The Tribune

A ONE-day symposium hosted this week by the Urban Renewal Foundation which addressed social issues in the Bahamas has been hailed a success for seeking to provide positive solutions rather than apportion blame for the ills.

Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, Co-Chair of Urban Renewal, said she was encouraged by the “Building Stronger Communities” symposium at the Holy Trinity Activities Centre, Trinity Way, Stapledon Gardens on Monday, where a number of the country’s brightest minds and elite social activists and advocates came together.

“I am so appreciative to see our fellow Bahamian brothers and sisters working together hand-in-hand trying to make a positive difference to make right what has gone wrong in our country,” Mrs Pratt said. “The greatest ideal seen within this symposium was that it was no blame game: it was about seeking a co-operative solution toward a better Bahamas. It was a spirit of oneness that was felt throughout the symposium with each speaker presenting their knowledge, wisdom and understanding in a collective effort, putting forth creative solutions toward the now and what could be adapted now toward the future.”

Prime Minister Perry Christie, Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, Minister of Youth Sports and Culture Danny Johnson, Urban Renewal Co-Chairs Mrs Pratt and Algernon Allen, government officials and people from many different social and professional areas, lawyers, clergymen and women, civic and community leaders, fraternities/sororities, government agencies, private citizens, corporate and business CEOs, Police officers, the Urban Renewal Band and school students gave their time, effort and voice to seeking a national solution toward the issues facing the Bahamas.

“Having many persons such as Nicola Vigil Rolle, who spoke on national development, Father Tynes speaking on family planning, Pastor Dave Burrows on developing a parenting programme, along with seeing the youth partake, speaking on youth policy and developing added institutions toward the government and the social level in correlation of everyone, spoke volumes,” Mrs Pratt said.

Carolyn Vogt spoke about Bahamian identity. “Persons throughout the Bahamas ought to be more in tune with who they are culturally, socially and mentally, to be conscious of their traditions and what they represent, that social and tourist domestic areas ought to reflect cultural identity toward not just the tourist but toward our people. Who we are always should be represented at the forefront,” she said.

Pat Rahming articulated and differentiated the tourism product and tourism and the correlation of how crime affects the dynamic of this industry to the social core of the Bahamian livelihood.

Mrs Pratt said: “As everyone presented, we see the possible solutions, we hear the possible solutions, now we all have to do our part collectively to assist in the development of things we can change now. It is about all of us. Not one, but all of us throughout the Commonwealth of the Bahamas it will take to make a difference to better our country. We must understand that and walk together in oneness for the solution of the country to be taken whole.”