My fellow Dominicans; it is indeed a pleasure to address you on this pleasant and enchanting evening as we officially commence celebration of the thirty - first anniversary of our independence.
It is appropriate that we commence the celebration by giving thanks to God Almighty for every individual and family that make up our nation and more particularly for His divine protection of our land in this hurricane season. Let us all pray that this protection continues.
History teaches that it was the French Revolution, with its resounding cry of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity that introduced to people everywhere, the notion of their right to their own nationality. The revolutionary generals of the day proclaimed that “nationality was not a matter of political frontiers or round skulls and broad noses, but a matter of the heart and soul”.
This evening, I want to share with you some thoughts about the heart and soul of our nationality.
It is recorded that the harsh nature of Dominica’s terrain defied sustained colonisation by the Europeans, unlike the situation that prevailed in many other Caribbean countries. It is therefore no small wonder that the generations who survived and made a living in this challenging environment have a natural toughness, resilience and independence of spirit. These characteristics define the Dominican persona.
We are opening this Independence season with the theme “Celebrating Progress and Development”. Once again, we will be treated to a menu of folklore, worship, dance, cuisine, music, dress and song that gives unique expression to who we are.
It is important that I touch on a practice that was at the heart and soul of the progress we have made, and the development we have achieved over the years. This practice prevailed in our rural communities at a time when they were forced to be self-reliant because of non - existent communications and transportation infrastructure.
I refer of course to Koudment, that practice where neighbours and villagers got together and volunteered time and talent in executing projects for the individual and the common good.
Ironically, the wheels of progress and development have dented the spirit of Koudment as today many of us demand payment before we lift a finger in support of activities to improve the lives of our brothers and sisters.
However, there is a remnant that has remained faithful to the spirit of Koudment. That remnant is to be found in the hundreds of you who turn out on our National Day of Community service to willingly, freely and happily render your services in a multitude of community projects. I salute your contribution to community and national development.
An Independence anniversary is a time not only for celebration, but also for reflection. As we grapple with issues of development and modernization, it is incumbent on us to ask how we would want to see ourselves and our nation reflected in the eyes of the world. The heart and soul of Dominica must be portrayed not only in our picturesque rivers, valleys, hills and mountains but importantly, in how we treat each other as members of the Dominican family. We do not want to be seen as a nation of warring factions, taking advantage of our constitutional freedoms to use the tongue as a weapon of violence against each other.
As we continue that journey of development my friends, let us pledge to work for a triumph of the mind over petty divisions, over ignorance and over insecurity and fear. We want to project to the rest of the world a picture of a confident, self – assured people who affirm and support each other and who are willing to make and bear sacrifices in pursuit of the common good. This is not beyond any of us since we display these qualities when visited with adversity and mishap that affect our community or our nation. We can kindle that flame of caring and protecting which was the lifeline of community life in the not too distant past.
I want to conclude this message by encouraging all of you, even those who are housebound, to participate in the Independence 2009 celebrations in a manner suited to your circumstances. And while doing so, if you identify just one area in which you can make a constructive difference in the life of someone in your community, then you will be changing the face and character of that community and making a lasting contribution to the advancement of progress and development in our country.
Finally, I want to express sincere appreciation and gratitude to the many artistes and other volunteers who have come forward to make this year’s celebration a promise of magnificence and excitement. My personal thanks goes out to the hard working Minister for Community Development, Gender Affairs, Culture and Information along with her committed and dedicated staff, for the hard work they have put into the planning and execution of the programme of activities that will speak to the heart and soul of our nation over the next four weeks.
May God bless our nation over this Independence season. |
