“Provide for your family by using your God-given gifts.” – 1 Peter 4:10

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade invited me to attend a church service with the Diaspora at St. James Parish Church on Sunday, October 27. I was initially surprised at the invitation but later gleaned that it stemmed from my recent visit to the Ministry. During that visit, I advised them of my return to Barbados and my interest in enterprise development. I did not know what to expect at such a church service, but I accepted the invitation.

On arrival, I was seated in an area with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Barbados Ambassador to Caricom and the Barbados High Commissioner to Canada, with whom I was happy to reacquaint myself.

My curiosity was satisfied when the Minister was invited to speak. He used this public opportunity to share the Government’s plans to formally introduce the concept of the Barbados Diaspora Connection and its relationship with the Barbados Entrepreneurship Ecosystem. Both of which are causes dear to my heart.

I immediately flashed back to February 23, 2003, when I facilitated a Strategic Visioning Retreat about the diaspora for a small group of Caribbean residents in New York. The retreat’s vision was “to mobilize the resources of the Caribbean Diaspora and encourage responsible management of the vital relationship between the Diaspora, Host Countries, and the Caribbean people, leading to a sustainable future for all.”

There has been little focused follow-up since 2003, so I was delighted to hear of the Barbados government’s planned intervention concerning the Barbados Diaspora Connection.

The Minister further articulated a vision for developing the Barbados Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, driven by a demand from the Diaspora market. This was music to my years and induced another flashback to a January 2015 initiative in Trinidad. At that time, a group of international consultants presented a Global Business Innovation Corporation (GBIC) concept to move Caribbean products from regional production and distribution to supermarket shelves in North America. This development followed the launch of the Caribbean Food Business Innovation Revolution at exporTT headquarters.

The GBIC initiative, with expertise in the fields of Food Design (Diego Ruzzarin), Open Innovation (Dr. Owen Carryl), Public Relations Marketing (Bevan Springer), and Shepherding (Dr. Basil Springer), aims to significantly increase high-value Caribbean food and beverage exports. It seeks to drive the profitability of individual enterprises and generate foreign exchange for regional governments. Unfortunately, the implementation of GBIC stalled due to a lack of funds, but all systems are in place and ready to go.

One of my shepherding principles, “Passion, Perseverance and Patience,” has served me well, and I share it with entrepreneurs. My passion lies in the growth of the Barbados Entrepreneurship Ecosystem as a major contributor to macroeconomic growth. I have persevered and been patient for over 30 years. I offer to share my knowledge and expertise with the Barbados Diaspora Connection, focusing on medium-sized projects for the Diaspora export market.

Let us all recognize the Barbados Enterprise Ecosystem as a powerful option for providing for our families using our God-given gifts.

 

(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is a corporate governance adviser. His email address is basilgf@marketplaceexcellence.com. His columns may be found at https://www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com).