Putting on a pretty face for the world

It is often said that a society is judged based on the way it treats its most vulnerable. When it comes to assessing the level of fairness and equity in a society, we often examine the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

We often have preconceptions about life in a country based on how it is portrayed in the media and the assessments of those who have visited the country.

Of course, with smart marketing including fanciful portrayals on social media and idyllic images in glossy magazines, one could potentially create an image that is successfully imprinted in the minds of people.

Take Dubai, for example. This city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has successfully marketed itself as the ultimate destination in the middle of a desert. Its luxury lifestyle, which has been underpinned by the state’s oil wealth, has been placed on the bucket list of many people, even in the Caribbean.

There is another side to the picture-perfect world of Dubai, and the world’s richest country, the United States of America. No longer are people blinded by the belief that America is a place of milk and honey.

This scenario is playing out in the vaunted European cities where the face of poverty and deprivation confronts those who exist in the lap of luxury.

So why are we in Barbados intent on concealing the underbelly of our society from the eyes of the world, as we prepare to welcome fans from around the globe, to attend the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T- 20 World Cup matches, including the final, in June.

In 2007, when Barbados played host to the final of the One-Day International Cricket World Cup, there was no public discussion on the need to rid the streets of vagrants and homeless people.

As an indication of how things have changed, the country is promising to not only rid Bridgetown of its rats, but there is also a plan to move the growing homeless community from the prominent areas they now occupy in the capital.

The former Treasury Building, though boarded up and surrounded by hoarding, is still attracting a large number of homeless people. They occupy the benches along the Wharf and Independence Square, as well as the Cenotaph and even sidewalks on Broad Street.

Outlining the importance of presenting the best face of the island to the world, chairman of the National Organising Committee (NOC) Ambassador Noel Lynch and president of the privately-run Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH) Mr Kemar Saffrey assert that their plan to tackle the issue could unlock a long-term solution to the worsening social problem.

“The National Organising Committee has over 50 entities. One of them is the organisation headed by Kemar Saffrey. We are creating a plan in and around how we are going to solve the problem of vagrancy in Bridgetown, Oistins, and anywhere else . . . not just for the World Cup.

“One of the things about dealing with the vagrant and homeless situation is that there are a lot of deep sociological and psychological issues involved, as well as legal issues. You can’t just snatch up a man or woman and put them somewhere or lock them up, it has to be done sensitively,” Ambassador Lynch correctly outlined.

For his part, Mr Saffrey is promising “an extensive solution” to the homeless problem, the details of which the Barbadian public is yet to be informed.

The charity operator is aware of the perception that this will be viewed as a superficial approach and has already sought to rebut this.

“Our work is beyond that. We understand the nature of the event and we do have to have the visitors protected from vagrants as some of [the vagrants] have mental health issues,” he countered.

What is essential is the need to address the underlying causes of homelessness and vagrancy in Barbados. The growing incidence of poverty, drug abuse, and family dysfunction have been identified as some of the main root causes.

One has to determine whether cosmetic fixes will suffice in the short term, or whether homelessness is a manifestation of a deeply troubling side of existence in Barbados that is likely to get worse and so requires a comprehensive and sustainable approach.