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Fellow St. Lucians……Scenes of human suffering, beamed from around the world
into our homes via television and the Internet, serve to highlight the good
fortune of our celebrating here in St. Lucia a relatively peaceful and
prosperous festive season.
Many of us may not have all what we yearn, but when we look around the world, we
should reflect upon the fact that there are not many places more ideally suited
to live, work and raise our families than in this Caribbean region in general
and beautiful St. Lucia in particular.
It is for this reason that I am especially proud and honored to bring you
greetings on this very special occasion. I like the atmosphere I feel as I move
around the country. Families are working together to make each member happy.
Community groups are pooling resources and reaching out to the less fortunate
and generally the true spirit of Christmas if finally beginning to take root and
precedence over strict commercialism.
I have had the good fortune this year of attending several Christmas programmes
hosted by the children of St. Lucia. It is remarkable the young talent we have
in this country. I urge everyone to spare a moment this Christmas and attend
some of the many church and community functions being hosted around the country
to highlight the reason for the season.
I extend holiday greetings to my family, friends and well-wishers, especially to
you, the residents of Castries South East. This has been a challenging year, but
I think we have made remarkable progress in enhancing the living conditions of
our people. I am heartened by the spirit of community that has been fostered and
which is in evidence around the constituency.
I am also grateful to the staff of the Ministry of Social Transformation,
Culture and Local Government and the associate Boards and organizations
including the Board and Staff of the National Conservation Authority, Poverty
Reduction Fund, Basic Needs Trust Fund, BelFund, Cultural Development
Foundation, Castries City Council and Town and Village Councils, for making the
year 2003 another productive period in which we reached out to and touched the
lives of St. Lucians, in a positive way.
Fellow St. Lucians, Christmas 2003 should be about our giving thanks to Almighty
God for maintaining relative peace, good health and prosperity in our country.
Christmas 2003 is about our looking around our Caribbean and the wider world and
appreciating how fortunate we are. It is about our preparing ourselves for the
new and dynamic challenges that lie ahead.
Christmas is a time for children to feel particularly special. I truly wish that
there may be cheer and a smile on the face of every boy and girl.
I wish each and every one of you a Blessed Christmas and a productive and
prosperous 2004.
May God Bless you all. I thank you.
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