Anguilla celebrated the 47th Anniversary of its 1967 Revolution on Friday, May 30, with an impressive official Parade and Award Ceremony; a sumptuous luncheon for senior citizens, many of whom had borne the brunt of a battle for survival in the difficult times preceding the Revolution; and a round-the-island boat race followed by hundreds of fans and fun-loving young people.
The parade of uniformed bodies included contingents from the Royal Anguilla Police Force; Her Majesty’s Prison; the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service; the Scouts, Cub Scouts, Guides and Brownies; Pathfinders and, for the first time, Security Officers representing JTR Security Company; and some one hundred and fifty schoolchildren. The overall Parade Commander was Police Inspector, Marva Brooks. The parade was inspected by Chief Minister, the Hon Hubert Hughes, who, along with Her Excellency the Governor, Ms Christina Scott, took the Royal Salute on the dais.
It was a well-attended event with many persons attired in the national colours of Anguilla. Among the Anguillian Government officials, and invited guests from the public and private sectors, was an official delegation from St Martin/St Maarten led by Prime Minister Mrs Sarah Wescott-Williams.
The three official speakers, in order of their addresses, were Governor Scott; Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Evans McNiel Rogers; and Chief Minister the Hon Hubert Hughes. The theme of their addresses was mainly about the need for a spirit of unity which was an important feature in the success of the 1967 Revolution; and a call for all persons to continue their long-committed vow to work towards a better Anguilla.
“It is abundantly clear to me, even though I have only been here a year, that the spirit of unity which was so crucial 47 years ago continues to pulse in Anguilla,” Governor Scott said. “I have seen it in the way communities have come together to build sports facilities, or businesses join to provide job opportunities for young people. It is at present in the healthy competitive spirit evidenced in majestic boat races, as in the outpouring of grief across the island when someone is the victim of mindless violence. And it is there in the sharing of the history, traditions and stories of a proud nation.”
The Governor stressed, however, that there was “more to be done to ensure that all in society have equal opportunity and a fair share in the economy.”
She continued: “Let us therefore build on strong foundations, drawing inspiration from those forefathers who stood up for their beliefs and a better Anguilla, as we face the challenges facing Anguilla today. Let us rededicate ourselves to working together for the improvement of all in society, recognising that it is more important to join across divides, organisational boundaries and party politics, putting self-interest aside to give oxygen to the spirit of unity, demonstrating in our language, our behaviours and our actions the core values of fairness, integrity and honesty in all we do, and challenging – both courteously and assertively – where we see these values fall short. Only in this way will we build a safe, secure, and economically resilient Anguilla which protects its environment and the freedoms of its people, and builds on our shared values.”
The Governor went on: “I believe we will have failed if in a year’s time we cannot say that we have come closer to our shared goal. We owe this to those who forged this path 47 years ago. But, more than anything, we owe it to the young people here today, and across Anguilla where inheritance is in our hands.”
She was proud that the Anguillian flag was flying over the Foreign and Commonwealth office on Anguilla Day.
Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Evans McNiel Rogers, paid tribute to Revolutionary Leader and “Father of the Nation”, James Ronald Webster, and all the heroes and heroines who worked “to build a nation proud, strong and free”.
He praised Mr Webster for ensuring, even throughout the Revolution, that “the principles of civility and proper decorum were maintained at the highest levels of leadership and authority”. He stressed that although he was the most powerful man in Anguilla then, Mr Webster conducted himself with humility and grace. “His deliberations were always in an atmosphere of mutual respect,” Mr Rogers stated. “He never engaged in personal attacks against his adversaries on matters irrelevant to the business at hand. It was always the nobler cause that drove him – not the petty skirmishes along the way.” He made the point that other leaders, who worked with Mr Webster, had likewise displayed well-mannered behavioural patterns while remaining firm in their convictions.
The Opposition Leader’s statements were made against the background that “a new rudeness and incivility are steadily creeping into our social and political culture”. He regretted that this appeared to be relished and admired by too many Anguillians.
In underlining the importance of unity, the need to work towards a better Anguilla, and civility in governance, Mr Rogers added: “I am here with a simple message, from the early days of our struggle, which I am sure our forebears would be proud to know that I am passing on: “Good manners and respect for others will take us far even as we struggle with the challenges of our island home.’”
Chief Minister Hughes also made a call for unity and the need for a better Anguilla: “We need to work together to revive that spirit of unity,” he stated. “I call on all of us to cease to operate as individual entities; to stand unified as our forebears did. Let us bring back the real spirit of Anguilla. Let us not be prisoners in our own country. Let us remove the fear, the hurt and greed that threaten to control this land.
“We must now make a commitment to Anguilla. We must all make a new vow that we will all work to build a better Anguilla – an Anguilla that reflects the spirit and the unity of 1967. We must learn from the past as it will offer guidance to the future.”
Mr Hughes lamented that somewhere along its way forward, Anguilla lost its courage, unity and vision. “Today, 47 years after [the Revolution], we are still a colony ruled directly from England,” he observed. “All the other Overseas Territories have had a constitutional upgrade; but Anguilla, which was the most assertive about self-determination 47 years ago, is the most colonially slavish and politically backward of all of them. We are no longer resolute and certainly not united.”
The Chief Minister was however of the view that “there is hope if we come together and work as a collective we”.
Following his address, Mr Hughes, presented Anguilla Day Awards to eight persons (or their representatives) for outstanding contributions to the Revolution or to the social development of the island. He was assisted by Miss Anguilla 2013/2014 (Ms Amethyst Davis); Ms Priscilla Gumbs and Ms Gertrude Saunders.
Those honoured for the roles in the Anguilla Revolution were: Mr Edgar Harrigan (posthumously); Mr Caleix Lake (posthumously); Mr Carlos Gumbs; and Mr Homer Fitzclarence Brooks. The honorees for Social Development were: Mrs Ann Benjamina Edgecombe-Newton (posthumously); Mr John C. Connor; Mr John C Lake; and Mrs Eudora Eugenie Hughes.
The ceremony was chaired by Ms Aurjul Wilson, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
