Dear SIr:

We recently suffered a great loss on our tiny island of Nevis. The sudden death of Mr. Malcolm Guishard, former Deputy Premier of Nevis of the opposition party CCM (Concerned Citizen Movement), has left a tremendous hole in the heart of our souls. Yet it’s a road we must travel to begin to heal, to grow and to learn how to become better people, a better nation and a brighter hope for the future. At the time of his passing, Mr Guishard was the Leader of the Opposition in the Federal Parliament and was a participating member of the Electoral and Constitutional Reform Committee.

Malcolm was a visionary who saw the tiny dot on the map of the Caribbean territory as a glimmer of hope in the global world who endowed great beauty, spirited people and love of our own fellow Nevisians. What the Sibonays, the Arawaks and Caribs found then, what Christopher Columbus tried to articulate Nieves( which means snow in Spanish - were actually clouds covering Nevis Peak) Mr Guishard triumphantly brought to the forefront in his passions to pursue a good life for all his fellow people.

Former Premier, Vance Amory who spoke of his dear friend was quoted: “He was a true patriot and statesman who became with the rest of the leadership and membership of the CCM party one of the architects of the social, economic and political transformation…of Nevis.

"His leadership and initiative in the revitalization of the Tourism industry is clear for all to see and even his fiercest critics have come to admit now in his death that this is the case.”

What is alarming to me though is that I have not seen any coverage of his death, a prominent political figure of the Caribbean – Malcolm Guishard, former Deputy Premier of Nevis -- mentioned on caribbeannetnews.com. I must say I’m a little puzzled. Perhaps my people are so distraught that no one thought to publicize our grief to the world. But I can’t help it! I feel his spirit, his passion, his visions to take the tiny dot to the next level in the global world. Politics is never an easy path to travel but Malcolm maneuvered it with such grace and dignity you knew he had a special gift for it.

Caribbeannetnews.com is a great source of information for me in staying in touch with what’s happening in the Caribbean. I enjoy reading about my people, not just Nevis & St.Kitts but any part of the region that has made the headlines. My hope is that we can continue to uplift and shine light on the smaller dots, the under-privileged, and the average man -- just like Malcolm. He will be missed greatly throughout all of in Nevis and St. Kitts.

The State Service for Malcolm Earl Guishard born January, 13, 1952 and died June, 11, 2007 was held at Grove Park in Charlestown on Wednesday morning, June 20, 2007.

Rhonda Mitchell