St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

Now 50 years later, we reflect where we are on the path to sustainability. There have undoubtedly been many changes, some of them we could have done without and some of them for the better. We have officially been guided by the government of the day and have embarked on a year of celebrations presumably not only to congratulate ourselves on our successes but also to avoid repeating pitfalls.

The achievement of a sustainable future for our country is in the hands of many organizations, e.g. government, the private sector, trade unions, the church, service clubs and other members of civil society; each having a specific role to play but with the added benefits of the many synergistic interactions between combinations of the parties involved.

When we pay attention to issues of corporate governance, finance, marketing, people development and work smarter rather than harder, then the profits will grow, businesses become sustainable, the rate of economic growth will increase, individuals will become wealthier, governments will have more money for regulatory and service functions, if they design viable tax systems and collect the taxes due. In such a case we all win.

In any organization, it is necessary to have a strong corporate governance structure. It is not sufficient for sustainable business success, however, the organization must also be strong in the business systems of finance, marketing, people development and operations.

The private sector must recognize that there are macro-, mini- and micro-elements to enterprise and we must put that together as in a mechanical gearing system, where the macro deals with the global market and the micro with micro-enterprise development. One turn of that big wheel results in several revolutions of the small wheels if they are linked together and properly lubricated.

My observation today is that the social compact has lost much of its original stamina. Perhaps a strategic review of the model is needed, coupled with sensible macro-economic policies, to see if once again we can rekindle the furnaces to inject some life in the economy. We must be positive in attitude, revive the partnership by bringing on new brains (youth and experience) to address the task at hand. This time around, we have the opportunity to learn from the history and to focus on the effective roles of the social partners.

The challenge of rebuilding my financial life, in keeping with the maturity of my value systems, is truly a very fascinating experience. I am now privileged to share the business experience, which has developed over the years, with young entrepreneurs to hopefully clear obstacles out of their way and allow their businesses to chart paths of sustainable success. The appreciation and respect shown by the youth is very gratifying.

Where did we go wrong? Probably a combination of children who are having children, parents who have missed out on insisting on discipline at home, peer pressure and a failure of parts of the school system and curricula to play a supporting role.

An article by Kevin Eikenberry, entitled The Power of Gratitude, states “science tells us that an ‘attitude of gratitude’ is a good health choice. Being more grateful more often makes us happier and more optimistic…the universal law of attraction says that we will attract into our life the things we think about and focus on.”

I have lost the zeal for writing but I keep praying that one day I will be back.

The group at a small New Year’s eve dinner party which I attended lamented the disappearance of basic manners among many young people. A simple a thing as saying thank you for a gift at a Christmas party is no longer in vogue. Furthermore, it appears as though the recipient takes the gesture of giving a gift for granted and fails to appreciate the generosity, kindness and thoughtfulness which emanates within the giver.

The Social Partners desire, through their association in a Social Compact, to create a modern, efficient economy which is able to (1) produce high and sustainable economic growth accompanied by increased employment, (2) establish through low inflation an equilibrium between prices and incomes, (3) achieve a society which enjoys a greater degree of inclusiveness in all its facets and (4) engender a conscious and deliberate effort to distribute equitably the benefits of economic growth.