Message by Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture
Hon. Iram Lewis
For World Poetry Day
The Bahamas has been blessed
by peoples of the world’s best
It is the islands of the multi-cultured
and the people are warm and historic
These lines were lifted from a poem, masterfully penned by Dennis Dames entitled “The Bahamas is my Home.” It highlights the rich legacy of cultural gifting, inclusive of poetic expression that is embedded in the Bahamian experience.
In UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999, a decision was made to proclaim the 21st March as World Poetry Day. In celebrating World Poetry Day, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.
According to Audrey Azoulay, the Director General of UNESCO, “Arranged in words, coloured with images, struck with the right meter, the power of poetry has no match. This is the power to bring us together, to unite us around the same emotions, to allow us to escape even in lockdown – the value of poetry has never been more evident than during the past year.”
She continues by stating, “Poetry has the power to remind us of the beauty that surrounds us and of the resilience of the human spirit.”
The Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture join hands with the global community in recognizing March 21st, 2021 as World Poetry Day. We encourage Bahamians young and old to release poetic expressions that can uplift and enrich the lives of people everywhere.
March 17, 2021
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
