By Lesroy W. Williams

Observer Reporter

(Basseterre, St. Kitts)—A book to commemorate 25 years of Independence of St. Kitts and Nevis is due to be launched sometime next week.

“St. Kitts and Nevis: A Portrait of a Nation Celebrating 25 years of Independence” by Timothy Harris, and published by Ian Randle Publishers in Kingston, Jamaica, will be launched before at 7 p.m. on Sept. 17 at the University Center in Basseterre.

St. Kitts and Nevis gained Independence on September 19, 1983 under the leadership of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) with Dr. Alphonso Kennedy Simmonds as the first Prime Minister.

The book contains the first Independence speech given by Dr. Simmonds in 1983.

Dr. Timothy Harris is a member of Cabinet in the Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and has been a Member of Parliament since 1993. He holds a first class honours B.Sc degree and M.Sc degree with distinction from the University of the West Indies and a Ph.D from the Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

Dr. Harris served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from August 2001 to August 2008.

The book charts the evolution of a young nation state from a colony to an independent. Dr. Harris reveals the many pitfalls and triumphs experienced during this journey.

The book is a compilation of speeches made to the General Assembly of the United Nations that elucidates the changes in the political system of governance, foregrounds the policies on international diplomacy adopted by the government of St. Kitts and Nevis and offers insights on the emblems of nationhood, their significance and use.

“This timely publication commemorating the 25th anniversary of the independence of St. Kitts and Nevis is an important reference work not only for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, at home and in the Diaspora, but also for the entire Caribbean community and beyond. It is an important addition to the discourse on independence and nationhood,” Dr. Harris remarked.

“Independence is an important constitutional step in the governance of every country and brings with it increased responsibility of the nation state for all of its affairs, both domestic and international,” he added.

St. Kitts and Nevis is a young nation state with more than 45 percent of the population below the age of 25.

“Many of our young people were not around in 1983 when Independence came. Independence was never personally experienced by them,” Dr. Harris emphasized.

One of the intentions of the book is to fill an information void with regard to St.Kitts and Nevis’ achievement of political independence, the meaning of the national symbols and how the nation has used this opportunity to participate as a legal sovereign state to advance its cause, to influence policy making at the international level and expand its network of allies, Dr. Harris said.

He noted that Independence brought about opportunities to engage with the rest of the world on a scale and scope that prior to Independence would not have been possible. With Independence, St.Kitts and Nevis became a member of the United Nations on September 23, 1983, giving the nation a platform to speak on the world stage.

Dr. Harris mentioned that he had some difficulty in getting information for the publication.

“In my capacity as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I experienced difficulty in obtaining speeches made at the United Nations by our former heads of government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ambassadors. I have come to accept that we have not done our best in ensuring the care and preservation of our governmental records. This is regrettable,” he lamented.

He quoted from the book, “Integrate or Perish” by Kenneth Hall, when he said “Records are the foundation of history, and a society which is careless with its records will challenge its own history and risk its own future”.

Dr. Harris made reference to Prime Minister Simmonds in an address the then Prime Minister gave to the 49th session of the UN General Assembly.

“We must remain cognizant of the fact that the fundamental sovereignty of all states, large or small, is respected equally by the United Nations. It has institutionalized the right of small and micro states to exist and to co-exist with the big and powerful nations. All independent states, therefore, irrespective of their size and populations, are equal under international law,” Simmonds said.

Regarding the structure of the publication, Chapter 1 presents a brief analysis of the pre-independence forms of government experienced by St. Kitts and Nevis and recalls some public positions as to why independence was necessary.

Chapter 2 describes the new emblems that define the Independence of St. Kitts and Nevis, paying particular attention to our flag, coat of arms, national anthem, and constitution and their significance.

Chapter 3 is a compilation of speeches made at the annual sessions of the United Nations General Assembly over the period 1983-2007.

Chapter 4 provides an overview of the former diplomatic relationships that have been established with other countries across the globe.

The Book contains 214 pages and is replete with a number of appendices listing the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from 1983 up to present, St. Kitts and Nevis Ambassadors to the United Nations and government officials who have addressed the UN Assembly.