Yes … I’m long winded
Yes … I’m long winded and with the help of AI I have more time to pontificate with help. It’s like a Thesaurus, Dictionary, Student Companion and encyclopedia all rolled into one. Today is a very long read.
Yes … I’m long winded and with the help of AI I have more time to pontificate with help. It’s like a Thesaurus, Dictionary, Student Companion and encyclopedia all rolled into one. You may very well take a few days to read and digest but I got it off my chest. Dearest Gentle Reader: When Will Sister Islanders Find Their Baljinas?
Penned by Sharon Flax Brutus September 19, 2026 Dearest Gentle Reader, There is an uncomfortable conversation that we have avoided for far too long: the deep and apparently widening divide between Tortola and Virgin Gorda - and, indeed, between Tortola and all the Sister Islands. I use the term ‘Sister Islands’ quite loosely as I feel we are more akin and closely aligned to the term ‘Bastard Islands’ (BI).
I tend to go with the figurative meaning; Something or someone treated as illegitimate, unwanted, rejected, or denied rightful recognition. This divide that has existed for decades. But today, it feels more pervasive, more deeply embedded and more openly reflected throughout government and even civil society.
Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke are too often treated as the BVI’s “bastard islands”- good enough to generate revenue, welcome guests and enhance the Territory’s international image, but apparently not important enough to receive an equitable share of representation, services, infrastructure and investment.
Look at the composition of our statutory boards and public bodies. How many residents of the ‘Bastard Islands’ are seated at those tables? And when we are represented, how often are we anything more than a definite minority - or appointments influenced by political loyalty, nepotism and tokenism rather than broad community participation?
The Commission of Inquiry and the reforms that followed were supposed to strengthen transparency, accountability and good governance. Yet political appointments and unequal representation of the BI’s continue to be part of our reality. Decisions affecting Virgin Gorda are still too often made on Tortola by people who do not live here, do not experience our daily challenges and, in some cases, may rarely set foot on the island.
They do not wait with us for adequate healthcare. They do not navigate our deteriorating roads. They do not experience our water shortages and unreliable electricity. They do not depend upon our limited dock, airport and emergency-response infrastructure. They do not witness the limited services available to our elderly, young people and vulnerable residents.
And yet they make decisions about what Virgin Gorda needs - and, far too often, what Virgin Gorda can do without. And yes, there are Sister Islanders serving as assistant permanent secretaries, department heads and senior officers throughout government. Their presence, however, has not necessarily translated into greater influence or equity for the Sister Islands.
In my opinion, many have themselves become marginalized within the system. Some may feel compelled to protect their positions, pensions and livelihoods. They have mortgages to pay, children to feed and families depending upon them. Therefore, understandably, they may remain silent or simply go along with the status quo.
But that silence - however understandable - allows the system to continue. It unintentionally helps to deepen the very marginalization affecting Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke. Representation without the freedom or willingness to speak is not true representation. Having Sister Islanders occupying senior positions means very little if they feel unable to challenge decisions that consistently disadvantage their communities.
I do not write this as someone looking in from the outside. I have sat in the meetings.I have served on the boards. I have sat at the tables where decisions were discussed and priorities determined. I have raised the issues affecting Virgin Gorda and the Sister Islands, sometimes repeatedly, only to be met with resistance, discomfort or outright dismissal.
At times, I have even been told, “It looks like all you want to talk about is Virgin Gorda.” My response is simple: somebody has to. If those of us from Virgin Gorda do not speak about Virgin Gorda, who will? If we do not keep our needs before the decision-makers, how quickly will they be forgotten?
Primary source: Virgin Gorda Community Board (Facebook)