Barbados will reach its 60th year of Independence in 2026, but year-long celebrations will begin from December 1 this year.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley made the announcement during a town hall meeting on Saturday night at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York, held under the theme Gathering As One Nation.
She noted that large numbers from the diaspora are expected to “come long home” to take part in the On The Road To 60 celebrations.
To thunderous applause, Mottley told the gathering: “This country of ours is becoming a senior citizen like I am, and from the first of December this year, we will start the celebration of our 60th anniversary.”
Thanking those in New York for inspiring the We Gatherin’ celebrations, she stated that from December, Barbadians abroad will be able to host their own activities leading up to Independence, marking Barbados’ status as “one of the youngest republics in the world” on November 30.
The Prime Minister also highlighted other historic milestones on the horizon. She said 2027 will mark the 400th anniversary of the modern settlement of Barbados, while in 2028, the country will celebrate 400 years of Bridgetown as the capital.
During the more than three-hour engagement, Mottley addressed a wide range of topics in a question and answer session, including crime, roadworks, educational transformation, transportation, health care and debt swaps.
She assured those in the diaspora that a whole-of-nation approach was being taken to tackle lawlessness and crime in Barbados.
“In fairness, we have seen peaks and troughs with respect to gun crimes. This year started off with a little more pace than I would ever have been happy with. For the first six months, we had 28 murders. Since July 1, we’ve limited that to just seven.
“I have never been one to get excited by numbers in crime because as good as you are today, you could be as bad as you wish you were never next week. I believe that this is not a short-term issue. Barbados did not get like this in a year, five years, ten years, or even 20 years; this is a successive decline over a period of time,” she stated.
Turning to health care, the Prime Minister revealed that the Government has agreed on a $130 million funding plan to provide new equipment for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Additional posts had been created there as part of a suite of improvements aimed at enhancing health care for all Barbadians, she told the gathering. (BGIS)
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