We are ready to take off and gather

In 1864, Author Robert Lowry posed in biblical verse the immortal and rhetorical question: “Shall we gather at the River?”

One hundred and fifty years later, Barbados Prime Minister Hon Mia Amor Mottley has perhaps unwittingly answered that question. She has opted to launch her exciting We Gatherin’ 2020 campaign at the river (River Bay, St Lucy) next month when it is expected that many Barbadians will meet from across the continents in picnic mode to put the show on the road.

The year-long event’s promotion seemed at first light to have begun slowly but as the starting line appears on the horizon, there is an undercurrent and surge of support for this unique happening in the island’s history. To the naked eye in the UK momentum has gathered pace and many of the Barbadians with whom I have spoken, come hell or high water, intend to be on the rock during 2020, whether they come from St Lucy, St Philip or Pelican Island. The timing does not matter one jot and is merely incidental.

We Gatherin’ 2020 has caught the imagination of Bajans in the UK and can best be described as innovative in the practicality of its aims. The underlying hope is that Barbadians will return in their numbers to their homeland, in a festive and nostalgic mood, with a romance for the island that has never withered despite years of long absences from the rock.

Prime Minister Mottley, in calling for action on We Gatherin’ 2020 from all corners of the globe, has tapped into new territory as she appeals for national support from all Barbadians as she looks to rebuild the country.

In recent years, the island appeared to be on the brink of collapse and most honest Barbadians would admit to having had reservations as to whether or not the country could survive the turmoil and uncertainty that was visited upon it.

However, the Prime Minister’s sense of optimism and never-say-die spirit have brought us to this point where we feel that, however little we do in support, there will be a benefit to our country. This, in essence, is the vision behind We Gatherin’ 2020.

The overriding and long term goal of the Prime Minister, is, I believe, that Barbadians will return and invest in their homeland in order to rebuild and stabilize the country, thereby providing a foundation on which prosperity can be built for the benefit of all Barbadians regardless of age, colour, class or creed.

In recent years, Barbados has suffered immeasurably from the fall out of decisions and actions from which we will not speedily recover and therefore all hands are now needed at the pump. In the oft quoted mantra of the Prime Minister, ‘Many hands make light work’ and therefore now, more than before, all must report and register for duty with the sole purpose of bringing our land back to its former glory. No longer can we afford to punch below our weight in these turbulent and post Brexit times.

However, We Gatherin’ 2020 should not, at any time, be seen as an invitation to party and dance the year away. The urge to celebrate in true Bajan style will never be far away from the surface, but the desire to rebuild should always be at the forefront of our thoughts and actions when we move to support the small businesses that will inevitably spring up along the way. The entrepreneurship of those who venture should be rewarded. The recent reversal in our fortunes signals that this is not the time for ‘service as usual’ but one for sustained solidarity.

The rich seam of Barbadian expertise and the ability that comes through it is not fully mined and there cannot be a better time to take advantage. The singular purpose of the Prime Minister is to rebuild and rebuild until the job is fully completed. Many from all strata of society have benefitted from the labours and investments of those who have gone before them, having travelled the oceans for many decades in search of personal fortune and glory and to build a country fit for modern Barbados. The Prime Minister seems to be saying that while we appreciate all that has gone before, we still need more.

Barbados TODAY has spoken to many Bajans over the long period which led up to the Anniversary of Independence and the general feeling in the UK is that a sense of national pride and expectancy has been engendered through the We Gatherin’ 2020 campaign.

They will not necessarily follow the pattern and time laid down by the organizers and there will be a degree of ‘cross-ancestry’. But, who really cares whether you came from the Pine, Pine Road or Pine Hill, Foul Bay or the Crane or even Lightfoot Lane or Penny Hole? We are Gatherin’ 2020 because ‘all uh we is one’.

Have a happy and safe yuletide from your brothers and sisters in the UK.

Vincent ‘Boo’ Nurse is a Barbadian living in London who is a retired Land Revenue Manager, Pensions and Investment Adviser. He is passionate about the development of his island home and the disapora.