101431 BC Jamaican HC NL A4 8pp R02_Layout 1 25/08/2015 11:54 Page 1
The Jamaican High Commission London – Newsletter September 2015
JAMAICA CELEBRATES 53RD BIRTHDAY action involving commitment, responsibility, patience and sacrifice on the part of all members of our national family.”
On August 6, Jamaica celebrated its 53rd anniversary with messages from the Governor-General, His Excellency The Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, ON, GCMG, CD, Kst.J; Prime Minister the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, ON, M.P; the Leader of Opposition, Mr Andrew Holness, M.P. and Jamaica’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Her Excellency Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, all extolling the theme: “Proud and Free… Jamaica 53!” The Governor-General encouraged Jamaicans to embrace the occasion. “We celebrate our people: the strides we have made nationally and internationally, the vision for our growth and our wellbeing, as well as the challenges which must impel us to forge sustainable solutions. We cherish our brand as a people who are creative and resilient. Once we are united in our struggles and objectives, our dreams and aspirations; with divine guidance there will be no difficulty which we cannot overcome.” Sir Patrick also called upon Jamaicans to join forces against crime and violence. “Believe that we shall prevail and overcome,” said Sir Patrick. “Let us end the culture of silence and help bring perpetrators to justice. Let us redouble our efforts to transform the lives of our people and so end the downward drift of our youth, in particular, to gangs, drugs and guns.” The Governor-General also
commemorated the declaration of the Blue and John Crow Mountains as a UNESCO world heritage site. “This is a treasure, among others, which we must preserve for future generations,” said Sir Patrick. The Prime Minister praised the resolve of Jamaicans to face the future with confidence and stand in the present with purposeful determination, strengthened by the many national successes of the past. “Since January 2012 the Government of Jamaica has embarked on a courageous and successful effort to reform the Jamaican economy, correcting once and for all, some of the structural weaknesses that have contributed to our country’s high indebtedness, low growth levels, high unemployment, and less than satisfactory investments in growthinducing infrastructure and other areas of social capital development,” said Mrs Simpson Miller. “The Economic Reform Programme is a national call to social and economic
The Prime Minister pointed out that there has been a tremendous improvement in Jamaica’s “Ease of Doing Business” ranking by the World Bank, inflation has been reduced to its lowest level in 48 years, and Jamaica’s investment in the education of the people as a share of the national budget is among the highest in the Caribbean and Latin American Region. Mr Holness said that as we celebrate and reflect on the day of our political independence, we must not use these festivities as a distraction from our realities, nor should we reflect only to engage in blame. “This is a time for learning from our history and recommitting as a nation to quickening the pace of our development and growth while avoiding the pitfalls while avoiding the pitfalls of the past,” the Leader of Opposition said. The High Commissioner observed that Jamaicans continue to excel on whatever platform and in whatever fields of endeavour they find themselves. She added that many members of the Jamaican Diaspora can recall with fondness the pride and joy of the new Jamaican flag being hoisted for the first time. “I thank the Jamaican Diaspora in the UK for their unswerving commitment to Jamaica,” said Mrs NdombetAssamba. “Despite being far away from your homeland, you continue to keep the Jamaican flag flying high and continue to support the growth and development of our beloved country. A special thank you also to our ‘Honorary’ Jamaicans who have embraced Jamaica with open arms and have never looked back.”