The government is seeking participants – regardless of social or economic status, island of origin or political party preference – to communicate their ideas, aspirations and priorities for the future of The Bahamas through in-person discussion groups to be held on 11 islands.

The discussion groups will be moderated by an independent third party facilitator and will begin on Monday, August 31 at various locations in Nassau and the Family Islands.

These groups are part of the Stronger Bahamas National Conversation initiative. The initiative provides an opportunity for Bahamians to engage on issues of importance to The Bahamas, such as preventing crime, creating jobs and improving education.

It also gives persons a venue to communicate directly with the government their ideas and proposed solutions for challenges specific to their island of residence.

“We want to ensure that Bahamians feel positive and hopeful about our future as a country,” says Prime Minister Perry Christie.

“This can only happen if our citizens feel engaged in our plan for the future. We want all Bahamians, no matter who you are, where you live, or who you vote for, to be part of the plan so that we have a clear roadmap to a Stronger Bahamas that reflects the realities of our people,” he continued.

“The National Development Plan will contain concrete and measurable actions aimed at building a safer, more prosperous and more modern Bahamas for future generations, which is something all Bahamians can support. It is also a plan that will guide government decision-making and policy development until 2025, no matter which political party is in power.”

Corresponding with the launch of Stronger Bahamas on May 27, the National Conversation online survey on StrongerBahamas.com was initiated. To date, hundreds of Bahamians have contributed thoughts and ideas on how to build a Stronger Bahamas for our future. The in-person discussion groups aim to generate additional opinions from Bahamians.

All feedback gained through Stronger Bahamas initiatives will be used to help draft the country’s National Development Plan.

Feedback will also be used within the Public Service to guide policy-making, so that national governance is more in-line with public expectations and priorities. The discussion groups build off the work of the National Development Plan team, who have also been traveling to the Family Islands this summer, hosting town hall meetings, and one-on-one meetings with industry stakeholders and other influencers.

How to participate?
The government is asking for volunteers who want to be part of the in-person discussion groups. All feedback provided will be confidential and will not be attributed to any specific person.

Persons who volunteer will be asked demographic questions and will be entered into a database. A maximum of 12 people per group will be randomly selected to attend and will receive further details on the meeting time and location.

Those who are not selected to participate are encouraged to complete the National Conversation online survey on StrongerBahamas.com.

Those interested in participating are asked to email info@strongerbahamas.com and provide their name, contact information (email and phone number), and which group they would like to attend.

Persons can also leave a voicemail at 242-636-8943, again providing their name, contact information and which group they would like to attend.

The recruitment and facilitation for the in-person discussions are being managed by an independent third party, to ensure the process is fair and objective.

Meeting dates and locations
North Long Island – Monday, August 31
South Long Island – Monday, August 31
Grand Bahama (West End) – Wednesday, September 3
Grand Bahama (Freeport) – Wednesday, September 3
Grand Bahama (High Rock) – Friday, September
Cat Island (New Bight) – Saturday, September 5
Harbour Island – Monday, September 7
Spanish Wells – Tuesday, September 8
Eleuthera (Governors Harbor) – Tuesday, September 8
Eleuthera (Rock Sound) – Wednesday, September 9
Exuma (Georgetown) – Friday, September 11
Exuma (Staniel Cay) – Friday, September 11
Bimini – Tuesday, September 22
Abaco (Coopers Town) – Wednesday, September 23
Abaco (Marsh Harbour) – Wednesday, September 23
North Andros – Thursday September 24
South Andros – Friday, September 25
Nassau – Tuesday, September 29 and Wednesday, September 30