Celebrating 32 years of independence: Together we strive and conquer!

Fri, Oct 28. 2011

Editor: As we celebrate 32 years of independence, let us reflect on our nation. Life in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, as we know it, has not always been effortless, but it was the unsteady patches that shaped and molded us into decent human beings.{{more}} Thirty-two years ago our nation was born, free from the clutches of colonialism. Today we ask ourselves; are we truly free?

As a people we often forget that St.Vincent and the Grenadines is a very young country which still faces serious challenges and it is often compared with our neighbors who enjoy periods of calm, with more resources readily available to them. It is time that we bundle our human resources with our natural resources and become a force to be reckoned with in the region. The ultimate goal to our success is simply emancipating ourselves from mental slavery and the shackles of own self-doubt and self-worth.

On independence day, let us stand in unity and sing the words of our national anthem with pride, as members of diverse denominations, different races, different classes that make us all a unique nation. The success of our nation is in no doubt clouded by the divisions of politics, cultural and social beliefs et al. If we choose to ignore the facts on a normal day that as a thriving nation we are in no way worthy of our success and advancements, let us make Independence Day the day we choose to reflect.

Today we are miles apart, but I want to reach across the miles and say I am thinking of you in a very special way. Happy Independence, St.Vincent and the Grenadines! May love inspire us all!

Renitta A Peters

Mississauga, Canada