A Democratized Celebration

One of the goals of any nation is to have active citizens with an aware­ness of democratic processes. History has taught us that heritage, when properly used, can be a channel to facilitate this. The Community Independence Celebration in Barbados is a fine example of how a nation has been successful in creating active citizens, engaged in democratic public discourse and community building, through educational projects and ac­tivities within the community. It shows how use of information centres such as museums, archives, and libraries are essential tools in democratic nation building in young nations like Barbados. In the movie A Democratized Celebration Sherwood McCaskie demonstrates how policies and projects designed to enhance community identity, sustainable cultures, and local economies continue to serve as tools for the wider cause of so­cial development and positive social change.