Editor: As we celebrate our 25th year of independence, I cannot help but reflect on those memorable years I enjoyed at the Diamond Government School while I was enrolled as a pupil there.

It was at this juncture of my life I first experienced the true spirit and meaning of Independence. With much emphasis and pride, we sang songs such as “God Bless Our Homeland” and “St. Vincent I Love You” by Becket. Every Vincentian demonstrated national pride and patriotism. {{more}}I could recall quite vividly being taught to stand at attention when the National Anthem is being sung but today this norm is not in practice; people no longer respect the National Anthem. I enjoyed those glorious years, when celebrating our independence meant a lot to all Vincentians.

Since gaining our independence from the British Commonwealth, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has achieved a lot. We have developed tremendously in areas such as education; the Ministry of Education must be commended for their educational system and their quest for compulsory education for the youths of our nation. The island is equipped with proper health facilities, electricity and an excellent water system – these, we must be proud of.

The Ministry of Tourism and Culture must also be commended for the hard work that it does to market St. Vincent and the Grenadines around the world. Through this ministry, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has won many prestigious awards, such as The Travel and Leisure Award 2004 and The World’s Best Destination for small animals (critters).

Lifestyle and Travel Magazine awarded St. Vincent and the Grenadines Caribbean Diving Island of the Year in 1997 and Caribbean Island of the Year in 1996. The honour was also bestowed upon us last year, when we played host to the Disney film crew producers of the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean”, which won the 30th Annual People’s Choice awards Movie of the Year in 2003. “Pirates of the Caribbean” placed St. Vincent much further on the tourist map. The rest of the world will, again, know the Jewels of the Caribbean, when part two of that movie is done here.

Having achieved all this I am appealing to all Vincentians to let us strive to rebuild national pride to indeed make St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Jewels of the Caribbean.

Renitta A Peters