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NDP leadership and executive members pose along with the visiting Garifunas after a closed-door meeting last week Friday. (Photo: NDP/Facebook)
NDP leadership and executive members pose along with the visiting Garifunas after a closed-door meeting last week Friday. (Photo: NDP/Facebook)
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The main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has announced the signing of a “declaration of intent” with visiting Garifuna leaders, outlining “the agreement between the Garifuna and NDP to deepen and strengthen ties”.

The accord, dubbed the “Grenadine House Declaration of Intent”, also chronicles the one-week visit of Garifuna leaders professor Wellington Ramos and Joseph Guerrero to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Ramos, who is originally from Belize but is based in the United States, is vice-president of Garifuna Nation and the United Garifuna Association Inc.

Guerrero, who is also based in the United States, is Garifuna Nation’s director of Reparations and director, Arts and Entertainment at United Garifuna Association Inc.

Ramos and Guerrero signed on behalf of the delegation, while NDP president and Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace and party chair, Sen. Linton Lewis signed on behalf of the NDP.

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NDP spokesperson Vynnette Frederick, in a statement on Friday, said that the parties agreed to deepen the relationship in a number of ways, including supporting and encouraging exchange programmes in the areas of culture, education, health and sports, and developing and disseminating the Garifuna language and culture, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and in Garifuna populations elsewhere.

They will also forge alliances for the purposes of trade in goods and services, with great emphasis on tourism, as well as highlight the socio-economic and socio-political conditions under which Garifuna people exist in SVG and elsewhere.

The declaration of intent also says that both parties will strengthen the spiritual bond and re-establish the historical link between the inhabitants of SVG and the Garifuna Nation.

The party said that the collaborative efforts will be pursued within the context of the honorary citizenship programme that party leader Arnhim Eustace announce earlier this year.

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“The NDP and the Garifuna Delegation do promise to continue collaborative efforts to expedite the process of building closer ties with each other and realising the dream of making St. Vincent and the Grenadines the spiritual home of all Garifuna people at home and abroad,” the declaration said.

“A Draft Charter for the Historical Recognition and Effective Collaboration of the Garifuna People and the State of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (The Garifuna Charter) has been crafted. It has effectively provided the foundational framework upon which the relationship between the Garifuna People and the State of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is being built and consolidated,” the declaration said.

10 replies on “NDP and Garifuna leaders sign ‘declaration of intent’”

  1. Excuse my ignorance but how does this Ramos guy or anyone else go about proving they are ‘GARIFUNA”?
    someone please enlighten me

  2. C. ben-David says:

    I listened to Star radio, the ULP station, for a while this morning only to hear caller after caller use all manner of bad words to describe Dr. Ramos and insisting that all he wants is to steal jobs and property from native-born Vincentians.

    I was sickened by the xenophobic and racist venom and wrath of these people but realized that its source is party propaganda coming from the leader.

  3. Why are the ULP so afraid of the Garifunas? What jobs and house are they talking about? Half of St Vincent will leave tomorrow if given a chance things are so bad there. Those Favella that you cant get a good sleep in cause you don’t know if it going to callapse who will want to take that? From my own experience with the Garifunas they are more patriotic and have more love to SVG than most mainland Vincentians.

    1. C. ben-David says:

      Only half will leave tomorrow if given a chance? More like three-quarters of those been 18-39 is my guess.

  4. Luther Bonadie says:

    I’ll say this all 15 NDP men, worman ,and who ever , look like a bunch of blind stupid goats.

  5. Isn’t this the same Ramos guy who said that garifuna don’t favor any political party. I wish them all the best in their future. Hope no one will left disappointed after all this.

  6. Anita
    I am not being malicious, just curious.
    This is how things work in the real world;

    Anita goes to Mr X and says “I am Vincentian”
    Mr X says “Prove it”
    Anita pulls out her birth certificate and passport issued by government of SVG and says “Here”
    Mr X says ” Thank you”

    Now Mr Ramos is next in line, he says to Mr X ” I am Garifuna”
    Mr X says “Prove it”

    All I am asking is for some one including Mr Eustace, Dr Gonsalves or Mr Ramos to tell me what Mr Ramos does next so Mr X can say “Thank You”.
    I’m sure there is an answer.

    Just think about it. If the Garifuna people are to be granted honorary citizenship isn’t that the very first hurdle they have to get by?

  7. Mr kenton Chance this is a good forum you have to educate persons and to keep us abreast of current issues.Thanks for that opportunity.There are some persons who use your site simple because they have a device and internet connection.I also know that they have some grey matter in their head however it seems as though they don,t use it.For the short time I have been using this site the comments they post on topics is in no way at all educational.Reading them is like listening to Ralph Gonsalves addressing we vincentians in all kinds of derogatory terms.I really believe that IWN should refuse to post these comments.

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