From
His Excellency Dr. J. O. Liverpool, D.A.H.
President of the Commonwealth of Dominica
It gives me great pleasure to greet all Dominicans on the occasion of our 27th Anniversary of Independence. I extend every good wish on behalf of my family and myself for our continued progress.
“Moving Forward with Purpose and Mission” has been chosen as this years' theme, and I exhort every Dominican to take time to carefully ponder on the words. These words should be viewed in the context of what is happening in Dominica as well as events which are taking place in the rest of the world.
What is this common mission for our beloved country? How can we move forward together with “Purpose and Mission?” To achieve that Purpose and Mission we must all work toward with a common vision. Our communities and people need to be unified. We should move forward positively and seek to dismantle the barriers of hate, envy, greed, vexation and political divisiveness which still strangle our country's development. This vision needs to be pursued with a renewed sense of urgency.
We have inherited a green and beautiful land with an abundance of food and water; and a legacy of being the Nature Island of the Caribbean. Our pride and resilience has stood the test of time.
The era of globalization is upon us, and we have begun to feel its effect on our banana industry. We must however, seek to take advantage of the positive things globalization can offer. The Caribbean Single Market and Economy is poised to take off, and here also, we need to harness our energies and place ourselves in a position in which we can make the most of the opportunities which lie ahead.
The challenges are great but if we approach them with a common purpose and vision, it is possible to overcome them. We should harness our energies and creativity as a nation toward our goals.
At this time of year we welcome home many of our Dominican brothers and sisters, and several visitors from our neighboring islands and other friendly countries. We need their help to assist us in our efforts to develop this country. We should welcome them with open arms and trust that our initial efforts may spur them to assist us to realize our Purpose and Mission.
