The CARIFESTA XV Big Conversation series opened on Saturday with some of the Caribbean’s brightest minds reflecting on what defines the region’s civilization and how to chart a sustainable future.
The distinguished panel featured Hon. Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Dr. Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent & The Grenadines; Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of The UWI; Hon. Dr. June Soomer, diplomat and historian; and CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett. Together, they took on the theme: “The Idea of Caribbean Civilization: Real Change, Real Sustainability.”
This was the first in a series of four “Big Conversations” scheduled for CARIFESTA XV.
Ralph Gonsalves: Defining Caribbean Civilization
Prime Minister Gonsalves explored the meaning of civilization in the Caribbean context, distinguishing it from imperial models:
“The term civilization often brings to mind grand historical empires, systems of thought, material culture. But what does it mean in a Caribbean context? Civilization is not merely occupancy, but permanence in this particular landscape and seascape. You must be able to look backwards and forwards. And yes, it helps if you can read and write — and nowadays if you can use the computer and go to AI.”
He continued:
“Civilization has visible sides and invisible sides. The visible ones are easy to identify, but just as important are the invisible sides — our customs, our forms of behavior, the genius of our people. That genius may be hidden resources, underutilized or ill-utilized, but it is there.”
Describing Caribbean society as a “creolized civilization,” Gonsalves said:
“We have the songs of the indigenous peoples, the rhythm of Africa, the melody of Europe, the chords of Asia, and the homegrown lyrics of the Caribbean. Like all symphonies, there are dissonances — and we address those dissonances either through formal or informal institutions to create societies of an amazing nature.”
June Soomer: People, Freedom, and Equity
Dr. June Soomer emphasized that Caribbean civilization begins with the people, not institutions: “Caribbean civilization starts with the people, not with the systems, not with the policies. As a child, I learned it from three entrepreneurial aunts who traveled the seas between St. Lucia and Barbados trading goods. For me, Caribbean civilization meant freedom of movement, a certain amount of self-determination. We became a people who could never stay still.”
She connected this to the Haitian Revolution:“The Haitian Constitution said any enslaved person who reached their shores would be free and would become a citizen. One of the determinants of Caribbean civilization must be freedom — freedom of movement and freedom in all dimensions.”
For Soomer, decolonization remains urgent: “We cannot have a Caribbean civilization with people who are treated as less than us. We have allowed colonial premises to persist by treating some members as ‘associate.’ They are not associate members. They are members. If we are building a Caribbean civilization, it must be about equality and equity.”
Mia Mottley: Breaking Imperial Boundaries and Controlling Destiny
Prime Minister Mottley shared her own family history, which crossed several territories: “My mother’s father left here and went to Grenada, then Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, Aruba, and back to Barbados. In my family alone, I have first cousins whose first language is Dutch, not English. Something has to be fundamentally wrong with a Caribbean that in the third decade of the 21st century still defines itself by imperial demarcations that are not born of our culture and our reality.”
She warned about new threats to sovereignty in the digital age: “The flotillas are not coming to drop people into our islands as slaves anymore. They are coming straight into your heads and your minds. If we don’t control the technology and information platforms, we will become subject once again to the will of others.”
On the role of education, she cautioned: “Education has always been the means by which Bajans pushed back poverty. But unless we root our people in values and attitudes, resilience will not provide for a resilient population going forward. If our people can be swayed by sweet food or by looking at a phone all the time, how will we find collective purpose to build movements that advance our quality of life?”
Mottley also highlighted the role of culture and youth:
“In the past, our preachers, teachers, and politicians carried sway. Today, whether we like it or not, it is our artists and our sportsmen who command attention. We are not using them sufficiently in this Caribbean civilization. I salute the 300 young people here today — they must become part of the army to bring the rest of Caribbean people along.”
Looking Forward
Across the conversation, the panelists agreed that Caribbean civilization is a living process — shaped by freedom, migration, resilience, and cultural creativity. As Dr. Soomer put it: “Caribbean unity cannot be created without a knowledge of our history. And Caribbean civilization cannot be created without understanding who we are so that we can build that kind of identity.”
With three more “Big Conversations” ahead during CARIFESTA XV, the dialogue has only just begun — but Saturday’s opening signaled a bold commitment to defining and sustaining a civilization that is uniquely Caribbean.
Source: ameyawdebrah.com/
