(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The countries and peoples of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) were recently celebrated in Cuba as part of its Twenty-Sixth Caribbean Festival, Feast of Fire held 3-9 July in the city of Santiago de Cuba.

With the Ninth Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA 1X) billed for 22 September-1 October in Trinidad and Tobago, CARICOM’s Consultant for CARIFESTA, Dr. Carole Maison-Bishop used the Festival as a platform to promote the Caribbean cultural exposition.

At the opening ceremony of the Festival, Dr Maison-Bishop noted that the CARICOM Secretariat and the Region’s artistic community were particularly pleased with Cuba’s initiative to showcase the Caribbean Peoples and Caribbean Integration, as the Region prepared to celebrate CARIFESTA 1X. “Indeed this is another manifestation of the cultural cooperation between CARICOM and Cuba,” she stated, adding that the signing of a Cultural Agreement between CARICOM and Cuba, in December 2005, formalised the cultural ties which had existed for many years between CARICOM and Cuba.

In pointing to the similarities between the annual Cuban festival and CARIFESTA, Dr Maison-Bishop gave a background to CARIFESTA, noting in particular, Cuba’s hosting of the third CARIFESTA in 1979. “This year, as a result of the adoption of the Strategic Plan for a New CARIFESTA by the Heads of government of the Caribbean Community, we will see the repositioning of CARIFESTA as a world-renowned hallmark festival of the Caribbean cultural and artistic excellence,” she told the gathering.

Under the theme The Caribbean which Unites Us, discussion papers were presented by a number of international and regional scholars who attended the Caribbean Festival in Cuba. In her presentation which focused on "Moving Forward Together in Harmony: A Brief Examination of CARICOM/Cuba Relations over the Last 30 Years", Dr Bishop called on participants to join the rest of the Caribbean in celebrating CARIFESTA lX.

She also fielded questions from regional and international journalists during a specially convened press conference, emphasising the CARIFESTA programme and expectations. This was in addition to discussions with the local media as part of promoting the event abroad. CARIFESTA lX was also promoted at the launch of the Travelling Caribbean Film Showcase, held at the Hotel Nacional in Havana, Cuba, Saturday 8 July.

Other CARICOM delegates who attended the discussion forum at the Cuban Caribbean Festival were: the Hon. Eleston Adams, Minister of Culture, Antigua and Barbuda; Prof. Barry Chevannes, Prof of Sociology, UWI, Mona; Dr. Mark. McWatt, Guyanese prize winning author, poet and lecturer (Casa de las Americas and Commonwealth ); Dr.Evelyn O'Callaghan, Lecturer, Cave Hill, Barbados; Mr. Ian Craig, Lecturer, Cave Hill, Barbados, and Mr. Adwisa Adwele, (Aja), International Poet, Artist, Musician from Barbados.