Columns

Haydn Hughes - The Anguilla Independence Movement - AIM

During the late 1970's, a revolutionary product found its way unto Anguilla's shores. It promised a new way of life with economic prosperity
and very little negative fallouts. This new product was none other than Tourism.
Now, three decades later, Tourism continues to thrive.

On this past Mothers’ Day Eve, I was indeed honoured to host on the Saturday morning program, Social Solutions, two faithful mothers and one model child. Even more honoured was I to be on national radio in the company of my own devout mother, Geraldine “Lee” Harrigan, and apart from tributes for mother, the idea was to reflect upon the blessings of motherhood. Mrs Patricia Adams, a dedicated mother of five, herself, added flavour to the broadcast with her noble views of mothering, as she brought into focus extracts from her own maternal experiences. Further, one of Anguilla’s most beautiful lasses, Tonya Carter, added grace to the cast as she spoke highly of mother’s love from her own exemplary perspective as a child.

Generally speaking the Caribbean Region is thought of as a Zone of Peace. In spite of a history of conflict among different groups of indigenous peoples and the rebellions and revolutions fought and won – with the Haitian Revolution and Cuban Revolutions touted by some as the region’s only success stories, the Caribbean has come to be thought of as a peaceful place.

Constipation is a common complaint of individuals going to see their doctor. In many instances the cause is usually benign but in a few cases the symptoms may indicate a more serious medical condition.

Another of our heroines of the 1967 Anguilla Revolution passed away recently. Hyacinth Carty (better known as Miss Joseph) kept her appointment with her maker on Sunday 13th April. She was laid to rest at the Sandy Hill Cemetery on Tuesday 22nd April following a funeral service at the St Augustine’s Anglican Church. As her mortal remains left the church the large gathering sang, “The strife is o’er, the battle is done; Now is the Victor’s triumph won . . .” A most fitting hymn in view of the role she played in Anguilla’s struggle for freedom and self-determination. Miss Joseph was stout-hearted and outspoken and strongly defended any cause in which she believed. Her contribution to the development of Anguilla and its people will long be remembered by present and future generations.

The Anguilla National Trust in an effort to provide a long-identified community service will be establishing an information clearing service to assist organisations and event promoters in determining the best dates for their events. Anguilla is a small community – tiny. Having established that new bit of information, the rationale for the service is that all too often organisations on the island find themselves competing with others for the same audience or participants in processes that have been planned to take place on the same date and sometimes even at the same times and venues. I am sure many of you are familiar with the scenario.

Premature births are a major public health problem and a major problem facing obstetricians today. What is even more challenging is the fact that despite advances in reproductive medicine, the problem of premature births remains essentially unsolved.

No, no, no Allister – I am not advertising for you at all. I am just reflecting on last week’s experiences with two Anguillian youths and trying, as usual, to come up with some answers to my multitude of questions.

Depression is a serious illness that can render a person disabled in their work, family and social life. This is a treatable disorder but often many persons suffering from this illness fail to seek professional help.

Ever since the beginning of civilization, wars and diseases have proven to inflict bothersome disruptions on the well-being of humanity. Both adversities strike fear in mortal hearts and have the potential to bring ruin and destruction as they spell tragedy and distress of nations.

China is a country known for its secrecy. The iron curtain is still intact there and very little is known of their military and weaponry capacities. The leading powers of our global community have decided not to probe into this aspect of China's affairs because the latter has become a major layer on the world economic stage.

Hypertension also called high blood pressure is the most common chronic condition in Anguilla and is among the 10 most common causes of death. Complications from hypertension, like stroke, kidney failure and heart failure are common in our society and require urgent attention. The management of hypertension is a constant challenge for health professions working on the island and requires much greater community participation.

Should I have known your life was so short,
I would have told you get a fire burning
It only takes a spark.

Everyone who remembers, though it was not too long ago, would consider that ours had always been a civilization of close-knit cohesiveness and community. Remarkably, we had been a people who relied on the kindness, protection and resources of each other, and any sign of ill that might have had a potential to segregate or annoy us was, for the most part, quickly arrested, discussed and taken out of the way. Today, while a significant semblance of cohesion still exists, we are sadly becoming isolated strangers among ourselves, and that cherished sense of community is gradually fading.

Anguilla last week became a changed place. For an entire night and morning the anguish of waiting for the unknown and fearing the worse was what an island community experienced. And when the worse was confirmed, the outpouring of grief combined with rage let me know that Anguillians still have the capacity to be compassionate, to feel deeply with the family of one who suffered a fate deserved by no one.

Recently, many teenagers here in Anguilla have experienced the death of a loved one. Sudden or traumatic death can create an unstable environment for teenagers and cause much turmoil in their lives. The grieving process can be very difficult for adults and even more difficult for teenagers. Caring adults, whether parents, teachers, counselors or friends, can help teenagers during this difficult time.

There is very little that I could add to the glowing tributes already paid to Mitchell Harrigan (Mitch) who bade farewell as Commissioner of Police on Thursday 27th February at a most impressive ceremony on the grounds of the Police Headquarters. His contribution to the development of our Police Force has been phenomenal and his award of the Queen’s Police Medal (QPM) in 2002 was a most fitting recognition.

I know that some people are going to scoff and think of this as being wishy-washy but because I know and experience on a daily basis the enduring power of love and the power of love to change things, I want to invite us to consider using this gift in a really deliberate way as we seek to address the needs of our young people in the search for solutions to our social ills.

This disorder affects many children and young adults and can have devastating effects for the individual, family, school and indeed the entire community.

Please allow me to reply to the article, "What about Partnership?" written
by Mr. James Harrigan in the March 7th issue. In his article, Mr. Harrigan spoke in depth about the March 1999 document entitled, Partnership for
Progress and Prosperity, which outlines the new relationship that England wants to forge for its colonies, the latter now referred to as Overseas
Territories (OTs).