By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement has proposed to “identify” Crown land for the establishment of a Junkanoo theme park in a bid to “foster, protect, and promote the cultural expression” of the Bahamian people if it is elected to office this year.

Additionally, the FNM plans to commit “additional resources” to the junior and senior Junkanoo parades throughout the country, as well as the promotion of an annual Goombay Summer Festival.

And, the FNM plans to establish a Ministry of Culture specifically for the preservation and promotion of the “full cultural expression” of Bahamians.

The aforementioned is contained in the party’s election platform, Manifesto 2017, in a section that deals specifically with culture.

The FNM’s emphasis on culture is in line with FNM Leader Dr Hubert Minnis’ previous declarations that he would absolve the FNM from having to fund Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival should his party become the government.

In an interview with The Tribune last year, Dr Minnis said while the FNM would not cancel the event should it come to power, it would seek to “privatise” the annual festival and instead invest the country’s money into Junkanoo and other cultural avenues while also focusing on “advancing our own identity”.

Others in the wider Bahamian community have also accused the government of adopting other countries’ culture, instead of investing more funding into The Bahamas’ premier cultural event, Junkanoo.

“The Free National Movement is aware that the way individuals or groups see and define themselves and how other individuals or groups see and define these individuals is formed through the socialisation process and the influence of social institutions,” the party said in its Manifesto 2017.

“The FNM firmly believes that it is imperative that developments in the area of culture be done as a means of providing the Bahamian people, particularly young Bahamians, with opportunities for the full and unbridled understanding and expressions of our history and heritage.

“The FNM therefore considers that it is vital to legislate the establishment of a Ministry of Culture to provide a regulatory framework to foster, protect and promote the full cultural expression of our people.”

The proposed Junkanoo theme park will include a cultural village, workshops, shop space for souvenir sales, native food and drinks, IMAX video presentations of past parades, guided tours and a museum.

Other initiatives proposed by the FNM towards the further development of Bahamian culture include mandating that heads of agreements with various hotel industry partners contain a provision to “accommodate local cultural artisans and musicians within their premises,” and increasing funding to the Oral History Department at the University of the Bahamas.

Others include the construction of a national museum of Bahamian history and culture and establishment of a national arts council; investments in the restoration and augmentation of public landmarks and monuments; the expansion of the cultural sector to encompass music, film production, visual and performing and literary arts, and reopening the Bahamas film studio in east Grand Bahama.

Agriculture

The FNM’s plan also includes a section on its proposals to enhance the country’s agriculture and fisheries offerings.

Core among those is the party’s proposal to effectively rename the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Sciences Institute (BAMSI) subsequent to it being made to function as a National Agriculture and Fisheries Research Institute (NAFRI) under the “auspices” of the University of The Bahamas.

The party also said it would legislate policy to “establish, equip and appropriately staff” BAMSI in that regard.

Other initiatives include providing farm land, tractors, refrigerated trailers, computers and business services to Bahamian farmers to support the industry; upgrading the mail boat services and packing house to facilitate inter-island trade, and providing tax incentives and concessions in a bid to promote “sustained production and packaging to ensure a continuous supply of quality products to customers.”

With regard to fisheries, the FNM proposes to legislate policy to mandate the installation of GPS trackers on all boats granted fishing licenses in an attempt to “eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Bahamian waters,” as well as creating additional protected marine areas with a view to “achieving the stated national goal of protecting 20 per cent of national seabed by 2020.”

“The (FNM) is concerned about both the high level of dependency that Bahamians have on imports to feed themselves as well as the negative impact that this has on the country’s balance of payments,” the FNM’s plan noted.