By T. Coreentje Phipps-Benjamin
If you had an opportunity to ask “him” one question on behalf of the Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis, what would that question be?
From April 17-19, 2009, the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama, will descend on the Caribbean by way of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, host of the 5th Summit of the Americas. The stage will be set for the Caribbean to be on the President's agenda under the powerful theme, "Securing Our Citizens' Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security, and Environmental Sustainability.” The Summit of the Americas is an unprecedented opportunity for Caribbean Heads of State to engage the popular President in a frank discussion of the issues that matter most to our communities. In the midst of one of the harshest economic meltdowns the world has seen since the Great Depression of 1929, what do Caribbean leaders hope to achieve from President Obama's visit?
Who better to mediate the plight of millions of West Indians than our Caribbean leaders? Every day, constituents convey their opinions and concerns to their representatives and government officials. But will our leaders be swayed by the “pomp and circumstance” surrounding this astute politician, or will they challenge the President to articulate his position on America's relations with the Caribbean? Mindful of the barrage of challenges we currently endure, will our Prime Minister position himself to ensure that the current "state of affairs" in the Federation will make it onto the President's radar?
The signs of economic collapse are everywhere. The Federation's tourism sector took a blow earlier this month with massive employee layoffs at the Four Seasons Resort. Winair, which will end its operations in St. Kitts this month, and a locally operated call center, have become the latest victims of the economic whirlwind. By month's end, seventy or more of our citizens will face the unemployment crisis that has bludgeoned North America over the past year. Meanwhile, customers of some financial entities are voicing legitimate concerns about the well-being and safety of their hard earned savings and investments. Our once economically progressive nation must gear up to wage war an against impending economic tsunamis. With international markets crippled as a consequence of the economic crisis that careened out of control last September, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis begs for a magnified view through the eyes of President Obama.
The US government noted a marked increase in consumer savings in January, an indication that American consumers are hoarding their money, uncertain if or when the economy will rebound. This is one of the significant indicators of a recession. As the world economy slows, we in the Caribbean can probably expect a further reduction in the resources most of us have come to depend upon, such as remittances from family members and friends residing overseas.
Given President Obama's recent signing of a $787 billion economic stimulus package, should Caribbean leaders expect a stimulus “spin off”?
It is not just the economy; even our borders are unsafe. The never-ending war on drugs has placed a grave strain on the resources of many Caribbean governments. Narcotics and illegal firearms continue to find easy entrance onto our shores. Border security is one of the many concerns of our government, but the human and weaponry resources necessary to effectively deter such activities are costly. In addition to addressing the economic and safety issues that threaten our livelihood, the judicial system, environmental protection, disaster preparedness, education, health care, and immigration are other key areas of concern.
But it is the increase in youth on youth crime - which I believe endangers the very future of our Federation - that demands urgent and immediate attention. Given eight murders in less than three months, I want our Prime Minister to ask President Obama if the US government is prepared to assist our government in the implementation of crime prevention/reduction initiatives and, if so, how? Given what I deem to be widespread frustration and “unrest” among some of our nation’s youth, I believe the Summit of the Americas presents a unique opportunity for our leader to reach out to the President and other world leaders for guidance and support on this issue. My expectation is that our Prime Minister will use this forum as a platform to draw attention to the recent ghastly acts of violence among our youth - violence of a nature never before seen in the history of our small nation. If ever there was a time for our Prime Minister not to be bashful or insular, that time is now.
Although most of us will not board a plane to Trinidad, we still hold President Obama in high esteem and admire his historic ascendancy to office as the first black President of the United States of America. At this juncture in the twenty-fifth year of our nation's independence, and given what Kittitians and Nevisians can fairly call “a troubling and unsettling period”, we trust and expect that our leader, the Honorable Prime Minister, Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, will bring our voices and concerns to the President. And we expect President Obama to respond with a clear indication of what the Caribbean can look forward to from his presidency.
If our Prime Minister has an opportunity to ask President Barack Obama ONE question on behalf of the citizens of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, what should that question be?
