National transformation without political transformation is failed transformation. People, particularly the kinds of young people Caribbean countries need to help reimagine the future, people with the ideas, capabilities, and character to rebuild nations, aren’t going to put up with an oppressive political culture that doesn’t create room for them to be fully themselves and to reach their maximum potential. They’ll root themselves in more fertile ground, even if it means leaving the Caribbean to do so. Paradoxically, quite a few of the young people who end up staying in the region are the ones whose options are more limited, the ones who might lack the confidence and capability to be the change the region needs. Many become frustrated, lose hope, and opt out of civic engagement largely because of what has become a toxic political environment. What the Caribbean needs is a new politics for this new time … a politics of inspiration that unlocks national creativity by eradicating political nepotism, maximising collaboration, and raising a new type of Caribbean citizen fully equipped to thrive in the 21st century. What the region needs is a new politics that brings hope to a renewed people. A politics of belonging. In creating a new politics for a new time, the Caribbean might do well to apply the principles of design thinking, a disruptive process that helps teams understand stakeholders, challenge traditional assumptions, redefine problems, create innovative solutions, test those solutions, perfect and then implement them. If this can be applied to problem solving in business, why not in government and in the redesign of Caribbean political culture? Have a listen to “The Politics of Belonging”,  where I explore the nature of politics in the Caribbean, the way political parties are run, and the way the political culture is structured, all of which need to change if the region is to navigate with success the complexities of a challenging, highly competitive digital age. Thanks for listening!