CHOISEUL, DON’T JUST GIVE US ANOTHER FETE. GIVE US SOMETHING WE CAN OWN.

That “Something Big” poster has people guessing. Choiseul on the Move wants to put another idea on the table.

By Choiseul on the Move

That poster has certainly done its job.

“Something big is coming to Choiseul this Thanksgiving Weekend.”

Since it started making the rounds on Facebook, everybody has become an investigator.

Carnival?

J’ouvert?

Blotje en Chwazey?

A pageant?

A big dance?

The comments are coming, and that is good. It tells us people are interested. People want something happening in Choiseul.

But Choiseul on the Move wants to throw something different into the pot.

What about a Gospel Music Festival?

And before somebody quickly says, “Gospel? That boring,” hear me out.

I am not talking about putting four singers on a stage, singing a few church songs, saying thank you very much and everybody goes home.

No.

I am talking about something BIG.

A proper Choiseul Thanksgiving Gospel Festival and Song Competition with serious prizes, live bands, choirs, solo artistes, young people, original songs, Kwéyòl gospel music, food, craft and eventually a major Saint Lucian or regional gospel artiste closing the show.

Something people will mark on their calendar every year.

Something people from Vieux Fort, Laborie, Soufrière, Castries and Gros Islet will drive to Choiseul to see.

Something Choiseul can call ours.

Before We Run Behind Another Carnival, Remember Our History

One thing I have learnt over the years is that sometimes we forget too quickly.

Choiseul has been producing cultural activities around September and October for a very long time.

And when you go digging into the history, you realise that the Thanksgiving weekend itself has significance.

Back in 2013, organisers of Blotje en Chwazey deliberately placed the climax of the festival around the October Thanksgiving weekend.

Why?

Because they wanted Choiseul to have its own space.

Not Jazz.

Not national Carnival.

Something Choiseul could develop.

That year's programme included a music festival, Miss Choiseul Pageant, arts and agriculture activities, J’ouvert and other cultural events.

The people organising it at the time even made the point that they did not want Blotje en Chwazey to simply become another Carnival.

Think about that.

Thirteen years later, here we are again talking about Thanksgiving weekend.

And once again we have an opportunity to decide what Choiseul wants to be known for.

We Already Know How To Fete

Nobody has to teach Saint Lucians how to fete.

We have Carnival.

We have J’ouvert.

We have Dennery Segment.

We have soca events.

We have fetes almost every weekend somewhere on the island.

Put music, rum and a DJ together and Saint Lucians will find the place.

Nothing wrong with that.

But must every community event eventually become the same thing?

Bass. Bar. Soca. Jump-up. Go home.

Then next year we start over.

Choiseul should be thinking bigger than simply putting another fete onto Saint Lucia's already crowded entertainment calendar.

If this mystery event turns out to be Carnival or J’ouvert, I wish the organisers every success.

But I also want us to start discussing what Choiseul can create that has a real identity.

Something another community might look at five years from now and say:

“We need something like what Choiseul has.”

That is when you know you have created something.

Why Gospel? Why Thanksgiving?

To me the answer is staring us right in the face.

It is Thanksgiving.

A time associated with gratitude.

Family.

Reflection.

Faith.

Community.

Giving thanks for life itself.

So why would Gospel Music be strange?

In fact, Saint Lucia has already included gospel events in Creole Heritage Month activities before. A Kwéyòl Gospel Fiesta was held as part of the national October cultural programme years ago.

So this is not some foreign concept being pulled out of a hat.

The foundation is already there.

And Choiseul has churches everywhere.

Catholic.

Seventh-day Adventist.

Pentecostal.

Evangelical.

Baptist.

Church of God.

And others.

Those churches contain singers.

Musicians.

Choirs.

Keyboard players.

Drummers.

Songwriters.

Young people with tremendous talent who hardly ever get a serious stage outside their church.

Why can't Choiseul create that stage?

And Please, Make It A Competition

This is where I would really like the organisers to shake things up.

Don't just invite singers.

Create competition.

Give people something to work towards.

Imagine this.

Choiseul Thanksgiving Gospel Festival

Best Gospel Soloist

Best Gospel Group

Best Church Choir

Best Youth Gospel Performer

Best Original Gospel Song

And here's the one I would really love:

BEST ORIGINAL KWÉYÒL GOSPEL SONG

Now tell me that would not be something.

Choiseul could challenge Saint Lucian musicians to WRITE.

Not just sing somebody else's song.

Write something new.

Write about faith.

Write about life.

Write about struggle.

Write about the communities we live in.

Write about Saint Lucia.

Write it in Kwéyòl.

Imagine those songs being recorded afterwards.

Imagine Kool Vybz and other stations playing them.

Imagine them going onto YouTube, Spotify and other platforms.

Suddenly a one-night festival has created new Saint Lucian music.

That is culture.

Put A Real Prize Behind It

And please don't ask people to rehearse for two months for a trophy and $200.

If we are calling it something big, make it big.

Go after corporate Saint Lucia.

Banks.

Credit unions.

Telecommunications companies.

Construction companies.

Supermarkets.

Insurance companies.

The Tourism Authority.

Ministry of Culture.

Private sponsors.

Put together a meaningful purse.

What if the winning original song received $10,000?

Now people start writing.

What if Best Choir carried $5,000?

What if a youth category gave a scholarship or musical equipment?

Now parents become interested.

Churches become interested.

Music teachers become interested.

Young people start rehearsing.

And the standard rises every year.

But Don't Stop At The Stage

This is Choiseul.

We have something many places would love to have.

Craft.

For generations Choiseul has been recognised as one of Saint Lucia's great centres of traditional craft.

Basketry.

Pottery.

Woodwork.

Coconut products.

Traditional foods.

Agriculture.

So make the festival bigger than music.

During the day, give our craftspeople tents.

Give farmers space.

Let local cooks sell food.

Let small businesses display their products.

Let young entrepreneurs participate.

Then as evening approaches, the Gospel Festival begins.

Now the money is not only going to the promoter.

The vendor earns.

The farmer earns.

The craft producer earns.

The taxi driver earns.

The shop earns.

The guest house earns.

Choiseul earns.

That is how festivals begin to make economic sense.

And The Young People Must Be Right In The Middle

Choiseul has been investing again in music.

We have seen renewed interest through programmes involving young musicians and the Choiseul Community Symphony.

Our Jazz Fiesta has also shown what can happen when local talent is placed alongside established performers.

So why not build another platform around that?

A 14-year-old singer from Saltibus should be able to dream of standing on that Thanksgiving stage.

A little choir from Roblot should be able to compete.

A young keyboard player from La Fargue should have somewhere to demonstrate what he has been practising.

A songwriter sitting at home in Mongouge should have a reason to finish that song.

That is what community development looks like too.

Not everything for young people has to involve a football or cricket.

And Yes, Christmas Is Another Opportunity

If Thanksgiving is already committed to something else, then let us look at Christmas.

But again, don't simply call it a Christmas concert.

Give it character.

Imagine a Choiseul Christmas Music Festival built around original Saint Lucian Christmas songs.

Kwéyòl Christmas music.

Gospel.

Séwénal.

Choirs.

Traditional instruments.

Young performers.

A songwriting competition.

Now we would be producing music that could live for generations.

Because let us admit something.

Every Christmas we hear many of the same foreign Christmas songs.

Beautiful songs, yes.

But where are the new Saint Lucian Christmas classics?

Why couldn't some of them come from Choiseul?

This Is The Conversation I Want The Poster To Start

Choiseul on the Move does not know what is behind the “Something Big” poster.

Maybe the organisers already have something wonderful planned.

I hope so.

And I congratulate them for creating interest without even announcing the event.

That alone is good marketing.

But while everybody is guessing, I want us to use the opportunity to think beyond one weekend.

What does Choiseul want to own?

Because successful communities eventually create signature events.

Soufrière has things associated with Soufrière.

Gros Islet has things associated with Gros Islet.

Dennery has built a musical identity recognised far beyond Dennery.

Choiseul has history.

Choiseul has culture.

Choiseul has musicians.

Choiseul has craft.

Choiseul has food.

Choiseul has churches.

Choiseul has young talent.

Choiseul has locations.

And most importantly, Choiseul has people.

What we need is an idea big enough to pull those things together.

So Here Is The Challenge

Whatever is coming this Thanksgiving weekend, let it be successful.

But going forward, I am throwing this one directly onto the table for the Choiseul/Saltibus Village Council, Choiseul Events, cultural organisations, churches, musicians, businesses, sponsors and our Parliamentary Representative:

LET CHOISEUL BUILD A THANKSGIVING GOSPEL FESTIVAL.

Make it competitive.

Make it national.

Make Kwéyòl part of it.

Give serious prizes.

Bring in a major gospel artiste.

Give our young people a stage.

Give our vendors business.

Give our craftspeople exposure.

Give our musicians something to create.

And build it year after year until when somebody anywhere in Saint Lucia hears the words “Thanksgiving weekend,” one of the first things that comes to mind is:

CHOISEUL.

We don't always have to copy what is already happening somewhere else.

Sometimes we have to be brave enough to start something.

Something big.

And maybe the biggest thing Choiseul can do is not simply organise another event.

Maybe it is time for Choiseul to create a tradition.

 

WHY DID “INTIMIDATED” ENTER THE CONVERSATION?

There was a lot to welcome at the recent swearing-in of the Choiseul-Saltibus Constituency Council.

Young people were encouraged to lead.

The new council was told to listen to the people.

There was talk about revitalising the district, working together and giving the council enough space to develop its own identity.

All of that sounds good.

But one statement from the parliamentary representative stood out to us at Choiseul on the Move.

He said:

“I’m not intimidated when we have people that are talented and are making their presence felt on the global stage.”

Now let us be fair.

The MP may simply have been saying that he welcomes talented young people and does not see their success as a political threat.

That is a perfectly reasonable interpretation.

But still, we have to ask:

Why did the word “intimidated” enter the conversation at all?

Nobody had accused anyone of being intimidated.

Nobody had publicly suggested that talented young leaders were a threat.

So when a political leader introduces that word himself, people are naturally going to wonder what concern he was responding to.

And that is where this becomes bigger than one sentence.

IS A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERSHIP EMERGING?

 Remarks by Parliamentary Rep

The Choiseul-Saltibus Constituency Council now includes younger people who are being encouraged to take on serious public responsibility.

That should be welcomed.                

For years we have heard politicians speak about youth empowerment.

Well, youth empowerment cannot only mean singing at rallies, waving flags, sitting in audiences and taking photographs.

At some point young people must be allowed to lead.

They must be allowed to make decisions.

They must be allowed to build their own public record.

And yes, some of them may eventually become more popular, more visible or even more politically ambitious.

That is part of leadership development.

If every talented young person must remain permanently in somebody else's shadow, then we are not really developing leaders.

We are developing followers.

AUTONOMY SHOULD NOT BE A GIFT

Another statement from the ceremony also deserves some attention.

The MP told councillors:

“I will give you all the autonomy that you can function quite on your own, and to have your own identity.”

Again, the intention may have been positive.

But the wording matters.

Autonomy should not sound like something one politician personally grants to a public body.

A stronger way of putting it would have been:

“I will respect your autonomy.”

There is a difference.

One suggests the council has its own institutional space.

The other can sound as though that space exists because the MP allows it.

That distinction may appear small, but it becomes important when the council eventually has to take positions, raise difficult issues or advocate for communities.

Will councillors feel free to speak when they disagree?

Will the council be able to develop priorities that are not necessarily the same as those of the constituency office?

Will it have its own voice?

Or will autonomy last only as long as everybody agrees?

Those are questions that can only be answered over time.

“KEEP YOUR BUSINESS WITHIN EACH OTHER”

The MP also advised councillors not to discuss internal matters outside the team.

There is wisdom in that.

Every organisation needs discipline.

Not every disagreement needs to become a Facebook fight.

Not every internal discussion belongs in public.

But this is also a public council.

There must be a clear distinction between private disagreement and public accountability.

Residents have a right to know what their council is doing.

They have a right to know what projects are being considered.

They have a right to know what decisions are being taken.

They have a right to question how priorities are being set.

So yes, councillors should work through personal differences internally.

But “keep your business within each other” must never become an excuse for secrecy.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

The real issue here is not whether the MP is personally intimidated by anyone.

Choiseul on the Move cannot know that, and we will not pretend that we do.

The bigger issue is this:

Are we genuinely creating space for a new generation of Choiseul leadership to grow independently?

Because if we are, then those young leaders must eventually be allowed to develop their own identities, their own ideas and their own public standing.

That should not frighten anybody.

Strong leaders do not need weak people around them.

Strong communities do not depend on one individual.

And strong political movements should be able to produce new leaders without immediately treating their growth as rivalry.

WE WILL WATCH WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The new council has been promised space.

It has been promised autonomy.

It has been encouraged to work together.

It has been challenged to help restore Choiseul-Saltibus as a beacon of the south.

Good.

Now let us see what happens when that autonomy is actually tested.

Let us see what happens when councillors raise difficult issues.

Let us see what happens when young leaders develop their own following.

Let us see whether differing opinions are welcomed.

And let us see whether the council truly develops an identity of its own.

Because statements made at swearing-in ceremonies are easy.

The real test comes later.

And perhaps that is why one small phrase from the ceremony deserves to remain on the public record:

“I’m not intimidated.”

Choiseul on the Move is not accusing anyone of anything.

We are simply asking the question that naturally follows:

Why did intimidation need to be mentioned in the first place?

 

JULIEN WON AGAIN. SAINT LUCIA'S FLAG LOST AGAIN. WHEN WILL WE GET THIS RIGHT?

There are some things a country should not have to keep explaining.

What its national flag looks like is one of them.

On Friday night in Brussels, Julien Alfred once again gave Saint Lucians every reason to stand tall. She stormed to victory in the women's 200 metres at the Wanda Diamond League Final in 21.79 seconds, winning her third consecutive Diamond League title.

Another international stage. Another Saint Lucian victory.

And then came something that should make those responsible for protecting and properly representing our national symbols uncomfortable.

As Julien celebrated, the Saint Lucia flag handed to her appeared in the wrong shade of blue.

Not our distinctive cerulean blue.

And before somebody dismisses this as people making noise over "just a colour", Choiseul on the Move decided to look into the history of this issue.

What we found makes the situation even more embarrassing.

THIS PROBLEM DID NOT START IN BRUSSELS

The Government of Saint Lucia itself is very clear about the colour of our flag.

The official government description identifies the background as cerulean blue. That colour has meaning. According to the Government, it represents fidelity and reflects our tropical sky and the waters of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

This is therefore not a matter of somebody preferring light blue over dark blue.

There is an official flag.

There are official proportions.

There are official colours.

There is even an official code of etiquette governing how that flag should be treated and displayed. The Government's own guidance says the flag should be of "regulation appearance."

So how difficult can it be to get this right?

Apparently, very difficult.

Because we found evidence that the Government was trying to deal with incorrect representations of the Saint Lucia flag more than 20 years ago.

In October 2003, a Government Information Service publication addressed concerns about the various representations of the National Flag appearing on souvenirs and memorabilia.

The Government specified the official colours, including Cerulean Blue, Process Cyan 100%, along with light chrome yellow, black and white. It also published the correct dimensions for pole flags, hand flags, desk flags and casket flags.

Think about that for a moment.

2003.

The authorities knew there was a problem.

The authorities published specifications to correct the problem.

And here we are in 2026, still looking at questionable versions of our flag on the international stage.

That is 23 years later.

THE WARNING CAME AGAIN

In 2015, engineer John Peters wrote publicly about the problem in an article appropriately titled "After 36 Years – Time To Get It Right!"

He pointed directly to the prevalence of flags being produced with incorrect colours and geometry and referred to the Government's earlier attempt at standardisation.

So this was no secret.

People were seeing it.

People were writing about it.

Government knew about it.

Yet the problem continued.

THEN CAME MISS UNIVERSE

Fast-forward to 2024.

Saint Lucia's Miss Universe representative Skye Faucher appeared in a national costume honouring Julien Alfred.

It was a beautiful idea.

But what became part of the public discussion?

The colour representing the Saint Lucia flag.

Media reports at the time recorded criticism from Saint Lucians who questioned the dark blue used in the costume and asked who had approved it for an international appearance.

There again was the same issue.

The shade of blue.

The representation of our national flag.

The question of who approves what is presented internationally as Saint Lucian.

And now in 2026, Julien Alfred wins one of the biggest athletics competitions in the world and we are having the discussion AGAIN.

HOW MANY TIMES MUST THIS HAPPEN?

At some point we have to stop calling these things mistakes.

A mistake happens once.

When an issue has been publicly identified for more than two decades and keeps resurfacing, we are dealing with a failure of systems.

And this is where Choiseul on the Move believes some serious questions must be answered.

Who is the official custodian of the digital master artwork and colour specifications for the Saint Lucia National Flag?

Who provides international sporting organisations with Saint Lucia's official flag artwork?

When Julien Alfred competes at a Diamond League event, World Championship, Olympic Games or any other major international competition, does the Saint Lucia Athletics Association provide the organisers with an approved national flag file?

Does the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee?

Does the Ministry responsible for Sports?

Does the Protocol and Consular Division of the Ministry of External Affairs have any role in ensuring that organisations overseas have the correct national symbols?

Or are we simply trusting somebody overseas to search the internet for "Saint Lucia flag" and use whatever file comes up?

Because if that is what is happening, that needs to stop.

SOMEBODY MUST OWN THIS RESPONSIBILITY

It would be unfair to simply blame the Diamond League without establishing where the incorrect flag originated.

The Brussels organisers may have sourced it themselves. They may have received artwork from another organisation. We do not yet know.

But Saint Lucia cannot keep leaving this to chance.

Our Protocol and Consular Division already exists to manage important elements of Saint Lucia's official international representation and protocol.

Our Saint Lucia Athletics Association is the national body responsible for athletics and regularly speaks about athletes proudly representing Saint Lucia internationally. In 2025, the Association itself said Julien Alfred and Aasia Laurencin were prepared to ensure "Saint Lucia's flag will fly high" at the World Championships.

The Saint Lucia Olympic Committee also works with national federations in sending Saint Lucian athletes to major international competitions.

Somewhere among these institutions there must be a clearly identified responsibility for ensuring that when Saint Lucia appears on the international stage, Saint Lucia actually looks like Saint Lucia.

If that responsibility currently belongs to nobody, then Government needs to assign it to somebody.

JULIEN HAS DONE HER PART

This is perhaps what makes Friday's situation so irritating.

Julien Alfred did not get her part wrong.

She ran 21.79 seconds.

She beat Kayla White of the United States, who finished in 22.00, and Britain's Amy Hunt, who finished third in 22.16.

She became a three-time Diamond League champion.

Julien has carried this tiny country onto sporting stages Saint Lucia could once only dream about.

She has made television commentators say our country's name.

She has caused our anthem to be played before international audiences.

She has wrapped herself proudly in our flag.

She has done her job.

The least we can do is make sure the flag we put into her hands is the right one.

THIS IS BIGGER THAN JULIEN

National symbols matter precisely because they belong to all of us.

That cerulean blue, gold, black and white flag represents almost 180,000 Saint Lucians at home and thousands more around the world.

It represents the children watching Julien and dreaming that one day they too might stand on an international podium.

It represents those who came before us.

It represents a country.

We would not accept another country's anthem being played for Julien.

We would not accept "almost the Saint Lucia anthem."

So why should we accept "almost the Saint Lucia flag"?

23 YEARS OF KNOWING IS ENOUGH

The Government was talking publicly about incorrect representations of our flag in 2003.

John Peters was calling attention to the problem in 2015.

Saint Lucians were questioning the representation again during Miss Universe in 2024.

Now we are talking about it following Julien Alfred's Diamond League triumph in 2026.

How much longer do we need?

Choiseul on the Move is therefore calling for something very simple.

The Government of Saint Lucia should establish and publicly distribute one authoritative digital National Flag Standards Package containing the approved colours, colour codes, dimensions, proportions and high-resolution vector artwork.

That package should be automatically supplied to the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee, every national sporting association, overseas missions, international sporting bodies hosting Saint Lucian athletes, tourism offices, schools, government agencies, manufacturers and media organisations.

And somebody must be formally responsible for maintaining it.

No guessing.

No random Google images.

No "close enough" blue.

No excuses.

Julien Alfred is carrying Saint Lucia to places we have never been before.

When she wins and reaches for the Saint Lucia flag, there should never again be any question about whether the flag placed in her hands is actually the flag of the country she just represented.

Our champion got it right in Brussels.

It is time for those responsible for our national representation to get it right too.

Choiseul on the Move

The flag is not decoration. It is our identity.

 

CHOISEUL WOMEN ARE CHAMPIONS: A Performance Our Constituency Should Be Proud Of

There are times when we have to call out what is wrong in Choiseul. There are times when we have to ask the hard questions, demand better and hold people accountable.

But there are also times when we must stop, look around and say: well done.

Today is one of those days.

Our Choiseul women have given this constituency something to celebrate after winning the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association Women’s T20 Tournament at the La Fargue Playing Field.

And they did it in style.

Choiseul defeated neighbours Laborie by seven wickets, chasing down 100 runs in just 10.4 overs after restricting Laborie to 99 all out in 19.1 overs.

At the centre of it all was Alyiah Alfred, who produced the kind of all-round performance any team would be proud of.

She took 4 wickets for 18 runs from her four overs, with 17 dot balls, then came back with the bat and smashed an unbeaten 56 from just 33 balls, including four sixes and two fours.

That is not just a good performance.

That is a match-winning performance.

But while Alyiah deserves every bit of the praise coming her way, this victory belongs to the entire Choiseul team.

Captain Roylin Cooper picked up two wickets for 19 runs, while veteran Swayline Williams took two wickets for just eight runs.

With the bat, Alicia Herman contributed 12 and Britnee Norbal added 11 as Choiseul made light work of the target.

The victory becomes even more meaningful when we consider the bigger picture.

Women’s domestic cricket in Saint Lucia had been absent for five years.

Five years.

Then the competition returned.

And Choiseul returned as champions.

That alone is worth celebrating.

More Than Just A Cricket Match

Sometimes we look at sport simply as who won and who lost.

But there is much more happening here.

Every woman standing in that Choiseul team photograph represents something important.

Discipline.

Commitment.

Teamwork.

Sacrifice.

And opportunity.

For young girls growing up in Choiseul, Saltibus, La Fargue, Reunion, Roblot, Piaye and the surrounding communities, these women have now provided another example of what is possible.

You can play cricket.

You can represent Choiseul.

You can compete.

And you can win.

We often speak about creating opportunities for our young people, but this is exactly what opportunity looks like when it is supported properly.

Talent needs somewhere to grow.

It needs coaching.

It needs facilities.

It needs competitions.

It needs encouragement.

And sometimes it simply needs people in the community to show up and say: we see you and we are proud of you.

Let Us Give Our Women Their Flowers

Choiseul has always produced sporting talent.

But too often, women’s sporting achievements do not receive the same attention given to the men.

That needs to change.

If a Choiseul football team wins, we celebrate them.

If one of our young men performs well in cricket, athletics or another sport, we recognise him.

Our women deserve that same recognition.

This team did not simply participate in a tournament.

They won it.

And they did so at home, at La Fargue, in front of their own people.

That matters.

The women representing Choiseul should know that their constituency appreciates the work they put in.

They should know that the young girls watching them are taking notice.

And they should know that this victory should not be the end of the story.

So What Comes Next?

This is where the conversation should now move.

How do we build on this?

Can we encourage more young girls to get involved in cricket?

Can local schools develop stronger girls’ cricket programmes?

Can businesses and community organisations support the team with equipment, uniforms, transportation and training?

Can La Fargue continue developing as an important home for women’s cricket in the south?

Can some of these players eventually move on to higher levels of cricket and represent Saint Lucia and the wider region?

Winning the tournament should not simply give us a nice photograph for Facebook.

It should give us something to build on.

Choiseul On The Move Says Congratulations

So today, Choiseul on the Move is not here to complain.

We are not here to criticise.

We are here to say congratulations.

Congratulations to the players.

Congratulations to the captain.

Congratulations to the coaches and support team.

Congratulations to everyone who kept women’s cricket alive and helped bring the competition back.

And special recognition must certainly go to Alyiah Alfred for a tremendous all-round performance when it mattered most.

Choiseul women are champions.

Let that sink in for a little while.

Because with all the challenges our constituency faces, we should never become so consumed by the negatives that we forget to celebrate our own people when they give us a reason to smile.

Well done, ladies.

You represented Choiseul.

You made us proud.

And now the challenge is to make sure this victory becomes the beginning of something even bigger.

Choiseul on the Move salutes our women’s cricket champions.

Match information based on reporting by sports journalist Terry Finisterre in the Saint Lucia Times.

 

AMERICA IS SENDING DEPORTEES TO SAINT LUCIA. WHAT EXACTLY HAVE WE AGREED TO?

There are some issues we cannot just watch pass by because they are happening in Castries and not directly in Choiseul.

This is one of them.

Saint Lucia is preparing to receive its first group of third-country nationals transferred here from the United States under an agreement between our Government and the US Government.

Six persons, five men and one woman, are expected in the first group. We have also been told that Saint Lucia can receive up to 10 persons every three months over the next two years.

Do the maths.

If the programme runs at its maximum, that could amount to as many as 80 persons over the two-year period.

Now before we go any further, there is something we need to get straight.

These people should not automatically be called criminals.

CARICOM has stated that the agreements are intended for the transit of persons without criminal antecedents to their countries of origin, rather than for permanent settlement in Caribbean countries.

That is important.

An immigration violation does not automatically make somebody a murderer, robber, drug dealer or violent criminal.

We have to be fair about that.

But being fair to the people coming here does not mean Saint Lucians must close their eyes, shut their mouths and ask no questions about an arrangement that could have consequences long after the first six persons arrive.

In fact, the more Choiseul on the Move look at this arrangement, the more questions we have.

FIRST QUESTION: WHO EXACTLY ARE WE RECEIVING?

Government says Saint Lucia has the right to accept or reject persons proposed by the United States.

Good.

But how are we checking them?

Are Saint Lucian authorities carrying out their own independent background investigations?

Are international criminal databases being checked?

Are aliases checked?

Are immigration histories checked?

Or are we depending primarily on information handed to us by the United States?

There is a big difference.

If somebody is being removed from America and sent thousands of miles to our little island, I think Saint Lucians have every right to know what level of independent screening takes place before that person gets on the plane.

We don't necessarily need somebody's private medical records or personal information splashed across Facebook.

But we need to know that the system protecting us is solid.

THEN WE HEARD SOMETHING THAT REALLY CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION

Foreign Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste has indicated that these people are not prisoners and will not simply be locked away when they arrive.

Fair enough.

But Government has also spoken about voluntary repatriation and the possibility of supporting those legally able to remain toward integration into Saint Lucian society.

Hold on.

We thought this was a transit arrangement.

CARICOM itself said these agreements were intended to facilitate transit to people's home countries rather than settlement in Caribbean states.

So when did "transit" start including "integration"?

That is where we believe Government owes the country a much clearer explanation.

Because there is a huge difference between somebody spending a few weeks in Saint Lucia while arrangements are made to return him to his country and somebody eventually living and working here.

Those are two completely different things.

AND THIS IS WHERE CHOISEUL/SALTIBUS COMES INTO THE PICTURE

Let us make this clear.

We have found absolutely NO evidence that any of these first six persons are coming to live in Choiseul/Saltibus.

None.

So nobody should leave this article saying Choiseul on the Move reported that American deportees are being placed in Choiseul.

We did not.

But Choiseul/Saltibus is part of Saint Lucia.

And if integration becomes part of this programme, these persons will not necessarily remain in Castries forever.

They could eventually live anywhere.

Choiseul.

Saltibus.

Soufriere.

Laborie.

Vieux Fort.

Gros Islet.

Anywhere.

That is why communities outside Castries should be paying attention to this discussion from NOW.

SUPPOSE SOMEBODY DECIDES TO REMAIN IN SAINT LUCIA?

What happens next?

Can that person work?

Does he receive a work permit?

Can he rent a house wherever he chooses?

Who helps him find accommodation?

Who pays his expenses while he is unemployed?

Does he qualify for healthcare?

What happens if he becomes sick?

What happens if he cannot be returned to his country?

What happens after six months?

One year?

Two years?

Can his family eventually join him?

These are not wild conspiracy theories.

These are ordinary questions that should have ordinary answers when a Government signs an international arrangement involving people being transferred into our country.

AND WHO IS PAYING?

This is another one that interests me.

We have people right here in Choiseul/Saltibus struggling with transportation.

Parents are struggling to send children to school.

People complain about roads.

Young people are looking for work.

Families struggle with the cost of living.

Our police have enough problems already.

Our healthcare system has its own challenges.

So we don't want to hear six months from now that Saint Lucian taxpayers have quietly started picking up expenses associated with an American immigration programme.

The United States is one of the richest countries on earth.

If America needs Saint Lucia to assist with a problem created by American immigration policy, then America should pay the FULL cost of that arrangement.

Accommodation.

Transportation.

Administration.

Healthcare associated with the programme.

Security and screening.

Repatriation.

Everything.

Not 50%.

Not 75%.

Everything.

Our limited resources should remain available to serve the people already living here.

CARICOM itself has said these arrangements should not divert resources and services away from Caribbean citizens.

We should hold everybody to that promise.

BUT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE BOTHERING US

Today it is six.

The limit is ten per quarter.

What happens tomorrow?

This is how Government needs to explain the agreement to us.

Suppose one of the six cannot return home.

What happens?

Suppose two decide they want to remain.

What happens?

Suppose another group arrives three months later while persons from the first group are still here.

What happens?

Suppose after the two-year pilot America wants the programme expanded.

What happens?

Because this is how temporary programmes sometimes become permanent policy.

That doesn't mean it WILL happen.

It means Government should tell us what safeguards exist to prevent it from happening without proper public and parliamentary scrutiny.

LET US ALSO BE CAREFUL HOW WE TREAT THESE PEOPLE

I know emotions will run high on this issue.

But these six people are human beings.

We do not know their names.

We do not know their stories.

And based on the criteria publicly stated by CARICOM, they are supposed to have no criminal antecedents.

Our blog is not prepared to call somebody a criminal simply because America deported him.

Many Saint Lucians have had immigration problems overseas.

Some have overstayed.

Some have been deported.

That did not automatically make every one of them dangerous people.

We should therefore give these individuals the same human dignity we would want afforded to one of our own relatives being returned from overseas.

But compassion must never replace common sense.

And humanity must never replace proper national security.

We can have both.

CHOISEUL/SALTIBUS SHOULD BE ASKING QUESTIONS TOO

Our Parliamentary Representative and other elected officials should be able to tell constituents what this arrangement means.

Not party talk.

Not red versus yellow.

Information.

Has the full agreement been made public?

Exactly what background checks are conducted?

What nationalities are being accepted?

Where will these persons be accommodated?

How long can they remain?

Can they work?

Can they eventually settle permanently?

Can they live anywhere in Saint Lucia?

Who pays for their accommodation and other needs?

What happens if they cannot be returned home?

And most importantly, what protection is there to ensure that an arrangement beginning with six people does not gradually become something Saint Lucians never agreed to?

Those are reasonable questions.

THIS IS OUR COUNTRY

Saint Lucia should cooperate with our international partners.

America is important to us.

Thousands of Saint Lucians live, work, study and have family connections there.

But partnership does not mean we stop asking questions.

Especially when decisions taken at Cabinet level can eventually reach little communities like ours.

That is why Choiseul/Saltibus should not dismiss this as "something happening up north."

We need to follow it.

We need to know who is coming.

We need to know what the agreement allows.

We need to know what America is paying.

We need to know what "integration" really means.

And we need to know where temporary transit ends and permanent settlement begins.

For now, there is no evidence that these first six persons are criminals and no evidence they are being sent to Choiseul/Saltibus.

Let us not manufacture fear where the facts don't support it.

But neither should we allow those two facts to stop us from asking the harder questions.

Because sometimes the biggest problem is not what happens on Day One.

It is what a small decision becomes five years down the road.

Choiseul on the Move will be watching this one closely.

What are your thoughts? Should Government publish the full agreement so Saint Lucians can see exactly what we have signed up for?