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Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, presenting an award to Marketing Officer of??Butterfield Bank,??Nicola Greaves,??at the award ceremony. (A. Miller/BGIS)??

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has lamented that some Barbadians are not exemplifying the attributes of the Good Samaritan, but are instead pursuing what he termed "rugged self- individualism", which is the source of a long list of societal ills.

He expressed this view last evening, while delivering the feature address during the inaugural awards ceremony of the Communications Committee of the Anglican Church Christmas Short Story competition.?? It was held at Hilton Barbados.

Mr. Stuart intimated that social pathologies such as the scourge of domestic violence; poor parenting; child abuse and other acts of anti-social behavior, exhibited by some segments of the youth, must be arrested at the community level.

"It is, therefore, a measure of our social responsibility when we take into consideration the needs of our brothers and sisters.?? Therefore, I commend the Anglican Church for reaching out to the wider community through modern print media, and engaging its members on fundamental issues that affect their lives," he emphasised.

The Prime Minister praised the Church’s Communications Department for producing the Anglican newspaper – which has been a staple read in the lives of some Barbadians for the past seven years.

"I need to pay full tribute to the Most Reverend Dr. John Holder, Archbishop of the West Indies, for establishing the Communications Committee as a means of achieving his vision for the Anglican Church.??

That vision, as I understand it, is of a living church that remains relevant and vocal during one of the most volatile periods in world history. It is about keeping abreast of the global economic and social changes, and using the new technologies to reach out to constituents who are constantly bombarded by new values and ideologies that seem to contradict received religious beliefs," Mr. Stuart surmised.

He added that the Anglican newspaper had made an impressive impact on Barbadians, and it was "a constant reminder of the core values that hold a society together".

During the event, a number of prizes were presented to sponsors and to the short story writers.

jwilson@barbados.gov.bb

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