Honourable Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis
Message on the Event of St. Kitts and Nevis’ 42nd Anniversary of Independence
September 19, 2025
Fellow Residents and Residents,
This yr we are celebrating 42 years of self-determination and nationhood. Not like earlier years the place we mirrored totally on the previous, this yr we’re celebrating our Independence Anniversary by trying ahead to the future- a sustainable future. Certain collectively by our shared nationwide identification, we stand collectively as we speak, a rustic united as one individuals, one nation, one future.
Forty-two years in the past we freed ourselves from ourcolonial rulers and emerged as an unbiased small island state. This proved to be a seminal second in our nation’s historical past. It signaled the emergence of anindependent nation, proud and robust.
Independence is greater than a historic date or a change in political standing. It presents a chance to recount our historical past, study from the teachings taught and forge a brand new path for progress and growth. Independencemeans proudly owning our nation’s progress and growth. It means prudent administration of our assets for the advantage of ourselves and future generations. It means fostering social cohesion, selling human dignity and advancing equal entry to justice and alternative.
This yr’s Independence anniversary is being celebrated below the theme: “Perpetual Progress- a Sustainable Future in View, Independence 42.” This theme emphasizes that our nation’s steady progress ought to endeavor to meet our current wants with out harming future generations’ capacity to fulfill their very own wants. In our unending efforts to enhance situations, adapt to new challenges and discover options for growth, we must always at all times search to handle our assets in a manner that doesn’t deplete them for generations to return. Briefly, perpetual progress for a sustainable future is a dynamic strategy of securing the livelihood and well-being of each present and future residents of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Whereas we mirror on our journey from colonialism to self-rule, there’s additionally a must assess our nationwide standing as we speak. We should consider our financial outlook, our progress in healthcare, training, human growth, and nationwide safety. Independence warrants cautious examination of our infrastructural growth, agriculture, meals safety, housing and poverty alleviation.
A radical assessment of those will clearly present that over our 42 years of Independence, we now have made important positive factors in establishing the constructing blocks that enable our residents to reinforce and maintain the standard of their lives, and create the situations for them to succeed in their full potential. Certainly, individuallyand collectively we’re performing exceptionally properly in our Social Progress Index.
Fellow residents, progress is just not a given, it’s not a birthright, it’s not computerized. It takes cautious planning, prudent managing, and skillful maneuvering of our assets. It requires the participation of everybody – the federal government and residents alike. The power of our nation lies not solely within the fingers of a reliable authorities, nevertheless it additionally rests on the broad shoulders of its individuals.
Nevertheless, as we extol and have a good time our 42 years of progress, we should acknowledge and settle for that Independence is a course of with obligations and tasks. It behooves us to construct on the legacy of our forefathers and show the values of sacrifice, diligence, patriotism, braveness and resilience. We should, nearly as good residents, proceed to entrench these values as we journey alongside the path of writing our personal historical past and reclaiming our future.
Our wealthy historical past is advanced, marked by struggles, resilience, revival, and renewal. We’ve endured trials, confronted challenges and carried the heavy burden of our wrestle. Via all of it, one fact stands agency: the indomitable will and resilience of our individuals. Via each storm and detour our spirit has endured. We’ve saved the flames of hope and optimism alive, and we now have at all times risen with braveness, dedication and the unrelenting perception that a greater and brighter future is forward of us.
Because the Premier of Nevis, I wholeheartedly consider within the capability and potential of our individuals to efficiently overcome all challenges. I consider that we’re imbued with the spirit of our ancestors who challenged and overthrew British colonialism, and laid a stable basis for our independence. They’ve handed on to us the baton of braveness and conviction. It’s now incumbent upon us to run with it and ignite the flames of patriotism and nationwide delight. On this Independence Day, allow us to renew the dream of our ancestors, of making a rustic that’s marked by perpetual progress and prosperity.
Fellow residents, on this nice day of celebration we should salute our farmers and fisher-folks who maintain our nation with meals, our educators who domesticate information and nurture future generations, our healthcare professionals who safeguard the well-being of our individuals and members of the police and safety forces who guarantee the security of our residents. Equally, those that function within the hospitality trade, the performing arts, the monetary sectors and our Diaspora who proceed to contribute via their information and remittances, we tip our hats to every of you. Certainly, you might be our unsung heroes who proceed to contribute immeasurably to the crucial venture of nation constructing, with out looking for recognition or validation.
Within the yr forward, allow us to acknowledge the position of our younger individuals because the drivers of our perpetual progress and sustainable future. It’s our obligation to bequeath to them a greater St. Kitts and Nevis than we now have inherited. Simply because the mantle of duty to steer and develop our nation was entrusted to us via the sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears of our forefathers, so too we could in the future bestow that duty upon our younger. We possess no professional excuse to squander this chance that historical past has conferred upon us. Could the long run attest that we didn’t waiver or falter in carrying our nationwide obligation and duty.
On this celebration of our forty second anniversary, let this be our mission: to rise above concern and despair, and silence the voices of doubt. Allow us to construct a Federation the place everybody can create a greater future for themselves and their households.
As we put together for the duty forward, allow us to consider in ourselves, consider in one another and consider within the prospects of the long run. As proud and patriotic residents, allow us to acknowledge and worth our financial stability, employment development, discount in poverty, our infrastructural growth and our development within the provision of utilities.
At 42 years younger, we’re going sturdy. As a fledgling nation, we’re nonetheless writing our story however our greatest chapters are but come.
I want you and your loved ones a contented and secure Independence. Could God proceed to information and bless our land of magnificence, our nation the place peace abounds.
Glad Independence to you all!
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