THE PAN-AFRIKAN LIBERATOR

The following is an attempt to develop a comprehensive view of what I feel the Montserrat economic structure can look like with the right development thrust.

It is my view that the size of the island has certain constraining effects but at the same time offers some advantages for orderly development.

Montserrat's size tends to severely limit the extent to which independent planning and implementation of development objectives can be addressed.

It is extremely difficult to identify a specific economic activity that can be engaged in with the intent of sustaining the island on an ongoing and indefinite basis.

On the other hand it is very easy to identify a number of areas that can single-handedly carry the burden of this small economy if developed as desired. But, these activities are subject to the vagaries of other economies on which we have no influence.

Depending on any one of these possible activities is fraught with the danger of a totally collapsed economy if this sector was to suffer any reversals for any reason. We have seen the results of this already.

It would seem, therefore, that the approach ought to be one of identifying a basket of initiatives that will give each other some support but, which are not so interdependent as to create a situation where the collapse of one sector would cause a similar reaction in the others.

This approach ought to take into account the natural advantages of small size, any other advantage that might be real or perceived, and to minimize the negative effects of a small population and geographic size.

It must build on existing activities and instituions as much as possible and avoid the introduction of new or exotic situations and activities, so that existing skills and other resources can be utilized and enhanced. New things need more time to develop and achieve excellence.

The achievement of excellence must be a hallmark of anything that is established. Any activity will become subject to international scrutiny and competition in order to survive and be successful. And, we must not be cowered by the possibility of failure.

Let us, therefore, look at what we have and what can result from their development. What we have can be divided into two basic categories, natural geographic environment and man-made.

Some man-made environmental factors are directly built on some natural occurring factors but are worth special mention.

Geographically we are a tropical island of primarily volcanic origin.

This affords us the lush tropical vegetation and exceptionally favorable climate but not the white sandy beaches of our neighbors or the natural harbors.

Since we lack the latter we ought to maximize the pluses of the former.

We can, therefore, still successfully develop a tourist industry around our mountainous terrain, lush vegetation and the uniqueness of our black sandy beaches.

However, we must recognize that these are still not main- stream tourist lures, but they can develop enough to be significant contributors to the economy.

Physical access to the island presents itself as a constraint. The mountainous terrain impedes air transport and lack of natural harbors impedes sea transport.

We must make the question of physical access central to any economic development activity.

The ability to provide goods or services hinge on the direct involvement of people either as providers or as recipients.

Therefore, it becomes an essential consideration in any planned activity. We must take the necessary steps to alleviate or minimize the negative impact of this factor.

We need an airport with the capacity for direct regional connections to the important hubs, to include Puerto Rico, St. Marten, Guadeloupe and Barbados.

We also require facilities to accommodate the increasing movement of pleasure craft through the islands and cargo and at a reasonable rate and volume.

Our location puts us in the middle of an area of increasing economic activity between North and South America and Europe and Africa.

Our physical handicaps prohibit taking real substantive advantage of physical movements of goods, material or people but it does facilitate telecommunications options which ought to be exploited to the fullest.

Our geography also provides us with a climate that ought to place us at the forefront of agricultural production.

However others have this advantage together with larger land mass and population that makes the task of exploiting this climatic factor less attractive.

The effort, therefore, should be directed at exploiting the natural climatic advantage together with the development of controlled environments that may be less attractive in areas of greater natural endowments, and build an agricultural industry in areas that require extensive controls in any event:-

-products that require a high level of environmental protection and do not necessarily require large quantities to compete on the open market or large tracts of land for economic production.

Examples would include vegetables with relatively short shelf life and certain ornamental that require special conditions for propagation.

These, along with the normal requirements of the local population, some regional markets and an expected growth in the tourist population, could lay the basis for a healthy agricultural sector.

The quality and taste of our natural spring water have been a source of compliments throughout our history.

No doubt an industry based on this resource would prove successful. The development of a beverage industry combining our agriculture produce for natural flavors and our spring waters for body could well establish us as the refreshment source of choice in a local and regional tourist industry, for example, "The Montserrat Lime Drink" or simply "Montserrat Pure Spring Water".

It has been mooted by various sources over the years that the hot mineral springs are assets that have not been looked at fully to exploit its economic benefits.

We cannot afford to overlook any possibility. The taking of baths in the waters of the springs has been said to have curative powers. Whether perceived or real, it is worth development.

It can, at the very least, be the basis for an additional unique tourist activity and at best, be the basis for a health service industry built on the known benefits derived from hot mineral baths.

The immediate development of the hot-water pond site and others should be a priority.

The geothermal potential as it relates to alternate energy production has been raised in the past. A new and inventive look should be made as to its potential benefits.

Apart from a fresh look at the economic feasibility of producing electric power from geothermal energy a look should be taken at possibly developing large cooling systems that could be utilized for storage of agricultural products for local consumption and for export and for possible commercial business or living space; all this without necessarily converting to electricity first.

Our location provides us with the ownership of vast fishing resources that we have not yet learned to exploit. Perhaps we are not equipped as a people to exploit this resource at this time ourselves.

But, with the development of large cooling systems for storage at competitive rates we may be able to sell this resource to others who may be better equipped to exploit the seas at this time and have them process and store their catches in Montserrat.

Naturally, the local industry and market would benefit from increased activity in this area enhancing the tourist and a possible health services sector.

There are, no doubt, other factors related directly to geography that could possibly be looked at in perspective.

This must be done and with the vigor required to make a positive difference in our development strategy.

The factors that hinge on man-made developments are never as fundamental or as rooted in reality as the geographic ones, but they are usually more immediate for exploitation, if only for the fact that their existence speaks to some measure of proven viability.

The fact that institutions exist means that some development has already taken place in the particular direction.

It means that there is some level of acceptance that the particular direction can be and is a suitable economic activity for the people.

We must, therefore, build on this acceptance of man-made development factors and promote a standard of achievement, that brings it out of the realm of just another activity, to one that produces positively and contributes significantly to the overall growth and development of the country.

One is tempted initially to look at the sector of the economy which conventional wisdom credits our economic growth over the past three decades, the construction sector.

It is rather unfortunate that we have raised this sector as an icon in development economics for our island.

In my view, construction is the type of industry that can only piggyback on the success of an economy stimulated and growing from developments in other sectors.

Its dominance cannot be denied but its total dependence is inescapable.

In our own situation, the health of the construction industry was not even a sign of healthy growth in our own economy, but that of other economies in which we have no influence.

However, as an important indicator of healthy growth, we need to be very concerned with the construction industry's health and to monitor its development closely, because it not only indicates the health of other sectors but it links them and may be a limiting factor, in the ability of some, to reach maximum potential.

We note extensive development of the communications industry on the island during the past three decades.

Our geographic position vis-à-vis the eastern Caribbean encouraged the development of early communications institutions beyond our local capacity to absorb.

We must recognize the larger market potential which has to now been left under exploited.

The establishment of institutions over these years has encouraged a culture geared toward the exploitation of these resources. Our youths see the potential for careers in media production in all its facets.

However no concerted effort has been made to maximize this trend to our benefit. This must be seen as a top priority.

As the information age grows and matures, we must be able to see that the excellent orientation afforded by this early involvement in the telecommunications media, immediately puts us at the forefront.

We must pursue further the developments in the computer industry and extend the existing culture with an affinity to the electronic environment.

We must make the study and use of computer systems as pervasive as we possibly can in the education system and the society in general.

The melding of the electronic technologies among themselves creates an enormous tool for advancement and growth.

It can be seen as an industry that can sustain itself or as a medium in which other products and services can rely for their very existence and growth.

We have been designated as the cultural center for the Caricom region.

I am not quite sure what was envisioned by those who made the decision, but it is now incumbent on us to make that designation worthwhile, meaningful and profitable.

Although our small size acts as an inhibitor as an initial base for a critical mass associated with cultural blossoming, our size also makes it possible for us to appreciate the totality of our regional cultural development, its diversity and its commonalty.

If we were to couple this with a healthy electronic media, which can play a role in archiving our past achievements, in presenting our current offerings and developing our future activities, we can certainly make our Caricom position one of our economic pillars.

We can certainly use a positive thrust in the area of cultural development to add impetus to our educational activities that can provide direct benefits to other areas of economic activity.

The development, production and reproduction of cultural activities would inform and enhance the appreciation of the tourist industry.

On the surface it can lead to a direct expansion of tourist attractions. It can also help to put the tourism product in a better perspective and assist in the retention of an identity that tends to suffer as a result of a tourist-oriented economy.

The various skilled activities that contribute to the sustaining of cultural activities can be nurtured in the school system with direct spin-off in other sectors.

As an example, the production of a school theater performance, can involve students who are perfecting skills in construction related trades (carpentry, electrical installation work, video and audio engineering, clothing design and construction, art design, cosmetics, language arts, production planning and financing).

The potential is without bound given the right vision and enthusiasm. A national theatre could be given a central stage as part of these activities with similar spin-offs as envisioned for the education system in the society as a whole.

Coupled with the use of the telecommunications base as a medium for promoting this product to the existing regional public and its very large transient market.

We have demonstrated on a small but definitely encouraging scale that the quality of our local production in the field of indigenous music and the performing arts in general can stand international scrutiny. Our calypsonians, our playwrights and others in the performing arts testify to that.

We must make it a priority to maximize the existing activities on the path to greater development in this area. We can leave no stone unturned.

No doubt a positive thrust in cultural development will attract regional movement to our shores to assist and engage in the these developments. The positive effect of a growth in the contributing population of the island cannot be overlooked.

We had for sometime relied on the development of a financial sector as a major contributor to our economy. This area continues to have potential.

Our geographic location in the central Americas and our infrastructure in telecommunications, place us in an advantageous position given the high dependence on the movement of information, by electronic means, in this industry.

We need only complement this by providing suitable amenities to the people who make this sector flourish.

This puts added importance to the development of a vibrant health services sector which can be a source of positive economic growth in addition to its obvious role of providing quality health services for what we expect to be a growing and demanding Montserrat economy.

The existing offshore medical institution could be linked to the provision of expanded medical services catering to those who may be encouraged to visit our shores for its natural health advantages, climate and terrain, and the hot mineral spring baths earlier suggested.

The expansion of the education system, to include the development of a school of nursing, together with a strong effort to build additional health facilities, targeted at the elderly, would provide the foundation required to build this sector.

In addition, expanded health services would encourage the return of Montserratians who would wish to retire at home but question its efficacy in the light of their age and possible medical problems.

It would also tend to arrest the flight of the aging expatriate community that was the backbone of the construction industry of the past.

Taken in totality, with the determination and a will to fight on all fronts suggested, I believe that the proposals outlined can place the Montserrat economy on a sound and balanced footing.

The economy should as structured be able to withstand the various ups and downs that are likely to be experienced in any one sector as time goes by.

I have so far neglected to mention directly any proposals for the manufacturing sector. The reason, in my view, reflects the fact that we do not have any natural or competitive advantage in developing a manufacturing industry in the traditional sense.

However, I do see a role for manufacturing as an adjunct to the development of the other sectors spoken of earlier, but only where there exists an economic justification for producing materials and products useful in the functioning of the other sectors efficiently.

The ideas put forth in this presentation should serve as a survey of the economy and what I see as the possibilities for the commanding heights of such an economy.

The particulars of any development, however small can be developed within this context and contribute significantly if the overall objectives are kept in perspective.

The framework can serve to guide all participants with the expectation that one design though subject to changes would inspire an orderly and progressive march towards development.

Structural Adjustment Programs come in various forms and disguises.

When your country is deeply indebted to the western hemisphere military/industrial block, Structural Adjustment is applied directly.

The devaluation of your currency is the starting point, which is progressively followed by the devaluation of your entire society.

For economists, who only consider profit and loss, there is profit to be gained for the industrial nations that financed the debt. For social scientists, who recognise the human element as the most important component, structural adjustment brings nothing but pain and suffering to the people.

Every country that has gone through structural adjustment, has had the fabric of its society ruptured, and the standard of living of its people has steadily declined.

In the so-called francophone countries on the west coast of Afrika, the french franc was recently devalued by 50% The effect on its 13 former colonies, now firmly entrenched in france's neo-colonialist economy, was an overnight doubling of the cost of goods.

The value of exports decreased by half and the value of imports increased by half overnight.

According to the french government, this was not structural adjustment. To prove it, france wrote off the debt of the poorest countries and cut the remaining countries debts by half.

The 13 countries involved in this monetary adjustment will display and suffer from all the social, economic and political symptoms that are associated with countries subjected to structural adjustment.

Structural adjustment, no matter what it is called can be recognized.

In the colonies the colonial masters still maintain total administrative control through their constitutional authority and their civil servants.

The manipulation of key sectors of the society at different times through seemingly unrelated social, economic and political coercion and co- operation will produce the same effects socially and the same results economically and politically as countries under direct IMF structural adjustment programs.

Montserrat, one of the few remaining colonies of the shriveled british empire, has been subjected over the past four years to a crippling structural adjustment program.

Beginning with John Osborne's (former chief minister) rejection of his country's colonial status, internationally and regionally, the british began to subtly undermine the confidence of the electorate in his administration.

Funds already earmarked for post-Hugo reconstruction aid was withheld. The off-shore finance industry, which by itself could put Montserrat on a per capita income basis of the oil-rich arab countries, was dismantled.

The british, who constitutionally have the power to rule the island at the discretion of the governor, destroyed an industry that could have benefitted the country and its people supposedly because of one man's corruption.

In effect, they removed a man's head because he had a toothache.

The PLM ministers' inability to recognise the dynamics of their situation and a willing and virulent opposition-party newspaper (NDP), were easily manipulated by british "diplomacy."

A constitution was compiled and imposed without any local consultation and off- shore financing became an external affair controlled by the governor.

Having removed the voice in the wilderness crying for independence and having destroyed the financial base that could have made that independence a reality, the british then began to take hands-on control of public administration.

With a new and willing naive set of puppets (NPP) to manipulate, britain's task became even easier.

Over a period of time, british technical advisors were imposed on the civil service.

Most of these advisors possessed little technical ability and little or no training or background, or they had proven track records of incompetence.

The Hugo reconstruction aid funds which were withheld from the PLM administration were now going to be released to the NPP administration.

However, there were many strings attached to these funds which would allow the british to reduce the social and economic standard of the people without appearing to do so.

Who pays the piper, calls the tune. The tune that is being played in this little island is so discordant that it would give a deaf person an earache.

First they rewrote all the rules that controlled the bidding of contractors for jobs.

This was done in such a way as to ensure the elimination of all local contractors from obtaining british-aid funds on Hugo reconstruction projects.

Consequently, the labour force was reduced in the construction industry and its supporting sectors.

According to the criteria for bidding on jobs, only british-based contractors could meet the standards. Along with the contract to do the job, came the string.

The contractors were allowed to bring their own equipment and their own work force.

When they didn't have enough of their own labourers to satisfy time constraints, they hired foreign and local labour at the lowest cost they could enforce.

These strings allowed the elimination of local contractors, local truckers, local heavy equipment operators, little or no participation of local hardware suppliers and the reduction of the local labourers earning capacity by half.

The severe economic implications on the social fabric of a community whose periods of economic growth are associated with the construction industry may be subtle to the blind, but not invisible.

With earning capacity reduced, an already fragile and disorganised labour force and little or no money circulating in the local economy, small businesses began to die.

Organised labour, the only force that could maintain current earning capacity also came under attack. Leading the way in an attempt to destroy labour unions was Cable & Wireless.

A former implementer of british overseas policy, the old boy's club of former british civil servants and their descendants fill the ranks of Cable & Wireless from bottom to top.

Their new policy for dealing with their labour force would pave the way for government's handling of the civil service and private sector handling of other organised labour movements.

Eventually, there were british technical advisors in every branch of the civil service. No matter what position they occupied in their departments they ran those departments.

In a recent court case, just won by one of the financial institutions whose license was revoked, the judge concluded that the financial secretary, administrator of the Ministry of Finance, allowed a man who was clearly his junior, but a british advisor, to take over and run the finance ministry.

Taking control of the public sector, while reducing the earning capacity of the local labour force produced the desired economic effects. We now began to hear that the country needed a country policy plan.

We were told that the reason for our poor economic performance was because we had no economic plan for development.

Then we heard that nowhere in our society was there any person or group of persons who could come up with either short-, medium- or long-term solutions for our economic, social or political woes, notwithstanding the fact that the british MP, Lennox-Boyd, dismissed out of hand all economic solutions we presented.

One of the most logical solutions at the time was to inject money directly into our economy through the construction industry by building some low- and middle-income houses.

Mr Boyd admitted that it was a good and workable solution, but britain could not approve it.

Approval, they reasoned would mean that they would have to either give us the money or co-sign the loan that we required to make the scheme work.

So, they brought in their economic "experts" to design their plan to save us.

Those who took the time to study the volumes of verbiage that the well-paid "experts" produced would have recognized the underlying theme right away.

Only british and anglo expatriates could solve our problems. New, independent administrative bodies were needed in both the public and private sectors.

These administrative bodies would be controlled and directed by expatriate expertise. Local people, both in the public and private sector who for years have been gaining the expertise necessary to control our own affairs, would now have to take a back seat or work for, and under, our saviours.

Even as the british moved to take total control of public administration, anglo expatriates from europe and america moved into the vacuum created in the private sector by the death of local businesses. Besides establishing themselves in local private sector enterprises, the expatriates are also being granted licenses to develop the service sector of the tourism and the off- shore finance industries.

According to the british in their country policy plan for Montserrat, the off-shore finance and tourism industries are key to Montserrat's future.

Both of these industries are controlled or owned by foreigners and descendants of our former masters who see the windfall opportunities that are associated with oppression and colonialism.

The Health and Education sectors, both vital to the social development of the people, have clearly not been the priority of the british.

Four years after hurricane Hugo destroyed the island's only hospital and most of the school buildings, very little has been done.

The hospital is still being repaired, and the school infrastructure has been given a band-aid to heal a festering sore.

Although the british were aware that the Salem Campus (the best organised school) had asbestos covering the roofs of the classrooms they made no effort to remove it.

The hospital, which also had huge amounts of asbestos included in its original construction, had to give up part of its reconstruction funds to pay a british "expert" a huge fee to come and "supervise" the removal of the asbestos that they put in.

Since no funds were available to remove the asbestos from Salem school, according to the Development Unit, the "expert" did not worry with the school buildings. Concerned about their own safety, some of the teachers mounted a rare protest.

To the detriment of the children's education, and the larger society, it has now become convenient to shut down the school during school time putting an even greater strain on an already strained system.

If tomorrow's leaders can't get a quality foundation today, how can we expect them to make meaningful decisions in our best interest tomorrow?

Clearly it works to the detriment of the people and to the benefit of the colonial overlords, when you can retard the social growth and development of the people by insuring that the health and education sectors of the island reflect no substantial progress from british aid.

Severe economic conditions. A labour force so desperate for work that they will now take jobs for wages that they cannot live on. An inadequate health system in which the people have little or no confi- dence.

An illiteracy problem that grows larger with each group of children that enters the education system.

A society with no identity and no leadership or direction that its people can relate to.

A society so confused that western christian missionaries steal their minds and their meager earnings.

A political regime that is becoming more entrenched, less democratic and more dictatorial.

An administration that suppresses its own media outlet, propagandizing the people with free information of projects and development that disappear as fast as agreements are signed.

The process is not complete.

The saga is far from over.

After four years of crafty destruction and selective personnel replacement in seemingly unrelated sectors of society, the picture, now becomes clearer.

The construction industry, once the mainstay for local growth and stability is now reserved for the british and anglo expatriates.

The same consultants who draw huge fees out of the reconstruction aid funds for their inadequate solutions to our physical infrastructure are also the owners and shareholders of the companies that win the contracts.

They are not only consultants and contractors, they are also both the buyers and sellers of the materials used for these projects.

Sub-contracts go to expatriate anglos who then bring in local labourers at very low wages.

The timing of the projects is determined by how fast the same contractors can complete one project and freely and conveniently move on to the next.

The economy has been so shattered and the earning capacity of the labourer has become so limited that the labour force competes for work further depressing wages. The expatriate community, once almost invisible, is growing daily in numbers and activity as the people moan, mutter and complain bitterly about their lot.

Of course, all this could not have been accomplished so easily and with so little public objection, if there was not a group of lost and confused people in our society.

Politicians, administrators and the man on the street alike, are all willing victims in their own oppression looking out more for their own personal, immediate interests than for the long-term interest of the masses and the nation.

One of the problems that we all face as African human beings in this struggle for liberation is how we handle "oppression".

All of us, the world over, have not just been victims of physical oppression, but we have suffered severe intellectual, spiritual, psychological and emotional oppression that has resulted in personal behaviors that have worked against us at such a severe level, that we have actually sabotaged much of our forward progress without literal interference.

Now that most of the areas in Africa and the Caribbean are free, and most of the other diaspora is not tied to physically enforced slavery, segregation and apartheid, we no longer face literal physical oppres- sion.

And as we have addressed the physical oppression through independence movements and civil rights movements, we have not addressed the internal oppression that is far more deadly than even the physical oppression.

Pan-Africanists are not immune to this either, as manifested by our inability over the years to move from theory to practice in our own ranks.

If Pan-Africanism implies unity and unity implies communication on a regular basis, we have our first opportunity to examine our own level of internalized oppression at work.

How often do we socialize with other members? How often do we share in association related activities?

How often do we call each other just to see how the other person is doing or how often do we make ourselves available to be a listener?

Or are we so busy getting caught up in the white world that we find little quality time left to give to our African selves and African processes.

This self examination is critical to the success of the movement and must be faced by each individual. Otherwise, we continue to have only a few people doing all the work, while the rest of us, under Euro-male domination, spend the majority of our time building his system while we claim to need to build one of our own.

This also works if we follow Islam, but most of our energy goes to reinforcing Arab domination over us.

There is intellectual consciousness which exposes us to information that we can use. There is psychological consciousness which exposes us to our mind and how we behave.

Then there is spiritual consciousness that exposes us to how we should separate those things that are important in life from those that are not.

If we are full of a jumble of information which is not ordered in a way to benefit our ability to execute practical models that benefit the growth of Pan-Africanism, that information is useless.

If we are psychologically conscious but our words do not match our behaviors then that consciousness is useless to Pan-Africanism.

If we are spiritually confused, unable to settle down and remove the clutter of the European world from our being, then that is not spirituality.

And until we set out to conquer these areas of our lives as they have been affected by western civilization, Pan-Africanism can only remain a theory that is bounced around by a people who continue to internalize oppression because that oppression allows them to do little or nothing.

Personal liberation is hard work and requires a certain level of honesty and constructive self-criticism along with self- discipline. In the past we all tried short cuts to liberation by attacking things outside of ourselves for comfort.

This has resulted in African people being more cruel to each other on a daily basis, around the world, than even what the racists can physically do to us.

This has resulted in us not dealing with our own internal chaos of drug addiction, alcoholism, obsessive compulsive behavior, uncontrollable rage, feelings of hopelessness and our deep inability to trust each other's judgement.

The new frontier of liberation is defeating internalized oppression so that we are able to reconstruct our original greatness. There is no way around it and we must all do it.

But we must do it in a nurturing way to ourselves, understanding that pain takes a long time to heal.

Bro. Duane B. Bradford is the President of the Pan-African Associations of America (PAAA). The PAAA became the official representative on the Pan-African Movement Worldwide. Bro. Bradford is a member of The Black Think Tank of the Pan- African Movement Worldwide.