gemmanyah
09-01-03, - 06:26 PM
Article:
Shortsighted Bahamas National Development Plan
For all of my adult life now, some twenty years I have been suspect of the intentions of the national Bahamian government, our Nassau based ruling class and their commitment to develop equally the entire Bahamas as a national country of equality for all its citizenry. Being a citizen of the Bahamas and having lived on the out islands I have witnessed the massive burden and inequality of Out Island life as compared to the services and opportunities afforded to Nassauvians, Grand Bahamians and other more connected politically Island cultures in the Bahamas.
To explain this entire issue would take an entire novel, which I intend to write at some point in the future.
The fact is that the centralized national resources, which are located on the smallest island in the Bahamas, New Providence, is excruciatingly inaccessible and inadequate for Bahamian citizens living in the Family islands. How we as a nation have allowed this trend of development to proceed for the past sixty years or more after becoming educated and aware of our own destiny still amazes me. Why we have not redirected our citizenry and development efforts to a more substantial, more accessible area of the country like the islands of Eleuthera or Andros is in my opinion extremely short sighted and is a sign of the many intro-centric prejudices and narcissistic view of life which exist among members of Nassauvian society, the ruling class Bahamians and the government of the Bahamas.
From a sociological perspective the national displacement of the majority of the family structures which existed and still exists in the Out Islands of the Bahamas is another catastrophe of this self destructive plight which has taken place without control and planning by our leaders all lover our beloved country.
Now with the development of Out Island hotel facilities like the Emerald Bay initiative in Exuma island the displacement and upheaval in the static lives of we Bahamians continues. We have become an inter-island nation of nomads filled with the horrors of displacement brought about by the de-stablalization of entire family structures in our most recent national history. How we suture this systemic migrating madness allowed by inadequately motivated politicians and leaders is now an essential debate and must fill our contemporary agendas as we seek to establish ourselves as a most stable country which is able to facilitate the growth potential of the most beautiful, tropical islands God has place in such proximity to the worlds most generous and most developed capital economy.
When will we nationally be led to confront these very essential issues of our development? I think they are some of the most compelling questions, which must arise in our debate to combat the most grievous waves of crime, and social instability, which confront our cityscapes in the country of the Bahamas today.
I call on the government and people of the Bahamas to initiate a public debate and fact finding forum for solving these most unnoticed and un-admitted issues as fair and equal national development for all Bahamian citizens on our national social agenda. The centralization of national resources and people on the smallest island in the country has grossly crippled our ability for massive productive industry and agriculture since we are a people so divided from our resources, families and land.
Shortsighted Bahamas National Development Plan
For all of my adult life now, some twenty years I have been suspect of the intentions of the national Bahamian government, our Nassau based ruling class and their commitment to develop equally the entire Bahamas as a national country of equality for all its citizenry. Being a citizen of the Bahamas and having lived on the out islands I have witnessed the massive burden and inequality of Out Island life as compared to the services and opportunities afforded to Nassauvians, Grand Bahamians and other more connected politically Island cultures in the Bahamas.
To explain this entire issue would take an entire novel, which I intend to write at some point in the future.
The fact is that the centralized national resources, which are located on the smallest island in the Bahamas, New Providence, is excruciatingly inaccessible and inadequate for Bahamian citizens living in the Family islands. How we as a nation have allowed this trend of development to proceed for the past sixty years or more after becoming educated and aware of our own destiny still amazes me. Why we have not redirected our citizenry and development efforts to a more substantial, more accessible area of the country like the islands of Eleuthera or Andros is in my opinion extremely short sighted and is a sign of the many intro-centric prejudices and narcissistic view of life which exist among members of Nassauvian society, the ruling class Bahamians and the government of the Bahamas.
From a sociological perspective the national displacement of the majority of the family structures which existed and still exists in the Out Islands of the Bahamas is another catastrophe of this self destructive plight which has taken place without control and planning by our leaders all lover our beloved country.
Now with the development of Out Island hotel facilities like the Emerald Bay initiative in Exuma island the displacement and upheaval in the static lives of we Bahamians continues. We have become an inter-island nation of nomads filled with the horrors of displacement brought about by the de-stablalization of entire family structures in our most recent national history. How we suture this systemic migrating madness allowed by inadequately motivated politicians and leaders is now an essential debate and must fill our contemporary agendas as we seek to establish ourselves as a most stable country which is able to facilitate the growth potential of the most beautiful, tropical islands God has place in such proximity to the worlds most generous and most developed capital economy.
When will we nationally be led to confront these very essential issues of our development? I think they are some of the most compelling questions, which must arise in our debate to combat the most grievous waves of crime, and social instability, which confront our cityscapes in the country of the Bahamas today.
I call on the government and people of the Bahamas to initiate a public debate and fact finding forum for solving these most unnoticed and un-admitted issues as fair and equal national development for all Bahamian citizens on our national social agenda. The centralization of national resources and people on the smallest island in the country has grossly crippled our ability for massive productive industry and agriculture since we are a people so divided from our resources, families and land.