Something disturbs me about Anguilla and it is the way that we do not speak out assertively from well informed positions to signal what is important to us and to make demands to resolve our issues. This article was initially entitled Anguilla Youth and Politics because of the lack of social and political awareness among 6th Formers, whom I taught last academic year, and that was also quite evident during the last National Conference on Youth and Development.

However, as I began to write I realized it would be unfair criticism because this tendency is also evident in the wider society. Even public servants, who would have all benefited from secondary education, hide behind General Orders, restricting themselves from political thinking and behaviors that are not dictated by the Orders.

This may in part reflect a lack of understanding of politics in a broader realm than that of the multi-parties for which our system makes provision. However, in places like Anguilla, the parties to me are little more than strategic interest groups that come together to pool resources of money and ideas and to plan collectively how to take the reins of political power. With absolutely no ideological differences among them, it seems to me that we choose the group of persons that we like best and sometimes not even the group, but an individual in the grouping. Yet I listen to the groupings because ideology is not all. There is also the matter of approach and experience. It is true that the experience of being in office really cannot be paralleled but leadership skills can be effectively applied in any arena. This is why it is necessary to look critically at the policies of those who have been in office long enough, to have demonstrated that they are actually working in our best interests. When that cannot be demonstrated, the right of demanding and ascertaining change is ours.

As I go through Valley North, canvassing for the first time in my life, I am struck by the tendency to rely on what others say, rather than to think through matters for ourselves. Too often I hear a response that goes something like this: “Ijahnya, I only goin register [or vote], cause you tell me to go you know. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t go nowhere. None a dem ain’t no good.” My response to date has been to discourage the passing of the buck, encouraging would-be voters to listen to all the candidates, to weigh up what they hear, to reason with each other about what each candidate is saying, make an assessment and place their votes with confidence for the candidate who best impresses them that he can represent them. Having taken that line, it is most disappointing to note that, publicly, the people seem to be hearing only from the lone independent candidate, thus bearing out my questioning of the real value of parties in Anguilla’s politics.
I would also like us to be able to send clear messages to our candidates about what we want. As a resident of Valley North, I have not yet been part of a process where we come together as a constituency to place our collective demands before the candidates for how we would like to see development take place in District 3. This would not be so bad if we developed our own community plans and place them before our candidates, judging each candidate on the basis of how he or she responds to our needs. We seem to want to see our candidate become a Minister of Government but I do not propose to make his job all that easy. I want us to say what we want. I want to have a Valley North that sparkles. I am writing about this with the hope of sowing seed for a shared vision that can neither be realized nor sustained without a strong commitment from us. North Side, North Valley, Stoney Ground and Shoal Bay have all taken clean-up initiatives that have not been sustained but they can be replicated and even strengthened to the point where there is zero tolerance for the practice of littering. I want us to begin the action now, so that on victory night we will be celebrating in the cleanest constituency in Anguilla. Fully aware that I must practice what I preach, I have to begin with my own yard, even if it means fencing to keep out the steady stream of litterers passing through. This can be an ideal ongoing programme involving all age groups and income brackets in each community and a reasonable demand in demonstration of civic pride.

The people in the East have expressed the view that they want some development initiatives to take place there and largely they mean the blocks and mortar sort of development. However, my candidate in District 1 (yes, I have one there too) has gone further to demonstrate an understanding of development as that of people, and I truly appreciated the opportunity to engage in Parenting Education classes in Island Harbour two weeks ago. Listen out for more of those in 2010 as we are already discussing continuing those classes no matter what the outcomes of the election. This in the context where government has not seemed able to respond to this crying, burning need with the urgency required. I am not saying nothing is being done, but even if the underarm alarm has gone off, one does not wait to take a shower before getting out of a burning house.

In closing, I again want to encourage our young people to be politically critical thinkers and to be unafraid of taking political action. I hope they sent a letter to the government respectfully registering their disappointment that the Ministers could not manage scheduling that enabled them to stay in the Anguilla House of Assembly to receive the recommendations from the National Conference on Youth and Development. This is not acceptable but if we the people do not take our responsibility we will surely vote like robots and be led like sheep to the slaughter.

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