Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Motley has said that she has given too many speeches on the issues of resilience, climate change and risk reduction and has indicated that the region and the world is past the point of words, and action is necessary now.
According to her, the move from risk to resilience requires the acceptance of responsibility on the part of many and the desire to change.
Referring to a video presentation where stories were told of survivors of natural disasters with the overwhelming majority portrayed and interviewed being Dominicans she had this to say:
“..It is too easy to forget these images and too hard to stand up for what is right.”
Her impassioned words were delivered during her key note address at the opening ceremony of the Understanding Risk Conference in Barbados on Monday. https://understandrisk.org/about/
What makes Motley’s message so relevant to us, is that Dominica is seen at the forefront of the battle for climate change, the poster child, for a movement to take the fight to the front lines –i.e vulnerable countries like Dominica and by extension the whole Caribbean.
The world has noticed (the IMF, World Bank, CDB, the EU and UN and plethora of affiliate agencies – and has geared up to make this the number one concern for survival as changes in the global climate are being continually linked to the effect man has had on the environment.
Mia Motley seems to have made it her personal crusade on behalf of her country and the region to spread awareness for the need to combat climate change and the much, much broader topic of risk.
At virtually every speaking opportunity, with a regional or international audience, she has built her platform more often than not highlighting Dominica’s experience to emphasize the need for definitive action.
Motley has become in her speech and actions the closest embodiment of the ideals of this movement of which she often highlights Dominica as the prime example almost as much as her own country.
Motley, in outlining her reasoning for lack of concrete action on the issues of resilience put it this way:
“…And we have to determine that if we really want to be able to make progress against the battles that cause tremendous risk such that we can become resilient then we need to start doing things differently and we need to start recognizing first and foremost that failure to act…is largely because you do not believe that the problem is important enough to…require such action.”
And what concrete and specific actions did Mia outline to making Barbados and the Caribbean climate resilient? I just have missed it. Did she propose spending specific amounts of money on specific initiatives? Did she propose amending specific existing laws or passing new laws to empower government, agencies and the public towards the resilience she blew hot air about? I’m waiting to find out the specifics.
Iron Lady III. !!!!
I like this lady. Enough talk talk talk. Action is what is needed. We should be talking about action items implemented and results and adjustments. We cannot wait on donor agency and countries. Survival is mother of invention. Time blackman use thier brains and like the steel pan create a formula we can share to the world. Enough sit around waiting for the same imperialism we despise. What affects Dominica affects the entire Caribbean. It would be selfish and stupid to try to be resilient alone without imput or participation of the Caribbean region. We have smart people. I have been studying climate change for over 20 years. Go ask cambrige to show 1998 exam papers on affects of increasing global temps. What is the role of UWI in all this? We have allowed all our scientist to leave. The jacko and sisserou know resilience in our fragile environments. They survive a cat 5 and possibly many before. Maybe we should learn from them
Ms. Motley, please, i implore you to make Barbados the fist climate change resilient country in the world, or at least the Caribbean. I see that you are very forward thinking and moving. Here in Dominica we have a leadership that is based on sounding good and looking good but not doing good. Everything here is done in a mediocre manner. Roads are built without proper gutters, lighting, sidewalks etc. We have NO bike lanes or even bicycle trails. Our cliffs hang over our roads and are left unchecked. i could go on and on. Lately the issue of marijuana is a hot topic. our leader is trying to fool us again as he has been since 2014. This election he says it is being considered AGAIN, but the youth have no faith in in on that topic. Again there is talk of an international airport, we are watching. I commend Barbados for taking Ross, using Mr. Emmanuel from Dominica on Marijuana, and most recently taking our idea of Dive Fest. Job well done. We hope to follow by your example one day.
Ben i feel like i know you from somewhere.. but i must say i concur with your statement. However it seems that the young people are too easily fooled by the many spectacles and illusions and the older people are too dumb to realize whats going right in front of their very eyes.
Those who dislike my comment are those who support the problem. Those who like to act like we are perfect here and everything is done to the best of our abilities. But if you have travelled outside of your little hamlet, or even outside of Dominica, you will clearly see a lot of examples on how things could should and would be done if we are really serious about development. You dominicans have the leader you all deserve. when the good time finish and is time to work i will hear you all.
A little too political but I am with you for endorsing Mottley on her futuristic policy. Barbados will leave the other islands in the dust. Intelligence doesn’t grow on tree.