Independence Day Message from the Governor-General His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen JIS August 6, 2014 Fellow Citizens and Friends of Jamaica: As we reflect on our journey as an independent people since 1962, we know that despite the problems and hardships we have faced, we have much for which to be thankful. The bedrock of positive energy in our national philosophy derived from our Flag, Our Motto, our National Pledge and our National Anthem explains why we have kept this ship Jamaica afloat, and why we shall attain our vision for our beloved country. Our Flag reminds us daily that “the sun shines, the land is green and our people are strong and creative”. Our Motto reaffirms that regardless of our historic origins, our economic status, our religious and political beliefs, our gender and age, we are One People. Our National Pledge speaks to our destiny under God, to increase in beauty, fellowship and prosperity. Our National Anthem reminds us of the source of our strength, our wisdom and vision, our direction and our protection. People often speak of the resilience and the indomitable spirit of Jamaicans, and we see that demonstrated time and again in: • our response to natural disasters and personal tragedies • our agricultural sector, which thanks to our courageous farmers, always strives to bounce back after being ravaged by disasters and human predators • our business sector, especially the small and medium sized, which constantly seeks new ways to confront the varied challenges and remain committed for the long haul • our public sector, which recognizes the importance of transforming itself to better respond to the changing needs of our country, despite the ongoing pressure they face • our security forces, who constantly put their lives on the line in accordance with their mandate to serve and protect our people and defend our territory • our judiciary which maintains its high standard against all odds • our Media which gives Jamaica a high ranking globally for press freedom • our Governmental, Non-Governmental and voluntary organizations which devote themselves to advancing the welfare and wellbeing of our people. I acknowledge that in every sector there are issues which are yet to be resolved, but I am convinced of our core commitment to building a better Jamaica. This fuels my belief that there is nothing wrong with Jamaica that cannot be fixed by what is right with Jamaica! Today, as we celebrate our Independence Anniversary, I thank all Jamaicans who contribute to a better Jamaica at every level: • in communities – in rural villages, towns and cities; • in the leadership of churches, businesses and all sectors; • in the Diaspora and in the leadership of our nation. I encourage all of you to look beyond our present difficulties and work for the prize of which we dream: Jamaica, the place of choice in which to live, work, raise our families and do business. We can achieve that goal. Let us believe in ourselves, remembering as our first National Hero Marcus Garvey said that: “If you don’t have confidence in yourself, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started. ” I wish you a Happy Independence! May God bless Jamaica, Land we love! Source: jis.gov.jm/independence-day-message-governor-general-excellency-hon-sir-patrick-allen/ ================================================================ Independence Day Message from Prime Minister the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller JIS August 6, 2014 My fellow Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora, I greet you on this the 52nd Anniversary of our Independence. Fifty-two years since our flag was first hoisted; fifty-two years since we assumed full responsibility for our national affairs. Fifty-two years since that hopeful and expectant generation passed on to us the vibrancy of a dream of a new Jamaica: a Jamaica of equal opportunity for all; a Jamaica where justice would roll down like a river, and a Jamaica for which all of us could be proud. A Jamaica in which all of us could truly say, “This is Jamaica, my Jamaica”. A true ownership society. A Jamaica in which all of us would have a sense of place and belonging, not just a place of abode. Founding Father Rt. Excellent Norman Manley put it well in speaking of his vision of this new Jamaica: “All efforts will be wasted unless the masses are steadily taken along a path in which they will feel more and more that this place is their home, that it is their destiny. They will then do more for it— work more, more effort, more thinking, more sacrifice, more discipline and more honesty… There is a tremendous difference between living in a place and belonging to it and feeling that your own life and destiny is bound up in the life and destiny of that place.” What profound words! How deeply relevant to the theme of our Independence celebrations this year: “This is Jamaica, my Jamaica”. It is only when we truly internalize the view that “this is Jamaica, my Jamaica” that we can give our all to this rock. • We have to unite for a common purpose. • We must have a sense that we are, indeed, stakeholders. • We have to take responsibility and be accountable for our actions. This is true sovereignty and independence. “This is Jamaica, my Jamaica” means that in the face of our most severe drought in recent memory, we must take personal responsibility for conserving water. We must make the necessary sacrifices. The issues we face are national and broad-based. Because this is our Jamaica each Jamaican must own and contribute to mitigating them. A sense of personal responsibility and ownership captured by our independence theme, “This is Jamaica, my Jamaica” means that we take responsibility for our communities and help to keep them safe. Personal responsibility means that we look out for our neighbour and our neighbour’s children; that we protect the weak and vulnerable in our communities and take care of the elderly, the disabled, the sick and the lonely. The work that lies ahead, in staying the course with our economic programme that will lead us toward economic independence, will require not only personal responsibility but engaging human will. When I speak of ‘human will’ I speak of our will as a people to believe we can achieve and exceed the targets we set. • It was the will of the enslaved people to be free that brought Emancipation. • It is human will that caused our heroes and heroines to do that which was necessary to build our nation. • It was the will of the people that ignited the passion for political Independence. • It is human will that drives all movements for excellence, justice, respect, equality and liberty. • It was a common mission and the will of the people that brought people together to strive for political liberty and self-government. • Human will causes our sportsmen and women to excel, our innovators to innovate and our creators to create! I pause to recognize our sportsmen and women and commend those who represented Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games for excellent performances. • It is human will that keeps us going, that explains resilience and prevents us from giving up and giving in as we make the necessary sacrifices. • • It is our will, our human will, to create a better Jamaica for all Jamaicans that will push our efforts forward, onward and upward to the success of Jamaica, our Jamaica. The theme, “This is Jamaica, my Jamaica” impels us to have the will and responsibility to give a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay and to maximize our productivity and efficiency. This is the only way Jamaica will be strong economically and increase our exports and foreign exchange earnings. Our fiscal prudence, our judicious management of our economy as well as the reduction in our debt and current account deficits, is a demonstration of our taking our affairs into our hands. We can’t be bystanders in the building of this Jamaica. We are all stakeholders. This is our Jamaica. It was the indomitable spirit of nationalism which gripped that generation which bequeathed to us our Independence in 1962. That generation believed passionately that we as a people had greatness inscribed in us. That generation believed the future favoured us. It was a future that was being built steadily since the post Emancipation period, leading up to 1938 and the birth of the modern labour movement, and then the thrust toward self-Government. Our ancestors were visionaries, men and women who lived and breathed hope and optimism. The Rt. Excellent Sir Alexander Bustamante believed in Jamaica and spent his entire life working for a brighter future for his fellow Jamaicans. He said, “Independence means the opportunity for us to frame our own destiny and the need to rely on ourselves in doing so”. Former Governor General Sir Howard Cooke, a stalwart of that generation which led the struggle for Independence, was a relentless and tireless believer in the greatness of the Jamaican people. Today we need to recapture that pioneering spirit, that sprit of adventure in building a Jamaica our children can be proud of, a Jamaica of righteousness and justice for all. We must believe we can do it. Norman Manley put it memorably: “If we never desert our own principles; if we believe in what we are aiming at, if we appreciate those who regard this country as their home… if we can do those things and be true to what we believe in and if we can combine this with hard work and practical intelligence, then I believe… we will make… this country a real place to say that ‘we come from Jamaica”. “This is Jamaica, my Jamaica” means that we take responsibility for our families and our children and that we instil in them proper values and attitudes. It means: • We become our brother and sister’s keeper, always looking out for their good • That we become active citizens, deepening our democracy • That we volunteer in our communities, civic groups, churches and civil society groups • That we always cherish hope, optimism and love. Our Independence was hard fought though no blood was shed. But people gave their lives for it. Let us not squander it. We must stand together as one nation when the wells go dry, when the fires rage and the tempests roll. We must stand together in the knowledge that the difficulties we face are part of our historical struggle to build our nation. We have endured struggle and sacrifice in different forms in this our journey to growth and development. It is because we are free, independent people that we have an opportunity to work together to turn the corner. We must pull together, facing our challenges as one people – for a common cause – because – ‘This is Jamaica, my Jamaica’ – your Jamaica – our Jamaica – land we love. I am reminded of that wonderful poem Litany written by George Campbell to capture the spirit of the independence movement: “I hold the splendid daylight in my hands Inwardly grateful for a lovely day Thank you life Daylight like a fine fan spread from my hands Daylight like scarlet poinsettia Daylight like yellow cassia flowers Daylight like clean water Daylight like cacti Daylight like sea sparkling with white horses Daylight like sustained blue sky Daylight like tropic hills Daylight like a sacrament in my hands” Let us walk into the daylight of a brighter tomorrow. This is Jamaica, my Jamaica”, land we love. I thank you Source: jis.gov.jm/independence-day-message-prime-minister-hon-portia-simpson-miller/ ==================================================================== 2014 Independence Message from the Leader of the Opposition Mr. Andrew Holness JIS August 6, 2014 Independence marked a major milestone in our journey towards nationhood and the creation of our Jamaican State. That journey started with the arrival of Columbus in 1492 and the subsequent conquest, exploitation and establishment of a system of enslavement and a plantation society under European colonial rule which lasted for 470 years until our Independence 1962. After World War II European Empires receded as their economies and armies tried to rebuild and nationalist fervour in the colonies grew. Colonialism as mechanism for social, economic and political control of conquered or claimed lands had outlived its usefulness in the context of emerging poles of power in America and Asia. The process of redefining the World order had begun with former colonies claiming their independence either through struggle or negotiation or both. Independence in this era did not mean that former colonies were now on equal power footing in the international systems. Though colonialism as a practice ended. Imperialism as a political force would continue to drive the relationship between newly independent states and the established power poles of the world. For all practical considerations Independence is always constrained by our global relations and more importantly obligations. For small independent states like Jamaica, the global context has a significant impact and poses serious challenges to our aspirations for self determination and economic development. On Independence Day 52 years ago, such consideration would not necessarily be a driving concern. It was a euphoric time when the ideals of building a just and prosperous nation were foremost in the minds of all Jamaicans. It must have been an optimistic time when our children believed that their future was secured. The Independence Decade was a period of economic boom, growth and expansion, unparalleled since. It was a period of time when Jamaicans believed they were going to build a new Jamaica. Jamaicans were positive about Jamaica. More than 80% of the Jamaican population was not around when Jamaica gained Independence. The values, dreams and aspiration of the Independence generation have largely disappeared. The positive and optimistic outlook is gone, and has been replaced with cynicism and lack of trust. There is a great deal of uncertainty about our future. We have not yet realized the new Jamaica we conceived 52 years ago. What does Independence mean to the post independence generations of Jamaicans? What have we done with our independence and what do we want to do with our independence. What is the spirit, vision and ethos of the Jamaican citizen towards our country and nation now? Today we must reflect on what has happened in the 52 years since Independence. The post independence generations of Jamaicans must now start the next phase. We must craft a vision for the next 50 years of Jamaican statehood. The youth of Jamaica must become more vocal and active defining the future they would want to see for Jamaica. Those who prefer to criticize project Jamaica from their verandas, I urge you to rise up and among other actions walk to the polling stations instead. The post independence leaders must now emerge and take charge of piloting future and rekindling the hope and optimism about Jamaica. Our Independence is precious, regardless of the constraints of the global order of things. Within that global order Jamaica has opportunities and prospects which we must use to our advantage to spur growth and development. For example we have a significant and influential Diaspora in the power centers of the world which can contribute much more than remittances. In our vision for the next 50 years, for Jamaica must find direct and deliberate ways to include and leverage our Diaspora. Brand Jamaica has been spoken of time and time and again, it is very influential in sports, in pop culture, and in content generation for art film and music, the next phase of the independence vision must build an industry around this and secure the benefits for our people. We must take a second look at where our trading advantage lies. Historical and sentimental linkages may not be relevant, useful or even necessary in changing world. Presently our strongest regional political ties are not aligned to our largest and nearest potential markets. We must now seek to build stronger trading alliance with the Northern Caribbean region, and we must position ourselves strategically to benefit from the growth which will take place in Africa particularly. Finally, the leaders and planners for the next 50 years must commit to ending poverty in Jamaica. It is not an impossible task. We must first change our materialistic outlook on poverty. We must come to the understanding that loving the poor is not enough, we must go further to lift people out of poverty, and the poor must not shy away from the desire for prosperity. We must reject any excuse or protector of poverty. We have no reason to be poor. On this Independence Day, you must reaffirm to yourself that we will build a Jamaica where every Jamaican can “step up inna life”. Source: jis.gov.jm/2014-independence-message-leader-opposition-mr-andrew-holness/ ===================================================================== Happy Independence Jamaica, From The United States JAMAICA GLEANER Published: Wednesday, August 06, 2014 Happy Independence Jamaica, From The United States The United States administration has congratulated Jamaica on its 52nd anniversary of the separation from British rule. In a statement released by the United States Embassy, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Jamaica and America share a valuable relationship. See full statement below: On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer best wishes to the people of Jamaica on the occasion of your 52nd anniversary of independence. The United States and Jamaica share an important and thriving partnership through our mutual commitment to strong democratic governance. Our collaboration in the areas of climate change, health, security, and trade continues to benefit both our nations and the Caribbean region. We applaud your recent efforts to pass the Disabilities Act, which ensures equal rights for people with physical, mental, and intellectual disabilities. Our mutual efforts through the Climate Adaptation Plan, the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief have made a lasting mark on the region. As you mark this day across the island, the United States remains committed to strengthening our partnership and looks forward to an enduring friendship. - John Kerry, US Secretary of State Source: jamaica-gleaner/latest/article.php?id=54691
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 18:41:29 +0000
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