CONGRATULATIONS to the Cultural Development Foundation for the 2017 Emancipation Panel Discussion under the theme “Tourism, Politics and Economic Freedom” which was held on Saturday, July 29.
After watching the televised recording on Emancipation Day, I was encouraged by the depth and quality of the contributions made. One panelist noted that on his visits to a particular European city, he was struck by the ornate and lavish grandeur of the buildings, likely constructed from wealth extracted from its colonies.
Another panelist offered a youthful voice of hope gleaned from interactions with her peers. A third panelist disagreed with the idea of reparations and its potential to absolve former colonial powers by the payment of a derisory sum of money; the fourth panelist advocated the need for continued discussion and debate on the topic, with action eventually emerging from the dialogue. Definitely a must-watch programme with equally solid contributions made by the public.
As someone whose work involves the application of ICT to link systems together to enrich past operations and strengthen future activities, it was refreshing to listen to a programme which featured a similar theme, encompassing the history of our people, the analysis and integration of ideas and suggestions for making that effort more productive.
To change the future, we should confront and learn from the past. After being haunted by a trip to the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, England some years ago, I resolved to be more conscious and reflect on past events given the horrors of our past.
An important observation arising from the panel discussion was the need to improve our education curriculum to include the history of the Neg Marron and other heroes leading to our emancipation and beyond. Maybe if we did so, our everyday challenges might seem lighter and we might be inspired by the fighting spirit of our heroes.
If we respected, appreciated and valued the role of those giants on whose shoulders we now stand, how would we be different? Perhaps we would be further enriched by the legacy of freedom with a greater awareness of self and community.
To share your views, contact the author at: www.datashore.net or via The VOICE.
About the Author
Dr. Lyndell St. Ville is an ICT Consultant based in Saint Lucia. His expertise includes systems analysis, design, and data management.