At 40 years old, the entire concept of CARICOM feels a little middle aged, flabby in the middle, dull around the edges, and not sure if it is coming or going. But instead of going through a mid life crisis, the regional organization is re-strategizing and re-branding. The CARICOM Secretariat has embarked on a reform process called "Turning Around CARICOM: Proposals to Restructure the Secretariat." The development of a strategic plan for 2014 - 218 is the centerpiece of this effort, and it means that the secretariat is going to every member country in the region, all 15 of them to solicit ideas from a broad cross section of society. They're making stop number 11 in Belize where today they spoke to the media. Secretary General Irwin Larocque explained that CAIRCOM can no longer be seen as an abstract political entity; the citizens of CARICOM have to feel it and believe in it:..
Secretary General Irwin Larocque
"It has to be one that sees the community as being more relevant, as being more responsive, in a timely to the needs to the people on the street. I think the people are not feeling us sufficiently. Why are we doing things of we are not talking about it, if we are not making the persons be aware and feel then it is almost as we are not doing it. Part of our re-branding has to be not only to be relevant but to be seen to be relevant, to be felt."
"The message is that there are things that need to be done better, get ahead and fixed it, don't get rid of it but fixed it and that's what we are trying to do."
Larocque and his Change Team have met with Stakeholders form business, media, education and other sectors.
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