Caribbean News Now!

By Nerissa Golden

BRADES, Montserrat (GIU) -- The Office of the Premier in Montserrat on Thursday held a stakeholders meeting to review the draft national cultural policy for the island.

The process of creating a cultural policy began in November 2011 with a public forum. In July of this year, it was announced that Professor Sir Howard Fergus was leading the process with a team of key resource persons to include Dr Clarice Barnes, Ann Marie Dewar, and Alric Taylor.

The group was charged with making an assessment of the state of culture on Montserrat with the goal of formulating a national cultural policy that will set the framework for the development and planning of culture for at least the next ten years.

A series of talkback sessions, radio call-in shows and interviews with members of the Diaspora was held to gather the thoughts of the community on culture and how elements can be preserved and what needs to be done to promote it.

During Thursday’s session, more than 25 people gathered to discuss the various sections of the document, including tourism, media and technology, self worth and national pride, masquerades and economic development.

The comments and reviews on the documents as drafted will be compiled and shared with the committee to be included where necessary in the policy said Mrs Mendes, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Premier.

The Office of the Premier is encouraging more people to read and comment on the draft cultural policy. Copies of the draft plan can be downloaded on www.gov.ms or on the blog at http://mnispirit.wordpress.com set up to continue the conversation.

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