As a Caribbean Canadian living in the Canadian diaspora, I am always delighted when initiatives are announced to improve the social and economic upliftment of people and institutions in the Caribbean Commonwealth region.  At the same time, regional recipients are urged to pay greater attention to what is being offered and most importantly whether the assistance is sustainable and what are the likely long-term qualitative outcomes.
Unfortunately, many of the regional agencies that have made decisions to accept assistance often ignore these important questions as the ulterior motive seems to be survival, as the fee for service is advanced to meet day-to-day operating expenses.
If my memory serves me correctly, following the 1979 revolution in Grenada, Washington and many of its regional allies became so agitated that the imminent birth of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) became a reality.  Many selected regional organizations operating mainly out of Barbados benefitted greatly from Washington's agitation and fear.
In addition to receiving large amounts of grants and contributions from various United States donors, representatives of these organizations were regularly hosted and dined in Washington by Reaganites like Elliot Abrahams, Robert McFarlane, Jean Kirkpatrick and Ollie North.  Former prime ministers, John 'Tom' Adams of Barbados and Eugenia Charles of the Commonwealth of Dominica, relations to the above Reaganites were well-known.
The OAS was an active partner in the Caribbean Basin Initiative, which resulted in the broadening of their Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and later formation and support of local National Development Foundations (NDF).  It is clear that Washington's motive at the time was to use the local NDFs as local vehicles to strengthen small enterprises and contain "regional leftists" as a result of the process that was taking place in Grenada.  These local NDFs survived for a while but later became unsustainable when Washington pulled the CBI funding plug.  It was indeed a very sad spectacle.
Once again, the OAS and its Washington organs have now found new institutional collaborators in the region by promising to focus on the creation of small business centers in the region.  While I am not in a position to make a detailed critique of Caribbean Export's motives, evidence would indicate, like its father in Georgetown, it is at a 'stand still' and any foreign assistance that it can derive for the next few years that will assist in daily operations, Caribbean Export and the other regional collaborators will remain blessed.
I find the Caribbean Export collaborative initiatives with the OAS quite disturbing.  Why am I disturbed?  At a time when Canada and CARICOM countries are about to sign the CARIBCAN trade agreement, we have heard nothing from this organization that would demonstrate its interest and operational mandate if pushing Caribbean exports in the Canadian marketplace.
There is no doubt that the development and sustainability of small enterprises in the region is very important to the economy.  However, the success and sustainability of these enterprises will not be as a result of cash infusion and ignoring rural populations.  Small enterprise development in Caribbean economies must allow for extensive global links, ensuring that rural communities get access to some of these initiatives, culturally driven and influenced and de-emphasis on bogus foreign consultants plagiarizing others' work and arriving with multitude of three-ring binders and USB hubs.  In essence, those regional collaborators who have bought into the OAS expedition must be reminded that residents' success, growth, sustainability and expanded knowledge should come first before organizational survival.
The OAS and PADF have been quite visible in many roguish and corrupt Latin countries.  They have claimed success with their micro-enterprise development initiatives and are feeling that they could be used as models in the Caribbean Commonwealth member states.  While this might very well be the truth on their outcomes, Commonwealth Caribbean organizations must understand that there is no homogeneity between Spanish- and English-speaking Caribbean people and carte blanche importation of models must be accepted with care and caution.
The OAS and their NGO affiliate have done some very good work on the arts and craft industry in the Caribbean.  Unfortunately, this industry seems to be on the decline in the region, as we see the growing arrival and display of foreign arts on our local retail shelves.  What is also disheartening about the presence of these items on our local shelves is the blind eye given by state organs that have the responsibility for monitoring the imports of certain goods in the state.
It will be interesting to see how the OAS/PADF regional collaborative initiatives on small business center development will pan out.
Pardon my ignorance.  I thought previous PADF/NDF initiatives were geared to establish entrepreneurship centers.
 
oIan Francis resides in Toronto and is a frequent contributor on Caribbean affairs.  He is a former assistant secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Grenada and can be reached at info@visminconsultancy.ca.

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