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We are a resilient people – Ranglin-Vassell

Published:Saturday | August 8, 2020 | 12:13 AM
Consul General Oliver Mair.
Consul General Oliver Mair.

I send my heartiest congratulations to Jamaicans in the homeland and to those in the diaspora. As Jamaicans, we have been through so much, but we are a resilient people, and we always pull through. We stand tall and proud amid the challenges that we face, great or small.

This year has been a tough year for Jamaicans, from dealing with the novel coronavirus to the heartaches and pain inflicted on so many of its citizens by economic burdens and crime. We have been through challenges before, one after the other, but together, we have locked arms and hearts and fought our way through those moments of hardships and despair.

We have been made stronger by our trials. So on this day, our 58th birthday, a day set aside to celebrate and to honour who we all are, it is my hope and my prayer that Jamaicans and Jamaican-Americans remain united, pushing forward to one Jamaica, honouring our motto, ‘Out of Many, One People’.

Rep Marcia Ranglin-

Vassell

(D-Dist 5, Providence)

The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Resilient and Strong’. It is therefore an opportune time to reflect upon the sacrifices of our forebears who laid the foundation for our independent spirit. Let us honour the strength and vigour of our national heroes, our national leaders, our scholars, and our cultural ambassadors who paved the way to Jamaica achieving her Independence.

With the global challenge facing us today, we are encouraged to use this time to unite in continuing their efforts. But we will have to begin thinking differently as we are now in the new digital age. Every crisis presents an opportunity, and this crisis is an opportunity for new thinking, a challenge for inspiration and a positive outlook, not for the negatives. As Jamaicans, we have that indomitable spirit to always strive for the best, whether at home or abroad. Let us unite in the same vein but with a new level of thinking, creativity, and energy that will move us further ahead.

As we celebrate with friends and family, let us reaffirm our pledge to rebuild not only our nation, but a world strong and resilient under God.

R. Oliver Mair

Consul General

Southern USA, Bahamas,

Cayman Islands