As Jamaica celebrates its 64th anniversary of Independence, the Government has made a decision that deserves attention far beyond Kingston. Its appointment of Professor Peter Blair Henry as chair of the Jamaica Reconstruction and Resilience Oversight Committee (JAMRROC) is not simply the selection of an internationally respected economist. It is an affirmation of an important truth about modern nationhood.

Significantly, this is not the first time Jamaica has turned to Professor Henry for advice. Successive governments have recognised the value of his thinking on economic growth and development. His latest appointment reflects continuity, confidence, and a willingness to draw upon one of the country’s finest minds, wherever in the world he may be.

As Jamaica marks another year of Independence, that decision offers an important lesson for the wider Caribbean.

More than a decade ago, I had the privilege of moderating a public conversation with Professor Henry during the Second Caribbean Economic Forum, held in Barbados in 2015. The forum was designed to expose Caribbean audiences to world-class thinking on issues affecting our economies.

Our inaugural distinguished visiting fellow had been Dr C Fred Bergsten, one of America’s most distinguished economists. For the second forum, however, I wanted someone who combined international stature with an instinctive understanding of Caribbean realities. Professor Peter Blair Henry was the obvious choice.

The discussion that followed remains one of the most memorable economic conversations I have moderated.

For many Caribbean people, particularly Jamaicans, the closing decades of the 20th century were defined by debt crises, structural adjustment programmes, and difficult years under the supervision of the International Monetary Fund. Those policies demanded fiscal discipline, but many citizens felt that the realities of small island developing states were often overshadowed by economic models developed for much larger countries.

Professor Henry brought a different perspective. He did not argue against sound economic management. Rather, he argued that, while sound economic principles are universal, successful public policy must always be adapted to local circumstances. Small economies must build strategies that recognise their own institutions, history, vulnerabilities, and strengths.

That perspective resonated deeply with the audience gathered in the Grande Salle of the Central Bank of Barbados, named after its first Governor, Sir Courtney Blackman. They recognised something refreshing.

Here was a Jamaican economist whose scholarship had earned global respect but whose understanding of development remained firmly rooted in Caribbean realities.

Watching Jamaica once again call upon Professor Henry reminded me of that evening. It also reminded me that Caribbean governments continue to underestimate one of their greatest strategic advantages. Too often discussions about the Diaspora begin and end with remittances. Those contributions are undeniably important. But there are other resource that may prove even more valuable — knowledge, experience, leadership, innovation.

Across North America, Europe, Africa, and beyond are Jamaicans leading universities, managing multinational corporations, pioneering medical research, developing new technologies, and shaping international public policy. Some were born in Jamaica; others are children of Jamaican parents. Many retain a deep commitment to the country that shaped them. Collectively, they represent an extraordinary reservoir of intellectual capital. The challenge is to move beyond celebrating their achievements from afar. Governments should be identifying them, engaging them and inviting them into national conversations long before crises arise.

Every Caribbean government should now ask itself: Who are our Peter Blair Henrys? Do we know who they are? Do we have a strategy to engage them?

Small states will never compete through size. They compete through ideas, innovation, quality of their people. This may be one of the most important lessons of Jamaica’s 64 years of Independence. Nationhood in the 21st century is no longer measured solely by the territory enclosed within national borders. It is also measured by the willingness of a country to recognise and mobilise the talents of its people wherever they live.

Jamaica has demonstrated that confidence before. It has demonstrated it again. Other Caribbean nations would do well to follow that example.

Julian Rogers is publisher of Caribbean Bridges and founder of the Caribbean Economic Forum for the Central Bank of Barbados. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or julian@caribbeanbridges.com.

Julian Rogers