Montreal, Canada, February 19, 2012 – A Grenada government is seeking the support of nationals abroad in providing more educational opportunities for young Grenadians living at home in the Caribbean.
Tourism Minister Peter David told Grenadians in Montreal on Saturday that the continued assistance of nationals in the Diaspora in required for Grenada’s further development.
“While under our government we have increased the number of tertiary educational opportunities for the youth of our nation, there are still too many of them that do not get that opportunity,’’ David said in the keynote address at celebrations in Montreal marking Grenada’s 38th anniversary of independence.
He said that for each youth that is denied a scholarship opportunity, “we have failed to seize the opportunity to invest in our collective future. It is something that maybe the government and the Diaspora can work together on – setting up a college education fund that will provide more study opportunities for the young people back home.’’
Under the current government in St. George’s headed by Prime Minister Tillman Thomas, more government scholarships have been made available to young people at colleges and universities in countries such as China, Morocco, Cuba and Venezuela.
“Maybe to supplement all of this, we may want to look at a Government-Diaspora partnership,’’ said David, who is also Minister for Civil Aviation and Culture. “I put this out there for what it is worth, and urge the beginning of a dialogue on the issue.’’
While David was in Montreal, Prime Minister Thomas was in Toronto on Saturday evening addressing another function honouring Grenada’s independence.
“I join the Prime Minister in the call he made to his audience in Toronto for the building and consolidation of a coalition between our people at home and abroad that will aggressively enhance our government’s development agenda,’’ said David, MP for the Town of St. George.
“I make the same call Prime Minister Thomas has made – to encourage specialists and professionals in health, education, business and other sectors, to offer their service to our people back home.’’
The government, David added, is also seeking the cooperation of nationals abroad “in finding markets for existing Grenadian products and to help in research and development of new ones. I urge you to continue to work with the Office of Diaspora Affairs and the Grenada Industrial Development Corporation, the Ministry of Agriculture and other agencies – the both public and private sector – in this regard.’’
According to the minister, “it has indeed been proven time and time again in the last 38 years, that there is nothing that we cannot achieve when we come together as a people.’’
A minute’s silence was observed after David informed the audience of the passing in Grenada on Saturday afternoon of former Prime Minister George Brizan.
Here is the text of the message delivered in Montreal by Minister David.
Let me begin by thanking the organizers of this evening`s gala for their invitation to be back in this city that I have come to regard as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Additionally I want to thank all of you for your warm welcome to a not-so warm Montreal; and I am more than honored to be able to share this moment of celebration with everyone.
I am glad for the opportunity to renew old acquaintances and to make new ones. I have very fond memories of the years I spent in this part of the world, interacting with many persons – some of whom I see here this evening. I want to join others in paying tribute to some of the old stalwarts of in the Grenada Diaspora in Canada. Persons such as Bridget Joseph, Justice Julius Isaac, Justice Romain Pitt, Jean Augustine, Caldwell Taylor, and Yolande Maximay-Williams.
While he is not from Grenada I want to specially recognize the work of a dear friend and Comrade Alfie Roberts who was truly a Caribbean man. The many long hours I spent speaking with him, either in person or on the phone, certainly helped to shape my own views on the kind of Caribbean – in fact the kind of world – we should strive to build. He lived in Montreal but his life was the Caribbean.
When I received the invitation to come to Montreal to speak on this occasion, I immediately accepted it.
Many of you have would have heard me say this before – that I consider the Diaspora as the 16th constituency of Grenada. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, New York, Washington, London and other parts of the Diaspora are as important to the development of our nation as is the fisherman in Gouyave or Petite Martinique; the boat-builder in Carriacou; the agri-businessman in St. Patrick or St. Andrew; the farmer in St. David or St. Mark; or the local investors in St. George’s.
The contribution to national development of Grenadian-Canadians and other Grenadians in the Diaspora is a significant portion of our Gross Domestic Product. Your generosity, especially in times of need such as in 2004 when the country was devastated by Hurricane Ivan, is immeasurable. It is a well-known fact that without the financial and other contributions of our Diaspora Grenada would be unable to achieve much of what it has.
We are grateful as a people, and as a government, and I want you to give yourselves a round of applause.
The fact is no matter what our current status in life, we have been brought here tonight by our by a single feature. Our Grenadian-ness.
This is the one thing that unites all of us – and the one thing that we must use to inspire ourselves in moving forward as one people united in a single purpose.
No matter our status in life, we are joined together by this collective dream we have for our nation for its growth and development.
We may come from different places and may be in different situations, and share varied opinions on politics, sport or religion, but there is this united sense borne in one corner of the world that we all call home.
For people in the Diaspora our twin motivations are (i) how can we find ways to continue to contribute to our homeland’s growth and development, and (ii) a permanent yearning of wanting to one day return to the land we still call home.
This is why when it is said that there are more things that unite us than will ever divide us, it is not just some cute slogan or statement. It is true. It is reality.
And in understanding how we go forward, and in understanding what we can do for our nation, we must first always appreciate that fundamental point; that despite the many differences we may have, the fact that we are all Grenadian with a burning desire to see our country develop, unites us in a very real way. I have lived in New York, Montreal, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, London, and Trinidad. And the one thing that always amazes me is that the further away they get from home, the more patriotic Grenadians seem to become.
In a world of so many billions of people, we are unique because there are only a few hundred thousands of us –and it’s our spirit, our abilities and our collective mobilization that are the main currency of our national good.
From time to time, there will be these raging national debates – about politics, about development and about the way forward – but we must never let those shake our national core; if anything it should strengthen it.
We strive for national unity always and a combined sense of purpose. But we must never confuse unity with unanimity.
We will never agree on everything. In fact, we should not. Because it is that diversion of views that will help build a strong nation in the end.
Cultured debates must not be shunned as if it is uncultured confusion. Any national debate devoid of personal spite and facetiousness is at its core supporting our Grenadian-ess.
The essence of every nation’s independence is the ability of its people to question itself and to reinvent its soul so as to be able to survive in a difficult world.
Our sovereignty can only be defended by the strength of the collective ideas of a nation’s peoples.
And so when we appeal to people in the Diaspora to help with development back home – we don’t just want your moral support or your money – but crucially, your ideas. And your ideas are important even if they may be different to ours.
In 38 years as an independent nation, we have come a long way, and we have a lot to celebrate and be proud of; our sons and daughters have made their mark in every sphere and in every part of the world. In Medicine, Engineering, Politics, Law, and several other areas we have done well.
In many ways, in the international scheme of things, we have consistently and proudly punched above our weight.
This summer in London, we have a wonderful opportunity once again to showcase ourselves on the world stage when hopefully Kirani James and Rondell Bartholomew will lead our unprecedented Olympic quest.
For a country smaller than the size of an average Canadian city to have two of the leading quarter milers in the world, is something that we can all be forever proud of – and it is something that we must use to inspire the entire nation to help seek out its greatness.
There is this famous saying from the former US President John F Kennedy that states: Ask not what your country could do for you, but what we can do for our country.
But today, I want to turn this around a bit, and challenge all of us –as government and as individuals: don’t ask what the youth are doing for our nation, ask what more can we do for our youth.
As we enter our 39th year of independence, and have been borne out by the current successes of the likes of Kirani and Rondell – I want to argue that our collective greatest investment in the development of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, is to rededicate ourselves to investing in our youth.
We must begin to ask ourselves as a nation –are we investing enough in training and mentoring?
It has been said time and time again that our people are our biggest assets. And if that is – evidently true – I want to suggest that the best investment will be to redouble our efforts in creating a society that offers more hope to our teenagers and young adults.
While under our government we have increased the number of tertiary educational opportunities for the youth of our nation, there are still too many of them that do not get that opportunity.
And for each one we fail to give that opportunity, we have failed to seize the opportunity to invest in our collective future.
It is something that maybe the government and the Diaspora can work together on – setting up a college education fund that will provide more study opportunities for the young people back home.
Over the last few years we have increased the number of scholarships made available through government-to-government arrangements; nations such as China, Morocco, Cuba and Venezuela – have been particularly helpful in that regard.
Maybe to supplement all of this, we may want to look at a Government-Diaspora partnership.
I put this out there for what it is worth, and urge the beginning of a dialogue on the issue.
For indeed when our youth are empowered, our very independence will be renewed and our sovereignty strengthened.
There is also a need to strengthen the culture of entrepreneurship among our young people.
Our education system still tells our children to go out there and study hard so that you can get a good job. Somehow we must find a way to change that message – to go out there, study hard, so you would have the opportunity to create something and develop a new business and a new niche that will have value added for yourself and your nation.
We can never reap the full value of our independence until more of our people become owners of business, rather than employees of business.
I know in some countries, governments have started funds to make investment capital more readily available to young people who have a good investment idea, but do not have the kind of collateral the traditional banks will require to get them started.
It is something in the coming period that I will personally seek to put on the agenda of the government and push for a new dispensation in that regard.
I strongly feel that only with such initiatives that our independence will be renewed and strengthened.
While I am here in Montreal, our Prime Minister Hon. Tillman Thomas has been in Toronto addressing a similar function in honor of Grenada’s independence.
Tonight, I join the Prime Minister in the call he made to his audience in Toronto for the building and consolidation of a coalition between our people at home and abroad that will aggressively enhance our government’s development agenda.
I make the same call Prime Minister Thomas has made – to encourage specialists and professionals in health, education, business and other sectors, to offer their service to our people back home.
As a government, we also seek your cooperation in finding markets for existing Grenadian products and to help in research and development of new ones. I urge you to continue to work with the Office of Diaspora Affairs and the Grenada Industrial Development Corporation, the Ministry of Agriculture and other agencies – the both public and private sector – in this regard.
It has indeed been proven time and time again in the last 38 years – that there is nothing that we cannot achieve when we come together as a people.
We must resist the forces of tribalism. No difference must be too great that will stop us holding up the Grenadian family. We are in this together; or else we will separately fail our children.
I believe that we are standing at the dawn of a great Grenadian renewal – and all of us must play our part in ensuring that our nation reaches its full potential.
In spite of all the achievements of the past 38 years – our best days still lie ahead of us all.
Let us move forward to a better Grenada!
I thank you very much.