Prime Minister Perry Christie is encouraging all Bahamians to dream big and build the country as the country moves closer to celebrating its 40th Independence.

“We live in a country where all of the possibilities must be thought of,” the prime minister said during the opening ceremony of The Bahamas at 40: Reflecting on the Past, Envisioning the Future Independence conference.

“I could be a dreamer, but so were the people before my time, who were the independence generation.”

The ceremony was held on last Wednesday and hosted by The College of The Bahamas through the School of Social Sciences and in partnership with the government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Mr. Christie, told the audience at the Performing Arts Centre in the Keva M. Bethel Building, that we should ensure that our stories as a collected people are told, as we build bridges between generations of Bahamians.

“For far too long, we have neglected the heroes and heroines of the “Quiet Revolution,” this needs to change,” he said.

“It is my hope that the conference organizers will live up to their lofty goal of publishing the proceedings of the conference, so that we might continue to tell our stories in greater measure. Let us not stop at simply printing proceedings, we ought to capture the entire conversation that unfolds between presenters and participants.”

The prime minister also pointed out the various national entities that were created because of persons who had a vision and the fortitude to make it a reality.

“They had big dreams and the dreams became: The Central Bank of The Bahamas, The Defence Force, in 1974 The College of The Bahamas,” Mr. Christie said.

“It became Bahamianization and the expansion of secondary education. That’s what dreams are about. That’s what thinking big is about.”

He also pointed out that The University of The Bahamas will be the “instrument that guarantees the continuity that is so necessary for developmental policies will guarantee the accountability for those of us in public life.”

The conference brought together academics, activists, policy makers and artists who while pursuing diverse research interest, have a common bond built upon the foundation of our nation’s rich intellectual resources, noted Dr. Christopher Curry, conference committee Co-chair and Assistant Professor at The College.

“The theme Reflecting on the past, envisioning a future embodies our attempts to bridge our past achievement as a nation with our current conditions, as well as future possibilities for development,” Dr. Curry said.

President of The College of The Bahamas Dr. Betsy Vogel-Boze encouraged members of The College community and all Bahamians to reflect on the accomplishments and the lives of great Bahamian leaders and citizens, who have helped mold and shape the consciousness of the nation.

“We should celebrate our heroes and institutions including that of The College of The Bahamas,” she told those gathered.

“At age 40, we can reflect not only upon the vibrant history but also the education of its citizenry. The College of The Bahamas has been and continues to be a transformative agent producing citizens that have made significant contributions and advancements in: politics, business, education, science and all fields.”

The conference, held at The College of The Bahamas from June 12th -14th, had 17 concurrent panels and four broad plenary sessions.

Each plenary focused on specific issues of national significance, delicately balancing the position of The Bahamas and its local national issues within the broader international context where the processes of modernization, globalization and trans-nationalism continue to shape this archipelagic nation. Panel presenters addressed a range of important issues such as: identity formation, development and sustainability, educational reform, cultural expressions, medicine, law and, human and animal rights.