...as we celebrate 40 years of Bahamian independence ...the time has now arrived for us to complete the process ...and to honor those among us who deserve to be recognized as Bahamian national heroes

Bahamian national heroes pt. 2

Consider This...

BY PHILIP C. GALANIS

“My own heroes are the dreamers, those men and women who tried to make the world a better place than when they found it, whether in small ways or great ones.  Some succeeded, some failed, most had mixed results... but it is the effort that's heroic, as I see it.  Win or lose, I admire those who fight the good fight.”

– George R.R. Martin

Two weeks ago, on October 7, in part one of this series on Bahamian national heroes, we asked whether it was time for us to bring into force a national honors system for Bahamian heroes.  Two days later, on October 9, the prime minister delivered a communication to Parliament announcing that the government would bring the Majority Rule (Public Holiday) Act 2013 into force, ushering in the long-awaited recognition of the day on which majority rule was achieved in The Bahamas, January 10, 1967, as a public holiday.  Accordingly, the first public holiday to commemorate that singularly important event will be celebrated next year on January 10, 2014.

In the same communication, the prime minister announced that the National Heroes Act 2007 would also come into force on Friday, October 11, 2013, replacing the day that was previously celebrated initially as Columbus Day and later as Discovery Day as National Heroes Day.  And so said, so done!

This week, we would like to Consider This… is it time for us to complete the process of bringing into force a national honors system for Bahamian heroes?

A step in the right direction

Without a doubt the official recognition of these public holidays is a gargantuan step in the right direction.  And for this, Perry Christie and his administration should be applauded.  These two important holidays on the Bahamian calendar will forever concretize Christie’s legacy in the annals of Bahamian history.  However, these are first steps and much more is required.

In his communication, the prime minister stated that “National Heroes Day” will be a national holiday to “be observed on the second Monday in the month of October of each year”.  That is not technically correct.  The National Heroes Act specifically states in section 11 that “the 12th day of October”, not the second Monday of October, “will be commemorated as The Bahamas National Heroes Day”.  It is a distinction with a difference, one that, we are certain, will be clarified in the fullness of time.

The advisory committee

The National Heroes Act provides for an advisory committee that will make recommendations as to persons who should be recognized as national heroes.  According to the act, the advisory committee “shall consist of not less than seven members appointed by the prime minister” and be comprised of two senators and two members of the House of Assembly.  In his communication to the House of Assembly, the prime minister correctly observed that, “It would certainly be my wish, Mr. Speaker, that there be one nominee from the government and one nominee from the opposition in each of the House of Assembly and the Senate.  This will ensure optimal balance and parity.  We really do need to take partisanship and political prejudice out of the selection of our national heroes.  To do otherwise would be to debase the whole process and to detract from the sense of national unity and patriotism that should always be exclusively in view when we approach a matter such as this.”

However, if the advisory committee is constituted with the minimum number of persons provided by the act, which is seven, then the advisory committee will be dominated by the four politicians and the majority vote will be able to be cast by those politicians.  Given the profoundly partisan polarization and seemingly intractable political tribalism that has developed in the country over the past decade, this could defeat the objective of removing “partisanship and political prejudice out of the selection” process.  For far too long, an elongated and dark shadow of politics has been cast over most things in our society.  Because, as Christie put it, “this group, this ‘Order of National Heroes’, will be exceedingly small – the rarest of the rare, the greatest of the great”, the selection process must be scrupulously meticulous and not obscured by that shadow – or any other – so that Bahamians, present and future, may be confident in the impartial choices of these exceptional individuals who will carry this extraordinary title and the term “national hero”.

We therefore believe and recommend that, in order to accomplish this objective, the prime minister, in exercising his powers of appointment under the act, should appoint an advisory committee of at least nine persons, and ensure that the majority of the committee will be comprised of non-politicians.  We can only assume and hope that the non-politicos on the committee will be broadly drawn from civil society in such a manner that would firmly instill the public confidence that must be maintained in the selection process.  In addition, we suggest that the chairman of the committee should not be a politician.

The National Honours Act 2007

The National Honours Act 2007 which has not yet been brought into force, provides for the establishment of national honors, including:

• The Order of The Bahamas

• The Order of Excellence

• The Order of Distinction

• The Order of Merit

• Other honors constituted by the governor general after consultation of the advisory committee established under section 13 of the Bahamas National Heroes Act.

It will be critically important to clearly define the criteria that must be satisfied for each of the aforementioned honors and once completed, to begin identifying those deserving souls and to commence conferring such local honors upon them.  As we develop our own criteria, we can draw on the experiences of some of our neighbors: Jamaica’s National Honours and Awards Act, established in 1969, and the National Heroes Act, passed by the Parliament of Barbados in 1998, just to name two.

Conclusion

As we noted in part one of this series and as we celebrate 40 years of Bahamian independence, the time has now arrived for us to complete the process and to honor those among us who deserve to be recognized as Bahamian national heroes.  We should do so in the grand and respectful manner that Bahamian honorees rightly deserve, finally joining our Caribbean counterparts in celebrating our own, in our own way, and showing the world how much we value ourselves and the contributions of our countrymen who have helped to build this 21st century nation.

• Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis & Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in Parliament. Please send your comments to pgalanis@gmail.com.

October 21, 2013

Bahamian National Heroes pt. 1

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Bahamian History and Bahamian National Heroes... Happy National Heroes Day Bahamas!

Our history and national heroes

By ARINTHIA S. KOMOLAFE

Monday, October 14, 2013 is a day for the history books of our nation as we celebrated the first National Heroes Day in The Bahamas.

This historic feat comes after years of lobbying and advocacy by several individuals and certain sectors of the Bahamian society for a public holiday in honor of our national heroes.  It was therefore heart-warming when on Thursday, October 10, 2013, Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes gave assent to the passage of two bills which paved the way for the National Heroes Day celebration and the observance of January 10 each year as a public holiday in honor of Majority Rule Day.

Discovery and a nation in transition

History records that in 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail upon the seas from Spain to discover what became known as the New World.  The Bahamas will always have its place in world history as the record shows that Columbus’ first stop on his voyage was Guanahani Cay, which he called San Salvador meaning “the land of Jesus Christ the Savior”.  The blessings upon The Bahamas are apparent in that in spite of our size, our country holds a unique place in history based on the voyage of Columbus.

All across the Americas, nations have paid homage to Christopher Columbus either by recognition of a public holiday or through monuments.  However, many nations have moved to change the name of the holiday for diverse reasons.  Some argue that Columbus was not the first European to sail the Americas, nor could he have discovered that which already existed.  In other words, The Bahamas which is recorded as his first landfall during his first of four voyages, was already inhabited by Arawaks, Tainos and Lucayans.  To reinforce the case against perpetuating the celebration of Discovery Day, Columbus is accused of genocide and eradicating many of the natives during his voyages.  The transition of Discovery Day into National Heroes Day, in our case, also marks another step in the life of our country as we cut ties with our colonial past, giving honor to the men and women of yesterday who fought to create the modern Bahamas as we now know it today.

A landmark event and movement

The Bahamas is one of the last countries in the region to make this long overdue shift as many of our Caribbean counterparts have over the years opted for a National Heroes Day.  It is fitting that the Government of The Bahamas has made this landmark step to recognize the heroes of our nation to ensure that the accomplishments and memories of such unique individuals are enshrined in the conscience of our people from generation to generation.

Additionally, the commemoration of majority rule will forever tell the stories of the struggles of our foremothers and forefathers who fought for the voice of the majority to be heard and the opportunity for equality to be achieved within our commonwealth.  It is our hope that these significant steps taken by the government will also ensure that a full account of history is taught and preserved for future generations.

Our history and our identity

For many years, those of us who were educated in The Bahamas during the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, and even into the new millennium, were taught American and European history for the most part.  Regrettably, we still do not have a formal and comprehensive Bahamian history curriculum within our nation’s school system; this is a matter in need of urgent attention for our history is a major part of who we are as a people.

On a personal note, this writer recalls being introduced to Bahamian history from a political perspective during a government and politics elective course at The College of The Bahamas back in the late nineties.  This begs the question: What about the thousands of Bahamians who may not pursue tertiary education and never enter the halls of The College The Bahamas?  Their only hopes are the biographies and memoirs of past Bahamian leaders or the more popular informal education, which may sometimes be skewed, one-sided and/or inaccurate depending upon the mindset of the individual telling the story.

A dedication to Bahamian history

Spanish philosopher George Santayana stated in his “Reason in Common Sense” that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.  For this reason, it is essential that the Bahamian people, specifically the younger generation, are aware of their history lest we repeat a part of our history to our detriment and the struggles of those before are rendered in vain.  The institution of Bahamian History Month will certainly shine the spotlight on past victories and defeats of those who came before us and fought the good fight to secure the liberties we now enjoy.  Moreover, it may encourage those persons with a story to tell to do so while recording their contributions and sacrifices made for the benefit of our nation.

The education of the populace is important to avoid a return to the dungeons of intolerance and inequality of The Bahamas of old.  It should not be unthinkable that The Bahamas can find itself in the position that it was in pre-majority rule or even pre-independence.  Colonization, albeit in a more subtle and economic form, is still a concern in today’s world – particularly for small island states like The Bahamas, with wealth and political power at the heart of this ill.

Commonality for the national interest

The camaraderie that existed between the individuals of diverse political affiliations, gender, race and creed who labored for the recognition of our national heroes must be allowed to spread throughout our archipelago.  We must always live up to our motto and progress “forward, upward, onward together”.  As we begin to identify and honor our national heroes, we must be ever mindful of their concepts of nationhood, their struggle for freedom, their contributions to our social transformation and their willingness to give of themselves for the benefit of our Bahamas.  These individuals may not have been and will not be perfect; however, their flaws should not disqualify them from national recognition or diminish their status based upon the work they have done to contribute to the quality of life for all Bahamians and their role in the fulfilment of our destiny as a nation.

The spirit of our true national heroes should transcend political divides and address the polarization of our country which has yielded no positive results.  The current state of the U.S., whose government has been shut down and is at risk of a default on its debts, is a chilling reminder of this fact; the reality that level heads should prevail and personal interest should not supersede the national interest lest the nation is destabilized.

As we continue to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our independence, we applaud the government for making this bold and historic move.  We applaud the National Heroes Committee and other proponents of this cause for their tireless efforts over the years to make this day a reality.  In the words of the Rev. Canon S. Sebastian Campbell, a nationalist and progressive who no doubt will have his place in our history, “We urge all our people on all our islands to celebrate our heroes and establish traditions for years to come.”

Happy National Heroes Day!

• Comments on this article can be directed to a.s.komolafe510@gmail.com.

October 15, 2013

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Rev. Fr. Sebastian Campbell - Chairman of the National Heroes Committee says: ...parliamentarians are “lazy” in the naming of national heroes in The Bahamas throughout the years

Campbell: Parliament “lazy” in naming nat’l heroes

Travis Cartwright-Carroll
Guardian Staff Reporter
travis@nasguard.com

Chairman of the National Heroes Committee Rev. Fr. Sebastian Campbell blasted parliamentarians for being “lazy” in the naming of national heroes in The Bahamas throughout the years.

Campbell spoke at a state-recognized funeral for Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) co-founder William ‘Bill’ Cartwright at St. Gregory’s Anglican Church on Carmichael Road yesterday.

Campbell said he met with the Cabinet last week to discuss the funeral and proposed that Cartwright be referred to as the “honorable William Wilton Jose Cartwright, national hero”.

“Some around the table almost had my head,” he said.  “I was told that only Parliament could give such a designation. I told them under my breath ‘that’s nonsense’.

“On the January 10, 2007, the National Heroes Committee designated William ‘Bill’ Cartwright as honorable for life on behalf of the Bahamian people who are the true sovereign of any country.

“Parliament of The Bahamas has been extremely lazy in this regard. To date only one person, I believe, the late Sir Milo B. Butler, has been declared a national hero by Parliament.

“We wait patiently for people of the stature of ‘Bill’ Cartwright to die then we flirt with the term national hero of the first order. This is our national character on which we seem not to be ashamed.”

Campbell noted that people of “lesser pedigree” than Cartwright overshadow him in accolades.

“Those who sacrificed nothing, gave up nothing, now have roadways and superstructures named in their honor,” Campbell said.

He continued: “And many of today’s players in the political platform know nothing about William ‘Bill’ Cartwright, Cyril Stevenson and [Sir] H.M. Taylor. No wonder tributes paid in recent days to Cartwright lack so much substance.”

The men founded the PLP in 1953.

Cartwright died at 89.

He spent the last two years of his life in an old folks home, before being taken to hospital in the days before his death.

Cartwright, a native of Long Island, represented Cat Island in Parliament for seven of the 20 years he devoted to public life.

PLP Deputy Leader Philip Brave Davis said at Cartwright’s memorial on Friday that The Bahamas failed Cartwright.

At the funeral yesterday, Prime Minister Perry Christie agreed with Campbell that Cartwright deserves special recognition.

Christie said the government would allow The College of The Bahamas to begin immediately to record the history of the country to “fill in the gaps that have been left by those who have offered their own experiences”.

“We have an obligation as a country to do something about this deficit that the Rev Fr. spoke about, and quickly,” Christie said.

“To the family...I have indicated as the leader of the PLP on the one hand that I would move to ensure the upliftment of the names of those who are a part of the original visionaries and [their] name in the annals of our party, so that henceforth we will no longer have to guess, but will be properly lifted and institutionalized.

“So from a party perspective the history will be complete.”

Jun 19, 2012

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International