Minister: “Proud To Be Bermudian” Campaign
Government entered into an agreement to acquire the usage rights of the Proud to Be Bermudian song, and will embark on a wide ranging campaign aimed at instilling pride in our residents, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Patrice Minors said.
“The mission of the Department is to improve individuals’ sense of belonging to the Bermuda community through selected community-based activities, and to foster and develop a greater sense for and value of Bermuda’s culture and traditions so as to enhance our quality of life and to create unity and pride in our identity as a people,” said Minister Minors.
“We believe the Proud to Be Bermudian message fits quite well into our overall awareness objectives. Therefore, starting next month, we will incorporate Proud to Be Bermudian into aspects of our Ministry’s signature events starting with events sponsored by the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.”
“Our intent is simply to engender pride among our people and cause them to pause if only for a moment to really ask themselves what it is about them that makes them Proud to Be Bermudian,” said the Minister.
Minister Minors full statement follows below:
Good afternoon,
Today, I am pleased to announce that Government, through the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has recently entered into an agreement to acquire the Usage Rights of Proud to Be Bermudian.
No doubt, you are familiar with the Proud to Be Bermudian song, which was written and produced by the gentlemen you see here with me today – Mr. John Woolridge and Steven Easton.
In the upcoming weeks we will embark on a wide ranging visual campaign.
The campaign is aimed at engendering and instilling pride in our residents about the importance of embracing and recognising the uniqueness of our culture and the diversity our people. I want to share a bit of background as to how we got to this point.
In 2010, during my tenure as the Minister of Tourism, I participated in the formal video launch of a wonderful song. The song spoke about the importance of recognising who we are and the attributes that make us so special as a people.
The song said we have much to be proud of.
The lyrics encouraged us to embrace our similarities rather than dwelling on and complaining about our differences.
The message of that song still resonates with me to this day.
As the Minister responsible for Community and Cultural Affairs, I believed this is a message worth welcoming and incorporating into our overall focus.
The mission of the Department is to improve individuals’ sense of belonging to the Bermuda community through selected community-based activities, and to foster and develop a greater sense for and value of Bermuda’s culture and traditions so as to enhance our quality of life and to create unity and pride in our identity as a people.
We believe the Proud to Be Bermudian message fits quite well into our overall awareness objectives.
Therefore, starting next month, we will incorporate Proud to Be Bermudian into aspects of our Ministry’s signature events starting with events sponsored by the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs.
It’s actually quite timely that we transition into this campaign, as it will come on the heels of our Heritage Month theme of “Celebrating Hospitality Through The Ages”. The theme of “Celebration” will be threaded throughout our Proud To Be Bermudian campaign.
In the upcoming months, residents can expect to see this trademark incorporated into aspects of the Ministry’s signature events.
If you direct your attention to the monitor, you can see some of what we will be showcasing in this campaign.
And I’d just take a moment to list a few more creative images that we will be unveiling to the public.
A logo depicting the concept of Proud to Be Bermudian, to be will be used on collateral materials, the Department letterhead, advertisements, flyers and banners.
The incorporation of the Proud to Be Bermudian song and imagery at events which we sponsor such as:
- Seniors’ Week
- Emancipation celebrations
- Community Education Programme
- Folklife Events
- The Gombey Festival
- The Bermuda Rendezvous Programme
- The Premier’s Concert
Additionally, we will ensure that imagery of diverse groups of Bermudians involved in various industries of our community, such as hospitality, agriculture, fisheries, education, business, etc. will be featured in promos using the Proud to Be Bermudian music.
Ladies and gentlemen, scope of this campaign has the potential to touch nearly every sphere of our community.
Our intent is simply to engender pride among our people and cause them to pause if only for a moment to really ask themselves what it is about them that makes them Proud to Be Bermudian.
It is my sincere hope that the community will embrace and welcome this campaign and it is my genuine desire that it will create a positive mood and invoke a healthy cultural dialogue amongst our people.
Thank you.
-
Read More About
Comments (27)
Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed
Articles that link to this one:
- Videos: National Tourism Master Plan Released | Bernews.com | February 1, 2014
I’m sure Laverne was behind this decision!
Shhhhh don’t tell, that was top secret
She has quite the voice. I’d love to hear her signing it.
In fact I can just picture them … Dame Jennifer on one side of her, the Colonel on the other. A true rainbow of voices.
LMAO, wasn’t this the song that the great defender was railing against???? You couldn’t make it up!!
Was thinking the same thing, what will Ms. Furbert think now that her party has adopted this stance Will she defend the PLP tooth and nail now about their decision?
In case anyone forgot…
Senator Furbert talked about the first verse of the song : “There’s no denying these are not our best days. So many things gone wrong, it seems we’ve lost our way. But for us this is not how the story end, we’ve braved rough seas before, and we’ll do it again.”
Senator Furbert told ZBM, “In other words these times that were are in now, under the leadership of the Progressive Labour Party government, are not our best times. That’s how I see it.”
“But I will suggest some of the words are nice, but I find some of the words offensive. That is why I cannot support this song, and as I said on the radio, I will not purchase it.”
Lol its cool Laverne ya peoples just bought it for you. I hope its elevator music in the BIU building on REPEAT!
http://bernews.com/2011/06/senator-furbert-regrets-comments-about-song/
“The mission of the Department is to improve individuals’ sense of belonging to the Bermuda community through selected community-based activities, and to foster and develop a greater sense for and value of Bermuda’s culture and traditions so as to enhance our quality of life and to create unity and pride in our identity as a people,” said Minister Minors.
Really?! When did the “hate people that don’t look like us” campeign stop? Was anyone wondering why alcohol sales are up, well here we are, a fine example.
Lavernes favorite song! das so funny!
Proud to be who says what,when where.no this is a mis print,there is just no way Ms Laverne Furbert is going to allow Cousin Ewart to be disrespected like this,Our government and our money being spent on WHAT,song given and back by their haters. No IT CANT BE TRUE, WELL I GUESS WE SEE MORE BLACK FOLK SUFFER FOR DIS OBEYING MASSA
Huh…??
LOL well it explains the 8 votes lol
OMG. I hate the song.
But in Third World countries we have songs like this, and photos of our Dear leader (and now our Dear Second Leader) and all that nonsense. But still, we are in a mess and no lousy song is gonna change that!
I was at a meeting last night where the Government’s purchase of the rights to the song. My prediction was that all of the comments on the blogs would be about me. So said, so done.
I stand by my comments about the genesis of the song – THE BERMUDIANS.
Unfortunately, the people of Bermuda, especially the majority of those who post on this blog and others are still “livin’ in a system of mayhem and confusion”.
Yes because we haven’t managed to acheive good governance yet lol and honestly Laverne how could you not expect the comments to be about you when even in one of you comments you use the lyrics to the song! A little manipulated but what’s new? God you kill me lol.
Are you not Proud to be a Bermudian Lavern ? This song is SMOKIN … LOL
Is everything always political? Dang. I thought there would be mostly positive comments but I guess not.
you can not “instill” pride in people, it doesnt happen. people have to find pride in their surroundings, and this song will not do that. in order for people to again become proud the culture and atmosphere must change. all these governments ideas to “instill” pride are humorous and pointless. case in point the whole debacle about National Heroes Day (or is it back to Bermuda Day, and is our hero Dame Lois again?) which is nothing more than a fashion show for all the young people, nothing about bermuda pride.
in·still also in·stil (n-stl)
tr.v. in·stilled, in·still·ing, in·stills also in·stils
1. To introduce by gradual, persistent efforts; implant: “Morality . . . may be instilled into their minds” (Thomas Jefferson).
Solution: Everybody buy the CD, play it every day to your children and their friends; talk to them about what they can do to make their home better every day; change their thinking, change their conversation – they grow up thinking a new way, using new words, minds change, homes change, society changes. It can happen. Instead of governments making the change…YOU make the change, WE make the change. Government will HAVE to change.
I just picked up on this from another site and it left me puzzled too – can someone let me know if I’m darn stupid or not please?
So, songwriters are paid royalties when their songs are used – yes? No? If yes, then why in heck are we (and it is we, as in the taxpayer) paying more money to the songwriters? What are we getting in return? Exclusive rights to use the song – so I aint allowed to play it at home anymore? What exactly is in this agreement? And how much did we pay them?
it will probably be used as PLP campaign song. Let’s see…….
One Ministry only has permission to use the song. It is being used in a positive way….in a way that is in line with the spirit of the songs purpose at creation. Thank you Minister Minors for wanting to keep the message going. Proud to be Bermudian.
Just me but I thought something from the Not The Um Um collection might have been more appropriate.
Proud To Be Bermudian sounds so much like somewhere else’s National Anthem. Like almost everything else called Bermuda culture, it is nothing much more the a ripoff from somewhere else.
After reading Ms Hodgson’s letters of recent I can only imagine all the Whites in the community shrinking in guilt over the terrible injustices they have perpetrated, personally of course, causing the rest to hate themselves, BUT, this song should be the antidote to get us all back together.
Unemployed but feeling better already.
So how much did it cost us?