Former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson has taken a daring stand that might impact international financial markets by urging his country to join Global Africa in backing the BRICS economic effort in spite of impending US opposition.
Dr. Brian Meeks gave Patterson’s speech at the Inaugural Prime Minister’s Conference honoring the Michael Manley Centennial at the University of the West Indies, depicting the occasion as a turning point in Jamaica’s economic independence. His announcement follows warnings from US President-elect Donald Trump to defend the US dollar against the proposed replacement currency of the BRICS.
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Patterson said that Jamaica should “exercise its sovereignty and agency” with the 54 African countries and the BRICS, saying that “this is a seminal moment in global relations.” His goal is to create a new economic framework that would enable emerging countries to achieve the prosperity that has evaded them under the existing international system.
The stakes are extremely high. Patterson, who is currently a statesman in residence at the Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy, emphasized that BRICS is a powerful force, accounting for 30% of the world’s land area, 45% of its population, and an impressive US$88 trillion in combined GDP.
Patterson claimed that “Michael Manley would not ignore BRICS,” implying that the previous leader would have supported this challenge to Western financial hegemony and the American dollar’s protracted dominance since it broke with the gold standard.
Patterson depicted a future that is linked. He said, “We must once again be a leading voice in the world community,” tying together urgent global issues like carbon neutrality, vaccination fairness, and digital inclusion. He placed a strong focus on Africa’s growing prominence: “By 2050, one in four of the global population will be African.”
One of the main themes of Patterson’s speech was the Global South’s numerical might. He pointed out that the 70 independent nations of Africa and the Caribbean make up about 40% of the UN’s membership and, when paired with Latin America, have enough clout to change the way the world is run. Value-added production, resource security, and technical advancements, especially in artificial intelligence, should be the top priorities for this partnership, Patterson contended.
Patterson invoked Michael Manley’s spirit by referencing his historical ties and the “umbilical connection” to Africa that started in 1969. He proposed that this relationship should be the cornerstone of a new period of economic integration and self-reliance among Africans and Caribbeans.
The altering dynamics of global commerce add weight to Patterson’s view. He drew attention to a sharp reversal in trade trends, pointing out that in the 1990s, Northern nations controlled 60% of world commerce, but now that percentage has fallen to only 25%. In the meantime, trade between countries in the Global South has increased to 35%, making it the biggest segment of global trade.
According to Patterson, these profound changes in the patterns of international commerce necessitate matching adjustments to international institutional frameworks and governance. His demand for change is reminiscent of Manley’s efforts fifty years ago when a valiant attempt to restructure global commercial, banking, and monetary institutions under the New International Economic Order (NIEO) was finally put down.
Patterson combined the urgency of the time with cultural touchstones and political insight. He used Manley’s catchphrase, “never to be bullied into silence—nor be lured into passivity and acceptance again,” and also the incisive statement of Peter Tosh, a legendary figure in Jamaican music: “There can be no peace without justice.”
He conveyed a clear message: South-South unity and solidarity are now essential rather than optional. The time for a new global paradigm has come, according to Patterson, and the countries of the Global South need to take advantage of this to choose their own economic future.
