Monday, April 13 2009

This coming weekend is an historical and momentous one for Trinidad and Tobago, which though only a small dot on the New World map, we host the Fifth Summit Of The Americas.

Thirty-three leaders from Canada in the North to Argentina in the South and across Central America will be welcomed by host leader Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning for meetings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It is our hope that benefits will flow from this occasion even if the high cost of being host still disturbs many people.

It is a vitally important event. This country will play a key role in giving all 34 democratic countries of the Americas the chance to unite to tackle pressing national, hemispheric and global issues.

The Summit comes at a time when the world is grappling with a rare constellation of problems occurring simultaneously — economy, ecology and energy.

The world is in the grip of a recession of once-in-a-lifetime proportions which has wiped out the jobs and pensions of many citizens in developed countries, and left many in the developing world wondering how they are going to feed their families. Ecologically, last week came word that an ice-shelf the size of Jamaica had broken off from the Antarctic ice-mass, confirming yet again the reality of global warming and the real possibility of climate-change. This global warming is of course mainly blamed on mankind’s high emission of carbon-dioxide largely by the burning of fossil fuels which are themselves becoming rapidly depleted. The race is on to find and use new sources of “green energy” which are non-polluting, low-carbon, and preferably renewable.

One of the challenges in this time is to convince all countries of the world that we are better off tackling these problems together on a united front, rather than opting for narrow self-interests, such as trade-protectionism.

That is why the Summit is so vitally important.

In addition to the specific points arising in discussion, the Summit also — and perhaps more importantly — provides a forum for regional leaders to get to know each other personally and build connections that could be of great consequence in the years to come. While the Summit might see some ideological jostling, we expect delegates to recognise their commonality of purpose and to grasp the opportunity provided to lay the groundwork for hemispheric cooperation to tackle these problems of economy, ecology and energy.

For example, in the twin areas of energy and ecology US president Barack Obama has signalled a shift towards clean energy which at this summit will surely be of keen importance for Trinidad and Tobago’s liquified natural gas (LNG) or Brazil’s ethanol, the bio-fuel made from sugarcane.

Many countries also face problems peculiar to the hemisphere such as drug-trafficking and the murderous violence that usually accompanies it.

Surely, against traffickers who recognise no borders, this trade is best tackled by hemispheric collaboration such as could be built up at the Summit.

In addition to the issues, the hemisphere is also witnessing momentous political events, comprised chiefly of the election of the first black President of the United States, Barack Obama. The election of this tall, handsome, young man has really brought a breath of fresh air to the politics of the US and the world, and we hope, to the region. The political landscape of Latin America has been changing too, as the generals and strongmen who ruled much of South and Central America 25 years ago, have largely been replaced by democratically-elected heads. The Caribbean enjoys several new Prime Ministers.

The power of the Summit is shown in the fact that even before it has begun, things are happening that could lead to reform in Cuba to allow it to join a future summit as a democratically-run country.

It is said that “to whom much is given, much is expected”, and it is our sincere hope that this country’s moment on the hemispheric stage will be Trinidad and Tobago’s contribution to solving the crises in economy, ecology and energy, and in doing so, making the world a better place for all of its citizens.