SLNT Ready to Work with New Government

The Saint Lucia National Trust congratulates the Honourable Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre and his parliamentary colleagues on their success in the 2021 General Elections and wishes the new government wisdom and fortitude as they set out to achieve their plans for building a stronger Saint Lucia.

In our role as the agency entrusted with custodianship of Saint Lucia’s heritage, we deeply appreciate his recognition of the intrinsic value of the nation’s patrimony to our collective sense of self and pride and the Trust’s role in its protection and promotion, as demonstrated by his announcement confirming his government’s commitment to fully reinstating the Trust’s subvention. The subvention will go a long way towards returning the Trust to financial stability and will enable us to reactivate some of the programmes we were forced to suspend.

We also warmly welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement that his government plans to introduce the teaching of African, Caribbean and Saint Lucian History at all levels of the school system. The Coalition of Heritage Management Organisations had tried, for almost three years without success, to get the introduction of Saint Lucian History at the primary level, and this proposal is very encouraging.

We are also in full support of the Prime Minister’s promise to make the observance of Emancipation Day a national calendar event. Several organisations, such as the Iyanola Council for the Advancement of Rastafari have been calling for the elevation of Emancipation Day as a day for reflection, remembrance and education. We welcome this pronouncement and look forward to collaborating to make this promise become reality.

Beyond these pronouncements, the Administration made several promises to the electorate during the last election campaign regarding the protection of the nation’s heritage and patrimony, an area of direct interest to the Trust.

We note the undertakings to promote environmental protection for a sustainable future, the preservation of public access to our beaches and to the Queen’s Chain, the expansion of the management of our coastal waters to include the north west coast, the protection and preservation of the institutions that have been designated to protect our heritage and patrimony, greater integration of our local culture and customs into the preparation of land-based and virtual tours, and the creation of a new structure to direct and develop the Arts, Culture and the Creative Industry to allow opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.

We are excited by this new vision and welcome these undertakings by the new Government. We stand ready to work with Government and other stakeholders to advance the protection, preservation and promotion of our heritage, patrimony and customs for the greater benefit of Saint Lucia.