give back
“One of the major problems we have in the Caribbean region is the lack of former regional politicians to give back in a meaningful way to their respective communities and to their countries.”
Such was the view shared by former Minister of Social Transformation and former Member of Parliament, Hamilton Lashley who suggests that more former politicians could give back by mentoring individuals who want to pursue political careers.
Lashley, who spoke with The Barbados Advocate on Wednesday, in June hopes to commence a six-week online course, ‘The Hamilton Lashley School on Grassroot Politics,’ where he will be educating participants in grassroot political strategies and how to win an election at the grassroot level, among other things.
“The major problem about this country right now and in the region… is those former politicians who have now gone literally into hibernation, who are now relaxing home watching TV, mowing the lawn…, they can become mentors to the younger people, particularly politically and they can even come into this Grassroots Politics Programme and lend of their experience, their expertise back to the younger people who want to get involved in politics. Students who are doing Political science, students who are pursuing degrees in law, students who are pursuing degrees in Economics, they have the expertise.”
He added, “No wonder the regional society is the way it is because they are not giving back. They have to give back.”
Lashley said the response from the public – locally and regionally – to his course has been overwhelming. He also stated that teachers from “all sections and quarters of the regional society” have been among persons expressing interest in taking it.
“I had an overwhelming response that was beyond my wildest imagination. When I first posted it, I posted it against the backdrop of getting just a few people to be enrolled so that they can really get interested in the whole precept, sometimes the concept and sometimes misconceptions of what is grassroots and what is referred to as a grassroot politician and what grassroots is all about.”
He added the course seeks to prepare participants “into the role of true representation under the People’s Representation Act and that is true and honest representation rather than imagery and sometimes what I call, the hypocritical approach to politics. So that the people of Barbados would have ... an understanding of someone who would fight truly on their behalf but they must be a grounded and rounded person, that understands the plight of the disadvantaged, the poor in particular, special emphasis on the poor, and the governance of this country.”