Ladies and Gentlemen.

Let me begin by congratulating the Consul General, Mrs Alma Adams, and her Committee, as well as the Bahamian Associations, the Broward County Commission and the other private-sector co-sponsors for their sterling efforts in planning and executing these activities this weekend, in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Independence of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

This evening’s event is certainly a job well done and it augurs well for the future of the work of the Consulate General here in south Florida, under the able leadership of Mrs. Adams.

When I, as Prime Minister, appointed her to this position last year, I never doubted for one minute that she would in fact exceed my expectations of her; and I am sure that in the months and years ahead she will continue to do a fine job, representing her country to the best her ability and to the full satisfaction of Bahamians both in The Bahamas and in the United States.

When we consider the geography of Florida and the islands of The Bahamas, the striking feature is the Gulf Stream, that deep, wide, ocean current that separates this peninsula from the islands.

But when we study the history of Florida and The Bahamas, as far back as the pre-Columbian age, we are struck by the fact that this Gulf, despite it depth, despite its width, despite the velocity of its currents flowing from North to South, has never been able to prevent the co-mingling of our peoples.

Over the course of history, South Florida has been the principal point where the two great societies of the United States of the America and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, have made intimate contact and have interacted in a mutually beneficial way all throughout the last one hundred years.

Early in the twentieth century, in exchange for remittances which sustained many of our Family Island communities, Bahamian labour was employed on Florida’s farms and in the urbanisation of Dade and Broward counties, in particular.

More recently, this synergy has continued to prevail:  South Florida contributes greatly to the tourism sector in The Bahamas in the form of air and cruise ship arrivals, yachting and sports-fishing, while The Bahamas engages in a brisk trade with South Florida, estimated to be in excess of $1 billion annually.

And, as both economies continue to grow, and as new realities such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas come into play, it is expected that this reciprocal relationship will increase exponentially over the next few decades.

The centrally important element of this mutually beneficial relationship that exists between The Bahamas and South Florida, is the Bahamian community in South Florida, which I define as comprising not only those persons who have migrated from The Bahamas to the United States but also those Americans who are the descendants of Bahamians who settled in South Florida many years ago.

I would wish to say to all of you that my Government extols an inclusive policy which seeks to bring you inside the loop and invite you to move from the periphery of Bahamian affairs and take your rightful place at the centre of the economic, social, cultural and political processes in The Bahamas.

We welcome you into the process of building a dynamic Bahamian culture and we encourage you to inject new ideas, new skills, new energy and new capital into the Bahamian society.  You can become a stakeholder in the Bahamian phenomenon, so long as you make the conscious commitment never to let the Gulf Stream separate you from your right and indeed your heritage; and so long as you retain the belief that we are one people, irrespective of which side of the Gulf we live on; and so long as you remain in close touch with the leadership and the people of The Bahamas.

There is a great role for you to play in the forward advancement of The Bahamian society and it is the intention of my Government to constantly look for ways in which you can be effectively engaged in this dynamic process.

So, as we come together on this auspicious and joyful occasion to celebrate our collective achievement as a proud and sovereign people, I am to say that there is much work to be done in ensuring that future generations of Bahamians would be able to say of us that we were great national architects and skilful social engineers in the advancement not only of The Bahamas but of human society in general.
Thank you.