The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive in The Bahamas amid colonial reckoning
March 25, 2022, 6:41 am

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive in The Bahamas amid colonial reckoning

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge setting off on Caribbean tour to mark Queen's Platinum Jubilee (File photo: Facebook page)

The Today Online reported, citing Reuters, Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate arrived in The Bahamas on Thursday for the third leg of a Caribbean tour that has been marked by protests over the British Empire's legacy and signs of waning influence of the monarchical system.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge faced a protest by Belize villagers and a rally in Jamaica for slavery reparations as well as unusually direct comments by Jamaica's prime minister about the country wanting to be "independent."

Their tour comes after Barbados removed the queen as head of state last year, a move other Commonwealth countries may follow and one that Jamaica has begun to study - potentially fueling a decline of British cultural influence in its former colonies.

William and Kate arrived at the Lynden Pindling International Airport and were greeted by Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper and Attorney General Ryan Pinder.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during the official arrival at Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas I March 24, 2022 (File photo: Facebook page)

During the visit, they are scheduled to attend an assembly at a primary school, compete in a sailing regatta and participate in a cultural event featuring typical Bahamian food and music.

A protest is planned for Friday by Rastafarian groups to demand reparation payments by Great Britain and an apology for slavery.

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The Bahamas National Reparations Committee, an independent panel created by the government to study the issue, made similar calls in a letter.

A letter published on Tuesday read: "They and their family of Royals and their Government must acknowledge that their diverse economy was built on the backs of our ancestors." It said: "They must pay."

A separate demonstration will ask William and Kate to help bring attention to problems facing Bahamian women, including a legal provision that bars the prosecution of a person for raping their spouse, which is sometimes described as "marital rape."

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge setting off on Caribbean tour to mark Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Queen Elizabeth continues to be the official head of state for some former British colonies including Canada, Australia, Belize, The Bahamas and Jamaica, which are known as “realms” of the queen, although she serves as a symbolic figurehead and not political decision-maker.

A separate organization known as the Commonwealth of Nations is a group of 54 countries, almost all of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom, which is primarily focused on promoting democracy and development.

Source: todayonline

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”