The book launched today at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC shows the role played by the Commonwealth to help end the Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Southern Rhodesia which led to Zimbabwe's independence, the assistance provided to the struggle against apartheid and the release of Nelson Mandela. "The leadership that we exercised in the areas of South Africa and the restructuring of global economic relations played an important role in the perception that the international community had on us," said the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

The Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, George Alleyne, offered the introductory remarks on the presentation and spoke about the major contributions made by Sir Shridath Ramphal in the advancement of freedom, independence and good governance. "His roots are in Guyana, but his trunk is Caribbean and his branches spread all over the world, there are testimonies of the values of those branches wherever he set foot or had given a voice," he said. The book, continued Alleyne, must be appreciated "as a tapestry of the life and times of a remarkable individual," whose figure reached its true dimension as head of the Commonwealth. "His status as a global player became iconic with his work at the Organization, where he undertook many initiatives that positioned it as a leader in many areas of international affairs," he said.

After the presentation of former Minister Shridath Ramphal, Assistant Secretary General Ramdin moderated a dialogue between the audience and author about his perspectives on the past and future of the region, an act that was followed by a book signing session.