Foreign Affairs Minister hails Guyanese contributions to Federation;
As South American country celebrates 42nd Independence Anniversary

By Stanford Conway
Editor-in-Chief-SKNVibes.com

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris

Dr. Harris made this pronouncement and others when he addressed the participants at the St. Kitts Chapter of the Guyanese Association’s Benefit Dinner in celebration of Guyana’s 42nd Independence Anniversary held at the Lawn Tennis Association, Victoria on Sunday, May 25.

“Our two countries have long enjoyed a mutually beneficial friendship crafted by shared values, a common desire to see our people advance, as well as mutual understanding of the issues plaguing our small economies.

“Although our relations precede the formal establishment of the CSME, they have always been nurtured in the framework of Caribbean integration, bearing in mind the potential benefits which this sort of cooperation can produce,” Dr. Harris said.

He said St. Kitts-Nevis-Guyana relations go back to the days of the late Robert L. Bradshaw, first Premier of the Federation, and the late Forbes Burnham, former Prime Minister and President of Guyana. “Both of these distinguished leaders were influenced by the idea of integration and forged bilateral relations between our two countries, envisioning and embracing the benefits of such collaboration and cooperation.”

President of the Guyanese Association Mark Handley presents Dr. Harris with a poster of Guyana’s historical sites

The Foreign Affairs Minister declared that the most memorable area to which Guyanese nationals have contributed in the Federation is probably in the defunct sugar industry. He pointed out that Guyanese workers had made up a significant portion of the labour force, occupying positions as pan boilers in the earlier days.

“Later,” Dr. Harris added, “labourers were imported from Guyana and specialised in areas from the labs to the sugar cane fields. Guyana provided us not only labourers and lab technicians, but also with a former general manager in the person of Mr. Joseph Alfred. Following in the path of a mutually advantageous alliance, St. Kitts-Nevis nationals employed at the Sugar Factory, would often journey to Guyana to capitalise on training opportunities in the field of agriculture.”

He pointed out that Guyana has also been instrumental in the training of members of the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force, while Alvin Vasquez has given some 37 years combined service to the Police Force and Her Majesty’s Prison, and the Association’s President, Mark Handley is an officer in the Police Force. 

“Our two countries have come together with the intention of creating an improved situation for our peoples by drawing on the best qualities of each other. Guyana possesses the largest physical land mass of all other CARICOM member states. With this in mind as well as the vision of ‘One Caribbean’, Guyana has offered land space for agricultural development to other member states. Indeed this is a true demonstration of Caribbean cooperation,” he said.

Dr. Harris stressed that the combination of the two nationalities not only presents opportunity for economic development, but also provided an avenue toward the expansion of social and cultural cooperation.

A section of the audience in attendance

 Dr. Harris however warned that the opportunities created by the concept of free movement and inter-culturation also come with numerous responsibilities that the Caribbean peoples must remain aware of in order to ensure the success of this system.

He also claimed that the opportunities for advancement fostered by the CSME are not simply for personal gain, but are designed for people to make positive contributions to the Caribbean community.
He told the gathering to keep in mind that when people contribute to the development of the region they are at the same time creating a better way of life for themselves as individuals.

“This type of two-fold contribution is demonstrated by many of your nationals. For instance, Mr. Stanford Conway, a Guyanese national is Editor-in-Chief of one of the most vibrant and informative websites operating out of the Federation. All of you I’m sure are familiar with his work seen on SKNVIbes.com. Mr. Conway’s enterprise provides not only a source of personal growth but also provides a vital information service to national and international audiences.

“Another notable Guyanese national who demonstrates this commitment is the proprietor of CJ’s Fashion and Tailoring. His provision of services generates income for himself and his family, and also provided a service to the community, thereby positively contributing to the growth of St. Kitts-Nevis and making it a better place for me and you live. ~~Adz:Right~~

“I hail too, the work of several other media personalities like Clive Bacchus at WINN FM. I hail your nationals here contributing as teachers, lawyers, husbands, wives and students. I hail those in construction, tourism and hospitality, horticulture and agriculture,” he said.

Dr. Harris said he is happy that although St. Kitts and Nevis is a small island state they are able to provide their kit and kin in the Caribbean a safe and decent home away from their native land.

Earlier in his address, Dr. Harris said a successful Guyana means a successful Caribbean because that country has many resources of land, minerals and other natural assets, that their effective exploitation would create a new dynamic of growth for the Caribbean region.

He pointed out that Guyana’s place in the history of Caribbean civilization is an important one, noting successive leaders of Guyana have displayed a pan-Caribbean vision and a commitment to Caribbean integration.

“This is true of Burnham, Jagan, Jagdeo and it will be true of the leadership after them. For them, Caribbean unity was not only necessary, it was destiny. That is why apart from our common history of ‘discovery’ by Europeans, slavery, emancipation, apprenticeship, self-rule and independence, our leaders common vision created a platform for ongoing relations. No sooner had the West Indian Federation expired, President Burnham worked energetically to establish the Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA),” he said.

Dr. Harris thanked the Guyanese Association for inviting him and stated, “As you, the Guyana Association celebrate your 42nd Anniversary of Independence and we, Kittitians and Nevisians, commemorate our 25th Anniversary of Independence, we still face many challenges. The prescription for overcoming them lay in our applying our industry and wisdom.”

The President of the Guyanese Association thanked Dr. Harris for accepting his invitation and, on behalf of the Guyanese Diaspora in St. Kitts, presented him with a poster depicting some of Guyana’s historical sites including the world’s tallest wooden building – The St. George’s Cathedral.