The above is a hypothetical statement which the writer strongly believes that no right-thinking individual can make in this era of globalization when the world has drastically shrunk to a village. Gone are days when people solely concerned themselves with their personal affairs while politics and the art of governance were left to the politicians and policy makers. Today we are all involved in the common affairs of humanity as one common family. Hence the government and the intellectual community owe the citizens the sacred duty to keep them abreast of issues which inexorably impact on their well-being.
A well-informed and enlightened populace will be able to make contribution to the process of policy formulation both in the national and international context in the overall interest of their nation.
Today we will critically review the foreign policy direction of the Bahamas as the nation navigates herself through a whole lot of multi-national organizations, treaties, protocols and challenging obligations. Clarity is indispensable in dealing with multi-faceted issues like Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), Caribbean integration, Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) North American Free Trade Agreement (Area) (NAFTA), World Trade Organization (WTO), Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) etc. to mention just but a few. The world in which we are living has suddenly become more complex overnight and hence the business of foreign policy analysis is no less easy.
Despite the fact that scholars and observers of international relations have attempted to form a mental concept of foreign policy making from differing perspectives, one automatic and inexorable principle remains that the primary objective of any foreign policy is to protect the national interest of the sovereign and independent state within the framework of a given international order. Hence our foreign policy initiative must in every circumstances be geared towards the realization of this goal. A former United States Ambassador, Mr. Lammon Walker once noted as follows: "…a diplomat's job is to protect and enhance his country's interests and to communicate both privately and publicly, depending on the subject, his nation's policies on key issues. If possible, a diplomat will find areas of mutual interest with the host country and will be able to maximize cooperation to accomplish both countries goals, even if the two countries do not see eye to eye…."
Unfortunately one of the problems besetting third world developing countries is lack of objectivity and initiative in their foreign policy. Most of them have in many years merely pursued reactionary foreign policy or crisis diplomacy i.e. the practice of conducting diplomatic and/or international relations in unsystematic manner and acting only when a crisis arises or merely yielding to the dictate or insinuation and pressures from the bigger nations. We witnessed this trend during the cold war despite the fact that some nations covertly declared themselves "non-aligned" and even joined the Non-Aligned Nations Movement.
Today despite the end of the cold war, United States continues to use its might to coax and coerce smaller nations in pursuit of her own foreign policy to the detriment of principle of national sovereignty and international legitimacy; notwithstanding the fact that foreign policy ought to be viewed with the perennial controversy over the limits of the enlightened self-interests of each actor in the international arena.
We are aware that while foreign policy of any nation is necessarily a reflection of its domestic reality, nevertheless the fundamental pre-occupation of all foreign policies include the survival of the nation itself, the enhancement of national security, promotion of prosperity or economic interests, protection and maintenance of national prestige, honour, dignity and peace. The above no doubt, remains the core elements that constitute and define the respective foreign policy objectives of nations. It is in the light of the foregoing that some scholars have attempted to define foreign policy as "…a coordinated strategy with which institutionally designated decision-making in a country seek to influence the international environment in order to achieve certain national objectives…" knowledge and a firm grasp of developments in other part of the world is no doubt a prerequisite for a good foreign policy. Such familiarization with issues in other parts of the world must be independently gained and objectively analyzed by a nation in order to formulate her foreign policies in a manner that enhances the national interest of the nation.
As the Bahamas is faced with current global and regional challenges, it becomes imperative that there must be a comprehensive educational and enlightenment campaign to exp-lain these issues of regional and global concerns to our people who are being impacted duly by the emerging trend in the new global community. In the light of rapid development on the global scene, the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should set up a Research and Enlightenment Unit with responsibility for educating and informing the people of the current trend on the global arena in addition to engaging in research of all these trends in the evolving world community. Such campaign must be taken from primary to tertiary level in our educational sector….
Since independence in 1973 The Bahamas have been active in international relations especially in the Commonwealth and in the Caribbean Region. One notes with a sense of admiration, the role played by The Bahamas in the Commonwealth in the struggle against apartheid South Africa. The Bahamas is also visible on the European scene and to some extent in the Asia Axis. However in Central Europe and much of the Asian nations with the exception of Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, the Bahamas is not all that visible. Middle East is also another region that The Bahamas need to expand external relations with. Some small but oil-rich nations like United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman can be explored for tourism, international trade and investment and some cultural exchanges. The same call for expansion and deepening of relations with other Latin American countries, e.g. Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay Argentina (Patagonia Axis) etc.
We further need to constantly review our foreign policy in order to reflect the present realities within the international community. We know, for example that we cannot resist Caribbean integration, FTAA etc., although we may ask to buy time within which to adequately prepare ourselves for integration. Pseudo-intellectuals and parochially-minded observers have been calling on the Bahamas to steer clear of CARICOM regional politics but this is purely borne out of ignorance or afterthought of the issues involved.
Realistically speaking, globalization is like an incoming tide which we cannot prevent or avoid but we can only prepare for it. Presently all regions of the world are engaged in one form of integration or unification, e.g. the African Union, the European Union, the ACP, etc. It is expected that in the new future, the CARICOM will negotiate with the European Union as bloc in terms of trade and on other multi-national issues.
The Bahamas may not be able to negotiate with the E.U. on a separate individual-nation basis and this will be cumbersome and costly. Hence it is in their interest to join the CARICOM as a bloc in all of its ramifications. This approach does not and will not adversely undermine the Bahamas or its foreign policy objectives.
Generally speaking, as previously mentioned in the foregoing, the basic foreign policy objectives of all sovereign, independent including the Bahamas include the following: Self-preservation, National security, Prosperity, Defense of national honour prestige and Peace. The participation of the Bahamas in CSME does not and cannot undermine any of the objectives rather it will indeed enhance them.
However, we cannot exhaust the discussion of foreign policy of a nation without reference to the domestic policies of the nation. Hence it inexorably calls for a deliberate and conscious reappraisal of our domestic, political and economic situation. The Bahamas for instance, is about to embark on some constitutional reforms and it is expected that the end result may change some of the provisions of the Constitution.
The current Constitution of the Bahamas is no doubt not autochthonous. It is expected that at the end of this exercise, the Bahamas might become a Republican State or jettison some of the anachronistic vestiges and legacies of British colonialism and rid ourselves of colonial mentality and imitative complex.
The Bahamas may have to revisit the Caribbean Court of Appeal issue and abrogate the office of the Governor-General as the representative of hr Majesty the Queen (British Monarchy). It is suggested that the office of the President or Head of State be created. This will make us a truly modern independent nation and will enhance the promotion of (our) national image and dignity. The idea that the Governor-General is the representative of the Queen gives most people the impression that The Bahamas is still under the colonial power of the United Kingdom.
Another area in which we need to strengthen the nation is in our economic domestic base. Since foreign policy has to be pursued against the background of available national resources, it must be emphasized that the Bahamas need to be adequately prepared socio-economically, to face the present and future challenges emerging on the global scene towards the enhancement of our national interest and achievement of our foreign policy objective. It is in the context of the above that certain actions and policies have not only become a compelling necessity but indeed an inexorable imperative.
These include but not limited to: the need to intensify and sustain the diversification of the productive base of the Bahamian economy in order to reduce over dependence on tourism sector and financial services. Agriculture and marine resources like fishing etc. could be expanded. Manufacturing industries can be encouraged.
There is also the need to coordinate and meaningfully promote greater relevant socio-economic integration of the Caribbean Region as a necessary and realistic step towards joining other global fora like FTAA, NAFTA, WTO, etc.
The need to pursue a purposeful and result-oriented international agenda for attracting sufficient international investment capital to the country in order to facilitate the quest for sustainable economic growth and development must be vigorously pursued in the overall interest of the nation.
By Clement Chigbo, The Bahama Journal
