A new online Caribbean publication, 1804CaribVoices has been recently launched by faculty and graduate students from the University of the West Indies-St Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago).  The editorial team is led by Norman Girvan and Alexander Gittens. To learn more about 1804CaribVoices see below.

UWI St. Augustine Campus. Trinidad. Image by Two Trees Music

Inspired by the freedom struggles of Caribbean people through the centuries, as exemplified by the Haitian Revolution; 1804CaribVoices gives expression to the myriad voices calling for a united and sovereign Caribbean, social justice, responsible governance and sustainable living in our region.  It is initiated as a web forum with participation  from across the Pan-Caribbean space; and will promote information exchange and collaborative activity among organisations and individuals sharing these objectives. Through this means it aims to fertilise the development of a collective Caribbean consciousness that is rooted in our rich history of resistance and creativity; transcending regional differences of language, ethnicity and political status; and supporting the emergence of a united community of Caribbean nations charting its way in the world.

1804CaribVoices is launched at this time as a result of the growing awareness that our Caribbean is facing multiple challenges arising equally from the impact of global economic and environmental crises as from the legacy of our history of colonisation, economic dependency, social inequality and authoritarian governance.  It is almost a cliché to say that global crises require strong regional responses, yet Caribbean regionalism is in disarray; and political leaders communicate neither a vision nor a clear path out of present crises. Accountability in governance has become a major issue; and there is widespread popular cynicism with the political process. Political decolonisation is an unfinished task,  while in many independent states there is disaffection with the fruits of the national project.

In the face of these developments, and facilitated by the spread of new communication technologies,  civil society organisations all over  the Caribbean are agitating and organising around a variety of social, economic and governance issues. 1804CaribVoices  will provide a platform by which such organisations can spread their message regionally, find areas of commonality of ideas and action, and work towards our collective  empowerment. We invite submissions of commentaries, events, videos, reviews  etc. that are relevant to our objectives. We are starting off as an English-language facility but aim to publish in all four regional languages.

1804CaribVoices has been initiated by a small team of faculty and graduate students based at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine (Trinidad and Tobago) Campus. The Interim Committee is headed by Norman Girvan, Professor Emeritus, and Alexander Gittens, academic and social activist; who together will act as editors/webmasters; with the collaboration of graduate students Courtney Lindsay, Gwendolene Roberts, Elizabeth Encinas and Carlos Clarke. During its first year of operation, we aim to establish a broad-based regional editorial and steering committee representative of social movements and citizens organisations across the different language zones of the Caribbean. We are inviting–no urging–like-minded organisations and individuals to send us your items for sharing with our community of readers and collaborators. Send your contributions and messages to .