Asot Michael

The importance of tourism in Antigua and Barbuda’s economy is objectively undeniable. The tourism sector accounts for more than 60 percent of the islands’ GDP and employs a large portion of the population. So it’s no surprise that Antigua and Barbuda’s government, particularly Prime Minister Gaston Browne, is eager to reinvigorate the flagging industry after it was decimated by lockdowns enacted to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, MP Asot Michael has been striking a more cautionary-albeit still optimistic tone. Both during his remarks in the debate over the 2021 Budget Statement and through his recent actions to prioritize the long-term safety and prosperity of his constituents through a variety of initiatives in St. Peters and beyond, Michael has advocated for a more sustainable approach to rebuilding Antigua and Barbuda.

A Shift in Priorities

It was only five years ago in 2016 that Asot Michael was named Caribbean Minister of the Year by the Caribbean Journal. His leadership in tourism led to unprecedented growth in tourism to Antigua and Barbuda, particularly from the United States. This resulted in prosperity for Antigua and Barbuda through tax revenues and job opportunities for residents.

However, with the turmoil of the past year, the few years since Michael served as Minister of Tourism may feel more like fifty for Antigua and Barbuda. In short, the situation has changed, and while Asot Michael has expressed strong support for Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s ambitious plans to help stimulate tourism’s recovery, he also realizes the need for a shift. In his speech to parliament, Michael put it plainly:

“Our battle with Covid 19 brought us face to face with the extent to which materialism has encouraged a lack of appreciation for the value of healthy food, clean water, comfortable clothes, and proper shelter.”

Asot Michael Striking a Balance Between Needs of Locals and Tourists

The tourism industry and the people of Antigua and Barbuda rely on each other. There’s no denying tourism’s role as a massive job creator and income producer for an island that isn’t necessarily rich with natural resources. Asot Michael misses neither of these points in eagerness to serve his constituency.

Built into all of his policy ideas, Michael reflects a deep understanding of the reality that his constituents face on a day-to-day basis. That much is reflected in two of Michael’s policy initiatives, which he previewed in his speech to Parliament.

First among those initiatives is Michael’s push for increased capacity for agricultural production and growing the manufacturing sector. While tourism to Antigua and Barbuda recovers, Michael believes that placing more emphasis and resources on diversifying the economy into agriculture and manufacturing will enable the country to retain its place as a tourist destination while also serving the long-term economic interests of the local population.

Three cases in point of the viability of Asot Michael’s proposal are the $20 million Agro-Industrial Park, the $20 million Carib Beer plan, and the $5 million brewery project at Antigua Distillery.

The Agro-Industrial park project is finalizing financing arrangements for the development of a vegetable farm, feed production, slaughterhouse, broiler farm, and training center. The other two projects, while delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, are slated to create manufacturing and construction jobs and increase Antigua and Barbuda’s level of manufacturing exports in the current year and beyond.

These projects, he said, would bring the manufacturing jobs and foreign exchange earnings that would help Antigua and Barbuda diversify away from an overwhelming dependence on the tourism industry.

Asot Michael Empowering the People, Honoring the Culture

As any country develops, education becomes one of the key levers by which that country can either grow and flourish or stagnate and decline. Antigua and Barbuda is no exception, and Asot Michael is showing his keen understanding of this with ongoing projects to improve Pares Primary and Parham Primary, two primary schools in the Saint Peters region of Antigua.

These projects have taken a comprehensive approach to rehabilitate two schools that have gradually declined over the past two decades.

In addition to these projects, all of which are well underway, Michael has been pushing for his fellow MPs to turn their attention to Parham, the largest town in St. Peters, which Michael believes can become both a major tourist attraction and a cultural hub. In fact, almost twenty years ago, the Lester Bird administration laid down plans to refurbish and modernize Parham. The plans included refurbishment of historical buildings like the St. Peter’s Anglican Church as well as the development of a modern waterfront, complete with marinas, and duty-free shopping facilities. By pushing to revive these plans, Michael is helping facilitate projects that attract tourists while simultaneously honoring the culture of Antigua and Barbuda.

Long-Term, Equitable, and Sustainable Growth for Antigua & Barbuda

It’s all too common, even expected, for politicians to do and say the things they believe will get them re-elected, rather than serve for the greater good of the people. So it’s no surprise that many politicians would prioritize tourism in Antigua and Barbuda to the detriment of longer-term goals. After all, the more swiftly tourism can recover, the more quickly many Antiguans and Barbudans can get back to work. Still, speed at the expense of sustainability is not a choice that an island nation can afford to make. The tougher, but ultimately more beneficial choice is to lay the groundwork for a recovery that’s not just fast, but lasting, and equitable.

Asot Michael’s efforts strike this fine balance, and they’re backed by the predictions of economists such as Jeremy Stephen who say that a concerted effort to build up infrastructure and tourism simultaneously will help Antigua and Barbuda to fully rebound within two years.

Originally published at https://www.natureworldnews.com on June 10, 2021.

Asot Michael’s COVID Fight Pushed By Antigua and Barbuda Vaccine Drive — ABC Money

In a passionate speech, MP of Antigua and Barbuda, Asot Michael, fought an effort to repeal emergency legislation enabling the government to impose social distancing measures, such as curfews. Even though, as Michael pointed out at the time, Antigua was fortunate to have received many vaccines, he emphasized the importance of continued vigilance.

Today, Antigua and Barbuda are well underway in building on that initial momentum of vaccination, buttressed by the government’s continued vigilance.

Asot Michael Buying Time for Vaccination

As countries throughout the world have learned, the margin for error in the fight against COVID-19 is vanishingly small. Fortunately for the people of Antigua and Barbuda, Asot Michael and most of his fellow MPs had learned this lesson well by the time the last emergency resolution was set to expire. They voted to pass a new resolution to enable the social distancing measures which allowed the vaccination drive to have its effect.

At the time Michael gave his speech in early March, positive cases in Antigua and Barbuda had increased seven times since the beginning of the year and deaths had risen to 28. Since then, when the 7-day average of new cases peaked at 28 per day, it has come down to a more manageable average of one new case per day.

What might have happened had these restrictions not stayed in place is anyone’s guess. However, had the resolution expired on March 31st as it was set to, social distancing measures would have been unenforceable in the month of April, when the seven-day average of new cases in India skyrocketed from around 60,000 per day to over 350,000 per day.

Cautious Optimism for Antigua and Barbuda’s Recovery

In a prescient speech to Antigua and Barbuda Parliament regarding the 2021 budget earlier this year, Asot Michael cautioned against what he considered to be overly optimistic projections. He explained: “The 2021 budget statement looks to the future with confidence undisturbed by the reality of growth restrictions imposed on the global economy by the coronavirus pandemic.”

He followed this by explaining this overconfidence was the only reservation he held. He noted that he supported the overall strategy which included building economic resilience through sustainable growth in construction, tourism, and agriculture.

Unfortunately, the headwinds that Michael warned about did indeed come to fruition. During the spike of COVID-19 cases in the month of February and through March, the United States increased its threat assessment level of Antigua and Barbuda from Level Two to Level Four. This meant, essentially, that the U.S. Center for Disease Control recommended against travel to Antigua and Barbuda. For Antigua and Barbuda, which relies on the United States as one of its largest suppliers of tourists, this presented a significant headwind.

That headwind was made even worse when the United Kingdom, another of the largest sources of tourists, recommended against travel to Antigua and Barbuda.

The good news, however, is that the United Kingdom, United States, and Antigua are all on a fast track to have a significant portion of their population vaccinated. Taken together, each country’s vaccination drives will help raise the tide of tourism that the citizens and residents of Antigua and Barbuda rely so heavily on for economic opportunities.

The Current State of Antigua and Barbuda’s Vaccination Drive

As Asot Michael mentioned, Antigua and Barbuda were very fortunate to have received the vaccines it did. The good news is that fortune has not run out. On May 12th, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Environment announced the official rollout of the second dose administration of the COVID-19 vaccination.

In a televised event, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rhonda Sealy Thomas, St. John’s Medical Center Director, Dr. Albert Duncan, and Principal Nursing Officer Sister Margaret Smith, along with healthcare workers, began the second dose administration process on May 12th.

After healthcare workers are vaccinated with their second dose, members of parliament, including Asot Michael, will receive their second dose.

As the administration of the second dose ramps up, public health officials are asking the public to pay close attention to the dates on their vaccination cards. These dates indicate when and where citizens and residents must return to receive their second dose.

Public health officials say that for two-dose vaccines, such as the AstraZeneca vaccine, it’s important to avoid the temptation to skip the second dose. They say that completing both doses provides the best protection against COVID-19. This is both because the second dose enables recipients to be protected for longer and because it offers better protection against variant strains of the virus.

Asot Michael’s Fight Against Vaccine Hesitancy

The primary challenge Antigua and Barbuda, Asot Michael, and his fellow government officials face now is to educate and encourage the public to get vaccinated. While there have been 31,647 first vaccine doses and 1,598-second doses administered as of May 12th, Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s set a goal for 70 percent of the population to be fully vaccinated. On his weekend radio program, Browne said: “Well I want to say definitively to the people of Antigua and Barbuda that we do not have the luxury of not getting vaccinated and if we do not get the herd immunity perhaps in the next 60 to 90 days there is going to be weeping and gnashing of teeth in this country,”

To reach Browne’s goal, around 70,000 of Antigua and Barbuda’s population of roughly 100,000 must be fully vaccinated. Browne’s rough deadline of 60 to 90 days to reach herd immunity puts pressure on citizens, government officials, and healthcare workers to fully administer roughly 30,000-second doses plus another 40,000 first and second doses. Once that’s done, or even before, it’s likely that countries like the United States and the United Kingdom will lift travel restrictions and allow Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism to help the rest of the economy recover.

Providing for the Health of Antigua and Barbuda

In his speech to Parliament earlier this year, Asot Michael said:

“Our work in the governance of this country must always be in sync with the transformational agenda of the nation Sir Vere Cornwall Bird that empowered our people with better health, better education, better income, land, house… and overall — a better quality of life.”

As vaccination ramps up and light peeks out from the end of the tunnel, Antigua and Barbuda’s government is doing what it can in the fight against Covid19 to ensure it stays true to Michael’s words by providing vaccines and encouraging residents to vaccinate themselves to empower their neighbors with better health, education, income, and overall, a better quality of life.

Originally published at https://www.abcmoney.co.uk on May 26, 2021.

Asot Michael Spotlighting Antigua and Barbuda’s Tax Concession System — Cascade Business News

Asot Michael, the Member of Parliament for the Civil Parish of St. Peter in the House of Representatives for Antigua and Barbuda, is under no delusions about who stands to benefit from tax concessions and who does not. Like their neighbors, Antigua and Barbuda depend predominantly on tourism for their GDP. As such, tax concessions like the ones on the islands are meant to attract developers from abroad. But what of the people of Antigua and Barbuda? Not just Asot Michael’s constituents in St. Peter, but the majority of both islands’ local populations are struggling to make ends meet, the weight of Antigua and Barbuda’s dwindling GDP ratio (16 cents on every dollar as opposed to the ECCU standard of 20 cents on every dollar). In his contribution to the House of Representatives debate over the budget proposed for 2021, he’s seeking to rectify that deficit.

Michael argues emphatically for a fairer system saying, “This massive tax giveaway is by far the most significant area of revenue loss to the central government which government itself facilitates for the benefit of a privileged few while placing the blame for underperforming revenue collection on ordinary citizens and business owners trapped in the struggle to make ends meet.” This was a problem Asot Michael intended to bring to the floor in the 2020 Budget Debate but was subsequently denied. Now, a year later, with a sharp decline in tourism due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, his constituents are even worse for wear, despite their case rates in 2020 being among the best in the Caribbean. Now more than ever, Asot Michael has his sights set on leveling the playing field for his constituents, advocating for a budget that prioritizes local farmers over private entrepreneurial interests, and the needs of his constituents over the wants of developers.

Asot Michael wants Corporations to Pay their Fair Share

In Antigua and Barbuda, there is no personal income tax, no tax on interest earned on savings or dividends, no inheritance tax, no death duties, and no capital gains tax when locals sell the property at a profit. Asot Michael has no problem with this lack of taxes when it comes to his constituents, but real problems start when it comes to the tax concessions offered to “investors in job-creating, profit-making, and business operations”. While it’s important to encourage private investment to stimulate growth on the islands’, Michael considers the concessions an overcorrection, lasting as they do “for periods of time well in excess of what is needed to get these establishments firmly on their feet.” The dearth of taxes being paid, Michael argues, is stymieing Antigua and Barbuda’s ability to maintain public services and upkeep. The concessions funneling “hundreds of millions of dollars from the limited spending power of the government into private wealth creation machines.”

Asot Michael doesn’t mince words about these concessions which he refers to as a “tax giveaway” that supports only the “privileged few”. He criticizes the decision to make the import of construction materials for luxury apartments duty-free as a “concession to those who can already afford to pay.” Most alarmingly, he brings up an anecdote of a beneficiary of these tax concessions creating a 100-acre farming operation that has successfully priced out local competition, crowding out 90 local farming operations from the islands’ supply of fruits and vegetables. Asot Michael urges for a middle ground between taxing development to a halt and not taxing at all. The latter choice places responsibility firmly on those who can barely afford it, the constituents of St Peter and the majority of the population of Antigua and Barbuda, Michael argues, are not being treated fairly compared with all the concessions made to private investors.

Asot Michael advocates for People of Color

Asot Michael knows that if the asymmetrical responsibility for taxes is not dealt with soon, especially in the midst of this global pandemic, class and ethnic tensions will only rise. He sites two key values of the leadership of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party in his debate of the 2021 budget: the value of Entrepreneurial Socialism and the value of Empowerment Capitalism. Labour is unified behind a belief in the free market to inspire growth and innovation, kept in check by a strong central government able to support constituents that through circumstance are harmed by that market. For the concept of “Empowerment Capitalism” to function, there must be room for even the poorest constituents to have financial mobility. When private corporations receive excessive tax holidays to encourage them to start projects on Antigua and Barbuda, it not only robs the central government of funding but robs its citizens of opportunity.

“What about empowerment for the entrepreneurial dreams and capitalist ventures of all indigenous black people and businesses who still happen to be more than 70% of our population?”- Asot Michael asks.

Michael knows that this fight for fewer tax concessions is not just an economic issue, but a human rights issue. There is no more effective way to disempower an ethnic population than to steadily price Antiguans and Barbudans out of their own land. Discussion of these tax concessions was tabled in the 2020 budget debate, but now that COVID has made the economic situation of the islands’ black majority undeniable, Michael knows that changes have to be made soon. When relative normalcy resumes, construction projects are approved, and business as usual resumes in Antigua and Barbuda, PM Gaston Browne and the rest of the house will have every opportunity to continue to ignore these ongoing concerns. What comes next will determine the generational wealth of the people of Antigua and Barbuda for decades to come.

What’s Next?

Asot Michael has read the writing on the wall. The inadequate tax to GDP ratio in Antigua and Barbuda is undeniable. Representatives can either foist the blame for it on their impoverished citizens or come to terms with a system intended to inspire development that is instead causing local farmers and business owners to be prevented from their right to pursue economic prosperity and happiness. Asot Michael contends that the Labour Party of Antigua and Barbuda must focus its efforts on helping those the decades of tax giveaways have hurt the most. He quotes the first Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Sir Vere Cornwall Bird, who championed racial equality just as Michael champions today. “All shall eat. All shall rise,” Michael concludes.

Originally published at https://cascadebusnews.com on April 24, 2021.

Antigua and Barbuda have an estimated population of 96,286, a number that seems significant but in reality, is smaller than some cities. Disparities in living conditions, public works, streets, and sidewalks are strongly felt. In 2017, the island of Barbuda was devastated by Hurricane Irma, whose 295 km/h winds destroyed 95% of the islands’ buildings. Nearly every resident of Barbuda was evacuated to Antigua, and efforts to rebuild are still ongoing. Meanwhile, Parham is often called the “first town” of Antigua and home to the majority of the inhabitants of St. Peter’s Parish is a city that has been in dire need of repair and renovation for decades. All of this is on Asot Michael’s mind when the MP for St. Peter’s closes out his argument in the debate of Antigua and Barbuda’s budget for 2021. Where earlier in his statement, MP Michael critiqued what he felt to be an oversight in tax concessions and a misplaced prioritization of meeting excessive demands of select private sector interests, he now turns his attention to areas most in need of assistance: the island of Barbuda still in shambles after the hurricane and his own parish, the bedrock of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party.

Asot Michael shows Solidarity with Barbuda

Barbuda has never had it easy from its colonial origins as an island where slavery was so commonplace, its inhabitants were exported to other islands and the continental united states to its near-complete architectural eradication in 2017. It was after the unmitigated disaster that was Hurricane Irma that Trevor Myke Walker of the Barbuda People’s Movement was able to regain his position as MP of Barbuda for a third term. His impassioned statement during the 2021 Budgetary Debate struck a chord with Asot Michael, who took the opportunity in his closing remarks to renew the house’s focus, not on hypothetical development of resorts, but the real needs of people brought low by environmental disaster and global pandemic.

Post liberation, the newly freed people of Barbuda were left abandoned on their island for years without aid. This feeling of being abandoned by their neighbors has been an undercurrent of their history and relationship to Antigua, even unified under the banner of one country. Now Trevor Walker fears for the diminishing agency of the island as Prime Minister Gaston Browne announces initiatives for development there. A frequent complaint from the Barbudan council is that PM Browne will not meet with them to discuss the future of their land. Asot Michael takes this complaint to heart and advocates emphatically for their ability to solve any issues between the central government and Barbuda diplomatically. “There are differences of opinion but none of them so serious that they cannot be resolved through diplomacy and negotiation in which both honorable gentlemen are skilled practitioners,” MP Michael argues. The worst-case scenario for the nation would be an escalation in conflict and potential secession.

Asot Michael understands the danger if the relationship between the central government and Barbuda ever deteriorated to that degree. In light of that, he emphasizes solidarity with the island of Barbuda, taking the impassioned speech of its MP to heart. Agency is at the heart of the anxieties surrounding Barbuda. As new development initiatives are executed on the island, Barbudans do not want to feel as though their agency is being stripped away. As new policies concerning land ownership become legal precedent on the island, locals are terrified of being priced out of their homes. Development is inevitable, but Asot Michael believes that if the MP of Barbuda and the Member for St. John’s City West put their differences aside, development can occur in the least harmful way possible for the locals of Barbuda, who have had an especially difficult half-decade.

Asot Michael wants Parham restored to its Former Glory

The MP of St. Peter’s comes from a long line of Labour members and supporters. He frequently credits their work over generations as being integral to the bedrock of the party: “The union of Patrick Michael, Asot Michael, and the Antigua and Barbuda Labour party is no accident. It is a product of the dedication to the politics of Labour in the advancement of Antigua and Barbuda.” Coming from this lineage, his speech displays a keen understanding of the broader narrative of Antigua and Barbuda. So much of what has been built in Gaston Browne’s administration was repaired after “10 years of neglect under the UPP [United Progressive Party].” In that time, his constituency of St. Peter’s suffered under neglect and disrepair. Now, with five years of Labour Majority, not much has changed.

Parham, the largest town in St. Peters and the oldest town, historically, in Antigua has the chance to not only become a major attraction but a cultural hub. Plans were made as far back as Lester Bird’s administration for what MP Michael calls “the complete refurbishment and modernization of Parham,” including the development of a waterfront, marinas, duty-free shopping facilities, arts and crafts, and the refurbishment of historical buildings such as the St. Peter’s Anglican Church. With an emphasis on preservation of local history and culture, this is a use of government funds that does what stimulating private development in the region will not by supporting the local population over foreign developers and eventual tourists.

Closing Statement

Asot Michael’s closing statement is a re-affirmation of core Labour Party values and a staunch defense of his legacy. It’s evident in his disdain for excessive tax giveaways to select corporate interests and his passion for native Barbudans and the people of his constituency, that he cares more for the everyday worker than the wealthy and privileged. In a world of growing ecological instability in which a global pandemic can indefinitely change the nature of global tourism, the old ways, which were shaky, to begin with, will no longer function for Antigua and Barbuda. Michael not only believes in the ability of the Labour Party to adopt but in its ability to see past decades of tension and animosity in order to reach the best possible outcomes. In his final statement, he reasserts his faith, a cornerstone of his politics and a crucial part of his message to a majority Christian population. “I serve a righteous God and his people in this blessed land,” MP Michael concludes, “In that cause, I stand firm for health, wealth, progress, peace, order, justice, a level playing field, and caring, accountable governance for all.”

Asot Michael: Easter Message To A Recovering Antigua & Barbuda — True Activist

Asot Michael, the MP for St. Peter’s in the Antigua and Barbuda House of Representatives, gave an inspirational Easter message last Sunday, over a year after the global COVID-19 pandemic began. The speech served as both a commemoration of the twin-island state’s perseverance and a call to action against social and economic injustice. “We pause to reflect on the challenges facing our beloved nation,” Michael said, calling to mind the severe economic hardships the islands have faced following a major drop-off in tourism brought on by the pandemic, “and renew our faith and hope in the promise of the best Antigua and Barbuda for all its sons and daughters.” For Asot Michael, as in his New Years’ speech, his passions for civil and economic equality are rooted in a commitment to his Christian faith. He encouraged his constituents and the people of Antigua and Barbuda to follow their faith in a similar way and speak truth to power on the anniversary of a “brutal state-sponsored crucifixion.”

A National Introspection

The story of Antigua and Barbuda from its first settlers, to receiving its independence in 1981, to the present pandemic, has been one of constant struggle. Asot Michael is a third-generation ABLP member, his family’s history tied inextricably with the highs and lows of the newly independent nation. Asot. A. Michael, his grandfather paid the ultimate price for his support of the Antigua and Barbuda Labour party when anti-government protestors burned down his business in St. John’s, Antigua. He died of a heart attack brought on by the riots the next day. His father, Patrick Michael, in Asot’s words, “was an essential pillar supporting the Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party during its darkest hours [and] sacrificed his business to ensure its survival.” Asot Michael’s belief in his constituents and in the island as a whole is in equal measure a belief in the legacy of his family, his party, and the foundational strength of his Christian principles.

For Asot Michael faith does not inspire complacency or a misplaced pride, but on the contrary, is the bedrock on which acts of restorative justice can be built. “Let us reflect carefully on the extent to which our failures as Christians to confront unjust, ineffective distribution of the resources of the state and our unwillingness to set aside personal gain at the expense of the common good are destroying the structures of democracy,” Michael warns. This speech comes not long after the 2021 budget debate in the Antigua and Barbuda House of Representatives. Economic injustice is fresh in the MP of St. Peter’s mind as he contends with a system of generous tax benefits to private developers at the expense of constituents in increasingly dire economic situations. His message is not only to those constituents but to his peers in the house, to create a level playing field for local entrepreneurs and economic opportunities for all of the majority-black islanders.

Asot Michael Warns Against the Dangers of Tax Giveaways

These problems Asot Michael brings to the fore in his speech aren’t new ones. At the start of his speech in the budgetary debate in February, he mentioned his attempt to bring these issues to the floor in 2020 that was promptly overruled. Problems that his peers in the house could table for another day now loom large in Antigua and Barbuda’s uncertain future. As a third-generation member of the ABLP, Michael has seen the ebb and flow of his people’s support and understands intuitively that if the problem of tax giveaways is not solved soon, his constituents and the island at large could become disillusioned with Labour once again. In his speech at the budgetary debate, Michael mentioned his misgivings over St. Peters’ own Parham Town, a historic location whose renovations have been planned that suffered heavily under the opposition party and is now a decade overdue for proper restoration. He finds fault with the ineffective distribution of resources, when local communities like Parham are ignored in favor of private investors and the promise of future tourism. Asot Michael asserts that prioritizing community needs over the wants of corporate interests is the most Christian stance to take. It is through his convictions and his faith that Michael believes the needs of Parham Town and his constituents can be met, and that Antigua and Barbuda can flourish without the twin-islands’ most vulnerable communities suffering for it.

Assertive Commitment to Values

Asot Michael concluded his Easter message with a commitment to the core values of his faith which he encapsulated as the lessons of Easter: “The ultimate triumph of good over evil, the victory of truth, righteousness, justice and tough, sacrificial love over darkness, fear, insecurity, and oppression.” The appeal of the resurrection after a year of socio-economic hardship is clear to Michael. To him, the return of Christ is not only an affirmation of faith but proof of the indomitable resolve of justice. “Easter is always a powerful reminder that truth beaten down and hidden in a grave simply will not stay there. It will rise.” Antigua and Barbuda is a young country, and the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party is young in turn. The party’s only two losses at the polls in the 40-year history of the nation, came in 2004 and 2009. Asot Michael spent a decade as the opposition party watching Antigua and Barbuda suffer under the disastrous stewardship of the United Progressive Party. The belief that justice can be deferred but not denied kept the ABLP going during its period of defeat, just as it now inspires the ABLP as the party in power during one of the worst crises of the 21 stcentury so far.

In this way, the celebration of the resurrection is not merely the passive act of waiting for the return of a savior, but the celebration of tenacity, activism, and a call to arms against those who would seek to blame, harm, or otherwise threaten the most vulnerable people in a given nation. Asot Michael has committed his life and his career to the pursuit of those values; to the pursuit of truth and, as he puts it, “the defiance of evil.” As in his New Years’ speech, Asot Michael encouraged reflection, both on the tenacity of his people and how much still needed to be accomplished. The speech served as a call to action to all Antiguans and Barbudans to “drive the changes which are desperately needed to defeat insecurity, poor governance and increasing poverty in their homes, in their communities and in the nation at large.”

The country may be young, but the struggle for socio-economic justice in Antigua and Barbuda has always been and will continue to be an uphill battle. But for Asot Michael, each Easter serves as a milestone and a powerful reminder of his faith not only in Christianity but in the tenacity and power of restorative justice. The ABLP has decades of work ahead of it. In a year’s time, whether or not life has returned to a state of normalcy, the struggle for socio-economic justice will continue and the message of the holiday will bear repeating: That come what may and no matter how buried it may seem, the truth will rise.

Originally published at https://www.trueactivist.com on April 13, 2021.

Member of Parliament for St Peter’s

My beloved constituents of St Peter’s, My Dear citizens of Antigua and Barbuda:

For the second year in a row, we celebrate the miracle of Easter in the uncertainty of the Covid 19 pandemic that has claimed millions of lives around the world. Covid 19 stunned us, it surprised us. It filled us with fear. It burdened us with emotion and great confusion. But it also blessed us with the understanding and appreciation that the pandemic would change our lives in protection of health and in defense against disease forever.

Now, at this time of rebirth, let us renew our faith, hope and love. Let us bring the message of Resurrection to everyone. That we who have lived through a year of great fear, great anxiety and great confusion are now seeing new signs of life in Christ through vaccinations and virus protection protocols.

In this Easter weekend 2021, the commemoration of the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ following a brutal state sponsored crucifixion, we pause to reflect on the challenges facing our beloved nation and renew our faith and hope in the promise of the best Antigua and Barbuda for all its sons and daughters

Indeed, easter celebration this year, offers the Christians of this blessed land reason to consider openly the significant events that anchor Christian religion and practice and their importance rekindling the healing powers of love and human kindness that headline the global transformation agenda of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In a season of rapid social decay and worsening economic fortunes triggered by the ravages of Covid 19 over the past 12 months, we celebrate the miracle of Easter. Antiguans and Barbudans have indeed felt the pain considerable socio-economic hardship in the past year, partly because of the massive decline in tourism revenue but also because of tax policies that favor the rich and disadvantage the poor and a growing culture of dependence on hand-outs from the public purse.

Let us reflect carefully on the extent to which our failure as Christians to confront unjust, ineffective distribution of the resources of the state and our unwillingness to set aside personal gain at the expense of the common good are destroying the structures and institutions of our democracy.

Let us remember this Easter that Jesus lived the values of humility, justice, service, compassion, non-violence and forgiveness to exemplify his love of humanity. He constantly shone the light on the eternal truths that must guide us forward. Giving brings receiving. Death of self is true birth of humanitarian spirit. The cause of the meek and lowly eventually overwhelms the seeming invincibility of the oppressor.

The inspired resurrection message is that the Christians of our twin island state can and must drive the changes which are desperately needed to defeat insecurity, poor governance and increasing poverty in their homes, in their communities and in the nation at large. Let us rekindle confidence in the emergence of a new country governed by faithful stewards of the public good with the support of trusting citizens to lead us to the promise of the best Antigua and Barbuda for all Antiguans and Babudans.

As we enjoy the holiday within the restrictions of our Covid 19 defense mechanisms let us keep sight of the important lesson of Easter — the ultimate triumph of good over evil… the victory of truth, righteousness, justice and tough, sacrificial love over darkness, fear, insecurity and oppression. Easter is always a powerful reminder that “truth crushed to earth”, truth beaten down and hidden in a grave simply will not stay there. It will rise.

“Up from the grave He arose

With a mighty triumph o’er His foes

He arose victor from the dark domain

And he lives forever with His saints to reign

He arose! He Arose

Halleluia!

Christ arose!”

We pray for the confident joy of lives in which we don’t lie, cheat or steal that enable us to uphold the miraculous Easter Resurrection not merely expressing the hope of resurrection but living the blessing of the resurrection itself in defiance of evil, wickedness and death.

Jesus lives. Because he lives, we too shall live.

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth a living

Just because He lives…”

HAPPY EASTER!

Asot Michael Urges No-Nonsense Plan to Antigua & Barbuda Economic Recovery — The European Business Review

We are not out of the woods just yet. Global cases for coronavirus may be dropping, but more nations are reporting variant strains emerging. While the world steadily climbs out of the 2020 recession, it’s unclear whether all jobs, especially in tourism and hospitality industries such as food service, will ever be fully restored. Now more than ever, there is increased pressure on our political leaders to assuage our concerns. Gaston Browne, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, is under that pressure especially. Tourism accounts for over 60% of the islands’ GDP and accounts for the lion’s share of employment as well. Arrivals dropped by 65% for Antigua and Barbuda this year, which had a harrowing effect on the livelihoods of Brown’s constituents. In spite of this major hit to tourism, in his 2021 Budget Statement, Gaston Browne made optimistic promises in regards to private investment in hospitality on the island, and growth unimpeded by the current global crisis. Asot Michael, the MP of St. Peters, understands and appreciates the value of optimism, but urged a more sensible mentality during his speech in the debate over the 2021 Budget Statement given in the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda on February 11 th, 2021.

Asot Michael on a Realistic Plan

The representative of St. Peters showed a keen understanding of the current state of the world, saying in his speech that the 2021 budget “features some unrealistic economic growth measures that are likely to set up the false hope of objectives we will pursue but never attain.” 2020 was a year of ever-changing goalposts, with lockdowns delayed, then ended, only to begin again in the event of a resurgence. Politicians around the world offered promises of a return to normalcy as early as Easter of 2020, that bore no fruit. Antigua and Barbuda reopened for tourism as early as June of 2020 and is now experiencing a major surge in cases after a summer of having some of the lowest infection rates in the Caribbean. The desire for a swift return to normalcy is strongly felt, but a level head is needed now more than ever.

“Let us be realistic. Let us stay within the walls of Labour Party pragmatism and practicality that have served us well through the years. Yes — the pandemic will not last forever. Yes — people around the world will travel again. Yes — Lost jobs will return. Yes — The economy will rebound. But there are some exceedingly difficult years ahead of us before that happens. And fooling ourselves with tall tales of government promises that cannot be fulfilled adds no value and gets us nowhere fast.”

Increasingly, in a world where tourism is no longer a foregone conclusion, even in the Caribbean, MP Michael insisted that the budget focus on manufacturing jobs and diversifying away from a dependence on a hospitality industry whose future is uncertain. With no consensus as to when the pandemic will be over, Asot Michael emphasized a prioritization of food security and exports in order to not only ensure the safety of his constituents but a viable economic future for Antigua and Barbuda when the dust has settled and the pandemic is over.

Echoing his New Years’ speech from last December, Asot Michael reiterated that the best practice for Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the world at large, was a re-prioritization of needs and values saying, “Our battle with Covid 19 brought us face to face with the extent to which materialism has encouraged a lack of appreciation for the value of healthy food, clean water, comfortable clothes, and proper shelter.” While tourism may be the lifeblood of Caribbean islands like Antigua and Barbuda, it’s shortsighted to plan for tourism over the ongoing pandemic and cater to tourists over constituents. Having witnessed a recent surge of cases after welcoming back tourists, MP Michael urged fellow representatives to consider a lockdown when vaccines are readily available, arguing that a quarantine immediately following the vaccine would be the most surefire way to ensure the people of Antigua and Barbuda are properly immunized against the virus.

While this call for realism and attainable goals may seem like a pessimistic message, Asot Michael gave it a note of triumph expressing gratitude for the fortitude of his constituency and the relentless efforts of frontline workers. Just as in his New Years’ speech, he commended the people of Antigua and Barbuda not only for surviving an unprecedented year, but for rising to the occasion. Until very recently, Antigua and Barbuda had especially low case numbers compared with the rest of the Caribbean. Michael attributed this once again to his people’s commitment to cleanliness, respiratory health, and social distancing. It takes herculean effort on the part of a community to give up their social norms and the comforts they have become accustomed to in order to keep the most vulnerable among them safe from harm. It is the kind of steadfast resolve that so many have faltered at maintaining. MP Michael had a challenging year in 2020, as detailed in his New Year’s speech, and he’s well aware of the losses of friends, family, and livelihood that have occurred during these dangerous times. It’s why he insists on not insulting his constituency with easy answers or promises of investment from abroad that may never come.

The Takeaway from Asot Michael’s Approach

Asot Michael is an MP committed to his people. The growth of the agricultural sector is endemic to the survival of his constituents in St. Peters as well as the rest of Antigua and Barbuda. Advocating for the completion of projects that began in 2020 that will increase the islands’ manufacturing capabilities and exports not only makes plain Michael’s commitment to constituents over tourists, but his lessons learned from nearly a year and a half living through a global pandemic. Tourism will return. Eventually, life as we know it will resume. In the meantime, the people of Antigua and Barbuda come first. MP Michael knows their needs, unlike those of the tourism industry, are not hypothetical.

Originally published at https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com on April 3, 2021.

In the words of the Michael Jackson classic:
“Like A Comet, blazing ‘Cross the Evening Sky

Like A Rainbow, Fading in The Twinkling of An
Eye, Shiny and Sparkly and Splendidly Bright

Here One Day, Gone One Night

“Like the Loss of Sunlight, On A Cloudy

Afternoon, Gone Too Soon

“Like A Castle, Built Upon a Sandy Beach
Like A Perfect Flower, that Is Just Beyond Your
Reach, Born to Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight

Here One Day, Gone One Night

“Like A Sunset, dying With the Rising of The

Moon, Gone Too Soon

Priscilla Cavella Allan, my beloved and faithful
sister and friend from Parham Town left us in the
early morning of Wednesday, February 17", 2021.
She crossed the bridge… there is no more sorrow…
She crossed the bridge… there is no more pain…
Her sun is shining across the river… and she will

never be unhappy again.
Born on Saturday 30th October 1971 at the
Holberton Hospital, St. John’s, Antigua, she was the
daughter of Ms. Glendora Martin of Parham Town
and Mr. Hezekiah Allan who now resides in the
United States of America. She was the sister of
Junella Allan and the mother of two caring sons -
Cleveland Browne and Priston Browne, both of

Parham Town.

Priscilla attended the Seventh Day Adventist school
at the age of six (6) years old. She was then removed
and was sent to the Parham Primary School. Whilst
in secondary school, instead of doing CXC as we
know it today, she did Home Economics classes and
studied cooking, cleaning, sewing, and baking in

which she excelled.
She taught at the Sir Luther Winter Preschool for a
short period of time due to the shortage of children.
However, we are proud to say that one of the
students she taught is now a doctor of our own
community and he is none other than Dr. Weston.

God be praised.

Her life was a spiritual practice… a human
experiment designed to glorify the power and
majesty of the living Lord. An angel of mercy, a
daughter of light, a sister valiant for truth… a
messenger of the word, a keeper of souls, a teacher,

a friend.

She was a quintessential woman of faith, who firmly

believed that values matter and standards count
She was a member of the Parham Seventh Day
Adventist Church and served in the capacity of
Sabbath School Superintendent on various occasions
being the head at times. A songbird in her own
right, we still hear her as head Chorister delightfully
raising her lovely voice in those timeless hymns of

praise and thanksgiving…

She loved the Lord her God with all her heart with
all her strength… She loved her church fervently.
She loved and adored her children. She was totally
dedicated to the well-being of her family. A
hardworking, very dependable and well-loved
employee of the Central Board of Health for over 30
years, her exemplary humanity shone brightest in the

love and care she extended to the less fortunate, the
underprivileged, the poor, and the downtrodden
who were always welcome in her home. Priscilla
had a very good relationship with her fellow co-
workers at her workplace. They visited her often at
her home and, when it was possible, at the hospital

as well.

Priscilla was a genuine lover of life… and life loved

her back.

And so, we recognize and thank the many caring
parts of the human heart that God bestowed on
Priscilla through the marvelous gifts of extended
family and friendship in their purest forms… her
caretaker in the final days… the friends who

decorated her life, who loved her… who called from
near and far… who stood for her and with her until

the very end.

In Pricilla’s honour, I stand as well with millions of
people around the world who know the challenge of
adversity and the joy of finding unity in diversity;
those who know the character-building blessings of
raising children in the most unforgiving social,
economic and political circumstances; those who
rejoice in the responsibility of training children in
the way they should grow so that when they get old,

they will not depart from those ways…

At home, she was always a quiet and reserved type
of person, studied much but lacked little and was

very secretive.
She was an ever-flowing well-spring of kind words,
encouragement and good advice. Hers was a life of
dignity that knew not greed; that knew not
selfishness… She did unto others as she would have
them do unto her… she traded places… she walked
countless miles in the shoes of others… she
empathized… she harbored no malice, no desire for
revenge even in the face of wrongs visited against

her.

Remarkably, over the years, her friendships grew not
because she compromised the truth. On the contrary,
she earned respect and admiration for sincerely and
lovingly calling it as she saw it for the betterment of

one and all and the advancement of our civility. Her
way was God’s way… and though being human she
occasionally stumbled and fell she never missed an
Opportunity to bring her wonderful gift of human
kindness to the cause that needed assistance, to the

future in the distance and the good that she could do.

As a patriot at heart, she lived a pledge that never
ceased… She wanted a kinder, gentler world… a

peaceful world…

We gather today from all walks of life, from
different religious denominations and _ different
political persuasions… from the varied stations of
our many professions… those of us, who understand
and appreciate the simple yet compelling legacy of

Priscilla Allan… We join hearts in tribute so that
this gathering in her memory is not just another
footnote on the pages of family history but a beacon
unto the struggle of ordinary people everywhere for

eternal salvation.

A beautiful lady! A bright, lovely soul!

She has found fulfillment in the accomplishment of
her earthly flight; she rejoices in the embrace of her
heavenly father’s grace… And she sings with me

those immortal words at we were taught to pray:

Priscilla Cavella Allan — October 30th, 1971 to
February 17th, 2021… An inspiration to be the best

God-fearing member of the human family I could be

A quintessential woman of faith, gone too soon…
May her soul rest in eternal peace as she holds a
place in Heaven with her Lord and Saviour, Jesus
Christ. Her soul is at ease, at rest, at peace in

comfort and happiness.

On January 6th, 140 people were injured and 5 killed during an attack on the U.S. Capitol. Rioters infiltrated the building and forced a lockdown. A few weeks later, 232 members of the Congress and 43 Senators voted to convict the former president of inciting an insurrection. However, because 57 Republican Senators voted to acquit, and a two-thirds majority is needed, Trump was not convicted. That didn’t stop those like Asot Michael, Parliamentary Representative for St. Peters, from speaking out on what they see as a clear crime.

Ahead of the impeachment, Michael wrote on Medium, “Now the world waits to see whether there are enough US Senators willing to convict him [Trump] for the high crime in the seat of US power and authority that they witnessed firsthand as targets of the brutal assault.”

Many other prominent figures joined Michael in his message. In a lengthy post-trial speech, Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, ripped into Trump whose actions McConnell described as a “disgraceful dereliction of duty.”

Asot Michael on Learning and Watching

Yet Member of Parliament Asot Michael didn’t just condemn the actions of the former U.S. president. In his closing sentence, he called on his fellow Caribbean citizens to “watch, learn, and take our notes.”

While Michael pulled no punches about the United States, he also observed that “In the final analysis, America’s security architecture in defense of democracy and the constitutional rule of law triumphed against an enemy operating from the privileged position of U.S. president.”

In this, Michael hints at what he clearly sees as a lesson for citizens of the Caribbean. Despite the unique challenge of an insurrection incited by the country’s leader at the time, America did the transition to a new presidency. As Michael noted, this new presidency is a win for the simple idea that Black lives, from Detroit to Atlanta, including Black Caribbean residents, do indeed matter.

Without a doubt, the inauguration of President Joe Biden symbolized a victory against a direct attack on democracy. The security apparatus, namely the will of the people and the legislative and judicial branches of the United States, is certainly something for proponents of democracy to learn from. However, the best security apparatus would be one that doesn’t need to be used. One that doesn’t need to fend off a vicious attack from within its own borders.

To build that security apparatus, though, requires a deeper look at what preceded the insurrection, and what, as Michael points out, led more than 74 million people to vote for the former president.

Playing to Fear and Bitterness

A few of the most prominent features of the former president’s 2016 campaign were opposition to global trade agreements, an extremely hard stance on immigration, and a populist appeal to former and present agriculture, construction, manufacturing, or trade workers.

This approach is nothing new. The rise of right-wing populism has been underway for years. Prominent right-wing populist parties exist on every habitable continent, from the United States and Venezuela to Australia and Switzerland, and many places in between. And with the rise of free trade agreements and increasing globalization, these populist politicians have the precise “enemy” they need to tap into the prejudices of many potential voters. It’s all too easy for the former president and his ilk to point the finger at the political elite, globalization, and immigration.

Yet despite the predictability of the populist playbook, it has helped many despotic politicians rise to power. And while President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s triumph is reason to celebrate, the ideas that spurred 70 million voters to turn out on Election Day in favor of the former president don’t simply go away.

Asot Michael on Education as a Defense Strategy

Every democracy throughout the world has security apparatuses in place to handle attacks on democracy. But in the end, the greatest security apparatus is an educated populace.

Consider that, according to Pew Research in 2016, 69 percent of Trump supporters believed that immigrants are a burden on the country. Moreover, only 27 percent believed that free trade is good for the United States. Compare that to Clinton supporters, of which just 17 percent considered immigrants a burden and 58 percent believed in free trade’s benefits.

Clearly, there’s a big divergence between these two groups. And much, but not all of it, can be attributed to education. On average, Trump supporters were most likely to be white people without a high school diploma.

Far from a cure-all, education can help dispel some of the myths surrounding globalization and spur productive progress towards solving the issues created by an increasingly connected global economy. Initiatives such as large-scale job training and education must be the focus if harmony is to be restored. As Michael Asot found when he was recognized as the Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year in 2016 for exceeding growth expectations by nearly 10 percent, globalization can be a force for good for small, previously poor, and disadvantaged countries.

Executing the New Defense Strategy for Democracy

Empowering the people, in the Caribbean, the United States, and democracies around the world is no small task. But it has to start somewhere and it has to start now. To this end, much of the onus is on the people to demand action in the direction of education. As an example, voters can look to the recent actions of Asot Michael. In 2020, Michael committed to raising funds for the much-needed rehabilitation of two schools in Antigua.

In addition to better schools, democracies throughout the world would be well-served to understand that the insurrection in the United States was not an isolated event. Rather, it was a particularly obscene manifestation of a broader backlash against the very forces that have extracted more than a billion people throughout the world from extreme poverty over the last generation. To defeat the enemy behind this backlash requires education, reason, and a clear-eyed diagnosis of the challenge at hand.

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Originally published at https://ceoworld.biz on March 4, 2021.

By Asot Michael

After the fears, anxieties, and emotions of the past two months, America transitioned to a new presidency at the appointed time, the noisy, anti-democracy theater and shenanigans of the out-going president notwithstanding.

Congratulations and best wishes for success to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, of Jamaican and Indian descent, the first woman to occupy America’s second most powerful office.

The US President was sworn in on January 20th, 2021, noted in his victory speech last year that the black people of America always had his back and he is going to have theirs. As well he might. Black lives matter. And from Detroit, Michigan to Atlanta, Georgia, black lives (including the lives of black Caribbean people resident in America) mattered big time in delivering a victory for the Biden/Harris ticket.

In many respects, this was a historic US election. The largest voter turnout ever — 159,633,396 people voted to represent 66.7 percent of the electorate. 2020 saw the highest number of votes ever polled by victorious and losing presidential candidates. Biden won 81,283,098 votes or 51.3 percent of the votes cast to become the first U.S. presidential candidate to have received more than 80 million votes. Trump won 74,222,958 votes, or 46.8 percent of the votes cast — more votes than any other presidential candidate has ever won, with the exception of Biden.

America’s 45th President lost the 2020 election by 74 votes in the 538-vote electoral college and over 7 million in the popular vote. But he refused to concede, claiming without any credible evidence that the election was stolen. Trump made over 60 requests to the court to give him victory because he has huge problems with the count of votes in states where he lost, even in those run by officials of his Republican Party, but no problems at all with the count of votes in states where he won. The courts refused. And in the very same situation in which the US State Department would be pressuring leaders elsewhere to do the honorable thing as required by the democratic process, Trump intensified his assault on the democratic process to the deafeningly loud sound of silence from his Republican colleagues.

The United States of America, the self-appointed guardian of democracy and free and fair elections around the world suffered the embarrassment of international ridicule of its own electoral process and democracy when Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021 in a deadly insurrection intended to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.

The US House of representatives impeached Trump for the second time in his presidency on January 13th, 2020 for inciting the insurrection that threatened the lives of hundreds of US lawmakers. Now the world waits to see whether there are enough US Senators willing to convict him for the high crime in the seat of US power and authority that they witnessed firsthand as targets of the brutal assault.

Those who follow international politics would have lost count of the number of times the US has urged candidates in electoral contests, especially in the developing world, to respect the will of the people and the many occasions on which the US has demanded that losing incumbents concede defeat and refrain from obstructing the transition to new leadership. But Trump wants none of this in America. So he took a warpath of revenge — undermining the democratic process, endangering national security, pardoning cronies, and even firing his own political appointees who he cited as disloyal.

US diplomats abroad — the face and voice of America in the world community — have been humiliated into cluelessness on how to defend this indefensible leadership assault on democracy in a country that prides itself on policing democratic governance in the free world.

Just last year U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo harassed Guyanese President David Granger to “step aside” following the disputed March presidential election in which preliminary data showed a victory for opposition candidate Irfaan Ali. At a press briefing, Pompeo said Washington was restricting the U.S. visas of “individuals responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Guyana….

“The Granger government must respect the results of democratic elections and step aside,” Pompeo said.

But since the election of November 3rd, 2020 Pompeo has been busy peddling the evidence-free charge of voter fraud in support of the Trump campaign to frustrate the popular will and bully the court into subverting the people’s choice by handing him a second term. And hundreds of other Republican members of the US government supported Trump to hold up the proud United States of America, “the beacon of democracy”, as a pitiful example of hypocrisy to the world community.

Yet, in the final analysis, America’s security architecture in defense of democracy and the constitutional rule of law triumphed against an enemy operating from the privileged position of US president. Trump did everything possible to overturn the results of the election and to compromise the Biden presidency. But he could not defeat the institutions of governance designed to safeguard America’s democracy even though those institutions allowed him to have his way up to the very end.

He refused to attend the Biden/Harris inauguration. Instead, he ordered the use of the presidential helicopter and jet to fly him from the White House to his own farewell ceremony at Andrews Airforce base and then to his home in Florida.

For all, we have heard about America not liking despots and America’s commitment to helping people around the world avert the dangers of dictatorship, in a moment of truth, when a dictator reared his head, it was reassuring to see America’s decisiveness and success in defense of government of the people, by the people, for the people.

For those in the Republican party with the power to bring Trump under control, but who cower in mortal fear of bruising his ego and incurring the brutality of his rage, there is a lot to resolve in order to rescue the party from the clutches of the very anti-democracy influence and elements it claims to stand against.

America moves on. Under the cloud of a virus that has affected over 25 million Americans, claimed the lives of over 400 thousand, and brought the economy to its knees, the Biden/Harris team begin its term in office more challenged to deliver on the promise of improving lives than any other administration. The essence of this awesome responsibility to heal, unite and build is captured in the inspirational lines of Amanda Gorman — National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest inaugural poet in US history:

“… We’ve seen a force

that would shatter our nation

rather than share it.

Would destroy our country

if it meant delaying democracy.

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed,

it can never be permanently defeated.

In this truth, in this faith we trust.

For while we have our eyes on the future,

history has its eyes on us.

This is the era of just redemption

we feared at its inception.

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs

of such a terrifying hour

but within it, we found the power

to author a new chapter…”

Hopefully, we in the Caribbean are watching, learning, and taking our notes.