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Submitted by Observing
errol barrow
The late Rt. Ex. Errol Walton Barrow

In January 2016 then Prime Minister Freundel Stuart delivered an address to launch the 50th anniversary celebrations. In that address he posed three pertinent questions surrounding the issue of values

  1. What are those features of Barbadian life that we have lost and that we need to reclaim?
  2. What are those features of Barbadian life that we have not lost and need to retain?
  3. What are those features of Barbadian life we have not lost but we have to try and discard as quickly as possible?

A lesser known fact is that these questions were taken up and researched by the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute as part of the then Secretariat’s attempt to form an empirical basis to guide policy formation in the years to come. Ironically a search of the internet reveals very little local coverage of the results or if they were ever used or formed part of any real meaningful national discussion.

As we head into Year 57, reflection is always a good thing for both young and old. Many have argued and debated about “Barbadian values.” Many have questioned if they still exist. Others may ask “who needs values” while most now only want things “of value.”

The BU space has been excellent for discussion and provoking thought, especially among the hundreds worldwide who read it discretely or only in the smallest room in their house.

Now is as good a time as any to revisit these questions as we talk about vision, progress and development. It should cause us to heed Barrow’s exhortation to question “what mirror image do we have” of ourselves.

Maybe it will give us a better picture of “who we really are.”

Just Observing




Link to survey: https://www.jecsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/JECS-Vol-42-No.-1-Apr-2017.pdf

Key findings on pages 34, 38 and 40.

My general summary

Values that have declined in importance: Knowing neighbours, respecting the elderly, being religious, obeying the law, being in committed relationships

Values that have increased in importance: Material possessions, social networks, leisure, owning house/land

Values we have not lost: Religious tolerance, friendliness, patriotism, extended family

Additional link: https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latest-news/study-finds-barbadians-like-american-values/

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73 responses to “Who are we?”

  1. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    https://youtu.be/T3IymINAinw?si=oAqmzr7hJ9_lCJ_-

    Talking about independence and interdependence.

    Argentina has just elected Javier Milei a South American Donald Trump, but an even bigger asshole!

    Will likely dollarize, or try to because there are no such dollars; reject BRICS membership and drive that country back to the bad old days of IMF domination and Operation Condor.

    Even the venom of a snake may also act as antidote.

    Tells us that history, even transformation, does not happen in straight lines.

    Its a real failure of Lula’s entente with regional rightist forces. His insistence on political pluralism within Brazil, within BRICS.

    Even as the West declines precipitously Milei emerges.

    Long gone are the days when one could presume that populations had a positive even collective imagination, that the voice of the people was that of god.

    The atheists cannot be right can they?

    What independence? What interdependence? What?

  2. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    https://youtu.be/heBacIpASsc?si=a0kN5cZjemerged.

    That Henry Kissinger is dead comes 100 too late.

    For his definition of independence had centrality within this fictional narrative presented as coexistent with empire.

    East Timor, Vietnam, Chile, China, and many, many more would have been better off had he not lived.

    That such a war criminal could be so beloved across the aisle in Washington and treated like the man from Galilee elsewhere harkens back to “the farm of animals”. Some being more equal than most. More independently war criminals than most.

    And Kissinger was that. A war criminal! Let the fires of hell burn this son of a bitch for eternity. But then, there’s no hell. So Kissinger may yet to die as others assume his role.

  3. British and American warships in the zone Avatar
    British and American warships in the zone

    There are British and American warships in the zone protecting Israel while it kills Palestine, which puts all Western illegal ME wars into perspective.

    Their drone wars have now become AI wars, where targets are picked by algorithms tracking phones and internet devices.

    Ding!
    It is time for Pachamama to submit a piece for BU from the #BLACKLIVESMATTER collective perspective as Palestine is George Floyd being murdered by Derek Chauvin while UK and USA are the corrupt cops controlling the crowd of onlookers, instead of stopping their captain kill another black man like an Emmet Till lynching

  4. We are the Slaves Avatar
    We are the Slaves

    Q: Who are we?

    A: We are the Slaves in the New World Colonies

  5. Evil Empire of ... Avatar
    Evil Empire of …

    THE EVIL EMPIRE OF EVERYTHING
    Who sampled who
    The “Evil Empire” speech was a speech delivered by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to the National Association of Evangelicals on March 8, 1983 at the height of Cold War and Soviet-Afghan War. In that speech, Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” and as “the focus of evil in the modern world”. Reagan explicitly rejected the notion that the United States and the Soviet Union were equally responsible for the Cold War and the ongoing nuclear arms race between the two nations; rather, he asserted that the conflict was a battle between good and evil.

  6. TLSN Avatar
    TLSN

    This post should belong to Sports’ Corner. I have only placed it here to highlight the lack of quality amongst our poor rakey Media house. However, it is relevant to this thread.

    The demise of West Indies cricket is a metaphor for our banana republic region, particularly Barbados.

    Corruption, incompetency and mismanagement are constant themes stitched into the yarns of all caribbean islands.

    This is who we are: “inutile”. It’s a french word used to describe an object that is useless!

    A commentator stated that Barbados would not improve until it reaches rock-bottom. The state will never allow that to happen. It will ensure that the locals will have a limited amount of pleasures or luxuries such as carnival, an abundance of cheap chickens, processed junk food, the internet and potable water.

    The state will keep these poor frogs simmering in a pan whilst making them destitute on an incremental micro level that the poor fools are unable to see that they are doomed. For example the NIS scam.

    Triple D, there will be no rock bottom for your island paradise. Take Bush Tea’s advice and make sure you have in hand, at all times, a life-jacket.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2023/12/01/west-indies-decline-t20-series-england/

  7. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Oh Canada.

  8. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    There are rumours

    We said rumours!

    That Ralph Thorne is being encouraged to lead a group within the BLP to form an opposition to the Mottley dictatorship.

    These rumours

    And we say rumours

    Are saying that all parties were summons to a recent meeting and threatened that their position is as a consequence of the supreme leader. That they will fail like the first crossing of the floor under this regime.

    Personally, we are surprised that Thorne has so delayed an entry into such palace intrigues, voluntarily or involuntarily.

    Knowing him, certain hatreds held, his unchallengeable intellectual depth, his genetic predisposition towards Napoleonism, that he’s had , if these rumours are true, the patience to endure what, for him, would be the equivalence of emasculation, must rival the fictional character called Job.

    Maybe, he seeks political redemption. Maybe?

    Of course, Thorne himself has had a chequered political history. Being a ‘B’ and then a ‘D’ and now a ‘B’ again.

    A restless political spirit.

    We could easily imagine that his attitude towards iterations of party hierarchies would have been constant.

  9. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Curious… Could the obvious weakness of the Dems causing a big void in the opposition space be the stimulus that prompted a possible split?

    If Ronnie O and company don’t grab the cake, others may try to eat it.

  10. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Pacha
    Yours is a case of psychological manipulation of the highest order… as you well know..
    Your ‘kite’ being flown above, will now require the Empress to seek to politically displace Ralph – likely with yet another of her compliant and spineless ‘yes-persons’…

    But RT is an ‘up and on’ fella, accustomed to meeting ‘foes aplenty…’

    This will then force the very ‘rumor’ which you have so cleverly postulated to become a reality… and lo and behold – a meaningful opposition …PERHAPS EVEN A NEW ADMINISTRATION is born….

    Do you REALLY think that such political interference on your part is warranted …or ever justifiable, given your propensity to call for ‘mushroom-type’ solutions?

    Asking for a friend of a friend….

  11. David Avatar
    David

    Potentially this ‘loggerhead’ between regulator (FTC and BL&P) will compromise the transformation Enuff and government rails about.

    DARK DAYS’AHEAD

    Green investors ‘wary’ over BL&P’s legal action

    By Colville Mounsey colvillemounsey@nationnews. com

    Barbados Light & Power Company’s (BL& P) decision to head to court over its twice failed bid for a specific rate increase is being seen as a major blow to investor confidence in the renewable energy sector.

    This is the concern of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA).

    In addition, chairman of major renewable energy investor Williams Industries, The Most Honourable Ralph “Bizzy” Williams, says the latest development only increases the cloud of uncertainty hovering over the sector.

    Having twice failed to convince the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) that it deserves an 11.9 per cent rate hike, the BL& P has decided to fight the next round in the High Court. It is the first time that the monopoly will be taking such action against a decision of its regulator.

    BCCI president James Clarke pointed out that with the business sector committed to the country’s 2030 renewable energy goals, questions now swirl as to whether a development such as this will derail efforts.

    “This is a concern to the business community. The uncertainty of this whole thing is that we need storage to reach the 2030 goals of being 100 per cent carbon neutral. This is accepted and widely known. The worrying fact is that these court processes take time and the Light & Power is a key player in this whole thing,” he said.

    “So the concern for the whole country is how do we continue on this trajectory shift away from fossil fuels. We don’t know if this is going to impact Light & Power’s execution of their proposed purchasing or not, but from an investor confidence point of view it does not look good to see all of this wrangling going on,” he added.

    BREA president Robert Goodridge said that with the stagnation of new photovoltaic installations due to insufficient storage on the grid, the added uncertainty was likely to give investors, especially those on the outside, some degree of pause.

    Major blow

    “There are a number of important considerations. I believe that especially for those investors on the outside, this is going to be a major blow. What is important is to try and capture the big picture of what is going on, although it is very unfortunate that we are at this stage at this point in time,” Goodridge said.

    However, he noted that amidst the uncertainty there were still a number of bright sparks that augur well for the sector.

    “We would have seen the application of the Light & Power for storage under the Clean Energy Transition Ryder. We have also seen the Ministry of Energy put forward a process of competitive procurement. So on the one hand, the situation with Light & Power appealing to the High Court is unfortunate and has the potential to elongate an already stalling process, but there are positives in the background.”

    Williams told the Sunday Sun some of his projects had stalled as a result of the growing uncertainty, and this latest situation would likely leave some investors scratching their heads on how best to proceed.

    “I cannot understand the reason for all of this back and forth. Uncertainty is not good for anybody, including investors who want to invest money in Barbados. Uncertainty brings everything to a grinding halt,” he said.

    In giving its rationale for the court action, BL& P charged that the FTC “made significant legal, jurisdictional and procedural mistakes which affect the fairness and reasonableness of the decision. Such mistakes have major consequences on our ability to adequately serve our customers”.

    In a February 15, 2023 decision on BL& P’s October 2021 application for a rate increase, the FTC panel, chaired by Dr Donley Carrington, did not grant the utility the full rate increase it was seeking.

    BL& P filed a motion to review and vary this ruling on a number of grounds, but the FTC reiterated its position on November 20 and said a decision on new electricity rates would come before Christmas.

    Source: Nation

  12. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    What wunna think?

    All of this big talk bout renewables was always empty.

    It lacked criticality about the nature of monopoly power.

    In the case of Emera, they are only permitted to worship at the alter of the stock markets.

    We are minded that they could win in court tooooo! Because if they lose, they will have no choice but to divest. Cut their ‘losses and run’.

    For this writer lacks the confidence that the regulator has the sophistication to avoid the numerous mistakes which have been made within the process.

    Dare not presume that this is happenstance. We would venture that is was a ‘plan B’ erected as fallback. A trap set up for the country.

    Maybe naïveté by those laboring under false assumptions and not up to the nature of Satan.

    We however, have no defense for the Williamses, but that they could be entrapped into a dead ended business speaks to the fecklessness of successive regimes.

    The lack of independence of the governing systems to even even protect those who they feed and who feed them

  13. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    This who we are .The Right most dishonourable good Hants of Babadus.

  14. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Good job.

    https://www.nationnews.com/2023/12/03/designers-tell-story-behind-monument/

  15. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Bushie

    How yuh could do your main ally here so man?

    We tried to tell the truth. And as you could see, put some licks in Thorne’s tail as well.

    We know this man well and there are tales yet to be told.

    Certainly these rumours fit the character briefly described.

    And yes, as you know well, we’re preoccupied day and night with the issue in which you’ve rightly indicted.

    But that focus does not stop one from getting regular sea baths, observing the might of Ntr like the North Star followed this morn at four on the road to a limited hangout and eating the healthiest foods once daily. LOL

    At the end of the day you of all people know well that all that will be given up at a moment’s notice for divine justice on earth. Whatever the costs are!

  16. David Avatar
    David

    https://www.instagram.com/p/C0eib_DMMPs/

  17. nonces Avatar
    nonces

    FYI I received the following message
    Error “Invalid Security Token provided”.
    it might have something to do with “nonces”
    https://pressidium.com/blog/nonces-in-wordpress-all-you-need-to-know/

  18. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    sad
    https://starcomnetwork.net/blog/2023/12/06/man-shot-dead-at-beckles-road/

  19. TLSN Avatar
    TLSN

    This broad is really clocking up the air miles. Lord have mercy.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/06/barbados-pm-says-country-owed-49tn-as-she-makes-fresh-call-for-reparations

  20. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Robbing old women.Hope they get caught.

  21. TLSN Avatar
    TLSN

    Mia returned to the London School of Economics, yesterday, to give yet another speech. She would have studied at the LSE in the late eighties during a period when the UK Caribbean diaspora were living under a lot of pressure. This period represented the halcyon days when black youths became both militant and political. When Mia was studying in the UK, do you believe she was familiarising herself with the everyday travails of Bajan migrants or do you believe that she was ingratiating herself with those from her social background?

    If it’s the former then she would have sent her condolences to the family of the deceased poet Benjamin Zephaniah who passed away today. He was the product of a Barbadian father and a Jamaican mother. He was 65 years young.

  22. David Avatar
    David

    BTMI board to meet on CEO

    THE Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc’s (BTMI) search for a new chief executive officer to fill the vacancy left by the departure of Jens Thraenhart will be discussed at a BTMI board meeting scheduled for this month.

    This was disclosed to members of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association by Minister of Tourism Ian Gooding-Edghill during the association’s fourth quarterly meeting yesterday.

    Gooding-Edghill said although the BTMI has been doing “a very good job” the role and function of the CEO were “crucial to the performance of the organisation”.

    (GC)

    Source: Nation

  23. Trying to keep up Avatar
    Trying to keep up

    Hey, has the Consul General in NY moved over to England as was stated?

    Did Mia solve the Savvy issue?

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