Small Islands Voice

Samal Duggins was the student representative for St. Kitts and Nevis at a workshop held in Palau in November 2002. Other islanders came from Cook Islands and Palau in the Pacific, Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the San Andres Archipelago in the Caribbean. The aims of the workshop were to promote the linkages between the island states of the three regions, to advance the activities of the UNESCO Small Islands Voice programme, and to discuss specific issues which can be presented to the 2004 review of the Programme of Action for Small Island Developing States.

Samal composed and performed a 'Rap Poem' that was well received by all the participants and is now being used worldwide by UNESCO as is also a jingle composed and sung by Keith Scarborough 'Dis an Dat' of Nevis.

Mother Earth's Dying Cries
by Samal Duggins, St. Kitts and Nevis

(Chorus)
Last night Mother Earth came to talk to me
She was crying… she said…
Help me please I'm dying
But I thought I'm just a man… what could I do?
She took time out and showed me everything that's happening
Take a look at all the pain and suffering
And I just couldn't neglect them had to show them to you

Verse one
Now as I looked in her eyes I saw the world through a different light
Wish the leaders would see and all pose a different fight
Cause the tanks and bombs, they only shorten the time
Sometimes I wonder if they losing their minds
Cause as I see it they only quest for only money and power
Yet people die by the hour, see them wither like flowers
They're dying from hunger, no water for miles
And the suffering and pains only darken their smiles
Polluting the sea removing the trees
How would we eat, how would we breath, how would we live?
Ah, without the Earth here tell me where would we be?
And I'm talking to you ma she's talking to me

(Chorus)

Verse Two
Now I've accepted the challenge to help ma through her pains
And I'm challenging everyone to do the same
Cause even though it's not an easy task
The more we pull together more strength on mass
The more you keep thinking of what you can do
The further we progress the more we make it through
But if we keep trying to ignore her cries of death
Then the more we constructing our downward steps
And this trend can't forever last… confusion, pollution, corruption
She predicted destruction
But if we all take the time to think
This world could be extinct in fact we're on the brink…

St. Christopher Heritage Society Newsletter, January to March 2003