Minister meets Bermudians at African summit
Bermuda’s ties to other Afro-Caribbean countries were reinforced during a global summit, the House of Assembly heard on Friday.
Alexa Lightbourne, the Minister of Home Affairs, said that she reconnected with many Bermudians during her visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the second Africa-Caricom Summit.
She told the House: “I was moved to learn that many Bermudians had decided to make their lives there and express a willingness to work with our government to advance trade opportunities that extend to support Bermuda’s economy, reduce costs and align with the Government’s agenda.
“The promise they offered represented practical pathways to strengthen food security, diversify imports and expand opportunities for Bermudians, all of which support our government’s mission.”
This year’s summit, which took place from September 6 to 8, was held under the theme “Transcontinental Partnership in Pursuit of Reparatory Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”.
Ms Lightbourne said the summit carried “deep symbolic weight” as the Caribbean community met with representatives for African nations at “the cradle of civilisation”.
She said the meeting allowed member states to learn from each other and be reminded that there was more to unite them than separate them.
Ms Lightbourne added that African and Caribbean countries promised to learn more about each other and embraced their shared roots.
She said that the meeting was a form of “ideological progress” to “reclaim the dignity denied to our ancestors”.
Ms Lightbourne explained: “We were welcomed home. We stood on never-colonised Ethiopian soil and affirmed a commitment to shared economic prosperity and the justice for the true African diaspora that we represent among our islands.”
She added: “Our government’s mandate rests on unity, equity and tangible progress.
“Bermuda’s presence at the Africa-Caricom Summit advanced each of these priorities.
“Unity was strengthened through connection with our Caribbean family and with the African Union.
“Equity was advanced through engagement on economic justice and opportunity.
“In Addis Ababa and Shashemene, I carried the voices of Bermuda’s people — the workers confronting high prices, the seniors requiring dignity in retirement and the families seeking stability.
“I was honoured to represent the voices of our community and to affirm that Bermuda and its history is inextricably linked to the Caribbean and to Africa.”
• To view the ministerial statement in full, see Related Media
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