The Tribune

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis will return to the Bahamas today after meeting in Chicago yesterday with several community leaders and investors.

In a statement yesterday, OPM explained the purpose of the Prime Minister’s visit to the city which it said was to deepen ties to city and state leaders and the Obama Foundation to promote investment opportunities in our country’s tourism, clean energy and digital assets sectors.

“In a meeting at City Hall with Mayor Brandon Johnson, a young progressive black leader elected in an upset victory earlier this year, the Prime Minister and the Mayor discussed policies to fight crime and violence, strengthen urban communities, and improve learning recovery in schools after the pandemic,” OPM said.

“In a visit to the Obama Foundation, the Prime Minister spoke with senior Foundation executives about the organisation’s projects to both provide community support in Chicago and to nurture a new generation of leaders globally. The Prime Minister expressed particular interest in My Brother’s Keepers, an initiative to bridge opportunity gaps faced by young black men. The Obama Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.”

“At the City Club of Chicago, Prime Minister Davis met with prominent investors to promote opportunities to partner with Bahamians in accelerating the development of diverse sectors of our economy, from tourism to agriculture, from clean energy to digital assets, and more. The Prime Minister positioned The Bahamas as a country that is welcoming to investment, which can advance the country’s development. “

OPM said the prime minister participated in interviews and a roundtable conversation on climate change at Loyola University, where he repeated his calls for action in the fight against climate change.

Mr Davis also called for the US to reconsider assisting small island developing states with climate financing to support rebuilding and recovery efforts in the wake of disasters.

“The Prime Minister has become a strong advocate on the global stage for urging the wealthiest nations to do more to halt the carbon emissions which are warming oceans and causing more intense hurricanes,” OPM added.

“The Prime Minister also urges action on fair climate finance to help small island nations like ours prepare for the new climate era and describes our country’s steps to grow stronger, including scaling up our mitigation and adaptation initiatives, working with scientists to map and protect our carbon-absorbing seagrasses, and strengthening our new Youth Guard, in which young Bahamians will work alongside our national security forces to offer communities support before and after storms.”

At the end of the meetings, the Prime Minister thanked the city’s leaders for the warm welcome, saying: “It is wonderful to meet with a new generation of young black leaders who are bringing energy and innovation to public policy. When we share experiences and solutions, we all benefit.”