Dear People of Montserrat,
H E Excellency Governor Carriere
As 2017 draws to a close I bring you Christmas greetings for my last time as Governor. The end of the year is that nostalgic time for many of us – a chance to take stock of where we are, how far we have come and how much further we need to go. For me, this time of year is particularly significant because it marks not only the end of the year but also the end of my term of office as Governor. As many of you watching and listening to this will know, I will shortly be leaving Montserrat and making my way to my new work in Africa.
In my last two Christmas messages, I focused mainly on what took place in that year – reflecting on events and outlining my hopes for the next year. However, this year I would like to come full circle and again ask the same key questions I asked in my first press conference in September 2015. While it would be impossible to answer these questions completely and to achieve the associated goals in the short time that I have been here, I am proud to say that, by working together with local and international partners, we have certainly put in place some significant building blocks in the foundation of Montserrat’s future.
My first questions were – How can Montserrat turn the corner from recovery to success, on its road to self-sufficiency while respecting the past and embracing the future? How can we better develop the huge potential of the island?
In 2015 Montserrat marked a significant anniversary – 20 years since the start of the volcanic eruption. For many this milestone was a strong signal that could mark a turning point for the island from recovery to sustainability.
We have already seen positive indications of this, including Montserrat receiving an ever growing number of visitors and diaspora each year; especially to take part in our increasingly popular St. Patrick’s Week Festival.
This island has been a tranquil place that charmed the wandering traveller before the volcanic activity; with the return of cruise lines to our waters, it is enchanting people all over again. Since 2015 we have had a film crew making the feature length film Wendy, 1970s Rock Star John Otway recording the first international album here since 1989 and a slew of ‘Visit Montserrat Before You Die’ and similar articles and lists in international and regional fora. This growing international attention is more than matched by vibrant local talent and productions, such as the Montserrat National Youth Choir, the Emerald Community Singers and the Alliouagana Singers, blending the old and the new through their impressive talents. Cork Hill revival festivals and events have reflected a re-awakened interest in the re-development of the area. Indeed, the world – and Montserratians themselves – here and away, are re-discovering this place for more than the volcano, and it is my ardent wish that we are ready to provide for them a unique and positive experience.
The future focus is surely vested in Montserrat‘s young people. It is good to remember that the island’s current young adults were just babies and children 22 years ago during the height of the volcanic eruptions. And there is now a commendable emerging pattern with some of Montserrat’s youth branching off from traditionally established paths and setting up their own businesses. It is these young trailblazers that strengthen my belief that, while re-booting our private sector has been challenging so far, with their innovative and fresh ideas the private sector will be reborn here in the near future.
And there are good strategies and plans for the development of the Island: the Access Strategy, the Tourism Strategy, and now the Economic Growth Strategy. There are plans to develop a breakwater, install a fibre-optic cable, build a new hospital, upgrade our infrastructure, build new housing, and move to sustainable energy including the use if geothermal and solar energy. There are plans, some underway, to kick start the private sector, and improve the way the Government manages its finances and delivers its programmes. Of course these matters are led by the Honourable Premier, who has responsibility as Premier and Minister of Finance for policies related to economic development and financial management. But as Governor I do what I can on the sidelines to promote good governance in these endeavours.
It is my fervent hope that these strategies and plans are well coordinated and come to fruition. Together, they represent the promise of a new beginning for Montserrat. Part if the challenge is, and will continue to be, delivering these changes through capacity, expertise, good management and good governance.
And in all of this, there are new discussions about renewing and better defining the relationship between the Overseas Territories’ governments and the UK Government. At the recent Joint Ministerial Council last month, where all the Overseas Territory governments conferred broadly with the UK Government ministers and officials, there was a strong recognition, stimulated perhaps by Brexit realities and jarred by the stark experience of the extraordinary intensity of this year‘s hurricane season. The world is changing geopolitically and physically and, while there is a need to re-define those relationships, there is also a need to substantially include the concerns and voices of the Overseas Territories.
My second set of questions when I became Governor was: How can Montserrat be made a safer place to live, work and visit? How can we better protect the young and vulnerable from neglect and exploitation?
I am more than pleased to say there have been some real victories in my area of responsibility for Security and Safety on Montserrat. However, there still remain some significant challenges that I know my successor will be taking on with vigour. With the support of the UK Government and the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), significant in-roads have been made into resolving major issues concerning our safety and security agencies.
Her Majesty’s Prison has long been the least populated prison in the region – a testament to our low crime rate. However, if we are to attain a true level of excellence with our prison, further improvements are needed. We have been tackling these since 2015 with a thorough review of the structure of the building as well as the management structure and capacity, rules, policies and procedures. I am particularly pleased that the prison is now more accessible for prisoners with mobility problems; that the prison philosophy and practice is now increasingly focused on rehabilitation; and that we have taken the first steps towards establishing a facility to keep safe those non-criminal individuals with mental challenges who -for want of such facilities – have been assigned to the prison..
We still have some way to go but I feel secure in stating we have made a good start.
The Royal Montserrat Police Service continues to grow from strength to strength – in fact they are still celebrating their 50th anniversary! Many of you will remember all the community activities they have held this year; most recently their exciting cricket tournament! They continue to recruit and train up their officers to deal with an ever changing world of crime but I am particularly pleased to have supported efforts to strengthen capacity in the area of child safeguarding in the RMPS. Much of this was funded through the CSSF.
My office has also been at the forefront of acquiring a major asset that will go a long way towards making Montserrat a safer place to live and work; the new Police Vessel that will be arriving in the first part of 2018. The contract has been signed, the vessel has been built, the Marine Unit has been hard at work training to manage and maintain it. I would like to thank everyone who has been working hard on making this a reality. While I am disappointed I will not be here to see the vessel finally arrive, I know that Montserrat and our regional neighbours will be more than satisfied with it.
One of the safety and security areas I was most keen to tackle was ensuring that children and the vulnerable are protected. I am pleased that in the time that I have been Governor the Child Safeguarding Unit has been established. This comes with greater support to the Social Services department with new and experienced staff and greater connectivity between services with a multi-agency approach in the form of the now operational Child Safeguarding Board. The government has worked hard to ensure that the Children (Care and Adoption) Bill is in place to support these new changes, and much work has been done to educate the public to be aware of and come out against the sexual exploitation of children.
As with all new things, change takes some time to get used to but, with the success of the Unit and the multi-agency work so far for children and other vulnerable groups, I am confident that protection and services for the vulnerable in our society will continue to strengthen and improve.
This year Montserrat has come through its most active hurricane season in many years. As I have done each year that I have been here, I thank God we were spared again this season with only minor bruising to the infrastructure of the island compared with the more significant damage and loss of life others in the region suffered. This season’s activities have further highlighted the need for us to re-double our efforts to transform our disaster management and preparedness procedures, mechanisms and agencies in order to ensure we are well prepared, resilient and operating in a mode that is fitting for the 21st century realities we face. I know that, after the lessons learned this hurricane season throughout the region and the UK, my successor will be taking a strong interest in ensuring the DMCA is functioning to the best of its ability during his tenure. With the UK’s refocused attention following the devastation caused by the storms, and the slowed development of Montserrat since the volcanic eruption, all territories are focusing on what support and co-operation they can expect to truly “build back better”. With our experience, Montserrat is in a unique position to be a centre for excellence in disaster management and it is my hope for the future and safety of the island that we take advantage of that.
The final main question I asked when I began as Governor here was: How can we better ensure that Montserratians get the quality of service they deserve from the Public Service?
As many of you may know, making Montserrat’s public services effective has been both a responsibility and a passion of mine. I am convinced that the management of human resources is the heartbeat of the public service. I also believe that making that heartbeat strong and true requires focusing on excellence… developing and nurturing it and letting it shine…removing the constraints to excellence, such as systems or methods of management that don’t work or are outdated and liberating that yearning to be excellent that motivates the majority of those who work in government to serve the people of Montserrat.
That is why I am so pleased to have been instrumental in launching the Empowering Excellence programme, and seeing public officers themselves, along with the private sector, tackle the big issues that have been holding back the performance of public officers and the delivery of excellent services. I believe that this programme, now coming to the end of its first year, will not only make systems and procedural changes, but embed in public officers themselves, and the Ministers they work with, values and a cultural drive towards excellence and empowerment. And that it will create a lasting platform for co-operation and dialogue among the public and private sectors and all Montserratians.
Improving the public service is an ongoing task. It cannot be achieved by one mechanism, one study, one change. It is a continuous enterprise that requires the ownership and dedication of both the public and private sector to actually transform the service to become a service that works in the interests of Montserratians and achieving Montserrat‘s development and economic goals.
Will this happen overnight? We know that is not how transformation works. It will be a long, fundamental, embedded series of changes that have already begun. And I believe it will work because it is a Montserratian designed and driven movement for change.
Thanks
My time on Montserrat as Governor has been an extraordinary for me – professionally, personally and spiritually. I have immersed myself fully in my dedication to do my best for Montserrat and its people. In doing so, I have met so many of you, spoken with you, worked with you, prayed with you and, yes, even argued with you! All of you have added a dab of colour to the tapestry of life I call my time on Montserrat.
While it will take too long for me to mention every name here, I just want to say a huge thank you for all the hard work you have put in over this time, and the assistance and advice and challenge you have provided to me as Governor. Thank you for working to bring Montserrat to a brighter and better place, year by year. Thank you for the many experiences. And thank you for welcoming me to share this journey with you for this short time.
I want to give special thanks for:
The beautiful hugs from, and the laughter and talent of, Montserrat‘s children – that I will always remember and treasure.
My colleagues in Cabinet who together have worked so hard to ensure that government makes good decisions and does its business well.
Friends who have loved me and given their support no matter what.
Church goers, church officials and spiritual friends who have prayed for me, and allowed me to pray and praise with them.
The wonderful people I work with in the Governor’s office and the residence.
The Deputy Governor is the Governor’s closest working colleague in her duty of leading the public sector. I would like to thank past and present Deputy Governors for their work in this area – and particularly the present Acting Deputy Governor who has consistently shown professionalism along with patience, humanity and good humour.
Special people (you know who you are!) who have offered their wisdom, their advice and their support – and an occasional orchid.
The untiring members of the Cabinet Committee for Empowering Excellence (CCEE), the manager of the EEP, Cheverlyn Kirnon-Williams, and the stellar members of the Public Sector task Force (PSTF) and the Private Sector Advisory Committee (PSAC), who are devoted and determined to transform the public sector into a place where excellence is empowered and shines
The Royal Montserrat Police Service, the Royal Montserrat Defence Force, the Disaster Management Co-ordination Agency (DMCA), the nurses, emergency workers, the public works crews , and Montserrat Utilities Limited, volunteers and other first responders, the Red Cross, and the private sector who all pitched in and ensured our safety before, during and after the passing of the storms. Too many to mention.
And a special thank you to the media and members of the press corps for diligent reporting and probing of current affairs; and special thanks to ZJB our mainstay media, waking us up early, and keeping us informed, amused entertained and connected all day long.
And a very special thanks to the cultural promoters and creative people of Montserrat – writers, Calypsonians, musicians of all kinds, artists, and those who support and promote them. When it comes to talent everybody knows, Montserrat punches above its weight!
I could go on, but I‘ll stop there in the interests of time. I do hope, in my last few remaining days on the island, I will have the opportunity to thank many of you in person.
And so, in closing, I want to once again extend my love and warmth for all the people of Montserrat. Have a very merry and blessed Christmas Season, and a bright and prosperous New Year.
And may God bless Montserrat!
