THE ’Obamania’ frenzy that is so much a feature of preparations, events and developments ahead of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, should not be allowed to get in the way of ensuring that this historic three-day conference in Port-of-Spain is much more than inking an already-circulated draft ’Declaration of Commitment’ and the exciting moments for photo memorabilia.  

True, a Head of State like Barack Obama, the first black man to sit in the White House as President, is a once in a lifetime historical event. But success of this summit of 34 nations of the Americas-15 of them from our own Caribbean Community-cannot and should not be measured by the popularity, charisma and eloquence of the 44th President of the USA.

Rather by the creative imagination and commitment he brings to help enable 33 leaders of the other participating nations make a reality of already voiced anxieties for transforming political, cultural  and economic developments in this hemisphere-away from traditional dependence and dominance of US policies and programmes.

Irrespective, that is, of whoever is temporary tenant in the White House and which party controls the US Congress. 

When, therefore, our own Caricom leaders succeed, between Friday night and before 2 p.m., in having their arranged bi-lateral meeting with President Obama, they will not have much time to hammer home their specific priorities for a Community of largely small countries whose members constitute the single largest bloc in the Organisation of American States (OAS).

The Caribbean leaders-now with a few new ones among them-will also do well to recall the historic visit to Barbados in May 1997 when the first-ever Caribbean-USA Summit took place on Caribbean soil with the first-ever American President, Bill Clinton, to have entered into an accord bearing the lofty title. ’Partnership for Prosperity and Security in the Caribbean’ and outlined in a 48-page document. 

    It so happens that the central theme for this week’s Summit of the America, Securing our Citizens’ Future by Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability (quite a mouthful).

It  would be quite useful to learn of the IMPLEMENTATION progress actually achieved in that US-Caribbean accord-from the Clinton presidency right up to the end of the George W Bush’s years that ended with the emergence of Obama.

After the disillusionment still being reported on follow-up actions of the Fourth Summit of the Americas, hosted by Argentina, the people of the Caribbean can be expected to join with those of North, South and Central America to critically assess the results to flow from the high-sounding theme of the 2009 Port-of-Spain Summit of the Americas. 

It is not that Caribbean people have a particular penchant for cynicism. It is simply that trying to blend the official rhetoric of and communiques from leaders of our governments with a litany of failures to IMPLEMENT decisions, unanimously made, contribute so much to prevailing disenchantment.

OTHER FIRSTS: While security arrangements for the summit, sensitive political issues like US relations with Cuba and Venezuela (particularly the former), and the rock star presence of Obama have attracted significant media coverage, it is quite relevant to note that currently among the 34 Heads of State are other history-making firsts: 

There are, for instance, Eva Morales, the first-ever indigenous President of Bolivia, itself an epic political development in the turbulent history of Latin America. Prevailing domestic political problems seem likely to succeed in keeping Morales away from the Fifth Summit.

But there will be the distinction of having the first two women Presidents of Latin America-Chile’s Michelle Bachelet and Argentina’s Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, both, like Morales, viewed ideologically as left or left-of-centre. 

 What is not known is how many, if any, of the 33 visiting Heads of State and Government to be hosted by summit chairman, Prime Minister Patrick Manning, will make time for even brief appearances at what is being staged as a parallel political event and popularised as the ’Fourth People’s Summit’?  

For domestic political reasons, it is to be expected that Prime Minister Manning will keep far away from that ’Peoples’ Summit, the moreso in view of the nature of some of the activities planned and known disagreements between his administration and the more militant representatives of trade unions and other civil society organisations. 

It would, however, be quite surprising that if ALL of the visiting leaders or heads of delegations from the 33 other states to the official Fifth Summit of the Americas fail to show up-or alternatively be represented-at the ’Peoples’ Summit’.

The moreso, given their  recurring claims to commitment to work in collaboration with civil society and established institutions for securing ’a better future’ and the ’human prosperity’ they so often speak of in their respective countries and various regional/international fora.