Pan-Caribbean Congress

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The Pan-Caribbean Congress (PCC) is a unitary Caribbean-wide political organisation which was formed officially on April 27, 2003 in Barbados. According to the earliest press releases there were six member-islands at time of formation. The new party was formed under the auspices and in collaboration with the Clement Payne Movement, of Barbados.

Clement Payne Movement Barbadian political party

The Clement Payne Movement (CPM) is a left-wing Barbados-based political party named in honour of a Trinidad-born man who led a 1937 uprising in Barbados. The Clement Payne Movement is generally seen by most Barbadians as more leftist in ideology when compared with either the more moderate BLP or DLP.

Barbados country in the Caribbean

Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of North America. It is 34 kilometres in length and up to 23 km (14 mi) in width, covering an area of 432 km2 (167 sq mi). It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 km (62 mi) east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, Barbados is east of the Windwards, part of the Lesser Antilles, roughly at 13°N of the equator. It is about 168 km (104 mi) east of both the countries of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and 400 km (250 mi) north-east of Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados is outside the principal Atlantic hurricane belt. Its capital and largest city is Bridgetown.

The Insignia: The symbol of the organisation is of a steelpan, containing within it are the outlines and names of the various states & territories of the Caribbean region.

Steelpan musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago

Steelpans is a musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago. Steel pan musicians are called pannists.

The Motto: "One People, One Caribbean, One Destiny."

During the three-day meeting, a five-member steering committee was selected, and the participants came from:

Antigua and Barbuda Country in the Caribbean

Antigua and Barbuda is a country in the West Indies in the Americas, lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands. The permanent population numbers about 81,800 and the capital and largest port and city is St. John's on Antigua. Lying near each other, Antigua and Barbuda are in the middle of the Leeward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles, roughly at 17°N of the equator.

Grenada country in the Caribbean

Grenada is a country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself plus six smaller islands which lie to the north of the main island. It is located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of Venezuela and southwest of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Its size is 348.5 square kilometres (134.6 sq mi), and it had an estimated population of 107,317 in 2016. Its capital is St. George's. Grenada is also known as the "Island of Spice" due to its production of nutmeg and mace crops, of which it is one of the world's largest exporters. The national bird of Grenada is the critically endangered Grenada dove.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Country in the Caribbean

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a country in the Lesser Antilles island arc, in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lies in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean. The sovereign state is also frequently known simply as Saint Vincent.

The Five-member steering committee:

David Comissiong Barbadian activist

David Comissiong is a Vincentian-born political activist, who is founder of the Clement Payne Movement, and once served as head of the Barbadian government's Commission for Pan-African affairs. He is a frequent critic of globalization and United States hegemony. Commissiong is one of the key Pan-Africanists in Caribbean politics.

George William Odlum was a Saint Lucian left-wing politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Born in Castries, Odlum studied at Bristol University and Oxford University in the United Kingdom before returning to Saint Lucia as Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Trade. After working for the Commonwealth Secretariat and the West Indies Associated States, he formed the Saint Lucia Forum, a left-wing pressure group. This group merged with the Saint Lucia Labour Party in time for the 1974 elections; although the Party did not win, the progress they made allowed them to take power in 1979, with Odlum as Deputy Prime Minister.

The group has the goal of forming a "Union of Caribbean States" through a full Political Union of all members states. Although only six-members states were at the original grouping the PCC hopes to expand into every single Caribbean territory and state whether independent or not.


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Lesser Antilles Archipelago in the Southeast Caribbean

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