A few months ago I was invited to the Association of Bermuda International Companies Education Awards function, celebrating multitudes of Bermudians who had received scholarships over many years. As I looked around the room, I saw Bermudians of every age, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic bracket.

Persons whom I had known most of my life and persons whom I had never met before.

In between the sips of cocktails and the nips of hors d’oeuvres, there was plenty of interaction between all gathered. Punctuating the evening were speeches by several notables who have helped to steer Abic, the international business industry and, by extension, the economy of Bermuda through both calm and not so calm waters.

Among those who spoke of the mission of Abic were the following gentlemen: Christian Dunleavy, Cyril Whitter, Patrick Tannock and Richard Winchell.

Their overriding theme was the joy of looking into the audience and seeing the wealth of Bermudian talent — persons whom they have watched come into the international business industry and develop skill sets that have moved them, their respective organisations and, indeed, Bermuda forward.

Another narrative was that, despite global trends, international business had flourished in Bermuda, owing primarily to compliance with international standards and a stable jurisdiction.

Stable jurisdictions are the end result of a number of factors inclusive of but not limited to economic, social and political balance.

As we are on the cusp of yet another General Election a lot of words will be bandied about by both political parties and their supporters. We are in silly season where the cut and thrust of partisan politics are part of the daily menu in all forms of media, barroom and barbershop conversations.

Yet through it all, economic stability and social responsibility must be balanced.

Depending on whichever side of the political divide any one of us fall on, our views may very well be shaped by personal perspectives. However, other persons’ views cannot be avoided nor discounted.

There are those of us who need to learn more about the threads of our multicultural tapestry in order to know that while we are “Two Bermudas”, in many ways there are common grounds that we all stand on.

Likewise, there are those of us who need to learn more about how our economy works and the need to balance high net-worth visitors, international business executives and investors with the upliftment and empowerment of our very own forward-thinking Bermudians.

The election will come, ballots will be cast and a country will decide who should be in the driver’s seat for a four to five-year term.

Yet, through it all, international business will remain our main economic engine, followed by our hospitality industry. Let us all take a page out of Abic’s book and continue to sow seeds in Bermudians of every stripe with words, deeds and social policies.

•Christopher Famous is a Progressive Labour Party organiser. Reach out to him on WhatsApp at 599-0901 or e-mail carib_pro@yahoo.com