Organisation

 

Carbica is a part of a bigger network, the International Council on Archives (ICA) which works closely with UNESCO. ICA has more than 1700 members in over 180 countries, which makes it truly international. The Caribbean Branch of the ICA (Carbica) has 4 categories of memberships:
 

A) National archives: 20 members;
B) Institutions responsible for country’s archives: 7 members;
C) Other institutions and organizations: 3 members;
D)  Individuals: 4 members.

 

 

Purposes

Carbica’s constitution states its purposes as follows:

The association exists:

 

A) to establish, maintain and strengthen relations between institutions and individuals concerned with the custody, organization and administration of archives in the Caribbean area;
B) to foster co-operation between all institutions, professional bodies and persons who are concerned with the custody, the administration, the organization or the use of archives;
C) to promote all measures for the preservation of all material of documentary value and, to this end, to make practical recommendations to the authorities of Caribbean countries;
D) to study problems concerned with the preservation of archives in tropical countries;
E) to encourage the description of archival material and to facilitate the exchange of information relating to archives and to act in ways which make material in Caribbean archives more widely known;
F) to encourage in all countries in the Caribbean the establishment of archives and to promote the professional training of archivists in the Caribbean region;
G) to promote the more frequent use of archives and to encourage greater ease of access to archival material;
H) to hold periodically a Caribbean Archives Conference;
I) to contribute to a better mutual understanding among the peoples of the Caribbean;
J) to develop or recommend professional and institutional standards to improve the quality and consistency of Caribbean archives;
K) to promote the implementation of records management programs in whatever media in the various Caribbean countries.

 

Goals and priorities

Carbica’s goals and priorities for 2001-2005 are

a) Retention and growth of Membership I) Make contact with inactive and potential CARBICA member countries.
  II)    Involve all members by promoting communication between the Executive Committee and all CARBICA members.
  III) Promoting contact and exchange of information, experience and knowledge among the membership
  IV) Forwarding information of CARBICA and ICA by email, our website and newsletter.
b) Advising and helping National Archives of the Caribbean V) Request members of CARBICA to keep us informed about their activities and needs. This will be the task of officers assigned
  VI) Distribute list of resource persons and training facilities.
  VII) Participate and contribute to National Archives activities of member countries.

Executive Committee

Carbica’s Executive Committee for the years 2001-2005 is represented by:

Nolda Römer-Kenepa (Netherlands Antilles) as President
Sharon Alexander-Gooding (Barbados) as Vice-President
Victoria Borg O’Flaherty (St. Kitts) as Secretary
Elaine Toote (Bahamas) as Treasurer
Charles Gibson (Belize)   member
Cheryl Sylvester (Grenada)   member
Helena Leonce, Trinidad & Tobago   member
Dominique Taffin (Martinique)   member
Margot Thomas (Saint Lucia) as immediate past president

 

The Executive Committee has chosen “Communication with members” as their priority for the upcoming years. Here for the region is divided up among the members of the Executive Committee. Each member of the Executive Committee is responsible for informing the institutions and individuals in their assigned countries of activities of CARBICA and encouraging them to participate in the activities. The division is as follows:

 

Victoria Borg O’Flaherty : Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis
Margot Thomas : Antigua, Guyana, St. Lucia, St Vincent
Charles Gibson :  Bermuda, Cayman, Belize
Nolda Römer-Kenepa : Aruba, Cuba, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Surinam
Dominique Taffin : French Guiana, Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique
Sheryl Sylvester : St. George's Grenada
Sharon Alexander-Gooding : Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica
Elaine Toote : Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos

Contacts are to be maintained for duration of the Executive Committee term of office 2001-2005. Tasks for all Executive members are:

1. To contact members, to collect information of their activities
2. To exchange information among members
3. To accept new applications and to take note of resignations
4. To promote CARBICA and encourage also institutions such as universities, professional organizations and individuals to become member of CARBICA
5. To promote use of the e-mail and to react on e-mail messages.