Introduction
As we celebrated our 50th Anniversary, the question came to my mind about where will we be in the next 50 years? Even tho I ask myself this question, I am not expecting that my imagination can provide you with concrete images of what that culture will be. I don’t intend to even try, but what I would like to do is offer you a framework of ideas to consider.
Barbados is an island of 166 square miles sitting in the middle of a sea with our nearest neighbour 100 miles away. We are not on the beaten path. Any one coming to Barbados has to have a purpose. Can we create a purpose or several purposes to make it worth the while for people from wherever to step off that beaten path and fly or sail to Barbados? When they do, how can we persuade them to pay us for that privilege? What do we as Bajans have that has the power to make Barbados such a desirable destination?
Let us look at what we have that we think are unique:
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Our beaches. Not at all unique. Everybody got beaches. But if they come our beaches are a bonus not a reason.
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Our weather. Not unique either. Everybody got weather. But if they come our weather is a bonus not a reason.
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Our environment. Not unique either. Everybody got environment, some with rivers, trees, pristine agricultural lands, golf courses. But if they come our pristine environment is a bonus not a reason.
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Our people. Not unique either. Everybody got people. But if they come we must be the reason not a bonus.
What do we have that would create the reason and desire for visitors to step off the beaten track?
There was a time when cricket attracted the world because of the quality of our cricketers. In 1966, we had 10 players in the West Indies Test Team. We played cricket between houses, on raw ground, and on hillsides where the umpire had to tell the batsman that the bowler was coming up. The game has changed but have we changed? Partially. Franklyn Stevenson is showing one way it is done with his cricket school.
In order to survive as an independent country, we must sell the world
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The pleasure of knowledge, health, caring, happiness and blissfulness by creating a desire for non Bajans to want to remain or go and come back again, and again. We will rent them that time to be with us. That rental is a combination of accommodation, food, transportation, entertainment and service. We must be the landlords.
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Barbados as the center of education and health across the internet to the world – websites mastering social media as businesses to sell Barbados as the center of Education. ( e.g. Airbnb)
Barbados must develop the reputation across the Caribbean as having the best education and health systems in the Caribbean. If it isn’t so, let us make it so. Our goal is to market Barbados as BARBADOS – The CENTER for EDUCATION in the Americas.
EDUCATION INDUSTRY
BARBADOS – The CENTER for EDUCATION
UNIVERITIES
Our goal should be to have 10-15 Universities based in Barbados by 2025. A major part of this number should be Medical, Law, and Religious Universities.
MEDICAL SCHOOLS
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When the new hospital is built, it will continue to have a relationship with UWI – Cave Hill.
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The Old (60 year) Queen Elizabeth Hospital should be leased to one of the Medical Schools to be refurbished and used as a teaching hospital and school.
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The Old General Hospital on Jemmott’s Lane should also be leased to another Medical School.
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St Joseph Hospital in St Peter should also be leased to another Medical School.
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The Psychiatric Hospital (Jenkins, Black Rock) occupies 25 acres and can also be leased to a Medical School. Modern Psychiatric centres should be established for psychiatric patients across the island. Alternately, this facility because of its location could be used as the location for the new National General Hospital with enough space to expand the UWI Medical School (Including nursing). UWI would most likely to get accreditation, a very important status for Caribbean Medical Schools – technicians, veterinary medicine, pharmaceutics, medical sciences, etc.
RELIGIOUS COLLEGES
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Codrington College (600+ acres) should be developed into the Barbados International Spiritual University. It has already expanded as a University of Christian Thought by training members of other Christian churches.
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Inviting the Chinese to establish and build a Confucius Institute to teach Chinese religions and philosophical thought and language.(Already being built at UWI- Cave Hill Campus.)
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Inviting the Japanese/South Korea similarly establish a Buddhist, Zen, South Asian Religious College.
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Inviting Saudis and Iranians to build Islamic Colleges.
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Invite the International Jewish community to build a Centre for Jewish Studies especially recognizing the first Jewish Synagogue in the Americas in Bridgetown.
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Inviting India to construct a Hindu College as well as other Indian religions.
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Invite Nigeria and other African States to build an African Religions Centre to study African traditional religions and religious thought.
BARBADOS UNIVERSITY
1. COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Extended training in the Fine Arts –
o Animation
o Art
o Design
o Music
o Dance
o Theatre
o Film Production
o Fashion
o Web design
o Critical analysis
· Accounting
· Management
· Project Management
· Other traditional areas
SAMUEL JACKMAN PRESCOD POLYTECHNIC
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Extended training of Craftsmen in joinery and reproduction of Bajan furniture for export.
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All students in wood-working stream would be required to individually or as teams reproduce a piece of traditional furniture, or sets in order to graduate.
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Training of wide range of technical graduates in maintenance and construction.
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Medical technologists and maintenance of highly sophisticated technologies.
ERDISTON TEACHERS COLLEGE
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Training is use of new technologies
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Training how to use of proverbs to establish values
PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOLS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Barbados has had a number of private secondary schools for over 70 years viz.
The Barbados Academy, The Modern High School, The Federal High School, Mapp’s High School, St Winnifred’s High School, St Cyprian’s, (Green) Lynch’s Secondary, St Ursula’s Secondary, The Co-operative High School, Seventh Day Adventist High School, Callender’s High School, Metropolitan High School, Christ Church High School, and Codrington High School.
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Barbados should encourage the use of many of the old plantation estates to establish private accredited high schools with or without boarding for local and foreign students to pursue the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.
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Provide access to foreign students thru accredited schools, especially South and Central American students to access our High Schools so as to be immersed in English while boarding at former South Coast hotels converted into hostels.
SPORTS AND LIFE STYLE INSTITUTES
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Education opportunities – coaching in sports, health farms, health spas and related rehabilitation services to develop talents of Bajans
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Develop support services such as volunteers for the development of Sports in Primary, Secondary and National meetings.
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UWI and its Institutes must conduct research aimed at encouraging new businesses that can be developed on the internet, in marketing of our music, artistic and cultural industries outlining the types of jobs and services required and existing Worldwide. This would include festivals that could hire our artistes to perform as professionals during the summer and fall. We need to capitalize on the Rhianna Effect.
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Barbadians should also be encouraged to develop and practice the art of Sticklicking and Road Tennis.
HERITAGE
HERITAGE AND GENERAL NATIONAL EDUCATION
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To strengthen the moral authority and respect for people, Barbadian students should be taught proverbs as training tools from preschool to the end of their secondary schooling.
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NIFCA – the platform for exposing our youth to the arts, should emphasize its developmental role by establishing competition first at all primary schools where other students, teachers, family and friends could see their children’s works.
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The winners in each category will go to the Parish level where they compete again and the winners next to the National Level. This process would also allow parents and friends to once again follow the children’s work and successes at all levels.
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The finals would consist of those winners from the Parish level.
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Parents and teachers would be encouraged to be judges alongside National judges who in their deliberations would raise the knowledge base of the parents, friends and the community at large thru the discussions.
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The establishment of a series of voluntary National Orchestras and choirs to perform in public regularly at the National Bandstands – The Hastings Rocks, The Bay Street Esplanade, Queen’s Park, George V Park, Speightstown Esplanade and other areas. The purpose is to re-develop a solid heritage of musicians to enhance the quality of life in Barbados. We did it all before with Church Choirs and Village Choirs.
LANDSHIP
One of the critical requirements for Bajans is the need to strengthen our own self-awareness and self-esteem of what and who is a Bajan. The Barbados Landship Movement is unique to Barbados and gives us the singular identity second to none. The survival of the Landship Movement must be part of our National Identity. Without it we have a face without a nose.
The only country that has a Landship Movement is Barbados. Landship for adults will die out because most of the communal conditions e.g. savings and burial benefits have been replaced by National Insurance and individual insurance. This unique Bajan indigenous institution should not be allowed to die. It must be recreated and reimaged as an organization in Primary Schools to inculcate several traditional values from the Original Landship plus. We had no qualms of introducing Boy Schools, Girl Guides, Church Lad Brigades, Mother Unions and Cadet Corps because it was mandated by the British Government. All of these organizations required discipline, cooperation, and development of leadership skills
The Landship Movement should be converted into a youth movement like the Boy Scouts or Girl Guides or cadets to maintain this unique aspect of Bajan Culture. These youth Landships would become crucibles of this traditional dance and its musical heritage. Competitions with each other in a series of categories will be organized annually.
The former Barbados National Bank, now Republic Bank, had developed a business program for students that can be incorporated into this Landship Movement. This program can be used to teach money management and savings culture.
CARTS CULTURE
Over the years, Bajans developed a series of carts to move goods and provide services to each other. When compared with Caribbean Islands, the Bajan carts are unique in their design and use. Some of these carts should be adapted and used to provide modern day services while maintaining and projecting our unique heritage. These carts can be decorated and painted to capture individuality of the vendor.
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Donkey Cart taxis to move visitors from Cruise Ships to Bridgetown and around Resort Areas like St Lawrence Gap, Holetown and Speightstown
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Bread Carts can be converted to serve hot or cold foods at temporary roadside locations.
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Rumshops recreated as restaurants serving indigenous food as cuisine with appropriate training available.
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Snowball Carts selling Bajan ices with locally made fruit juices – Bajan Cherry, Bajan shaddock, Sugar apple, Golden Apple, Packaged Sucking Cane (made from earlier soft varieties), Sea Grape, Guava, Gooseberries, et al
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Luncheon Carts for food
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Coconut Carts
MASTER CRAFTSMEN OF BARBADOS
Furniture
There is no doubt that furniture craftsmen/joiners of the past have produced a fantastic array of unique designs. Let us imbue that furniture with the prestige that it deserves`. The palaces/warehouses that some of this furniture is located are
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Government House, St Michael
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Ilaro Court, St Michael
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The Barbados Museum, St Michael
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Grantley Adams House –Tyrol Cot, Spooners Hill, St Michael
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The Barbados National Trust Headquarters – Wildey Great House, St Michael
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Keith Melville’s Sunbury Plantation House, St Phillip
There are many other collections across Barbados that can be used to earn income for the owners as well as for the country.
Training of persons to produce reproductions should follow the same path as training artistes for all types of endeavours – art, music, dance, writing, programing, etc. All Wood Working graduates should be required to reproduce a piece of this furniture in order to graduate. Do it once, do it again! On visits to these locations there are signs indicating cost of item plus shipping costs to rest of the world. Exactly what fine artists do. All art work would be signed and certified as authentic reproductions by a special Reproductions Standard Institute. Marketing will be thru Internet web sites using National ID Codes.
Why are there no tours of Government House? Or Ilaro Court?
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Bajan Furniture galleries where signed reproductions are also marketed and sold with short histories.
· Chattel houses should be used for restaurants, boutiques especially in the growth areas of St Phillip, St John, St Peter and St Lucy.
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Each area needs to be given prestige thru media and the internet coverage
Computing systems. Knowledge systems. Cognitive. Will still need people contact.
Pottery
Chalky Mount Barbados should be designated as a National Brand as is given to Cropover. This brand should be accessible to all potters operating out of IDC Facilities Island wide. BIDC needs to change its focus to giving full support to developing local entrepreneurs in these areas.
ATTITUDES – Service and Servitude
Actions needed to strengthen our perception of self.
National Heroes
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A popular edition of book on National Heroes to be sold for $5-10.
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Comic book versions of National Heroes for primary schools.
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Cartoon video stories about National heroes.
The Bajan Experience
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Recreate Rumshops architecturally and spatially not just in the country but in the city extended to the street. Baxter’s Rd, Nelson St, Roebuck St, Palmetto St
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Use of Donkey cart taxis to move tourists from harbour to the Inner Bridgetown Mall (Swan St, Broad Street, Trafalgar Square, Palmetto St.)
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Street food using traditional bread carts to serve from
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Chattel house as hotels etc.
The Rastafarians of Temple Yard
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Rastas have been around for the last 40 years, manufacturing products, many inbreeding designs, use of hard leather limiting their market primarily to fellow Rastas.
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Need to develop wider designs especially to reach the visitor and middle class market.
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Need access to better quality leathers and other products like the high quality leathers made from the Barbados Black Belly sheep skins.
Barbados Black Belly Sheep
The Barbados Black Belly Sheep is a unique animal that evolved in Barbados over time. Studies have shown that the mutton obtained from the Black Belly Sheep produces high quality Triple B (Barbados Black Belly) lamb for both the local and visitors’ market. It also produces some of the finest leather from its skins.
To support the Black Belly development program, unused agricultural lands must be converted into grass pastures and/or growing miamossi plants, also known as river tamarind (Leucaena leucocephala).
This plant exists in Barbados and has a high protein content suitable for feeding ruminants when it is still green. It was introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture in the Pine but has been allowed to grow wild to maturity scattering its seeds across neighbouring fields. Penalties must be implemented against land owners who allow their lands to become infested by those responsible for administering environmental standards.
This plant if managed correctly, will be an important feed ingredient for the Barbados Black Belly sheep. It is from these animals that we can produce –
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Leather for leather workers (Consultant – Dr Leroy McClean) – bags, shoes, amulets, hair products, books marks, wrist bands, earrings, jackets, head bands,, etc
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Food (Consultant – Rosemary Parkinson)
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Reduce foreign exchange spent on importing animal feeds.
Industrial Development Corporation Services
The Industrial Development Corporation must be restructured to invest in the development of future Bajan entrepreneurs by bringing them together in one location at vastly reduced rent to allow them to feed off of each other. IDC is a landlord of buildings at the industrial Estate outside the Bridgetown Harbour. These buildings are deteriorating and are not being maintained. Certainly IDC could offer discounted rates to bring young entrepreneurs together to feed off of each other to supply services to the outside world.
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Legal Drafting for countries, states and municipalities worldwide
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Computer software development
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Video and sound studios
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Graphic artists
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Heritage joiners
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Clothing Designers and manufacturing
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Animation
Bridgetown Port Duty Free Facilities
Access to duty free facilities at the port should be two-fold:
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Wholesalers who sell to retailers.
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Retailers who sell to visitors.
This will allow retailers to use traditional concepts of hawkers to sell products in various combinations. This tradition of bargaining and combining products allows them to determine their own profits but more importantly share in the spoils of the hospitality industry. These newly defined hawkers at the port will be costumed having acquired training at the Barbados Community College (BCC) and Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity (BIMAP).
Other Developments
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Dr Carmichael – Restoration of Facades on Roebuck St, Swan St, Bay St etc
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Paul Altman – Enhancement of Jewish Synagogue, oldest in the New World of the Americas.
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Tyrol Cot Chattel House Village should be a functional village redesigned as a mini tenantry village with a bakery providing freshly baked traditional breads, rumshop, chickens, palings, bread carts, snowball carts, coconut carts, troubadours, et al.
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Villagers should wear period costumes.
This is about US. This is about Jobs. This is about Pride. This is about Survival.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.