International leader to star at UCCI conference

(CNS): The first ever commonwealth secretary from the third world, Sir Shridath Surendranath Ramphal, a Guyanese barrister, politician and international civil servant has been confirmed as the Keynote Speaker at UCCI’s second International Conference that will be held in the Cayman Islands on 17 & 18 March next year. A strong advocate for the interests of developing countries and the world’s poor, the need for a new international economic order, and the need to end apartheid in South Africa, he was also an architect of regional integration in the Caribbean and strengthened ties in the region and Latin America.

With the success of its first international conference in early 2010, UCCI is now making preparations for 2010 this time exploring themes related to Leadership, Governance and Empowerment

“Next year’s conference, promises to be just as stimulating as the first one, with an impressive array of speakers headed by our planned keynote speaker, Sir Shridath Ramphal,”said Dr. Livingston Smith,Director of Research and Publication at UCCI.

After the end of his term as secretary-general of the Commonwealth in 1989, Surendranath Ramphal, (or Sonny as he is more usually known) served as head of the World Conservation Union and played an important role in the Earth Summit in 1992. His book Our Country, the Planet (1992), published just in advance of the Summit, expresses his commitment to the causes of international economic reform and environmental protection. In all he served on five international commissions on global development and the environment.

The UCCI is currently looking for prospective presenters to join the line up, who are being asked to submit a 250-300 word abstract, a 50-word biography, information on university affiliation, if any, and a photograph, if there is no objection to displaying such on the conference website. UCCI said the Deadline for submissions is 30 December 2010.

“We urge the public to participate in this event and come together as a community to discuss and share ideas on critical and urgent issues relating to the region, including the Cayman Islands,” added Smith

For more information, please contact Dr. Smith at 623-0539 or email lsmith@ucci.edu.ky