Monday, November 10, 2014 - Good-day. I am Myron V. Walwyn, Minister for Education and Culture and I am pleased to bring you remarks in observance of Culture Week 2014. This year, marks the 20th year since the inception of Culture Week in the Virgin Islands. As we get ready to celebrate we expect that our theme, “A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned: A Cultural Principle for Us to Learn” will ignite discussions on the challenges of today’s economy in comparison to the economy of our parents and grandparents.
As we compare the two eras, we will reminisce and as the stories are told, some of us will learn of a past when our people were very conscious of the limited financial resources they had and would use them wisely to make ends meet – using only as much money or food as necessary. With today’s economic climate we can all reflect on the wisdom of our forefathers and use their examples to get us through these challenging times.
As was done in the past, the Ministry of Education and Culture, along with its Departments and Units, would collaborate with various agencies to work on projects to achieve a shared goal that would benefit mutual stakeholders and the wider community. This week will be no different. The Department of Culture has teamed up with Money Matters BVI to highlight the importance of the theme for this year’s celebrations.
The International Network on Financial Education (INEF) has identified financial literacy as a core life skill for participating in modern society. Children are growing up in an increasingly complex world where they will eventually have no choice but to need to take charge of their own financial future. A low financial literacy level among youth sadly tends to lead them to choose unsuitable financial options which in turn often lead a less lucrative lifestyle.
Financial education can make a difference. Financial education is a lifelong process, and the earlier that people are exposed to it, the more likely they are to make wise financial decisions. Money Matters BVI is a programme committed to providing financial education to the BVI community.
They work with Government and financial services industry stakeholders and experts to provide unbiased information on the basics of personal finance, including, but not limited to saving, budgeting, managing debt and banking, all with the hope of creating a financially literate BVI. This all ties in to the investment industry and an understanding of this industry by our young people will be important in the development of our Territory. While the introduction of Financial Services as a subject in our school will help our students to understand the industry and be able to prepare themselves to take on suitable positions there, it will also help them to understand their own management of finances and investment opportunities.
I take this opportunity to express sincere appreciation to the Financial Services Commission for partnering with the Department of Culture to stage this year’s Culture Week. I wholeheartedly support the idea of teaching our young people from the early stages of their lives to be mindful of money matters. The principles learned during this week will certainly be beneficial to them in the long term. I encourage everyone, in particular our youth, to budget wisely; to always be mindful of their spending; save a portion of what you earn and plan your spending wisely.
Culture Week will be observed from Sunday, November 9th to Friday, 14th. This year, there is an interesting schedule of activities with events for everyone to actively participate in and learn from. Several schools will be organizing activities throughout the week and I encourage you to visit a school on the day of their cultural activity; support the students with the Penny Drive Competition and attend the Food Fair which will be organized on Friday 14th.
I take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. LuVerne Baptiste on the upcoming launch of her first book, “Out From Under My Rock”. I also congratulate the members of the newly formed Association for the Preservation of Virgin Islands Heritage. Their efforts are commended, valued and appreciated. I wish them much success with their endeavors.
This Government is committed to the safeguarding of culture of the Territory, both the tangible and intangible aspects, and telling the story of its history. It is through events such as Culture Week that the cultural heritage of the Virgin Islands will be promoted locally and abroad and shared with present generations.
Recognition is extended to the staff of the Department of Culture for its dedication over the years in carrying out its mandate and ensuring the preservation of the culture of the Virgin Islands. In particular, special recognition is expressed for the staging of Culture Week activities over the past years. I implore all students and the wider community to wear their Territorial Wear with pride throughout the week but especially on Friday, 14th November.
Thank you for listening and I now declare Culture Week 2014 officially open.
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