Bringing inspiration in the time of spirit –Ras Jahaziel
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A timely reminder of our creativity as natives with Emancipation Day coming up. How many regard the day of any significance e anyway.
There was the thought when it was introduced that Emancipation Day would be subsumed by the Crop Over Beverly blitz. It has come to pass.
Surprises at walk for Emancipation
TODAY’S EMANCIPATION WALK promises to be more dynamic than ever before with several surprises planned, says Special Envoy to the Prime Minister’s Office with Responsibility for Reparations and Economic Enfranchisement Trevor Prescod.
He was speaking as Sagicor reaffirmed its commitment to national and cultural development by once again supporting this year’s walk.
The annual event holds profound historical, cultural and emotional significance as it recognises the abolition of the slave trade.
“The support from Sagicor is overwhelming as we have added to the day’s festivities. A number of awards will be bestowed on outstanding Barbadians who have made a significant contribution to civic society and business. We will also have a number of exhibits from motorcycles, go-karts and some skaters,” Prescod said.
Commitment
“It was an honour to send the request for support and for Sagicor to respond so favourably. We are aware of the growth and the history of Sagicor from all the decades that it has been in existence and certainly we are happy that they have come on board once again.”
Sagicor Life marketing manager Alyssa Garnett underscored the company’s commitment to the cause, which continues to draw strong support from across the public and private sectors.
“ Emancipation Day is a powerful reminder of how far we have come as a nation. When you think of the strength and resilience that our ancestors have shown to get us to this point, we are once again pleased to be a part of it. We hope this serves as a powerful reminder for future generations.”(PR)
Source: Nation
Past, present and possibility: A personal reflection on race and progress in Barbados
Barbados’ history is undeniably intertwined with slavery. It was a major centre of the transatlantic slave trade and the first British colony to build a sugar-based economy reliant on enslaved Africans. However, slavery is a tragic phenomenon that has existed across races, cultures, and geographies throughout history—including in Korea, where it spanned some 1 500 years. Even today, forms of slavery and human atrocities persist.
In Barbados, the brutal system of forced labour began with British colonisation in the 17th century and lasted until slavery’s abolition in 1834. Its legacy still influences our society, and many understandably call for reparations.
Barbados officially ended 361 years of British rule in 1966, becoming an independent state, and later a republic in 2021. For a small island with limited resources, geographic constraints, high debt, and climate challenges, our evolution has been remarkable. As former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan put it, Barbados has consistently “punched above its weight”—a phrase recognising our strides in education, health, political stability, and global presence.
I believe the British in 1966 would not have predicted that Barbados would achieve such levels of development within 50 years. Bajans were rightly proud of our independence. One wonders if those in London were celebrating for a different reason—now Barbados would have to paddle its own canoe.
While history is vital, the future matters more. Dwelling on the past risks missing opportunities in the present.
Yes, the White Bajan plantocracy once held disproportionate wealth and power.
But that gap has narrowed. Long gone are the days of the Chandlers, Mannings, Haynes, and Robinsons as plantation elites.
Today, Whites comprise just 2.7 per cent of the population, while Blacks account for 92.4 per cent. In a century, White Barbadian descendants may be nearly nonexistent.
Black youth today have far more role models in politics, medicine, law, business, entertainment, and sports than their White counterparts. I’ve seen this transformation firsthand. As a teenager, interracial marriages and socialising was virtually non-existent. However, in the 1990s, my children’s parties included both Black and White guests— by then, it was the norm.
In 1965, I played Division 1 cricket for Wanderers, which was at the time an all-White club. By the time I left for college in 1967, one Black player had joined the team. Today, the club is predominately Black.
In 1970, I was offered a job at Chase Manhattan Bank in Barbados upon my graduation in 1971. I later learned that one of the reasons I was selected was because the bank assumed the local White business class would prefer a White manager. Being White was an advantage then. Today, it would likely be a disadvantage. I was surprised when Prime Minister David Thompson appointed me Ambassador to the US in 2009. Sir Courtney Blackman told me that a Black person questioned why a White person was chosen. His reply: “As far as I know, Beale is a Bajan”.
Racial stratification persists but has improved. Access to education and healthcare is universal, and many Black Bajans from poor backgrounds have risen through hard work—people like Trevor Clarke, Sir Henry Forde, Sir Courtney Blackman, Chiryl Newman, Andrew Bynoe, Gertrude Eastmond, James Husbands, Rawle Branker and the Leacock and Elcock families. Our justice system, although slow, is widely viewed as fair, as is our political system—which is now entirely Black-led. While Whites still hold disproportionate wealth and dominate certain sectors, the progress is real and they do not dominate the economy.
In a letter to the Nation on July 23, 2025, the writer John Sealy agreed with the sentiment that “Black people’s destiny rests in their own hands”. I do too. Success should not be dependent on entitlements.
While we must acknowledge our painful past, we must not let it define our future.
Teaching our youth to expect reparations as a path to success is risky. It could lead to disappointment and complacency.
Bajans have always risen by their own efforts.
I’ve heard calls for boycotting White-owned businesses. To me, this is counterproductive. Business should be based on service, price, quality and relationships—not skin colour.
The government has expressed concern over slowing population growth and is considering incentives to increase the birth rate and to welcome more immigrants to support our National Insurance Scheme. I would argue we should instead focus on attracting residents who can contribute— those with skills and resources, not those who will strain public services. If we need labour, we can welcome migrant workers in targeted numbers.
Qatar’s population is about 3.1 million, but only 12 per cent are citizens. Yet, its per capita income is among the highest in the world. Similarly, if Barbados had fewer residents but maintained economic output, our per capita income—and standard of living—would rise. With eight per cent unemployment and underemployment already a concern, population growth must be approached carefully.
Many of our young people, regardless of race, may find greater opportunities abroad unless they are part of a family business. While it is possible to succeed here, the scope is limited. When I was young, I dreamed of returning to Barbados after studying abroad. Today, many youth—while still loving their homeland— are seeking broader horizons. Fortunately, many continue to contribute from afar.
Reparations are morally justified but politically uncertain. What would happen if the UK held a referendum asking voters whether they would support paying reparations—knowing they would foot the bill? Remember, British taxpayers (including descendants of enslaved people) repaid loans from 1835 to 2015 used to compensate slave owners for their “loss of property”. At the time, this amounted to 40 per cent of the British Treasury’s annual budget and five per cent of GDP. Slave law protected slave owners’ property—not the humanity of the enslaved.
Barbados is right to seek reparations, but we must be pragmatic. Success is not guaranteed. We can, however, ask the British for additional support—not as reparations, but as overdue development aid in education, infrastructure, and healthcare. We contributed to Britain’s wealth for centuries. A gesture of goodwill is only fair.
Barbados’ outreach to Africa is commendable. However, we must be realistic about the limitations in trade and tourism due to logistical constraints.
Ultimately, the government must reduce reliance on State-owned enterprises, improve business facilitation and accountability, and pursue sustainable debt planning.
Meanwhile, Bajans—as we’ve done for generations—can continue moving forward the old-fashioned way: by earning it. We have been learning, however slowly, to integrate…to mix and match and work together…and that must be our goal and future.
John Beale is a former international banker and diplomat.Source: Nation
“How many regard the day of any significance anyway.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not stinking Bushie!!
Only those who cannot see that mental slavery is EVEN worse than the brutal physical phase that is typically symbolized by this celebration.
– The ‘natives’ have now THEMSELVES sold all their assets to new foreign slave masters.
– The BLACK LEADERS of the emancipated are in bed with the descendants of the old slave masters – making them EVEN wealthier than their slave-owning fore-parents – AT THE TAXPAYERS’ EXPENSE.
– The new ‘plantation owners’ now no longer need bother about providing housing, food, medical care etc. The MENTALLY ENSLAVED now have to take on these THEMSELVES, by paying extortionist prices at their supermarkets (while the demons DESTROY local production to remove choices)
…by selling modern, poorly-built, slave huts – via exploitative mortgages …
…and by piss poor medical, sanitation, potable water, sewerage, utility, transportation and other PUBLIC services.
“Emancipation” Bushie’s black donkey!
We are now OUR OWN worse enemies – THANKS to our ‘Judas’ leaders, who seem to be for sale to all foreign bidders – especially those who are willing to pay ‘finders fees’, consultancy fees, ‘political contributions’, …or just plain bribes…
…and then always begging, complaining, and borrowing – like damn Parros….
Boss…. You only mekking Bushie Vex yuh!!!
What a place!
What a lack of PRIDE and Industry.
@Bush Tea
You have turned on your boosters this morning?
LOL…
No surprise that this ‘celebration’ would be championed by the likes of SAGICOR (the single GREATEST traitor to Barbados EVER…) and by a ‘white’ perspective on race and progress in Barbados.
SAGICOR represents the single greatest FAILED opportunity for this country to achieve true emancipation – when they DE-MUTUALIZED, and then subsequently handed this country’s BEST asset over to foreigners – who now make phenomenal PROFITS that are EXPORTED – Just like in the ‘good old days’.
….but then a $6million per year pension is nothing to sneeze at…
Bushie can’t wait to see how our pinnacle Eddykashun place will now ‘benefit’ from the whole SAGICOR experience…
If this was fiction, it would be considered to be MUCH too far fetched….
What a place!!
As Barbados was a slave plantation for Africans
then the life mission of African Slave Descendants
should be to leave Barbados and go back to Africa
No?
Life is more nuanced than labeling people good and bad
but is about doing the right thing and not the wrong
the mock state of Israel is pushing non stop propaganda about blood libel and supporting Hamas for criticism about genocide, starvation, ethnic cleansing etc
USA are biggest cxnts in the whole wide world
I could go on and on the full has never been told
the original is the 1st and no one can take that away as Grandmaster Flash Would say. 1st ever reggae song was “Oh Carolina” by Count Ossie
Big Up Rastafari
for I and I and I
Holy Trinity
The Conquering Lion of Judah
will open up the 7 seals the 7 Chakras
to communicate with God the Father
the Creator the Sustainer the Dissolver
Count Ossie & Zion All Star
Holy Mount Zion, I A See I
As Barbados was a slave plantation for Africans
then the life mission of African Slave Descendants
should be to leave Barbados and go back to Africa
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
COULDN’T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
I SPENT 10 MONTHS IN TANZANIA LAST YEAR 2024.
RETURNED A MONTH AGO AND LOVING IT.
HAVE NO DESIRE TO EVER REVISIT ANY CARIBBEAN ISLAND ESPECIALLY THE 2×3 ISLAND WHERE BACKWARD THINKING, BRAINWASHING AND INFERIORITY COMPLEX ARE REAL.
BAJANS’ SAY ON EMANCIPATION
By Carlos Atwell
Is Emancipation Day a time to celebrate freedom or just another day to relax?
The Saturday Sun posed the question to a number of people attending Emancipation Day celebrations yesterday near the JTC Ramsay Roundabout, better known as the Bussa statue, in Haggatt Hall, St Michael.
Melissa Nurse-Herbert said Emancipation meant freedom of mind, spirit and body. As a senior programme officer in the Barbados YouthADVANCE Corps, she said her focus was on youth.
“Emancipation starts with self, so we want to celebrate our youth today. With all the crime and violence we are grappling with, I want our young people to move to something better, to have a more sustainable life where everything is more resilient.”
A woman, who gave her name only as Omilagua, said she was there for the first time because her spirit compelled her.
“Emancipation Day is a chance to venerate my past generations. I plan to observe, pay my respects by placing flowers and be inspired,” she said.
Omilagua said Barbadians were too close-minded when it came to African traditions and practices, and shunned things like Obeah, while other countries embraced their heritage.
“I would like us to be more aware of our African roots and teach our history in schools. Other races and countries have their practices and it is not a problem, but as long as it is an African practice, it is a problem here. There is not only Christianity in this world,” she said.
This year’s celebrations began late, but neither the delay nor early morning showers were enough to keep hundreds of people from taking part. Around 8:30 a.m., the various groups met at the roundabout, circling it as drumbeats and chanting permeated the air.
Participants in the walk represented a wide cross-section of denominations, interest groups and governmental organisations. There were members of a skating group, a motorcycle group, the Twisterz All-stars Gym Barbados, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Muslim Association, Barbados Landship, the Spiritual Baptists, and groups from the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and Suriname, whose lively members were chanting loudly to the drumbeats. Even dogs formed part of one of the contingents.
Resilience
For Krystle Howell, Emancipation Day is also a time to look back, as “today’s problems needed yesterday’s resilience”.
“Emancipation Day is a time to reflect on our ancestors who brought us where we are today. There’s a mindset that black people don’t stand together, but our history shows that can’t be the truth, especially when you look at Bussa.
“A whole community got together to fight oppression, and we too can elevate to fight. The same type of community mindset can help us find solutions to current-day problems,” she said.
This year’s celebration had a few twists, as it included a vehicular salute in which the Auto Cultural Alliance, the Off Route Junkies and the Black Knight Riders teamed up to circle the Emancipation statue and revved up loudly, joined by the Barbados Police Service with sirens. Afterwards, the crowd was treated to the skills of the a trolley go-kart crew from St George, at least for a few seconds, as they whizzed by. Hailing from St John, members of the Mount Karma Rastafarian organisation, one of the oldest such groups, proudly held signs calling for reparations from the British government, and for the legalisation of ganja as a sacrament, with backing from the and skills
Bible.
Ernest Beckles said Emancipation Day was a significant event, as he reflected on how Barbadians had the freedom to work where they wanted instead of being forced to work on a plantation. However, he said Barbados still had to work on raising the minimum wage and cutting imports.
“Right now we are importing too much, things we can produce, and that is stagnating us.”
Greta Forde said freedom meant she was free to attend the celebrations without needing to ask anyone’s permission. However, issues like domestic can violence worried her and she felt children needed to be taught emotional intelligence in schools.
A man and a woman, both requesting anonymity, said they were there to support family members who were marching, and the day was simply one to relax after a hard week of work.
Coordinator of the celebrations, Kelvin Carvalho, said the day was an example of what grass roots people and Pan-Africanist organisations had been calling for – a ground-up approach rather than top down. He added they managed to attract those who normally would never come out and take part.
Source: Nation
You have to give it to PM Mottley.
PM: MINDS NOT YET FREE
True freedom is freedom of the mind, but Barbados is not yet there, says Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.
She was the featured speaker yesterday at the celebration ceremony for Emancipation Day, held at the Emancipation Statue, commonly called the Bussa statue, in Haggatt Hall, St Michael.
“This year, it is 75 years since we were given the right to claim our destiny through being given the right to vote, [though] we take these things for granted as a people. When we removed the qualifications of property to allow every Barbadian over the age of 21 to vote, it began the process towards Independence. But it was the Independence of a nation in the context of a people that still had not emancipated their minds, and still we are not there, but that is life,” she told the large gathering.
The Prime Minister said Barbados had come far in labour, enfranchisement and political emancipation. It had put chattel slavery behind, but the journey was far from over, she warned.
“Let us not take for granted the journey. This year represents the first year of the last decade to the 200th anniversary of Emancipation. And that 200 years, for some, will seem like two. Because if the veins of injustice continue to run through wherever they are found, then emancipation remains an elusive dream,” she declared.
As such, Mottley asked those who were on the journey of true Emancipation to take others with them who were still struggling.
“Different people get on the train at different times, and it is our duty always to pay forward and to look back. It is our duty to carry others with us. We fight for the principles of Emancipation and Independence at the international level – to be able to give us the space, to be able to shape our destiny as our Anthem requires of us as firm craftsmen of our fate.
“We fight for it at the national level. The Charter of Barbados, agreed to in 2021 on the eve of our becoming a republic, demands of us a recognition that it is not only for us to be concerned about our rights, but for us to be committed to our duty. I ask Bajans today to recognise that we will make of this country what we plant and what we put into it. Let nobody fool you, and that is why the difficult conversations have to be had,” she said.
Mottley pointed out the real battle was getting people to emancipate their minds as “the whips and the battleships are not the modern enemy. It is the algorithms and the unseen and the cancer of indifference that is our modern enemy”.
Crime and violence
As for crime and violence, the Prime Minister stressed it was not guns but people who did harm.
“This notion that guns kill people I want to repudiate. It is people who kill people. It is hurt people who hurt people. And we have to face that reality because the way that we solve the problem, I swear to you, is not simply at the level of the State or the Government. It is in the houses, it is in the churches, it is in the temples, it is in the communities.
“I ask Barbadians for one thing. Our ancestors did not seek to free us for us to be imprisoned in our houses or our spirits. We have it within us to ensure that the few who want to come before us, we need to tell them, ‘Get thee behind me’, go one-side, because you will not tarnish the legacy that is ours and the obligation that is ours.”
Mottley said that legacy was one “where others gave their lives and developed the resilience for us to be free”.
“The obligation to the future is one where we see people, we hear people and we feel people, and in so seeing, hearing and feeling, that we bring healing and that we bring the possibility of removing violence from our houses, from our communities, from our country and yes, from our world,” she said.
The event also included blessings from Wayne Onkphra Wells and Baba John Tifase Howell, and spoken word by Adrian Greene, among other presentations, as well as wreathlaying and cultural presentations.(CA)
Source: Nation
She CAN talk, can’t she.
Yup!
Sweet as shiite.
But mostly just worsening our sewerage problems….
TRUE FREEDOM OF THE MIND WILL NEVER BE:
BEGGING AND BORROWING
BEGGING AND BORROWING
BEGGING AND BORROWING
What will become of Bajan blacks. Mia beckon them to take there chance In mother Africa. Whilst at the same she opened the door to Ghanaian nurses to work in Barbados. As well as opening up the country to African migration.
This whole episode is, sadly, doomed for failure.
Taking emancipation into our own hands
Emancipation Day
commemorates the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which abolished slavery throughout the British Empire. The Act came into force the following year on August 1, 1834.
Enslaved people below the age of six received full release.
However, enslaved people older than six years of age were redesignated as “apprentices” and required to work 40 hours per week without pay, as reparations to their enslavers.
Full emancipation came into effect at midnight on July 31, 1838.
If you didn’t know this history you might believe that enslaved Africans became free on Emancipation Day. When you do know this history, it becomes clear that the truth is much more complex.
What becomes clear is that freedom from chattel slavery does not mean you are free.
The “freed” men, women and children of the British Empire were forced to work for free for four years after the British Empire declared them emancipated.
And, for at least 100 years after that their living conditions and human rights situation remained largely unchanged, leading to the uprisings in the Caribbean in the 1930s.
Amended conditions
This underscores that fact that the British did not give the enslaved their freedom on August 1, 1834. They simply amended the conditions of their bondage.
The words of Martin Luther King Jr in his Letter From A Birmingham Jail, written roughly 130 years later, help us to understand what really happened when the British passed the Act to abolish slavery in 1833.
King wrote: “It is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but . . . . We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” I believe that MLK was even too conservative here. Freedom cannot be demanded nor given.
It must be taken.
Freedom
When you understand the meaning of the word “emancipation” things begin to make even more sense.
Emancipation is defined as “the process of giving people social or political freedom and rights”.
Emancipation is something someone does to you.
The concept of emancipation comes into usage in Roman law, primarily referring to the freeing of a minor from parental control.
In Roman law, a son or wife is freed from the legal authority of a father or husband to make his or her own way in the world. The son or wife receives an “emancipatus”.
In a very literal sense, August 1 can rightly be referred to as Emancipation Day.
Emancipation was something the British did. It was given.
Except, there was nothing familial about it.
It gets deeper when we look into the etymology of the word “emancipation”. Some sources trace “emancipation” back to the Latin word “mancipare” meaning, “to transfer ownership”. Other sources link the word “emancipation” to the Latin phrase “e manu capere,” meaning “to take from the hand”.
In this light, an emancipation is not a genuine or ultimate freeing, but a transfer of ownership.
This concept of “taking from the hand” leads to a meaning of emancipation as taking someone from one hand and placing them in another.
On August 1, 1834, enslaved Africans changed from under the hand of plantation owners to the hand of the crown.
Later, some nations achieved a greater measure of autonomy with flag independence while still under the hand of the crown.
Taking republican status means no longer being under the hand of the British crown.
But, the hand of a colonially rooted global economic and military order, and its international agencies, is still heavy. Freedom is a process.
Freeing ourselves from mental slavery through deepening understanding of history is a big part of that process. And yet, some would love to discourage us from taking our emancipation into our own hands.
Adrian Green is a communications specialist. Email Adriangreen14@gmail.
Source: Nation
Emancipation for our people means nothing now that Mia has flung open the free movement doors to Dominicans, St Vincentians and Belizeans.
@ Baje
Tanzania Bans Foreigners from Local Business.
Would our domestic Bajans such as Artax and Bush Tea welcome such a move in Barbados.
“Emancipation for our people means nothing now that Mia has flung open the free movement doors to Dominicans, St Vincentians and Belizeans.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You’ve misrepresented the truth.
Barbados and the other CARICOM member states are signatories of the Protocol on Enhanced Cooperation in 2023, which removed the need for work permits or skills certificates for nationals moving across borders within the region.
During the 49th Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government in Jamaica, CARICOM’s chairman said heads of governments acknowledged the PACE and SCOPE of implementing the Single Market and Economy (CSME) was SLOW, and agreed to “speed up implementation.”
Barbados, Belize, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica simply decided to ‘SPEED UP’ the process by implementing free movement of the REGION’S NATIONALS by October 1, 2025……
…… and NOT ONLY “Dominicans, Vincentians and Belizeans” as you’ve incorrectly mentioned.
@TLSN August 3, 2025 at 4:24 am “Emancipation for our people means nothing now that Mia has flung open the free movement doors to Dominicans, St Vincentians and Belizeans.”
Actually this has been happening even before Mia was a twinkle in her daddy’s eye. I am old enough to be Mia’s mother, that is I reached menarche long before she was conceived. I grew up in a rural village where St. Lucians and Vincentians lived among us. One area of our community was know as “Little Castries” because so many Lucians lived there. Mia was not yet born at that time.
So even while you may not approve of Mia or the BLP, as is your democratic right, please don’t blame her for what was happening long before her parents conceived her.
@TLSN “Emancipation for our people means nothing now that Mia has flung open the free movement doors to Dominicans, St Vincentians and Belizeans.”
In truth this has been happening long before the PM was even conceived. I am old enough to be the PM’s mother and certainly it has been happening since I was at elementary school, and I expect even before that. In my community there was a place we called “Castries” because so many Lucians lived there and so much patois was spoken there. As in ALL human migrations, some of the migrants came to do specific tasks, in this case to work in the then vibrant sugar industry, but as with all migrations some NEVER go home again, they settle in their new homeland. In my own family some have married Trinis, Vincies, Lucians, Jamaicans, Kittitians and as far away as mother Africa, and the Phillipines. This is what HUMANS do.
I have a relative with one Bajan born child, and 10 born in St. Lucia. The Bajan born lives in St. Lucia, and the ones born in St. Lucia live in Barbados. So what?
You may not like or approve of the PM or her Cabinet or the BLP, as is your democratic right, but I have to say the truth as I experienced it.
Inter Caribbean migration has been going on long before Columbus crossed the ocean blue in 1492.
Am I worried?
Nope.
Blessed are the simpletons of our world.
For they are never worried …
unless instructed to do so by their masters…
for things like Covid and Climate Change.
What a world!
@ David
Sinc the issue of freedom of movement within the region was raised on this thread, I believe that the following article should make for interesting discussion.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CARICOM’S Free Movement Démarche set to begin March 31, 2024
WiredJA News 15 March 2024
GEORGETOWN, Guyana March 14, 2024 – At the end of March 2024, the CSME Free movement regime that CARICOM has been working on for the past ten or so year is expected to come into operation.
During the closing press conference following the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Guyana, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley who has responsibility for the CSME, said that CARICOM is on track to make a single economy within the region a reality.
“As you know, people have the right to move now, for six months without question, what we are talking about is removing that six-months constraint but equally have to understand what are the minimum rights that are guaranteed to our citizens when they move from one country to another and those are being resolved and settled now,” PM Mottley stated.
Barbados’ CARICOM Ambassador David Commissiong, explained that “the Freedom of Movement regime was actually agreed upon at the December 2018 Special Heads of Government Meeting on the CSME that was held in Port of Spain.”
In July 2023, again in Port of Spain, CARICOM Heads reconfirmed the decision, and set a deadline of 31 March 2024. However, he explained that the deadline is only in respect of making the necessary amendments to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
After 31st March, there will be a 3-year Transition Period to put all the national legislation and administrative procedures in place.
In addition, there will also be a 7 year Transition Period for host member states to provide certain basic services – health, education etc. – on the same terms as their Citizens.
According to Commissiong, “the right to move and reside will also continue to be subject to such restrictions as — the person must not be a credible threat to national security, nor likely to be a charge on the public purse.
“The reality is that only a very small minority of our people will opt to exercise this right to live indefinitely and work in another CARICOM state. The vast majority will remain persons who visit for a temporary period,” the Barbados ambassador said.
“If there is any danger in these new arrangements, it is more likely to be states losing some of their most productive citizens to another State, rather than a State being flooded with incoming migrants and not being able to cope.
“But, in any event, even if that unlikely scenario were to occur and a State was to find itself under undue financial stress, the Treaty gives Governments the power to temporarily suspend the programme.
“There is really nothing to worry about. It is just that some people fear and resist ANY change.
“It should be noted that both the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) and the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO) gave their approval to the new Free Movement regime.
“It should also be noted that Haiti will not be part of the regime in its initial stages — because of the exceptional circumstances enveloping Haiti.
“Antigua and Barbuda has opted not to participate at the outset. However, they will continue to facilitate Movement via the CARICOM Skilled Nationals programme ambassador Commissiong pointed out.
In the meantime, Citizens of CARICOM countries will be able to travel throughout the region for an extended period beyond the current six-month stay restriction.
CARICOM Leaders met in July last year to finalize the timeline for the free movement of citizens within the region. Despite a few policy issues, Ms. Mottley is confident that the timeline will be met.
“There were just two policy issues that were referred to Heads for us to settle and they will meet back on the seventh of March. The legal Affairs Committee will sign off on the drafts on the eight of March, and the Heads of Government will meet on the 15th March with the hope that we can sign of in time, the deadline given in Trinidad for the 31st of March for the full freedom of movement of people,” Prime Minister Mottley stated.
The Move will also ease the burden of doing business in the region. The CARICOM leaders have agreed to work to get the mutual recognition of countries across the community settled by July and pave the way to allowing businesses to set up their companies in various CARICOM countries without having to pay to do so.
“To allow people the right to move and then tell them they have to pay separate sums to form the same company, doing the same business, in each other the country that they are going in is a burden too heavy for you carry in a single market and in a single economy,” The Barbadian Prime Minister noted.
CARICOM countries have also agreed to set up a digital platform, where the services and other important information relating to CARICOM will be addressed.
@Artax
There are a few so-called magnet countries that we can easily forecast there will be issues, Barbados being one. It is interesting that Mottley and before her Arthur have been pushing harder than others given the several downside risks. This is notwithstanding what Caricom countries have committed to in the RTOC.
The CARICOM concept of ‘freedom of movement’ is the most IDIOTIC aspect of the foolishness that has become normal now for our misguided ‘leaders’.
Can you imagine living in a community and promoting a policy where any and everyone has free access to all of the homes in that community?
Only a jackass with no children (that they care about,) would open their home to such a situation.
Of course the village elder and pastor will be welcomed invitees, but will you also welcome the village parro, drug lord, trouble-maker and rapist into your children’s bedrooms and kitchen?
ONLY IF YOU ARE A JACKASS.
Homes are the preserves of FAMILIES, where there are fairly common morals, ground-rules, self-respect, and family-ties.
That home then interacts with the broader community as a collective UNIT – and can be a model that inspires OTHER HOMES to improve themselves.
Outsiders are ALWAYS welcomed to the home …
Either:
– BY BECOMING PERMANENT FAMILY MEMBERS THROUGH MARRIAGE, ADOPTION, OR SPECIAL INVITATION -BASED ON A SIMILARITY OF VALUES.
– Or by being thoroughly screened to ENSURE the safety and well-being of your children.
What kind of jackass opens up the doors of his children’s home to any and every predator and pervert?
What a stupid and cursed set of leaders we have been saddled with…
What a place!
As well as the above, Mia is making plans to allow for the influx of migrant workers from African countries into Barbados.
We in the UK are familiar with the mentality and the mindset of our African brothers and sisters. They have a tendency to want to dominate and view black British Caribbeans as being inferior.
They have settled in America with the same mindset. They have no respect for Black Americans. Apparently things have got so bad in the States between these two groups that black Americans were asked to boycott African shops on August 1st.
I would advise Mia to exercise the greatest degree of caution should she decide to open the doors to African migrants.
They have settled in America with the same mindset. They have no respect for Black Americans. Apparently things have got so bad in the States between these two groups that black Americans were asked to boycott African shops on August 1st.
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OBVIOUSLY YOU DON’T LIVE IN AMERICA. YOU CAN SAY THE SAME ABOUT CHINESE, PALESTINIANS, KOREANS AND MOST FOREIGN NATIONALITIES WHO LIVE IN AMERICA AND BEHAVE THE SAME.
As a person who has travelled throughout the Caribbean, I support freedom of movement within the region.
Visit, explore and RETURN to your respective islands.
I believe Mottley should’ve given the issue MORE thought, before HASTILY COMMITTING to the October 1, 2025, deadline for full free movement.
‘Government’ should have analysed the capacity of our socio-economic institutions and infrastructure to adequately manage any CONTINUED INFLOW of CARICOM nationals desirous of living and working in Barbados.
Consideration should’ve also been given to the PRESSURE an INCREASING POPULATION would have upon Barbados’ LIMITED RESOURCES, which range from an INCREASED COMPETITION for jobs and scarcity of land to a strain on social services such as education and health care.
Additionally, given the increasing rate of local gun related crimes, do we have the resources to sustain such an unconventional immigration policy, despite growing threats posed by cross-border criminal activity?
For example, since being elected in 2018, this Mottley administration has so far been UNABLE to CONCEPTUALISE any PROGRESSIVE HOUSING POLICY for Barbadians…… far less for an influx of non-nationals.
We’ve had problems with non-nationals SQUATTING on people’s property, while ILLEGALLY SECURING ‘house spots’ for their relatives and friends…… believing they have some sense of entitlement. That they are ‘inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.’
An exchange rate of BD$2 = US$1, would obviously attract people from other regional territories to live and work in Barbados.
Bahamas, Bermuda and Cayman Islands are also member states of CARICOM. Their dollars are even ‘STRONGER,’ which would more so attract regional immigration.
However, those islands, in addition to Antigua & Barbuda, approached full freedom of movement, rationally and cautiously.
The Bahamian, Bermudian and Caymanian governments have OPTED NOT to participate in the specific aspect of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of nationals across member states.
According to media reports, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to Caricom, Dr. Clarence Henry, ‘expressed concern that signing a regional pact on free movement among member states’ nationals, could heap pressure on the twin island nation’s public services.’
That ‘allowing an UNRESTRICTED flow of Caricom nationals into the country could IMPERIL VARIOUS SOCIAL SERVICES among other things.’
@Artax
What many ‘intelligent’ Barbadians do not realize is that Caricom nationals are to receive the same benefits as Barbadians under the RTOC.
“Visit, explore and RETURN to your respective islands.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXACTLY!
“Stop by an afternoon and have a drink … THEN GO HOME!!”
@ David
Yes, that’s true.
I recall David Comissiong saying their children will be able to attend our schools.
Perhaps Mottley should let Barbadians know if they’ll attend UWI Cave Hill ‘free’ as well.
It seems as though full free movement has already been introduced in Barbados some time ago.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but travelling around the island, I’ve realised there are several Jamaicans, including children and teenagers, living here…… perhaps too many.
The REALITY of the situation is, there is a strong ‘anti Bajan’ sentiment across the region. Some people believe our perceived arrogance is a contributing factor.
They come here but do not have our interest at heart, nor do they respect our laws.
Read the cricket blogs, for example. While Bajans are often supportive of those cricketers from other territories who are selected for WI teams, Guyanese, Jamaicans and Trinidadians blame Barbadians whenever the WI loses a match or series, while accusing us of destroying WI cricket simply because 3 or 4 of our players are on the team. According to them, “It’s a Bajan thing.”
They believe the team should be predominately comprised of cricketers from their respective islands, and should separate themselves from CWI, form their own teams to ‘go it alone.’
Read what the Antiguan government said on the issue, “Although Antigua and Barbuda has continued to stand on its policy of skills-based free movement of people, it is still a participant to the OECS’ separate free movement framework, meaning that any CHANGE in CURRENT POLICY will likely see an INCREASE in nationals from countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica, Belize and Suriname.”
Another reality is, similarly to how a Jamaican, Trini or Guyanese would come here to engage in vending, how many Bajans would be willing to set-up shop in any alley in one of those territories to hawk fruits and vegetables?
Their exchange rates are an inhibiting factor.
Unfortunately, the territories that would be advantageous to Barbadians, are NOT participating in the full free movement of CARICOM nationals.
We should ask ‘government’ and ourselves, what benefits or opportunities Barbados would derive from free movement?
@ TLSN
SEEMS THE KENYANS WHOSE LAND BORDER TANZANIA ALONG WITH 7 AFRICAN COUNTRIES ARE WAY MORE AGRESSIVE BUSINESS WISE WHICH IS THE REASON SOME TYPES OF LOW COST STARTUP BUSINESSES WERE BANNED EXCEPT FOR LOCALS TO START WITH SMALL INVESTMENT.
HOWEVER IF YOU WANT TO START A LARGE BUSINESS OR SPECIALIZED CONSULTING ONE IS WELCOME TO DO SO.
People who are Anti-immigrants are not nice people, they’re haters, they’re nasty.
I got no time for them or their stupid reasoning talking their polluted crap.
They’re not my friends they’re ignorant.
People are people
Exodus 22:21
21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
6 Nov 2020 — A recent call by Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, to citizens of Dominica to be fruitful and multiply has generated much discussion.
Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has expressed concern about the size of the country’s population and has encouraged citizens to make more children …
Do you remember the days of slavery?
Women were worth more than men as they made up to 15 more slaves
So how many slaves were there in total if one woman made 15 slaves from age 14 for 30 generations in this wicked dispensation through reproduction with insemination by an erection with good seeds
Here is some data for the mathematical scholars
Historical Context: Facts about the Slave Trade and Slavery
TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE VOYAGES
Over the period of the Atlantic Slave Trade, from approximately 1526 to 1867, some 12.5 million captured men, women, and children were put on ships in Africa, and 10.7 million arrived in the Americas. The Atlantic Slave Trade was likely the most costly in human life of all long-distance global migrations.
..
The number of people carried off from Africa reached 30,000 per year in the 1690s and 85,000 per year a century later. More than eight out of ten Africans forced into the slave trade crossed the Atlantic between 1700 and 1850. The decade 1821 to 1830 saw more than 80,000 people a year leaving Africa in slave ships.
I And I Survive (Slavery Days), (Sub Dub Remix), Slavery (Jungle Dub Mix), Burning Spear
Ras Jahaziel
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