Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott yesterday implored the region’s governments to resist prostituting themselves to foreign investors, warning that giving into tourism-fuelled gentrification would spell disaster.
“The prostitution is a thing we call development,” he said in stinging remarks delivered during an impromptu presentation at the grand opening of the CARIFESTA X Symposia, at the National Convention Centre. He warned: “Don’t let this continue, [because] something serious is going to happen.”
St Lucian Nobel laureate Derek Walcott speaking with President Bharrat Jagdeo at the end of yesterday’s symposium at the International Convention Centre. Looking on at left is poet and columnist, Ian McDonald.
Walcott took the view that investors should also be encouraged to put money into the development of cultural infrastructure, like museums and theatres. He also challenged regional governments to be more supportive of artists, saying that younger people needed to have access to more scholarships.
Walcott, who had once famously called for the scrapping of the festival, was featured as the Distinguished Guest at the symposium. Nonetheless, he admitted that he still harboured serious reservations about the fate of artists afterward. Indeed, he blamed the regional governments and institutions for keeping artists in what he described as a state of deprivation. “Is this what we are celebrating?” he asked. “You are killing your artists.”
His comments were later taken up by President Bharrat Jagdeo, who urged that the governments’
commitment to the sustaining culture be viewed within the context of the challenge of development against often harsh economic realities. This led to a fiery, albeit brief exchange between the two. Walcott refused to accept the President’s arguments, which he said he had heard from politicians since his youth.
“It all boils down to money,” Jagdeo said, adding “I wish everything could be done at the same time.” In this vein, he added that CARIFESTA served to help raise levels of awareness and helped people to appreciate how culture could change the nature of their lives. “We are hoping that CARIFESTA adds to the cultural infrastructure,” he said.
The President, who officially opened the ceremony, said sustaining artistic achievements is a challenge for the region, which is trying to balance development with the harsh economic realities. He did, however, note that there is great potential in investing in culture. He pointed out that there is a growing market for cultural tourism that could generate more revenue than the manufacturing sector alone. “My government is determined to support the arts, however parlous our economic situation,” Jagdeo reassured.
But Walcott challenged regional leaders to pursue development of the arts simultaneously. Though he was not optimistic that the idea would be realized, he said it was important for them to adopt a change in attitude. He said there be should be no question of competing needs; that governments should do both.
Walcott had originally declined an invitation to speak in favour of a reading from his works.
He also suggested yesterday that the governments consider putting a moratorium on the festival in order to ensure that it is professionally organized and that it features the best people that the region can offer. “You need the best,” he said, before quickly adding, “But it is self deception, because what happens afterwards? What are their futures?
We don’t need another lame-duck hero. This is the clear message we must give to people like Derek Walcott. He may be a great artiste but he should get out of the way of fast-track development. Managers do not involve in advising Mr Walcott on his medium and Mr Walcott would do well to steer clear of giving business advice to managers.
The hyprocrasy of a St Lucian gate-crashing this Carifesta with his negative spin is nothing short of a joke because his own country has become the plaything of the tourists as he so rightly puts it. If poor Guyana was to follow his prescription, then only God can help us uplift ourselves and God is currently busy elsewhere in the world.
Mr Walcott whines against the accelerating pace at which the region was being developed but spares no thought about our President’s wonderful gift of the Guyanese rainforest to the whole world as long as the world is willing to pay for it.
Mr Walcott even dared to argue with in public with our President! So much for protocol! I guess Mr Walcott needs to know that all Guyana gets for this beautiful rainforest offer is stonewalling by the rich countries.
Well Guyana will have to someday, say enough is enough and buy chain-saws from the Chinese. The Chinese can buy timber from Guyana. That is a formula which is guaranteed to work.
Mr Walcott calls it prostitution while the poor Guyanese citizen calls it survival.
satish next time please try commenting on something you actually know a little about. Walcott was right to put his junior Jagdeo in his place for proclaiming that he is an economist among other things and it’s fixing roads or culture
All development must take into account the down the line effect on us as a people. Our governments are developing along the line of we want to be like dem rich folks on the hill. while we dont have the mind set to handle these developments. Ah mean just look at Manning plans for development, while large buildings go up all nice and shinny the roads at the bottom are filled with the blood and urine of lost youth. There is no bottom-up development, or human development. these programmes, as good as they are they are not dealing with the tortured sprit that our youth are growing up with, we are not exorcising our demons.
The arts are one way to exorcise these demons get people in touch with themselves and see possibilities and potential for self. So when we chop down we must have our own creative solutions to solve the other crises that will pop up. The ting here is how dull and unimaginative our technocrats, bureaucrats and planners, we ministers, have become traped into the idea that to be a success is to have the trappings of the material whealth. We are a people suffering from low self esteem and need counselling badly. Art theraphy comes into to play here well as to shaking out and addind, new and self full filling thoughts of the I, we, he, she, dem. We become literate about the world through art analysis, culture, becomes ITAL. Just understand the force of Rasta as an example of the indegenous industry, churning out millions and spurning much for our rgion. Only some years ago the rasta was being barred from entering countries and locked up by police. Nuf said about culture, and dat id just one example. If all yuh want to follow de worl bank well fine. See if dey will be dy when de oil run dry.
A great paradox for the Caribbean, especially Guyana known for its wastage and corruption is blaming harsh economic realities for the abject conditions under which arts and sport are nurtured.
Poor excuse Mr President, you can’t fool me twice.
Hold on there, brownie boy. It’s a big joke seeing someone from Grenada write about wastage and corruption. I suppose your last government was only doing great things that’s why the public coffers are empty now. So empty in fact, that civil servants might not get paid!
…… allez toutsuit ,,,,,, salop ,, i wonder if he think he would have spoken to brown or bush the way he chose to speak to the president ! had i been there i would have recommended that walcott be sent back to st lucy ,, on a boat ! him with his nobel laurel an all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he should retain his vision for Obama ,, if he gets an invitation to be at the ,,,,, what all of them are hoping for !……
What does Mr. Obama has to do with the remarks made by Mr. Walcott??I have heard person,s speak in the most disrespectul manner about George Bush I guess you have never heard Cafferty or Lou Dobbs on CNN.And what do you mean as to what they are hoping , that Obama be elected President even if he is not elected he has created history as being the first black nominee for the Presidential Election,why are you so bitter I bet he would do a better job for poor people like yourself than Mccain would. And you should stick to the point the issue evolved around Guyana and the Caribbean and has nothing to do with Barrack Obama nor George Bush.That is why it is good when the US deports a lot of you folks despite you were given US Citizenship so you could identify with whom you really are your true identity.
bgsbny leave our barack obama alone stick to your president jagdeo he cant walk in barack shoes no day.
HERE WE GO AGAIN! A TOUGH-TALKING CARIBBEAN CITIZEN SPEAKS UP FOR THE RIGHTS OF CARIBBEAN PEOPLE AND HE GETS CASTIGATED!!! THANK GOD THAT I’LL PROBABLY LIVE TO HEAR THE HYPOCRISY THOSE NOW CRITICIZING HIM WILL PREACH AFTER HE GOES TO HEAVEN.
SPEAKING AS SOMEONE WHO HAS PERSONALLY BEEN INFLUENCED BY THE LEGENDARY WALCOTT, I AM PROUD TO BE ONE OF THE GUYANESE NATIVES WHO CAN STAND UP AND SAY WALCOTT IS RIGHT IN HIS DECLARATIONS.
MAYBE PAYING A HIGH-PRICED EXPERT FOR DEREK’S FREE ADVICE WOULD HAVE SERVED US BETTER, I GUESS. THAT’S THE OLD COLONIAL THINKING, PEOPLE!!!
Bharrat I am with you on this.Satish does not get Mr Walcotts argument.It’s important for the region to record and preserve our art and culture.A good example is Europe. Once you enter those cities, clearly visualised is their history and culture.Yes museums is a great idea.Show casing your culture is applaudable ,but what about the development of the artiste after the show.
Satish it is ok to to disagree, but respect should be maintained in the process
An apology is encouraged for Mr Walcott.
Guyana is a poor country with untapped resources like a comforting bank account.. How much adults we have in Guyana? Like about 125,000? And the rest are children? With that populace and resources, Guyana gives to the world more than they get back. Yes…I agree with the president that it all boils down to money. Yet he will try to promote the arts as much as he can. But right now the arts are not more important than putting food on the table of all Guyanese. With the looming global food and water crisis…you’re gonna see what it all boils down to. The other Caribbean countries does not have the resources like Guyana so they developed their only resource…the arts and entertainment …pampering to the rich whims and fancies of the rich developed world. Its the old crab in barrel story. Guyana has to develop its own resources rather than outsourcing its development to foreign powers.
….. tough talkin’ is accepted ,, but observe the protocol ,, and be respectful not to talk over the head of a nation ,, while in his domain ,, as an invitee,,, to a cultural extravaganza,, let me ask the question again !
would the laurel-wearin-walcott have spoken to brown or bush the way he addressed the President of a nation that can house the rock on which he (walcott) hails ,, if the nobel laurel makes him feel like the emperors of rome then he should go live in rome ,, and see who he can do his shouting at ,,……
Tourism — Prostitution, and the regulations catering for casinos. Tourism was never a big thing under Burnham, because he saw exactly what Mr Walcott is talking about. Of course the dye is cast, but its good to know that someone with intelligence cares.
…. ah doan kno’ who but some badi seh if yuh gat lime an lemon ,, yuh could mek lime water and lemonade……
go figure,,,, walcott talking like he has transcended his laurel ,, projecting himself now as a planetary planner ! if this is the case he’s making ,, then the man he need to advise is Barack,, caz Barack seh he gon change everthing dat wrang wid de world ,, ah gess ‘e gon staat wid africa fuss,, caz if yuh aks a middle schooler dem gon tell yuh de whole ah africa deh behine ,, walcott need to guh an tell dem guvament in africa ,, nat to have parks for game to roam and,, feed an breed an doan have tourist com pon safari,,,,,,,
Is president jagdeo the sole signature of carifesta? You people have a problem with comprehension, did Mr. walcott ever say jagdeo you did this or you do that? Guyana is part of the prostitution to tourism and foreign investment like the gold, diamond, timber, etc, and what is the most hurtful part is that your own native people fighting like crabs in a basket, corruption and the list goes on.
Well,well what a discussion!!! I wonder what the people of such countries like Turkey, Tunisia would have to say about development via tourism and the presevation of native culture.It brings us back to the old economic question of what can be defined as a ‘resource’. Maybe Mr. Walcott as a poet, has never had to face this question.In a globalising world ,it would be extremely unwise to seek isolation. As ‘poor’ countries we really don’t have a choice, as to the direction of economic development we may want to pursue.We also have other restrictions such as access to capital and human resources. The Caribbean isn’t China.It may hurt many to see the ‘white people’ coming back and we ‘gat to serve them’, maybe even with the ‘Yes Massa’. As the old adage goes ‘beggars cannot be choosers’