Caribbean Diaspora Charged to Re-Birth Strength of Region

Dr. Colin Palmer, professor of history at Princeton University in the United States, has called on the Caribbean Diaspora to “re-birth the strength of the Caribbean region as part of the global economy”.
The Jamaican-born professor, who was delivering the eighth annual Eric Williams Memorial Lecture recently at the Florida International University (FIU), told his audience that although there were few countries in the region with natural resources, “the brilliant minds of the Caribbean people could effectively manage those resources to create economic impact for the region”.
He cited the work of the Jamaican Diaspora, as an example of how Caribbean nationals could unite and influence those communities in which they reside overseas, for the benefit of the region.
Dr. Palmer, who spoke on the topic: ‘Challenges for a diverse Caribbean’, challenged Caribbean leaders to create possibilities for the people of the region to effectively participate in the globalised world.
Reminding his audience of former Caribbean leaders like Trinidad’s Eric Williams and Jamaica’s Norman Washington Manley, the history professor spoke of their vision for political unity, harmony and service to their respective countries and appealed to the younger generation of Caribbean nationals, many of whom were in attendance, to follow suit in becoming the new leaders of the region.
In preparing to be new leaders, he said, they must have a positive sense of self-worth, keen vision and imaginative process.
These intelligent young minds, he noted further, must be carefully cultivated and motivated from an early age, both in the home and in the classroom, to become the quality leaders that the region need.
Dr. Palmer has joined the distinguished group of international scholars, who have presented lectures in the Eric Williams Memorial Lecture Series, since its inception in 1999. The event was organized in conjunction with the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies, and the FIU’s African New World Studies Lecture Series.
Dr. Palmer has authored several books and articles on Caribbean history, and is editor in chief of the Encyclopedia of African American Life and Culture. His latest publication ‘Eric Williams and the making of the modern Caribbean’ has been described as the first scholarly biography of the former Trinidadian prime minister.
Also in attendance at the event were members of the Caribbean diplomatic corps, as well as Florida State representatives.