Book excerpt: "At the beginning of the 21st Century, the Caribbean faces a number of fundamental challenges which will require creative responses from the countries in the region. Contending with Destiny: The Caribbean in the 21st Century reflects the views of some of the leading minds in the region on possible approaches for responding to these challenges. The book captures the rich array of ideas practical proposals presented by three Caribbean prime ministers, scholars, policymakers in both the public and private sectors, the NGO community and representatives of regional institutions. All but one of the papers featured in this publication were presented at the Conference on the Caribbean in the 21st Century organised by the University of the West Indies in cooperation with the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Development Bank in September 1999. "