BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 15th, 2016 – Today, Friday, July 15th marked the official start of preparations for the celebrations surrounding the commemoration of the country’s 33rd Anniversary of Independence that will climax on Independence Day, Monday, September 19th.
The 2016 Independence Planning Committee, led by Minister of State in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services, the Honourable Senator Wendy Phipps, met this morning for the first time, and will meet weekly going forward. The initial meeting was held at the headquarters of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Lime Kiln, Basseterre.
On Monday, June 13th, the Cabinet of Ministers decided at their formal meeting that the Honourable Senator Wendy Phipps should lead the Independence Planning Committee again this year. The Cabinet Secretary, Mrs. Josephine Huggins, and the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr. Osbert DeSuza, have Co-Chair responsibilities.
The close to 30 persons in attendance at this morning’s meeting represent a wide cross-section of government departments, such as education, health, information, national security, and tourism, as well as civil society organizations based in both Nevis and St. Kitts.
Committee members discussed the 2016 Independence Celebrations’ Programme, as well as lessons learnt from the planning and execution of the 2015 Independence Celebrations.
In relation to the theme for this year’s celebrations, the 2016 Independence Planning Committee invites the public to submit pithy, captivating entries to the Cabinet Secretariat via email. The email address is cabinetsec@govt.kn. The submission deadline is Wednesday, July 27th, 2016. Each emailed entry should include the full name and phone number of the person who submitted the theme for consideration. The winning entrant will be duly recognized.
Last year, St. Kitts and Nevis celebrated its 32nd Independence Anniversary under the theme United in Building a Stronger Nation. In his 2015 Independence Day Address, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris told the nation that, “Our theme expresses the values of togetherness and unity. It acknowledges that we are better when we work together. We hope that our Independence theme encourages all of us to work productively to keep our nation resilient and strong. If our people are our greatest asset then the unity of our people must be the qualitative condition which we cherish most. Our humanity, our industry, our creativity and our conscience must shine through at all times.”
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