Bermuda’s Premier attends Congressional Black Caucus Foundation African Globalism Committee workshop
WASHINGTON, DC – Bermuda’s Premier Dr. Ewart F. Brown sat on the panel of a Washington, D.C. workshop this weekend called “Bridging the Gap: Africa, America and the Caribbean”. The event was put on by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation African Globalism Committee (CBCF-AGC), a body chaired by Rep. Barbara Lee of California.
Panelists included experts from Africa, Europe and the Caribbean.
Premier Brown said, “Because of the work started by David Allen in the early part of this decade with the African Diaspora Heritage Trail, Washington views Bermuda as ahead of the curve when it comes to linking the African Diaspora. Our country is an international leader in this area.
“Now there’s a cross-oceans approach toward connecting people of African descent in a way that generates economic empowerment, cultural awareness and new policy.
“Congresswoman Lee is a determined advocate and she has made it clear she wants Bermuda at the table as things take shape.”
Congressional Delegate Dr. Donna Christensen from the U.S. Virgin Islands sits on the CBCF-AGC. She spoke over the weekend about the urgent need to better coordinate efforts and resources among people of African descent. Dr. Christensen said: “It’s a coming together that has been long and coming. We share a disproportion of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases. We share the need for economic empowerment. We share the fight against the brain drain as we work to keep our best and brightest at home to be role models for our children. We have to fight all of this together.”
Along those lines, Minister of Health Nelson Bascome was in Washington, D.C. over the past week participating in the CARICOM Ministers of Health Caucus at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Headquarters.
The Health Caucus was established to provide a forum for all Ministers of Health across the Caribbean to collectively determine priorities for the region for the upcoming year. Discussions centered on the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP), the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC), the Caribbean Cooperation in Health Initiative (CCH), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Regional Strategic Plan on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and the establishment of the Caribbean Health Leadership Institute.
Minster Bascome said: “The robust health agenda allowed me and Permanent Secretary Warren Jones an excellent opportunity to understand how PAHO works within the region and how Bermuda can link with wider regional initiatives. The Caucus and a variety of other meetings in the Washington area will certainly help us accomplish some of the things we are trying to achieve. I look forward to sharing what we learned with my Cabinet colleagues.”
The already established CARICOM Ministers of Health Caucus is inline with what the CBCF-AGC hopes can ultimately be accomplished across many areas – linking not only the Caribbean with Washington, but Europe, Africa and Latin American as well.
The CBCF-AGC is a multi-faceted Diaspora program that provides financial, social and political empowerment to create linkages between African descendants living in the United States, Caribbean, Latin American and Africa.
As the world becomes increasingly intertwined, the African Globalism Committee strives to establish structured opportunities for joint business ventures and technological transfers, educational exchange and cultural awareness between African American, African and other Afro-descendant populations.
The “Bridging the Gap” workshop on Saturday was part of the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference. Minister Bascome attended the workshop.
On Saturday evening Premier Brown and Minister Bascome attended the CBCF Annual Awards Dinner. Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and California State Assembly Speaker Karen Bass were among the recipients to attend and accept honours.
