Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalms 133:1 (KJV)

“Some people tend to think that it is an impossible job bringing all our Islands together because of the separation by water and distance, but we must come together if only for survival. Divided we are weak, united, Turks and Caicos could become one of the greatest young nation in this hemisphere for good in the world”. (Excerpt from Hon. JAGS McCartney’s speech on 6/5/1979

Introduction

After reading a speech on unity by the late Hon. JAGS McCartney, I became so convicted and I had to reflect on my own life. What about your life? Are our actions resulting in unity or division?  It appears rather than progressing in this area, we are regressing. This article will explore some steps that we can take that will unite us as country.

Island vs Country

I know for years there has been rivalry among the islands within TCI but there has been an improvement as a result of the fact that most of us migrated to Providenciales and there are a lot of intermarriages among individuals from the different islands. We really need to reach a point in our lives and recognize that we are one Turks and Caicos and we have to be careful what comes out of mouth regarding the other islands.

The Political Parties

From the time the political parties were introduced, families choose the party of their liking and their children continue to follow in their foot-steps. Some children however have moved away from the traditional support.

These political parties have almost become like cults. Some decisions are being made by politicians based on political persuasion. People that try to be constructive and objective continue to be label as opponents of the Government and the Opposition because some of us are not thinking the way some of these political fanatics are thinking. This current political system has not united us a people and should be eliminated. In fact, the main reason we are so divided in this country is because of politics. Our politicians must also lead by example and stop fighting among themselves. It is fine to disagree but do not take it to the level of political hatred.

Composition of Boards

I know it will be hard to eliminate political parties and so I think the composition of all Boards should comprise of 50% of supporters of Government and 50% supporters of Opposition. Hopefully, this will force us to work together.

Sports and Music

Sports and Music throughout the word seem to unite people. Therefore I think we should focus heavily on sports and music throughout our country. There should be major local sporting and music events monthly and we should be encouraged to attend and participate. However, we do need better facilities in all the islands to accommodate the sports and music.

Support Each Other

Rather than tearing each other down, if you have a problem with someone or their company, contact them directly rather than posting the information on social media. Posting the dirty laundry does not solve the issues. In fact it create further division. Let us try to support each other by encouraging each other and supporting each other business.

Conclusion

I don’t believe that we should remain silent on issues affecting our country. We can attack the issues without attacking the individuals. Our politicians must be matured enough to accept the constructive criticism without taking these criticism personally.

Like JAGS McCartney I believe we can be united. The TCI can indeed be a role model on a united country if we try.