Government

Historic Sankofa Pilgrimage To Barbados May 6 – 13

Over 250 Liberians are expected to visit Barbados from May 6 to 13, in recognition of the 159^th Anniversary of the Migration of 346 Barbadians to the West African country.

Under the theme Sankofa: The Pilgrimage to Barbados, the historic visit is being coordinated by a team from Liberia, headed by Ambassador Llewelyn Witherspoon, and the Division of Culture, Prime Minister’s Office.

Other stakeholders involved in the venture include the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., The University of the West Indies, Barbados Museum and Historical Society, Export Barbados, and Barbados Tourism Investment Inc.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, who expressed pleasure about the upcoming visit, stated: “This pilgrimage to Barbados represents a reunion of family. Barbados and Liberia have long held a close genealogical and cultural connection. This trip represents an opportunity for us to now connect in a new way, while still paying respects to the past. I sincerely welcome Ambassador Witherspoon and former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and look forward to the positive developments that will no doubt come.”

The pilgrimage presents a unique opportunity to broaden Barbadians’ knowledge of Liberia and to explore the possibility of cultural cooperation and a knowledge exchange between the two countries.

It also provides an opportunity for investment and business prospects as well as to learn more about the work in research and genealogy being undertaken by the Department of Archives and The University of the West Indies (The UWI) chronicling the Barbados/Liberia experience.

During the eight-day visit, the Liberians will engage in a number of educational and cultural heritage events that include a Heritage and Island Tour hosted by the Division of Culture and The UWI’s Faculty of History and Humanities; an Archives Genealogy Marketplace, hosted by the Department of Archives and the Prime Minister’s Office; and a Liberia-Barbados Business Roundtable and Exhibition.

The highlight of the pilgrimage will be the commemoration of the 159th Anniversary of the Departure to Liberia, dubbed the Sankofa Moment Commemorative Plaque Laying Ceremony, opposite Government Headquarters, Bay Street, in recognition of the signal moment when the ship Brig CORA sailed from Bridgetown to Monrovia, Liberia, on April 6, 1865.

Following Emancipation, Barbadians, who returned to Africa as missionaries or in search of freedom, responded to the offer of citizenship and fertile land by the then President of Liberia to the “brethren of the Antilles”, as the Caribbean was called. This led to the first and only recorded post-Emancipation organised mass emigration of African Barbadians to Liberia in 1865.

Many of the early settlers and their descendants contributed to the development of Liberia. In fact, two of Liberia’s earliest Presidents, Arthur Barclay, and his nephew, Edwin Barclay, were of Barbadian descent, as well as Liberia’s longest serving First Lady of the 20th Century, Antoinette Padmore Tubman. (PR/GIS)

Government

Barbados Votes To End Embargo On Cuba

Barbados joined the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in condemning the United States’ economic embargo of Cuba for the 32nd consecutive year, when the resolution entitled: “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” was considered during a meeting held on Wednesday, October 30.

The United Nations overwhelmingly passed the resolution by a vote of 187 (in favour) to two (against), with one abstention. Only the United States and Israel voted against it.

During the delivery of the national statement, Chargé d’Affaires/Deputy Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations, Kereeta Whyte, informed the UNGA that: “The sentiments we express today are not new. They reflect the deep conviction we have articulated in this Assembly over the years. Indeed, since this resolution was first introduced in the General Assembly at its 46th session, in 1991.

“The Government of Barbados once again calls for an immediate end to the embargo and urges the removal of Cuba from the US Department of State’s list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that only exacerbates the suffering of the Cuban people.

“We believe that dialogue is the path forward. Barbados values its strong relations with both the United States and Cuba and calls on the US Government to engage in meaningful negotiations with Cuba to normalise relations. This step would not only reduce tensions but also pave the way for greater peace, cooperation, and development in our region.

“Barbados will continue to advocate for the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade, which is critical for the people and Government of Cuba to achieve full prosperity.” (PR/GIS)

Government

MORE WORK NEEDED TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

As the year 2030 quickly approaches, countries, including Barbados, need to speed up their efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This word comes from Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment Senator Chad Blackman, as he addressed Friday’s Validation Workshop for the Baseline Study on the Priority Sustainable Development Goals Indicators for Barbados at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business, where he insisted that countries had become too lax in meeting the necessary targets for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which adopted by all UN Member States almost a decade prior.

He said, “We are virtually at the end of 2024, which now leaves us just six years to that magic number of 2030. Whilst there are a lot of goals that Barbados has achieved, the world, including Barbados, has still not met a number of them in the way that we should. And, therefore, we have six years to really redouble, or some might argue, re-triple our efforts, so as to be able to tangibly achieve these objectives. But, we can’t do it alone.
He added, “The government can’t do it on its own; the private sector can’t do it on its own; civil society can’t do it on its own; it has to be government, private sector, civil society, the man on the street…. So that the entire society moves forward in a cohesive way…to meet these targets. Therefore, it calls for an out of box approach so as to ensure that we can meet these targets. Therefore, we have to use all our creativity. We have to use nonconventional ways of trying to help us to achieve these targets.”
Blackman noted that an “out-of-the-box” will be necessary for Barbados and other countries to effectively move the needle to reach the set targets.

Government

XVI Ministerial Forum On Development Starts October 30

The Government of Barbados, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) will host the XVI Ministerial Forum on Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, as a space to discuss opportunities to build resilience against future shocks that continue to challenge development in the region.

The Forum will be held from Wednesday, October 30 to Friday,1 November at the Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lords Castle. The event will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, and ECLAC Executive Secretary, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, and is expected to have over 150 participants, including more than 20 Government delegations from the region. The full agenda is available here.

This gathering builds on the discussions initiated at the XIII Ministerial Forum in Antigua and Barbuda in 2021, which discussed disasters and social protection systems in the context of protracted crises. The XVI Ministerial Forum will discuss how the region can advance and protect social gains in the context of more frequent and intense shocks.

A Ministerial Declaration is expected to be the outcome of the Forum. The Declaration aims to be a roadmap for transformative policy action and impactful initiatives that transcend boundaries, ultimately steering the region toward a more equitable and resilient future.