Last Sunday, Christians observed the celebration of Easter, the most important day of the Christian calendar, which is the basis of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This day gives meaning to their faith and beliefs.
Not surprisingly, a survey carried out by the University of the West Indies management department suggests that many Barbadians are not so optimistic with respect to the economic environment facing Government at this time.
Minister of Industry Donville Inniss, as usual, sought to put a good spin on the survey, saying that Barbadians understood the need to “restructure and redirect the economic development of Barbados”.
However, he seemed to be suggesting, though he denied it, that the leadership of the ruling Democratic Labour Party should engage more with the public on national issues and to communicate more effectively. A word to the wise should be enough.
Minister Inniss’ point is well taken and it is desirable to have some critical self-examination at times. It would be useful to remember that “bad administration can destroy good policy, but good administration can never save bad policy”.
On a wider scale, there probably needs to be a greater sense of charity. In a world of bystanders, where the individual is more likely to expect someone else to take care of the problem, small acts of personal kindness and generosity go a long way.
As is widely known in the world of social psychology, an individual’s willingness to intervene or assist someone in need is commonly seen to be inhibited by the simple presence of other people (diffusion of responsibility or bystander effect).
It is important to remember that we alone can choose to take direct action, and to accept the responsibility voluntarily to help any in need. This is valid not just in terms of help in emergencies, but also in terms of kindness, especially in these difficult times.
However, the truth remains that random acts of kindness occur spontaneously every single day, but we will rarely hear about those stories from corporate outlets because they are not deemed newsworthy.
If we do, it is likely because it was a celebrity carrying it out. If instead of expecting someone else to solve the problems, we were to take direct action ourselves, then we would be guaranteed to see improvement to the issue at hand, and progress towards solving the problems which we are passionate about.
The main theme in today’s parlance is the call for entrepreneurship. All around us, everybody wants to be in business but this is always the response to growing economic problems everywhere: there are more sellers than buyers.
The successful entrepreneur is the rare person who spots unmet demand by means of skills that cannot be taught or put in a manual and marketed. It is that peculiar ability to see profitable opportunities, where competitors cannot see them, that distinguishes him from the rest.
