Nassau, The Bahamas — Minister of Labour and Social Development Dion Foulkes called on the younger generation to learn from older persons the value of working hard to achieve success.
Minister Foulkes said during the 14th Annual Nation Builder Awards Ceremony held in the Government House Ballroom on Monday, “We have allowed ourselves to get too comfortable.
“We have come to believe we are entitled to all of the best that life has to offer without committing to hard work.”
We have moved toward measuring success by what we have and not by who we are,” he said.
“If ever there was a time for The Commonwealth to turn to the wisdom of our forefathers, it is now. Luckily we still have many of the people who can impart such wisdom with us today. It is incumbent upon us to listen to them,” Minister Foulkes added.
Twelve older persons were recognized during the ceremony for their lifetime of community service, which was held under the patronage of Their Excellencies Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes and Joan Lady Foulkes under the theme, “Older People – A New Power For Development”.
Minister Foulkes said, “We are here to celebrate the lives of people who have lived long and hopefully lived well. Appropriately, we have deemed them to be Nation Builders. Upon reading the biographies of many of these extraordinary people, I have recognized several commonalities.
“Most of them did not come from very wealthy families. Most of them started working very hard and very early in their lives,” he said.
“Most of them came from families and communities that prized resourcefulness, stick ability and simplicity. These are traits that the modern Bahamas needs to revive and implant within our young people.”
The Minister also noted how inactivity during retirement causes diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis to worsen and increases the risk of dementia. He said older persons should stay physically and mentally active for as long as possible.
“The Government is about to launch Volunteer Bahamas. The aim of this program is build a more peaceful culture in our country and restore our communities.
“It is my goal that many of you here today both over and under the age of 65 will join us as volunteers,” Minister Foulkes said.
“We hear so much negative news about our young people. We hear that they are on drugs, or that they are promiscuous, or they lack discipline. The truth is that many of them fall into bad behaviour because they lack focus and direction. We need each of you to commit to teaching the next generation of Bahamians how to be better people.”
Minister Foulkes asked the youth in the audience how they would like to be treated and cared for when they become older.
He said mortality statistics around the world are showing that people are living longer, which means older persons’ participation must be included in the country’s social development to avoid isolation, loneliness, neglect and rejection that can lead to mental disorders associated with aging.
“One area of major concern for the Department of Social Services is the abandonment and mistreatment of the elderly in our society. Older persons are seen as a burden, not as a blessing,” Minister Foulkes added.
“The number of older persons is growing rapidly. It is calculated that a girl born in Britain this year has a 33 per cent chance of living to be 100. Here in The Bahamas, I was surprise to find out that we have almost 40 people of age 100 or over. This is why we must now begin to create a culture that respects the elderly.”
In 1991, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations principles for Older Persons, illuminating 18 entitlements for older persons relating to independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity.
For the last 20 years, the Department of Social Services has been trying to change attitudes concerning the human rights of the elderly.
By: Gena Gibbs
Bahamas Information Services
