40 Years of Independence - Special Edition by STAR Publishing

SAINT LUCIA

special Edition February 16th, 2019

Celebrating Saint Lucia

Celebrating

Independence

On The Cover

What Does Independence Mean to You? The STAR headed out to find out just what the observation means for Saint Lucians around the island. The perspectives were mixed but one thing was certain: hope for the island’s progress remains at the heart of Saint Lucians far and wide! I don’t think people recognize how important it is to be able to say that we, as a small nation, have achieved something so significant. I think it says so much that those before us set such an example for all of us, that on our own we can be something wonderful. Saint Lucia has come a long way, and we still have some way to go, but every day I see the progress that my island is making, and it makes me very proud to be a Saint Lucian! --- Justine

I don’t even think Saint Lucia should have been independent in the first place. I think we would have been better off still under the British, or at least with more access to some of the benefits that would have offered us. I wonder often who’s idea was it really to be independent. We are

still dependent in many ways on so many donor agencies, and countries around the world. We can’t even adequately fund our police force! I think whoever the person was who decided we should be independent needed to think more about that decision, and in that light I’m not convinced that we were given much choice in the matter! --- Louise

SAINT LUCIA

Amazonal by Junette Alexander is currently available at MeCurator’s Nobel Laureate Youth Art Exhibition. The artist is a Visual Arts teacher at Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School.

I’m not very patriotic but I love holidays. I will be celebrating the day off work with the rest of Saint Lucia, most of whom will have no idea why there’s a holiday in the first place! --- Randall I’ll be honest, I’ve always struggled to find the difference between National Day and Independence Day. Two very similar occasions with patriotism at heart, but at the same time very different. I will take the time to wish Saint Lucia a happy independence nonetheless! --- Mandy Independence is one of my favourite times of year. I love especially heading around the island with the bikers for the annual motorcade! That’s one thing I hope will never be removed from the Independence calendar and I appreciate that the scope of activities keeps growing every year. I am looking forward to a very exciting Independence weekend, and week to follow! --- Diane We always have something bad to say about our country. It’s nice that we can now focus on something good. Saint Lucians deserve a reason to celebrate, and to pay tribute to the people who have helped us reach where we are today. We are not the biggest, but we certainly are the best in our own right! --- Narissa

Happy 40th Independence

St. Lucia Digicel congratulates the proud nation and Saint Lucian people on 40 years of Independence

SIR JOHN COMPTON’S LAST INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH

INDEPENDENCE DAY YOUTH RALLY

Celebrating

FEBRUARY 22ND, 2007

Your Excellency, the Governor General; Honourable Minister for Education and members of Cabinet and of the House of Parliament of Saint Lucia; Your Excellencies, members of the Diplomatic Corps; Principals, Teachers, students, parents and guardians, ladies and gentlemen:

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oday, I once again have the privilege to address the children of Saint Lucia. The last time I did so was eleven years ago when I said farewell to you as your Prime Minister. Some of you who heard me then, as students, now hear me perhaps as teachers. In whatever capacity you are today, I address you with great humility as I am aware that I address, many of whom will be the leaders of Saint Lucia, be it as teachers, business or professional people; be it as farmers or fishermen; be it as doctors, lawyers, engineers or electricians – all have a part – an important part in building the future of our country. What Saint Lucia will be in ten years time will depend very much upon how you prepare yourselves today. The seed you plant today will be the fruit you eat tomorrow, or as the saying goes in our vernacular, ‘how you make your bed, that is how you will lie on it’. You have been given an opportunity that our parents never dreamt of. Today you can see before you, doors that can be opened which were closed to your parents. The key to those doors lie in your hands, and the key is the education and training which your parents, your leaders and your Government have made sacrifices to give you. My plea to you today is that you should not throw it away. Twenty-eight years ago, in discussing what should be done as a lasting monument in celebration of our Independence, we did not choose a monument of concrete and stone. We did not choose to erect a building – we chose to invest in our future by educating our young people, by making secondary education free for all who qualify in the common entrance examination. How right that decision was can be seen, that today many of those who benefited from that decision are in leadership positions, not only in Saint Lucia but in many of the international organizations. They should be your role models, they are the ones who have cut through the undergrowth and cut the trail in your pursuit of excellence. The theme chosen for this years’ Independence celebration, ‘Rising to the Challenges of Globalization’ is both relevant and timely. It directs our thoughts to the realities of the modern world. Modern communications have broken all physical barriers. The bird flu in far away places causes a shortage of poultry meat in Saint Lucia. The terrorism of 9/11 affects the jobs in small hotels. The CARICOM Countries have agreed to create a Single Market and

Economy in which, not only goods can travel without barriers, but also people can travel as well, but only people with certain qualifications. You therefore have to educate and train yourself to compete for employment not only with your fellow Saint Lucians, but others from other CARICOM countries, with higher educational standards. Our duty is to equip you with the standard of education to permit you to compete and you must equip yourselves to meet these challenges. Your birth certificate and your residence here will give you a head start, but it will not give you protection – your birth certificate therefore is not the only certificate you should have. Last year, the policy of Universal Secondary Education was announced. To meet its lofty goal of offering education beyond the primary stage, much needs to be done to fine tune it – to ensure that each child is placed in a school or institution best suited for his or her talent. For this reason, your Government has created a Task Force headed by a distinguished former Minister of Education, Mr Louis George, to report before the beginning of the next school year. It is realized that some children will be placed in schools away from his or her district. Government will re-introduce subsidized school transport to relieve the parents of this financial burden. We shall transport the children to the school to which they are assigned and take them back. The loitering on the roadside will be a thing of the past. In grading the schools and planning the students we are reminded of the parable of the talent: some were given ten talents, some five and some one, but every person was given a talent. It is how we use the talent we have been given that matters. We can waste it idleness or we can invest it in our education. As I reminded you earlier, the choice is yours, with the assistance of your parents, your teachers and your friends. How you make your bed, is how you lie down. Education is not only book learning, as we are often reminded. Education is how you make the best use of the talents, the opportunities you have been given. There are activities outside the class room in which you should participate - in sports, in music, in drama, in activities in your community. Instead of sitting on the block after school, you should be joining clubs and other organizations to explore your talent: your aim should be manifest when you join clubs, set goals and not start gangs to shoot each other. The reintroduction of the school transport

Sir John Melvin Compton, former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia should give you opportunities to participate in extra curricula activities. If you have to stay after school to participate in games or practice your interest transport will be available to get you home. This will cost money, but it is an investment the county must be prepared to make to permit its children to ‘rise to the global challenges’. The young people must remember that there are some things which come not back – the sped arrow, the spoken word, so too is the lost opportunity and the misspent youth. There will be many challenges which you will face in this globlized world, so too are the opportunities. Here I am reminded of the creed I leant from one well known teacher and Arch Bishop Finbar Ryan, who drilled this into us and I recount it to you as you face these challenges of life, “I am only one, but I am one – I cannot do everything but I can do something; Whatever I can do I will do and do it well with the help of God.” Now go forth with these words in your heart and with the words of the Motto of one of your secondary schools, “Enter to Learn – Go forth to Serve”. Now go forth to prepare to serve Saint Lucia and use whatever talents God has given you. God bless you and bless our homeland forever.

SAINT LUCIA

What’s changed since February 1979?

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eeks before Saint Lucia’s 40th anniversary of Independence, preparations were in full swing. Sections of the capital were freshly painted with the national colours; flagpoles were erected along the John Compton Highway, near the Castries market, and construction on a monument at the Waterfront roundabout had started. All this and more coincided with activities across the island, on the packed calendar of events. But just how much have we grown as a nation since that pivotal day in 1979? In the February 20, 2004 issue of this newspaper, readers were asked the following question: “How far has Saint Lucia come since attaining Independence in 1979?” Most of the responses focused on the Royal St. Lucia Police Force, the health sector, and education. Mechanic Patrick Stephens wished for a workforce made up of people both academically, and vocationally trained. He acknowledged strides in development had been made, but there was need for improvement. “We also need to have the police on the beat and provided with the necessary equipment to do their jobs,” he added. Leroy Constantine told the STAR the government was trying to keep up with changing times, perhaps resource constraints and finance were holding them back, with negative impact on further. “We are still in the 1970s with healthcare. Apart from an extra ward being built, the same old nonsense happens in the Victoria Hospital casualty ward.” Donald Gill, a shop-owner from Ciceron, advised that before we count our gains we should count our losses—because it’s the losses that break a nation. “Security is lacking,” he said. “We need a proper police force. We are lacking in the healthcare department as well. I have seen improvements in education. But are the programs adequately geared towards

Saint Lucia

Quick Facts

Forty years later Saint Lucia readies for Independence Day celebrations but just how much has changed? providing the labor force with competent employees?” These above sentiments were given expression nearly two decades ago; has anything changed? If not for the stated time, readers would presume the observations were made earlier this week. For one, the RSLPF continues to face the same old challenges, with no end in sight. Last December, Police Commissioner Severin Monchery appeared on the Police Insight TV show where he outlined several of the problems the force faces. They included resource constraints, manpower limitations, its inability to process forensic samples and so on. He explained that manpower limitations often resulted in officers being required to work longer shifts, and with the closure of our own forensic lab, assistance has to be sought elsewhere. The commissioner, perhaps diplomatically, neglected to mention the monster in the

• Saint Lucia was known as the Island of the Iguanas by the Amerindian Arawak and Carib people who are known to have been among the earliest settlers here. • At 950 m (3,117ft), Mount Gimie is the highest point on this island nation of Saint Lucia. • Both France and England continuously struggled to establish sole control over Saint Lucia throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries. In the bargain, this island nation changed hands nearly 14 times. • Around the year 1600, the Dutch were the first to build Vieux Fort (or the old fort). • In 1746, the town of Soufriere was built under French administration. • In 1814, Saint Lucia was surrendered to the United Kingdom, and came under British rule. • On 1st March, 1967, the nation became self-governing in internal affairs. • Sir Arthur Lewis, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences in 1979, was born in Saint Lucia in 1915. • Derek Walcott, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992, was born in Castries in 1930.

room: IMPACS. It’s been six years since the US imposed Leahy Law-related sanctions based on alleged “gross violations of human rights by the force.” By all indications, a resolution to the matter seems a long way off. In terms of the health sector, the trials have been well documented. September this year will mark ten years since St. Jude Hospital, in Vieux Fort, was destroyed by a fire of unknown origin. The hospital has been housed in the George Odlum Sports Stadium, itself in a dilapidated condition. During his most recent New Year’s Address on January 19, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet said: “Construction is set to start within the next few weeks.” As for the Owen King EU Hospital, Mr. Chastanet has stated that a joint venture with a private firm would be in the best interests of the hospital and the country. As Saint Lucia celebrates its 40th anniversary of Independence, we might do well to recall Cicero’s reference to “irrational exuberance.” ---JSA

• Gros Piton and Petit Piton are twin peaks that rise from the sea. These marvelous volcanic monuments have contributed in a big way to making Saint Lucia very famous. • In 2004, the Pitons Management Area containing much of a collapsed stratovolcano known as the Soufriere Volcanic Centre, became a World Heritage Site. • Population: 180,151 (UN estimates 2019) • Land Mass: 238 square miles (616 square kilometres) • Currency: East Caribbean Dollar (XCD) • Language(s): English, Kwéyòl • Leader of Government: Prime Minister Allen Chastanet • Politics: Parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm • Life expectancy: 78 years (men), 82 years (women) • Administrative Districts: 10 districts • Economy: Tourism, Industry, Manufacturing, Agriculture Bananas, coconuts, vegetables, citrus • Exports: Bananas, cacao, vegetables • Legal System: English common law • Voting Age: 18

Opposition Will Observe Anniversary But… By Hilary Modeste

n 1979, when a BBC journalist named Martin Bell asked premier John Compton, on the eve of St. Lucia’s independence, why he could not refer to the opposition party without acrimony, the soon to be prime minister reacted angrily. He called upon the gathered journalists from Canada, Britain, the U.S. and the region to lift their eyes from the mud and look up at the stars. He accused Martin Bell of coming to St. Lucia to look for dirt. Of course, Mr. Bell’s question was never answered. Ten years later the prime minister still offers no evidence that he learned from the recalled experience. He continues to see the opposition party as “prophets of doom,” who want to destroy all his “good works.” His favourite description for members of the opposition is “power hungry.” Mr. Compton has never seen the opposition as partners, with whom he should work in the interests of our country. Mr. Compton sees those who did not support his party in the last elections as “the enemies within.” The present leader of the opposition, Mr. Julian Hunte, has offered his services on a proposed bi-partisan committee to look into the problem of unemployment, to no avail. His letters to the prime minister have for the most part been ignored. The big question that hangs over the future of our banana industry inspired the opposition to write to Mr. Compton in the hope of establishing a joint approach to the problem. Again, Mr. Compton has ignored all advances by the opposition leader. And now we come to our tenth anniversary of independence. Characteristically, Mr. Compton and his government have kept the opposition out of the whole thing, as if independence were a UWP convention where only staunch supporters are welcome. Even when plans were being drawn up for Gros Islet’s participation in the independence celebrations, no one thought to consult with the town’s parliamentary leader. It comes as no surprise that the opposition party and its supporters feel left out of the government’s show. Yes. The program that the government drew

up is nothing but a show. These independence celebrations have been set up as a smokescreen, a stage on which the prime minister hopes to show off his “good works,” with the opposition party and its supporters outside the theatre.What the opposition party will not do is support the farce that the government has organised in its selfish interests.

While the opposition party will of course observe St. Lucia’s tenth anniversary of independence, we won’t be party to Mr. Compton’s party tricks. We will not help him with the cosmetics that he plans to put on the face of our reality for the benefit of visitors who, at home, would not tolerate Mr. Compton’s version of the parliamentary system. We take this opportunity to wish St. Lucia a happy tenth anniversary of First published independence—and pledge to observe the principles February 18, of democracy at the end of this government’s term. 1989. Happy days! SAINT LUCIA

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January

Castries Comprehensive Auditorium) | Feb 20th Science Month | Jan 9th District Independence Rally (District III Pli Bel Vilaj | Jan 11th Sacred Heart Church, Marchand)| Feb 20th Pli Bel Kaye Komesyal | Jan 11th District Independence Rally (District IV National Fast | Jan 14th Stanley Jon Odlum Memorial Secondary) | Nobel Laureate Week | Jan 14-27th Feb 20th Morning Devotions | Jan 14-31st District Independence Rally (District IV Sunday Morning Praises | Jan 14-Feb 26th Clendon Mason Memorial School Ground) | National Awards of Excellence | Jan 15th Feb 20th Launch of Schools Sports | Jan 18th District Independence Rally (District V National Music Festival | Jan 21st Exhibition “40 Years On” | Jan 23- Mar 31st Clendon Mason Memorial School Ground) | Feb 20th Saturday Morning Praise & Worship | Jan District Independence Rally (District VI 26th Lady of Assumption, Vieux Fort) | Feb 20th Laborie Primary School Independence District Independence Rally (District VII Pageant | Sat. 26th January 2019 20 Meets 20 Mixer (Mentorship Programme)| Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Choiseul) | Feb 20th Jan 31st District Independence Rally (District VIII Legacy Projects Announced | Jan 31st Lady of Assumption Catholic Church, Soufriere) | Feb 20th February Arrival of Clubs & Welcome Party | Feb 20th Morning Devotions | Feb 1-22nd Unveiling of Sculpture “All In” | Feb 21st Legacy Independence Calypso Show | Feb 4 x 4 Excursion | Feb 21st 2nd Handover of Monument (Mindoo Phillip Park) Independence Rally and Award of Excellence | Feb 21st | Feb 9th Best of Saint Lucia | Feb 21st Independence Dominoes Competition | Feb Creole Poetry Competition Launch | Feb 21st 9th Department of Commerce Client Valentine’s The Saint Lucia Story | Feb 21st Independence Day Walk | Feb 22nd Day Showcase | Feb 12th Prime Minister’s Official Address | Feb 22nd Mr Independence Pageant | Feb 9th Independence Road Relay | Feb 22nd 3rd Test Match | Feb 9-13th Military Parade | Feb 22nd Morning Devotions | Feb 11th-22nd Independence Day Parade | Feb 22nd Renaming of Serenity Park | Feb 13th Wolaylabar Cricket Match (Marchand) | Feb Corporate Fast | Feb 14th-21st 22nd Prayer Trail | Feb 14th-22nd Super MotoX | Feb 22nd Miss Independence Pageant | Feb 15th Independence Island Ride | Feb 22nd 39th Annual Sports Awards | Feb 16 Marchand Street Fair | Feb 23rd Strides of Unity | Feb 17th Mud Warz 2- Caribbean 4x4 Invasion | Feb Ecumenical Services | Feb 17th 23rd FREEDOM - The Ultimate Independence Prime Minister’s Ball | Feb 23rd Patriotic Cruise | Feb 17th District Independence Rally (District I - Gros DASH Independence Colour Run | Feb 24th Bikers Independence Round the Island | Feb Islet Secondary School) | Feb 20th 24th District Independence Rally (District II Independence Drags | Feb 24th

May Reading Month | May 1-31st World Press Freedom Day /Launch of Reading Month | May 3rd Soleil Saint Lucia Jazz Festival | May 4-11th

Homecoming | TBC ARTSFUZION | TBC Pli Bel Vilaj (Judging) | TBC Pli Bel Kaye Komesyal (Judging) | TBC

SepteMber Soleil Saint Lucia Food & Rum | Sep 1922nd ARTSFUZION | TBC

OctOber Soleil Saint Lucia Arts & Heritage Creole Festival | Oct 1-31st World Food Day | Oct 16th La Magwit | Oct 17th Creole Festival/Jounen Kweyol | Oct 27

nOveMber St. Cecelia’s Day “Feast of Musicians” | Nov 22nd Business Month | Nov 22-24th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) | Nov 24th

December ARC Yacht Cruisers Flotilla | Dec 7th Report on Community Legacy Projects | Dec 12th Report on 20 Meets 20 Mixer (Mentorship Programme) | Dec 12th Grand Finale Church Service (Micoud) | Dec 13th

July International Cooperatives Day | July 6th Soleil Saint Lucia Carnival “Parade of the bands” | July 12-16th Emancipation Panel Discussion | July 27th Emancipation Exhibition Launch | July 31st

@independenceslu40 www.independence.lc

SAINT LUCIA

Celebrating

Will Constitution Park be ready for Independence?

By Kerwin Caesar

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’m sure by now many of you readers would have seen the barricades, the men hard at work and the potential project in the city center. And if not then you’ve at least heard of it during a recent newscast or read about it in the STAR or elsewhere. The project that I’m referring to is the reconstruction and reconfiguration of Constitution Park. The park, which has been long overdue for a facelift, is situated within the epicenter of the city of Castries; surrounded by government buildings to its north and east, the court house to its south and the William Peter Boulevard to its west. The Constitution Park project commenced in earest in January 2014. The main reason for it undergoing the reconstruction was because it was the chosen site for the erection of the Sir John Compton monument. Sir John Compton was the man who spearheaded this country into independence. After much discussion and debate the government and family of the late prime minister thought that Constitution Park would be the ideal site for his monument. Emphasizing even more on that fact, is that the sculpture was designed as the exact replica of the memorable night on February 22, 1979, with Compton holding on to the constitution in his right hand. The Independence Committee who are in charge of the monument’s erection, with input from sculptor Ricky George, decided that it would be best to give the park a new look, which would incorporate the unveiling of the new statue; and ultimately making it the suitable home for the representation of a man who took the island from

Constitution park nearing the completion of its new look. statehood to Independence and governed for more than three decades. Due to the late commencement of the project, works are still underway and many are skeptical that the Park will be ready for the unveiling of the monument on February 22. One man who is definitely staying optimistic that all plans will fall into place is Darrel Montrope, Cabinet Secretary and Chairman of the Independence Committee. When asked how plans are coming along for the park, Montrope explained: “Things are not moving as smoothly as we would like but they are moving along. The scope of work was limited, but we’ve widened the scope and made it better. I think people will be much happier in terms of the view. We’ll be working all weekend to accommodate the work and by Monday most of it should be done and my plan is to have the monument erected by Wednesday February 19.” Montrope also placed an

appeal to all Saint Lucians to attend the activities planned for Independence. “People attend political rallies in their large numbers, and politics sometimes seem divisive. But independence is about uniting. I’m appealing to all political parties to encourage their people to come and attend and participate in all the independence activities, whether it is the Ecumenical Service, the National Rally, or the unveiling on February 21. Then on the program for the rally on the 22, we are going to have remarks from both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader,” Montrope explained. In terms of activities on the night of the unveiling of the monument, there will be tributes including one from the Compton family, and music from the Police Band as well as other speakers with tributes. The public is being invited to turn out en masse for the event. First published February 15, 2014.

SAINT LUCIA

Independence Day is a day to rejoice, be proud and salute all those who brought our country to Independence On this special day, let’s make a promise to lead our nation on a path of prosperity & peace. May our country always flourish and celebrate many more years of independence. On this Independence Day February 22, 2019, let us be filled with patriotic spirit! Let’s take this day to think about of our past and resolve to build a better future for our country

Have a very happy and blessed Independence Day to all...

Jn. Pierre’s Enterprises

Supermarket/ Retail: High Street, Laborie, St. Lucia • Tel: (758) 454-6592 | Hardware/ Wholesale: Allan Louisy Street, Laborie, St. Lucia • Tel: (758) 454-5117

Best Wishes to the Government and People of Saint Lucia on the observance of the Nation’s

40th Anniversary of Independence from the Board of Directors, Members and Staff of

Tel: (758) 452-7092 / 453-0925 • Fax: (758) 459-0114

Celebrating

AFTER THIRTY-EIGHT

By Peter Josie

Independence

y age thirty-eight people settle into a pattern of work, trade, profession or other income-generating ventures. The next two decades constitute a period of highest personal growth, income and experience. At 38 there are often children raised in a proven social milieu of decency, God-fearing and law-abiding citizens. Ideally religious leaders, business and civil society aim to uphold the same values as the family. There are often bumps and missteps, especially in a society which finds itself divided by unhappy, negative spirits living miserable lives. Increasingly, these negative forces live in quiet desperation hiding behind the use of politics. Such repugnant conduct thankfully represents a small section of society. A country achieving 38 years of political independence faces the same challenges as the average citizen. The pursuit of equal opportunity and justice, while raising its social and economic status, are shared pursuits. By its 38th anniversary of independence a change of government ought not to affect the way citizens raise their children and pursue their ambitions. Most people will continue to forge ahead, refusing to depend on government for handouts or favours. Unfortunately, there is a growing segment which seems the opposite. Prior to adult suffrage, schoolteachers, headmasters, town clerks, priests and pastors were looked upon as role models and icons. The democratic vote brought local politicians into greater prominence. Soon they were promising to cure all the ills of society. In return, the electorate was encouraged to increasingly turn to politicians while setting aside earlier icons. Procuring a foreign visa, a birth certificate, a place at a secondary school or a job has become a matter for a parliamentarian’s intervention. This dependency syndrome has grown worse with the passage of time. Its growth has been exacerbated by demagogues and rogues disguised as politicians.

At the time of writing Saint Lucia recently celebrated her 38th independence.

Political wolves in sheep’s clothing have perfected the art of deception. Increasingly, dirty money is finding its way into local politics. Money from dubious sources is used at elections and, once in office, proceeds to manage the national economy quietly reaping huge profits. The compromised leader is incapable of delivering promises made, except to selected party hacks. Such leaders do not explain their actions as normal parents would. They discriminate and skew their assistance to those who have become dependent on them for cooking gas, baby diapers, school supplies and more. This has been a growing trend up to the 38th anniversary of independence. Such practised patronage is unsustainable. Sooner or later someone will be elected to correct this insult to the dignity of the citizen. Teaching people how to fish and creating a mindset of personal freedom and financial independence is the proven way to develop a nation. It’s the only decent thing to replace the vulgarity of dependence. Change is never easy. It is as difficult for the individual as it is for a country. A man has to battle every day against his natural instinct, in order to love and procreate with one partner. To abide by the rule of one man, one woman is not natural to the average Joe. Neither is celibacy natural for strong, young, healthy men who serve as priests and pastors. But the majority succeed in living up to what they have agreed. And we applaud men who master their instincts for the good of society. It is by similar discipline and self control that a new leader gains legitimacy to change the old repugnant politics of patronage and graft. Still, there are too many rogues able to pay for radio and television to poison the minds of the innocent. Our Better Angels must find the resources and the gonads to oppose these rabble-

rousers and agitators with their lies and misinformation. Such fakery must not be allowed in the name of freedom. Freedom must never protect the use of dirty money which seeks to mislead. In other words, dirty drug money must not be allowed into the island’s politics, twisting innocent minds. At independence 38 years ago the island was off to a solid start with discipline and the rule of law as foundation. Soon, however, it took a wrong turn. How it happened and why, are questions that will forever be researched. These questions will not be easily settled to everyone’s satisfaction. However, there will be need to look back occasionally to see how far we have come and what more is left to be done. Putting our country and its people on a sound social and economic footing is still job number one. Overturning the political culture of dependency is a necessary pursuit of politics. It is what every visionary prime minister seeks. He is expected to correct the wrongs the people voted against and keep his promise to the electorate. His government is expected to behave in a more inclusive and gentlemanly manner. Above all, a new prime minister is expected to bring new hope to the people, acknowledging the primacy of God, acting in good faith. In a sense a new leader must end the old ways of tribal politics and show moral courage in reforming the society. To this end a wise leader will pursue honesty at all times; explaining his policies and modes of operation as he goes along. During its 38 years of independence, this island has had several prime ministers – Compton, Louisy, Cenac, Lewis, Anthony, King and Chastanet. Which of these, dear reader, can one honestly describe as a rogue, a demagogue, a vagabond? You know the answer if you have been around throughout the 38-year journey of independence. Now we pray that God continues to bless Saint Lucia and save her from political rogues and harm. First published March 4, 2017.

SAINT LUCIA

From your sister nation Cuba, we send to you all a message of friendship and solidarity and we wish you sincere joy, happiness and congratulations on this noteworthy day in history, as well as wishes for prosperity and well-being.

The Embassy of the Republic of Cuba and the Cuban Collaborators in Saint Lucia wish to extend sincere congratulations to the Government and people of Saint Lucia, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of your Independence.

Happy 40th Independence anniversary, February 22nd, 2019

Happy independence Saint Lucia

Viva Cuba and Viva Saint Lucia

To The Government and People of Saint Lucia From The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) 13

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From 1971 To 2019:

By Rick Wayne

had only recently set up residence in New York in the early Sixties when I eagerly accepted an invitation to lunch on a Saturday with my publisher and mentor Joe Weider, alas now dearly departed. Afterward, he purposefully offered to drive me to my Columbus Avenue apartment aboard his recently acquired cerulean Caddy convertible, via that section of lower Manhattan known as the Bowery—named for the street that in the late 1600s had been the road to Peter Stuyvesant’s bouwerij (farm). As we approached a particular set of traffic lights Joe casually, and without a word, lowered the car’s roof and raised its tinted windows. I soon discovered why. The lights had barely turned red when, seemingly out of nowhere, like Hollywood vampires, a dozen or so black-fanged, filthy hirsute bodies descended upon us, hammering the vehicle’s windshield, its sides and hood with clenched fists, most of them clutching in their free paws brown paper bags of different dimensions, out of which poked dripping beer cans and bottle tops, capped and uncapped. “What the . . .” I started to shout as the lights changed again and the Caddy got underway. “What was that about, Joe? Who are these people? Is that what you New Yorkers consider street theater?” Joe chuckled. “Welcome to the land of the free!” “And the home of depraved . . .” I muttered. With just a hint of a knowing smile, Joe went on: “Ever heard the Janis Joplin line about freedom being ‘just another word for nothing left to lose?’ I wanted to give you a glimpse of total freedom. Rockefeller, with his countless millions, is not nearly as free as those bums. They could’ve smashed my windshield or spat on my car or broken bottles on the hood . . . what could I do? Stop and make a report to the cops? To what avail? What’s left to lose when already you’ve lost your soul, whether to drugs, cheap booze and God knows what else?” Joe had his own peculiar way of teaching me life’s important lessons: mostly by affording me the opportunity to live them. If over the years I had forgotten a couple, rest assured my long ago discovery of the worm at the heart of Mayor Lindsay’s polished Big Apple was not among them. Over and over the worm wriggled in my head as I stayed in touch with the official activities to mark the birth of Saint Lucia as a free nation. What a numbing irony that the 38th year of our Independence had found our tribe as much at war as we had been throughout the years leading up to the unforgettable explosions of 18 July 1979, barely 90 days before our advertised second emancipation from foreign domination. Power to the people who had dreamed up the clever theme for the nation’s latest birthday party: “The Journey.” Undeniably the journey continues, I dare to say, with the unwitting sacrificial lambs of our two political parties still hell-bent on hell-bent on wiping out one another, at every opportunity shamelessly declaring themselves murderers, thieves, rapists and child molesters! The war casualties had never mattered. Not in 1979 and most certainly not now. Only winners-take-all ever did. The same caring citizens who had inspired antiIndependence chaos including the near burning down of the island’s only prison in its earlier location, and set off bombs in the night; who had not-so-subtly threatened the safety of the royal visitors and residents on the big occasion, yes, these same costumed characters could barely wait to shed their secondhand US Army fatigues in favor of expensive Savile Row suits, the better to impress Kurt Waldheim (later

How Far

to be declared a Nazi sympathizer!) at the UN ceremony to mark Saint Lucia’s newly bestowed independentnation status. This was independent Saint Lucia’s foreign affairs minister (earlier leader of the island’s antiIndependence movement) addressing for the first time the General Assembly of the United Nations: “My delegation wishes to extend the sincerest thanks of the people and government of Saint Lucia to all those who were so instrumental in making it possible for Saint Lucia to take its seat within the portals of this august body. We are aware of the obligations and responsibilities that are attendant on membership and are fully committed to upholding the ideals of the United Nations and pledge to continuing to foster the spirit of good-neighborliness and international cooperation in a peaceful world for the betterment of the peoples of the international community.” Free at last! Free at last! Free to deliver hollow speeches before condescending white audiences; free to borrow till the chickens came home to roost; free to purchase expensive real estate in the world’s most expensive cities; free to maintain useless armies of vultures at overseas missions beyond our means; free to pretend we are what we know we are not and can never be; free to party nonstop, all of it paid for with borrowed money, the borrowers oblivious of that inevitable day of reckoning. We were also free to come together as never before, free to unite our efforts at making something of our newly independent nation. We chose instead to exercise our freedom to be drunk and disorderly; to mislead the maneuverable uneducated and deprived and hungry; to permit every once revered institution to wither and die from the effects of official denunciations. Not even church leaders were safe from our nation’s post-Independence leaders. Recently I rediscovered among my papers a document in the form of an exercise book, conceivably published in commemoration of the 1971 equivalent of Independence Day—a gift from a generous someone long forgotten but now more than ever appreciated. Its front page featured against a green backdrop what today is an amateurish rendering of the pre-Independence flag of Saint Lucia, under the capitalized word: DEVELOPMENT. At the bottom of the page, in deep red and also in caps, ST. LUCIA! The introductory

message was by none other than the late Hunter J. Francois, Minister of Education & Health in John Compton’s UWP government. It began this way: “Development Day! Mighty highways, modern bridges, harbour and airport expansion, huge luxury hotels, numerous factories, rising trade, new housing estates, increased agricultural production . . . are all immediate images conjured up by the term development. It may be timely to remind fellow St. Lucians that the ultimate goal, and that which gives legitimacy to the sacrifices made in the interest of development, is human welfare. “It is the welfare of the people that gives meaning, purpose and point to these. They are mere indices, the measure of whose worth is to be found in human happiness and the extent to which they help to alleviate misery and suffering and to minister the fulfillment of the aspirations of our people. “If Development Day is a mark of our increasing maturity and greater self-confidence, we should never forget that development is a means to an end—the emancipation of ourselves from the chains of ignorance and superstition, poverty and penury, disease and dependence. What we seek is a finer quality of life for everyone; and this occasion emphasizes that the groundwork has been laid; that the opportunities are here, and he who fails to grasp them must not be heard to grumble. “When the hustle and bustle, excitement and hilarity of Development Day shall have long been forgotten, when the many booths depicting St. Lucian efforts in the field of agriculture, industry, education and health have been demolished, one little gem will remain to remind us of this memorable occasion: this Development Day booklet . . . The articles that follow tell a tale, not only of economic growth, but also of a culture rich in folklore, poetry, music, painting and drama, a vernacular with a wealth of idiomatic forms and usages. “To have produced a Sessene to give new life to our folksongs, a Walcott to give international recognition to our poetry, a Simmons and St. Omer to remind us of the beauty of nature and our homeland is an achievement worthy of the Helen of the West Indies.” Fellow contributors to the Development Day booklet of 1971 included the legendary local (white,

r Have We Come?

“If Tommy Tucker could sing for his supper, then who am I?” said foreign minister George Odlum (second from left) before a group of white journalists at a tax-funded luncheon at the Bibliotheque restaurant, next door to the UN Building in New York. Also pictured: Julian Hunte, Peter Josie and Rick Wayne. by the way!) historian B. H. Easter; newspaper editor J. H. Pilgrim; music teacher and folk singer Joyce Auguste; Jones Mondesir; the Bishop of Castries Charles Gachet; Archdeacon Harold Stead; the Rev. Errol C. Wiltshire; Father Charles Jesse—who penned the lyrics to our national anthem—and Dunstan St. Omer who needs no introduction. As for the island’s economy in May 1971: “St. Lucia has experienced an average annual growth rate of 10 percent,” (yes! yes!) according to the Development Day booklet of 1 May 1971. Fast-forward to sixteen years later, to the 1987 budget presented in the House by Prime Minister John Compton. (The Labour Party had returned to its opposition home 1982—a disgusting story of deceit and self-destruction and betrayal

of trust!) The island had registered a growth of 6 percent, “the highest since 1979 and one of the highest in the entire CARICOM region.” There were also the storm clouds. Observed the prime minister with obvious great concern: “Honorable Members will note the already high cost of administration continues unchecked, and demands completely unrelated to this country’s ability to pay continue to be made. Since 1981 the cost of administering the public services has risen from $39 million to $97 million, an increase of $57.7 million, or 145 percent over a six-year period, this at time when all other countries are reducing cost . . . Since 1979 the governments of both parties have been attempting to buy industrial peace by borrowing ourselves into bankruptcy, the consequences of which we will

suffer.” He offered a breakdown: monthly-paid employees: $3.5 million. Daily-paid employees: $3.486 million. “Loans have to be repaid,” said the prime minister. “We have now a situation in which two of our CARICOM countries are unable to borrow from the Caribbean Development Bank of which they are members. I am sure no Honorable Member, indeed no one in Saint Lucia, however ill-disposed toward this government, will wish this misfortune upon our country. But this can happen unless firm action is taken to restrain public expenditure. The cost of servicing the public debt has risen by $8 million in one year from $15 million in 1986/87 to $23 million in 1987/88.” Say no more. I need not remind of the nightmarish insatiable fiscal predator that long ago broke away from Compton’s chains to prey on the defenseless populace. Already we are only too familiar with the details. So what does our prime minister tell us over the generated irrational exuberance at the heart of the recent Independence celebrations? I warn you, dear sensitive reader, hold your nose. He begins with a long drawnout account of our bloodline: “Dutch, English, French, Irish,” [which makes us all white to some degree] Yoruba, Fang” blah-blah-blah. “We are a fine blend of global heritage and today we hold hands proudly as one people, one Saint Lucia. On this day, let us together with one mighty voice shout Happy Birthday Saint Lucia.” For a while I got the feeling our prime minister was reading from a script written for Ezi Hall. “Today Saint Lucians around the world, in every city, in every state, can join us and proclaim with good reason: ‘I love the land that gave me birth, I love the land that gave my parents birth [not all of us, some of us had parents who came from Sussex to operate local plantations!], I love each village . . .” Yes, a silly condescending speech, more appropriate to Emancipation Day, that was about to take a vicious turn: “And so our sons can say it with song and our daughters can celebrate with dance and all of us can show it in our brightest and most elegant of national colors, all can salute our flag and say Saint Lucia is truly love.” On the other hand: “Some of us may wish to remain stuck in the negatives; in the divisions. But we cannot and must not be a nation of despair and depression, as a few would want us to be.” It would not do

SAINT LUCIA

simply to say, in the name of national unity, that although we may have our differences we share a common goal that we should all strive for. Oh, no. Not with general elections in the air . . . at any rate, the sound of general elections. Not with the nation over-run by “the economic class.” Embracing the high-school lecturer in his soul, the prime minister went on: “Man was built for walking; built to journey. We walked out of Africa and conquered the world.” And all this time we’ve been telling our kids how their ancestors were dragged in chains aboard slave ships to work like mules on massa’s plantations, whether in Alabama or in River Doree or Dennery. He went on: “Today is a special day and many of you have made the journey here this afternoon to celebrate Saint Lucia and many more will flock to these grounds to party.” Of course, some of us were inexplicably losing their young lives in the nearby ocean but with the party mood dominating the atmosphere, who knew? Others in places without water, places with roads built only for walking and for bikes—not fire trucks—were soon to lose their homes to mystery fires destined never to be resolved. But about such “despair and depression” the prime minister knew nothing. So in relation to the drowned four-year-old the prime minister had nothing to say: Not a word, not a word, not a word! (By Wednesday he had once again gotten the hell out of Dodge, and left Sheriff Emma in charge. Chances are he had no idea how many at Lastic Hill had suddenly been rendered homeless.) He addressed instead Independent Saint Lucia’s dependence on Bolivia and Venezuela and Iran. “For those who have come to Vieux Fort along the East Coast Road,” he went on, “you would have crossed the newly completed ALBA bridge built by the generosity of the Venezuelan government . . . We received 7,000 laptops for our children and it was a joy and an honor to witness” the handing of the handout to students at a Grand Riviere school. Yes, a joy and an honor! But enough. Already you must’ve compared our prime minister’s Independence Day address with that delivered by Hunter Francois on the recalled Development Day. And doubtless you’ve arrived at your own conclusion about how far we’ve moved since 1971—forward or backward!

Celebrating

Prime Ministers of Saint Lucia

John Compton: February 22, 1979 to July 2, 1979; May 3, 1982 to April 2, 1996; December 11, 2006 to September 7, 2007

Allan Louisy: July 2, 1979 to May 4, 1981

Winston Cenac: May 4, 1981 to January 17, 1982

Independence

Michael Pilgrim (interim): January 17, 1982 to May 3, 1982 Vaughan Lewis: April 2, 1996 to May 24, 1997 Kenny Anthony: May 24, 1997 to December 11, 2006; November 30, 2011 to June 6, 2016

Allen Chastanet: June 6, 2016 to present

Stevenson King: September 7, 2007 to November 30, 2011

Buckeye St. Lucia Terminal Ltd SAINT LUCIA

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Happy 40th Anniversary of Independence to the Government and People of Saint Lucia!

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Things Saint Lucian!

Celebrating

Independence 18

THE NATIONAL COSTUME One mostly sees the informal version of the national costume which is a lacy underskirt topped by a madras or floral skirt. The bodice is of the same lacy, white material trimmed in ribbon. The tete mawee is the headpiece always tied with a peak (or two depending on marital status). The formal version of the national costume is very intricate and much more elaborate. It is a full-length dress of brightly coloured fabric, oftentimes florals, tied up on one side to reveal the lacy layers of the underskirt. Beholding a lovely Saint Lucian lady in full, formal national dress is a delightful sight.

THE COAT OF ARMS The coat of arms was designed by Sydney Bagshaw, the original owner of Bagshaw’s Silk Screening Studio and retired artist from Reader’s Digest magazine. The rose stands for the seven times the island was under British colonial rule, while the fleur-de-lis represents the seven times the island belonged to the French. The three-legged stool is the African stool, a reminder of the vast heritage and culture inherited from that continent. The parrot depicted on the coat of arms is the unique Saint Lucian Parrot, Amazona Versicolor, a symbol of the wonderful aspects of nature to be discovered island-wide.

The National Plant Bamboo was chosen as Saint Lucia’s national plant and can mostly be found in it’s tropical rainforests. It is a staple lumber used for almost any type of furniture, decoration, basket or kitchen utensil. Some farmers also use the trunk to make fish pots.

THE MOTTO AND PLEDGE The ideals represented by the flag are reinforced in the island’s motto: The land, the people, the light and the National Pledge: With God as my guide, I pledge allegiance to my country, Saint Lucia. I proclaim that I will serve my country with pride and dignity and will defend it with vigour and valour in the pursuit of excellence, justice and equality for all.

The National Flowers Also the names of the cultural flower festivals the marguerite and rose are Saint Lucia’s national flowers. La Marguerite or Feast of Saint Margaret is celebrated on October 17 and the flower represents symbolizes a French colonial past. La Rose or the Feast of Saint Rose de Lima is celebrated on August 30 and the flower represents the British colonial past of the island. La Marguerite and La Rose are rivals and the parades portray small kingdoms with royal families and followers.

The National Anthem “Sons and Daughters of Saint Lucia” was first adopted in 1967 upon achieving self-government, and confirmed as the official anthem upon independence in 1979. The national anthem, Sons and Daughters of Saint Lucia, written by Charles Jesse FMI, a priest, teacher, writer and archaeologist and a founding member of the Saint Lucia Archaeological and Historical Society, was sung with fervor during the occasion, observed with great fanfare, cultural dancing, singing and military parades. The island embarked on a new path, entirely in control of its own affairs, after changing hands between the British and the French 14 times in its tumultuous history. Saint Lucia still maintains its links to the British monarch through its membership in the British Commonwealth of which Queen Elizabeth II is the official head.

THE NATIONAL BIRD The Saint Lucian Parrot, or Amazona Versicolor is honoured as the national bird. Fondly referred to as Jacquot, this delightful bird stands 16-18 inches in height and is primarily green with head feathers of blue/violet merging into maroon. The under-wings demonstrate a contrasting yellow, red and indigo blue. The neck features brilliant orange-red.

THE FLAG The Saint Lucian flag is a beautiful representation (expressively designed by Dunstan St Omer, one of the island’s foremost artists) of the physical and spiritual beauty of the island. It consists of a cerulean blue background reminiscent of the expanse of the Caribbean Sea that surrounds the island herself. Centred upon the blue is a multilayered triangle of black, white and yellow, an abstract representation of the Pitons, the island’s most noted landmark. The black and white colours show the melting pot of peoples who make up her population and culture. The bright yellow brings to mind not only the brilliant sunshine that draws so many visitors to her shores, but also the hope and light of the nation’s future.

NATIONAL ANTHEM LYRICS Sons and daughters of Saint Lucia, love the land that gave us birth, Land of beaches, hills and valleys, fairest isle of all the earth. Wheresoever you may roam,love, oh, love our island home. The National Tree The calabash tree can grow 30 feet and over and its branches fan out into a shady escape. The tree bears flowers and hard-shelled green nuts that can grow as wide as twenty inches. When it’s picked, white, inedible filling has to be gutted out of the shell which is left to dry to later be used as a food bowl or as a decorative container. It is not indigenous to Saint Lucia but it became the national tree in 1979 probably for its many uses on the island.

Gone the times when nations battled for this ‘Helen of the West’, gone the days when strife and discord dimmed her children’s toil and rest. Dawns at last a brighter day, stretches out a glad new way. May the good Lord bless our island, guard her sons from woe and harm. May our people live united, strong in soul and strong in arm! Justice, Truth and Charity, our ideal forever be!

SAINT LUCIA

Love,

Oh LOve

our island home th

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Anniversary of Independence Saint Lucia! from all of us at

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Celebrating

The Saint Lucia Flag

Independence

eynote Address Presented by Hilary La Force, Executive Director, Folk Research Centre on Wednesday March 1, 2017 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Saint Lucia flag. “To appreciate and understand the importance of our flag as a symbol of national identity, pride and unity, we need to step back for a moment into our history. In August 1965, Chief Minister John Compton (whose new United Workers Party had won the general election in 1964) moved a motion in the Legislative Council – as it was known then – that the “Government of St. Lucia seek from Her Majesty’s Government in the UK, full internal self-government by 1st January 1966.” After a three-hour debate in the Legislative Council, the motion was passed by a 9 to 2 margin. The two opposition members, Mr. George Charles, the former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition and Mr. Martin Jn Baptiste of the St. Lucia Labour Party, voted against the resolution. While they supported the view of the island achieving a new constitutional status, they felt that general elections should be held first. For those who are familiar with our political history, they will recognize that a similar situation was to arise again when the proposals for St. Lucia’s Independence were tabled in the late seventies. After constitutional talks in London with other leaders of the Windward Islands (who were also seeking a new constitutional status) and which included representatives of both government and opposition, St. Lucia achieved Statehood in association with Britain on March 1st

1967, 50 years ago. St. Lucia would be responsible for all its internal affairs while Britain would oversee matters of external (foreign) affairs. The Legislative Council became the House of Assembly; the Chief Minister became the Premier; the Administrator left St. Lucia and was replaced by our first native Governor, Sir Frederick Clarke. And St. Lucia, after the public was invited to submit entries, gained a National Anthem, with music by Leton Thomas and words by Fr. Charles Jesse; a coat of arms designed by Sidney Bagshaw, carrying the new national motto, “The Land, The People, The Light”; and its own flag, designed by St. Lucian artist, Dunstan St. Omer. It is worth noting that on December 13th, 1967, a few months later, the town of Castries was incorporated as a city, with its first Mayor, Mr. Joseph Desir. So in 2017, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of our national symbols and our capital city. These are definitely worth a major celebration. This constitutional milestone with all the accompanying symbols was to prepare the way for Independence on February 22nd 1979. In the Statehood Souvenir published by the Voice of St. Lucia on February 28th, 1967, there was an article entitled “Artist gives St. Lucia its national flag.” It reports that the flag had been designed by “39-year-old St. Lucia artist Dunstan St. Omer, winner of the National Flag competition.” The article goes on to say that his design of the new flag expressed “ the dominance of negro culture, associated with that of Europe, against a background of sunshine and ever blue sea, coupled with the island’s famous twin Pitons, rising sheer out of the sea, symbolistic

Dunstan St Omer, the creator of Saint Lucia’s national flag.

of the new nation’s hopes.” Indeed, the colours of the flag sought to capture the historical, social and geographical uniqueness of St. Lucia, called by the Europeans, the “Helen of the West” after the famous figure whose beauty and the problems it caused lay at the heart of the Trojan wars. While this was not mentioned, we wonder today if the three triangles also spoke to the Trinity of the Christian faith which dominated the island’s religious life. The flag spoke also to our latitude and longitude in the blue seas of the Americas, East and West, our geographical reality in the archipelago of the West Indies. And we were a golden tropical people, with all the verve and life and sunny dispositions of people of the sun. There, in all that, was our identity as a St. Lucian and Caribbean people. The flag, in its bold, spear design, its tightness of form, its essential statement of cultural identity, spoke of a certain pride. After all, by 1967, our people had distinguished themselves in many areas, all around the world. While Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott had not yet gained their Nobel prizes and their knighthoods, their works were well known around. We were known as a hospitable and friendly people; our Creole culture with its unique Flower Festivals, La Konmet, chantwelles like Sesenne Descartes, its folk bands, were a source of pride. In fact, soon after 1967, there was to be a cultural renaissance that produced sound recordings of our folk music for the first time, that saw the drama productions of plays by Roderick Walcott featuring the music of Charles Cadet – all of which brought to the fore the rich cultural heritage of our St. Lucia. So there was justifiable pride in the citizens, in their heritage and achievements. The vertical, triangular strength of the flag spoke with a certain force to these things. And the flag, bringing all this together in the strong, symbolic design of the master painter Dunstan St. Omer, stamped the sense of unity shared by St. Lucians at home and abroad. The history, culture, landscape, geographical placing at the centre of the Eastern Caribbean, captured in the colors and shape of the flag, asserted a unity that made St. Lucians, Saint Lucian! St. Lucia today is a very different society. The seas, though carrying more pollution and the effects of climate change, are still blue. The sun is still overhead, though we now have effects of drought and water shortages. Our racial histories have been deepened with more arrivals from Asia, the Middle East, even the Far East, as well as continuing arrivals from Europe and America. The influence of North America is greater today than that of Europe. New generations have grown up, with new influences especially from entertainment, media and numerous technologies. Our creole culture no longer stands alone, but is found alongside many other cultural influences, both positive and negative. Drugs, crime, violence, political divisions, religious pluralities and other social realities, now have placed our pride and unity in great jeopardy. A frequent topic of debate today is the identity of St. Lucians. Who are we? Really? And there have been discussions about further developments to our political constitution to reflect, hopefully, a certain national maturity. It may be that we do need a celebration of this Flag Day, which reminds us, in the symbolic message of the flag, what we once all hoped for, in terms of identity, development, pride based on real, positive achievements, and a continual working towards a real unity of nationhood. Who are we today? How does our flag represent us today? Are these foundational, symbolic values still meaningful? So as we wave our flag, 50 years old today, perhaps we can think again, more deeply, about all these things.”

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A Happy 40th Independence Day For the benefit of us all

SAINT LUCIA

Happy

th Independence Anniversary Saint Lucia From Management and Staff of

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Celebrating

he Creole language is part of Saint Lucia’s culture; it goes way back to the initiation of the African slave trade. People from West Africa could not communicate with their French masters due to the language barrier so they combined French with the African language and Creole was birthed. Even though most Saint Lucians celebrate the island’s culture with traditionally festive customs, it is hard not to notice that the Creole language, an essential token of who we are, is hardly appreciated, let alone passed down through the generations. What we have today is a situation where only segments of our population are able to speak the language fluently, mostly in the rural parts of the island. It’s a different story altogether for others, some of whom were raised in homes where parents didn’t bother to teach the dialect, or perhaps didn’t speak much of it themselves. I found myself recently contemplating why students didn’t have the opportunity to learn Creole in the classroom; we were taught French and Spanish, languages most of us don’t use at all, or have since forgotten. In other parts of the world where English is not the first language, it is compulsory to learn it at school. So why not a similar practice here in Saint Lucia where in some parts of the island, Creole is essential for clear communication? This week found me sitting at the Folk Research Centre with Executive Director Mr Hilary Laforce. Just as I’d suspected, he informed me that there had been in the past, and still existed, a stigma; a trend of thought that suggested Creole, or patois, was for the illiterate, therefore parents never bothered to teach, or learn for themselves how to

speak the language. In some cases, they believed it would affect their competency in English. Laforce said over the years Creole had been spoken on television and radio, and noted two radio stations in Saint Lucia, Hot FM and Radio Saint Lucia, as having heavy Creole programming. Even with the challenges, the FRC Executive Director said Creole was currently the most popular language of CARICOM. I expressed to him my belief that nowadays youth who cannot speak Creole wish to learn the dialect, and that the introduction of the ‘Dennery Segment’ has somewhat influenced persons to speak the language. Laforce agreed though he added that the songs contained therein don’t always have the most “appropriate” content. Still, he was of the opinion that it was perhaps “one of the mediums that can be used to push the creole language”. I left my meeting at the FRC feeling a little more hopeful that Creole is not dying. Similar dialects are spoken in other countries in the Caribbean including Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Haiti. Just last weekend Martiniquan rapper Kalash performed in Saint Lucia,

his first performance in an Englishspeaking country, and the artist expressed satisfaction that the event had managed to bring together the French-speaking Caribbean. In his words: “Everybody can see that we can live together, Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Guadaloupe. I like when everybody gets together.” The presence of the artist on island added to the influx of French visitors flocking to Saint Lucian shores in recent times for various activities, including Creole month. The relationship between Saint Lucians and their French-speaking neighbours has been blossoming over time, much due to ease of communication when compared to other nearby territories. Last month at a press conference Minister of Tourism Dominic Fedee opined that Saint Lucia simply could not expect to thrive on beaches and sand alone. “What we’re selling now is our culture and the experience of being Saint Lucian,” he said. Tourism was, after, all Saint Lucia’s most essential industry, and if we’re not able to, or we are not taught how to speak our mother tongue, how do we expect to sell and embrace our culture? First published July 8, 2017.

Independence Ͳ Our Nation: The Land, The People, The Light

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Happy 40th Saint Lucia!

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OUR JOURNEY OUR FUTURE 23

No Divided nation Can D Be Truly Independent

Schools Calypso held despite opposition

Celebrating

Independence

e know only too well that some people will condemn us for what we feel we must say about these independence celebrations. No matter, we will risk upsetting an ostensibly nationalistic stomach or two, in the interest of constructive change and say, candidly, that our government—Prime Minister John Compton in particular—really doesn’t seem to care about unifying the people of this country. Never mind that in his determination to sell the notion of OECS unity Mr. Compton has told Saint Lucians we never really achieved independence, that we were simply “cut off” by Britain in 1979, the people of this country were ready to celebrate our tenth anniversary of independence—if only because the celebrations offered the ideal opportunity to come together again after years of fighting each other in the selfish interests of one political party or another. The prime minister should have taken personally the opportunity six months ago to motivate our people toward the goal of unity. Televised monthly speeches should have been made by our prime minister, all geared toward bringing together on Independence Day the people that over the years he and other politicians kept at each other’s throats—in the selfish interest of political careers. Sad to report, more than one year has passed since Mr. Compton addressed this nation on a positive note. His last two televised appearances had everything to do with his party’s longevity. And as for meeting with the press, well, Mr. Compton apparently holds himself above accounting to anyone, least of all the people who put him in a position to hobnob publicly and privately with royalty. We pray that the coming week’s celebrations end without embarrassing hitches, even though the signs are discouraging. For instance, there have been complaints by those involved in the Vieux-Fort exhibition, scheduled to be Prince Charles’ first stop. The whole thing has been very badly organised, we’ve been told. Up until Thursday several exhibitors were not certain about the location of their booths. Of course, the opposition is levelling all kinds of accusations at the government. We ourselves had to wait until two hours before press time to receive from the Foreign Affairs Ministry the ever-changing Prince Charles itinerary. The same symptoms that came to light with the fiasco that was The Race Against Time are evident. The government’s public relations office is at a loss as to how to answer questions from the press. Its officials are as much in the dark on governmental matters as are members of the press and the general public—which of course is exactly as the government seems to want it. At this time, it is worth reminding Prime Minister Compton of his 1979 eve of independence press conference, when he was asked a series of pertinent questions that Mr. Compton later described as “embarrassing.” That is what comes of not staying in touch with the local press. We are far less interested in the prime minister’s personal feelings than we are with bringing the truth to light. Nevertheless, we welcome all visitors and take the opportunity to encourage all the people of our beautiful country to do all in their power to turn these celebrations into a vehicle for unity. Lord knows we will not travel far as a divided nation. Indeed, no divided nation will ever be truly independent.

First published February 18, 1989.

espite objections from the Roman Catholic Church there was a massive turnout for Thursday’s School’s Calypso Monarch Competition. Students packed the Marchand Grounds to watch the show and cheer for their favorite calypsonians among the 18 schools entered. The competition was planned as part of the activities for the observance of the island’s 20th Independence anniversary February 22. The Church was opposed to staging the event Thursday—a day after the start of Lent (Ash Wednesday). Minister of Education, Human Resource Development, Youth and Sports, Mario Michel, said he could not understand the fuss over the show as calypso was an art from all seasons. Father Theo Joseph of the Roman Catholic Church said that after church authorities pressed for postponement of the competition Michel, in a letter, reminded school principals that the Ministry of Education was the only authority to decide on such matters. Father Theo pointed out that the church was not attempting to counter the authority of the Ministry of Education, but was merely seeking to foster respect for the season of Lent. He said: “There is a traditional mood of the Lenten season that we are trying to cultivate, particularly at a time when there is so much indiscipline in schools, and an obvious neglect forth devotion in schools.” The schools Monarch Calypso

Students made a statement at the controversial Calypso competition. Competition was to have started at 10 am, however, technicians had their hands full trying to correct an electrical malfunction. One observer who obviously sided with Catholic Church officials, considered it an Act of God. Power was eventually restored and the show got underway at about 12:45 pm. Young as they are, these performers seemed to have a handle on things when it came to social commentary. Kerima Volney of the Balata Government School made a strong statement in her calypso Busta vs The Others. Thiery Wilson of Bocage Combined sang a calypso entitled “Crime Spree”, while Dexter Myers sang about “Discipline.” The afternoon’s most popular entertainer was “Little Tricky” from Entrepot Infant School. With a name like that, great things are in store for this young calypsonian.

Happy 40 Independence First published February 20, 1999. Saint Lucia Happy 40th Independence Saint Lucia

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THIS 40TH YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE

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Management and Staff of Guiding Light Homecare and Hospice

is proud to join in the celebration of 40 Years of Independence of our Helen of the West, Saint Lucia

SAINT LUCIA

The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) extends congratulations to the Government and People of Saint Lucia on the observance of the 40th Anniversary of Independence.

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Date

LocaƟon

Corporate Communica�ons, Human Resource & Customer Service Conference

25 - 27 Mar

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Our hospice service exists to help terminally ill individuals live their remainng days with comfort, contentment, and happiness.

Happy 40th anniversary of independence Saint Lucia! Love the Land that Gave us Birth CPJ Limited is proud to join with the People of Saint Lucia on this milestone 40th anniversary of independence.

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The ICONIC Pitons

Celebrating

Independence 26

he pride of a nation. The Saint Lucia Pitons located in the town of Soufriere is one of the best known symbols of the island. These majestic twin peaks have been the subject of songs, poetry, art and of course millions of photographs from various angles taken by visitors and Saint Lucians alike. The Pitons comprise Petit piton imposing at a height of 750metres from the sea while Gros Piton reaches 797 metres tall. The uniqueness of those majestic peaks can be made certain in the fact that it has been awarded world heritage site status by UNESCO and presented to the Pitons Management Area (PMA) on June 30, 2004 at the 28th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in China. The area is known for hundreds of unique species of plant and animal life and is known for containing several Amerindian artifacts.

A Toast to St Lucia’s 40th Independence Anniversary

ewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky has been distributed in Saint Lucia for over twenty years. Peter & Company Distribution (PCD) and Bacardi, the makers of Dewar’s are proud to offer this gift to our nation as we salute our achievements and accomplishments since attaining Independence in 1979. The commemorative, limitededition box of this 12-year-old blended Scotch whisky, prominently features Saint Lucia’s National colours— cerulean blue, gold, black and white—in a salute to the spirit and strength of this blended island we all share. As we raise our glasses in celebration, from the Pitons to Pigeon Island, please remember to enjoy Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky responsibly.

SAINT LUCIA

Celebrating

Independence

Happy 40th Independence Anniversary to all Saint Lucians wheresoever you may roam . . .

From the Office of the Prime Minister

Saint Lucia

Our Island, Our Home