Mr Hopeton Caven: A decent human being
THE tributes that have been paid to Mr Hopeton Caven, who passed away on October 9, are most deserving as they reflect the true nature of the man.
Indeed, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller put it well when she described Mr Caven as “a nationalist who had great confidence in the ability of the Jamaican people to chart a successful path of political self-determination and economic independence”.
It was that passion for advancing the welfare of the Jamaican worker that influenced Mr Caven’s role in the founding of the Trade Union Education Institute (TUEI) in 1963, along with former prime ministers Hugh Shearer and Michael Manley, and Mr George Eaton.
Older readers will recall that the TUEI was established with the mandate to not only promote, but provide training courses for upper-level trade unionists in the English-speaking Caribbean.
That its clientele spread quickly to include the Netherlands Antilles is testament to its success and a tribute to the vision of its founders.
In fact, these gentlemen were highly regarded as delivering pragmatic leadership in trade unionism across the Caribbean, thus establishing the vital contribution of workers to the region’s economic and political survival after the end of the colonial era.
People who knew Mr Caven well will tell you that his integrity was unquestioned — his word was his bond. He also brought a level of credibility and maturity to his job that established him among the greats of Jamaican trade unionism, such as Messrs Hugh Shearer, Michael Manley, Carlyle Dunkley, Pearnel Charles, Lascelles Beckford, Reg Ennis, and Claude O’Reagan, to name a few.
Given his fervour for national development, it was no surprise that he was nominated to serve in the Senate from 1972 to 1980, where he was extremely active in formatting legislation that improved the lives of ordinary Jamaicans.
His unwavering commitment to public service also saw him serving as a worker representative on the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee, as well as a director of the National Housing Trust.
Although Mr Caven will be mostly remembered for his outstanding public service, he also endeared people to him with his sense of humour, his loyalty to friends, and the fact that he was simply a wonderful, decent human being.
His was a life well lived, and one for which Jamaicans, and indeed the people of the wider world with whom he came into contact, are much better off.
We extend our condolence to the family, friends and associates of this great Jamaican.
May his soul rest in peace.