PRIME MINISTER of Barbados Mia Mottley continues to send powerful messages with simple statements.
At a recent news conference on her return from the IX Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles in California, she updated her nation on their relationship with the United States and other key issues pertaining to the new Republic of Barbados.
She really caught my attention when she commented that the Barbados and Guyana delegations chose to stay in apartments rather than in the “price gouging” hotels. She also explained that she cooked breakfast as a way of destressing and added that “…too much ‘out’ food ain’t good for yuh”.
The fact that the Barbados and Guyana delegations chose apartment accommodation over multi-star hotels is significant. I’m reading from their actions that they are prepared to make small sacrifices to be less of a burden on the taxpayers. In the future when these leaders ask citizens to make small sacrifices, it will not feel as burdensome because they would have demonstrated their own willingness to do whatever is necessary to cut costs.
It’s a small act, but it carries the big message that we all must change the way we do things to ensure our long-term survival.
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While the cost-saving aspect of this action is important, I can only imagine how the members of the Barbados and Guyana delegations felt sharing a common space with the leaders of their delegations. Usually, how this works is that the leaders are assigned to VIP areas separate from the other members of the delegation. Every delegate who shared accommodation will have an enduring memory of the few days they spent sharing accommodation with their prime minister. There might be some not-so-pleasant memories, but the charm of the experience will live on for future generations to hear the stories.
Couple this with the story of a prime minister cooking breakfast as a way of destressing and you have an example of a different kind of leadership that is authentic, grounded and admirable.
As if the stories about shared accommodation and making breakfast were not enough, we heard PM Mottley say in her genuine Barbadian accent “…too much ‘out’ food ain’t good for yuh”.
My interpretation of that statement is her acknowledgement that home cooking is a way of countering our region’s high rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
I’m taking the liberty of expanding the interpretation a little further to suggest that citizens hearing this might be inspired to place a higher value on home-cooked meals which was common throughout the region at another time.
Prime Minister Mottley’s boldness and humility are resonating throughout the world, and we should all be proud to follow in her footsteps. I’m reminded of the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling:
If you can walk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds worth of distance run
Yours is the earth and everything that’s in it…
The region needs more of the Mia Mottley type of leadership to engage the hearts of our people. Carry on, PM Mottley.
Dennise Demming is passionate about changing her country and finds inspiration interacting with creative, restless persons. As a mental health counsellor and communications practitioner, she is committed to making a difference wherever she lands. She believes that effective communication is the vehicle to release our creative energies for our mutual benefit. She earned a Masters Degree in Couples and Family Counselling from Walden University, an MBA, and a B.Sc. in Political Science & Public Administration from The University of the West Indies, St Augustine.
No ‘Out Food’ for Mia
PRIME MINISTER of Barbados Mia Mottley continues to send powerful messages with simple statements.
Dennise Demming is passionate about changing her country and finds inspiration interacting with creative, restless persons. As a mental health counsellor and communications practitioner, she is committed to making a difference wherever she lands. She believes that effective communication is the vehicle to release our creative energies for our mutual benefit. She earned a Masters Degree in Couples and Family Counselling from Walden University, an MBA, and a B.Sc. in Political Science & Public Administration from The University of the West Indies, St Augustine.