There have been a lot of conversations over the past year about self-determination and I have come to realize in a conversation last week on Umoja that we do not all have the same basic understanding of what it is, and that it is not a new conversation but an ongoing one since 1950. I was amazed when I did my research paper on the Political Development of the Virgin Islands for my Virgin Islands History course at HLSCC in 2015 and learnt how much I did not know about my own history but that is an article for another day. Just know the course opened my eyes and fuels the passion that I have for seeing a better Virgin Islands. Our special guest explained that self-determination is the process that prepares the people for self-governance and that decolonization is the outcome at the end of the process.
When I thought about where we are in our process, the document at the heart of the debate – the Constitutional Order, better known as our “Constitution” came to mind. Apart from the setting the laws and regulates society, we have a heavy-duty preamble at the beginning of our 2007 Constitutional Order that I am sad to say, we have paid lip service to. This well-written text put into words what could be the Virgin Islands Philosophy, but we have not as a society embraced and committed to it. It has been seventeen (17) years since this was penned, and I wonder what our country could have looked like had we taken this to heart. What is in it you ask? Here it is for easy reference to educate and refresh our memories [the bold font is mine for emphasis.]
“Whereas the people of the territory of the Virgin Islands have over centuries evolved with a distinct cultural identity which is the essence of a Virgin Islander;
Acknowledging that the society of the Virgin Islands is based upon certain moral, spiritual and democratic values including a belief in God, the dignity of the human person, the freedom of the individual and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms and the rule of law;
Mindful that the people of the Virgin Islands have expressed a desire for their Constitution to reflect who they are as a people and a country and their quest for social justice, economic empowerment and political advancement;
Recognising that the people of the Virgin Islands have a free and independent spirit, and have developed themselves and their country based on qualities of honesty, integrity, mutual respect, self-reliance, and the ownership of the land engendering a strong sense of belonging to and kinship with those Islands;
Recalling that because of historical, economic, and other reasons many of the people of the Virgin Islands reside elsewhere but have and continue to have an ancestral connection and bond with those Islands;
Accepting that the Virgin Islands should be governed based on adherence to well-established democratic principles and institutions;
Affirming that the people of the Virgin Islands have generally expressed their desire to become a self-governing people and to exercise the highest degree of control over the affairs of their country at this stage of its development; and
Noting that the United Kingdom, the administering power for the time being, has articulated a desire to enter into a modern partnership with the Virgin Islands based on the principles of mutual respect and self-determination;
Now, therefore, the following provisions have effect as the Constitution of the Virgin Islands.” …
Do you see what I am referring to? I am hard pressed to see these principles in the way we have been governing ourselves. To underscore the point, I had a discussion with a colleague a few weeks ago where they said that over the past couple of decades, the country has been run as if we are in the life-simulation video game, The SIMS, where decisions do not have permanent consequences. We sometimes act as if can pack up our toys at the end of the game and start over tomorrow. That is what I refer to when I speak about management is at the root of many of the problems we complain about and not a lack of money. The solution? We need to urgently lift our eyes back to the horizon to regain our focus on what it is we say we are striving for. It will require sacrifice on all our part to get back on track with our social, political, and economic advancement, but I am convinced that as a people, we are well able to, IF we put our faith in the right place. Our Constitutional Preamble is a call to action for our leadership and the civil society to recalibrate our priorities and make national decisions by asking the question, “Is this project/program/law taking us towards our goals or away from them?”
I believe that if we were living up to half of the values and ideals listed, the 2022 Commission of Inquiry Report would have been 20 pages long with 5 recommendations and not a 100+ page attack. The democratic institutions we brag about are under threat because we were living below our potential because I feel 90% of the corrective actions required for better governance was not breaking news to many of us. And while I understand where the public distrust in the political system is coming from, neither politics, nor parties are the problem. Poor choices are a crucial factor, and we can dance around it but until we take responsibility for the mistakes, we will not learn to make wiser decisions that will accomplish our desired goals. If we genuinely want more responsibility for our destiny, it must be done with humility. Corruption or breaking of the rules is not a power problem, it about a lack of character/values, and honesty, integrity, mutual respect, and self-reliance, which are needed from top to bottom in our society to change our outlook on what is possible.
It is time for us to shift our mindsets from “What my country does for me?” (entitlement) to “What can I do for my country?” (service). We must do some serious soul-searching and answer (not talk shop) the question “Where do we want to be in 25 years?” Once we answer honestly, then we are ready to do the work to build in stages on the foundation that our ancestors laid after emancipation 189 years ago. It is time for us to renew our minds, lose the remaining colonial shackles and educate ourselves on what constitutional advancement means for our day to day lives. Will it make us better or worse off? Please note that in the 21st century, the current system is not a true democracy with government of the people, by the people, and for the people when an unelected official must assent to or approve every law. Or worse, can take away what level of self-governance you do have.
I stand by my recommendation during the constitutional review consultations that we need to establish a Decolonization Commission that will do the work of public awareness and education campaign to be able to make an informed decision. The Commission will do the research and analysis of the pros and cons of the decolonization options so that we get to the place where we can have healthy debate about our future. Time will not stop while we figure this out, so we must prepare and be ready than be caught off guard and fail. Alongside this process, the Ministry of Education can start to include civics and VI History in primary and secondary levels’ Social Studies curriculum. I for one would have rather learnt about Theodolph Faulkner than Christopher Columbus in Class 2 because it was not until I was in my thirties, I came to appreciate who we are as a people. We have a story, and it must be told! Public awareness and education are also a part in building our national identity by being intentional about developing responsible citizens who know their heritage and history and understand their role in good governance and safeguarding it for future generations.
The preparation process must include reform and continuous improvement to our legislative systems, public service systems and judicial systems and not one-off programs and initiatives. We must develop a new attitude that says as “good” as we think we are, we can do better. There is no way to have good governance without these systems working efficiently and doing the right things to get the right results. As a society, it is time for us to take responsibility for what we are responsible for and make the hard but necessary decisions to progress the country we say we all love so.
The public and private sectors should unite to develop a 10-year economic development strategy that nurtures the development of businesses and secures people’s ability to provide for their families in an uncertain world. Economic independence is more important than political independence. Being a business owner should not feel like the American Ninja Warrior game, when small businesses are the backbone of the economy. These are the people providing goods, services, and employment. Growing businesses equals to a growing economy which means that the government’s tax revenue base increases. When governments have more revenue, it can in turn build and maintain the high-quality education, health, social services, and the physical infrastructure we need to support our daily lives. So, my friends, we all have a role to play and when we are responsible in the “small things,” then we can manage bigger ones. Let us continue the change in our mindsets and conversation for a better Virgin Islands!