A commendable job

As the Community Independence Celebrations for 2019 officially got underway, Minister of the Creative Economy, Culture and Sports John King has commended the group of volunteers from communities across all the eleven parishes of Barbados who have contributed significantly to the event since its inception 24 years ago.

Speaking during a service held at the Sharon Moravian Church in St Thomas, on Sunday King stated, “Over the years, the Community Independence Celebrations have created a sense of patriotism. The Secretariat which looks after this event was given the mission to make independence celebrations touch the lives of people in all communities across our nation, and stressed that independence should be a state of mind that embraces Barbadians throughout the year, and not limited to just one day in November.”

He commended the work of the Parish Independence Committees both past and present. “These committees, made up of volunteers who dedicate their time to serving their communities and their country despite the challenges they may face, have served us well, and have ably guided the teams of Parish Ambassadors in the right direction.”

The theme of this year’s event is Embracing our Nation, Building our Heritage, a theme the Minister said would “foster a sense of pride, and help us to work towards a common goal that can benefit the entire nation, that will remind us of our forefathers, and the sound Christian values and strong work ethic that helped build this nation.”

Overall, we need a more caring society, good health, a clean environment, and to take more pride in who we are, and we can achieve this if we work together.”

He also encouraged the Parish Independence Committees to plan events in their respective parishes for We Gathering 2020, when Barbadians living in the diaspora will be encouraged to return home, according to the months in which their parishes will be highlighted. (DH)