Prime Minister Mia Mottley has warned that democracy and the state are under threat due to modern methods of disseminating information and easy access to automatic weapons.
The Barbadian leader was among a high-powered panel discussing the sovereignty of regional states under the theme The Idea of Caribbean Civilisation during the inaugural Big Talk: Big Conversations series at Freedom Park, Golden Square, The City, on Saturday. It was held on the second day of CARIFESTA XV.
“Democracy as we know it is also at risk, and the reality is that it is at risk because we have moved from broadcasting to narrowcasting. We have created powers and technologies that are available to people’s hands, whether it is a phone or a gun, [and] that immediately changes the balance of power in societies,” she said.
Other panellists included Prime Minister Ralph Gonzalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines; St Lucia’s Ambassador to Barbados, Dr June Soomer; and Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor Sir Hilary Beckles.
