Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, delivered powerful remarks on social development at the 40th Session of Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean(ECLAC) held in Lima Peru, from October 9 to 11, 2024.

The agenda focused on the identification of strategies to address impediments to the achievement of sustainable development in the region.

The meeting was intended to stimulate discussion and solutions in four key areas of development: productive development, inequality and social inclusion, sustainability, and financing for development. It was notable for the official launch of the ECLAC document “Development Traps in Latin America and the Caribbean: Vital Transformations and How to Manage Them”.

Mr. Humphrey, in his address on the topic “How to reduce inequality and foster inclusion and social mobility”, noted the redoubled efforts of ECLAC to include the Caribbean in meaningful dialogue. 

He also lauded the renewal and increased stridency of Caribbean SIDS voices in international financial and development forums such as ECLAC’s.

The Minister also highlighted the need for the region to create an enabling environment to spur national and regional development characterised by relevant, fit for purpose institutions that reflect our respective capacities. 

Mr. Humphrey warned against the phenomenon of “isomorphic mimicry”, where institutions are created to address problems but are not endowed with the resources or capacity to fulfil their mandate, thus being doomed to failure.

While addressing the matter of persistent inequality, the Minister identified the recent historic trajectory of development in the region, recalling the progression from agricultural-based societies to the emphasis in the English-speaking Caribbean on a services-based economic model.  

In noting this, Mr. Humphrey remarked that the region became so good at the provision of services that the goal posts were moved despite the fact that we were ‘playing by the rules’ of the international financial regime.

He posited that the constant framing and reframing of the global financial rules continues to stymie the abilities of the region to achieve fundamental and sustainable development for its citizens.

The Elder Affairs Minister acknowledged the efforts of Barbados and other English-speaking Caribbean countries to frontally address inequality in their societies noting substantial and continuing investments in public goods citing Health, Education, National Insurance, Social Protection and progressive taxation policies, even in the face of low levels of regional and international economic growth. 

While noting these are vital yet insufficient efforts, Minister Humphrey exhorted the international financial and development community to reshape their operations and take full cognizance of the existential realities of the Caribbean and other Small Island Development States. (PR/GIS)

CAPTION: Minister of People Empowerment & Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey (centre), speaking at the 40th Session of Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) held in Lima Peru recently

Important amendments to the Legal Professions Act have been sent to the Barbados Bar Association by the Law Reform Commission for review.

Attorney General Dale Marshall shared this news today as he addressed the hearing for admission of 53 lawyers to practise law in Barbados, in Court Number 1, Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, St. Michael.

Mr. Marshall urged that the consultative process be completed soon, so officials could move to the next level.

He said over the years, the law profession had been criticised by some members of the public and it was necessary to erase that stain.

“Lawyers have always been maligned. More often than not, unfairly so. But well publicised incidents involving attorneys and their handling of client’s money, generally involving jail terms, have served to even further cement the perception commonly held that lawyers are dishonest.

“Three or four bad apples have tainted the reputation of a profession that currently has over 1,000 practitioners in this island. We have to erase that taint; all of us,” he stressed.

The Attorney General expressed regret that some lawyers had become known for not working on their clients matters with dispatch. He reminded the new lawyers that the interest of the client is paramount.

“You are engaged to provide a service to a client. For that service, you are entitled to a fair fee, nothing more. You serve the client, and you must do so to the best of your ability. And if you cannot handle a matter, be courageous enough to admit that it is beyond your skill set and either ask the client to go elsewhere, or seek advice from an attorney who has those skills. Your client is important; your interests are entirely secondary,” he indicated.

Noting that a varied group of people had been admitted to the bar today, he pointed out that very few had expressed a willingness to practise criminal law. He said over the years, the judges had bemoaned the “very evident” unwillingness to practise criminal law. 

“I urge that more of you consider the practice of law on the criminal side. We have invested large amounts of public funds in increasing the number of Criminal Courts from two just six years ago to eight, today. We have also increased the number of prosecutors in the DPP’s Office by more than 100 per cent. We now hope to see an increase in the number of persons practising,” Mr. Marshall said. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Front row, left to right – Solicitor General Anika Jackson; Attorney General Dale Marshall; Chief Justice, Leslie Haynes; and Bar Association President, Kaye Williams, pose with the new lawyers on the steps of the Supreme Court of Barbados.

Thirteen-year-old Jaylen Brewster Howard, a student of The St. Michael School, is the overall winner of this year’s National Letter Writing Competition for Young People.

The competition was hosted by the Barbados Postal Service, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training.

Now in its 20th year nationally, the competition falls under the aegis of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) – the international agency responsible for governing and coordinating the exchange of mail worldwide. 

The UPU has endorsed this competition with the aim of “fostering a greater appreciation for the art of letter writing among young people, promoting the development of essential composition skills and encouraging creative expression and research capabilities”.

The International Bureau, the secretariat of the UPU, selects a theme for the competition and publicises it globally. Participating countries hold their national competitions, often in collaboration with educational authorities and the media.

Postmaster General of the Barbados Postal Service, Joann Busby, presents Jaylen Brewster Howard with the winning trophy and prizes. The 13-year-old is the overall winner of the 2024 National Letter Writing Competition for Young People

The theme for the 2024 competition, as set by the UPU, is: “At 150 years old, the UPU has served people around the world for more than eight generations.  The world has changed enormously since then. Write a letter to future generations about the world you hope they inherit.”

Jaylen, who amassed a total of 178 points, edged out second-place winner Layla Browne of Queen’s College by one point, while Ahron Austin, of the Reynold Weekes Primary School, placed third with 141 points.

The second-year student expressed shock and excitement when he discovered he was awarded first place.

“It was great to be inspired to do something for my island, to represent my island. Honestly, I don’t really know how I really feel right now. Just feel great to win and get all these gifts.”

When interviewed about the inspiration behind his winning entry, young Jaylen disclosed that his English teacher (Mrs. Collette Applewhaite) introduced the competition to him and encouraged him to enter.

The 2024 winner revealed that he wanted to make his teacher proud, so he worked extremely hard to submit his letter in a short amount of time, submitting it within a week. He further confirmed that he will be entering next year’s competition.

Jaylen’s mother, Jillian Brewster, when asked how she felt about her son’s achievement, shared that she felt overwhelmed but very proud.

“I honestly didn’t even know that he entered the competition. I just … got the call and I’m just overwhelmed and I’m very proud of him because I know he enjoys writing. He actually wants to be a writer. So, this is…a good path for him; it’s a good result of his hard work and I hope he keeps it up,” she said.

The competition, which is open to young writers aged 9 to 15, saw hundreds of entries from across the island.  It was judged by a panel of educators under the supervision of the Education Officer for English, Gloria Haynes.   

The winning entry has been submitted to the UPU’s International Letter Writing Competition for Young People. (PR/GIS)