Gonsalves wins ‘Democracy Prize’ for 2005

Dr Ralph Gonsalves
Photo: Kenton Chance

Thursday,  December 8, 2005

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: The New York based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) on Saturday, December 3, 2005, announced that Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, has won the prestigious “Democracy Prize” for 2005. 

The announcement was made on New York’s WWRL Radio by the Institute’s President, Rickford Burke on the Radio show, “Caribbean Views,” hosted by Rennie Bishop. The announcement was aired live by a number of Radio Stations in St Vincent and the Grenadines. 

“The Prime Minister was selected for his extraordinary contribution to the development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Caribbean region as a whole; for implementing policies and programs which have stimulated economic development and have led to the expansion of the economy; for creating the conditions for the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines to enjoy a higher standard of living; for conforming to the principles of good governance and the democratic way of life; and finally for his resolute leadership and firm commitment to CARICOM and Caribbean integration,” Burke explained. 

“Today the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines have good reason to celebrate. Their Prime Minister’s contribution to the development of their country and the region has now been indelibly etched into the annals of history. “Comrade Ralph” as the Prime Minister is affectionately called, has made his mark as a distinguished leader and Caribbean icon. He is a luminary who has enjoyed a meritorious and expansive career as a student leader and activist, writer, teacher, academic, Trade Union advisor, Barrister-at-Law, politician, regionalist and Prime Minister. The conferment of “The Democracy Prize” on Prime Minister Gonsalves, therefore, honors his lifetime of public service, dedication to country and region and his professional investments in educating and developing the minds of the youth of the region”, Burke said. 

The only two previous recipients of The Democracy Prize are: the 2003 winner, Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and, the 2004 winner, The Owen Arthur, Prime Minister of Barbados.

The CGID President said “the criteria to qualify for The Prize as outlined in the Protocol are: the practice of good governance, the achievement of human, economic, cultural, political and national development; respect for human rights and freedoms and upholding the rule of law, the facilitation of a harmonious, open society in which there is social equality and fair opportunity for all citizens to live prosperous, fulfilling lives, and protection of and respect for the poor and underprivileged. Indeed the Prime Minister has convincingly satisfied every criterion.” 

Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reported that the policies and programs implemented by the Prime Minister and his administration have stimulated steady economic growth.

Under the stewardship of Dr. Gonsalves, the economy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is estimated to have grown by 3.2% in 2002, 3.5% in 2004 and 5.4% in 2004.

The economy has been expanded from heavy dependency on the Banana Industry to a more diversified, multi-sector economy. Inflation remains under control at about 3%. Over 6,000 new jobs have been created. There has been a reduction in unemployment, underemployment and poverty. GDP has increased from 904 million (EC) in 2000 to 1.2 billion (EC) in 2004. 

The Prime Minister has initiated a sustainable development strategy which includes policies and programs to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal early childhood education and childcare; attain universal primary education; attain gender equality and the empowerment of women, and to develop low income/affordable housing and enhanced public assistance for the disadvantaged.

His poverty alleviation policy is driven by job creation and other youth empowerment services which have reduced unemployment among young people. 

Under Dr. Gonsalves’ leadership, the health sector has been reformed and spending as a share of GDP increased to 4.1 %, the second highest in the OECS. The World Bank reports that as of 2004, social and health indicators were good for the levels of GDP per capita and that those indicators are among the best in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Prime Minister has established measures to achieve service efficiency in the health sector, and has increased government funding to help meet the population’s demand for comprehensive health care.

The Gonsalves administration has also been reforming the education sector at all levels. From 2001 to 2005 the government achieved approximately 96 % universal secondary school education, with enrollments increasing from about 7000 in 2000 to 14000 in 2005.

The Prime Minister has increased education spending to 5.8% of GDP and embarked on a major reform project to expand and improve primary, secondary and tertiary education; to rehabilitate existing and to create new infrastructure, and also to introduce information technology and improve curricula in schools. 

Prime Minister Gonsalves has not only implemented policies that have stimulated economic growth and human development, but he has governed generally in conformity with the principles of good governance.

He has consolidated the democratic culture and continues to promote an open, orderly society in which there is improved opportunity for growth and prosperity and where there is social justice and respect for the rule of law.

He has strengthened political democracy through transparency in governance, civic participation, rationalization and modernization of the government to make it more efficient and responsive, elimination of corruption in government, strengthening the of Parliament and constitutional reform. 

Prime Minister Gonsalves has enhanced the polity of that nation and has been an advocate for the fair administration of justice. He has enhanced the administration of justice by establishing a program for the state to provide legal counsel for citizens accused of certain capital offences, and has piloted enabling legislation for St. Vincent and the Grenadines to ascend to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). 

Dr. Gonsalves is unquestionably committed to CARICOM and Caribbean integration. He is a Caribbean icon and a member of our intelligentsia whose contribution to the development of the region is outstanding.

He is the Caricom Head with responsibility for Air Transportation and matters relating to the Banana industry. He is a voice of pragmatism and reason among CARICOM Heads. He is a charismatic leader and visionary who is completely dedicated to the socioeconomic advancement of his people. And he is a staunch advocate of human rights and justice.

The Democracy Prize:

“The Prize” is an illustrious award that celebrates the outstanding contribution of Caribbean nationals, or others, to the human, economic, social and political development of a nation and the Caribbean Region. Its conferment is a perfunctory recognition of the practice and promotion of good governance, democratic principles and the human rights and freedoms of the individual.” 

It was established by CGID in 2003, to honor eminent leaders who, through good governance, demonstrate a genuine appreciation for and recognition of the vitality of democracy to the development of free, open and prosperous societies in the Caribbean. This quality of leadership and governance is fundamentally important to the economic, social and political development of CARICOM nations.

It is essential for the strengthening and growth of regional integration. It should also be a catalyst for innovative and integral participation of Caribbean countries in the global community of free nations. At this juncture in twenty-first century world affairs, the practice of good governance has emerged as the decisive prerequisite and incentive for bilateral and multilateral economic, social and financial assistance.

Rickford Burke said “Good governance is a main pillar upon which the Institute was founded. CGID defines good governance as a system of government that includes: a transparent process of decision-making and implementation; the efficient, open management of public institutions, public affairs and public resources; the guarantee of human rights and social justice; the cultivation and sustenance of a polity that is free of abuse and corruption and fosters complete respect for the rule of law, and a fair, efficient judicial and criminal justice system. It is the conformity to these basic standards of governance that guides the selection process for The Democracy Prize.” 

The Institute’s President observed that “CGID’s ultimate goal is to develop The Prize into a coveted, internationally respected award and emblem of good governance and extraordinary leadership. We are well on our way to achieving this objective. Caribbean leaders, nationals and the Diaspora ought to be proud of “The Prize” and recognize its significance. It is an indigenous award of merit that was conceptualized and established by the Caribbean Diaspora. It is an original idea with its genesis in our Caribbean pride and ideology. It embodies the brilliance of our past, present and future leadership. Over time, The Prize will become part of our culture and psyche. We must therefore hold it in the highest regard as part of the emerging Caribbean identity.” He called on CARICOM, regional governments, civil society, the religious community, the professions, academia, the media and every citizen, to all help to promote The Democracy Prize as the “Nobel Prize” of our region. Collectively we must extol and embrace the virtues it represents. Most importantly, we must all recognize and celebrate its recipients. 

Reacting to the announcement, Prime Minister Gonsalves, in a live interview with the host of “Caribbean Views” Rennie Bishop, said “It is good to get recognition by the British, but it is much better to get it from your own people. I am happy to follow the footsteps of Patrick Manning and Owen Arthur.”

He said “I seek not just to modernize St. Vincent and the Grenadines and to deepen the political expression of our Caribbean civilization, but to modernize the country in a manner which is in the interest of the people.” He also thanked the Institute for bestowing him with the prestigious award and said he looked forward to attending the Award Ceremony on February 4, 2006. 

Responding to a question from Bishop on whether he has achieved some of the goals he had set to bring St. Vincent and the Grenadines more into the 21st century, Dr. Gonsalves said “I mark my days of political involvement from October 16th, 1968, when I was a leader of the student’s union at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, when Walter Rodney was banned from returning to Jamaica to teach at the university. I led a massive protest of students and other persons against the action of the then Jamaican Labor Party government. From that moment onwards, I resolved that I will set down my bucket to fight for democracy; to fight against arbitrary government; fight for regional integration; broadly speaking for the ennoblement of our Caribbean civilization; for our own self determination as a people; and for the respect of ourselves and our dignity. And that has basically been the focus of my life’s work. I became Prime Minister and I simply continued my work in that regard. I am very grateful to be considered and to be awarded this particular Prize, The Democracy Prize for 2005, by the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy.”

The Prime Minister told his New York and Caribbean listeners, including Vincentians, “I seek not just to modernize St. Vincent and the Grenadines and to deepen the political expression of our Caribbean civilization, but to modernize the country in a manner which is in the interest of the people. You can have modernity; but modernity is just a replica of some Western civilization outpost. That is not what I am for. I am for using modern technology, modern science and apply that technology and science within our own context. Within the context of the Caribbean and to develop our people in a way where we are fit to receive and transmit universal culture, but to the Caribbean particularity.”

Speaking about the performance of his government the Prime Minister said “in 2001 the British government gave my government debt relief of $12M on the basis of its good governance, on the basis of its focused approach to poverty reduction, and on the basis of its policies in weighing down heavily against official corruption. They had in fact denied the previous government debt relief on precisely those grounds; that they have not been addressing poverty, corruption and good governance satisfactorily. They give me that relief for one (1) year first just after five (5) months in office, and a year later, they give me complete debt relief under the Commonwealth Debt Initiative on the account of my work, and my government’s work in addressing issues of good governance, poverty reduction and official corruption.”

The CGID’s Democracy Prize Award Ceremonies and State Dinner will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2006, at 7:30 P.M., at the elite El Caribe Country Club, 5945 Strickland Avenue, Mill Basin, Brooklyn, New York.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Ralph Gonsalves was elected Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on March 28, 2001 and Political Leader of the Unity Labor Party (ULP) on December 6, 1998. Prior to his election, he was opposition Leader from October 1, 1999 to 2001. 
Dr Gonsalves, known affectionately as "Comrade Ralph”, was born in a rural village at Colonarie, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, on August 8, 1946, to his father, Alban Gonsalves (a farmer and small businessman, now deceased) and his mother, Theresa Francis (a small businesswoman). His foreparents came to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 1845 as indentured servants from the Portuguese-ruled Island of Madeira, some 300 kilometers off the north-west coast of Morocco.

Ralph Gonsalves attended the Colonarie Roman Catholic Primary School and then the St. Vincent Boys’ Grammar School. Thereafter, he attended the University of the West Indies (U.W.I.) (Jamaica) where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Masters degree in Government. He then attended Victoria University of Manchester, United Kingdom, where he read for his Ph.D. degree in Government. During his doctoral studies at Manchester he spent one year at Makerere University, Uganda (East Africa) as a Research Associate conducting research work for his doctoral dissertation entitled "The Political Economy of Trade Unions and Industrial Relations in Uganda, 1950 – 1971.” He then successfully pursued a Degree of Utter Barrister (Law degree) at Gray’s Inn, London.

At University, Ralph Gonsalves participated fully in a range of activities including: student politics; public-speaking and debating; cricket; steelband (He was a tenor-pan player for the University steelband); and journalism for the student newspaper. During this time he was the recipient of many student awards, including "The Student of the Year Prize for 1969 at U.W.I. (Mona Campus)." He represented U.W.I. at the American Debating Championships; and he was elected President of the Guild of Undergraduates (the student body) at the same university. He was the first Vincentian student at U.W.I (Mona) to have been "Student of the Year", Championship Debater, and Guild President. Dr. Gonsalves is also the recipient of the full color Award of Excellence for debating at UWI (1968), Student of the Year Award for being the student (academics and extra curricula) at UWI in 1968, and the Neol Nethersole Prize in Government for being the best government student at UWI in 1969. 

Ralph Gonsalves has enjoyed an expansive and distinguished career in public service in both St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Caribbean Region. He began his career as a teacher at Bishops College in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1965, before tutoring in Political Science at UWI from 1969-1974. He also lectured in Government at UWI (Jamaica) from 1974-1976, and in Government and Sociology at UWI (Barbados) from 1976-1979, before assuming the position of Visiting Professor at Queens College, Queens, New York, in 1980.

As a Barrister-at-Law and Solicitor, Dr. Gonsalves has practiced before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the field of constitutional law, administrative law, contract law, matrimonial law and law of tort generally. For the past twenty-five years, he has been a Trade Union advisor and educator in the Caribbean. He is known as a public educator and consummate academic internationally, and had written scholarly and analytical articles in major publications in the Caribbean and around the world. He has also published extensively on Africa, trade unionism, comparative political economy and sustainable development. His two latest publications are “History and the Future: A Caribbean Perspective” and “The Politics of Our Caribbean- Essays and Speeches.”

He is married to Eloise Gonsalves nee Harris, a Trinidadian of Dominican parentage, who is a graduate of the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill campus Barbados) in English and French and of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Dr. Gonsalves is the father of five children (Camillo 33, Adam 24, Isis 16, Storm 12 and Soleil 10). He and his wife are practicing Roman Catholics.

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