EDITORIAL: Give thanks

BY this time next week the year-long celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of Independence will be over, and Barbadians will be moving full steam ahead with their preparations and plans for the Christmas holiday and New Year’s Eve.

 

November 30th is almost here and we stop and give thanks for 50 years of being a strong independent nation. A nation that has not only made a mark on the regional landscape, but internationally as well, leading a former United Nations Secretary General to note that we are a country that consistently punches above its weight. This, no doubt, has been due to the emphasis placed by successive governments on building up this country’s most important resource – its people.

 

Barbados has only one natural resource and over the years a great deal of money, time and energy has been expended on ensuring that all Barbadians have access to quality education and health care. These are areas that no government in this country should ever tread upon, as it could result in deleterious consequences for our nation, and cause gains made over the years to lapse.

 

The success we’ve had did not come without hard work and sacrifice, and even as some persons who may have doubted the country’s ability to succeed as it took those first and early steps into nationhood, we never allowed such negativity to stand in the way of achievement. Such should be our approach, even now as we look towards the next 50 years. The accomplishments we have made over the past five decades should embolden us to confidently embark on that journey, and make the next 50 years even better than the last.

 

We are not denying that we have had some struggles over the years. Economic recessions, which by no means were caused by this country, have visited our shores, but we have weathered the economic storms. We have come out in some instances a bit bruised and battered, but always we regain our strength and emerge better and stronger.

 

The last few years have certainly tested our people at every level. Times are tough – persons have less disposable income, the cost of living has risen and unemployment is high. Added to that, the water woes being experienced by many a community in rural Barbados have been disconcerting and we all empathise with them, for we know that it could be any one of us next.

 

These are among some of the issues that have led some Barbadians to argue that there is nothing to celebrate this year. While we understand their plight, and hope that Government can get a handle on the situation soon to ease their burdens, we also know that Barbados still remains in a better position than many countries. For that we should be thankful, but appreciate that there is definitely room for improvement.

 

As such, our vision is to see a Barbados that is self-sufficient in almost every aspect, but particularly as it relates to food. We wish in the years to come to have a country that is better able to withstand external shocks and is one where we are not reliant solely on tourism and international business to earn foreign exchange, but we have several sectors on which we can distribute the burden evenly.

 

Additionally, we want to see a Barbados where poverty is eliminated; a Barbados where water scarcity is a thing of the past, because we have employed a variety of measures; and a Barbados that is a leader in the provision of alternative energy.

 

We have no doubt those things can be achieved, as Kofi Annan said, we punch above our weight!