TCI: JAGS Day Message from Keynote Speaker; Angela Musgrove concerned at loss of zeal

#TurksandCaicos, June 7, 2021 – When Angela Musgrove, the SR Vice President of Invest Turks and Caicos Agency addressed attendees of the national memorial and wreath laying service on JAGS Day in her hometown of Grand Turk, she exposed a string of questions she asked herself, not least among them was the fact that a 31 year old man, 45-years ago burned with such passionate faith about the potential of Turks and Caicos and its people … she wondered where is that fervency now. 

“Being asked to speak on the topic Rebuilding the Dream was reason for pause and question: What dream? What are we rebuilding? Why wasn’t the dream achieved? Can it be rebuilt? Is it worth rebuilding? Will rebuilding this dream help to achieve this unified nation? A lot of thought and a lot of questions, So, I did a lot of reading, a lot of listening over the past few days trying to answer these questions for myself,” said Musgrove, keynote speaker at the memorial service held on May 31, 2021.

“Turks and Caicos! What happened? A 31-year-old, 45 years ago, recognized how great we can be as a people, as a unified nation! And 45 years later, we seem to have lost sight of that, actually, we have shattered it and now here we are….”

As many did on the day, Musgrove went to the famous Unity Speech of the Rt Most Excellent JAGS McCartney and drew from the line where he said:  “Where there is disunity on the political activities of a nation, that nation is left at the mercy of powerful, foreign commercial interests which seek to exploit the situation by pouring vast sums of money into the various factions to ensure conflicts among them …. but Mrs. Musgrove said, no longer does it take big money to upend the dream.

“…they don’t need to pour vast sums of money into the various factions, to ensure conflict among us, they just need to come and we assist them to secure their positions in the society where they could wield their might and guarantee control over us…” 

Angela Musgrove is however one who sees the glass as half full, admonishing her compatriots to join in the effort to rebuild the dream of JAGS, act, commit and persist to make it a reality, she said. 

“My Turks and Caicos Islanders, dream building is a process that requires time. We must each take RESPONSIBILITY for our part. We need to continue sorting things out and finding the CLARITY for the dream. We need to accept and give GUIDANCE when and where needed. We need to intentionally ACT to keep moving closer to the completion of those dreams. Above all we must choose to PERSIST and never quit until our dreams become reality. Oh, Turks and Caicos, I challenge us to rebuild the dream, to act to make to the dream a reality and to persist, don’t give in, don’t give up – let us persist until our dreams become the reality we seek.”

Monday May 31, 2021 was JAGS Day, set aside to honour the first chief minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands.