BVI’s culture of negativity scares educated locals away
Premier Natalio Wheatley has posited that many Virgin Islands natives choose to remain abroad after completing their studies because of the culture of negativity that persists among members of the community.
“When you go to the United States, you meet a whole lot of people from the Virgin Islands. Part of the reason why persons go to school and don’t come back is because they feel the Virgin islands is so negative and they want to escape the negativity and go to a place where no one knows them,” the Premier explained. “Sometimes we’re so nasty to each other that some people just can’t wait to get on a plane, leave and never come back.”
The Premier was speaking at a recent forum on cyberbullying that was mainly attended by students across the territory. He said that negativity is most prevalent in the local social media circles where some are subjected to cyberbullying that even causes them to contemplate suicide.
The Premier told students that he is a constant victim of cyberbullying, adding that residents on various online platforms or “blogs”, usually hurl insults at him.
“You go on the blogs and people calling me “Slowande” – who could really call me Slowande?” Premier Wheatley questioned. “I’m fine with it because my skin is very thick. But some persons when they see their names on a news story or something going around in a WhatsApp group about them – some of these persons actually contemplate suicide. Some go into depression, they can’t eat, sleep, they don’t want to go to school and it’s a big challenge in society.”
The Premier urged the youth to be careful when using social media platforms, especially when using information about others. He reminded the students that under the Cybercrime and Computer Misuse Act, there are consequences for spreading false information in the community.
“I see it being violated all the time and there are very serious consequences. You’re talking about $200,000 and $400,000 fines based on what you do on your phone that you may not know is a crime. We’ve had persons in the Virgin Islands charged under this Act in the past so I want you to educate yourself,” Premier Wheatley said before urging students to practice more love when interacting with each other.
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America aint no paradise either but a lot of us aint coming back to work for Pennies. Minimum wage is low in America and lower in the BVI. The difference is in the vast amount of opportunities. It already hard for us young people to feel hopeful for the future when it doesn’t seem possible to even buy a piece of land or own a home or start a family when you just surviving.
Its the ones that the VIP keep giving belongers to are the culprits
I thought your name was Slowande. People call you that for years way before being Premier.
We all have nicknames. Better to laugh with them than fight them. Maybe that’s a better message for our times.
Mr Wheatley you is the one who scaring the locals awayyyy
“Sometimes we’re so nasty to each other that some people just can’t wait to get on a plane, leave and never come back.”
this first time i Agree with YOU Sawanda
What is the seriousness behind allegedly buying votes? Districts 4, 7 and 9.
You, your former boss and some of your colleagues and supporters are the architects of this negativity in the BVI so shut up. The cult like negativity from the VIP is sickening.
It was Delilah who made you Premier NOT THE ENTIRE BVI
The person who received the bribe goes and report it to the police and they face the consequences for accepting the bribe and the police arrest those that gave the bribe. So the giver and the receiptiants all go to jail.
What the f@qk is this man talking about. Jobs and opportunity primarily keep ppl away.
I agree with the poster when they said we are nasty to each other. We have lost a lot of respect in this country. A lot of it stems from the adults at home and on the call in programs. The premier of a country is not a simple position and regardless of who sits there he/she should be accorded the respect that the position deserves. As to persons not coming back – I also agree that the wages are too low to attract workers as well as the cost of living. I really don’t think the negativity is so much as a factor as those mentioned.
BVI has become to toxic and so persons do not wish to come home. Getting jobs are hard as they now say you are over qualified or under qualified. The pay is also an issue. The cost of living.
The locals are kept down and all the Expats get managerial positions. Only in the BVI you see that happening. In no other country you see this. They always position their people to hold top positions While we keep our people down. Remember when times get tough they have somewhere to go we do not. Look out and take care of your locals. Do a survey Especially at BVIHSA.
bottom line is we apply for jobs and have to wait forever for a response
its so hard to come back home, when you return senior people in departments refuse to work with you, they block you, Hr departments ignore your application or pay you less than you’re worth.
Premier my advice to you is to hold a meeting with graduates who have moved home and get a better understanding. You can’t only look at those who are abroad there are lots of us here who are being negatively attacked for trying to use our education to help develop our home for the future.
The government needs to pay people properly they have their own country living in poverty.when people from the Caribbean fill jobs in the bvi they can quadruple on the money where they came from.we need better pay for the entire Civil service.
Here we have Lorna from his government now saying that she is gonna speed up the work-permit process…Who is looking out for us bvislanders?
These well to do kids born in PR with US Citizenships! The BVI parents brought them there to get the benefits of US education and health care. Is there is anyone to blame?
Nothing negative about Fixing the BVI Schools, Health Care, and Roads. Please just get on with it and people with start sticking around.
Sometimes Better – is just Better (don’t have to call it negativity)
Negativity is a symptom not the cause. The cause is decades of corruption
We, some of us,the local, local, whose roots go back hundreds of years,are some. of the most demonic and devil led people on earth.
The way the treat their own and the horrors they perpetuate against their own people and family are equivalent to the devil and his methods. Mindless, heartless and souless..Satan is a God compared t some of them..
They in both communities. Just ask some in VG and Tola what they have done to ordinary and brightand gifted locals who worked in Education…
One often wonders if they will ever see door of heaven.
Scholarships are given to BVIslansers who were born in the USA.So what do you think would happen, Sl**ande??? You educate them to benefit America. These young folks are home, so what do they need to return back here for. Stop dishing out taxpayers’ hard own dollars,like that man
This online media adding to cyberbullying –
// You go on the blogs and people calling me “Slowande” – who could really call me Slowande?” Premier Wheatkey questioned.
Lmao – what a dig? lol
Living large abroad, running water 24/7,uninterrupted internet on demand, electricity with zero outage…
Too many poor updeislhn folks to deal with in BVI Not for me. Reminds me too much of how much we have lost in the character of our country.
Is it truly a culture of negativity scaring them away or do we just not pay them nearly as much as they would make elsewhere? Or is refusing to pay them well part of said culture of negativity? Because to me people mean online everywhere it cant just be fear of cyberbullying scaring them away.
Look at how the Premier’s point is proved. Under an article about cyberbullying of children being part of the reasons why people migrate to places where ppl don’t know them…vile and disrespectful comments with nothing to do with what was actually said by the cyber trolls. Your point is proved Premier!
The article was about comments made re CYBERBULLYING and it is absolutely the reason some ppl feel the need to be far away.
Sorry my dear but that is a ridiculous statement. The money they make here is spent here. Have you tried to rent a one bedroom apartment lately?Pay electricity and water? How about buy a car? Buy gas? Buy food? For instance, when a nurse is hired and moves here from the eastern caribbean she has to find a place to live on her salary. By the time she pays for transportation, etc. if she has anything left over to send home to double or triple the value, all I can say is God bless her. Some of you really need to know what you are talking about before you get on here and talk nonsense. And no, I’m not from down island, UK or US.
When hired on contract from outside the BVI they get a housing allowance that is in adding to the regular salary.