Independence Message by Leader of the DFP Judith Pestaina

Fellow Dominicans,

As we celebrate another Year of Independence, we are reminded of the many challenges which we continue to face as a Community, a People and a Nation. Those of us who witnessed our attainment of political Independence may have thought that by now, after thirty-one years, those challenges would somehow have diminished. However, quite to the contrary, we seem to have become more vulnerable than ever, not only to the economic realities which have been further aggravated by the ongoing global financial crisis, but to the current social and political realities which threaten the very moral fibre of our Society.

We must do all we can to give our Citizens that intellectual and economic independence to confront these challenges successfully. We must do all we can to strengthen the moral fibre of our People, young and not so young. This is the only way that they can command and engender that respect for themselves and their peers aimed at developing pride in self and country. We must do all we can to sustain the tenets of discipline, honesty, integrity and accountability at all levels in our private and public lives. Progress and Development cannot be made without Good Governance, moral responsibility, steadfast commitment and a shared or common vision. The responsibility lies on all our shoulders but more so on those persons who hold certain positions of authority in the religious, political or social fields.

We have a nation to build for future generations but that nation can only be built on collective hard work based on a work ethic which demands that every Dominican plays his/her part and shares that responsibility. While we seek for help from friends at home and abroad, that help must help us to be self-reliant so that we in turn can help one another to become productive citizens. The development of our country is not one that can be delegated since the onus is on us to demonstrate that having attained one form of independence we do not trade it in for other forms of dependence. Dependency in all forms should only be transitory, to be viewed as the initial step towards a full coming of age.

As Dominicans, at home and abroad, we owe it to ourselves to demonstrate that we have the capacity and the determination to take this country forward building on the achievements of those who have gone before us. We can do this inspired by the strength and dignity which inspired our ancestors and the Kalinago people to fight for their survival. I have no doubt that our strength of character and resilience in face of the ongoing challenges will only harden our resolve to do what is right, to do what needs to be done. Let us all take up the mantle guided by sound and unassailable principles which put our country and citizens first.

On behalf of the Dominica Freedom Party, I wish all Dominicans a peaceful and enjoyable Independence May God bless us all!