By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ALLYSON Maynard Gibson, a former attorney general, has joined the world of blogging, hoping to spark intelligent discussions about national affairs.

She said she started the blog to “engage in discussion about issues we should consider as we build our future. I hope that Bahamians, including those in the diaspora, will engage in commentary on this site and this will become a place where Bahamians of goodwill meet and engage in discussion and advance innovate ideas about our excellent future.”

The blog is called BeBoldBahamas.

In an interview this week, she said the blog will cover a number of topics.

“We should embrace change,” she said. “I think it’s important in talking about that it’s important to show it’s doable.”

Mrs Maynard Gibson was the Minister of Financial Services and Investments.

As the industry faces upheaval in response to international pressure, she wrote:

"The financial services sector, that for decades has been a source of development and growth for The Bahamas, has the challenge of taking change.

"In my view Sir Milo Butler is the Father of Financial Services in The Bahamas. In the 1960s, Sir Milo Butler, boldly expressed his vision for Bahamian people of colour taking their rightful places in financial services, when he insisted that the Royal Bank of Canada engage Black Bahamians as bank tellers. He did not flinch when his overdraft facility was revoked – a devastating blow. He, and many others in his generation, stood firm for a future for black Bahamians in financial services. Leaders at the time have come out on record the fact that Sir Stafford Sand’s vision for financial services did not include people of colour."

"For decades after Sir Milo’s bold step, young Bahamians were able to take for granted that they could get a job in financial services. They were able to look at black Bahamian men and women as Managers of clearing banks and in prominent positions, including shareholders, in offshore banks and trust companies. I think of Fred Murray, Al Jarret, Walter Wells, Sharon Brown, Calvin Knowles and scores of others who excelled at their profession and paved the way for those behind. And I think of T. Baswell Donaldson, James Smith, Wendy Craig and other Governors of the Central Bank who made it clear to those in the international arena that The Bahamas possessed the vision, discipline and intellectual capital to compete in the international arena. Other service professionals, like lawyers, accountants, secretaries, linguists, etc., were able to take for granted that they could service the financial services industry."