(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Nobel Laureate the Hon Derek Walcott, OCC has warned the Caribbean Region against foreign investors whom he asserted did not facilitate or create opportunities for cultural development.
Speaking at the opening of the CARIFESTA X Symposia yesterday, (24 August 2008) at the Guyana International Convention Centre, the recipient of the 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature contended that the Caribbean was being rapidly exploited under the guise of development, and implored CARICOM governments to strike a balance in an effort to avoid “prostituting themselves to foreign investors.”
Mr. Walcott asserted that the Region should encourage investors to put money into the development of cultural infrastructure such as museums and theatres so that the Region could be proud of the legacy it leaves for its children.
“… all I am saying is that when the investors offer to build hotels, you (Caribbean governments) need to say, you can build your hotel but you also need to build a museum or a theatre…”
Using his own country as reference, the Saint Lucian born poet and playwright condemned the proposed bridging of his native island’s twin volcanic peaks, the Pitons, as a “terrifying obscenity of greed.” He said although it might be legal, it would leave a gaping wound on the Pitons.
Derek Walcott’s statements were preceded by a panel presentation by literary giants Dr. Ian McDonald, Professor David Dabydeen, Professor Kenneth Ramchand, Professor Edward Baugh and Cynthia McLeod all of whom treated with the topic: Caribbean Culture At the Crossroads: Seeking the Past, Living the Present, Exploring the Future.
Also expressing strong reservations about the relevance and purpose of the Caribbean Festival of Arts, Mr. Walcott intimated that there was little to celebrate as many artists were living in a state of deprivation. He made an impassioned plea for stronger support of artists in the Region, particularly in the form of providing access to more scholarships for younger artists
“You are killing our artists and then celebrating it!” he exclaimed.
The poet’s statements were later challenged by His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo himself an economist, and while acknowledging that CARICOM governments needed to sustain the development of culture, President Jagdeo argued that it must be viewed in the context of the plethora of harsh economic challenges facing leaders.
The President, who officially opened the ceremony, yesterday had enumerated the contributions of artists to the Region as well as the positive impact of culture in economic development. However he also acknowledged that sustaining those achievements was a challenge for the Region especially in the face of harsh economic realities.
