The following is a message by Hon. Dr. Janice Daniel-Hodge, leader of the Nevis Reformation Party and Parliamentary Representative for Nevis 4 (St. James) on the occasion of St. Kitts and Nevis’ 41st anniversary of Independence.
My fellow citizens and residents.
I am Hon. Dr. Janice Daniel-Hodge and I am indeed honored, as leader of the Nevis Reformation Party, and elected representative for the St. James Parish, to share a few words with you, on the occasion of our federation’s 41st anniversary of independence.
Together, a People, Proud and strong: Independence 41. I must pause at the onset to commend Ms. Vincia Alexander, for providing us with such a powerful and timely theme for Independence 41. Prime Minister Drew stated that this Independence 41 theme, “reflects the essence of our national identity. “It is a call to celebrate our collective achievements and to continue building a future filled with hope and togetherness” Therefore, it is my wish, that as we enter our 41st year as an independent country, we would aspire to embrace, AND demonstrate, our togetherness, our pride and our strengths, as a people.
Undoubtedly, the list of achievements to be proud of is lengthy. Over the years our musicians, our cricketers, our footballers, our track and field athletes, our debaters, our artists, our scientists, our electricians, our farmers, our hospitality workers, our entrepreneurs….of course our teachers, doctors and nurses….they, among others, have all performed on various platforms, around the world, and they have made us proud.
The men who have been named our national heroes, all 5 of them, did their part in Nation building and our people are proud of their achievements, accordingly. Our 4th named national hero, The late right excellent Dr. Sir Simeon Daniel, my dear father of blessed memory, was the epitome of country above self, self determination and a people’s servant who we all can aspire to emulate. Moments of national pride and nationals who have inspired us are not difficult to find in St. Kitts and Nevis.
I can still recall the sense of pride that swept over our nation when Master Troy Nisbett wore our national colours and participated in the Olympic games earlier this year! Just this month, Ms. Keyana Warner won the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Tourism Youth Congress, and our country was again full of pride.
Amidst the proud moments, over the last several years, our country has had to grapple with a number of challenges. Uncertainties about our CBI programme, unprecedented health challenges associated with COVID-19, unprecedented environmental challenges associated with climate change… causing extremely hot days, water shortages, crop destruction and sargassum build up at our beaches. We have felt the impacts of the Russian Ukraine war and seen the resulting unprecedented increases in the cost of living, especially in Nevis.
As a nation, we came together under the COVID-19 Taskforce to battle the health challenges of COVID-19. In the midst of rising crime, we have seen the need to come together, under an all of society and public health approach, to help establish a new Department of Citizen Security to help put an end to crime in our country.
We are working together, as one federation, under the umbrella of a Sustainable Island State Agenda, to help build resilience to the adverse impacts of external challenges, and to deliver hope for a brighter and more prosperous future for all of our people. We must also work together…as one federation, under the umbrella of the good governance agenda to overcome our internal challenges that give rise to corruption, increasing economic disparities between St. Kitts and Nevis, erosion of our democratic principles, and abuse of ambiguities or omissions in our constitution.
From the birth of our nation, in 1983, our national anthem tells us ……With God in all our struggles, St. Kitts and Nevis be, a nation bound together with a common destiny. 1 Corinthians 12:12–27 calls us to be one body with many different parts. It reminds us that togetherness is oneness and that If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. So it is with our twin island federation of St. Kitts and Nevis…one country but two.
