Government

Minister Symmonds Accepts Windrush Generation Flag

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds, has accepted the flag of the Windrush Generation group.

Mr. Symmonds, who accepted the flag on behalf of Government, met with a delegation from the Windrush Generation group, led by directors Nigel Guy and Charles Dacres, at the Ministry’s Culloden Road, St. Michael location recently, as part of the delegation’s Caribbean tour.

During the meeting, background on the history of the Windrush Generation was shared, which highlighted that in 1948 the HMT Empire Windrush vessel docked in Tilbury, Essex, carrying passengers from the Caribbean to the United Kingdom (UK).

According to the National Archives, which holds the ship’s passenger list, there were 1,027 people on board, of which more than 800 gave their last country of residence as being in the Caribbean, including Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, and Jamaica. Those persons on board the ship became known as the Windrush Generation.

In 1971, the Immigration Act gave Commonwealth citizens living in the UK the permanent right to live and work in the UK, including those referred to as the Windrush Generation. However, it was disclosed that the UK Home Office in April 2018 had kept no records of those granted permission to stay.

This affected persons from the Windrush Generation who were not issued paperwork and were unable to confirm their status and the right to legally live and work in the UK, and as a result prevented them from accessing work, housing and healthcare, and they faced possible deportation.

Director Guy said the group seeks to highlight the seven Cs, which are the commemoration of the Windrush Generation; the celebration; the contributions they made; the care that is needed for the Windrush Generation; the challenges and conflicts that are faced by them; and change.

Minister Symmonds, upon hearing the seven Cs, suggested that the group add an additional ‘C’, which would be “conscience” because he felt that there was an absence of justice in dealing with the Windrush Generation

Director Guy gave an explanation of the flag’s design, which has a blue background, a triangle logo with the text We Are Standing On Their Shoulders Windrush Generations and a ship in the middle of the triangle.

“The triangular shape takes on the form of our people’s journey, from the African continent all the way to the Caribbean, to the Americans and also the journey to Europe – United Kingdom. The richness of our people is the gold, the red is the blood that’s been sacrificed throughout the centuries and also the sacrifices that people have made in the UK as well….

“A white background is done in the UK, but we thought we’d have a blue background for the Caribbean nations to signify the warmth and colour of the sky and the sea,” Mr. Guy explained.

The Windrush Generation delegation visited Barbados as part of a Caribbean tour, which included stops in Dominica; Grenada; Jamaica; Saint Lucia; and Trinidad and Tobago. They were garnering support for the raising of the flag one day in May to commemorate the sailing of the Windrush vessel from Caribbean ports.

Also present at the meeting were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight; Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Paula Byer; PMO’s Press Secretary, Alex Downes; and Foreign Service Officer, Asha Pitt. (PR/GIS)

Caption: From left to right – Windrush Generation Advocate, Marcia Guy; Director, Nigel Guy; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with Responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight; and Director, Charles Dacres, display the Windrush Generation Flag.

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.