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Have faith and we’ll get there - together By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
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t has been nearly a half a century since The Bahamas achieved independence in 1973, so it’s the perfect time to reflect on the changes the country has undergone since it was ruled by the British. This Sunday, the country officially marks its 49th anniversary, and Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander is encouraging Bahamians to unite for one common goal, as he said progress in the next half of the century will depend on the ability to set aside differences to pursue a collective mission, as well as an unwavering faith in God and people. In his Independence Day message, Bishop Fernander reflects on the country’s progress over the past 49 years and hails the strides made thus far. “God has indeed been faithful to our country over
these 49 years since our flag was first hoisted over our land. We have so much to be grateful for and yet we have so much more to do,” he said. As the country continues to move forward into the 21st century, Bishop Fernander said The Bahamas, its leaders and its people must be diligent and cautious not to abandon the collective spirit that has served the country so well in the past. He said: “The collective effort which has brought our country from multiple enclaves to busy cities and our citizens to worldclass contributors in every genre, from academics to entertainment to sports, is still needed today. We cannot stop the momentum passed on to us by those whose vision it was to see our country selfgoverned and its people free to excel. This generation of Bahamians has set before it the task of handing off a country, to those who follow,
with a hope they will leave it better than they received it. This means that we must all understand that what divides us into our various silos must take a back seat to the common good.” With The Bahamas still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the destruction left by Hurricane Dorian, Bishop Fernander said the nation must remain focused on assisting those in dire need of help and re-energising the economy. “We have endured much loss and turmoil in recent memory and many of our people are yet to recover. We are also currently affected by global conflict, inflation and a soaring cost of living. However, our national focus cannot shift from lifting people out of poverty, bolstering the middle class and ensuring that our economy expands to accommodate our needs and aspirations,” he said. The Bahamas, Bishop Fernander said, cannot
achieve or soar to new heights without having spiritual direction. He said: “The book of Chronicles 7:14 states, ‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.’ We cannot forget our roots and the fact that our country’s founding is grounded in Christian principles. “We must pray for guidance as we move forward. We must pray for our leaders and that God will show our country and its people mercy; that he will buffer our nation from the troubles that transpire around us internationally as we attempt to recover from the ravages of Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19. We must pray that more of our people will understand that they have been born or brought
WITH The Bahamas still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the destruction left by Hurricane Dorian, Bishop Fernander said the nation must remain focused on assisting those in dire need of help and re-energising the economy.
AS the island nation officially marks its 49th anniversary this Sunday, Bishop Delton Fernander, president of the Christian Council, is encouraging Bahamians to unite for one common goal. He said progress in the next 50 years will depend on the ability to set aside differences to pursue a collective mission, as well as an unwavering faith in God and people. here, in this special place, for a reason. We cannot no longer idly watch as our country stands in need of expertise and talents that God has intentionally blessed us with. Progress takes vision, effort and cooperation.” And while there is much left to be accomplished, Bishop Fernander hailed the progress that has been made so far. “As we enter the final stretch before we celebrate half a century of nationhood, we should be proud of our achievements. As we watch the occurrences around the world today, the fragility of democracy is on vivid display. Bahamians have successfully remained a democratic nation and have guarded the pillars of our democracy. We must admit, the Bahamas is a unique place, its beauty and potential is unmatched. Our rich
culture and history are peppered with courageous people and events which impacted the world. We remain a welcoming, intelligent, hardworking and resilient people who fundamentally believe that Christ died for our sins and came that we might have life more abundantly.” “Isaiah 40:31 states, ‘but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.’ I firmly believe that better days are yet to come for this country. We have overcome turbulence and challenges and are still here moving forward whether or not it be at our chosen pace. There is no doubt in my mind that the God that began this good work called the Commonwealth of The Bahamas will see it through.”
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THE BAHAMAS HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS By DENISE MAYCOCK we have come as a nation Tribune Freeport Reporter and as a people through self-governance. dmaycock@tribunemedia.net Having achieved indes the Bahamas marks pendence from Great its 49th year of Inde- Britain on July 10, 1973, pendence with a weekend the Commonwealth of the of celebrations through- Bahamas has no doubt out the country, we cannot made significant progress forget to reflect on how far and strides after nearly five
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decades. Grand Bahama Island has played and continues to play a major role in the nation’s development. Two well-known residents who have made tremendous contributions to nation building share their reflection and thoughts about the country’s independence.
Veteran educator Demaris Thompson recalled the excitement of independence in 1973. She said there was strong pride displayed by Bahamians for the national anthem and the raising of the Bahamian flag. “A lot of excitement was going on and we had so much to do to prepare the children, giving them the whole history of the Bahamas and how we were going to become independent,” she recalled. “We got them all excited and incorporated the history in poetry and songs so they would understand what it was all about,” she said. Ms Thompson also recalled that there was a lot of apprehension expressed by the older Bahamians who were afraid of the Bahamas becoming an independent nation. “There were a lot of questions about how we were going to feed ourselves and protect ourselves when don’t have an army to fight for us. They were very disturbed about breaking off from the Mother Land and how we were going to survive by ourselves,” she stated. Mrs Thompson said that on July 10, 1973, Bahamians packed Clifford Park to witness the country’s independence. “What a night it was; there was a lot of rejoicing and celebration,” she said. It was not enough seats and so you had to stand.” She stated that an Ecumenical Service was held on the Sunday. The flag raising was a very emotional time for Bahamians, she shared. “There was a lot of emotion when the Union Jack was lowered and our Bahamian flag was raised you really felt it,” said Ms Thompson. She believes that the Bahamian pride has faded over the years for independence. “Things are really different today. A lot of people are not excited or proud to be Bahamian. You don’t see as much pride displayed nowadays,” she explained. She noted that when the national anthem is being sung or played, people do not stand at attention. “It is sad to see people walking about and eating it’s no big deal to them,” she stated. “We have to teach or children how to show allegiance to the flag and the importance of that, and that walking and talking should not happen when the Bahamian national anthem is played.”
Ms Thompson said that Bahamians were very patriotic back in the days. “They had their flags up waving and anything connected with independence they were right there. Now, I am not seeing as much of that. We need to get back the pride we once had for independence. “We as educators have to get that back in the schools. We have to start it in the preschools; every child should know the words of the national anthem and what it means,” Ms Thompson said. Ms Thompson believes that the Bahamas is still a great place to live. “I love my country, she said. We may have our problems but show me a country that does not. The Bahamas is a good place where we have lots of freedoms.” She noted that Bahamians can worship God freely without fear. “We still have that privilege, but some countries do not. God has been really good to us,” she said. However, Joseph Darville, a well-known human rights and environmental activist, believes that the Bahamian people have not yet reached their promised land after 49 years of independence. “Our promised land is nowhere even on the horizon,” he said. He explained that mental enslavement has become a special art perpetrated by our country’s leaders who continue to embrace “the colonial mentality.” “Even now and after 40 plus years of political independence, the curse of enslavement still hangs around our necks. So, my lamentation is that we are more enslaved now under our own native leaders…” said Mr Darville. The Freedom of Information Act, he notes, is still not enacted. “Our leaders play the secrecy game, making decisions which often create havoc, fear and apprehension in the nation. They take umbrage in the fact that there is no Freedom of Information Act yet fully enacted.” “We are thus subjected to the old colonial civil servant secrecy law, and thus in all matters, confidential or not, we only become aware of them and the consequences of these many decisions after the fact, when our lives have been seriously, and often irreparably, impacted,” stated Mr Darville. “We are under the illusion that we live and operate in a participatory democracy; this is, in fact, a fallacy, and illusion. The system of democracy we exercise in this land remains one of psychological enslavement; we daily obey our masters for fear of retribution. As a matter of fact, our leaders aim to become plutocrats (rich), and rule as if we were an oligarchy (ruled by the wealthy), and not a democracy. Whether they be ecclesiastical or political leaders, they are our servants and not demi-gods who rule with a condemning iron fist,” Mr Darville said. He stated that the Commission on the reform of our Constitution states the following in reference to freedom of information: 15.11 A corollary of the right of free speech is the right to have access to public information. The right of free expression embraces the right to impart and receive information. Thus, it is not surprising that some Constitutions link the right of freedom of information to that of free speech. Some provide for extensive rights of freedom of information, such as the South African model, which provides a right of access to information held by the state (art.32). Others do not elevate it to a constitutional right but have adopted freedom of information laws. It would be difficult in a common law system, where legislation dealing with official secrets, breach of confidence legislation and the regulations governing the public service still pertain, to grant a constitutional right to government- held information. But the Commission is of the view that some form of statutory regime should provide the citizen with the access to information
needed for the proper functioning of a democracy.” The expression of human rights, he said, is viewed with anger and vengeance. And he said that human rights activists are seen as being anti-Bahamas, devious, infidels, subversive, carrying out treasonous acts against the state. “That spells out clearly the state of human rights in our nation. Thus, this legitimate arm of any civilized and democratic society has to be practiced mainly underground for fear of threats, ridicule, and retribution,” the human rights activist said. “One by one, our civic, human and natural rights are denied in so many ways, resulting in many of our brothers and sisters suffering relentlessly,” he stated. “My brothers and sisters, all the acts which undermine our fundamental rights are the basis of much of the malaise, crime in our nation. A people who has no sense of ownership, power or participation in the national life are easily led to feed on and destroy the nation. Thus, the level of murders, the rape and pillage of our women and children. As has been so truthfully stated, “society prepares the crimes and individuals commit them.” Mr Darville stated that the Freedom of Information movement is embedded in Universal Declaration of Human Rights developed by the United Nations in 1948. The guiding principle is based upon four freedoms: Freedom of speech; Freedom of religion, Freedom from want; and Freedom from fear. Mr Darville believes that the new generation of young Bahamians will be transformative leaders. “To the young and young at heart, you must engineer a culture of transformation, the ideation of light and brilliance. This is predicated upon compassion, love, and wisdom. The richness of your youthful hearts is fertile for this level of transformative leadership,” he said. “We are an independent people, and as such should have the freedom, the right and ability, even obligation to structure and build one by one our beautiful communities. We can then become the envy of island nations, the glory of our own nation and the focus of the world. Our beauty, of both people, land, and sea with their natural and abundance of resources, are all we need to become all that the Good and Great Creator meant us to be,” he said. Former ambassador Maurice Moore said that progress has been made to improve the quality of life of Bahamians, particularly in education and the development of communities. Mr Moore, one of the greatest freedom fighters in Bahamian history and a patriarch of the Majority Rule Movement, said that the country’s Independence on July 10, 1973, was a significant turning point for the nation and Bahamian people. “What we discussed as a party was the need to improve the quality of life for our citizens and then to put greater emphasis on educating of our young people about what it is to be responsible in developing an independent country.” Mr Moore, who was an elected Member of Parliament at the time, noted that greater emphasis was placed in education. “We examined the curriculum in the schools, and ensured standards were being followed without any form of prejudice to students in the education system,” he added. While progress has been made, Mr Moore believes that there is still much more work to be done. “We have made progress over the years; we have seen more Bahamians going to higher education that are now prepared to assume positions in the administration of the country,” he stated.
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Friday, July 8, 2022, PAGE 15
More than just a holiday? By ALESHA CADET acadet@tribunemedia.net
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o be independent is to be free - and a day like Independence Day is surely a reminder of how great it is to be just that. On Sunday, July 10 also with recognition on Monday, July 11 - Bahamians will celebrate the independence of our country, and The Tribune asked a range of people what it means to them - is it just a holiday, or something much more? Radio personality Leslie Ellis-Tynes said for many years, holidays were just a means for her to cross off days on a calendar for vacation from work. Aside from her personal religious upbringing, she understood the reverence behind those observances. “However, I don’t think we as a nation have done a good enough job of instilling within ourselves, the significance, pride and respect that should occur with certain holidays like Independence. There is still much work to be done in this regard, especially among our youth. I’m older now and appreciate that our country was able to move in a direction which has brought the country towards our own self-governance,” said Leslie. The founder of Elemental Business Solutions, Aisha Armbrister, more widely known as Aisha NesutAni, said independence for her represents culture, pride and the endless potential that Bahamian people possess to make an archipelago of islands one of the greatest countries in the world. Multidisciplinary artist, writer and curator Jodi Minnis said Independence Day is a celebration of the intelligence, empathy and foresight of our ancestors. “It is the manifestation of their dream of self-governance being actualised,
but it is a reminder of the work we now have to do to sustain it and redefine it. Independence Day is a time to be proud, to be introspective and to be honest and to chart a new way forward, because a new way is possible,” said Jodi. For TV host, speaker and author Anastarcia Palacious, it was a special story that came to mind when asked the question. “On Friday, July 1, my four-year-old came down dressed for summer camp. We were almost out the door when it hit me; ‘Cairo,’ I said, ‘you must change. Today is National Pride Day’. ‘But I like what I’m wearing,’ she whined. ‘What is National Pride Day anyway?’ Fifteen minutes later she’d had a thorough lecture on colonisation, independence and our flag. I also told her if anyone said to her that her Bahama Handprint dress was lovely, she was to remind that it was National Flag Day and that she was proud to be Bahamian. At four, I’m not sure what she retained, but I hope that I laid a foundation at that moment that encourages her to be proud to be Bahamian,” said Anastarcia. She believes independence is rightfully a holiday but to cheapen it to “just a holiday” is to neglect the millions of people who passed through this archipelago, be they Arawaks, Lucayans, Caribs, slaves or Europeans. “To call it just a holiday is to dismiss the years of toil and trouble the masses endured before Pompey and the Burma Road Riots. To call it just a holiday is to not acknowledge the labour movement, the women’s suffrage movement, or the white and black men and women who worked together to form the Progressive Liberal Party and thus lead the charge to independence. It
LESLIE ELLIS-TYNES
ANASTARCIA PALACIOUS
AISHA ARMBRISTER
JODI MINNIS
ignores the birth of the Free National Movement and a true democracy.” “Independence ought to be celebrated by every resident of this nation, from Grand Bahama to Inagua. God designed these unique islands to be the gateway to the new world. There is nothing between here and the motherland Africa and that ought to give us pause. Indeed, the world marks
the manner of our bearing, and we ought to feel national pride each day and not just when we are winning Olympic medals. “Ultimately Independence means that every person in this nation is an example of potential and capacity to be maximised because we are free to govern our own affairs. At 49, there is still much to consider and much to be
done. “We have not fully realised equality under the law. Our children continue to need more protection and our health care and justice systems are underfunded and overburdened. Those persons granted citizenship today still pledge themselves to the Queen and her heirs. We still have untapped natural resources that our citizenry isn’t fully benefitting from, and our
universal education system must be equipped to meet the demands of a world post-pandemic. I trust all those things, and many unlisted will be addressed in a meaningful way in the coming years. “Happy Independence Day, Bahamas. I look forward to what we will continue to build through love and unity,” said Anastarcia.
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BEATING THE
ROAD
THE BEAT Retreat ret ur ple turning out to wa ned to the streets of The Bahamas on Su tch uniformed office rs parade along Bay nday, with peoStreet. Photos: Austin Fern ander
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