place for the next generation, one of the weaknesses of CARICOM is that they don't push the youth. They themselves fight for power and neglect the development of the youth in the region.

Where are the inventors to bring about those inventions that will reduce our energy costs, utilising our climate?

Even our sports people should come together.

Even the environment we experience - there should be plans to capitalise on that.

There is competition and there is competition. The countries in the CARICOM region are competing against each other, while there is no concrete vision in place to generate employment. The only things that are being given great attention is borrowing, seeking grants and divesting state assets. Nothing is sacred and everything is being given away. VIP passports are being given away. CARICOM is now losing its identity.

First, they need to tell the people that there are conditions for borrowing, and the people need to know what the conditions are and that there is no such thing as free money, even as they are given grants! Grants are tied to criteria issued by the country that gives the grants. Some of these criteria are dissolute, and further to that, the CARICOM nations would need to pledge to these nations, and vote for them where required, even if they disagree.

It's going to come down to four nations with which they will have to pledge. Unless there is a drastic shift in CARICOM, it is going to break up; which will go against the very vision that some of the forefathers tried to create for the region. They need to open their blind eyes and wake up.

coming together

Every sector within CARICOM - schools, church, banks and the private sector need to come together and create a vision for the region if they want to become and stay vigilant. They need to begin to garner and harness witty inventions for the development which must be led by them and nobody else.

Each time they come out to say they don't have any money for this or that, and this is laziness.

Many major investors that come into CARICOM are using the group. They are using our money and our resources, and are making huge profits and pulling the profits away from the islands.

We need bankers within the region to help our farmers and manufacturers as well as our school leavers. We need to get people to plant again - teas, herbs and bushes for different cures. We need vision. Our vision must outlive generations. Visions must be inspired by God.

Our vision must empower the people to put them into action. Prayer is what keeps one's connection to the giver of visions. Hence, those who are removing prayer from their administration or organisation will become visionless. They must build on the solid rock.

Vision must be about building the people - that must be the first priority. Building roads and major infrastructure without building the people will bring disaster. Finally, all the Caribbean countries already have the necessary resources to build their own logistics hub.

What they need to do is rally around the Latin and African nations as trading partners.

CARICOM needs to wake up before it's too late!

Steve Lyston is a biblical economics consultant and author of several books, including 'End Time Finance' and 'The New Millionaire'.