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… Bouterse calls for reduced dependence on Int’l supportBy Gary Eleazar in SurinameHost and Chairman of the 23rd Intercessional Meeting of the Leaders of the Caribbean Community, Desi Bouterse,Atlanta Falcons Throwback Jersey, used the opportunity of the opening ceremony yesterday to hail the occasion of International Women’s Day. He singled out Prime Ministers Kamla Persaud-Bissesar of Trinidad and Tobago, and Portia Simpson-Miller of Jamaica,Rick Martin Sabres Throwback Jersey, who are both heading delegations to the summit.He said that their recent success at their respective polls is reason for celebration for the women of CARICOM even as he called on the regional leaders to hone in on their resources and reduce a dependence on the international community.Bouterse also used the occasion of Phagwah which is also celebrated in Suriname as a National Holiday to impress on the regional leaders that its significance of a new beginning and the planting of a new seed is relevant to CARICOM in its current state.“I therefore call all my fellow leaders to join me in a renewed commitment to the region badly in need of a new seed…As we throw water, light the Holi and celebrate with our Hindu brothers and sisters the Holi Phagwah, let us celebrate our diversity and be guided across our own religious and spiritual beliefs to the importance of joint endeavour.”Staying true to the theme of the meeting in Suriname,Michael Jordan White Sox Throwback Jersey, Bouterse said that women have stood firm through the various challenges of the region, including slavery and indentureship as well as the independence struggles.“They are still the foundation of all care given,” said Bouterse as he underscored the role of women in the community.He said that were the contributions of the women of the community to be truly recognised then it would be illustrated adequately “how much the women of this region contribute to our well being.”In talking about the Community’s repayment to the incredulous debt to the women of the region,Paul Kariya Ducks Throwback Jersey, “(among them our mothers and grandmothers) we can begin by honouring our commitments that we have made in this region to make our countries safe…but perhaps the greatest intervention can come from improving the economic circumstances of poor and vulnerable families throughout this region.”His comments were well received by the various delegations that have gathered in Suriname. Bouterse warned that the goals can only be achieved if, “we treat with renewed vigour and renewed beginning…we must not only take account of our failures but permit new energy to infuse our possibilities.”He called for the leaders to commit to “marking this day, March 8, as a day that CARICOM Heads committed to a new partnership with our women.”Bouterse called on those in the Secretariat headquartered in Guyana to enable the process with a view to ensuring “that we begin our institutional arrangement with a promise of partnership and inclusivity of our women in the region.”He said that an in-depth analysis of the institutional arrangements would yield,Bob Uecker Braves Throwback Jersey, “a better way of doing things…a faster response to false starts.”He conceded that the requests’ being made of the CARICOM leaders with respect to women is “a tall order,” in light of the global challenges.“We not only require a better and more empowered Secretariat, we need,Terrell Brandon Cavaliers Throwback Jersey, also, the political will from our elected officials to further the integration agenda even as our peoples do on their own, sometimes traversing unfriendly waters.”The Surinamese President said too that the Caribbean has helped to enrich those in the developed world and asked why the same is not being done for the people of the region.He underscored the need for the Secretariat to be afforded the financial resources to undertake its various tasks and said that as a priority,Fran Tarkenton Vikings Throwback Jersey, the countries in CARICOM need to pay their dues.“Our generational duty, our task as leaders, is to make real, now more than ever in this shaky world the prosperity, the peace, and the sustainable development that our children deserve,Boomer Esiason Bengals Throwback Jersey, now and into the future.”Bouterse was adamant that often times the elected officials in the region use the shortage of financial means “as an easy way out when we choose to refrain from implementing programs of a sustainable nature.”He said that his country sees no merit in merely restating that and rather believes that if the region was to fully optimize its technological, human and other resources “the true potential of our region, rich in so many ways, can be realized.”Speaking openly to the people of the region, Bouterse said that he is aware that the task “before us is formidable, but we are an equally formidable people, as our history has shown time and again.”Bouterse was also adamant that there is no reason for the region to be poor. He pointed to the resources available to it such as oil,Tom Jackson Denver Broncos Throwback Jersey, minerals and sugar among others.“Imagine if we committed to ending donor support, make self sufficiency our cornerstone of development…reduce our taste for things we do not produce and increase it for the things we do produce.”