Barbadians living abroad have a role to play in restructuring Barbados’ economy and helping the island to weather the global recession.
This is according to Barbadian satellite systems scientist Dr Victor Gooding, who delivered the 38th Sir Winston Scott Memorial Lecture at Frank Collymore Hall on Monday night.
Gooding, who has resided in Canada for almost 45 years, said all stakeholders had to work together to “tailor an appropriate response” to the country’s fiscal challenges.
“It is important for the private and public sector to actively solicit, sponsor and encourage the assistance and inputs of expatriates like myself.
“Given the significant, diverse and extensive experience and accomplishments of our overseas nationals, I strongly believe that the unique perspectives and inputs from those abroad represent valuable and important contributions to the ongoing restructuring of the country’s social and economic platform,” he said.
Gooding said he had found that “Bajans can talk a situation to death”.
“They use all that brainpower and smarts to actually identify a solution in passing but then waste time blaming, criticizing or going off in irrelevant directions,” he charged.Â
However, he said the recession had “serious implications for us” and it was time for action.
“There is no time for blaming, criticizing, personal attacks, history lessons, political posturing, lip service or any other form of unproductive exchange. As a small developing nation we have to be very creative and productive with our limited assets in order to survive,” he said.
Meanwhile, in her remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Maxine McClean said the Barbadian diaspora was a “very rich resource” which Government had turned to as part of a “structured diaspora policy”.
“Our citizens in the diaspora have given much to their adopted homes and we are now seeking through conscious efforts and clear strategy to tap into the intellectual capacity of Barbadians abroad. We see our brothers and sisters abroad as agents of socio-economic change whose talents and expertise must be harnessed for the transformation of Barbados,” she said.
