On September 7, government and youth organizations of Barbados and members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited in the country attended the celebration of Africa-CARICOM Day. Speakers at the event included the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, the Secretary General of CARICOM, the Representative of the African Union and the President of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors organization. Each of the speakers was introduced by the Ambassador of Barbados to CARICOM, who also invited those present to participate in the military ceremony in which the flags of Barbados, CARICOM and the African Union were raised. This was followed by the singing of the anthem of each organization and the national anthem of Barbados.
Celebrating this day is not only to remember that both geographic regions have a common history, but also to teach present and future generations the need to share that history, which in turn is the identity that unites them to build a future based on freedom, innovation and unity. The President of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors organization in her speech expressed that as Marcus Garvey said, “A people without knowledge of its past history, its origin and its culture is like a tree without roots”. The roots are strong, and it is time to lead together in building a prosperous future.
Africa is rich in resources but impoverished by centuries of exploitation. This truth is equally reflected throughout the Caribbean. Today the call for justice and equity continues, and there is a need to build bridges between the two regions through joint action.
The youth leader urged the Africa-CARICOM Partnership to give greater participation to young people in the conduct of their bilateral relations, for which she presented a set of initiatives for young people to have a permanent presence in international forums such as the COP and the G20, so that they can be the vanguard of this partnership, prepared to face global challenges such as climate change, energy transition and sustainable development, among other objectives They are not only the future, they are the present committed to strengthen connections, to seek joint solutions led by young people, in order to unite Africa and the Caribbean and do justice to the history that unites them.