The following is a letter from the Rector of our church to the then Prime Minister of Barbados, informing him of an important meeting held at the church on the evening of Saturday, February 25, 2006.
March 23, 2006
The Rt. Hon. Owen Arthur
Prime Minister of Barbados
Government Headquarters
ST. MICHAEL
Dear Sir,
As a result of a sermon delivered in this church, and a subsequent congregational discussion of the Carter Report to the Anglican Church, over eighty members of our parish signed a letter of petition requesting a meeting with parliamentary representitive of our constituency, Dr. William Duguid and Mr. Peter Barrow, who contested the last General Election for the Democratic Labour Party. It is to their credit that both gentlemen agreed with alacrity to meet with us on Saturday, February 25th, 2006.
While both Dr. Duguid and Mr. Barrow promised to convey our concerns and suggestions to the relevant persons within their organisations, we nevertheless felt that we should, as a matter of courtesy, apprise you of our discussions and suggestions.
You will find attached a synopsis of our discussions and suggestions arising from the meeting.
I would be most appreciative if you could find it possible to acknowledge receipt of our letter at your earliest convenience.
Yours in His Service
.........................
DEVERE MURRELL (REV.)
Rector
cc.: Leader of the Opposition
Rt. Rev. John Holder
Very Rev. Eric Lynch
Rev. Fr. Austin Carrington
***
SYNOPSIS OF THE MEETING BETWEEN MEMBERS OF ST. MATTHIAS CHURCH,
RESIDENTS OF THE WIDER ST. MATTHIAS COMMUNITY,
DR. WILLIAM DUGUID AND MR. PETER BARROW
1. VIOLENCE: The meeting agreed that while the present state of society was the concern of all of the social stakeholders and institutions, the family, as a prime moulder of society, is in danger of being largely dysfunctional. Particular attention should be paid to parent/family counselling, bearing in mind that younger and more immature persons were now having families in larger numbers. The discussants offered the following suggestions:
- Special counselling for young parents and those with troubled children
- Closer links between parents and the schools
- More School Attendance Officers with stronger authority
- Imposition of fines on parents whose children damage public/school property
- Children who damage public/school property and those who are suspended/expelled should be reffered to an appropriate programme under the oversight of the BDF
- Schools need to enforce dress code more strictly
- Security police on school compounds when and if necessary
We recognise the fact that the ZR culture has impacted negatively on our youth, therefore no consideration of violence/discipline would be complete without reference to them. Accordingly, the meeting offered the following suggestions:
- A special court be set up to deal entirely with related matters and a unit established to follow up that sentences are met and carried out
- Owners should bear some responsibility for the infringements of their employees
- A school bus system enforced which entirely excludes ZR operators
2. BARBADIAN LAND BEING SOLD TO FOREIGNERS: While acknowledging that Barbados is largely a service/tourist based economy which depends heavily on international inputs, attendees nevertheless strongly felt that the government needs to act quickly to curtail the appallingly astronomical costs of rents and property sales. We also note that the average Barbadian, in a few years time, would find it impossible to own a piece of the "Rock". Government can, and MUST devise some legal instrument to make it more difficult or less easy for non-Barbadians to purchase huge amounts of land, or indeed any land at all.
3. LACK OF EMPLOYMENT/RECREATIONAL FACILITIES: The residents of the wider St. Matthias/Harts Gap community indicated that the Resource Centre at Bonnetts in Brittons Hill was not relevant to them. The need to catch two buses, since the Centre is further than a comfortable walking distance, was cited as an inconvenience. They feel that their area is populous enough to support its own resource and recreational facility. One of the possible sites could be the pasture adjacent to the Hospitality Institute.
4. CRIME AND DRUGS: Residents noted that there were known drug "holes" or places where illegal drugs are offered for sale. Instances of lawlessness and criminal activity have been reported over time with varying degrees of response from the Hastings Police Station. It is felt that even though the relationship between the police and the residents is generally good, there is need to strengthen that bond.
5. SEWERAGE: Residents are constantly complaining of the grossly inadequate capacity of the wells allocated to the Pleasant Hall/St. Matthias area.
- Successive complaints to the NHC seem to fall on deaf ears
- Wells are often emptied on Sundays around lunch time which is not conducive to eating a meal
- Unmarked vehicles sometimes dump large amounts of waste in wells which should be reserved for the residents
- Residents feel strongly that the South Coast Sewerage Project should have been extended to include their neighbourhood and that every effort should be made to bring them online at the earliest possible time
6. SALE OF HOUSING UNITS: Residents of Pleasant Hall Housing Area feel strongly that the National Housing Corporation has done little or nothing to meet with them to discuss the proposed sale of units to tenants.
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