Unlocking the wealth of a nation 

George Smith played a key role in directing the programme for Independence 41 years ago. Today he says that economic empowerment of Bahamians is the biggest issue facing the country and suggests how it can be achieved

In reality, The Bahamas is a wealthy nation. The wealth of a nation should be seen in the wellbeing of the people. It should manifest itself in the participation of our people in the economic life of this nation. It must also be a deliberate intention by the Government of the day, without regard to philosophical differences, to ensure that the wealth and economic opportunities are evenly available to all, no matter their location or station in life.

To achieve the goal of economic empowerment, the Government should conduct a comprehensive review of our economy with the view to effecting substantive reforms where necessary to eliminate all impediments to entry into the national economic life.

The Government should pursue imaginative, progressive and fresh initiatives to strengthen and grow the economy through a dedicated emphasis on indigenous businesses. Access to capital and technical support must also be made readily available.

Achievement of the full economic independence of The Bahamian people would lead to an increase in government revenue and, thereby, the systematic elimination of the national debt. Bahamians could then more readily afford the payment for National Health Insurance. We should see the selective reduction of taxes while concurrently substantially increasing investments in education, public safety and infrastructural projects, all aimed to empower the Bahamian people and fulfil our national obligations.

How do we empower the people? This is a vitally important question that requires public engagement and consultation. It requires leadership by those elected to govern and it mandates that each citizen lend their collective wisdom to the creation of a more prosperous Bahamas. There is no better time to commence the dialogue than now, as we reflect on 41 years of nationhood.

For my part, I offer three specific recommendations on achieving the empowerment of the Bahamian people:

First, the development of a land use policy for all publicly-owned lands. This requires a national recognition that our land remains one of our most valuable natural resources.  

On January 20, 2010, Fred Mitchell (PLP) submitted the Report of the House Select Committee on public owned lands and lands owned and managed by Statutory Bodies. Serving on the Committee along with Mr Mitchell were Philip Davis (PLP), Charles Maynard (FNM), Kenyatta Gibson (FNM) and Branville McCartney (FNM). They all agreed to and signed the Report.

The recommendations of this Select Committee should be taken very seriously. It should be supported by the public and acted on by the Government. It is in the national interest to do so. The Report recommends benefits for the people and makes several valuable suggestions as described below.

The committee report said that: “Each Bahamian wants to have a plot of land to call his or her own and on which to build their home and claim a stake in the nation. Indeed, one of the successes of our nation is that we are largely a property owning democracy.  Thankfully there is enough land for that to continue to be the case.

The Right Honourable Prime Minister’s (Hubert Ingraham) statement to the House says: ‘Of the 3.45 million acres of land in The Bahamas, approximately 2.5 million acres is crown land; 900,000 is wetland. That leaves roughly 1.6 million acres of dry crown land. This crown land bank presents the government with the opportunity to economically empower Bahamians. It also creates an important means of encouraging and supporting economic and social developments throughout the islands’.

“We agree. We believe that this may be the single greatest component to anchoring the young Bahamian to his country and thereby helping to secure the country’s future.

“Your Committee is sure that both sides of the political divide in the House are concerned about the issue of the young Bahamian and access to affordable land. The Right Honourable member, (Perry Christie) for Farm Road and Centreville, in his statement to the House, said ‘Bahamians are being frustrated and held back by not having title to land they occupy’.”

The Committee pointed out to the House that there is an unfortunate history of reports being read and tabled in the House; and reports generally in the society being completed and presented but many of them never see their recommendations implemented. The Committee hoped that that Report is of such importance to the country that it would not simply sit on the shelf, but its recommendations would be implemented.

The Report further stated: “Land is very much the wealth of the nation and your Committee believes that if we make the right decisions today with regard to land allocation and use, the people of The Bahamas can be empowered, greater wealth can be created for Bahamians and the security and future of our country will be assured.”  

It is, indeed, a tragedy that the report has yet to receive the level of government action that it demands. Our nation state cannot continue to labour under a false sense of security by waiting on the required prosperity to be created by the hands of foreigners. If we recognise our national worth then we can aid in the further expansion of the economy by our determined labours and collective wisdom.

The Bahamian people have a vested interest in the further development of our nation and our peoples. Just as we made significant strides these past 41 years - and we have grown as a people - the next 41 years will be a proud time in our nation’s journey that will make our forebears justly proud.  

Second, the Government should encourage the establishment and proper funding of a merchant bank, to provide commercial loans, seed financing and venture capital. The bank should be funded and operated by local talent. A system of ‘risk insurance’ should also be available.

The level of sophistication shown by the local web shop owners is a testament of the enormous creativity that exists and we should be fully prepared to lean on the expertise that exists locally. This bank can also assume the role of the Bahamas Development Bank which has for years been underperforming in its statutory mandate.

Third, the concessions and incentives offered by successive governments to foreigners for investments in The Bahamas have generally been reasonable and have resulted in many benefits for the country and, in most cases, substantial profit for the foreign investor. In the future, concessions and incentives to foreigners should be tied to the level of local participation in the projects as a means of encouraging joint ventures.  

For the enterprises in a special programme to empower Bahamians, the concessions and incentives offered to foreigners should be increased by up to 30 per cent for the first five years and thereafter 15 per cent based on comparative Bahamian participation in ownership. This can be a progressive platform to expand Bahamian ownership of the economy.  

The ‘Father of our Nation’, Lynden Pindling, dreamt of a Bahamian nation that was among the great nations of the world. It must be our task to make that dream a reality. This can only happen if our citizens are able to tread the streets of prosperity in peace and love and the wealth of this nation is reflected in a high quality of life for all who live in these fair isles.

The people need a greater sense of ownership of their country. This could only take place if they are more involved in the affairs of the state. Leaders in all sectors of the society must show confidence in them through inclusion. The people must be encouraged to build The Bahamas into a great nation and aspire to high standards in every undertaking.

We must eagerly respond to the charge given to us by a great Bahamian pulpiteer, Rev Dr Rubin Cooper, at our first Independence national church service, with some words taken from 1 Peter:

“You are a chosen people,

a royal priesthood,

a holy nation,

God’s own people,

that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who

called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”

Mindful of the great potential of our country, let us turn despair into hope and courageously march to a prosperous, progressive and enlightened future.

George A Smith is a real estate broker and consultant. He was a Member of Parliament for 29 years, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and a member of the delegation at the London talks on Independence. He was Chairman of the Secretariat which directed the programme for Independence and a Cabinet Minister for 11 years. 

Baha Mar: A Catalyst for the Future

The tourism sector remains the bedrock of the Bahamian economy. Four decades since independence, the sector, whose potential in this nation was first realised in the 1850’s now accounts for roughly 60 per cent of the nation’s gross domestic product and employs just under 50 per cent of its workforce.

The Bahamas relies heavily on foreign direct investment and notably, some of the biggest investments have been in the tourism sector through the build-out of major resort

properties as well as related infrastructure. Today, the industry which has grown and evolved to include niche markets such as sports tourism appears poised for even greater growth.

Today, the Bahamas’ tourism sector has attracted some of the most high-end resort developers and hotel brands. The Albany development in western New Providence, the iconic Atlantis resort, Paradise Island, the Baha Mar development on Cable Beach, Resorts World Bimini, Sandals Emerald Bay, Exuma and Sunwing’s Memories Resort, Grand Bahama are among

some of the major resort developments and redevelopments in the Bahamas to date.

New Providence also boasts the most improved airport in the Latin American and Caribbean region as the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA)was given the distinction earlier this year by Airports Council International.

A significant investment was made to improved the nation’s major gateway and ultimately improve the visitor experience. LPIA’s three-phased $409 million re-development began in 2011 and provided hundreds of jobs for Bahamians.

Twenty years ago the sector was at a dismal low however, with unemployment in the double digits. The sale of Resorts International’s Paradise Island Hotel to Sir Solomon Kerzner’s Sun International Group sparked a renaissance in the Bahamian tourism  industry. Today, following millions in investments to that property and added amenities,

the mythical themed Atlantis Resort, is the largest private sector employer in the country and stands as iconic symbol of the Bahamas tourism offering and one of the most noted and recognised resort properties in the world.

Now, 20 years since Kerzner International’s initial investment, the nation stands again ready to welcome another major resort development poised to emerge from the industry viewed as the country’s major economic driver.

The $3.5 billion Baha Mar luxury resort, which is being created in collaboration with China State Construction Engineering Corporation and the Export-Import Bank of China is slated to open this December. The resort development, which is the brainchild of Lyford Cay resident Sarkis Izmirlian, Baha Mar Resort’s Chairman and CEO, is expected to revitalise the Cable Beach strip as Atlantis did Paradise Island, expand this nation’s tourism offering and open the gateways to new markets such as Asia.

The resort, which is the largest-single phase resort development in the history of the Caribbean, will boast some of the world’s most famous luxury hotel brands such as Melia, Rosewood, SLS Hotels, the Baha Mar Hotel and Casino and an 18-hole championship Jack

Nicklaus Signature Golf Course is expected to create more than 4,000 new jobs.

The economic effects of this massive development have already impacted the Bahamian economy accounting for roughly 3.2 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since 2005 according to an economic impact report by Oxford Economics.

The development’s impact has been most felt in the construction sector and has also affected the real estate sector in western New Providence.

Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s vice-president of government and external affairs noted that as the Bahamas celebrates its 41st anniversary, Bahamians can look forward to many opportunities, economic, environmental and a better quality of life for ourselves and our families as a result of Baha Mar. “Baha Mar is like a catalyst for the future of the Bahamas. We promised that we would transform the Bahamas and we are delivering on that promise,” said Mr Sands.

Speaking on the economic impact of Baha Mar Mr Sands said: “Whether measured in construction impact, Bahamian jobs, tax benefits, gaming revenues or visitor spending, Baha Mar is expected to generate literally billions of dollars in economic benefits. This creates real opportunities for Bahamians - jobs, training, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility.

“Baha Mar is committed to making opportunities for Bahamians and we’ve proven it yet again by bidding out over $600 million to Bahamian contractors. We’ve hired over 400 Bahamian firms already on this project and thousands of Bahamians. More than 12,000 have applied for positions at Baha Mar and that number is growing as we ramp up our recruitment for more than 4,000 jobs.”

Noting that Baha Mar is delivering on its promise to transform the Bahamas Mr Sands said: “Baha Mar is about opportunities for Bahamians; it is growth, it is development; for the Bahamas it’s going to be nothing like we’ve seen before. We are breaking new ground in our initiatives to provide opportunities to Bahamians from every community.

“The introduction of Best Buddies, an international volunteer programme that assists with training and creating integrated social and employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities, will be implemented at Baha Mar through the Leadership Development Institute (LDI). This programme will be the first of its kind in the Bahamas. “Baha Mar is changing the hospitality industry by working with our brand partners and our industry partners to create a world-class service culture. We believe that having a good attitude and an aptitude for service are critical to the success of Baha Mar and the Bahamian tourism industry.

“Our multi-million investment in service training has resulted in the creation of the LDI and other free pre-employment training schools such as the Casino Dealer Training Programme and others that will start later this year. Baha Mar is bringing the best and the brightest Bahamians from around the world back home because of the opportunities at Baha Mar. Supporting the development of Bahamian culture and putting it on the world stage.”

Mr Sands further noted that every phase of Baha Mar’s development has been planned with an eye towards a greener, more sustainable future.

“Baha Mar is committed to business practices that respect the environment and inspires our guests, employees and partners to conserve, protect and preserve,” said Mr Sands. Through Baha Mar’s BELIEVE foundation built on the three pillars - Community, Culture and Conservation - the developers have deepened their reach in the Bahamian community.

“We work with many community organisations throughout the country to build our community, preserve our environment and to nurture cultural development. Through BELIEVE, we are fostering a culture of volunteerism and community service at Baha Mar and throughout the country. Great communities are built only when we all work together for a common good,” said Mr Sands.

While the tourism industry has grown and changed over the years, there are many challenges to be faced. Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe recently told The Tribune that the Bahamas broke the six million mark for total visitors arrivals in 2013, with arrivals last year at 6.2 million over the 5.9 million in 2012. He admitted however, “We still have more work to do”.

Prime Minister Perry Christie noted during his 2014/15 budget communication that it was estimated that tourist spending declined by three per cent in 2013, as the number of stopover visitors fell by four per cent, from 1.42 million to 1.36 million. Notably, the Bahamas lost a significant amount of room inventory in 2013 with ongoing construction at the Baha Mar development. The industry is facing even more stiffer competition than in years past, and with more inventory coming on steam Mr Wilchcombe noted that it is important for this nation to penetrate new markets and increase airlift into the country with 400,000 seats said to be needed to supplement Baha Mar coming on stream.

As Brookfield Hospitality’s managing director George Markantonis notes, travellers today have become much more sophisticated, and through the internet have a wide range of travel and destination options at the click of a button.

“You have to pop out. That’s where tourism is going. I’m not sure Atlantis would have been successful here if it was just a hotel with 3,000 rooms. Because of all the additional amenities it was able to draw consumers away from their typical resort in North America. I think that has been the reason for the success of this property.

“Tourism is not about just adding hotels any more. Consumers have so many choices today. With the internet all of our competitors have the same reach,” said Mr Markantonis.

“It’s only maybe 10 years ago that cruise ships were only that, ships with all-inclusives. No cruise ships, the big ones, have things that Atlantis has, like celebrity chef restaurants. They had to stand out from the crowd. Arguably, I would see some of these cruise ships, the big ones, like more of a competitor than Baha Mar because of the amenities they are now offering. We have to think about lifting our game in terms of service and amenities.”

Many in the private sector have argued that the Bahamian two-sector economic model of tourism and financial services, which accounts for roughly 15 per cent of the nation’s GDP, has not evolved fast enough to keep pace with changes brought about by globalisation.

Both sectors undoubtedly face their own unique challenges. In the case of tourism, this nation is challenged to provide a unique and superior product to the wide array of offerings travellers today can now choose from simply with the click of a mouse.

The sector is also susceptible to the negative stigma associated with rising incidence of crime and the impact of a travel threats such as the tragic September 11, 2001 attack.

While some of the most recognisable symbols of this nation’s economy and culture are connected  primarily to the tourism industry, there remains great opportunity for economic diversification into other sectors. While tourism is likely to remain this nation’s ‘bread and butter’ for quite some time other sectors, such as the maritime sector and manufacturing alternative energy, provide opportunity for growth and employment. 

'Although our nation has progressed by leaps and bounds, we still have quite a ways to go'  

By Adrian Gibson 

I’m proud to be a Bahamian, God gave this land to me ...

– Phil Stubbs, singer/song writer 

The celebration of Independence Day has come to represent the essence of what it means to be Bahamian, with expressions of culture, patriotism and reflections on our national history permeating the atmosphere whilst also serving as an occasion for reconnecting with families and friends. That said, although our nation has progressed by leaps and bounds, we still have quite a ways to go.  

As a 29-year-old, I am a part of that generation that was “born free”, that generation of Bahamians who were told so many of the great stories of the struggle for majority rule, equality and the pursuit of independence. However, I do not feel that we have yet emancipated our minds from political, economic and mental slavery.

Forty-one years later, I believe there are many aspects of our nationhood where we should have been much further ahead. We can hardly claim to be the deciders of our own destiny (particularly economically). Yes, 1973 was our watershed moment as a nation; however, even as we hoist the flag at various government offices, on our front lawns and car windows, we are still fighting to understand our culture, our identity and our heritage as a people.

Frankly, one would posit that whilst we celebrate our 41st Independence anniversary, that in and of itself should serve as a reminder that we have to fight and struggle to achieve real nationhood: that is, a nation where every man or child can achieve their full potential. As we celebrate Independence Day, whilst savouring the moment we must also see this as a serious time of reflection and a time of re-commitment towards making this a better country.

Indeed, on this auspicious day, we must pay homage to our forebears who no doubt sacrificed greatly in the march towards self-governance, Majority Rule and the birth of an independent Bahamas. As I have said in the past, I bask in the shadows of our foregone national heroes and all those unrecognised persons who contributed so much to our development as a country and, by extension, my development as a person.

Over the last 41 years, there has been vast infrastructural development and improvement throughout the Family Islands; the broadening of the educational system with the construction of schools; growth in the financial, legal and medical arenas; expansion of our social safety net programmes and, overall, a much more modernised society with a predominantly literate population.

However, it’s alarming to note that today more and more Bahamians are falling below the poverty line; after 41 years of self-rule, the naked truth is that we have yet to become self-sufficient, that we must learn to produce what we need as we illogically import 90 per cent of what we eat; we have developed and continue to rely on a two-pronged economy that has been in existence - undiversified - since the 1950s; much of the majority remains economically deprived and intellectually stymied; and corruption appears to be rampant at all levels of government.

In all these years, we are still plagued by the worst kinds of political tribalism; we elect governments who, time and time again, demonstrate a misunderstanding of the natural resources available at our finger tips, selling or leasing such resources or entire mining sites for a mere pittance.

When we talk about our achievements since independence, why have we limited ourselves to the point that we cannot cite our advancements and developments in science and technology, in manufacturing and producing many technical and industrial goods, in agriculture and marine resources, etc? Thus far, we have had four changes of government since 1973 and all went smoothly, without bloodshed! Yes, we have managed it very well, smoothly transitioning from one administration to another ... however, we have only taken baby steps when, in the minds of many, we should have been much further ahead. We remain extremely vulnerable to varied external shocks and economic downturns.

Why does political tribalism continue to prevail to the point that if one is a PLP or an FNM, they simply cannot be hired or is automatically deemed unworthy of a contract once the party opposite is elected? Why are our political leaders - in this independent Bahamas - still creating atmospheres where patronage is only reserved for the few and others are cast by the wayside?

I have heard sad accounts of persons having contracts snatched from them, contracts that may have been their sole means of feeding their families ... simply because they are not PLP or aren’t FNM. Bahamians of our political stripes could contribute to our development as a nation and whilst I know that each government would want its own key officials in place that does not give any government carte blanche to victimise.

We all have something to contribute to this country’s advancement and perhaps it is that greed and that willingness to cut down anyone who is perceived as not supporting a particular party that hindered this country’s forward movement. No particular party has all the answers and the brains trust of this country are both FNMs and PLPs and so therefore we must broaden our horizons and adopt an Obama-esque approach to political appointments and the disbursement of contracts to qualified companies/persons.

A friend, who I spoke to for this piece, told me that he felt that the country’s growth has been stagnated because “we’re now seeing the marginalisation of young people more than ever before and that is crippling this nation.”

Having been an educator, I had a first-hand view of the deterioration of the family structure, with children having children and us seeming to have lost much of the civility, kindness and manners that made our country a paradise. In Long Island, whenever my grandparents went to collect my report cards, they always dressed in their best Sunday garb and carried themselves in a respectable manner that was exemplary for us all.

That does not appear to be the case today as, for example, I’ve previously witnessed parents (that is, those who show up) coming to collect their child’s report cards in pum-pum shorts, with their pants below their hip, high or smelling of weed and/or alcohol, with their breasts and other private parts hanging out, and so forth.

These are the incidents that are indicative of the lack of respect being shown nowadays and the environments that so many of our country’s children are coming out of. Indeed, we must rediscover traditional Bahamian manners, respect and gentility and, of course, our civility. People do not only come here for sun, sand and sea, but also for our civility.

I spoke to attorney Craig Butler yesterday and whilst he said that our celebration of Independence Day should be representative of “our celebration of Bahamian emancipation”, he noted that “in 40 years, great strides have been made but over the course of the next 40 years we must do far greater.” I could not agree with him more.

Reflecting a similar take on this year’s Independence celebrations, noted heart surgeon Dr Duane Sands said: “In general, we have made a reasonable effort as a sovereign nation. However, the anniversary should make us take pause to thank God for how far we’ve come and to reassess ourselves. We must strive to move forward, upward, onward, together ... and though that sounds good and is a noble ideal, we haven’t embraced that as a country.”

So, yes I am going to wear my independence t-shirt, watch/attend the celebratory events and even salute. Indeed, I love the pomp and pageantry and that feeling of oneness. But, I pray that we aspire to not merely promulgate that spirit of oneness in words and talk, but to make that an ever present reality.

I love the Bahamas and I am proud to be a Bahamian. Happy Independence Bahamas!

Adrian Gibson writes “A Young Man’s View” column in the Big T every Saturday

Women in politics

Women have been making progress in politics since independence but, says

Khrisna Virgil, the defining moment is yet to come 

Freedom and liberation for all Bahamian women defined the year 1962.  It was the culmination of 15 long years of hard work and determination from five trailblazers. Upon the backs of Mary Ingraham, Mabel Walker, Georgiana Symonette, Eugenia Lockhart and Doris Johnson women in the Bahamas got the right to vote.

Against that backdrop, which came 12 years before the country’s independence,  modern day women, especially those on the front lines of politics, had a different fight. Theirs was to prove that women on both sides of the political divide were capable of taking public office and effecting change.

Despite women’s suffrage and a notable evolution of the political game that was no longer gender specific, women still met resistance.

Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, now 68, knew all too well what it meant to face fierce opposition. She entered the political arena with the Progressive Liberal Party in 1997 and quickly became known as a politician deeply connected to community development and nation building. Even in her post-political days, Mother Pratt is civic oriented through her work with Urban Renewal.

During her political run, not only was Mother Pratt an elected Member of Parliament but she became the first female to have presented the national budget while acting as Prime Minister in 2005 and was elevated to the post of National Security Minister.

It was the latter post which sparked the greatest criticism and nearly saw Mother Pratt resign because of escalating crime numbers.

Having played an historical role in the development of women politicians, she admitted that never “in my wildest imagination did I believe” that women would have been important concerning governmental roles.

“I absolutely never ever saw politics evolving to this point,” Mother Pratt said, “because you are female going into a male dominated arena its hard to imagine certain things. I was able to do the job and it caused people to change their minds on the gender aspect of it.

“In this thing called politics everyone believes they can do it better than you do whether they are on your side or on the opposing side. But I knew that when I went into National Security I would get resistance because I was breaking ground. They said I was too soft, just too emotional, but I proved many of them wrong.

“Politics is a dirty game but it causes you as a woman to be stronger. As a woman in politics you wear a number of caps. You are someone’s mother, someone’s wife, someone’s sister.”

In 2001, the grand-daughter of the Bahamas’ first Governor General, Loretta Butler-Turner, made her debut in politics and was elected as Free National Movement Montagu MP in 2007. She was appointed Minister of State for Social Development in the Ministry of Labour and Social Development. The last FNM convention saw her elected as party deputy leader.

She became known as a “matter of fact” politician. But the real test of Mrs Butler-Turner’s political career was the position she took on the marital rape issue and, in recent times, gender equality.

She said: “I think one of the biggest impacts and probably controversy that I have had was when I decided to carry the mantle on marital rape. I think it certainly not only just created a lot of buzz but it actually created a lot of division in our society in regards to how men and women view themselves and the stereotypical thinking of many of our people.”

Noting that she too has experienced resistance because of her convictions, she said it has not influenced her thoughts on remaining in politics.

“I believe that there is always resistance to change. I don’t take it personally. I realise that in terms of change it is very difficult for people, Bahamians in particular. They do not take very easily to change in terms of where I am and where I go. I am an individual that does not allow others to define me. I define myself and in that realm nobody can dictate when or how I will exit front line politics outside of those persons themselves who put me here. Those are the only people that can dictate my longevity.”

Both Mrs Butler-Turner and Mother Pratt agree that while women have come a long way in their representation in public office in the 41 years since the Bahamas’ independence, there is still much more growth to be seen.

“Women have got to evolve to a point where they believe they can lead and get any position.

“There is no sacred cow and there is nothing that they can’t achieve,” Mrs Butler-Turner said.

The State of the Nation on immigration 

Today’s issues of work permits, citizenship opportunities and foreign direct investment clash with traditions of Bahamian

entitlement, Ava Turnquest says 

The term independence connotes a distinct departure from subjugation to sovereignty and evokes patriotism as a result of the delimitation between the new ‘us’, and the old ‘them’. Arguably, the Bahamas’ melting pot of tribal post-colonialism has rooted itself firmly - and thrived over the past four decades - on this basic psychological concept of othering.

As we look to a future “forward, upward, onward, together” as prescribed by our founding fathers, the country is perched precariously on a landslide of modern reforms that successive leaders have managed to avoid for political expediency or survival.

Perhaps the most contentious reform will be that of immigration.

In 1979, Dawn Marshall wrote that “the illegal migration of Haitian peasants” would not only persist, but the “problem” would increase in both size and complexity. Just as Marshall predicted in “The Haitian Problem”, the Bahamas’ early sentiments – shared with the Dominican Republic – have manifested both socially and economically with discriminatory policy setting the tone of migrant relations. 

From failed trade agreements in the ‘60s to immigration crackdown in the ‘80s to the spectre of statelessness, government policy towards Haitian migration has shifted in severity following the socio-economic and political climate in the Bahamas.

As the country etches yet another year to the Commonwealth totem pole, the controversial question of whether Haitians have a place in the Bahamas continues to override the resolution of an even bigger misnomer: who is a Bahamian?

According to historian Keith Tinker, migration between Haiti and the Bahamas represented a “reciprocal and constant flow of human traffic” until the 1950s. However, Haitian-Bahamian relations took on a significant disposition in the late 18th century with the Haitian Revolution.

In his text, The Migration of Peoples from the Caribbean to the Bahamas, Tinker describes migration in the 1800s as marked by continuous trade with both nationalities having a high presence in each country’s port. At one point, Tinker notes that Haiti was seen to be more attractive to Bahamians than vice-versa. However, Haiti’s economic prowess crumbled and by the 1950s, Bahamians officials had taken up the charge to stem the flow of Haitian migrants.

The “restrictive policies against Haitians”, as described by Tinker, represent the early framework for the discriminatory practices that underpin modern immigration policy.

Although Haitian nationals represent the largest migrant community in the Bahamas, the ongoing socio-economic ills birthed by the long standing regulatory black holes that exist are not a likely target on the government’s track to rake up foreign direct investment this term.

Instead, any upcoming reform is likely to involve work permits and citizenship opportunities for high-net worth individuals. As passport-holding occupiers of this iconic archipelagic nation, the delicately tiered ornament of Bahamian entitlement - also known as Bahamianisation - may be up for revision.

In 1973, 23 per cent of all vacancies notified to the labour exchange were for professional, technical, managerial and related workers but only 3.1 per cent of new registrants possessed these qualifications.

Nearly 40 per cent of all declared vacancies were for production process workers, transport equipment operators, and labourers - but only 25.4 per cent of new registrants were seeking this type of employment.

According to the then-Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, Darrell Rolle, more than half of new registrants were looking for clerical, sales and service work.

Mr Rolle attributed the imbalance, which he identified as a major impediment to the successful advancement of the Bahamianisation policy, to rapid economic development, a long history of inadequate skill and educational development, reliance on foreign workers and the social attitudes of our people.

Forty two years later, in May, Sean McWeeney QC, and senior adviser to Prime Minister Perry Christie, has expressed support for an Investor Citizenship programme to target the world’s wealthiest individuals.

He urged the Bahamas to “join the bandwagon” on something that could have “the most transformative effect” on the economy. He said the Bahamas needed to take “a quality over quantity” approach when it came to attracting financial services business and investors as he addressed the 2014 Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners Caribbean conference.

Mr McWeeney added the programme would offer select investors permanent residency with a “guarantee” of Bahamian citizenship once strict criteria on residency and investment were met. He underscored the “ridiculously thin” number of specialist lawyers despite the country’s high number of lawyers per capita - one of the highest in the region.

His comments come as an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report revealed that 61 per cent of the tertiary-educated Bahamian labour force had migrated out of the region, and the same for 10 per cent of the secondary-educated Bahamians.

The report highlighted three direct factors for the relative regional economic decline: a decrease in the number of people working relative to the total population; lower use of capital per unit of labour; and inferior technological progress. It hit out at information gaps it prescribed as critical to allow for evidence-based policy making. 

The report further stated that the fiscal dominance of political lobbying, and not small economy size, is the main contributor behind the region’s inability “to generate enough well-paid jobs for its people”, adding that special interest groups, by their nature, reduce total social gains because of their influence on policy. It noted there was little regional data on the performance of the private sector and the functioning of the product and service sectors.

Testing the waters a few weeks later, Mr Christie threw out a rhetorical question at a ceremony of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Bahamas Branch.

Mr Christie said: “We’re going to have to grapple with the fact that if I’m a billionaire, or millionaire, or I have money and I want to come to your country to invest, I want to raise the question of whether or not I have the right to have the person who advises me, advise me in your country. I want to raise the question because I’m going to have to one day answer this for the Bahamas.

“What’s happening in the country is that there is this opportunity for the Bahamas to move to a level in foreign direct investment where the critical component of the role that Bahamians play in our country, becomes of paramount interest to the whole country, and certainly the government. To what extent are we able to integrate into this progress that we are making, Bahamian professionals, so they could be in fact be beneficiaries of what is taking place as opposed to looking through and observing the development taking place.”

IDB regional economic advisor Inder Ruprah said the relaxing of such restrictive policies should be a no-brainer. “Things change, this idea that you would produce your entire hired labour force within your economy is unfeasible, even the United States doesn’t do that,” he said. “So making it easier for foreigners to work in the country when you need someone of a particular skill can only be positive right? I don’t understand why there is a discussion.”

In 1979, Mr Rolle outlined a three-year plan to effect the “Bahamianisation” of 14 areas of the Bahamian economy in a bid to engender the “ultimate eradication” of job opportunities for expatriates. He said: “Can foreign investment co-exist with Bahamianisation? I believe that there is a place for foreign investment in the economy of the Bahamas. I believe too that foreign investment can best prosper if the scope, manner, and extent of their involvement is clearly defined.”

The government’s philosophy of economic development, according to Mr Rolle, was the only one to safely base real progress through self-reliance; to bring about control over national economic environment; and maximise benefits to the country from domestic and foreign investment.

He added that policy combatted risks of social unrest given the undeveloped country’s society had limited financial resources of its own economic dislocation, and massive unemployment.

Speaking to the arbitrators in June, Mr Christie said: “To what extent is our country going to be subject to the offerings of other countries, meaning if we don’t give it to you, I’m going to get it from Panama, or Dubai, Bermuda, Turks and Caicos. You are stake-holders in this country, you are eminently qualified by virtue of your youth to have a desire to influence your country and the direction it is taking for the positive. As you look at the world and you see that there is tremendous pressure for jobs, you see that our graduates on an increasing basis are staying abroad.

“When we met with vice president of the United States as Caribbean leaders last year, he told us he was not going to apologise, or change, or recommend change of a policy upon which America was built - taking the brightest and the best from countries around the world. He would help us with programmes to assist us in education and training, but he was not going to change [policy], and that’s the answer.

“So we have to make our country responsive to changing conditions in the world on the basis and simple predicate that by doing that we are going to be strengthening the economy, by losing a little bit of security or not succumbing to insecurity, by being a little bit more open, I think we have an opportunity to do some big things.”

Defender of the Dominion 

Shortly after dawn on Monday, May 19, 2014 the Bahamas’ newest defender pulled into harbour and lowered her anchor, marking the end of her journey halfway across the world and the beginning of her mission in the Bahamas.

The first of eight new vessels in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s (RBDF) new fleet, the 42-metre (138ft) vessel was described as the new “defender” of the nation’s borders and integrity. She would later be named HMBS Arthur Dion Hanna, after the country’s seventh Governor General, Arthur D Hanna.

The ship slipped her berth early on June 28 to start her maiden voyage in defence of the country’s sovereignty.

For the Bahamas, HMBS Arthur Dion Hanna is another tool to defend the borders of the country. But to Mr Hanna and his family it is the country’s way of honouring a man that has given his all for his country.

His daughter, now Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin, said the family is extremely proud of not just his accomplishments but that the country has decided to honour him with something that he has passion for.

“It’s acute for me because they are honouring him through the Defence Force and his love of the sea,” she said.

“He was one of the founding fathers of our national institutions; the Defence Force is one of them. I know that he is proud. Coming from a Family Island himself, he has an acute appreciation for the reality of the Bahamas. I think he captains himself, he navigates, he fishes and I think he has dominion when he’s at sea.

“It’s in parcel an appreciation of his love for our country. The sea is such a major component of our national profile. I think he fully appreciates that attribute.”

When Mr Hanna was young his curiosity and love for boats nearly cost him his life. As he watched his uncles hop into a boat and head out to sea, he tried to walk and follow them, until he began to drown and had to be rescued.

Mrs Hanna-Martin said her father’s love for the sea has not diminished, even at the age of 86. She said that within the past two weeks he has gone fishing twice.

During the vessel’s commissioning, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said the entry of HMBS Arthur Dion Hanna into operational service ushers in a new level of capability and capacity for the RBDF.

“The obligations of the Defence Force are very demanding and are becoming more challenging as the Bahamas is increasingly being threatened with illicit activities that are inclusive of the trafficking of drugs, human smuggling, trafficking in persons, the poaching of our marine resources and trafficking in firearms and ammunition,” Dr Nottage said.

“Illegal firearms in particular have taken violent crime to a new level in our country. The increased threats require that we adopt new and improved strategies, particularly given the expansiveness and porosity of our borders.

“With modern communication, navigation equipment and armament, HMBS Arthur Dion Hanna is suitably equipped to safeguard the territorial integrity of the archipelago whilst providing maritime law enforcement throughout the Bahamas.”

HMBS Arthur Dion Hanna is armed with combat equipment and technology that RBDF officials say will yield maximum returns for the Bahamas, particularly in the war on transnational criminal activities, like guns, human smuggling and poaching.

Earlier this year the government announced its plans for a $232 million loan for the Sandy Bottom Project, which would see the purchase of eight new vessels as well as upgrades to ports at Coral Harbour, Gun Point, Ragged Island and Matthew Town, Inagua, with all of the work being done by Van Oord and Damen Shipyards out of the Netherlands.

HMBS Arthur Dion Hanna has an effective operational range of about 2,500 miles and is worth $15 million.

Commander Nedley Martinborough described the new vessel as the “void that’s been missing from the RBDF for many, many years.”

“It provides a complete range of vessels from 100ft to this one, which is 140ft and we still have within our fleet the 200ft HMBS Bahamas in Nassau, which is also set to receive some work during the Sandy Bottom project,” Cmdr Martinborough said.

“Given the existing fleet at the completion of the Sandy Bottom Project, that should suffice maritime security from the surface level for some years to come. I would daresay the next 15 or 20 years.”

OVER the years, The Bahamas has celebrated countless athletes who excelled on the international scene, from track and field, softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, swimming, tennis, golf, powerlifting and bodybuilding, just to name a few. 

Even today, we continue to reap the harvest of our the forerunners and trailblazers like Thomas A Robinson, Andre Rodgers, Churchill Tener-Knowles, Kingsley Poitier, Kevin ‘One Ton’ Woodside, Sir Durward ‘Sea Wolf’ Knowles, Mychal ‘Sweet Bells’ Thompson, Oswald ‘Elisha Obed’ Ferguson, Charlie Major Sr, John Sands, Frank Rutherford, Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Cole, Ed Smith, Richard ‘the Lion Heart’ Johnson, Glenroy ‘Flo’ Saunders and Carl Minns.

As a small country, we have indeed produced some great athletes.

In the words of our first Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Rev Kendall Nottage, the Bahamas is “numero uno”, a phrase he coined after the triumph of our team at the popular Carifta Games in the 1970s.

Additionally, the Bahamas has been blessed with some gifted coaches, managers and administrators who have been able to occupy some of the highest offices locally, regionally and around the world, including Sir Arlington Butler, Dr Bernard Nottage, Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Churchill Tener-Knowles, Martin Lundy, Deacon Leviticus ‘Uncle Lou’ Adderley, Tom ‘the Bird’ Grant, Arthur ‘Old Art’ Thompson, Frank ‘Pancho’ Rahming and Livingston Bostwick.

But none of these accomplishments would have been possible without the proper facilities to give our athletes the same opportunities as their peers around the world to stay at home and train and compete.

The Bahamas government negotiated with the People’s Republic of China for the construction of the new $30m Thomas A Robinson National Stadium, which has become the envy of the region.

The 15,000-seat arena, located in the heart of the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, is now a historic landmark as visitors to our shores can be seen stopping as they traverse our streets to get a glimpse of the magnificent edifice.

No matter from what direction you view it, it is a beauty to behold from the outside just as it is on the inside.

The history of the stadium is complicated because it came at a huge price and the detriment to a few other sporting organisations, which have been given lesser priority.

In order to make space for the facility, the government had to demolish both the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium and the Churchill Tener-Knowles National Softball Stadium.

At the time of their demolition, the government had projected that the two new facilities will be constructed at new sites within the QESC, but so far there has been no ground breaking and the first block has not yet been laid down.

Fast forward to 2011. The date: Saturday, February 25. The event: the official opening of the new TAR Stadium. 

For the historic event, the Free National Movement government, headed by Prime Minister Hurbert Ingraham, hosted a free-for-all four-hour extravaganza.

Then Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Charles Maynard, spared no expense in pulling off the spectacular that drew droves of people from all walks of life, who just wanted to be counted in the numbers when the roll was called.

Back track to a decade earlier. During their tenure in office under the Progressive Liberal Party, Prime Minister Perry Christie and his Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Neville Wisdom travelled to China where they negotiated for the construction of the stadium.

It was under Wisdom’s term in office that the construction commenced and the promises of the new baseball and softball stadiums replaced after they were both demolished. Today, the new TAR Stadium is complete.

There are all sorts of figures thrown out for the cost of completion of the complex that featured the assistance of local architects Iram Lewis and Michael Forster. Coupled with the fact that the government had to dig into its kitty again to replace the entire surface on the track.

The jury is still out as current Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson has promised a full disclosure. It’s going to be a wait-and-see process as it is for the replacement of the two national stadiums.

Credit must be given to Thomas A Robinson and Winston ‘Gus’ Cooper, then Director of Sports at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, for the role they played in the completion of the stadium that is now being run by the National Sports Authority (NSA), a private entity that has been set up by the government. 

Unfortunately, the two passed away last year, just after the hosting of the first major international competition when the NSA entertained the Tottenham Hotspur soccer team from England in a friendly match against the Jamaican National team.

This year, the NSA opened its doors to the launch of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) inaugural World Relays in April. The event was such a huge success that the IAAF has already pegged in the Bahamas for the second version in 2015.

Later this year, the NSA will play host to the Bahamas Bowl, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned division one college football game that will be played in December in the American Athletic Conference.

There is still some cosmetic work that has to be completed in and around the facility, but the stadium is a Bahamian national treasure and now the rest of the world is flocking here to either view or compete in it.

The stadium comprises just over 190,000 sq ft. It has 15,000 fixed seats, including sky boxes and a number of disabled-friendly seats and a section for the media, implemented for the hosting of the IAAF World Relays. 

Other features include a state-of-the-art security surveillance system, audio/visual equipment, meeting rooms, offices and suites.

Adjacent to the main stadium is the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium, which has been renovated to be used as a warm-up track for international competition and which services all local meets.

It also has an eight-lane straight facility for athletes to use in preparation for their events. It’s the only one of its kind with such proximity to each other in the region.

The Chinese broke ground for the stadium on July 10, 2006. The following month a construction contract was concluded with Qilu Construction Group Corp Construction did not proceed, however, as the government sought a number of modifications to the design. The construction documents were finalised in October 2007 and construction commenced on the stadium in July 2009.

The construction project, carried out by Chinese nationals, employed some 326 personnel. More than 100 Bahamian companies provided goods and services for the stadium’s construction. 

According to reports, some $9.5m – roughly a third of the total cost – was injected into the Bahamian economy over the two-year construction period. 

The State of the Nation on crime 

By Kortney Rodgers 

OF all the issues facing the Bahamas after 41 years as an independent country, crime is a trending, hot topic. Over the past few decades, the Bahamas has accrued shocking crime statistics that have left locals, as well as some non-natives, unsettled and uncertain about the future.  

Prior to independence in 1973, the Bahamas was a relatively peaceful island under British rule. During the 1950s, a period of vast transformation, party politics arrived in the form of various groups like the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), United Bahamian Party (UBP) and latterly the Free National Movement (FNM), which was formed in the early 1970s.

In May 1963, a conference in London considered a new constitution for the islands. It was agreed that the colony should have full internal self-government, the governor retaining reserved powers only for foreign affairs, defence and internal security.

Soon, the PLP won the 1967 general election under the leadership of Sir Lynden Pindling, who became the first Bahamian prime minister and led the country to official independence on July 10, 1973.

With these accomplishments came a new responsibility of self-governance, which meant that Bahamians were now in control of their own affairs.

According to Bishop Simeon Hall, former pastor of the New Covenant Baptist Church and former chairman of the National Advisory Council on Crime, “the government of the day did not prepare us for all the social exigencies that would come up as a free people.”

In an address to the Interpol General Assembly in Rome, which took place in November 2012, Minister of National Security Dr Bernard Nottage explained that “during the late ‘70s and ‘80s, drug trafficking from South America was prevalent in the Caribbean and the Bahamas could not escape being a transit country for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America.  

“During this period over 70 per cent of the drugs destined for North America were transshipped through the Bahamas. To date, according to our records and credible United States sources, only two per cent of illicit drugs currently transits the Bahamas for North America.”

Though this is a remarkable improvement for the country, Bishop Hall believes that the Bahamas has “planted some ungodly, unhealthy seeds during that period and 35 to 40 years later, we are reaping what we have sown.”

In addition to drug trafficking, the Bahamas was also an ideal place for other activities such as American prohibition and international investments. These activities helped in the development of the country’s notable tourism industry, but also created circumstances for recessions and unemployment, which many believe have made a significant contribution to crime trends.

As reported in the Bahamas’ 2014 Crime and Safety Report by the United States Department of State, “While there has been a slight reduction in 2013 in some crime categories as reported by the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF), violent crime remains above the 2012 level.

“The Bahamas continues to have a high crime rate, particularly on New Providence island, which has continued to experience escalated levels of violent crime,” the report added.  

Executive Director of the Bahamas Against Crime organisation, Reverend C B Moss, told The Tribune that he believes “crime is not the problem; it is the manifestation”.

“It’s very important in a society that expects to go forward, that when you have an increased crime situation, people must see improved prevention methods, apprehension techniques, prosecution, punishment, rehabilitation and reintegration,” Rev Moss said. “We haven’t seen that.”

Bahamas Against Crime, an anti-crime organisation launched in 2007, came about in response to the country’s existing crime crisis. Rev Moss, who also uses his position as pastor of Mt Olive Baptist Church to help improve the Bahamas’ current state of affairs, explained that “in 1973 when we obtained our independence, the Bahamas was a nation pregnant with possibilities and potential. Now 41 years later that pregnancy is being aborted.”

“We have fallen down tremendously, and unless we rectify the situation, as I continue to say, the abortion will be complete and whatever promise we had for a stable, successful society is going to be lost.”

In recent years, headlines detailing various criminal acts have filled the media; however, Rev Moss believes that more focus should be placed on “the key to crime reduction, which is the mindset of the people,” instead of focusing on the criminal act itself.

He also suggested that some factors that contribute to crime such as unemployment, dysfunctional families and poorly socialised children be targeted as a way to improve the current state of affairs. Rev Moss recommended a “national crime fighting plan” that would combat crime in three critical areas - law enforcement, the criminal justice system and civil society.

“The types of crimes we are seeing now speaks to a breakdown in respect for law and order and a breakdown in confidence in the institutions of the nation,” he said.

In a similar vein, Bishop Hall advocates a “20-year plan that would eclipse the present day,” which means that the plan will exist even after changes in government. Bishop Hall also proposed the Bahamas adopt the United States’ “three-strikes law,” which would impose harsher punishments to habitual offenders who have been convicted of three or more criminal offences. “We have to do more to reach people before crime takes place,” said Bishop Hall.

The State of the Nation in education 

The need for university status has never been more pronounced, Lamech Johnson reports

LIFE begins at 40 is often used as an encouragement to those reaching middle age, a time when a person has enough experience and skill to do what they want with their life.

The Bahamas will celebrate its 41st birthday come midnight Thursday and while there are enough reasons - being affirmed as the richest Caribbean nation despite a stagnant economy - to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on fireworks, a concert and other festivities likely to be held at Clifford Park, when the party is over, we must collectively deal with a harsh reality that we have yet to accept.

The Bahamas has had little, if any, success on increasing national productivity by improving the education system and retaining educated individuals that have gained experience and qualifications locally and abroad, to take its successes to the next level and back-up its boast of it being “better in The Bahamas.”

“The greatest competitive advantage a country can build is its people. When people are educated, innovative, and capable of applying their talent to the issues of the day, countries flourish,” said the late T Baswell Donaldson in his contribution to the strategic plan for the College of the Bahamas’ (COB) university transition 2009-2019.

In February 2006, three years prior to the former COB chairman uttering those words, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) study renewed fears that this nation’s economy was being harmed by a “brain drain” of its best and brightest to foreign jobs. According to the study 58 per cent of Bahamians who were educated to a college or university level migrated to the US for work between 1965 and 2000.

The study for the IMF, entitled Emigration and Brain Drain: Evidence from the Caribbean, drew on the US Census report from 2000 and other reports, plus its own work, to conclude that between 1970 and 2000, the Bahamas had the 18th highest rate of emigration to Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) member countries.

The data raised concern that the most-highly educated Bahamians, those who have attained college degrees and the best skills, are seeking and finding work outside the Bahamas.

This year a newly-released Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report reaffirmed the findings of the IMF’s study when it revealed that 61 per cent of tertiary-educated Bahamians had left for jobs in OECD-member states. The results of the loss, it noted, was costing the country a sum equivalent to 4.4 per cent of annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Amidst debate on how to spur the country’s economic growth, an opposition MP warned that the Bahamas must stop giving all of the concessions and opportunities that it does to foreigners.

FNM Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner told The Tribune that the Bahamas has the capacity to do so but would require helping the educated and innovative young people.

“We have the capacity to diversify our economy, I think not through so much of the large foreign direct investments but through the young Bahamians, through the creative society, the intellectual society, right here at home,” she said.

“And it would help to harness and arrest the amount of brain drain that we’re having in our country today,” the Long Island MP added.

Michelle Toote, a biochemistry graduate of the University of Montemorelos in Mexico who is pursuing a degree in medicine at the University Central de Este in the Dominican Republic, could be another statistic of “brain drain” that the INF, IDB and Mrs Butler-Turner warn of.

Although to her credit she has not ruled out returning to her home country, she told The Tribune “a lot of Bahamian students are going abroad to study courses that are not offered in the Bahamas, usually courses in the health field.”

“We need a tertiary level institution here that has international accreditation, which would bring in more international students and would help boost the economy. Internationally accredited universities boost the economy. Everywhere I have visited, studied or passed through in other countries had towns that thrived off the university,” she added.

Travis Knowles, who majored in chemistry at the University of Denver and is now studying the University of Northen Colorado, said “the only thing is that I would like to see is the College of the Bahamas successfully transition to the University of the Bahamas.”

Mark Flowers, a law graduate of University of Buckingham and currently pursuing Bar training at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom, agreed. He also is keen to return to the Bahamas to practice law but is also aware of issues that is holding the country’s development back.

“Globally, economic barriers that may hinder education are often pronounced,” he said, adding that “a strength in the Bahamian system to be appreciated in ten years, however, is the way in which the Bahamas’ intimate culture can lead to the erosion of social barriers to educational acceptance.”

“The Bahamas currently enjoys social initiatives by some parents, churches and select communities that support even the smallest intellectual stimulus. If a bedrock of assistance for the expansion of non-monetary educational resources is continued, in 10 years educational achievement in the Bahamas will not only be economically based but adequately socially buttressed.”

“In my view, holistic support for our young minds is a noble and achievable goal-post in a 10-year time frame,” Flowers concluded.

Toote is not as optimistic and admits that her views may not be entirely accurate given her formal years in private school from kindergarten to twelfth grade.

“But we need a broader curriculum. We need more schools. We need more period! Not enough is being done and I feel we need to have more interactive teachers and the classrooms need to be upgraded with the latest technologies,” she stressed.

“The quantity of students to one teacher also needs to be lessened. Do you know how hard it is to get a classroom of 40 to 50 children and young adults to focus? The bigger the class the harder it is to give individual attention and a lot of kids just pass through. Everyone wants to go to government school because they don’t want to repeat a grade.”

Independence does not only mean throwing off the shackles of colonial power, but empowering our citizens and giving the people a fighting chance to have a real stake in their country and their futures by, in the words of the late Sir Lynden Pindling, “educational programmes, vocational programmes, to teach and to develop skills of economic importance.”

The State of the Nation in Arts

Bahamians are naturally expressive when it comes to the performing arts, says Kortney Rodgers

THROUGHOUT the years, performing arts in the Bahamas has made immeasurable progress. The country’s heritage, which is richly influenced by African, European and other cultures, has had a considerable impact on the art community both pre and post-independence. For decades, Bahamians have expressed their artistic qualities through creative outlets that have contributed to creating the country’s cultural identity.

One extraordinary aspect of Bahamian culture that has developed significantly is Bahamian music. Noted for its unique sound, “Goombay,” calypso and rake-and-scrape are not just enjoyed by natives, but have gained popularity around the world.

Relative to the country’s African influence, Bahamians in the past made the best of their resources by constructing goatskin drums and scraping a carpenter’s saw with a small object.

Junkanoo, the island’s most celebrated art form, is an annual celebration that encompasses art, dance and music. The famous parade, which also dates back to slavery, illustrates the different aspects of the art community through vivid costumes, phenomenal music and native dancing.

Although these traditional Bahamian forms still exist, music has evolved greatly due to American influences and modernisation. Priscilla Rollins, a well-known Bahamian entertainer recognised as the “Bahamian Queen of Soul,” told The Tribune that “everything has changed. What was Bahamian is no longer Bahamian. Younger people are into other songs and don’t think anything much of Bahamian music. If you are a Bahamian, why not accept your own?”

While some Bahamians prefer traditional native music, others - like singer and entertainer Julien “Believe” Thompson - have embraced a new sound called “Junka-Pop,” which is a combination of the popular instruments used in Junkanoo and “popular” music.

The art community has also evolved in the areas of dance and theatre. Traditional dances such as “the heel and toe” and the “conch style” are still a part of the Bahamian culture.

However, Bahamians have been able to expose themselves to other forms of dance such as classical ballet, jazz, tap and pointe through a number of dance schools that have been established over the years.

The Dundas Centre for Performing Arts, which is now operated by Ringplay Productions, was founded in the 1930s as Nassau’s first theatre for plays, musicals, concerts and ballets. According to Philip Burrows, Ringplay Production’s artistic director, theatre in the Bahamas is cyclical.

“My hope is that when people see the Dundas, they look at it as a place of ongoing quality theatre, a community theatre, where anybody can get involved.”

Over the years, various theatre groups have emerged such as Track Road Theatre, whose past chairman, Matthew Kelly, hopes for more unity within the art community. “I would like to see a serious emphasis on developmental programmes that give the youth the skills and opportunities they need to go beyond this period of stagnation, which is hopefully changing but very, very slowly,” said Mr Kelly.

“We’re not allowing the innovation to happen because we’re not providing an environment for the minds that would have the most innovation at this particular time in their lives.”

According to James Catalyn, a well-known local playwright in the art community, “we as Bahamians channel all of our energy into Junkanoo.  

“Though it’s important, it’s not the only thing we have. We can preserve our culture through all forms of art.”  