Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 11, 2017 (SKNIS): The Government’s decision to construct a National Heroes Park came in for high praise during Saturday’s 34th Independence celebrations.
Visiting dignitaries complimented St. Kitts and Nevis’ vibrant culture and remarked upon the importance of preserving the nation’s history.
For instance, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to St. Kitts and Nevis, His Excellency Vladimir Eisenbruk, told Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris during a bilateral meeting held shortly after the Toast to the Nation at Camp Springfield that he endorsed the idea of having a National Heroes Park.
“I like it because it seems to me that with globalization … we are losing our roots. What you are doing [by constructing the National Heroes Park] is a very good thing. We are all globalized now and that does not mean that we should forget where we come from,” Ambassador Eisenbruk stated, adding that it was important to remember the contributions of nation builders.
Four of the five monuments of the National Heroes in St. Kitts and Nevis are currently on island, with the fifth expected to arrive later this month.
That’s the word from Osbert DeSuza, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, who has been spearheading the initiative to establish a National Heroes Park since it was first announced in 2016.
“We have secured them [the monuments] … and we have started the discussions in relation to the mounting process,” Mr. DeSuza said.
The park stands as a centre that pays homage to the legacy of the Late Right Excellencies Sir Robert L. Bradshaw, Sir C. A. Paul Southwell, Sir Joseph N. France, and Sir Simeon Daniel, as well as the only living National Hero, Dr. the Right Excellent and the Right Honourable, Sir Kennedy A. Simmonds.