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Ocean Conservation
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I found this to be one of the most horrifying acts that humans can do to this Earth. Not only are they destroying the beauty of the ocean, they're killing innocent marine life that are important in sustaining us humans and the oxygen we breathe on the surface. This has to stop !! Its imperative we protect the ocean life and earth's wildlife.
Shannon supported: Protect the Seas: Stop Scallop DredgingAn Open Letter to the Barbados Government:
Not everything on the island should be for sale. With the utmost respect, I implore you to exercise restraint, foresight, and cultural preservation by knowing when to turn down monetary exchanges that do not align with the country’s values – in this or any other land sales. The current plan to graze the civic center and develop it into a privatized highrise hotel (with potentially some government facilities on premises) does not appear to be the most secure long-term solution.
When hotels fail (and many do, just look at the many shuttered hotels – big and small – littered across the island right now), what becomes of it, and the entwined government buildings? How does it get repurposed? Will the government even be able to afford to demolish it? How does excavation and construction so close to the shoreline add to, or even accelerate, beach erosion? How environmentally responsible is it to demolish an entire functioning civic complex to rebuild it as part of a new hotel complex? These are precisely the times and situations when cultural values and self-preservation must find the courage to speak louder than momentary monetary gains.
For tourists who prefer to vacation isolated in a resort that walls them off from the country's culture and local offerings, they can vacation just about anywhere else (Florida, Jamaica, Bahamas, Europe, Mexico, etc). Their options are endless. Barbados' land, on the other hand, is finite. This type of vulturistic tourism (i.e. depleting a country's resources, but not benefitting or stimulating the actual local economy) is not what the island needs. This type of tourism will never truly benefit the local economy, outside of the walls of the hotel. The only winners in these types of “deals” are the developers and hotel owners/operators. The few million dollars that the government receives in exchange for priceless land will be depleted within a year’s time. And, well, Barbados will find itself right back where it began – looking for another piece of its heritage and infrastructure to auction off. This is an unsustainable model, especially for a small island with both limited resources and land.
Surely, there must be more equitable and environmentally conscious alternatives for repurposing this civic space (IF it must be repurposed at all), that ensure the historic and architectural integrity of Holetown and the rest of the island remain intact while promoting growth; that beaches remain accessible and welcoming public spaces for locals of all socioeconomic backgrounds; and that – in any transaction with foreign investors – locals receive opportunities for dignified skill-based jobs that provide a living-wage and room for professional growth. The low-wage, no-growth, tourism service jobs that the hotel industry provides should not be the only solution for job opportunities on the island. They are void of any real financial or social empowerment for both the locals or the economy.
Respectfully - A Concerned US-Born, Barbadian Citizen By Descent,
Veronica Barrow
Veronica supported: Halt the Plans to Convert Holetown Civic Center into a High-Rise HotelI have been coming to Barbados since 1988–with Sunset Crest/Holetown as my primary base. I consider myself a “traveler” more than a “tourist.” Through my travels to Barbados, I have connected with people who are now like family. Even though I had my doubts about LimeGrove and the new Massy, I always appreciated the “traditional” feel of the real Holetown on the opposite side of the road—the library, post office, police station as well as the local businesses on Holetown/Surfside Beach.
I have experienced the flooding and the traffic that exists there now and cannot imagine what it would be like with the increased density of people and vehicles along that road.
I visited Aruba a few years ago. It is a pretty island but in their quest to attract and appease more tourists, they built up one section of the island and left the former town center in disrepair. The “culture” of the island seems almost non-existent, replaced by a homogenous range jewelry stores, souvenir shops, and restaurants making that area indistinct from any other touristy place.
Culture is important. It can make the difference in one’s experience. My sense is that “tourists” often come and go, checking places off their lists; but “travelers” return again and again and often for longer periods.
Norma supported: Halt the Plans to Convert Holetown Civic Center into a High-Rise HotelUsed the Holetown Library as a child to improve my love for reading.
Glyne supported: Halt the Plans to Convert Holetown Civic Center into a High-Rise HotelI grew up in Holetown and was displaced before to build a hotel down first street…This was very traumatizing…To see the historic side of Holetown being destroyed to build another hotel to me is wrong.in all aspects..,Let’s fight to hold on to our history…Holetowngirl living in Houston Texas
Andrea supported: Halt the Plans to Convert Holetown Civic Center into a High-Rise HotelYou’re not alone — a community of supporters is ready to back you.
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