As part of its education programme, the Department of Youth and Culture, with the assistance of the University of the West Indies, organised a lecture on Thursday, April 30, which was delivered by Vice Chancellor Emeritus, Professor Ralston ‘Rex’ Nettleford, at the Teachers’ Resource Centre.

Mayoumba Folkloric Group in performance

The lecture, under the theme “Dance to the ‘Riddim’ of Culture,” focused on the topic: “The Caribbean’s Creative Diversity – the defining Point in the Americas.”

Known for his interest in the dancing culture, the Jamaican-born Professor’s lecture was preceded by a cultural presentation by the Mayoumba Folkloric Group whose performances drew much applause from the large crowd.

After taking a critical examination of ethnic and multicultural influences impacting the world, and in particular the Caribbean, Professor Nettleford looked at a number of other related matters. These included what he called the popular culture covering the performing arts; traditional indigenous cultural expressions through the festival arts and, closely allied to both, varied sporting activities.

He also referred to culture and education. “Culture in its broadest sense undergirds the educational system but, as an expression of creative intellect and creative imagination, it needs greater focused attention on educational development certainly in the Caribbean,” he stated. He pointed out that culture in the region had “in the past informed the process of preparation for its people not only to make a living, but to live.” He held the view that “learning to ‘know’ and learning throughout life are all highly dependent on a cultural sense, making the arts a vital variable in the education equation.” He concluded that it was a challenge for cultural diversity throughout the world and that the Americas, including the Caribbean, had been responsive to that challenge.

Section of applauding Audience

Professor Nettleford said that heritage tourism was of special interest in the Caribbean region and he hoped that by now the people of the area had moved from the cultural tourism thrust of the early 1970s to something that would not deteriorate into “touristic culture.” He stressed that there was a need for “distinctions to be made, re-definitions crafted and a commitment to genuine respect for a people’s heritage reinforced” and that “heritage is rooted in cultural diversity.”

Among other matters of interest, to which the Professor referred, were the differences in political systems. He held that these were “in fact part of the overall dilemma of difference which is a manifestation of the complex process of diversity demanding of all in the region the capacity to build bridges not only between classes and races of people within the region, but also between zones of former imperial influence.” He explained that such influence was “among countries and continents, represented in the region through centuries of migration and continuing interaction via tourism, commercial transactions and professional contacts.”

He noted that the Caribbean, an expression of such diversity, had struggled for all of five centuries with mastering the management of the complexity of such diversity. He pointed out that such had been the phenomenon and challenges that it was not possible to say, with a fair degree of certainty, that the English-speaking Commonwealth countries had learnt to live together rather than simply side by side.

Speaking further on cultural diversity matters, Professor Nettleford said that none of the French Caribbean islands, the Netherlands Antilles, the British dependencies of Anguilla, Montserrat, Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands, Bermuda, the American dependencies of the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico was willing to risk the agony of choice of becoming independent at this time. “None wishes to be oil-poor or debt-rich,” as some would deem post-colonial Trinidad and economically-challenged Jamaica respectively to be,” be stated. “But what they all seem to have in common is a full grasp of power of cultural action in affording a sense of place and purpose to the inhabitants of their territories. They therefore tend to identify with the Independent Caribbean in this area, despite the differences in political systems.”

Professor Rex Nettleford

He also spoke about the need “to build bridges across continents in the interest of human development and the imperative of creative management of the resulting complexities. He went on: “The investment in human resource demands no less. And the Caribbean and the Americas can lead the way in this – thanks to the heterogeneous character of the politics and the leadership potential this offers this hemisphere. That is the moral authority based on humane concerns rather than on military hardware and nuclear fire power. And it is this very challenge which makes the creative diversity of the human condition in a region like the Caribbean so central to existence in all the Americas.”

His lecture was followed by a question and answer period which gave both him and the audience an opportunity to clear up a number of issues he raised.

He was welcomed to Anguilla and to the podium by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Social Development, Mrs. Chanelle Petty-Barrett. “As Caribbean people, we share a broad common history,” she addressed her listeners. “Yet in our historical journey each of our countries has experiences that are unique to us and evolved into and reflected in aspects of our culture that are different from all others. What is important is that while we embrace our Caribbean culture and seek to preserve and promote these aspects which are distinctly ours, we must also understand the global context.”

Professor Nettleford was introduced by Mrs. Carla Harris-Pascal, Head of the UWI Open Campus in Anguilla. The programme was chaired by Ijahnya Christian of Triple Crown Culture Yard who was particularly pleased with the contribution made by him to all aspects of Caribbean life including the Rastafarian community of which she is a noted member.

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