(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) National Consultations under the CARICOM Civil Society Project 2010 began in Trinidad and Tobago, Monday 19 July, with presentations by diverse groups on a range of perspectives on civil society engagement in development of Trinidad and Tobago in particular, and the Caribbean Community in general. Some 80 participants representing Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from many regions of Trinidad and Tobago are involved in two days of National Consultations in Trinidad, 19-20 July and one in Tobago, 21 July.

The “CARICOM Civil Society Project 2010” is implemented by the CARICOM Secretariat, in cooperation with the Governments of CARICOM Member States, the Caribbean Policy Development Centre, and with the support of the European Union under the Caribbean Integrated Support Project (CISP) of the Ninth European Development Fund. It aims to identify opportunities for dialogue between CARICOM Member States and Civil Society on key national and regional issues, and to assist CSOs in identifying and participating in opportunities in the development process.

In the feature address - The Role of Non-State Actors in National Development - Mr Gary Tagallie, Director of Poverty Alleviation in the Ministry of the People and Social Development, described the Consultations as “long overdue” but significant and timely as it could be seen as a follow-up to the engagement of Civil society in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2009, which brought about a convergence of Civil Society Organisations in Trinidad and Tobago.

Mr Tagallie indicated that there were some 1500 registered CSOs in Trinidad and Tobago, and expressed the view that even though Civil Society had been in the vanguard of the Caribbean Community for some time, it had “lost some of its steam.”

Trinidad and Tobago’s Civil Society intends to implement and move forward with Civil Society participation in governance.

Dr. Tagallie urged the participants, who represented civil society, to take the messages of the consultation back to their constituents, because too often “people attend meetings and workshops, but fail to share the content of the discussions with their constituents to ensure involvement at all levels.”

In-country coordination for the consultations is done by the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth and Sport.

The Project will see consultations with civil society in Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org