PM Douglas Hopes People of Federation Will Become More Environmentally Conscious

St. Kitts and Nevis is again welcoming its selection to be part of a world project to ensure that small island states have a voice on matters of development and environ-mental issues in the global community.

Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas hoped that out of the Small Islands' Voice 2004 Project, the people of St. Kitts and Nevis will become more environmentally conscious in preserving the beauty and rich history of the twin-island Federation.

"Dr. Cambers, well-known and internationally-respected environmentalist and UNESCO consultant has been one of the main support persons in this new initiative to ensure that in this globalised world where Small Island States are becoming more and more marginalized, the initiative by UNESCO is to bring the voice, to bring the perspective, to bring our own analysis of the situation to the rest of the regional and international communities," said Prime Minister Douglas in an interview with United Nations Radio in New York.

He said the choosing of St. Kitts and Nevis as the Small Island State in the Caribbean Sea, is important as the nation would be able to lend its voice especially that of the young people on issues of development, issues of sustainable development and how this impacts on the environment.

"I believe that this initiative would allow us to access the media, regionally and internationally thus bringing the voice and the perspectives of the young ordinary citizen of small islands in the Caribbean to the issues that deal with development an the environment from a global perspective," said Dr. Douglas.

Ask if St. Kitts an Nevis has the capability of ensuring the success of the project and whether the feelings of the communities in the villages on various issues from community leaders can be obtained, Prime Minister Douglas noted that the Federation is the smallest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere, with a well-organised society and community with a literacy rate of 98 percent and people therefore are able to voice their opinions as they are living in a free and open democracy.

"We believe that if we are going to make our mark and survive in what is becoming a more hostile world, our people have to become more and more involved in preserving the country. In knowing that we are going to pursue tourism development, then the country must be inviting. Our verges, rainforest, beaches, our people and our culture must all be sustained and preserved," said Prime Minister Douglas, adding that the UNESCO-supported initiative " will bring out all of these in our people."

"It will support the government's perspective that people development cannot be sustainable without a major concern for the preservation of the environment and I believe that when this pilot programme has come to an end after two years, there would be tremendous benefits for us in St. Kitts and Nevis in the future, because it would have created frameworks, structures and systems that would remain with our people as we continue to enhance sustainable development an to preserve the environment as an important aspect of our own development in the future," said Prime Minister Douglas.

SOURCE: The Labour Spokesman, 6 February 2002