Anguilla is bouncing back! As we enter another hurricane season, it is indeed heartwarming to see that slowly, but surely, Anguilla is returning to a sense of normalcy. There are still many homes, business places and public buildings in need of repair, and tourism numbers are still down but, for those of us who live here, there are definite signs of progress. To my mind, the most poignant sign of recovery is the fact that, despite the many challenges, communities have still come together to host several community festivals this year: Festival Del Mar, the Welches Village Fest, North Side Community Festival, West Fest and the East End Village ‘Ting. The coming together of people in these settings, to relax, socialize and have fun, cannot be underestimated with respect to contributing to a sense of wellbeing and hope for individuals and the country in its entirety. It was heartwarming to see the large turnouts at these various events – and people simply enjoying the moment.
The fact that boat racing still draws the attention and excitement of people across the island, as seen in the recent races, is another definite sign that things are returning to normal. Anguilla’s rich sailing tradition, and our people’s passion for boat racing, cannot be extinguished by high waves, wind, rain and the overall destruction unleashed by Hurricane Irma. It will take a lot more than that to dampen our spirit and argumentative enthusiasm when it comes to the national sport. If the Anguilla Day boat race can be used as an indicator, then it is safe to say that we have not allowed one of the worst natural disasters in our history to deter us.
It has been said that other than “boating”, Anguillians’ favourite pastime is “voting”. And it is hard to believe that we are less than two years away from another general election. While the various festivities I have mentioned have the capacity to unite the country, elections have the capacity to do the opposite. In fact, it is disheartening that Anguilla remains so divided along political lines. Some will argue that we are still better off than many countries, in the region, where party politics is concerned, but I believe that unless we take definitive steps to combat this deepening divide, it can undermine our stability and progress. It is not surprising that slowly the political pundits are reemerging from their slumber to debate (I use this term loosely) a number of issues and non-issues. While I welcome the dialogue and engagement on meaningful issues of national significance, I cannot help but wonder whether there will be any significant changes to the political scene in 2020. It seems that our electoral process is simply one of rotating the same players over and over. If we are honest we will recognize that this has not served us well. When are we going to demand more from the people who represent us? When are we going to send the message that people must be qualified, yes qualified, to lead? Many people would argue that “education is not all” – maybe not – but it certainly counts for more than 50% of the requirements in my view.
It is not enough for candidates to be loud-mouthed. They must take steps to prepare themselves for leadership of the country – inclusive of a good understanding of the complexities of diplomacy, the art of negotiation and a sound knowledge of governance and international relations. They must be intelligent communicators well versed in world affairs and how these can potentially impact Anguilla. I am hoping that persons interested in elected office have been using the time since the last election to prepare to lead. Simply bashing and criticizing everything the current Government is doing, or seeking to undermine its efforts, is not preparation. What is required is that persons focus on self-improvement so that, in 2020, they can present themselves to the electorate as more viable options.
In fact, I would suggest that we can learn a lot from the sport of boat racing when it comes to preparation to lead. At the end of every boat racing season, boat owners take the opportunity to repair their boats. They may change the sails, make some adjustments to other parts of the boat and, in some cases, rebuild the entire boat and change some crew members. What they do not do is simply wait until the next season comes around and then enter a race without having prepared the boat. They use the time to ensure they are in a better position the next time around to emerge victorious. They invest significant time and resources into ensuring that their boats have the best possible chance of success. No stone is left unturned. Shouldn’t the same be expected of those persons vying for leadership of our country? We wouldn’t put an unskilled seaman to captain a racing boat, so why would we put unqualified and unprepared persons to lead a country when there is so much more at stake?
I am hopeful that 2020 will see the emergence of =a slate of promising candidates who have prepared themselves for leadership. It is high time that the electorate is presented with real choices and not be forced once again into the cycle of rotation. It is said that people get the kind of leaders they deserve. It is high time we recognise that we deserve better quality candidates from which to choose.
