Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Dwight Sutherland, is encouraging Barbadians to fully embrace their heritage, pride, and their level of respect with each other, even during these testing times.
His comments were made on Sunday at the Community Independence Celebrations Secretariat’s Church Service, at Dunamis Outreach Ministries.
Minister Sutherland said Barbadians should always embrace their national identity and their culture, and though the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment has done a lot over the years to the youth reach their best potential, more must be done at large as a society, if Barbados is ever to curb the number of young people committing crimes.
“I want us to go out there as partners within the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, [because] youth development is national development, and national development is youth development. We have a role to play, in bringing back some respectability in our society among our young people.”
He continued, “As we look around, and go to the prison, as we drive around … we have a challenge in this society. A challenge of violence, a challenge of deviant behaviour, and it is pervasive among that grouping between the ages of 15 to 35, and those occupy a large space at Dodds Prison. We have a role to play within this Ministry to bring back respectability to our society,” he said.
Sutherland touted the achievements of the annual Spirit of the Nation show, where Barbadian talent from each of the parishes is given the opportunity to be on wide display. Though he was pleased with the work the show has done over the year, he said that the country must go a step further in truly utilizing the creative talents we have at our disposal.
“Many jobs and businesses have been created as a result of the work of the Independence Celebrations Secretariat, and also the Parish Independence Committees. Many lives have been changed as a result; you are the unsung heroes, we just celebrated National Heroes Day on [April] 25th, but this morning I want to recognize you in a meaningful way.”
He said, “I go to that Spirit of the Nation show every year, and I see talent, local talent, and I often ask myself the question, why do we go overseas to purchase certain things. I have been asking this before I came to political office; I have seen some wonderful designs with the clothing, I have seen the talent, singing, [and] the creatives in this country.
Minister Sutherland also said that Barbadians should always embrace their national identity and their culture, and also lauded the members of the Parish Independence Committees for their work over the years in helping persons not only to celebrate their heritage, but aiding them in gaining employment opportunities.
“[Our] National identity, and the pride in our heritage in who we are, should be part of our existence on a daily basis, and not one day in the year on the 30th of November.” (SB)
