26 citizens receive Independence awards amidst calls for non-partisan approach to selecting honorees

Monday, March 1, 2010 – Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the National Awards Committee has once again made his perennial appeal to the public to continue to make recommendations on behalf of deserving citizens. Mr. Mc. Donald Dixon made his appeal during the 2010 Independence Investiture Ceremony, last Sunday.

“The Order continues to struggle for recognition even among its own members who continue to believe that the ranking of the Order of the British Empire are higher and therefore more deserving. Nothing in the Saint Lucian context is farther from the truth. It is our duty as nationals to uplift our nationals in Saint Lucia, for if we do not recognize them, who will?”

Mr. Dixon who is nearing his end of tenure as Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the National Awards Committee, says it is his wish that the Order of Saint Lucia will be freed from all political influences.

“The Order must remain sacrosanct so as to attract the highest level of recognition of our Saint Lucian citizens not only in the OECS or within CARICOM but with the affirmation of the entire world behind it.”

Twenty six Saint Lucians have now been added to the list of honourees of the Order of St. Lucia, with Dr. Winston Paris receiving the highest award –the Saint Lucia cross—for his outstanding contribution in the field of medicine. Dr Paris has won international acclaim for chronic pain management.

Meantime, for the first time applications were received for recommendations to honour groups. However, the chairman of the national awards committee says, as deserving as those recommendations may seem, the Constitution of the Order of Saint Lucia recognizes only individual citizens.

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