Saint Lucia Prime Minister "Counting" on Diaspora
From Bevan Springer
New York Amsterdam News
BROOKLYN, New York (September 30, 2010) - Saint Lucia's citizens abroad are
critically important to the development of the island nation, and its government is not going to
overlook them.
That was the assurance Prime Minister Stephenson King gave to nationals over the weekend when
he addressed them at Brooklyn's Saint Lucia House, where he pledged both political and financial
commitments to working closer with Saint Lucians across the Diaspora.
"Saint Lucia has countless human and natural resources which combine to make it a gem in the
Caribbean, but one of our country's most valuable but often unheralded resources lies abroad -
overseas Saint Lucians," said Prime Minister King. "We always count on them and we should do more
to count them into our tourism and development plans and hopes for the future."
Pledging EC$300,000 (US$111,000) to the development and upkeep of the new Saint Lucia House, Prime
Minister King told a packed audience that he was proud to see nationals of all walks of life under one
roof to counsel and guide each other while preserving Saint Lucia's culture abroad.
Brooklyn Assemblyman Nick Perry also pledged US$100,000 in government funds to assist the house with
capital improvements.
"We are going to build on the success of this summer's homecoming celebrations," said Senator Allen
Chastanet, Saint Lucia's Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation who underscored the commitment of the
Government and the Saint Lucia Tourist Board to working with nationals abroad. "We are committed to a
bigger and better homecoming next year, and efforts are already under way to capitalize on the momentum
that has been created," he added.
The Government of Saint Lucia has committed a great deal of energy and resources into the
reintegration of Saint Lucians living overseas in Saint Lucia. Saint Lucian Homecoming 2010, held this
past summer, gave Saint Lucians a chance to form partnerships with their brothers and sisters who live
overseas.
It was also an opportunity to thank all Saint Lucians, wherever they live overseas or at home, for the
ways in which they have helped make their country a better place. It also encouraged those living overseas
to invest their resources, skills and time in strengthening communities at home and abroad.
Bevan Springer, a New York Amsterdam News columnist who writes frequently on travel and tourism issues
as well as the Caribbean Diaspora, is the President of the New Jersey-headquartered Marketplace
Excellence, Inc. - a full service, integrated marketing agency committed to excellence in the fields of
public relations, marketing and media coaching. He also produces the Caribbean Media Exchange on
Sustainable Tourism - CMEx.
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