Caribbean News
Devon Cox calls for Islanders to put Politics Aside to honour the ‘unity vision’ on JAGS McCartney Day
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, June 5, 2023 – Unity between Islanders, residents, work permit holders, and all who inhabit the Turks and Caicos archipelago is how JAGS McCartney can be honoured and the country built into one of the most enviable in the world, says Devon Cox. He was speaking on JAGS DAY at the annual wreath laying and national hero’s memorial ceremony held in Grand Turk.
Cox, detailed how he believed residents could keep the spirit of their first Chief Minister alive.
“Our passion should be for these Turks and Caicos islands. We are one. We are not to be categorised by where we are from, we are all here now. We are not to be valued by our families surnames for we are all named Islanders. We are not to be sorted in symbols, by shells and bells, yellows and blues. We are all one,” Cox said passionately.
Held at the J.A.G.S. McCartney Memorial site in Grand Turk, the event began with a parade of uniformed groups from police officers in crisp formal outfits to young cadets in brilliant red.
Arielle Neely, CARICOM Youth Ambassador moderated the event at which Cox was the guest speaker.
Devon Cox, who was born in South Caicos, serves as Senior Vice President of Operations at FortisTCI. He first reminded residents that McCartney had set the foundation for the life they all currently enjoy.
“We must remind ourselves of the passion and the drive and the reason of JAGS and those who along with him struggled, fought, and sacrificed for what we now enjoy today, a booming economy, the envy of the Caribbean, a sought after destination, and the vision, he saw where local people would be in places of authority. We enjoy this on the work that he would have laid down for us.”
He stressed again that unity is the key to truly becoming the country which the TCI’s only national hero had, in the 1970s. envisioned.
“Achieving and maintaining unity requires effort just like electrical systems need to be properly maintained— communities also need to be nurtured and tended to to maintain unity. We are one Turks and Caicos,” he maintained.
Mr. Cox warned that that spirit of unity had to be pervasive enough to penetrate even politics.
“If we are going to achieve success in this country we must always have unity and friendship even amongst our political parties.”
McCartney was a paragon of that kind of unity along with his fellow politicians of the 1970s Cox said:
“After a heated debate in the House [of Assembly] JAGS would come and embrace him [and say] my friend why you have to do me like this?”
Along with that anecdotal tales supplied to him by his own grandfather, Hon Norman Saunders, the speaker quoted McCartney’s famous, ‘Unity Speech’ stressing that it was absolutely relevant to the Turks and Caicos in present day TCI.
“If the need for political union is agreed by us, then the will to create it is born. Where there is disunity on the political activities of a nation, that nation is left at the mercy of the powerful foreign commercial interests which seek to exploit the situation by pouring a vast sum of money into various factions to ensure conflict among them and therefore security their position in society where they could wield their might and guarantee control over that nation.”
Both residents watching online and in person were roused by the passionate speech.
Devon Cox was speaking under the theme ‘Lest we forget: The Passion, The Drive, The Reason.’
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
-
TCI News1 week agoExperience Turks and Caicos and Ministry of Tourism explore development of Cruise industry at Seatrade Global Cruise Conference
-
Latin America and Caribbean1 week agoRegional SDGs Update
-
Bahamas News1 week agoEnvironment State-Minister updates ‘Our Ocean’ forum on The Bahamas as SIDS leader in sustainable tourism
-
Crime1 week agoFollowing Court ruling, US Embassy Doubles Down on Warning: DO NOT TRAVEL TO TCI WITH GUNS, AMMO
-
Bahamas News6 days agoPacesetting Cohort of Eleuthera Residents Graduate from Leading Light Programme
-
Caribbean News1 week agoU.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS SHINES AS A PREMIER DESTINATION AT THE 2024 SEATRADE CRUISE GLOBAL CONFERENCE
-
Bahamas News6 days agoNassau Cruise Port Donates Nearly $2 Million Towards Food Security
-
Caribbean News1 week agoRBC appoints new Head of Caribbean Banking