UWI Global Campus SVG to host Annual Oscar Allen Memorial Emancipation Lecture on Food Sovereignty

The University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus in St Vincent and the Grenadines, in partnership with The Friends of Oscar Allen, will host the Annual Oscar Allen Memorial Emancipation Lecture on Thursday, August, 21, 2025, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at The UWI Global Campus, Richmond Hill.

A release from the campus announcing the activity states that Dr Andrea K. Veira, Lecturer in Teacher Education at The UWI Five Islands Campus, Antigua and Barbuda, will deliver the keynote address on the topic: “From Plantation to Plate: Food Sovereignty as True Emancipation.”

Her lecture will delve into the historical food injustices faced by Caribbean communities, the ongoing dependency on external food sources, and the urgent need for resilient, self-reliant food systems in the region.

One with more than 15 years of experience in education and agricultural development across the Caribbean, Dr Veira, a graduate of the Girls’ High School, has worked extensively in teacher education, adult education for farmers, and agricultural research. Her expertise spans agroecology, biodiversity, and the integration of technology in education and agriculture.

Alongside the lecture, an interactive exhibition which will provide a visual and hands-on experience related to the themes of the lecture will open at the campus from 3:00 p.m.

Oscar Allen, a farmer, social activist, and community builder, among other things, resided at Diamond Village; he died in July, 2017.

The UWI SVG Open Campus said the Annual Oscar Allen Memorial Emancipation Lecture continues to serve as an important platform for education, dialogue, and celebration of emancipation in the Caribbean. The UWI Global Campus and The Friends of Oscar Allen have extended an invitation to the public to participate in this meaningful event.