Independent writer
Does the Turks and Caicos Islands Have the Mental Toughness to Go Independent?
Ed Forbes
Turks and Caicos, June 20, 2025 – When the winds of uncertainty blow, will the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) stand firm, or will we retreat into passivity? As we explore the question of independence, we must confront not just the external hurdles—but our internal fortitude.
True independence is not a ceremonial act. It is a national awakening. It requires leadership with vision, citizens with courage, and a culture that values collective responsibility over comfort.
As Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley once declared, “True leadership is never about comfort. It is about calling, it is about timing, and it is about service.”
Leadership, however, cannot exist in a vacuum. The question is not whether someone will lead—but whether we, the people, are prepared to follow, support, and sacrifice alongside them.
It is easy to speak of sovereignty, but sovereignty without self-determination is merely symbolic. For independence to have meaning, we must first cultivate a society that takes responsibility for charting its own course. That process begins with honest reflection.
The reality is that the United Kingdom, through its appointed governors, serves its own strategic interests, not ours. They are not inherently
Paradoxically, we are among the most educated populations in the Caribbean, yet our civic engagement particularly in politics, remains shallow. Why is that? Is it fear? Apathy? Or have we grown too comfortable in the margins, preferring silence to confrontation? Over the next five years, TCI will undergo a political reckoning. The 2029 election will not simply be a contest between the PNP and PDM. It will be shaped by tone, by national identity, and by a growing divide between rhetoric and results.
We must prepare the next generation not only to vote, but to lead. We need young people to believe that politics is not dirty, but necessary and that public service can still be honorable.
The foundation of any stable society is its ability to care for the most vulnerable. Yet poverty, both visible and hidden, persists in TCI.
It is a major contributor to both violent and white-collar crime. If we are to build a nation worthy of independence, we must address inequality head-on, investing in the sectors that sustain life like; agriculture, fishing, housing, trade schools and public infrastructure.
We must also reform how we engage foreign investors. Do we need more resorts and villas or smarter partnerships that empower our people and preserve our environment?
Key reforms include modernizing public services, establishing a digital identity system, fixing our immigration crisis, and ensuring everyone has a legal address for emergency services. These steps aren’t just administrative, they’re essential for sovereignty. It’s the only way to address our acute demographic challenges.
Premier Hon. Washington Misick has an opportunity to redefine his legacy. With renewed leadership and the political runway to make bold changes, the question is no longer about capacity, but will.
In the words of Goethe: “Property lost, something lost. Honour lost, much lost. Courage lost, everything lost.” We must not wait for leaders to demonstrate courage; they must be inspired by our collective will.
The path to independence is not paved with slogans, it is walked by a people determined to stand tall.
We must begin to chart our own course and create benchmarks. If not, I’m afraid the premises on which we have based our governance, policies and security on, will continue to be challenged, eroded or simply gone.
The million-dollar question is, do we have the mental toughness to do it? The answer lies not in our leaders, but in ourselves.