Independence is a responsibility to make wise choices… says PM Douglas
Convent School student wins Independence Theme Competition

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

Prime Minister of St Kitts-Nevis, Hon. Dr Denzil Douglas  at the opening ceremony of our 25th Independence Annivesary

The event, which was also witnessed by a number of Ministers and Government officials as well as Resident Judge, Justice Francis Belle and members of the National Independence Committee, included the announcement of this year’s theme for the landmark event: “Pride, Development, Progress – Independence, 25 Years of Success”.

The theme is the product of Guevelle Pemberton of St. Theresa’s Convent School, who won the recently held national competition that required participants to submit entries no longer than 10 words, which must reflect the Federation’s past and present achievements.

Also announced were the names of winners of the National Stamp Competition.

Dennis Richards submitted the winning entry for the $25 stamp and Richard Browne of Basseterre High School the $5 entry, while Yvado Simmonds of St. Thomas Primary on Nevis and Davern Johnson of Newton Ground Primary School were winners of the $1 and 30? entries, respectively.

The feature address was delivered by the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, who spoke on the significance of independence.

“Twenty-five years ago, St. Kitts and Nevis joined the world community of nations as an independent sovereign state. At that moment, with the raising of the flag that now symbolises so much to us the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, we the people assumed full and complete responsibility for the charting of our destiny.”

Dr. Douglas said September 19, 1983 represented a very dramatic turning point in the lives of Kittitians and Nevisians, who have been residing on the shores of the Federation for almost 400 years and “what a history it has been…what a tragedy these two islands had seen”.

“When we think about it,” he said, “our quest for independence began, indirectly, long before our ancestors even set foot on these soils.
 
It began with their efforts to break free of the chains on the slave ship, then later the shackles of the plantations. It continued with our ancestors when they came together, unafraid, to build friendship societies to organise in defence of the common good. 

It built momentum and placed us eventually on the path…on this path with the establishment of labour union.”

Dr. Douglas pointed out it was evident that his ancestors were also fighting for everyone in the Federation to have the right to vote and for every child to have the right to an education. “So today, I remind you that education is the key to true liberation of a people,” he added.

The Prime Minister intimated that since then independence has been in the heart and mind of the people of the Federation, which came to fruition in 1983 when political leaders negotiated on the terms and conditions with the British.

Dr. Douglas told the gathering that independence is much more than the nation’s National Anthem and its Flag. He said it is the motto, a host of associated symbols and rituals and, most importantly, an opportunity to make choices, to exercise options and for the nation to chart its own destiny.

“Independence is also a responsibility to make choices…choices that are wise, choices that uphold the justice, choices that serve the common good that expand opportunity, that preserve our dignity, our security and our humanity as a people.  ~~Adz:Left~~

“Independence is not so much a state of being; it is far more of a journey, a process. It is an exercise and a test of which we must always prove ourselves to be worthy each and every day of the year and every year that we exist as a nation.”

He noted that despite St. Kitts and Nevis is the smallest nation in the Western Hemisphere, impartial global institutions have ranked it more highly and performing at a superior level than most countries globally, especially in the areas of life expectancy, literacy and political stability.

In his explanation of the Federation’s superior performance, Dr. Douglas said the nation applied vision, confidence and efficiency to successfully transform its 350-year sugar-based economy into one that is based on services, tourism and hospitality.  

He asserted that the educational system, health care services, the modern housing stock, road network, telecommunication system, advances in tourism and financial services, freedom of speech, press freedom and political stability bear testimony to the nation’s progress.

The audience was entertained with two musical renditions by M Hewlett on the steel pan, ‘drumology’ by the National Drummers and a genre of music by the Nu Vybes Band.