Minister Nicholls: Social Cohesion Is Our Greatest Asset

Minister of Home Affairs and Information, Gregory Nicholls, has underscored social cohesion as “our greatest asset” during the opening of the Department of Emergency Management’s (DEM) Community Resilience Regional Conference.

Under the theme”Advancing Sustainable Community Resilience Through Shared Responsibility”, the three-day conference commenced at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre this morning, with the Minister emphasising that stronger community leadership, social cohesion, communication, preparation, partnerships and shared responsibility are essential pillars for building a more disaster-resilient Barbados and Caribbean.

“Social cohesion, above all else, and preparedness are the underlying foundational pillars in advancing any nation’s resilience. True disaster resilience does not come from government plans, however well designed, or emergency programmes, or the supplies that are delivered to people. It comes from our shared connection with one another as human beings. Social cohesion is therefore our greatest asset,” Mr. Nicholls maintained.

He went on to stress that community resilience must be viewed not only as a disaster management priority but as a national development imperative.

“Today, we must adopt and maintain a forward-looking, visionary, and solutions-oriented posture…. From my ministerial vantage point, I see community resilience as not merely a response mechanism but as a strategic national development imperative by empowering local communities, fostering adaptive capacities, and aligning local actions with national strategies.

“Countries can enhance economic stability, social cohesion, and sustainable growth, while reducing vulnerability to disasters and the systemic shocks that are caused by these disasters,” the Home Affairs Minister stated.

He observed that no single institution possesses all the answers to building resiliency and indicated Barbados’ willingness to work with local and regional entities to ensure people and businesses are better prepared and able to bounce back.

“By looking out for one another and planning together, we ensure that no matter what challenges come our way, our communities will stand firm, support each other, and rebuild together. Communities are at the heart of disaster risk management, building community resilience to risks must be all encompassing. We must investigate and action the bottom-up approaches that will inform policy decisions and national priorities. Barbados is committed to sharing and learning lessons from our regional and international partners on community and resilience building,” Mr. Nicholls said.

Participants were encouraged to utilise the conference to develop practical action by reviewing community emergency plans, strengthening local partnerships, identifying vulnerable populations, mapping community resources and evacuation routes, and encouraging greater volunteerism within district emergency organisations.

The Minister further challenged those gathered to move beyond planning and ensure that community resilience initiatives are “fit not only for purpose, but fit for success”, producing measurable improvements in preparedness and response capabilities. 

The conference, which concludes on Friday, has brought together regional and international policymakers, disaster management professionals, academics, community leaders, development partners, and civil society organisations to exchange knowledge and strengthen collaborative approaches to disaster risk reduction. (PR/GIS)