“COHSOD salutes this outstanding integrationist and trailblazer -Dr. Edward Greene, for his vision, creative imagination, and selfless commitment to advancing the integration movement in a way that touches the lives of ordinary people”Having served the last decade as Assistant Secretary General of CARICOM, heading the Department of Human and Social Development, Dr Edward Greene said his goodbye when he announced his retirement.He made the announcement at the closing ceremony of the recently concluded meeting of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development, which was held at the Pegasus last week.Dr Pamela Brown (left) presents Dr Edward Green with a token of appreciation Programme Manager for Culture and Community Development at the CARICOM Secretariat,Jerseys From China, Dr Hillary Brown paid a formal tribute to Dr Greene.Dr Brown said that the last decade has provided, in the person of Assistant Secretary General Dr. John Edward Greene, a striking demonstration of the saying: “Cometh the moment … Cometh the man.”She said that the region owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Greene who has provided such effective and inspiring leadership, particularly in the Human and Social Development dimensions of the CARICOM integration movement.According to Dr Brown, while most would prefer the luxury of being able to grapple with one issue, one problem, one day at a time, Dr. Greene seemed almost to revel in having multiple challenges, which was a constant feature of the management of the diverse COHSOD portfolio coordinated by the Directorate of Human and Social Development.“He seemed to do so effortlessly, without ever losing his calm exterior, as he would smooth things out, shift gear easily and hone in on the solutions.”She said that the many achievements of COHSOD over the past decade were possible because of the exceptional support, persuasive advocacy, attention to detail and decisive leadership provided by Dr. Greene.She added that COHSOD has recorded successes in several areas.“Several Policy Frameworks have been elaborated to guide national and regional development. Among these are the Regional Framework for Action on Children; the Strategic Framework for Health and Family Life Education; a Regional Curriculum Framework for Physical Education; the establishment of a system of Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ); and The Regional Climate Change Strategy.”She said that not only were three CARIFESTAs successfully staged during the past decade, but a new model and a strategic plan were developed to ensure its viability and sustainability. Significant work has been advanced on a Regional Development Strategy for Cultural Industries, and on a Social Development and Crime Prevention Strategy.The CARICOM 10K Road Race which was introduced six years ago is now a permanent forerunner to the Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in July.The groundbreaking study produced by the CARICOM Commission on Health and Development and the Port of Spain Declaration by Heads of Government, has ushered in an era of renewed attention to wellness and to addressing the rise of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases, according to Dr Brown.She said too that the Community will record and always remember the nurturing role played by Dr. Greene in the birth and development of the Pan-Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS to the point where it has been hailed by the United Nations as a best practice in functional cooperation.She said that the highlights are but a snapshot of the many achievements of this Council over the past 10 years, during Dr. Greene’s tenure as Assistant Secretary General.There were also several other glowing tributes by individuals such as Professor Nigel Harris, CARICOM Secretary General Dr Edwin Carrington, Barbadian Minister of Education Ronald Jones, Surinamese Ambassador to CARICOM, Manorma Soeknandan and Sir George Alleyne.
