Minister of Community Development and Culture, Steven Blackett, is worried about the negative impact of globalisation on the island’s nationhood.

He expressed this concern on Tuesday during a press conference to give details about Emancipation Day activities scheduled to be held on Friday, August 1, in the Committee Room, Parliament Buildings.

Mr. Blackett said the exposure to the Internet and modern mass media technologies had robbed Barbadians of their national identity.

“Although there is yet no definitive conclusion on the matter, there are many who argue that one of the devastating effects of globalisation is the destruction of the nation state,” he said.

“This may or may not be an accurate assessment, but what is indisputable however, is that globalisation forces or brings us into contact with each other with the speed and intensity that has never been experienced before,” Mr. Blackett declared.

Given this situation, the Minister added, the significant days on the Season of Emancipation calendar, should “stir up” a greater understanding of Barbadian culture. 

“We must do this so that we can more fully appreciate the challenges and victories of our foreparents, while at the same time, working together to develop a shared vision of the future,” he declared.

“In addition, highlighting the watershed periods and the events of our history and our heritage, will serve to promote and cement a sense of a shared Barbadian identity,” he emphasised.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development and Culture Senator Irene Sandiford-Garner said Emancipation Day was more than just a walk.

“It is a full day of reflection, celebration and honouring of our ancestors, national heores and those innumerable faceless heroes that we all know from all walks of life,” she stated.

The Senator added that: “It is an important pause for reflection, enlightenment and engagement with those issues that are of fundamental importance to us as people.”

She said Emancipation Day celebrations acted as a dam against a flood of powerful forces that had denied freedom to many around the globe.

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