DLP President: Consider type of society you want to live in
As Barbados celebrates 53 years of Independence, President of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), Verla DePeiza, acknowledges the long strides made by our forefathers in the march to reach this milestone, and the several steps taken by Barbadians today to pave the way for future generations.
However, she indicated that it has not all been “smooth waters,” describing this past year in particular as “a watershed in our history”.
“As a country, we rode a page which ushered in a period of severe austerity from October of 2018 and which is blotted with the blood of our sons and daughters,” she pointed out in the Political Party’s 2019 Independence Message, yesterday.
“One of our nation builders Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, asked the poignant question “How did we get here again?” Today, I pose a different question to you - The Democratic Labour Party is convinced that as a people, we have the fortitude to withstand these winds that battered us at this critical point in our history. We truly have been here before, but this time we need to take stock of the lessons of history to ensure that we do not repeat this period again,” she stressed.
DePeiza is therefore inviting Barbadians to consider the type of society that they want to live in, “One where the graphs and indexes of economic progress point upwards, but our people are left behind as their quality of life diminishes, or one where balance is struck and maintained between the needs of our people and what we are willing to contribute to achieve both our economic and social goals.
“This is an image crafted by ourselves, rather than one imposed on us. It is the opportunity to till the land, both literally and figuratively, so that the seeds we sow today are fruitful for generations to come. This is what drives us in the Democratic Labour Party, to lead the charge, to guard the four corners of our heritage, to shape our landscape for the greater good of our country. We invite you now to share and contribute to this idea of hope for the future, a future drawn by me for you,” the DLP President said.