The UWI Open Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados. Monday, October 29 2018 – The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, Women and Development Unit (WAND) in collaboration with the Nation News, Barbados will host a public forum entitled, “Economic Challenges in Barbados and You.” The Forum takes place on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. in the Moot Theatre, at The UWI Cave Hill Campus, Barbados.
The Forum will discuss the Barbados Economic Restructuring and Transformation (BERT) programme under the International Monetary Fund. This is a new chapter in Barbados’ development landscape and, as it unfolds, there is need for as much public engagement and media sensitisation as possible in order to understand its impact on the Barbados public. This forum represents part two of the Nation’s Town Hall meeting held on October 17, 2018.
The social impact of this economic restructuring programme will be felt differently by all and will have multiplier effects in various sectors of the economy and wider society. The aim of the forum is to thoroughly discuss the impact of these changes at the household level. Select panelists will share information, analyse and answer questions on how different groups will be affected by the economic restructuring programme, namely: entrepreneurs and creatives, female headed householders, male breadwinners, the elderly, young people and other vulnerable groups. The panelists include:
- Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur, Regional Economist/Former Prime Minister of Barbados
- Mrs Cecilia Babb, Development Specialist/Consultant, Caribbean Law Institute Centre, UWI, Cave Hill
- Professor Avinash Persaud. Financial Analyst/ Chairman of Intelligence Capital, Special Advisor to the Barbados Government on the economy
- Mrs Barbara Langdon-Thompson, Savings & Loans Specialist/Member Care Manager, COB Credit Union
- Ms Taitu Heron, Development Specialist/ Head of WAND, Moderator
Sign language interpretation will be provided and there will be reserved seating for senior citizens and persons with special needs. The event will be streamed live via WAND’s Facebook page. The media and the general public are invited to ask questions via www.sli.do using the code #T319 and also via Twitter using the hashtag #BimForum.
For more information, please contact Mrs Cecelia Batson-Rollock at wand@open.uwi.edu or on (246) 430 1130/ (246) 826 8444 or via Facebook @WANDUWI.
About The UWI
For the past 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region. In 2018, The UWI celebrates its evolution from 1948 as a university college in Jamaica with 33 medical students to an internationally respected regional university with near 50,000 students. Today, The UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and an Open Campus. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. Its seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. The UWI has been a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of our people. As the regional institution commemorates its 70th anniversary milestone, it will celebrate its students, faculty, administrators, alumni, governments, and partners in the public and private sector. The anniversary commemoration will focus on reflection as well as projection for the future with an emphasis on social justice and the economic transformation of the region. Website: www.uwi.edu and www.uwi.edu/70 . (Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)
