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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS
STATEMENT
By
Hon. Dr. Daniel M. D. Johnson M P.
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture
at the
Special Thematic Debate On Culture And Sustainable
Development In The Post-2015 Development Agenda
United Nations Headquaters
New York
5th May 2014
On behalf of the Government and people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, I wish to express our sincere gratitude for the invitation to participate in this forum; and like so many of our colleagues, we commend you for convening this extremely important debate. In a World in need of healing; culture can be a cure.
As an archipelago, The Bahamas is comprised of some seven hundred islands; with less than one third being inhabited. Each island has a unique historical and cultural thread and when all of the threads come together, the result is a beautiful tapestry that defines us as a people and makes us uniquely BAHAMIAN.
Traditionally, The Bahamas’ three hundred thousand citizens have relied heavily on Tourism to generate most of its economic activity, which has served us well for over fifty years. This small island nation now enjoys over 5.0 million tourist visits annually. The tourism industry accounts for more than 60% of the country’s GDP and provides employment for about one-half of the country’s workforce. The second largest contributor to the country’s economy is the Financial Services Sector which accounts for approximately another 20% of our GDP. The Bahamas Government generates its revenue from import taxes on goods imported into the country and tax revenue accounts for about 20% of the country’s GDP.
Having shared the above information, we in The Bahamas, like so many of our neighbours in the region, have arrived at the consensus that this economic model, as it exists, is un-sustainable. For Small Island Developing States like us to survive, a delicate balance between market forces and indigenous values must be found. The vast number of visitors with which we interface on a daily basis undoubtedly influence what we have inherited from our forefathers. Further, in the last forty years since independence we have come to recognize the importance of culture in the achievement of sustainable development.
Cognizant of this, The Bahamas has recently become a party to the following UNESCO Conventions:
· The 1972 World Heritage Convention;
· The 2003 Intangible Heritage Convention; and
· The 2005 Diversity in Cultural Expression
By becoming party to the 1972 Convention, The Bahamas is now able to list its cultural assets internationally, (e.g. Columbus’ First Landfall, Long Island’s Dean’s Blue Hole – the deepest in the world, Inagua’s White Salt Flats – This island is also home to the greatest population of brilliant pink West Indian Flamingos on the globe), thereby expanding the tourism product for the 5.0 million annual visitors while simultaneously creating sustained employment for Bahamians.
Cultural heritage and cultural creative industries play an important role in the reduction and eradication of poverty, promoting sustained urbanization and promoting peaceful societies.
The Bahamas, through a multi-sectorial partnership, is attempting to revitalize one of its historic districts through its “Violets are Blue” program. This program focuses on commerce, empowerment, art and entrepreneurship for two inner city communities, The Farm Road, Bain and Grants Town communities which, in recent times, have been hit by gang violence, poverty, unemployment and a myriad of other social issues. The program has been led by a group called the Heritage Rangers and focuses on the transformation of historical sites within this community where notables like the late Martin Luther King and Marcus Garvey would have visited or resided at one time with great Bahamians such as Dr. Claudius R Walker and Reverend Reuben E. Cooper. The programme also includes the renovation and improvement of parks and recreational green spaces in the community to provide a comfortable environment for residents as well as provide the opportunity to implement walking tours of Historic Nassau.
One method of ensuring the transfer of cultural norms from one generation to another is through the introduction of a cultural component in the country’s educational system, at all levels. This is particularly important for countries like The Bahamas which, over time, have seen a great increase in migrant populations. Therefore, The Ministries of Education, Science & Technology and Youth, Sports & Culture have begun the planning and implementation of a historic cultural component in all schools throughout The Bahamas in September of this year; called Culture in the Class.
For The Bahamas, the Junkanoo Festival is our foremost form of cultural expression. So pervasive is the cultural and social impact of Junkanoo, that the art-form transcends all walks of life and annually attracts the participation of a wide cross-section of society including doctors, lawyers, politicians, general service workers and even the homeless; all unified in a common purpose of cultural expression. Ultimately it creates social cohesion and reduces criminal activity as all focus is diverted to preparing for this festival. Apart from its obvious social and economic impact on the local communities Junkanoo reflects equal gender opportunity in that at least forty-percent of the artists and participants are female. It is noteworthy, however, that the many artists and artisans participating in the annual Junkanoo Festival, themselves, derive little or no economic benefits. This must change! The government has now implemented a comprehensive plan to create an art and music industry around these historic events.
Mindful of the economic potential of culture, the Government of The Bahamas will launch our inaugural Spring Carnival in 2015 to further stimulate the economy and provide entrepreneurial opportunities.
The Bahamas, given its strategic location, is the shipping gateway between Europe and the Americas. Therefore, ships plying between these two destinations must traverse Bahamian waters. In years past, due to the inadequacy of forecasting instruments, and the ingenuity of daring pirates, the waters of The Bahamas became the burial grounds for many of the galleons passing through our waters. Cognizant of the cultural impact and economic importance of these underwater wrecks, the Government of The Bahamas has agreed to partner with UNESCO to host a conference in Nassau this coming July for Caribbean and Latin American States on the 2001 Underwater Cultural Convention.
While Tourism and the Financial Services Industry will continue to be the country’s main economic drivers, the Government of The Bahamas has made a conscious decision to ensure that culture becomes a key component in driving a sustainable Tourism industry.
In closing, it is my humble recommendation that UNESCO give consideration to:
· The provision of increased Grant Funding to be utilized in the training of young people desirous of growing the creative and cultural industry;
· Promote greater cultural exchanges and study opportunities within sister states;
· Promote greater integration of cultural values in the development of both national and international social policies, and,
· Continue efforts to increase the involvement of women in all aspects of culture.
On behalf of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas., the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie, who has branded this year as the Year of Culture in The Bahamas, I take this opportunity to reaffirm our belief in the significant role of culture as both a beneficiary and crucial enabler of sustainable development which impacts each of its three pillars, and, our conviction that the unique contribution and vast potential of culture should therefore be adequately reflected in the post-2015 development framework.
In this regard, we welcome the convening of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, later this year and underscore the particular role of culture in the sustainable development of SIDS. From the country that brought you Sir Sidney Poitier (Lilies of the Field) James Walden Johnson (Lift Every Voice) and in recent times Baha-men (Going Back to the Island, Who let the dogs out?), we take this opportunity to convey that in a world in need of healing, the traditional knowledge and values of our respective cultures is the cure. The wonderful people of The Bahamas thank you and may God bless you all.
© Copyright 2014 by thebahamasweekly.com
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