A new book that examines whether the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has reached the limits of its founding model and sets out a path for its renewal is being launched on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at The University of the West Indies, Mona campus in Kingston.
Co-authored by former Jamaica Governor General Professor Sir Kenneth Hall and long-time collaborator Myrtle Chuck-A-Sang, the 386-page book is titled Caribbean Integration: The Patterson Doctrine — Governance, Transformation and the Future of the Caribbean Community.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, who is also Caricom’s lead head of government with responsibility for the Caricom Single Market and Economy, will be the guest speaker.
The book analyses the governance framework, political philosophy and strategic vision for regional integration associated with former Jamaica Prime Minister PJ Patterson — what the authors term “the Patterson Doctrine”.
The authors contend that while Caricom has recorded real gains in economic cooperation and collective diplomacy, a critical gap persists between regional institutions and the citizens they are meant to serve.
The book, therefore, makes the case that closing that gap — through stronger governance, production integration and a renewed sense of shared Caribbean purpose — is the defining task of the community’s next chapter.
This excerpt is from an article originally published in The Jamaica Observer.
