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Bertram O. Leon
The Secretary & Public Relations Officer
Unity of UK St. Lucian Associations (Unity)
Welcome to our brothers and sisters from around the world and to our
counterparts from the French-Caribbean islands, ‘Bienvenué’ madam et
monsieur (and that’s in my not so very good French accent). Thank you
for taking the time to log on to our website.
It is
indeed an honour and privileged to have this opportunity to express my
thoughts and excitement at being able to communicate with our nationals
and friends from far and around the world.
When
I first set out to write about our Associations, I was of the opinion
that I knew more or less everything I needed to know about each
respective Association and what they did. However, my investigations
and findings unearthed a lot more, than just our ability to organise
good dances and social events. Indeed, it was refreshing and immensely
gratifying for me to have learned about, the magnificent and
significant contribution the groups have collectively made and given
voluntarily to our St Lucian Community, here in the
UK and St Lucia.
During my research for this website, I read an article by a former High
Commissioner for Saint Lucia, the late Dr. Claudius Thomas. He was
referring to one of our affiliated Association who was at the time,
celebrating
their
25th year of existence and this is what he
wrote, and I quote, “This Association…. has a most beneficial impact,
not only on the social and cultural life of St. Lucians in the United
Kingdom, but is also of material help to those at home.”
I
chose this quote, as I now believe that Unity has picked up that baton
of responsibility and have both the ambition and desire to drive this
vision forward for the good of our people.
I
will not dwell on or list the vast contributions that Unity has made, as
I actually want you to go through this website to read about them.
However, I do feel obliged to touch on a few key areas, where our
contribution speaks volumes. They are in - EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, THE
POOR AND DESTITUTE and YOUTHS. I cited these areas, as they are forever
in our public domain here and in St Lucia. You will from this website
be able to appreciate that the contribution, which sometimes comes in
the form of the cost of a dance ticket or other personal donations,
have gone a long way towards realising a dream for some, and assisting
those less fortunate than ourselves, who have suffered from various
misfortunes.
Unity
as we call ourselves is very much an affiliation of various UK based St
Lucian Associations. St Lucia and our UK based community are our
central theme and concern, and we have indeed achieved important
milestones in the contribution we have made and given to them.
This
website is not just about promoting ourselves, moreover, it will be an
access point or medium or forum for networking, hearing news from home,
knowing about the development and projects taking place in our homeland
and about our people from around the world. It is also being created to
ensure that people understand what Unity means and signifies, and to
allow our community to examine our past and plan for our future. More
importantly, it will enable us to get to know each other as fellow St
Lucians. For those who are not of St Lucian origin, then to communicate
with you as friends of St Lucia and St. Lucians. A major objective,
which we hope will be achieved, is that, it will enable us to put aside
old cliché or outdated thoughts about out inability to work,
communicate and come together in the spirit of Unity.
Our
aim is also to recognise our vast efforts and contribution to our
homeland. A contribution, which we are continuing to play an
ever-increasing part in, in some form or another.
It is
a fact that our contribution is not always appreciated or recognised,
however, I do believe that the tide is changing towards the
acknowledgement of what the UK based St Lucian Associations have
accomplished and contributed to our homeland.
Several of our members have been instrumental in the co-ordination of
that vast contribution and many more have since returned to better
weather in St Lucia to continue some of the work they started in the
UK. Equally, it
must also be acknowledged that a number are no longer here on this
earth with us, and we remember and salute their efforts, their many
years of dedication, service and exceptional hard work.
We
have received messages of support from the Prime Minister of Saint
Lucia and our High Commissioner for Saint Lucia in the UK, and this in
addition to the many letters of support received from our community in
St Lucia and the UK reaffirm and adds strength to our desire to
succeed.
Unity
has several important goals and ambition that we would like to
collectively achieve, however with many individual members giving their
services voluntarily and free, it is not always possible to make real
or meet those vast expectations. However, we have pledged to persevere
and strive to achieve the goals that we have set ourselves.
The
contribution and work that we do are priceless in the eyes of those who
are destitute and poor in our homeland. We may not always get a reward
or due praise for the work that we do, but the mere fact that someone
less fortunate than ourselves have benefited, should act as sufficient
acknowledgement and recognition.
The
coming periods will indeed be a challenging one for us, as we seek
greater collaboration with our counterparts from around the world, in
order to meeting the aspiration of our St Lucian community. This will
be the ultimate test and will determine the direction that we take.
We
hope this website will yield positive and fruitful rewards, and it will
provide compelling evidence and dispel the myths and inaccuracies about
us being unable to communicate or work together. We hope that it will
also convince us that our futures are intertwined and our path and
advancement is in Unity.
Let me
reiterate what our mission statement is, it is: -
‘To
forge strong, active and relevant links between St. Lucians and other
nationalities, and to create a strong community spirit based on trust
and support through which our community can be both inspired and also
realise its full potential.
The
platform for achieving this aim has indeed already been established, we
now need to put energy to develop, promote and succeed in that mission.
No
Association functions successfully without dedicated officers (who
sometimes carry the brunt of adverse criticism). I would like to thank
the many officers whose dedication and hard work has got us so far. I
do hope that their examples will encourage more of our nationals and
offspring to participate, in order to ensure our survival.
To
conclude, I once read something by a well-known person who said,
“coming together is a beginning; keeping together is a process; working
together is success”.
This
person was non-other than Henry Ford, the owner of the giant Ford Motor
Company… and as the old saying goes…. ‘and the rest is history’.
If we
can maintain that togetherness in honesty, work together in clarity and
creativity, we can stay together with respect and meet any goals
successfully.
‘In Unity there is strength’
Bertram O. Leon
Secretary & Public Relations Officer – Unity of UK St. Lucian
Associations
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