ON THE OCCASION OF COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
AT BAHAMAS BAPTIST COMMUNITY COLLEGE
NASSAU, BAHAMAS
13th July, 2006

GREETINGS, ETC.
 

INTRODUCTION

My first pleasant task is to congratulate the Class of 2006 for having taken the journey of higher education, overcome the many obstacles life would have thrown across the pathway between you and your much desired objective—the certificate or degree that, from here onward, will identify you as an educated person.

I believe most of you would agree that the credit for the victory is not yours alone: It is the confluence of many circumstances and the generosity, patience, sharing of many people. I would therefore wish, at this point, to offer congratulations to all of the significant people in your life, who have facilitated your educational journey—Parents, spouses, siblings and friends. We must certainly number among your benefactors your lecturers, the administrators who run this institution and the Bahamas Baptist Educational Convention, who are the founders and sponsors of Bahamas Baptist Community College. I pay respects particularly to your august leaders—Rev. Dr William Thompson, President of the Baptist Convention and Dr Baltron Bethel, a son of Eleuthera soil, both of whom are to be crowned with many laurels for personal and professional accomplishments that cover decades. These are both men who serve as exemplars of the spirit of discovery, learning and the sense of community that are so necessary for our country as it undertakes the journey into the 21st century.

Graduations at any level are auspicious occasions; the represent significant milestones of personal development and, therefore community development. Your commencement this week is made even more special because we are also celebrating the 33rd anniversary of our country’s birth as a democratic, sovereign state. The two anniversaries share something of inestimable value—They are both about liberation and both are very closely linked—knowledge is power for liberation. Knowledge is a key that opens many of the restraints, locks and bars that keep individuals from enjoying the full benefits of personhood and citizenship. It is the same whether one is speaking of increasing personal freedom or the liberation of a country and its people.  I cannot, in all good conscience, speak of either freedoms, without commending the Baptist contribution in this regard.

The Baptist community has for long years now supported institutions of learning in our islands, most notably through the foundation of a theological seminary, Bahamas Baptist High, Prince William High School, C W Saunders High and your own Bahamas Baptist Community College. The dissemination of knowledge through these formal institutions of learning has helped thousand of Bahamians to enhance their lives and opportunities.

I cannot, in all good conscience, speak of our national freedoms—majority rule, democratic process and national sovereignty—without commending the role the Baptists of The Bahamas have played in this regard. The story really begins with Prince William and Sharper Morris who began Baptist witness back in the late 18th century. Here were two black men who valued freedom and the right to stand unbowed as men. They crossed the wild Gulf Stream from the United States to find this. By founding two hugely successfully churches, they proved that black men and former slaves could be leaders, could create a religious community in a strange land that could stand the test of time.

What is of even greater moment is the role Baptist pastors played in paving the way for majority rule in The Bahamas. From their pulpits men like H. W. Brown preached of the unalienable, God-given rights of men and women to choose how we will direct our lives. I can say without fear of contradiction such men braved ostracism and discrimination to tell the Bahamian people that they had a right to self-determination and women had a right to the vote.

In honour of the brave men and women who fought for our national freedoms and your right to quality education, I ask you to reflect on this great liberating gift of you have been given. This is precisely what a good education means if you embrace it, if you continue to learn throughout life. It can represent a liberation and enhancement of your intellect and creativity, a freeing of your very spirit. The consumption of learned publications, the exchange of knowledge and ideas between you and your instructors, the dialogue and study sessions you have shared with your peers all represent vehicles and avenues, which open up a wider world of experience and opportunity for those who have the wisdom to make use of them. A better education can help you to achieve a more truthful and balanced world view. It can lead to a greater understanding and appreciation for our land, heritage and culture, thereby creating a nation.

Understanding the power of knowledge, securing quality education for our people became a major plank in the platform from which the Progressive Liberal Party fought for and won the Government in 1967. When the first PLP administration took office that year, we committed to ensuring that every man, woman and child would have the opportunity to secure a sound education. If our forefathers could survive in the inhospitable climate of discrimination and inequity, how much more can you not prosper with a high quality education?

I can assure you that never before in our history has continuing education been so important for your personal progress and the nation’s social and economic health. Please understand what it truly means to live in a world where the interfaces between national economies are leading inexorably to one borderless, global economy. It puts you in competition with people whose names you can’t even pronounce.

This is challenge enough, but what is even more important is that this country of ours is poised for hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign direct investment. This will bring untold opportunities for Bahamians who are in a state of readiness to receive and exploit the opportunities.

How do you as individuals assure that you will be competitive and enjoy equity in a global economy? You must continue to learn, to hone your skills and be ready to adapt in an ever changing marketplace. Business—Higher Education Forum (BHEF) suggests that the way to be competitive in this age is to acquire what they term “nine key attributes necessary for today’s high-performance jobs”:

• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Self management
• Adaptability
• Analytical thinking
• Global consciousness and
• Basic communication skills
Mastery of the foregoing will certainly help you to increase your marketability in competition for jobs, but I ask you to push the envelope of personal development ever further. Financial progress will hardly be sustainable, if we have failed to protect the natural and cultural heritage of our beautiful homeland, which does much to attract the billion-dollar investments. How much will it all mean if we have failed to acquire the will and the knowledge to preserve our homeland in the uniqueness of it geography, history and culture?

I leave you with this thought and once again congratulate you for what I will be the first milestone on fascinating, rewarding and lifelong journey of learning.