01Three-Day Symposium
Leadership & Freedom
April 28 – 30, 2026
📍 Old Spirit Bond, Bridgetown, Barbados
All Symposia
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Registration
9:00 am – 9:30 am
Welcome
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Session 1 —Philosophies on the nature and status of freedoms globally: Groundings for the leaders
Chair · Dr. Roxanne Burton
Presenter · Dr. Margaret Gill
Chair · Dr. Roxanne BurtonPresenter · Dr. Margaret Gill10:30 am – 11:15 am
Session 1 (cont'd) —Poetic reflections on freedom and leadership
Presenter · Adrian Green
Presenter · Adrian Green11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Session 2 —The current moment of Imperialism and possible reactions from the south
Presenter · Dr. George Belle
Presenter · Dr. George Belle1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Break
2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Roundtable —Venezuela and Cuba in Focus: Framing the Situation and Possible Responses
Chair · Julius Gittens
Presenter · Ambassador David Comissiong
Presenter · Burton Sankeralli
Presenter · Martha Gabriela Ortega Peraza
Presenter · Sunity Maharaj
Chair · Julius GittensPresenter · Ambassador David ComissiongPresenter · Burton SankeralliPresenter · Martha Gabriela Ortega PerazaPresenter · Sunity Maharaj9:30 am – 11:15 am
Session 1 —Capitalizing on artificial Intelligence to exploit industrialization opportunities in Barbados
Presenter · Mark Hill
Presenter · Mark Hill11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Session 2 —Capitalism and possible futures of labour in the wake of automation through artificial intelligence and roboticsChair · Adrian Green
Presenter · Cde Pigbin Odimwengu
Chair · Adrian GreenPresenter · Cde Pigbin Odimwengu1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Break
2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Roundtable —Burkina Faso in Focus
Presenter · Dr. Lazare Ki-Zerbo
Presenter · Mani Habib Dakouo
Presenter · Cde Wendlassida SimporéPresenter · Cde Pigbin Odimwengu
The forging of Traore
Presenter · Dr. Lazare Ki-ZerboPresenter · Mani Habib DakouoPresenter · Cde Wendlassida SimporéPresenter · Cde Pigbin Odimwengu9:30 am – 11:15 am
Session 1 —Assessing the philosophies of continental Pan-African leaders from Nkrumah to Traore and their strategic relevance to the coming multipolar arrangement
Presenter · Dr. Rodney Worrell
Presenter · Steven Golding
Presenter · Dr. Rodney WorrellPresenter · Steven Golding11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Session 2 —Evaluating leadership approaches within CARICOM in response to the United States' policies on Venezuela and Cuba
Note: This session has been changed to show a repeat of Dr George Belle's talk on the current moment of imperialism.
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Break
2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Roundtable —The State of CARICOM and its Union
Chair · Dr. Kristina Hinds
Presenter · Dr. Tennyson JosephPresenter · Dr. George BellePresenter · Sunity Maharaj
Presenter · Professor C. Justin Robinson
Chair · Dr. Kristina HindsPresenter · Dr. Tennyson JosephPresenter · Dr. George BellePresenter · Sunity MaharajPresenter · Professor C. Justin Robinson★
May 1 – Labour Day: Celebrating with labour unions.