The passing of Wendell Callender, a former politician, social activist, writer and educator, not only reminds us of the need to cherish people while they are alive, but his death is a timely reminder that democracy does not thrive unless there are people who test it and are committed to maintaining it.Now some may say that we are ascribing too much credit to the humble man who felt he could achieve anything to which he put his mind.The 70-year-old may be known to younger Barbadians for his spirited discussions on social media on matters of politics, law, education, culture and social issues.He was not one to shy away from offering his opinion on topical issues, even if his was counter to the general sentiment. Callender stood with the island’s two major political parties, and successfully contested the Christ Church East seat in 1994 under the Barbados Labour Party banner.However, in a demonstration of his unwillingness to blindly tow the party line, he returned to his roots in the Democratic Labour Party in an attempt to regain the Christ Church East seat in the 1999 election.What is most noteworthy about the late Callender also was his commitment to memorialising the various travails of party politics in Barbados from the viewpoint of a man who was on the inside, as well as a keen political observer from the outside.
