By Valencia Grant, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis
Press Release No. 171
MANILA, PHILIPPINES, NOVEMBER 24th, 2016 (PRESS SEC) — Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris was honoured for his Outstanding Statesmanship during the Gusi Peace Prize International Annual Awards Night 2016 at the Philippine International Convention Centre in Manila, Philippines on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016.
The prestigious Gusi Peace Prize, Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize, is known as the Award for Great Achievers of the World.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Harris, the popular, six-time elected Member of Parliament, said his extensive government and political experience has afforded him the privilege of being a public servant, thereby working to effect positive change for his constituents, as well as the people and country of St. Kitts and Nevis as a whole.
“Working in public life, both as a politician and now as Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, has given me the great privilege of serving my beloved people and my beautiful nation,” Prime Minister Harris said, adding that, “Public service for the greater good is the mark of a mature nation ready to embrace new ideas and to work collaboratively so that the quality of life for everyone can be improved. I have given 23 consecutive years as a Member of Parliament and about 20 years at the governmental and ministerial levels across a wide range of portfolio assignments including agriculture, lands, education, housing, commerce, foreign affairs, finance and now as my country’s 3rd Prime Minister.”
The Honourable Prime Minister alluded to the challenges that come with such great responsibility and suggested that they are certainly worth it in the furtherance of democracy and nation building. “The vicissitudes of political life are assured in a functioning Westminster model of democracy like the one practiced in St. Kitts and Nevis. Through it all, I can say it is a singular honour and privilege to serve my constituents and country with distinction and with selflessness. I have received several awards, but this one I shall always remember and celebrate in tribute to my people and in tribute to my beloved country,” Dr. Harris said.
The other 14 Gusi 2016 laureates come from around the world and include Dr. Kingsley Faulkner of Australia, who was honoured for Medicine (Surgery), Anti-Smoking & Environmental Advocacy; attorney Amor Mašović of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for Humanitarianism (Human Rights & Research for Missing Persons); Health Minister Nikolæ Bănicioiu of Romania, for Governance & Social Services, Professor Nicholas Hagger of England, for Literature; Dr. Philip Fidler of the United States, for Medicine (Burn Surgery); Dr. Vincent Giampapa of the United States, for Medicine (Cell Aging Research), and Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa of the Philippines, for Peace (Fight Against Drugs and Crime).
The awards ceremony was attended by 5,000 distinguished guests comprising representatives of the diplomatic corps, local and foreign politicians, business leaders, celebrities, philanthropists, civic leaders, educators, scientists and other prominent figures from the Philippines and the rest of Asia, as well as the other continents in the world.
The Honourable Ian Patches Liburd, Minister of Public Infrastructure et al., and Ms. Valencia Grant, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, were in attendance and among the select VIP guests who presented the awards to the Gusi Peace Prize laureates on stage.
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