We want to hear the real voices of Bermuda

Welcome to a special edition of 6.0 Minutes. Two years ago, during the lead-up to the 2012 election, I submitted my first Letter to the Editor to The Royal Gazette. 

As it was a letter in support of the PLP, it took nearly one month to get printed.

This pattern continued for the better part of the pre-election period, with delays in printing my letters, whilst OBA supporters’ letters were printed the day after submission.

One day I received an e-mail that Tony Mc William, the editor of the Bermuda Sun, wished to speak with me. As I was neither dead, nor facing murder charges, I wondered what it was all about. So I ventured to his office to speak with him. We discussed politics and social issues pertaining to Bermuda.

At the end of the conversation, I was offered a space to write a column for the Bermuda Sun, commencing October 2012. Tony gave me three words of advice at the beginning of my journey of column writing:

• Research your stories;

• Present factual evidence;

• Many doors will open for you.

What a wonderful journey it has been. I have met hundreds of persons face-to-face or via e-mail. I have been stopped in the street by strangers giving me their opinion on a piece I have written. All in all, I have grown, I have learned, I have evolved.

Part of my evolution is taking more time to allow others to fully express their perspectives, no matter my opinion on a subject. Even amongst supporters of the PLP or the OBA, many have differing opinions on any given subject. Everyone has a thought, everyone has a voice.

Bermuda Voices

A few months ago, I was approached by two fellow Bermudians who wished to utilize their skills in video production to bring the voices of Bermudians to the forefront. What we are thinking of doing is creating various formats of:

• Panel discussions;

• One-on-one talks;

• Debates;

• Interviews.

We are not attempting to re-invent the wheel in any way. What we are attempting to do is allow a wider variety of Bermudians, and residents of Bermuda, a voice to speak on the myriad of issues we have in our country:

• Social

• Economical

• Racial

• Gender

• Political

• Educational

In this world of multimedia meeting social media, we will present video material that persons will be able to view via their tablets, smart phones, laptops and PCs.

As with my columns, we will put much research into the topics we bring to you, and speak with persons who are ready, willing, and able to help bring topics of importance to this country, and indeed the wider world.

Listen and learn

Irrespective of any of our political affiliations, we must strive to listen to others and learn all that we can learn from them. Our country must demand accountability, not just of elected leaders, but of every resident within our 21 square miles we call home.

To my faithful readers, I thank you for your support over the years. You have helped to groom me one way or another.

We all have much to learn from each other and much to teach each other. 

Most important, we must learn to speak with each other, and not simply speak about each other. In the words of one of my mentors, “We must instil hope in one another.”

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