As Barbadians prepare to observe the country???s 50th Anniversary of Independence, they are being told that they must spend time, not only reflecting on the past, but planning the future.
This suggestion came last evening from Executive Director of The Productivity Council, John Pilgrim, who chairs the Planning Committee of the Week of Excellence.
He was speaking at the launch of the Week of Excellence 2016 at Courtyard Marriott.
Mr. Pilgrim told his audience, including Minister of Labour, Senator Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo: ???We feel that at this juncture in our history, the year of our Golden Jubilee, while there will certainly be a lot of time given over to reflection, even introspection, there is so much more that needs to be spent on projection. What will the next 50 years hold, moreover, what do we want it to hold? What are our roles in developing the Errol Barrows and the Grantley Adams of the next generation and beyond?
???This year, as we seek to address or to begin to answer these questions, and so many more, we will be providing the opportunity for current leaders to engage the minds of those young and up-and-coming, and these potential young leaders will themselves be provided with several opportunities to further develop their abilities and learn tremendously from those who have already walked, and those who continue to walk, the path.???
Mr. Pilgrim proffered the view that now was a good time to tackle the issue of future leadership. He therefore urged Barbadians to support the Week of Excellence, which will be observed from Sunday, February 21, to Saturday, February 27, and participate in the various activities.
The inaugural Week of Excellence was held in 2003, and is a period during which multiple fora are held to provide avenues and create opportunities for employers, workers and government to engage in critical dialogue on broad-based issues.??
Mr. Pilgrim said that over the past decade, the initiative had been lauded by many as a programme which had raised issues of national significance, and provided a platform to ???unpack??? those which were emerging.
The theme of this year???s Week is: Continuing the Transition: Growing and Sustaining Tomorrow???s Leaders. The sponsors of the initiative are the Barbados Workers??? Union, the Social Partnership, Office of Public Sector Reform, Central Bank of Barbados, the Barbados Employers??? Confederation, the National Initiative for Service Excellence and the Productivity Council.
sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb