Remarks By Dr. The Hon. Timothy Harris, Minister Of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Industry & Commerce, And Consumer Affairs At

The 13th Reunion Of The Anguilla Nevis St. Kitts Associations Reunion,

St. Kitts Marriott Hotel – June 21st, 2008

Hon. Timothy Harris

Firstly I wish to extend congratulations and welcome to the members of the Anguilla Nevis St. Kitts Associations Reunion (ANSAR) on the celebration of their thirteenth reunion. I am honoured by your invitation to speak on this auspicious occasion.  I thank you for your invitation and the courtesies extended to me.

I feel enormous energy and enthusiasm in this room. The sense that there is no place like home is palpable everywhere. I am delighted that so many of you have come. I hope this will be a wholesome and exhilarating experience. The theme for this year’s celebrations is: ‘One People, One Purpose: Working Together for Progress and Prosperity’.
 
It is a powerful theme that will continually be relevant to issues of progress and development because it resonates the key features of achieving goals; the need to unite and work in order to bring about change and progress. When I reflect on the words of the theme, a number of famili

ar sayings come to mind: ‘No man is an island, no man stands alone’, ‘United we stand, divided we fall’, ‘There is power in numbers’. The common thread in all of these statements highlights the power of collectivity in achieving goals and this fact is something I am sure we can all attest to.

One People
The islands of St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla have long shared a history dating back to the days of discovery, settlement, slavery and colonialism and internal self government. All three of our islands were settled by the English in the 1600s and we were later incorporated into a single British dependency in the late nineteenth century, 1883 to be exact. The three-island dependency achieved full internal autonomy in 1967.  From the onset the Constitutional and political unity within the trinity was tenuous. The events of 1967 (Anguilla Rebellion), 1971 (UK accepts Anguilla as a colony) and 1979 (Premier Southwell accepted the reality of Anguilla’s defacto separation) are well known. Suffice it to say that the unity that we could not achieve by political intervention was achieved at the level of the people.   ~~Adz:Right~~

Despite a political climate and history that emphasized notions of disunity and separation, the people of our islands have continued to forge lasting ties with each other. It is quite common to hear a Kittitian or Nevisian speak about their Anguillan grandparents or hear an Anguillan comment about their relatives who live in St. Kitts or Nevis. We often hear Kittitians boast of their Nevisian lineage.  Our common ancestry and shared experiences in colonization and slavery have created a bond that still persists today.

In spite of our physical separateness, Kittitians, Nevisians and Anguillans wherever they are located share strong familial bonds and bonds of friendship too. And this is something that we should be proud of. 

There are many other countries that continue to suffer the effects of political separation; countries that face an inability to have their peoples co-exist peacefully. The feat of togetherness continues to eclipse these nations and their people continue to forego the great strength that lies in unity. In my mind, our three islands, St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla, provide a shining example of how such obstacles can be overcome by the people themselves. And this example comes not only in speeches or in treaties signed by Heads of Government, it is practically demonstrated in the lives of the average citizens whose lineage is decorated with Kittitian, Nevisian and Anguillan roots, who live and work in one of the islands, and it is demonstrated in the creation of ANSAR – the Anguilla Nevis and St. Kitts Associations Reunion.

ANSAR
When ANSAR was conceptualized in 1984, the aim of the association was to promote the coming together of nationals and friends of our three islands residing all over the world. A platform was created to facilitate the integration of our people to exchange ideas, form new partnerships, renew friendships, and to create avenues for growth in areas such as trade and commerce. This new grouping not only provided an avenue for socialization but gave nationals, especially those living abroad, the opportunity to come together to share ideas and charter new paths toward development and betterment.

ANSAR echoes the concept of ‘One People’ for it is essentially the embodiment of a network for our nationals, formulated in a framework of togetherness and collective support. In a world that emphasizes difference and lauds the concept of individualism high above collectivity, ANSAR recognizes the importance of unity. It is not to say that individualism should be dismissed and put off for in fact individualism gives way to creativity; but what we as a people should strive for today is to collectively combine our individuality in order to achieve a common goal. Even though we are all different, unity can be found in our diversity.

One Purpose
Unity must not simply be a concept that is idly used to describe the grouping of people; unity must become an operationalized concept used as a force to effect change and betterment. With the realization of the need for unity, energy must be focused on the attainment of a common purpose. It makes no sense to congregate simply to increase the size of the group. There must be a reason for the congregation. A common purpose must be identified within the group. When this is done, the individual talents can then be employed to bring about the collective objective.

What then should be the collective objective? Our focus should be to effect change, but not just any change. We should strive to create the kind of change that is positive for ourselves, our countries, and for the world. We should continually ask ourselves ‘How can my actions make me, make my country, make the world a better place?, How can we as a group help to make Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis better? What I can do?

ANSAR is a part of the drive to make a better way of life for our nationals. Your organization recognizes the concerns and interests of Anguilla St. Kitts-Nevis nationals and has come together to jointly tackle these issues. And more of this is needed in our islands where people unite and become part of the solution rather than sit back passively and change nothing.  Together we can achieve more.   ~~Adz:Right~~

Working Together for Progress and Prosperity
St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla nationals share a close relationship so it is no wonder that an association such as this was created. Because we are bound by ancestral and familial ties, it is only natural that we look out for each other and seek ways to make life better for ourselves. It is important to note that ANSAR recognizes that this betterment process has to be a joint effort. We must work together to achieve progress and prosperity.

Our nationals have come together driven by the common desire to see our people advance, to have our dreams realized and to make our islands better today than they were yesterday.  Our interaction must then be founded in the notion of the benefits that may be derived from mutual cooperation.

Many of you have lived abroad for some part of your lives and have now returned home. I applaud this step for it demonstrates your ongoing commitment to the growth of these islands as well the region. However I urge you not to stop here but to seek out ways through which your civic involvement can be exhibited. Find ways to become positively involved in the furtherance of our people. I encourage you to remain committed to seeing our people advance in this great world.

Diasporic Conference
I want on this occasion to recommend that we take this getting together through the expedience of ANSAR a step further; and in recognition of the extraordinary contribution that our people everywhere can make to the challenge of development, we can now organize a diasporic conference to allow structured dialogue with you our stalwart citizens and well-wishers about a more formal and special role for you in national development across economic, social and political spheres.

There are too many opportunities arising in St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla. You should have first choice to benefit from them. There are many challenges facing this nation and our region; challenges of crime and violence, male under-performance, declining morals, and an education system that is seemingly not sufficient to fulfilling the imperatives of daily living. Of course there are other more global issues with which you are not unfamiliar such as the evolving food crisis, the escalating cost of petroleum products, immigration and integration.  A diasporic conference will allow you to have a rightful say on these issues and more.

Such gathering of our kith and kin from yonder lands, and from near a field and home, can provide an opportunity for the usual reminiscing, wining and dining but it also must provide a platform is being created for collaboration in the shaping of national policy. The Diaspora conference of which I spoke earlier will prove to be a significant event in the process of closer engagement. I urge you to give studied consideration to the idea and dynamics of its implementation.

In closing, I wish to extend on behalf of the Government, sincere thanks to our nationals for their sterling myriad contributions which over the years our diasporic community has been making to nation building. I look forward to your sharing of your experiences and expertise to the improvement of the quality of governance and development.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs I remain committed to the sustaining and strengthening of our cherished relations for the ultimate benefit of our people - the people of the trinity of Anguilla, Nevis and St. Kitts – the islands we love best.
Long Live ANSAR! Long Live the People!