As we wish a happy new year and peace, love and prosperity for all our Dominican people at home and abroad, we must take note of what it takes to revive our democracy. The first step is a recognition that too many Dominicans have allowed themselves to be deluded by placing their faith that some ruling demigod will bring heaven on earth.
In yielding our intelligence and sense of worth to one man or woman, we abandon common sense and fail to understand that we must participate more fully in civic life to eradicate the poison of dictatorship. One man rule has infected our land. To change course, we all must work to empower ourselves.
Democracy is not realized by the vote on election day. Rather, democracy thrives where we practice it daily by honest effort, obeying our laws, holding government to account, ensuring no man or woman is above the law, ensuring our police and public service is unbiased and professional, and that multiple civic organizations exist. Where multiple civic organizations exist that will ensure that no party or government can monopolize power to oppress the citizen.
If there is only one dominant power in society, unbridled by an independent judiciary or legislative branch, then democracy will fail as it has on Dominica.
We shall have a prosperous and happy New year where we act to do the following:
1. Parents must participate more fully in parent teachers associations and promote civic education. That civic education must teach integrity to our young. Alongside reading, writing and arithmetic we must educate our children that it is wrong to lie, cheat and steal. Where any society allows it to become normative for people to lie, cheat and steal then the society is bound to fail. This year all parents on Dominica must commit to becoming involved in their PTA and so shape a culture of honesty and love of democracy on Dominica.
2. Support your credit union or form or financial club to ensure that you can aggregate wealth for yourself or group.
3. Team with like minded entrepreneural citizens to form businesses to lessen your dependence on government for handouts
4. Engage in home gardens to grow what you eat.
5. Volunteer with local civic groups such as Cubs, Scouts, Guides, Rangers and Red Cross to cultivate the noble principle that service to others is the best demonstration of love of country and an antidote to selfishness and dictatorship.
6. Form, or participate in, student or youth organizations to defend and promote policies that will enhance the opportunities for young people in education and industry. Education and industry among our youth make them independent and so protect them from exploitation. Where unorganized or disorganized, young men and women will continue to be used to satisfy the predatory personal vices of those in power in exchange for handouts. The best way to eradicate the prostitution of our young is to empower them via education, organization in industrious effort and the provision of self reliant means of financial support. We must work collectively to inspire our young to lead successful lives by use of their native intelligence and honest labour. Lives burdened by unemployment or gang activity must not be the fate of our young.
7. Use social media to promote study of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics so that Dominicans can raise the bar in academic achievement and so demand better leadership of our affairs. Democracy cannot thrive amidst ignorance or subpar performance by the citizens.
8. Pursue a culture of teamwork. Teamwork makes the dreamwork. Therefore, each Dominican must use social media and other means not simply to exchange jokes or gossip, but to make manifest the dedication to working together, relentlessly and diligently, to build a prosperous and democratic future.
9. Faith : Strengthen your sense of internal faith or spiritual conscience. Look to the best values of spiritual clarity rooted in the age old guide: do unto others as you would have done unto you if you choose that guide for your life you will never go wrong. You do not need a church, or high priced gospel singers to follow that path.
10. Focus: Focus all your effort on teaming and working productively with like minded persons so we may build the beloved community, rooted in justice, fair play and equality of opportunity.
11. Pay your dues. You cannot have a sense of community where only some step forward. Unless we are ill, all of us must step forward and make an effort to contribute to nation building. Nation building is not a spectator sport.
12. Self confidence. Maintain your self confidence at all times that you are on the right path where you work to build your nation and promote democracy. Democracy is what will allow us the liberty to live prosperous and happy lives.
If we live by the above guide we can build a democratic and prosperous future on Dominica and be an example to the world.
May God bless our path to success in 2020 and beyond.