Basseterre, Saint Kitts, July 03, 2025 (SKNIS): In a ceremony rich with pride and purpose, Her Excellency, Nerys Dockery, Secretary-General of the St. Kitts-Nevis National Commission for UNESCO, made a powerful call to reframe how the nation views and teaches its past as she delivered remarks at the UNESCO-Ministry of Education Essay Competition Announcement Ceremony held on July 02, 2025, at the NEMA Conference Room.
“As we gather here today, we are reminded of the bold agenda set forward by our Honourable Prime Minister, Dr. Terrance Drew, to make Saint Kitts and Nevis a fully independent sustainable island state by 2040,” said Ambassador Dockery. “The objectives of our Essay Competition are intentionally aligned with this vision.”
The event brought together students, educators, government officials, and proud parents to celebrate the accomplishments of participants in the national essay competition themed “The Importance and Value of Students Being Taught Their African Ancestral History.”
Addressing the audience not only as an ambassador but as co-chair of the UNESCO Routes of Enslaved Peoples Committee, Ambassador Dockery emphasised the importance of this national conversation.
“The UNESCO Routes of Enslaved Peoples Committee, under my co-chairmanship, has dedicated its efforts over the next eighteen months to starting a national conversation on the importance of teaching our ancestral African history,” she said. “We are the country’s leading authority bringing together stakeholders involved in cultural and heritage preservation and the dissemination of knowledge and art that uncover our shared past of enslavement, the transatlantic slave trade, and the resistance it inspired.”
Ambassador Dockery noted that the competition is more than an academic exercise – it’s a step toward decolonising national consciousness and reclaiming identity through education. With passion and poise, she celebrated the students' efforts as evidence of a generation ready to rise with cultural clarity and purpose.
The ceremony also recognised the collaborative support of key figures and institutions. Ambassador Dockery extended heartfelt thanks to Governor-General Her Excellency Dame Marcella Liburd for her patronage, to the Ministry of Education for its partnership, and to the distinguished judging panel, including Carla Astaphan and Sheila Morris, for their meticulous evaluation of the essays.
“Let us continue to nurture a love of learning, a sense of self-awareness, and a deep appreciation for our rich cultural heritage,” she concluded.
The event offered not just recognition, but renewal – a reminder that by understanding our roots, we shape a future that is bold, just, and uniquely our own.
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