“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” – Luke 6:37 Christmas is celebrated by billions the world over and the Caribbean is no exception. The spirit of the Christmas season, centered around our families and friends, is one of giving, …
“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” – Psalm 139:9-10 Over 20 years ago I was at an international conference in Langkawi, Malaysia, adjacent to the Thai border, known …
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, think of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” – Philippians 2:3-4 The opportunities from the tourism industry and its linkages have made a significant contribution to economic growth in the Caribbean …
“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” – Psalm 96:11-12 In the third column in this “Tourism is Our Key” series, we explored tourism’s …
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6 The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) along with its partners and sponsors are promoting the theme “Tourism is Our Key”, as we transition from the COVID-19 economic disaster to …
“For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.” – Luke 12:23 On July 20, 2020, Howard Schneider penned an article entitled “When the U.S. sneezes, the world catches a cold. What happens when it has severe COVID-19?” – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-economy-usa-analysis-idUSKCN24L0EO . That was nearly four months ago! There is now uncertainty …
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 The tourism sector’s “Economic Gearing System” is mainly driven by the arrival of tourists on airlines and cruise ships from far and wide. Good balance between these drivers augurs well for the recovery and future of the hospitality industry which has been dealt a …
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” – Colossians 4:5 Over the last 60 years, the Caribbean has emerged as one of the most tourism dependent regions of the world. Since mid-March, the advent of COVID-19 has resulted in closed borders, grounded airlines, berthed cruise ships, …
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26 This series of columns, on the theme “Tourism is Our Key”, positions tourism as the sector which can best be the catalyst to lead the Caribbean COVID-19 transition recovery thrust …
“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5 The Caribbean is a leading, exquisite, warm weather, diverse multicultural, multiethnic, multireligious, multiculinary, multilingual, multigenre (music) tourism-based region. Global leisure, business, sports and entertainment travelers yearn to visit. The Caribbean tourism sector, by dint of its …
“One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and one who gives gifts to the rich, both come to poverty.” – Proverbs 22:16 Tourism economic recovery, as we transition the COVID-19 experience, must be tackled by the private and public sectors together. What better way is there to build a solid foundation for …
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22 The Caribbean is the most tourism dependent region of the world and the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a devastating economic blow to the traditional travel patterns of the global industry. The World Travel and Tourism Council – the …
“Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land.” – Proverbs 25:25 Last week, senior economist at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr. Justin Ram, identified a dip in the average income of Caribbean countries, below the global average, as one trend that, if continued, would make the region …
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17 As Joel Barker, the futurist, would say: “When a paradigm shifts, everyone goes back to zero – your past success guarantees nothing.” Two paradigm shifts have recently changed the world – an increased focus and reliance on data and digital marketing, and the economic …
“Where there is no counsel, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” – Proverbs 11:14 The ideal cyclical management process for a government, business or family, guided by a mission, involves the garnering of people, technology and money and smoothly executing along a familiar groove, in order to achieve specific …
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” – Proverbs 22:6 This last week, I reflected on my journey through life. If I had another chance at life, would I do anything differently? Am I happy with what I have done and …
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” – Galatians 6:10 Over the past week, amidst the despair over the battle to restore jobs and livelihoods in the face of the pandemic disaster, I was exposed to many pockets of …
There “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” which means that when the situation becomes difficult, the strong and motivated will work smarter and harder to meet the challenge. Until there is an effective treatment …
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13 This was the week that was! The week culminated with a most impressive state funeral – https://www.facebook.com/NationBarbados/videos/317520732924011 – in honour of former Barbados Prime Minister Professor the Right Honourable Owen S. Arthur. …
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” – Philippians 4:8 The nation of Barbados prepares to pay its last respects to Professor the Right …
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9 This week, we continue the final column in the series on disruptive innovation with a focus on the succession system of a business. As human beings, …
“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Luke 11:9 Today, we continue the series of disruptive innovation with a focus on the operations system of a business. As human beings our operations system is …
“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 We took a break last week to propose specifically that the establishment of a public-private sector Trust was an urgent appropriate change in strategic governance …
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2 LIAT (1974 Ltd) has been hemorrhaging for a long time primarily because of weaknesses in governance …
“Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.” – Psalm 112:5 Last week we noted that in the same way that the skeleton and muscles provide structural stability for the human body, in business a disruptive innovative Governance system creates a sound foundation …
“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” – Proverbs 11:14 I began this uninterrupted series of weekly columns exactly 27 years ago. Next Monday I shall begin my 80th year on planet earth, Deo volente, with my cognitive energy intact. Writing this column …
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:28 The second paragraph of the United States Declaration of Independence states as follows: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are …
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – Ephesians 3:20 In a column I penned just under a year ago, entitled “CARIBBEAN SUSTAINABILITY” (https://nothingbeatsbusiness.com/2019/07/caribbean-sustainability-basil-springer-column-monday-on-july-29-2019/), I posed the question “When are we going to open …
“Oh, that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!” – Job 19:23 John C. Maxwell describes “The 5 Levels of Leadership” as: (1) Position – people follow because they have to; (2) Permission – people follow because they want to; (3) Production – people follow because of …
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2 On October 16, 2017, I penned a column entitled “Time for change now” – https://nothingbeatsbusiness.com/2017/10/time-for-change-now-basil-springer-column-october-16-2017/. …
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:13-14 In the face of an unstable …
“Do everything in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14 Those of us who are occupied as housewives or househusbands, are retired, home-school children, have a virtual job enabled by digital technology or conduct business from home, tend to naturally manage our time in a home environment. On the other hand, when a …
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” – Psalm 57:1-2 It was only just over 100 years ago, on January 1, 1914, when the world’s …
“Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13 The secret formula, which underpins the way forward as we vision and plan our future post-COVID 19 dispensation, is to be found in the inspiring Caribbean video “We got this” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXcY7MK7X6Q . …
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear …
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5 How can we minimize the impact of the struggle that small nations will inevitably face as we attempt to kickstart our economies post “World War III”? The answer, I propose, is …
“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.” – Isaiah 54:11. COVID-19 is a tough, rampant and persistent virus which has led to a global health care crisis. We know little about the COVID-19 pandemic response cycle. We are …
“Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” Psalm 107: 19-21 Our generations …
“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.” – Matthew 24:6 In the past, an act of war was related to economic, territorial, religious, nationalism, revenge, civil, revolutionary and/or defence issues and it …
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” – Psalm 133:1 What a week as we watched the COVID-19 virus attack homo sapiens on planet earth – https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries. Despite the political, economic, spiritual, social and ethnic diversity, it is war against this microscopic enemy and we …
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” – Psalm 57:1-2 In 1918, at the end of the first World War, a strain of influenza known …
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31 A government’s mandate is to perform regulatory and service functions in support of the private sector, whose …
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2 An essential component of an economic recovery and transformation process is economic …
‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11 May I congratulate Dr. Jean Holder on his stewardship as a diplomat in the Barbados foreign service, in the tourism industry …
“Say to him: Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!” – 1 Samuel 25:6 Seven years ago to the day, as a CARICOM citizen, I decided to relocate from Barbados to Trinidad. I was officially retired; it was a journey into the unknown …
“So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who testified to the word of His grace by granting signs and wonders to be done through them.” – Acts 14:3 Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme adviser Dr. Kevin Greenidge set the stage by giving an update on BERT progress …
“Beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses, but in the abundance of love and care that God has for you; which is a treasure that does not corrupt.” – Luke 12:15 Now that I am in the “retirement” phase of life, fortunately with …
“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” – Matthew 9:17 The Caribbean is a unique diverse multicultural, multiethnic, multireligious, multiculinary, multigenre (musical) …
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10 In 1964, Uncle Errol and Aunt Carolyn attended our wedding in London, England. They were in Scotland on government business and made it just in time to advise the small gathering why he made …
“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” – Matthew 25:23 Errol Walton Barrow was born in the parish of St. Lucy in Barbados on January 21, …
“Who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” – Romans 8:24-25 Last week, in her first major address in the New Year, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley painted a clear picture of her mission to restore Brand Barbados, …
“The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.” – Psalm 23:1 My son, Bevan, shared with me a recent message from Bishop Dale C. Bronner, Founder/Sr. Pastor of Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral in Atlanta. Over the last few weeks the theme was “AWE-PSALM” where Bishop Bronner’s teachings were based on the …