by CARLOS ATWELL

CORPORATE HUMANITY is being led by a notion of wanting to be as great as God.

This is why Barbados is now facing such industrial relations difficulties, said Dean Frank Marshall, at the St Michael Cathedral yesterday.

Speaking at a service for the social partnership's observance of the Week Of Excellence, Marshall said corporate humanity had strayed from the course God had set out.

"Humans are generally captivated by notions of their own greatness and higher capability. . . the holding of power and the struggle to retain power creates tremendous anxiety, speculation, distrust, conflict and 'cut-off'.

"And because we incline more to a stand-off [position], then do we also sacrifice our best chances of resolution and reconciliation," he added.

Marshall said the answer was to look at the life of Jesus Christ which was proof that "suffering produces endurance; endurance produces character; character produces hope; and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us".

"Our challenge is how to apply this thinking in our approach to living and how to experience the promised happy result of work wrought in love and of issues resolved with the compassion of Jesus Christ," he said.

Some of the dignitaries present at the service included Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Senator Arni Walters, who has responsibility for employment, labour relations and the social partnership; president of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados, Sir Roy Trotman; and chief executive officer of the National Initiative of Service Excellence, Kim Tudor.

During a brief address, Sir Roy acknowledged the necessity of the Lord in their efforts and expressed hope that this year would see Barbados embarking on a journey to a higher sense of purpose.

"Although we tend to find ourselves in contention, there are ways we can contend together against [things such as] violence [caused by] certain minority groups who feel they can benefit by varying society to their own ends.

"Our view is to be able to make a better society and the Week Of Excellence gives us an opportunity to reflect on where we are and where we want to go . . . ," he added. (CA)