Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 22, 2016 (SKNIS): The 2016 Independence Planning Committee, led by Minister of State in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender Affairs and Social Services, the Honourable Senator Wendy Phipps, is urging nationals and citizens alike to utilize their creative skills and submit a theme for this year’s Independence Celebrations.
“We would have sent out a release inviting members of the public, so that includes you, anybody from constituency seven or beyond who wishes to submit a suggestion for the theme, you are free to do so,” said Senator Phipps, while speaking at a recently-held Town Hall Meeting at the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School in Molineaux. “The deadline for you to send that theme in would be Wednesday, July 27 and you can send that in to the Cabinet Secretariat.”
As is the tradition, the person that pens the winning entry will be honoured.
“We will recognize the winner in an appropriate fashion including, but not limited to, special invitation to all of the official events for Independence,” said the Minister. “So you will be duly recognized for that, and along the lines of the theme that we would have had last year – which was ‘United in Building A Stronger Nation’- it would be good if all of the entrants take note of that and build on that because all of that is still tied into the Prosperity Agenda entitled ‘Prosperity For All’ in the Manifesto that we presented to the people of this country.”
Last year, St. Kitts and Nevis celebrated 32 years of Independence. In his 2015 Independence Day Address, Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris told the Nation that, “Our theme expresses the values of togetherness and unity. It acknowledges that we are better when we work together. We hope that our Independence theme encourages all of us to work productively to keep our Nation resilient and strong. If our people are our greatest asset then the unity of our people must be the qualitative condition which we cherish most. Our humanity, our industry, our creativity and our conscience must shine through at all times.”