Plans are moving ahead to make this year’s Barbados Network Consultation (BNC), the 4th Diaspora Conference, the most successful one so far.
This assurance was given by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean, during a press conference today to launch the diaspora conference at the Ministry.
According to her, the BNC will run from July 31 to August 5, under the theme: One Nation, One Family – Celebrating 50 Years of Independence – Shaping Global Citizens and will begin with a church service on Sunday, July 31, at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael and All Angels.
After taking a break for Grand Kadooment on Monday, August 1, the BNC will recommence on Tuesday, August 2, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) with the registration of participants who had not pre-registered. Later that evening, there will be an Old Fashion Bus Party Tour.
The official opening ceremony will be held on Wednesday, August 3, at the LESC, after which officials and the media will tour the exhibits comprising a number of local goods and services available to Barbadians at home and abroad.
A Youth Career Showcase will also be held on that day, which will focus on innovation through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education, and the Arts.
Other activities scheduled for Wednesday include a session featuring the screening of local films entitled: Lights Camera Action! and the opening of the BNC Rum Café.
On Thursday, August 4, there will be a discussion on the topic: Fostering Philanthropy – Matching local needs with Diaspora capacity, which is intended to highlight the positive impact of philanthropy, and by extension the non-governmental sector, in nation building.
There will also be a session on Investing in Barbados – Putting our Combined Savings to Work – Creating a Venture Capital Fund, as well as a meeting to look at Promoting Barbados’ Cultural Heritage to the World: the role that Overseas Barbadians can play. Activities on Thursday will end with the Prime Minister’s Crop Over Gala.
A Genealogy Fair will be held on Friday, August 5, the final day of the conference, at the Archives Department. There will also be a session entitled: Investing in Barbados: The United States Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) at the LESC. BNC activities will culminate with a ‘Bajan Night’ event at Divi Southwinds Resort.
To register for the conference or for further information, persons may visit the official website. Queries can be sent to bnc2016@foreign.gov.bb.
