There are new regions . . . emerging from imperial domination which seek political and economical alignment with the international community. – Galib Mammad
There is a proposal being floated which suggests that the Government of Barbados is about to become the “new Big Daddy”.
As I understand it, consideration is being given to establishing a fund that will bring relief to those mothers who make frequent futile treks to the courts for “child money”.
It would be foolhardy for me to condemn what is a laudable intent on the part of the Government. The fact is that intention and implication, as they relate to policy, can often be at variance.
I had a chat with a young man who, at the age of 21, had already fathered two children from two different mothers. In addition to celebrating his refusal to maintain the seed of his groin, he exuded an excitement on hearing about this proposal. Grabbing his crotch, he boldly declared: “I gine breed them . . . lef’, right and centre and leh de Gov’ment min’ duh!”
The right to child support and the responsibilities of parents to provide such support have been internationally recognized. The 1992 United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child, a binding convention signed by every member nation of the United Nations and formally ratified by all but Somalia and the United States, declares that the upbringing and development of children and a standard of living adequate for the children’s development is a common responsibility of both parents and a fundamental human right for children, and asserts that the primary responsibility to provide such for the children rests with their parents.
In Barbados, it has been part of custom and practice for fathers to be taken to court for “child money”. In fact, our folk songs and calypsos capture the frustration of mothers as they turn up either at the Magistrates’ Court or at the father’s workplace on Fridays to collect it. Anthony Gabby Carter, in one of his famous pieces, asserts that “gine court for de child money” is part of our culture.
Our women, our mothers, should not have to suffer this indignity and something needs to be done. However, I am not convinced that a maintenance fund sends the right message to our men, many of whom might interpret it to mean that all they have to do is to plant the seed and Big Daddy, the Government, will maintain it.
While as a teacher I want to be employed, our men must be held responsible for the seeds they sow from their groin. Yes, I support free education from nursery to tertiary. I support the free bus fares for schoolchildren. I could even support the state-raising strategy that the summer camps represent but I have a fundamental problem with taxpayers’ money, my money, being used by the Government to tacitly encourage “wutlessness” and irresponsibility on the part of men.
While these comments might be a bit hasty as the details of the fund are yet to be published or worked out, I hope the matter will be carefully thought through before “the horse leaves the stable”.
The recently concluded second Mexico-CARICOM Summit holds many exciting prospects for the countries of the region, especially at a time when their economies are still tottering at the knees in the continuing throes of the global economic meltdown.
At the same time, it raises many questions. According to our dear Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, the summit will help to give Barbados a voice to defend itself against charges of being a tax haven at next month’s G-20 conference in Mexico.
No country is an island unto itself. As sovereign independent nations, at some point we have to network and ride piggyback on others for our own purposes. At the same time, though a small two-by-four country, for decades Barbados has been punching above its weight and size in the international community.
We have never had to ask anybody to speak for us. Our leaders have always been forthright and direct. It was the late Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow who called Ronald Reagan a cowboy; it was E. W. Barrow who warned us about “loitering on colonial territory after closing time”. In more recent times, it was former Prime Minister Owen Arthur who stood tall and defended Barbados against the same tax haven charge.
If the above-mentioned former leaders spoke for Barbados in the international arena, I have absolutely no doubt that given the current Prime Minister’s perceived linguistic and communicative superiority, he is equal to the task of defending the tax haven charge.
Let us explore and exploit the Central and Latin American landscape for trade, tourism, employment, educational and other benefits. It is in these areas that I hold out much hope.
In conclusion, while no offence is intended to Mexico and the G-20 community, CARICOM and the Spanish-speaking country, which is the current chair, emerged from completely different cultural wombs because the historical sperm, of which we are a collective product, swam in different seminal fluid.
Until we can build the appropriate bridges that will assist us in hurdling the linguistic and cultural boundaries, and until the G-20 chair can be schooled in the nuances and diversity of the countries of CARICOM, it will be some time before Mexico can genuinely speak for us, either at the G-20 or any other international forum.
Manhood, whether relational or geopolitical, cannot be easily passed on. It is imperative that as both man and country, we stand up!
•Matthew D. Farley is a secondary school principal,
chairman of the National Forum on Education, and social commentator. Email laceyprinci@yahoo.com