- Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Dr. Erna Brodber holds aloft her Prince Claus Award.
His Excellency Wieck Wildeboer, Ambassador of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, chats with Dr. Erna Brodber (left) and Tourism Minister Aloun Assamba. Ambassador Wildeboer presented his country's prestigious Prince Claus Award to Dr. Brodber, at the Mona Visitors' Lodge, University of the West Indies, Mona, on Tuesday, September 26.
Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer
Last Tuesday evening, Dr. Erna Brodber, who proudly hails from Woodside, St. Mary, became the first Jamaican to receive the Kingdom of The Netherlands' Prince Claus Award.
Ambassador Wieck Wildeboer presented her with the honour in the presence of her peers at the Mona Visitors Lodge, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona.
According to an official release from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, "the Prince Claus Awards are presented to artists and intellectuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of culture and development, primarily in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean". "It is the highest international award that the Netherlands has to offer," says Ambassador Wildeboer in explaining the prestige of the award.
In a laudation written by Professor Carolyn Cooper and delivered by Carolyn Allen, director of the Phillip Sherlock Centre at the UWI, Dr. Cooper creatively outlined Dr. Brodber's cultural journey, using a combination of the local dialect and standard English.
Guest speaker, Tourism, Entertainment and Culture Minister Aloun Assamba, heralded Dr. Brodber as an agent through whom Jamaicans may "retain their cultural identity and sense of connectivity to history". Dr. Brodber is the author of several noted works of Caribbean literature, namely, 'Jane and Louisa Will Soon Come Home', 'Myal' and 'Louisiana'. She is also a cultural historian, social activist and scholar.
Historical moment
"Today is the marking of a truly historical moment and a well-deserved affirmation of the accomplishments to date of Dr. Erna Brodber," continued Minister Assamba.
From a field of 78 candidates worldwide, Dr. Brodber was chosen as one of 11 to receive the award. The principal laureate is an Iranian graphic designer, Reza Abedini. 2006 marks the 10th anniversary of the Prince Claus Fund.
Among those who witnessed the presentation were Mr. and Mrs. Justice Paul Harrison, Clelia Barreto de Hunter, Robert MacMillan, Professor Edward Baugh and Janet Morrison.
