7 News Belize

Hon. Faber Says It’s Hard To Know What People Really Want
posted (January 20, 2014)
The Caribbean Leadership Project is an ambitious one; it tries to equip public service leaders with the capacity to lead their ministries or departments towards growth and regional integration. Today the project held a leadership development session in Belize where top public officers from Belize and other territories gathered to share ideas on Citizen Centered Service. Education Minister Patrick Faber gave the lead address on that subject today where he outlined his experience trying to introduce education reform - and how hard it was to find out what education stakeholders really wanted:...

Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"The landscape of citizens needs and wants is a complex tangle of different interest. What might appear clear and straight forward from the outside is often tangled and tethered with other interest. Untangling these interests requires careful analysis of these interests, persistence and patience. Most of all it requires continuous engagement of stakeholder groups, continuous listening and dialogue."

"We keep on saying to the union who is now the BNTU - the largest union and is demonstrating or having these rallies that the dialogue has not broken down. there is no reason to put the rallies out there because the dialogue is ongoing. The first rally was held two Fridays ago and the Wednesday of that week the officials of the teachers union were in our offices speaking to CEO Leacock and Chief Aired asking for the next meeting to be held quickly for us to continue discussions, yet on Friday you are going out to a rally."

"I make this point to say to you that the dialogue is important and once you have dialogue there is always the opportunity for things to be solved. That maybe my opinion and you are free to criticize that if you wish."

Those criticisms are expected to increase this week Wednesday when the Government has planned a special House Sitting. Outside the national assembly, the NTUCB is expected to be leading a protest.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize