Blackman urges culture of volunteerism

Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman is warning the island’s long-term development could falter without a national culture of volunteerism, as he urged young people to root their lives in service.

Blackman was delivering the keynote address at the Charter Induction and Installation Ceremony of the Barbados Roaring Virtual Lions Club on Saturday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital auditorium; the ceremony saw the induction of 12 Cubs and the installation of 20 Leos—two youth arms of the Lions movement.

Applauding the club’s commitment to youth engagement at the induction, he said, “Barbados has always been better off when our people have been steeped in service-orientated activity. And the Lions Club is a major champion of that ethos, not just here in Barbados, but around the world.”

The Roaring Virtual Lions Club, founded in 2022 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an initial cohort of 35 members, is the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean to be chartered entirely online. Despite operating virtually, it has steadily grown in influence and reach, with a particular emphasis on developing young leaders through service.

“This evening, to my mind, serves as a very pivotal moment,” Blackman said. “You’re inducting Leos and Cubs into what I believe is the future—not just of this organisation, but of our country.”

He argued that service must be woven into the national fabric if Barbados is to remain resilient in the face of complex global and domestic challenges—from climate change to artificial intelligence.

“Whilst business, trade, education, and infrastructure are necessary, in my view it has to be anchored by a citizenry who understands the role of service,” he asserted.

Addressing the parents and guardians present, the minister thanked them for encouraging their children to participate.

“There are many things that they could be doing on a Saturday afternoon,” he said. “But I want to commend you for choosing to invest their time in something greater than themselves.”

Blackman described the induction as a launchpad for deeper civic engagement and leadership development: “This, to my mind, starts the long-term journey in your life, where you can look back 10, 15, 20 years from now and stand as district governor, as an MP, as a prime minister—or a leading musician. It doesn’t matter what you do, but service has to be key.”

Blackman also encouraged the organisation to adapt its strategies for a digital age.

“Service today may not look the same as it did 20 years ago,” he said. “How do you now incorporate technology into what you’re doing to benefit everyone? Service must also allow for [young people] to be able to measure activity and things that they’re doing on their devices and their phones.”

He added, “As the ethics of the institution remain the same, it still has to be able to pivot forward in a changing local, national, regional, and international environment.” 

(SZB)