The Caribbean Unity Dividend
Part 3
ISSUE No 17
How do you build unity without creating resentment?
In Parts 1 and 2, we explored how Cricket West Indies and the University of the West Indies have carried the region’s identity — and how other nations have learned to fund similar institutions through creative public–private systems.
Now comes the real debate:
Should the Caribbean take the mandatory route — a Caribbean Unity Levy legislated by governments — or pursue a voluntary Corporate Compact, built on goodwill and brand alignment?
One guarantees commitment. The other preserves flexibility.
Both depend on something deeper: trust.
The challenge of Caribbean integration has never been about imagination — it’s about implementation.
From CARICOM to cricket, the dream of unity often meets the wall of sovereignty. Each island has its own laws, economies, and priorities. That’s what makes the idea of a Caribbean Unity Levy so bold — and so difficult.
Option 1: The Levy – Structure and Stability
A Caribbean Unity Levy could be structured as a micro-percentage on corporate profits on targeted sectors such as tourism, banking, and telecommunications. Funds would flow into a regional trust jointly governed by Cricket West Indies, UWI, and a CARICOM-appointed oversight board.
A levy gives CWI and UWI something they’ve never had: guaranteed, predictable funding. With stable inflows, both institutions can finally plan beyond the next crisis. It also sends a strong message. A region willing to legislate support for its cultural and intellectual engines is a region willing to act like a single unit. In that sense, the levy isn’t only financial, it’s symbolic.
But it comes with complications. Any levy would need legal alignment across multiple sovereign states, which is never straightforward in the Caribbean. Private-sector leaders already frustrated with tax burdens will push back. And even if governments agree, political interference or slow-moving bureaucracy could stall decisions, delay payments, or create mistrust. Good intentions can get trapped in the system.
The Levy approach would demand political will — a coordinated policy that transcends island borders. It’s ambitious, but it would give CWI and UWI the financial backbone they’ve never had.
Option 2: The Compact – Partnership and Pride
A Corporate Caribbean Compact takes a different path, voluntary contributions tied to visibility, pride, and social responsibility. Companies would commit a portion of CSR or marketing budgets to a shared Caribbean Unity Fund, earning recognition as “Proud Supporters of Caribbean Unity.”
A Corporate Caribbean Compact is lighter on the system and quicker to roll out. No legislation. No waiting on parliaments. Companies can opt in today, build brand equity tomorrow, and show visible pride in supporting cricket and education. Done well, it brings business, sport, and academia into the same room, something the region rarely manages.
The trade-off is stability. A voluntary system depends on goodwill, leadership cycles, and economic health. Contributions can drop the moment budgets tighten or executives change. With no enforcement mechanism, it’s harder to guarantee long-term consistency. The Compact keeps things flexible, but that same flexibility makes it fragile.
The Compact relies on persuasion, not power but that can also be its strength. It aligns with the Caribbean’s private-sector-driven economy and celebrates shared ownership of regional identity.
The Hybrid Reality
Perhaps the answer lies in a phased approach. Start with a voluntary Compact to test appetite, build transparency, and establish trust — then evolve into a legislated Levy once impact and credibility are proven.
In other words, earn the right to mandate.
In a region where “togetherness” often depends on timing and trust, unity may have to be co-authored before it’s codified.
Community Question of the week
If you had to choose, which would work better for the Caribbean:
A Caribbean Unity Levy backed by law and obligation, or a Corporate Compact built on voluntary partnership and pride?
Should unity be enforced, or inspired?
Reply and tell us what you think, your input could shape Part 4.
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