Nation building in the economyOur 2014 agenda

“Sorrel is for sharing.” That is the light-hearted jingle heard on the radio, television and seen on the flyer. It is promoting cousin Joyce’s sorrel beer and ginsor’l drinks along with her line of sorrel-ginger products. People are picking up “six packs” for $15.00 and a full case for $50.00. More than that, alongside the regular brews, the CJ brand also has a “light” drink, sweetened, not with sugar, but with “Stevia” from Square Deal Investments, which does not put sugar/calories in the blood.{{more}} These are only some of the new products and services that will blossom during 2014, the people’s year of nation building in the economy. A new disturbing creativity and enterprise is sweeping through the community and the young people call it “the Mandela impact.” Another product that was a hot seller was the “country style stew peas,” produced by Erica and the Stubbs cooperative. What killed it was when “(Comcy) Fresh” Hairouna put a counterfeit product on the shelves that (and) turned away the consumers.

“Christmas is for sharing”, is how I like to remember our warm people-friendly traditional Christmas time. Today, we are moving into a festival that focuses more on “Christmas is for getting” an imperial, commodity driven rush for things from overseas. This change of culture makes me have to ponder: how did we lose our way; did an enemy do this to us? Did somebody keep us from building up our sharing spirit or relationships into a nation building social capital? Is the ignorant observation that we are crabs in a barrel, pulling each other down, to be considered as our weakness? On the other hand, what is there in our psychology and our social policies that can make 2014 our nation building year?

UPGRADE OR DEGRADE OUR TALENT?

We are a producing people. Whether it is carnival, mas, marijuana, fashion pieces, dasheen, cricketers, netball stars, or chocolate “sticks”, we have a talent to produce things. We good at that. Yes, we do produce well, but I find there is not enough community pride, private sector networks and government policy or practical support to upgrade our productive talent. Listen to the stories of unfair government dealings by Leon “Bigger Biggs” Samuel. Do you hear any broad community outcry or outrage and action to back him up? Is the business sector moving to look into or champion his cause? Does this evergreen local businessman or any of his colleagues like O.T. Mayers, Bishop John of road works, Erica’s, VJ’s, Bickles and our media houses get promotion by policy makers? No! It is either that they are neglected as if they don’t exist, or there is a vicious crackdown on them. The policy and practice of government is this: put the striving nation building local producer to stand in the back. Bring the foreigner, the family and the party producer up higher. Make room for them on the platform. In this way, our nation building energy gets wasted down, national development is blocked, imperial or imperialist control becomes stronger and, as a result, gives support to their friends in power. Government policies operate as if they are the enemy of local nation builders in the economy; policies hold us back by omission of support and by commission of unfairness. That is why an upgraded sorrel beer is not on our shopping lists for Christmas.

In the year 2014, we must put a stop to policies that sabotage our national economy. Let us join hands and shoulders to roll back the onslaught on businesses like Bigger Biggs and Erica’s Country Style. Instead of blocking off significant sections of our productive talent or our productive forces from their growth and development, we must increase the quantity and quality of talent we put into production, we must create a new class of products, services and institutions – things which give birth to innovation and stimulate interaction and yield knowledge.

Nation building in the economy is a matter for all sectors in the Vincentian society to have a stake and a share and a voice. We must demand and assert that right in 2014, and bring policy framers to account to us. As a farmer, I want an answer to the intentional agreement in which the Government gives a 50-year lease to a British company to own and control the produce of 5,000 acres of cocoa. Farmers are to work for this British company and hand over their produce to them until the year 2061. That agreement puts not only farmers in bondage, it fences in all sectors in the social economy; it must not survive 2014.

The nation society of St Vincent and the Grenadines is a shared non-property of all of us. That is what we must discover and claim in 2014. Our nation is for sharing. A happy prosperous and blessed 2014 is available to us in SVG. Let us accept and share it.