On Sunday, during a commemorative Founder’s Day service held at Bethel Methodist Church on Bay Street, Mia Mottley – Prime Minister of Barbados and leader of the Barbados Labour Party – issued a heartfelt call for a renewed collective commitment to national progress, emphasizing that the work of building a stronger nation extends far beyond the responsibilities of elected officeholders.
Mottley opened her remarks by framing the gathering as both a moment to seek spiritual guidance and a public appeal for widespread recommitment to the country’s development. “The work will not be done by members of parliament or ministers alone,” she told attendees, underlining that every Barbadian has a role to play in driving national growth.
The Prime Minister highlighted three core pillars that remain critical to advancing the party’s founding mission: political education, grassroots mobilization, and unwavering dedication to public service. She argued that these values are non-negotiable for stabilizing Barbados’ long-term growth trajectory and upholding the original purpose that guided the party’s establishment. “If ever there was a time for this political institution to redouble its efforts in political education, in political mobilisation and in political commitment, in order to stabilise this nation’s growth and to stabilise our commitment to the renewal of the purpose for which we were established,” she stated.
Acknowledging the widespread fatigue many Barbadians feel amid ongoing global and domestic challenges, Mottley noted that periods of difficulty are the ultimate test of a nation’s collective resolve. “It may seem like some to be a call to those who are already weary, and yes, I acknowledge that the distance sometimes can be long and it can carry but it is when you are tired, more often than not, that we see through history that you are tested the greatest,” she explained.
Mottley also stressed the importance of cross-community unity, bridging both religious and political divides to pursue shared national goals. She pointed out that the gathering brought together people of all faith backgrounds, united by the understanding that political work does not override individual spiritual missions. Looking ahead to the coming year, she warned that Barbados will likely face continued headwinds, but expressed confidence in the country’s ability to navigate these challenges – a success that she says depends entirely on collective action, not just top-down leadership.
Drawing a powerful historical parallel, Mottley connected today’s climate of global uncertainty to the era in which the Barbados Labour Party was founded, on the eve of World War II. That period, like today, was defined by widespread instability and systemic inequality: “We were founded at a time when fascism was raising its head. We were founded at a time when people were not seen and people were not heard, and the majority of the people of this country had to do as they were told, not as they wished to do.”
She emphasized that the party’s founding mission – advancing economic enfranchisement and social justice for all Barbadians – remains just as urgent today as it was nearly a century ago. Amid rising global unpredictability, she warned that vulnerable communities are once again at risk of being left behind: “The transformation needed to resist the winds of change that allow the mighty to dominate is urgent. The least, the last and the lost are once again fighting to be protected.”
Mottley also referenced recent conversations with progressive political leaders across the globe, where participants shared growing concern that long-held core values of equity and justice are no longer universally upheld. She urged supporters to persevere, reminding them that the fight for social progress has always demanded sacrifice. “We will not be the first to be asked to carry a heavy burden to fight injustice, nor the first to be asked to complete the journey of transformation,” she said.
Closing her remarks, Mottley paid tribute to a deceased member of the host church before repeating her call for both individual and collective recommitment to national progress. She acknowledged that the Barbados Labour Party and the country as a whole have achieved significant gains over the years, but stressed that sustained, collaborative work remains essential to secure a prosperous future for all Barbadians.