THE WEEKLY GLEANER JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2014 • 13 A WEEKLY GLEANER SPECIAL M Y FELLOW Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica, I warmly greet you and the congregation participating in this special service of praise and thanksgiving in celebration of the 52nd anniversary of Jamaica as an independent sovereign nation. This celebration of Jamaica’s Independence calls us both to a reflection on the past 52 years and to visionary contemplation of the years ahead. As we cele- brate this milestone, we give thanks to the Almighty for steering us through the challenging times, and stand in proud recognition of our many and varied accomplishments. As Jamaicans, we are blessed with an indomitable spirit and in spite of the chal- lenges; we will not give up nor lose hope, but will con- tinue to work diligently towards building a better Jamaica for all our people. This year’s Independence celebrations will be particu- larly special, as the first ever a National Family Day has been included. This will take place on Saturday, August 2, 2014. The event serves to reinforce the importance of the Jamaican family, which we believe is the most important unit in the development of our soci- ety. Let me use this oppor- tunity to encourage the entire Jamaican community in the United Kingdom to celebrate this Day by con- necting with their families and their roots back home. The Diaspora community in the United Kingdom is coloured by an appreciation of the long connection between the land of your birth or country of descent and the United Kingdom which is home to thousands of Jamaicans and their descendants who have played an outstanding role in the development of the British society and economy. The years and distance separating us have not diminished the strong affin- ity and attachment embed- ded in your heart and your soul for your dearly beloved homeland which you con- tinue to support from this distance with your generos- ity of spirit and tangible acts of kindness. Indeed, the substantial contributions in cash and kind by the entire Jamaican Diaspora to the development of the Jamaican society, and to the quality of life of their brothers and sisters at home cannot be discounted. This truly demonstrates how goals can be achieved when we are united as a people. The Government of Jamaica looks forward to continuing its partnership and strong bonds of friend- ship with the Jamaican com- munity in the United Kingdom as it seeks to engage all Jamaicans living overseas, as well as friends of Jamaica, in its thrust to make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business, in line with the National Development Plan: Vision 2030. There are many chal- lenges facing us at this time, but we are con- fronting them with the courage, determination and the discipline necessary to regain the confidence and achieve the level of develop- ment desired for the peace and prosperity of the nation. I sense a greater feeling of hope among our people and a willingness to invest in the future - espe- cially for the advancement of the younger generations. We will continue to need your prayers, your involve- ment and your active sup- port. May the courage, patriot- ism and the vision of our National Heroes and Heroine inspire us to greater levels of achieve- ment as we pursue our mis- sion to make Jamaica the country of choice to live, work, raise families, to do business and to retire. As you join hands and hearts in praise and thanks- giving for 52 years of proud nationhood, I pray God’s blessings on us all and on Jamaica land we love. God bless you all. Portia Simpson Miller Prime Minister Connect with your families and your roots MESSAGE FROM SAVANNLA-la-Mar to Morant Bay, from Above Rocks to Port Maria, as the clock struck midnight on August 5, 1962, the strains of our national anthem were heard for the first time while Union Jacks were lowered and the Jamaican flag unveiled. Ceremonies took place in parish capitals across the island. In many cases, fire- works lit up the skies punc- tuating the August 6 birth of the Dominion of Jamaica. At the National Stadium, then Prime Minister Sir Alexander Bustamante, decked out in formal wear, presided over what was described as a stirring event. “The entire evening was just tremendous,” said statesman Hector Wynter, Who enthusiastically recounted the shared excite- ment and delight that rever- berated through the packed Stadium where over 20,000 people proudly joined in the celebration of movement from colonialism to self-gov- ernment. Four employees at Jamaica’s Government office in Britain sort through 5,000 Jamaican flags, sent from Jamaica for the Independence celebration. Kingston and all other parish capitals were resplen- dent with flags and bunting, and many civic and social events took place, including dancing in the streets, may- poles in town squares, jonkonnu, bonfires, float parades overflowing with beauty queens, as well as tree planting and religious ceremonies. MEMORIES Lola Ramocan, recalls how as a teenager she, like many of the people in her home parish of Clarendon, dressed in the colours of the flag and crowded into the town cen- tre to celebrate. There were treats for the children and the elderly, and commemora- tive cups and plates were distributed. “What wonderful souvenirs these made,” Ramocan said with a smile, “having one was like holding onto a piece of history.” Theodore Sealy was appointed Chairman of the Independence Committee which was charged with choosing the island’s national symbols, flag, and anthem. Hector Wynter, who, like all sitting senators at the time, had the opportunity to serve on this committee, remembered that experience as a smooth process in which all were united by enthusiasm. As it turned out, Wynter recalled, “The colour choice and design for the flag pro- ceeded quite smoothly. The only hitch was that our ini- tial design was apparently very similar to that chosen by Tanganyika. So we made our gold saltire cross broader.” Wynter added, “it may remind you of the Union Jack in design as both have saltire crosses, but our vibrant colours – the gold set against black and green tri- angles – made it our own.” Our anthem married the words of The Reverend Hugh Sherlock to the music of The Honourable Robert Lightbourne, both of which were chosen out of many anonymous entries submit- ted in a public contest. The 300-year-old coat of arms was retained but a new motto – “Out of Many, One People” – a reminder that the nation is composed of people Birth of Jamaican Independence A float participating in the independence Parade. Please see BIRTH, 14 File Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller
Transcript
THE WEEKLY GLEANER JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2014 • 13
A WEEKLY GLEANER SPECIAL
MY FELLOWJamaicans andfriends of Jamaica, I
warmly greet you and thecongregation participatingin this special service ofpraise and thanksgiving incelebration of the 52ndanniversary of Jamaica asan independent sovereignnation.
This celebration ofJamaica’s Independencecalls us both to a reflectionon the past 52 years and tovisionary contemplation ofthe years ahead. As we cele-brate this milestone, wegive thanks to the Almightyfor steering us through thechallenging times, andstand in proud recognitionof our many and variedaccomplishments. AsJamaicans, we are blessedwith an indomitable spiritand in spite of the chal-
lenges; we will not give upnor lose hope, but will con-tinue to work diligentlytowards building a betterJamaica for all our people.
This year’s Independencecelebrations will be particu-larly special, as the firstever a National Family Dayhas been included. This willtake place on Saturday,August 2, 2014. The eventserves to reinforce theimportance of the Jamaicanfamily, which we believe isthe most important unit inthe development of our soci-ety. Let me use this oppor-tunity to encourage theentire Jamaican communityin the United Kingdom tocelebrate this Day by con-necting with their familiesand their roots back home.
The Diaspora communityin the United Kingdom iscoloured by an appreciation
of the long connectionbetween the land of yourbirth or country of descentand the United Kingdomwhich is home to thousandsof Jamaicans and theirdescendants who haveplayed an outstanding rolein the development of theBritish society and economy.
The years and distanceseparating us have notdiminished the strong affin-ity and attachment embed-ded in your heart and yoursoul for your dearly belovedhomeland which you con-tinue to support from thisdistance with your generos-ity of spirit and tangibleacts of kindness.
Indeed, the substantialcontributions in cash andkind by the entire JamaicanDiaspora to the developmentof the Jamaican society, andto the quality of life of their
brothers and sisters athome cannot be discounted.This truly demonstrateshow goals can be achievedwhen we are united as apeople.
The Government ofJamaica looks forward tocontinuing its partnershipand strong bonds of friend-ship with the Jamaican com-munity in the UnitedKingdom as it seeks toengage all Jamaicans livingoverseas, as well as friendsof Jamaica, in its thrust tomake Jamaica the place ofchoice to live, work, raisefamilies and do business, inline with the NationalDevelopment Plan: Vision2030.
There are many chal-lenges facing us at thistime, but we are con-fronting them with thecourage, determination and
the discipline necessary toregain the confidence andachieve the level of develop-ment desired for the peaceand prosperity of thenation. I sense a greaterfeeling of hope among ourpeople and a willingness toinvest in the future - espe-
cially for the advancementof the younger generations.We will continue to needyour prayers, your involve-ment and your active sup-port.
May the courage, patriot-ism and the vision of ourNational Heroes andHeroine inspire us togreater levels of achieve-ment as we pursue our mis-sion to make Jamaica thecountry of choice to live,work, raise families, to dobusiness and to retire.
As you join hands andhearts in praise and thanks-giving for 52 years of proudnationhood, I pray God’sblessings on us all and onJamaica land we love.
FROM SAVANNLA-la-Mar toMorant Bay, from AboveRocks to Port Maria, as theclock struck midnight onAugust 5, 1962, the strainsof our national anthem wereheard for the first time whileUnion Jacks were loweredand the Jamaican flagunveiled.
Ceremonies took place inparish capitals across theisland. In many cases, fire-works lit up the skies punc-tuating the August 6 birth ofthe Dominion of Jamaica. Atthe National Stadium, thenPrime Minister SirAlexander Bustamante,decked out in formal wear,presided over what wasdescribed as a stirring event.
“The entire evening wasjust tremendous,” saidstatesman Hector Wynter,Who enthusiasticallyrecounted the shared excite-ment and delight that rever-berated through the packedStadium where over 20,000people proudly joined in thecelebration of movementfrom colonialism to self-gov-ernment.
Four employees atJamaica’s Government officein Britain sort through5,000 Jamaican flags, sentfrom Jamaica for theIndependence celebration.
Kingston and all otherparish capitals were resplen-dent with flags and bunting,and many civic and socialevents took place, includingdancing in the streets, may-poles in town squares,jonkonnu, bonfires, floatparades overflowing withbeauty queens, as well astree planting and religiousceremonies.
MEMORIESLola Ramocan, recalls how
as a teenager she, like manyof the people in her homeparish of Clarendon, dressedin the colours of the flag and
crowded into the town cen-tre to celebrate. There weretreats for the children andthe elderly, and commemora-tive cups and plates weredistributed. “What wonderfulsouvenirs these made,”Ramocan said with a smile,“having one was like holdingonto a piece of history.”
Theodore Sealy wasappointed Chairman of theIndependence Committeewhich was charged withchoosing the island’snational symbols, flag, andanthem.
Hector Wynter, who, likeall sitting senators at thetime, had the opportunity toserve on this committee,remembered that experienceas a smooth process inwhich all were united byenthusiasm.
As it turned out, Wynterrecalled, “The colour choiceand design for the flag pro-ceeded quite smoothly. Theonly hitch was that our ini-tial design was apparentlyvery similar to that chosenby Tanganyika. So we madeour gold saltire crossbroader.” Wynter added, “itmay remind you of theUnion Jack in design as bothhave saltire crosses, but ourvibrant colours – the gold setagainst black and green tri-angles – made it our own.”
Our anthem married thewords of The ReverendHugh Sherlock to the musicof The Honourable RobertLightbourne, both of whichwere chosen out of manyanonymous entries submit-ted in a public contest.
The 300-year-old coat ofarms was retained but a newmotto – “Out of Many, OnePeople” – a reminder that thenation is composed of people
Birth of Jamaican Independence
A float participating in the independence Parade.
Please see BIRTH, 14
FFiilleePrime Minister Portia Simpson Miller
of many races who havelong lived and worked inharmony, was added.
THE OPENING OF
PARLIAMENTOn August 7, 1962 - which
had also been declared a hol-iday - the first session ofJamaica’s Parliament tookplace. Princess Margaret,wished Jamaica well onbehalf of her sister, theQueen, and handed over theconstitutional documents toSir Alexander. She said shewas proud to be associatedwith this event and wel-comed the new nation to theCommonwealth family.
Bustamante, respondingto Princess Margaret andaddressing Jamaicans athome and abroad as theisland’s first Prime Minister,cautioned on that sameAugust 7 morning:
“Independence means theopportunity for us to frameour own destiny and theneed for us to rely on our-selves in so doing. It doesnot mean a licence to do aswe would like. It meanswork and law and order. Letus resolve to build a Jamaicawhich will last and of whichwe and generations to comewill be proud, rememberingthat especially at this timethe eyes of the world areupon us.” Bustamante’s mes-sage was also carried in aspecial supplement in the
Norman Manley, thenLeader of the Opposition,also reminded the nation:“We stand here today sur-rounded by an unseen hostof witnesses who, throughall our history, strove tokeep alight the torch offreedom and what of thefuture? We have come toIndependence prepared andready to shoulder our newresponsibilities, and united Ibelieve in one single hopethat we may make our small
country a safe and happyhome for all our people.”
The themes of both ofthese addresses and those ofmany others given that dayand on countless anniver-saries can aptly be summedup in the words of ourNational Anthem – describedby Sherlock and Bennett(1998) as “a prayer of asmall, newly independentnation for guidance and pro-tection for themselves andfor the island they love.”
- From The Gleanerarchives
THE WEEKLY GLEANER14 • JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2014
independence feature
Princess Margaret wishing Jamaica well during her handover speech in Parliament., August 6 , 1962.
Sir Alexander Bustamante witnesses a parade on the occasion of Jamaica’s Independence.
Continued from 13
BIRTH
Here, this farmer sends the message to future generations from anIndependence Day parade in August 1962.
THE WEEKLY GLEANER JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2014 • 15
“The hour is at hand,the Monster isdying...in recount-
ing the mood in his churchthat night, he said. “Thewinds of freedom appear tohave been set loose, the verybuilding shook at thestrange yet sacred joy.” –William Knibb, non-conform-ist Baptist preacher and abo-litionist, at the dawning ofAugust 1, 1838.
Freedom can be said tohave arrived in two stages;the first being the earlymorning of Friday, August 1,1834. On that day manyslaves were said to havewalked up hills and climbedtrees so as to clearly witnessthe literal dawning of theirfreedom. Around the island,thousands attended “DivineServices” to give thanks andpraise. August 1, 1834,marked the emancipation ofall slaves in British coloniesbut it was a case of freedomwith conditions. Althoughthe Abolition Act stated thatslavery shall be and ishereby utterly abolished andunlawful, the only slavestruly freed were those notyet born and those under sixyears of age. All other slaveswere to enter a six-year‘apprenticeship’ duringwhich they were to be
‘apprenticed’ to the planta-tions.
APPRENTICESHIPThe tenets of ‘apprentice-
ship’ stated that the ex-slaves would work withoutpay for their former mastersfor three-quarters of everyweek (40 hours) in exchangefor lodging, food, clothing,medical attendance and pro-vision grounds in whichthey could grow their ownfood during the remainingquarter of the week. Theycould also, if they chose, hirethemselves out for morewages during that remain-ing quarter. With thismoney, an ex-slave-turned-apprentice could then buyhis freedom.
Overall, though appren-ticeship proved confusingfor the ex-slaves – theywere told they were, freebut they were not reallyfree. Indeed, for many, thequality of their lives hadnot undergone any greatchange. In smaller islandslike Antigua and Bermuda,there was no need for a sys-tem of apprenticeship as allof the land was under culti-vation, so the slaveholdersknew the ex-slaves wouldhave no choice but to work
on the plantations.Apprenticeship ended two
years short of its intendedsix-year term on August 1,1838. This marked the sec-ond stage of freedom, – theday all slaves were madefree. In Jamaica, on that“full free” August morning,peaceful demonstrations andcelebrations occured acrossthe island. A hearse contain-ing shackles and chains thathad been used to shacklerebellious slaves was driventhrough the streets of thecapital Spanish Town, andceremoniously burned.
The road to full freedomwas a long one, paved withrebellions and sermons byanti-slavery missionarypreachers in the colonies aswell as debates and the pas-sage of crucial reforms inBritain.
THE ASSOCIATION of Jamaican (UK)Trust will be hosting their annualIndependence dinner and dance onSaturday, August 2 at the Grand PalaceBanqueting Suite, 242 High Road,Woodgreen, London N22 starting at 7 p.m.
Special guests of honour will be repre-sentatives of the Jamaica HighCommission and the mayor of Haringey.The evening’s activities will include a
four-course dinner followed by the annualcommunity awards presentations, enter-tainment and a grand raffle prize draw.
Guest artistes will be internationalsinger Johnny Orlando and award-win-ning comedian Charles Tomlin. Spinningthe dance music will be the popular MrFix It. Tickets for dinner and dance are£65 and bookings are available from:0208 8015004.
Association of Jamaican (UK) TrustIndependence dinner and dance
THE ANNUAL Service ofPraise andThanksgiving to mark
Jamaica’s Independence cele-brations were held at theEmmanuel Centre inWestminster, London onSaturday, July 26.
The packed centre, whichwas being used to house theannual event for the firsttime, consisted of UKJamaicans who came fromLondon, Birmingham andother areas to worship andgive thanks for the island’s52nd anniversary as an inde-pendent nation.
Leading the celebrationswas Jamaica’s HighCommissioner to the UK,
Aloun Ndombet Assambawho gave an Independencemessage and also deliveredthe specially prepared mes-sage for the Diaspora from
Prime Minister PortiaSimpson Miller.
The sermon was given byRt Revd Delroy Powell,National Presiding Bishop ofThe New TestamentAssembly England, whoencouraged UK Jamaicans torededicate their allegiance totheir homeland and assist inits development.
The Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Chaplain to theSpeaker of the House ofCommons and Chaplain tothe Queen, opened the serv-ice of Thanksgiving and alsogave the blessing. TheNational Pledge was per-formed by the children andstaff and friends of the HighCommission.
A special dance of praisewas performed by dancersselected and choreographedby celebrated dance tutorJackie Guy.
Here are some highlightsfrom the service.
Dancers deliver a special dance of praise in honour of Jamaica’s Independence Thanksgiving Service at the EmmanuelCentre, London.
Photos by George RuddockThe Jamaican flag is brought into the Emmanuel Centre by members of the Jamaican Ex-Soldiers Association.
Jamaica’s High Commissioner Aloun Ndombet Assamba is greeted by wellwishers at the Service of Thanksgiving.
Beverly Lindsay from the Jamaica Nationals Association Birmingham withchief G.O. Igbinedion, Esama of Benin Kingdom.
Indeed, once full emanci-pation came into effect andfree villages began to beestablished, the plantationsystem began to fall apart.Wealth was increa singlydetermined by the amount ofmoney a man had and not bythe number of slaves a manowned.
WHAT LED TO EMANCIPA-
TIONThe tide was changing,
struggles to keep down thenumber of runaway slavesand slave revolts (famousJamaican revolts includedTacky’s 1760 Rebellion andSam Sharpe’s 1831Rebellion) seemed harder,and the ripple effect of thesuccessful 1789 slave revoltin St Domingue (what is nowHaiti and the DominicanRepublic) was impossible toignore. Public opinion beganto shift in Britain, heavilyinfluenced by the work ofabolitionists like GranvilleSharp and WilliamWilberforce. Sharp tirelesslycirculated the proceedings ofthe 1781 case of theLiverpool slaver, The Zong,in order to bring the evils ofslavery into full view.
Wilberforce, the leader ofthe anti-slavery movement inBritain, carried the fightinto Parliament, year afteryear moving resolutions toabolish the slave trade, andslowly but surely the sup-port of the British peoplewas won. Britain abolishedthe slave trade on January 1,1808.
Abolition of the slave tradewas only the first steptowards full emancipation.By the 1820s, BritishParliament began to sendplanters directives specifi-cally concerned with theamelioration of the slaves’working conditions. Theseincluded forbidding the useof the whip in the field, theflogging of women andallowing slaves religiousinstruction.
Jamaica, governed by anElected Assembly, refused tofollow these directives andnews of this soon spread tothe slaves. Numerousinstances of civil unrest fol-lowed as slaves felt theywere being denied certainbenefits that had been con-
ferred on them in Britain.Anti-slavery sentiments wereincreasingly expressed inthe colonies through thework of nonconformist mis-sionaries, particularlyBaptists such as WilliamKnibb and Thomas Burchell,who were arrested for incit-ing slaves to rebellion.
In Jamaica, the strongestexample of unrest as a resultof the fervor to put an end toslavery was the ChristmasRebellion of 1831. Alsoknown as Sam Sharpe’sRebellion, it began whenslaves in the western part ofthe island, led by Sharpe,believing they had beenfreed in England but keptenslaved by the planters inJamaica, conducted a peace-ful strike. Sharpe, a Baptistpreacher, was literate, unlikemany of his fellow slaves. Hehad read many anti-slavery
bulletins from Britain andcommunicated their mes-sages to his followers. YetSharpe’s peaceful protestsoon turned into the largestslave rebellion in the island’shistory. Great houses andcane fields in the west wereburned and hundreds oflives lost. This insurrection,however, became pivotal tohastening the process ofEmancipation. Sam Sharpe,now a Jamaican NationalHero, was hung in 1832 forhis role as organiser.
Soon after, the BritishHouse of Commons adopteda motion calling for a SelectCommittee to be appointedto put an end to slaverythroughout the BritishEmpire. One year later, inMay 1833, the British Houseof Commons stated unequiv-ocally that the British nationmust, on its own initiative,
suppress slavery in allBritish Dominions.
EMANCIPATION TRUTHSEmancipation did not
mean the beginning of goodtimes. According to Sherlockand Bennett in The Story ofthe Jamaican People (1998):“Emancipation gave themthe right to free movement,the right to choose whereand when they wished towork, but without basic edu-cation and training manywere compelled to remain onthe plantation as field handsand tenants-at-will underconditions determined by the
landlord, and for wages setby him.”
Yet, in testimony to theimpact of freedom, JosephJohn Gurney, a friend ofAmerican statesman HenryClay, who visited Jamaica in1840, wrote letters to Claycontrasting slaves in thesouthern US and the freedslaves in the West Indies.Gurney was arguing for thebenefits of freedom ineconomies of scale as well asin moral, religious and polit-ical terms. Particularlyimpressed with what he sawin Jamaica, Gurneydescribed ex-slaves as work-ing well on the estates of
their former masters, theirpersonal comforts havingbeen multiplied, their moraland religious lives strength-ened.
He exhorted Clay that withfreedom “the whole popula-tion is thrown on the opera-tion of natural and legitimateprinciples of action, everyman finds his own just level,religion spreads under thebanner of freedom, and all itsquietness, order and peace.Such is the lot of the BritishWest Indian colonies: andsuch, I humbly but ardentlyhope, will soon be the happycondition of every one of theUnited States.”
independencefeature
Continued from 15
FREEDOM
DALGETY TEAS, thelargest black ownedtea company in the
UK and Europe, has awardedSurya Foods exclusive distri-bution rights to Dalgetyproduct lines.
Established over 20 yearsago, Dalgety is one of themost successful Caribbeanbrands in Europe – sellingover 25 million tea bagsevery year.
Its 100% natural, strongtasting herbal tea infusions,renowned for their qualityand purity, can be found onthe shelves of most super-markets and specialist foodstores across the UK, withexport markets stretchingfrom the USA to China.
Dalgety Teas offer richflavoured herbal teas grownby a selection of small teaestates around the Caribbean,which are refined andblended in the UK. Foundedby award-winning entrepre-neur Mark Dalgety, the tea’sunique flavours and taste,inspired by the intenseflavours of the Caribbean,are packaged in distinctivecolourful boxes.
With no artificial flavoursor chemicals added,
Dalgety’s herbal tea rangefeatures a variety of zestyblends – commonly usedthroughout the Caribbean asnatural health enhancers toward off infections and dis-eases – including InstantGinger, Lemongrass, Lemonand Ginger, Honey andGinger, and Cerassie.
Dalgety brand owner MarkDalgety, one of the UK’smost prolific black entrepre-neurs, said: “Surya are adynamic, forward-thinkingcompany and I am veryexcited to have joined forceswith them to bring theDalgety Brand to the nextlevel. I am particularlyexcited about exploring wayswe can extend the Dalgetyrange through new productdevelopment.”
Mark attributes the hugesuccess of the Dalgety brandto his launching a qualityproduct at the right time,adding: “On a trip to London20 years ago, I read that theUK tea industry was goingthrough a transformation,and that more and more con-sumers were opting for thehealthier option of drinkingherbal teas. I found, how-ever, that while most of the
tea available at the time hada good smell in the packet,once infused in water itlacked any zest or body.Having grown up with deli-cious, full-flavouredCaribbean teas, I just knewthe time was right to intro-duce these unique infusionsto the UK.”
Dalgety’s factory is theonly black owned tea factoryin the UK and has a produc-tion capability of 1.2 milliontea bags per day.
Established in 1993,Dalgety blazed a trail for
Caribbean teas and naturalproducts and was inspiredby Mark Dalgety’s Guyaneseaunt, who regularly drankherbal teas to counteract herailments.
Surya Managing DirectorHarry Dulai said: “We arecontinually looking to addhigh quality, well-knownbrands to our portfolio of100% authentic world foodproducts. Dalgety teas are agreat fit for us, with ouralready extensive portfolio ofCaribbean ranges, includingCawoods dried, salted fishand our home brands IslandSun, Jamaica’s Pride,Reggae Kitchen and Big Upenergy drink.
“We feel privileged to beworking with such a long-established, highly success-ful Caribbean brand and areexcited to have the opportu-nity to build on its alreadyenormous success.”
THE WEEKLY GLEANER18 • JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2014
independence feature
Surya Foods nowexclusive distributor of
Dalgety products
Jamaica Independence Grand Gala 2013 held at the National Stadium
On Wednesday August 6, 2014 Jamaica will celebrate52 years of Independence. The Gleaner asked Jamaicansliving in the United Kingdom how they plan to commem-orate the event.
Harris Daley, Public Relations Manager: “I will behosting a BBQ if the weather permits it. I will be havinga nice day out with close friends and family. Cooking allour local dishes: curry goat, fry fish, jerk chicken and ofcourse rice and peas. We will all be wearing Jamaicacolours as well.”
Daddy Ernie, Radio DJ: “I will be celebrating with JayRay & His Nephew on Sunday, August 3 over in CrystalPlace. Then on the day at the Rum Kitchen in LadbrokeGrove. Probably pop into the High Commission as well.”
Kyle Spence, Assistant Manager: “Most of my familymembers live all over England so Independence Day islike a family reunion for us. We will be visiting a popularCaribbean Restaurant in Brixton. We will have dinnerthere, after which we will go to my aunt’s house andwatch Jamaican celebrations online. We will also call afew of our relatives and friends in Jamaica and wishthem a Happy Independence Day.”
Dwayne Palmer, Sales Assistant: “I will be spendingthe day with my girlfriend and son. We plan to visit myrelatives in Birmingham where they will be having asmall function with Jamaican food and rum. I want to goto the Jamaica High Commission for the celebratoryevents they will be having in the evening as well so itwill be a long happy day for us.”
How Jamaicansin the UK plan tocelebrate Jamaica’sIndependence
THE WEEKLY GLEANER JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2014 • 19
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20 • JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2014
independencefeature
AUGUST 6 will mark anotherimportant milestone forJamaica – that of our 52nd
anniversary of the birth of ournation.
Our journey has been one ofopportunities and challenges, suc-cess and failure, great joy, and insome instances, disappointment.Whatever the circumstances, wecan look back and still remark atthe significant strides that we havemade as a country.
From slavery through emancipa-tion, self-rule, Universal AdultSuffrage, and the championing ofthe rights of workers, the journeycontinued in earnest, and today wecelebrate Independence as the sem-inal outcome.
Some of us will remember thepride we felt in 1962 when theUnion Jack was lowered, and theBlack, Green and Gold hoisted. Weremember the elation we felt whenthe first strains of the JamaicaNational Anthem were heard.
This year, our commemorationtakes place against the backdrop oftwo other world-wide anniversaries– the 100th anniversary of the startof the First World War, and the70th anniversary of the D-Daylanding in Normandy, which was akey phase of the Second World War.
OUTSTANDINGJamaicans played a significant
role in both major wars of thetwentieth century. In fact, some ofour most outstanding citizensmade contributions to the wareffort throughout the period. Our
National Hero, the Rt. ExcellentNorman Washington Manley, didhis duty for his country during theFirst World War.
When the Germans attackedBritish colonies in Africa, it wasthe British West India regimentthat was sent to fight them.
In the Second World War, approx-imately 300 West Indians served asaircrew, and some 90 men receiveddecorations. This included sevenDistinguished Service Orders. This,in addition to thousands more whowere recruited to provide lessglamorous support services inBritain itself while its men wereaway fighting the Germans.
Before and after Independence,Jamaicans have excelled, not onlyon the field of battle, but in trackand field. That tradition of interna-tional success started with the
London Olympic Games of 1948,where Arthur Wint won the 400m,and continues in Britain this sum-mer, with our athletes runningagainst the best in the formerBritish Empire, in theCommonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Consider the amazing feats ofour young people who are blazing atrail of excellence in sports andeducation and other areas toonumerous to mention here.
Our young people in highschools and universities rankamong the best in the world in law,Information Technology, track andfield, and other areas. We cannotsufficiently thank their teachers,coaches and professors for theinvaluable time invested in them.
DIRECTIONIn order to properly utilise the
efforts of Jamaicans abroad, theHigh Commission would like toencourage members of theDiaspora to sign up to a surveywhich aims to capture the location,interest and skills of persons,which will result in the establish-ment of a database to support theGovernment of Jamaica’s policydirection and interaction withmembers of the Diaspora. It isimportant for us to know whatskills exist in the Diaspora, so thatwe can all avail ourselves of theopportunities that will presentthemselves, both in Jamaica andoutside of Jamaica.
To this end, the DiasporaMapping Project will allow you tobe a more active partner in
Jamaica’s development. This is an18-month project and, therefore,we expect that it will be fully func-tional and operational by June ofnext year, when we expect that500,000 Jamaicans would haveregistered.
The Information you provide willbe held in strictest confidence. Youdo not need to be concerned aboutunauthorised persons getting yourinformation.
I encourage Jamaicans everywherein the world who have an interest inreturning and/or giving back to theircountry, in even some small way, toregister. Your contribution can makea world of difference.
You, our citizens in the UKDiaspora, have for generations con-tributed to this country through
your hard work, commitment andselflessness. You have also contin-ued to be dedicated to your familiesand various communities backhome in Jamaica. You have usedyour self confidence, creativity anddetermination to make a home foryourselves here, while not forget-ting your homeland.
The spirit that inspired us toachieve independence, the beliefthat we are a people who canaccomplish great things, mustnever be allowed to die, for it is thespirit that will propel us to makeup the lost ground and achieve thegoals that our founding fathers laidout for us.
Aloun N’dombet AssambaHigh Commissioner for Jamaica
Jamaicans have excelled
File photosJamaica Independence Grand Gala 2013 at the National Stadium on Tuesday,August 7, 2013.
