Ms. Carla Harris, Ms. Avon Carty, Dr. Phyllis Fleming-Banks, Ms. Jansie Webster,
Mr. Stanley Reid and Mr. Neil Gumbs
The Organising Committee of the Anguilla Country Conference 2019 is expressing appreciation to all the Presenters, Participants and Attendees for their contributions and support in making the event a success.
The 23rd-25th October Conference was held at La Vue under the theme “Communities at Crossroads: Change the Thinking, Change the Future” and attracted fifteen papers from some twenty local, regional and international presenters.
Local Entrepreneur/Activist, Mrs. Janine Edwards set the stage for the rest of the Conference with a powerful and riveting Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremony. Also making contributions to the Launch were representatives of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School Steel Orchestra, STAGES Anguilla, Aaliyah “Lil Stinger” Webster and Anguilla’s Triple Crown Calypso Monarch, Roxanne “Roxxy” Webster. Remarks came from Manager for the UWI Open Campus British Overseas Manager and Chair of the Organising Committee, Dr. Phyllis Fleming Banks, as well as the Honourable Premier, Mr. Victor F. Banks.
Thursday and Friday saw the presentation of papers on topics which included Caribbean Identity, Culture and Development, Education, language, Self-Determination, Brexit, the Environment, Media and Communication, Deviance, Gender and Youth in the context of national development. Large audiences consisting of youth, government and community leaders and representatives attended the six panel sessions and were provided with the opportunity to pose questions and/or comments.
Regional and international presenters included Professor Don E. Walicek from the University of Puerto Rico, Dr. Antonio Carmona Baez, President University of St. Martin, Mr. Jeremy Collymore from the Office of the UWI Vice Chancellor in Barbados, Mr. Bobby Andrews from Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Linda Smith from the University of the Virgin Islands and Professor Balfour Spence from Brandon University in Manitoba Canada.
Local researchers, Professor Delroy Louden, Mrs. Hyacinth Augustine Bradley, Mr. Timothy Hodge, Mr. Carlton Pickering, Ms. Rosanna Browne, Mr. Colwayne Pickering, Ms. Gina Brooks, Ms. Dorla Hodge, Mr. Andre Samuel, Ms. Kebrina Bailey, Ms. Susan V Hodge, Mrs. Angelina Carty, Mr. Clive “Frankie” Smith and Mrs. Collette Jones-Chin presented nine of the papers.
One the highlights of the Conference was the Panel Discussion entitled “Whither Anguilla in the Brexit Era?” on Friday, October 25th. Chaired by Radio Anguilla’s Keith Stone Greaves, the Panelists included His Excellency, The Governor, Tim Foy, the Honourable Premier, Mr. Victor F. Banks and the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Palmavon Webster.
The Conference ended with a Closing Ceremony on Friday afternoon, during which Rapporteurs, Ms. Farrah Banks and Ms. Felicia Hennis delivered a comprehensive summary of the presentations.
The Country Conference is an initiative of the UWI Open Campus and the conference series and subsequent publications are designed to stimulate and highlight research on the host country. Anguilla last held a Country Conference in 2017 as part of the activities marking the 50th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution and the UWI Open Campus Anguilla hosted the 2019 Conference in collaboration with a number of local organisations, including the Anguilla Community College, the Anguilla Library Service, the Department of Youth and Culture, The Ministry of Finance, The Anguilla National Youth Council, The Anguilla Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Anguilla Tourist Board and the Anguilla Social Security Board.
The Committee thanks the Presenters and Partners and all those who supported the Conference, including the Panel Chairs – Mr. Karim Hodge, Dr. Oluwakemi M. Linda Banks, Ms. Melissa Meade, Mr. David Carty, Mr. Keith Stone Greaves and Ms. Nordisia Lake; Rapporteurs –Ms. Farrah Banks and Ms. Felicia Hennis. Thanks too to ATV Channel 3, KCN TV, Lloyd Gumbs Photography, The Anguillian Newspaper, Radio Anguilla, Klass FM, Up Beat Radio, Kool FM, the AHTA, ACOCI, Rev. Lindsay K. Richardson, Just Imagine, Black Orchid and all the participants who attended and supported the Conference.
The Organisers extends special appreciation to Mr. David Carty for the use of the title of his 2017 Paper, “Change the Thinking, Change the Future” as part of the theme for the 2019 Conference.
