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Heritage Capital City for Peace!
an article by Rev. Buddy Larrier
The Universal Day of Hope Trust (UDOHT) is pleased to know that
Barbados with its historic Capital City Bridgetown and its Garrison has
been listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisations (UNESCO) as world heritage places of interest. We
appreciate the comments by Mr. Peter Simmons (former Barbados High
Commissioner to England) and Mr. Peter Laurie (former Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in their accolades of this
achievement. 
click on photo to enlarge
Mr.
Simmons in his column of Sunday Sun July 3, 2011 titled 'icing national
cake' did not only offered praises but warns Barbadians that in their
euphoria not to forget that 'Bridgetown after the horrors of the "middle
passage" was a trans-shipment point during the force migration and
enslavement of their African forefathers and locus of some of the most
horrendous, cruel and inhumane acts against their kith and kin'.
Mr.
Laurie's in his column titled 'Saving Our Heritage' of the same paper
and date informed Barbadians that the time had come to remove the
statue of Lord Nelson and relocate it to a more appropriate place. He
further appealed for a national museum to be erected for educating the
people on the history of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery.
In
view of this designation of historic Bridgetown and its Garrison the
UDOHT wishes to remind Barbadians and to inform the world community of a
programme which has been ongoing for the past 21 years advocating the
case for Bridgetown to be a 'Heritage Capital City for Peace'. In 1990
the programme was launched first in Barbados in September and at the
Barbados High Commission in London in October the same year.
On
both occasions the Government of Barbados was asked to take the lead
among developing nations in observing October 12 as a Day of Hope; for
truth, justice, peace, healing and reconciliation. Barbados was selected
for leadership in this endeavour of highlighting the legacy of slavery,
promoting human rights and combating Racism because of the role the
island played during the period of British Colonialism.
The
Government was asked to lobby for support from other CARICOM member
states and to submit a Resolution to the United Nations (UN) for October
12 to be designated as a day for justice and peace which would place
historic Bridgetown at the centre of the peace movement. UDOHT was very
mindful that October 12, 1492 was the date that started the exploitation
of Caribbean people and which reinforced the ideology of White
Supremacy (Racism) by laying the foundation for the transatlantic slave
trade.
The Resolution for October 12 was among the submissions
at 2001 UN world conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination,
Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa. This
conference reached a consensus that 'slavery and colonialism were crimes
against humanity". In 2009 the UN proclaimed this year 2011 the
International Year for People of African Descent (IYPAD) with the theme
'Recognition, Justice, Development'. In addition, in 2010 it was also
recommended that there be an International Day for People of African
Descent (IDPAD). The UDOHT is hereby lobbying for support for October 12
to be the IDPAD.
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DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
What is a culture of peace city
and how does one become one?
Thematic forum(s) in which this article is being discussed:
CULTURE OF PEACE CITIES - VILLES CULTURE DE PAIX
LATEST READER COMMENT:
I
believe that the development of a network of culture of peace cities
can be a decisive factor in the transition from a culture of war to a
culture of peace based on a profound reform of the United Nations
system. The following are excerpts from my book World Peace through the Town Hall.
My
experience working in the United Nations system for ten years and
observing it closely for seven years since my retirement makes me
optimistic that the UN system is capable of managing a transition to the
culture of peace. The various specialized agencies that deal with
health care, education, food and agriculture, science, communication,
not to mention technical questions such as aviation, shipping, atomic
energy, etc. are staffed by a capable international secretariat with
experience in the day-to-day management of global issues. The UN General
Assembly, as well as the international assemblies of other agencies
such as the General Conference of UNESCO, provide important forums. Even
the Security Council, the World Bank and the International Monetary
Fund which are now in the hands of a few powerful states and used to
support their culture of war could play important roles in the
transition to a culture of peace if they were transformed under control
of "we the peoples" instead of the state.. . ...more.
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This report was posted on July 29, 2011.
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