The World has an Obligation to Help Haiti says TCI Premier in promotion of greater Caribbean synergy

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, June 30, 2022 – One for all and all for one was the message from Turks and Caicos Premier and former Chairman of the Board of Governors Washington Misick when he spoke at the Caribbean Development Bank’s annual general meeting proceedings recently.

In terms of what he thought the bank should be doing more of Misick said more regional and international members should be brought into the fold. Additionally the region should stick to its mantra of one for all and all for one.

“There are some of us who are doing quite well and there is no reason why we shouldn’t be lifting or contributing to some of our other neighbors or focusing on projects within particular neighborhoods.”

In terms of financial sustainability Misick said we have to learn from each other, noting that we had intelligent people in our diaspora and the region and there should be more in terms of knowledge transfer.

He maintained the idea of partnership and openness with each other throughout his interview.

“There needs to be a serious effort in creating systems that are transferable, in creating standards that would facilitate the movement of people. We should look at having a Caribbean exchange where we could cross invest into each other’s economy. We still have this ideology that if  it comes from outside it’s better when in fact there’s so much we can do for ourselves,” he said.

Continuing in the vein of partnership he maintained that the world has an obligation to help Haiti. Misick did not mince words.

“I do believe the region and the world has an obligation to do a better job of assisting our neighbors in Haiti so that they are not trafficked.”

Misick said he had discussed with the CDB how to put preventative measures in place to prevent the dangerous sea crossings.

“The CDB and the region could develop initiatives to help some of our neighbors who may want to leave if we could create conditions at home that would prevent that from happening fewer people would lose their lives on the seas trying to escape poverty.”

Misick said it was an economic situation that the developed world specifically should do more about. He ended by noting that together we all achieve more in the Caribbean.