By Erasmus Williams
BASSETERRE, St Kitts – Leader of the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP), Dr Denzil L Douglas the year 2020 is going to be an epic year that will mark a defining moment in the history of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis and the world. Dr Douglas gave the assurance that hope, liberation, relief, and opportunity are precisely what this team will bring to the people of St Kitts and Nevis in a new dispensation.
“2020 will be no ordinary year. As we stand at the dawn of a whole new decade, I know that our beloved Federation of St Kitts and Nevis will not be the same at 2030 as it is now today. We are at a critical decision-making point in the history of our great nation and the choices that we make this year will set the course in the life of our nation for better or for worse. Therefore, 2020 is a time for all of us to choose wisely,” Dr Douglas told over 600 patrons at his 19th annual New Year Gala.
“The year 2020 represents the vision. There can be no legacy without a clear-minded and clear-eyed vision. This is captured in our theme for tonight which is “NextGen SKN: A Legacy of Quality Leadership.” Building a next-generation St Kitts and Nevis, with next-generation plans, and a next-generation team of leaders is a vision that will take St Kitts and Nevis into a new dimension of success, opportunity, and prosperity,” the former prime minister told members of the diplomatic and consular corps, investors, businessmen, visiting nationals, citizens and visitors.
He noted that the year 2020 also represents hope. “We are living in a world that is fraught with insecurity, instability, and uncertainty. We are living in a nation where the cynical forces of deception, nepotism, corruption, and victimization threaten to overwhelm the redemptive good in all of us and to reverse all the gains that we have made as a country. But tonight, I am hopeful, and the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party is hopeful because we have tapped into the greatest earthly source of our hope, which is our young people,” said Dr Douglas, who expressed pride of the role he is playing as a mentor and guide to the young leaders of the 88-year political organization.
He said he is greatly impressed by the passion, determination, and dedication demonstrated by the young people to the advancement of Party as well as their demands to play a bigger role in shaping the future directions of St Kitts and Nevis.
“I want you to know that you inspire me as much as I inspire you. You see, when you speak about legacy, you also speak about intergenerational leadership. When viewed through this lens, it becomes clear that progress is a relay race and it becomes clear that for that race to be won the integrity and competence of each team member is vitally important,” said Dr Douglas.
He said St Kitts and Nevis is at the dawn of a new year and a new decade and he is filled with tremendous hope and all should be proud that despite being tested and tried in new and unprecedented ways over the last five years the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party has emerged in 2020 stronger and better than ever and that the vision of former statesman, labour party icon, First premier and first national hero, Sir Robert L Bradshaw lives on.
“Our NextGen SKN vision is all about you the people. Our NextGen SKN vision is a bold and innovative agenda that is the culmination of our conversation with the people over the past five years. We have listened attentively to their ideas; we have felt the passions of their dreams and we have been deeply inspired by their collective aspirations. The NextGen SKN agenda is our covenant with the people that will serve the interests of people of all generations from conception to the grave and in all sectors. It is about putting every man, woman, and child at the center of our development planning because there can be no progress without people,” he said.
