NASSAU,BAHAMAS –Across Europe, we are seeing growing public frustration. From protests over the cost of living and housing to concerns about public services, political leadership, and government accountability – citizens are making it clear that their expectations of government are not being met.
The circumstances differ from country to country, and The Bahamas is certainly not Europe. But as we observe Diplomatic Week here at home, there are lessons in what we are witnessing abroad that deserve our attention.
To be clear, the Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG) does not condone the violence, looting, or wanton destruction of property that has accompanied some demonstrations. These actions hurt communities and undermine legitimate concerns. But condemning destructive behaviour should not stop us from examining the conditions that lead to such frustration.
At ORG, we spend considerable time encouraging Bahamians to become more informed and involved in decisions affecting their lives. But we must also ask ourselves and our public institutions a more difficult question: Are we creating an environment where that participation actually matters? People do not necessarily disengage because they stop caring. Sometimes they care deeply, but have stopped believing their involvement can make a difference. That quiet resignation may be an even more troubling form of public frustration.
Consider a finding from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Its 2024 Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions, conducted across 30 countries, found that 69% of people who felt they had a say in what their government did trusted their national government. Among those who felt they had no say, trust fell to just 22%.
That 47-percentage-point difference should be a wake-up call. People are far more likely to trust institutions when they believe their voices can influence decisions.
ORG regularly hears that the government does not listen, that decisions are made before the public is consulted, or that the same problems arise year after year without resolution. We also hear the familiar refrain: “Nothing ever changes”. Rather than dismissing these feelings as cynicism or apathy, we should ask what experiences have led people to feel this way and what we can all do to change that.
This gets to the heart of ORGs theory of change. Better governance depends on a stronger relationship between citizens and the institutions that serve them. Citizens have a responsibility to be informed, get involved, and contribute constructively to society. Government and public institutions have an equal responsibility to listen, respond, and create opportunities for people to have a meaningful say.
We encourage Bahamians to vote, attend town halls, participate in consultations, and hold their representatives accountable. But engagement must work both ways. When people take time to share concerns or ideas, do they know their contributions are being considered? When communities raise issues about roads, flooding, schools or public services, is there follow- through? And when a suggestion cannot be adopted, can someone explain why?
Ultimately, ORG’s work is about helping citizens and institutions work better together, building trust, improving decisions, and creating an environment where participation actually matters.
There are encouraging signs we can build upon. Recently, the Office of the Attorney General made several legislative proposals available for public review, including proposed Freedom of Information regulations and legislation addressing the rights of older persons and persons with disabilities. This is an important and welcomed step that deserves recognition. It creates an opportunity for citizens, professionals, and affected communities to offer informed recommendations while there is still time to influence the outcome.
What is encouraging today ought to become standard practice tomorrow. Public consultation should be a normal part of developing significant legislation and policy, with information people can understand, enough time to respond, and feedback on how their contributions were considered. The Attorney General’s recent initiative is an opportunity to move in that direction. But responsibility also rests with us as citizens, civil society, businesses, and community organizations to make use of these opportunities.
At ORG, we have developed resources to make it easier for Bahamians to understand proposed policies and contribute feedback. Yet we still struggle to encourage widespread participation. This raises an important question: How do we work together across sectors to make public engagement something more people understand, value, and actually take part in?
There is a world of difference between not getting the outcome you wanted and feeling that nobody bothered to listen. That distinction matters particularly for young Bahamians, whom we regularly encourage to become more involved in national affairs. Civic education is important, but young people also need to see that their involvement can make a difference. The same is true for our Family Island communities, where distance and limited access can make participation especially challenging.
The solutions do not have to be complicated. Make public information easier to find and understand. Give people reasonable opportunities to contribute. Bring communities into conversations earlier, while decisions can still be shaped. And close the loop by explaining what people said, how their input was considered, what changed, and what could not be changed.
These may seem like small steps, but together they could fundamentally change how Bahamians experience governance. The goal is to build a culture where citizens see participation as worthwhile and institutions see listening and responding as part of their responsibility. Through our “Beyond the Polls” initiative, ORG is helping Bahamians become more informed, confident, and equipped to engage directly with public institutions. At the same time, we are working with those institutions to strengthen the ways citizens can participate and be heard.
We must also measure success differently. Beyond how many people attend a workshop, complete a survey, or participate in a consultation, we should ask: What happened afterward? Was there a response? Did anything improve?
I believe public frustration should be seen as information worth understanding. Criticism is not necessarily hostility, and disagreement is not necessarily partisanship. Sometimes it is simply someone asking to be taken seriously. And we should remember that the absence of protest does not necessarily mean the presence of public confidence.
The good news is that The Bahamas has advantages. We are a small country with strong community relationships and opportunities for direct engagement between citizens and decision-makers. We can build on those strengths. As we celebrate Diplomatic Week and consider the partnerships we are building internationally, we should also remember that the strength of our democracy at home is an important part of the nation we present to the world.
Restoring public trust is about creating institutions and relationships that are open, fair, and responsive; while helping Bahamians develop the confidence and capacity to participate and believe their involvement is worthwhile, even when they disagree with the outcome. That responsibility belongs to all of us. If we can move in that direction, perhaps we can begin replacing one of the most discouraging phrases in our national conversation – “Nothing ever changes-” with something far more hopeful:
“I got involved, I was heard, and it made a difference.”
-Matthew Aubry