Caribbean Association of Local Government Authorities (CALGA) was established some 11 years ago through a resolution passed at a conference of local government officials sponsored by the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Local Government Authorities and facilitated by the University of the West Indies. Since then the Association has grown and now includes local associations from other Caribbean countries. Essentially the Association seeks to promote local government as a centre for opportunity, leadership, governance, representation and participatory democracy in the Caribbean region.
In pursuit of this mission, CALGA has been working with the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, Association of London Government, Greater London Employer's Association, International Union of Local Authorities, Urban Management Program and the University of the West Indies in conducting capacity-building and local government development programmes for its members.
Guyana Association of Local Authorities (GALA) has been established in 1903 at the Village Chairmen Conference. Its mission is to protect and promote the interests, rights, functions and privileges of local authorities, assist local authorities in the performance of their duties, promote cooperation between local authorities and create a healthy public opinion in local affairs. Its membership include members of local authorities, ex-chairmen and representatives from non-political organisations.
GALA is very active in educating its members on the issues of the current local government reform process in Guyana. The Association also submitted memorandum for the reform of the local government system in Guyana to the 2000 Constitution Reform Commission.
University of Guyana (UG) was established in 1963. To date the University has an enrolment of more than 3,000 students pursuing more than 60 full-time and part-time under-graduate and graduate programmes in its seven faculties- Agriculture, Arts, Education, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Technology. There is also an Institute of Distance and Continuing Education. The Faculty of Social Sciences accounts for more than two-thirds of the student population. It is in this faculty the programme in Public Management is being offered which include local government studies. In October 2000, the University's second campus was opened in Tain, Berbice offering diplomas in accountancy, marketing, public management, social work, English, history. Post graduate diploma in education and a certificate in English.
University of the West Indies (UWI) is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 15 different countries in the Caribbean. It was founded in 1948 at the Mona Campus, Jamaica as a University College in a special relation with the University of London. The University achieved independent status in1962. The St Augustine Campus, in Trinidad, was formerly the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture and started in 1960 and the Cave Hill Campus, Barbados was established in 1963.
The total student body of the three campuses is now close to 21,400 and distributed amongst the Faculties of Law, Humanities, Science and Technology, Social Sciences and the School of Clinical Medicine and Research in Cave Hill; Arts and Education, Medical Sciences, and Pure and Applied Sciences, Mona, and Agriculture and Natural Sciences, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Medical Sciences and Social Sciences at St. Augustine. The University offers certificates, diplomas, and higher degrees through in-classroom instruction and via distance learning. A few years ago, a certificate in local government studies was introduced. This course exposes students to issues in local democracy and other related subjects and provides an opportunity for local officials to pursue a career in local government.
