Column: Ball-Burgess On Leadership & More

[Opinion column written by PLP Candidate Joanne Ball-Burgess]

This week, the Progressive Labour Party gathers under the theme: Leadership for the Next Generation.

Some will hear that and think it’s just a slogan. But I don’t. I believe that it is a mission and a call to action.

Because if we are honest, many young Bermudians have grown tired of politics; tired of speeches that don’t change anything, tired of decisions being made without them, and tired of waiting their turn.

I hear these phrase often:

“What’s the point?”

“They’re not listening.”

“They’ll never let us lead.”

And to be real with you, I understand the frustration. Since I moved back to Bermuda about three years ago, I’ve felt it and lived it too.

But I also know this: if we sit on the sidelines, we give up our power. If we walk away, nothing changes. And if we wait to be handed the future, we may never get it.

This is why we need the next generation to step up now. now. Not just to speak out, but to be active participants in shaping what is yet to emerge.

We need young thinkers, builders, creators, and truth-tellers who aren’t afraid to challenge the way things have always been done. We need people who understand that leadership isn’t about titles, it is about service, about purpose, about improving the lives of Bermudians now and for the future so that legacy can be built not just for the few but for the collective.

The PLP was born out of a generation of Bermudians who said “enough is enough.” They were young and unafraid to move when others told them to wait. They acted with courage and conviction, and in doing so, changed the course of our island’s history.

Today, as we continue to build legacy we grapple with the juxtaposition that we are shaping what is urgently needed while simultaneously navigating structures that reflect the past. These systems were shaped by inequities, yet our resilience rose in spite of them. It was that same resilience which strengthened our communities, opened doors of opportunity, and brought a measure of equity where there was once exclusion based on race, gender, socioeconomic status, ability, and the like. It reminds us of how far we have come, and how much further we must still go so that all marginalized persons in our community can live with dignity and fully participate in a Bermuda crafted with each of us in mind.

Transformation takes time. When the roots of change are forming, the fruit cannot yet be seen, even though we crave its sweetness today. But just as generations before us built the foundation for progress that many of them did not get to see, we too are laying the groundwork for the Bermuda of tomorrow.

Now is our time.

Not one day. Today.

Let us not be the generation that scrolls, shrugs, and stays home.

Let us be the generation that organizes, mobilizes, and leads.

Whether it is through the PLP Youth Wing, your local constituency branch, or simply showing up to ask questions and share our truth, we each have a place. Not as a spectator, but as a builder of a fairer, stronger Bermuda.

If we want more affordable housing, we have to fight for it.

If we want a real say in our future, we have to step forward.

If we want leadership that reflects us, we have to be that leadership.

This conference isn’t just for PLP politicians. It is for every young Bermudian who believes that our island can be better than our current reality.

This is our moment. Let’s lead together.

- Joanne Ball-Burgess, PLP Candidate for Constituency #25

#JoanneBallBurgess #OpinionColumns

Category: All