It is my pleasure to greet you as we celebrate another Men’s Week. This year, in keeping with the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution, Men’s Week is being celebrated under the theme: Celebrating 50 – Reflecting! Evolving! During the week, we will celebrate the lives and achievements of eight men from various backgrounds who were all born in 1967. These men will share with us their childhood memories, lifetime experiences, challenges and accomplishments in interviews aired on Radio Anguilla during the course of this week. Through them, we will get glimpses of how Anguilla has evolved over time and how they too have evolved into the persons they are today.
In a society in which traditional male roles are changing and male stereotypes are increasing challenged, it is important that we recognize the contribution made by men in our communities and pay tribute to those on whose shoulders we stand.
An examination of any period of our history would demonstrate the strength, leadership, bravery and selflessness of Anguillian men. They made innumerable sacrifices for their families and their country. They travelled to the cane fields of Macoris in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere to make enough money to feed their families back home. They would be gone for months at a time, living in undesirable conditions but they did it anyway because they had a sense of duty and responsibility. Similarly, many worked on ships as sailors going from port to port; spending extended periods of time at sea in unglamorous conditions, but they did it willingly because their families were depending on them. Anguillian men braved the seas to make life better for those on the rock; they also fished, farmed, raised livestock, whatever it took to ensure their families were provided for. Nothing was considered too humble or lowly. From sun up to sun down, they worked. They believed in hard work and their lives exemplified that belief.
Given their sense of loyalty and duty, it was therefore no surprise that when the Anguilla Revolution was conceptualised, Anguillian men led fearlessly. They planned in private, rallied in public, spoke up and spoke out on behalf of our people. They were not deterred by our size, limited resources, or the discouragement of other countries. They were not intimidated by the international attention that their efforts received. Instead, they continued to struggle, to do what they believed was in the best interest of Anguilla and it paid off. Anguillian men have always been forward thinking. They worked, not for themselves but for a better life for future generations. That is the example they have left for all of us.
As we celebrate Men’s Week 2017, let us never forget the strength, determination and fortitude of our male ancestors. They are role models for all of us. We honour them and we are grateful for their legacy which lives on through those men we will showcase this week and many others.
A blessed men’s week to all.
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
