The Antigua and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra celebrated its fifth year of operations in April with a series of concerts, workshops, master classes and appearances across Antigua.

Prolific Antigua and Barbuda writer Joanne Hillhouse

On a recent trip to the Caribbean island of Antigua & Barbuda I was fortune enough to spend a month on Dockside Road in the 18th Century town called English Harbour with the worlds only working dockyard of the Georgian period called Nelson’s Dockyard after the most famous Royal Navy officer in British history. He served in Antigua between 1784 and 1787. The site is  a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the southern part of the island. 

At a recent meeting Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne hinted to Britain’s Earl of Wessex that he use his diplomatic influence to achieve “reparatory justice” for the island of Barbuda as visitors and residents are beginning to return in numbers to the very special island after 2017’s Hurricane Irma caused such devastation.

In celebration of Antigua and Barbuda’s independence, I went to Kitchener, Ontario for a potluck. Ever since I was young, I have looked forward to potlucks because they involve three of my favourite things: food, friends and family. I love the feeling of sharing homemade food with people and the fellowship that it creates. It is also a time for recipe exchange and realizing how much we need to do as a diaspora to preserve our recipes for future generations to come.

Shavani Stewart is an ambitious Antiguan young woman born of Moorish-Jamaican descent. She graduated from the Antigua and Barbuda International Institute of Technology (ABIIT) where she majored in Information Technology. She is currently undertaking her path to leadership as Chairperson and Founder of the Red Pledge Initiative.

The World Health Summit is the unique international strategic forum for global health. Held annually in Berlin, it brings together stakeholders from politics, science, the private sector, and civil society from around the world to set the agenda for a healthier future by inspiring innovative solutions for better health and well-being for all.

Our stories matter. They define who we are as a people and provide us with a sense of community. We all share stories. Around the world, people share stories about anything and everything. Storytelling is an important part of the human experience. We tell stories to entertain and connect with each other, teach others valuable lessons, and document history.