HE THE GOVERNOR'S 2001 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Christmas is important to people for many different reasons. For Jane and I, who have spent a lot of time traveling around the world, one of the special things about Christmas is the stimulus it provides for reunions with family and friends. I am happy to say that we have got at least some of our family here with us this Christmas and judging by the number of people I have seen recently arriving on the ferry and helicopter many of you watching or listening have as well.

I also imagine that you, like us, are spending the time looking back on the past year and speculating as to what the future holds.

For me, looking back at the time since we first arrived in May, several events stand out. One, of course, is September 11th. As many Montserratians have family and friends in the US, I know this will be true for you as well.

Another event, closer to home, was the volcano dome collapse on 29 July. This gave us our first real taste of the problems of living with ash, and reminded everyone that the volcano is as active and potentially dangerous as ever. But the general message I took away from this experience was a positive one. This was the second biggest event in the volcano's history, but no-one was injured and normal life on Montserrat was only disrupted for a day or so. This shows me that, as a result of the crisis programme of reorganisation and rebuilding, Montserrat can now cope with its volcano.

Another event which stands out for me is the award of the first Montserratian knighthood to Sir Howard Fergus and the week of activities which was organised recently by the Chief Minister's Office in honour of this. This not only provided a fitting tribute to an exceptional man, but also demonstrated to Jane and I, and I hope to others, the depth and variety of the cultural and intellectual talent which still exists on this island.

The CARIPLAY festival and, in particular, the performance of "ASH" which we saw at the Vue Pointe Hotel had the same effect. We were hugely impressed by the quality of this. It is one of my hopes for next year that we can get "ASH" to tour the UK. I am sure it would get a wonderful reception, as did the Emerald Community Singers in their tour of England this summer.

I would also like to say a word about sport. It is one of my greater sadnesses that we did not arrive on Montserrat in time to see the South Africans playing the West Indies here. This must have been a crowning moment for all the cricket lovers who had worked so hard to rehabilitate Salem Park. This sort of event is not only enjoyable and good for the island's morale; it is the most effective way of telling the world that Montserrat is not a deserted and dangerous volcanic island, but a beautiful and green potential tourist destination. We must try and get some similar events.

In the same vein, can I congratulate the Football Association on their membership of FIFA and on getting underway their state of the art stadium which should be a great boost, not only to sport, but also to the economy.

Something else this year which has greatly impressed me is the drive for Community Policing. This is having considerable effect on relations between the community and the police, and on Montserrat's ability to tackle head on issues such as domestic violence and child abuse. I would like therefore to congratulate the Commissioner of Police, his Deputy, all his officers and police men and women not only for what they have done for community policing but also for their hard work and dedication to all members of the community during the year. The same goes for their colleagues in the Fire Service.

The Royal Montserrat Defence Force too, deserve our congratulations on their progress since they resumed activities earlier this year. Their Parade on the Queen's Birthday gave great pleasure to me and, I am sure, the many others watching. In this context let me also mention the Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and Pathfinders for their splendid contribution to a noteworthy occasion.

One of the aspects of life on Montserrat which has most impressed Jane and I is the non-governmental sector - the NGOs. I have stressed on several occasions the vital role I believe these organisations and their active membership play in helping this island overcome the social disruption caused by the volcanic crisis. I and my staff at the Governor's Office will continue to do all we can to encourage and support the work of these organisations. Earlier this year I organised an NGO forum to explain what sort of projects we were looking for and were able to fund. We had a good turn out which led to ideas for some interesting new projects. But there is still room for more.

Christmas is a time not only for reunions but for giving thanks to those who have helped us. On behalf of Jane and myself, I would like to thank all in Montserrat who have offered advice and friendship and who have helped us get used to and enjoy life on Montserrat and put us in a position where we, like others, can do our bit to help the island. I would like, in particular, to thank members of the Government and senior officials. The last seven months have been a fascinating experience, at times challenging but also often rewarding. And already, Montserrat seems like our second home.

Let me here also express my appreciation to all the Civil Servants. We all rely on them and they do a wonderful job. I hope no-one begrudges them their month's Christmas salary bonus. They have thoroughly deserved it.

The same goes for the doctors, nurses and health staff and for the teachers. I was impressed when told by a visiting expert that, despite all the disruption caused by the volcano, educational standards on Montserrat are still among the highest in the region. This is a real tribute to the dedication and professionalism of our teaching staff at all levels. Jane and I have visited the schools here on several occasions and at all we met a warm welcome with music, poetry, smiling faces and intelligent questions and came away with the feeling that schools here are happy places.

The health service has had a difficult year with the disruption caused by unexpected vacancies in key senior medical positions. But through professionalism and dedication they have come through well and ensured that the hospital and other medical services to the community remained at a high standard. Nurses, doctors and all our health staff deserve our warm thanks and gratitude.

In this roll call of thanks, one cannot forget the service given by our Prison Warders. They have a difficult task dealing with those who have fallen foul of our laws and have to work in far from ideal conditions. A special thank you to all these dedicated men and women.

Let me here also mention another dedicated and professional team, the Scientists and technical staff at the MVO. On a small island like this, no one is far away from the volcano. To live safely in these conditions, we need quality advice from experts available round the clock. From our present team we get this and they have my thanks.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the staff in my Office and at Government House. I hope our arrival has not involved too painful a process of adjustment. And also to DFID. As one drives round the island now one can see the Lookout Sheltered Housing and Day Care Centre, the St John's Clinic, the Police Headquarters, Fire Station and LDA building at Brades as well as the new MVO building in Flemmings all taking shape. All these projects started since I arrived, and the fact that they are progressing so quickly is a tribute to officials in the Government of Montserrat and DFID, backed up these days by good relations between the Government here and Ministers in Whitehall. This was reflected in the outcome of the recent policy talks with DFID here which resulted in Montserrat getting a greater say in running its own affairs.

Now let me take a short look into the future. One of the most important decisions affecting the island's future has already been taken - the decision to site the new airport at Gerald's. I have given my view and remain confident that Gerald's was the right decision. However, I know that there are a few of you who still feel that a mistake has been made. But I would ask everyone now to rally round with the aim of getting this project completed as soon as possible. It is the key to Montserrat's economic future.

Things on Montserrat are getting better. But they can get a lot better yet - even while the volcano is still active. Our priority must be to mobilise the private sector and get this island a regular income of its own. One obvious area is tourism - something Montserrat knows well and where there is still a wonderful product if we could just get it better known. The Government and Tourist Board are obviously working on this. We must all try and help them.

One particular event which we must think about next year is the opening of the new volcano observatory building at Flemmings. The volcano is not just a threat. It is potentially an enormous attraction for tourists, if we can let them know what is on offer and convince them it can be safely experienced.

I mentioned earlier that Christmas was a time for family and friends to get together. It is also a time when we should give a thought to those less fortunate than ourselves. There are still many disadvantaged in our community here - the unemployed, those still, six years after the beginning of the crisis, in emergency sub-standard accommodation, the elderly, the sick and the lonely. I urge everyone to try and do something over the holiday season to make sure that Christmas cheer spreads as widely as possible, particularly to those who are most in need of it. Visit an elderly person, someone in hospital or in prison, someone who might be lonely and without friends. Why not also make a resolution to do a little more of this next year so this becomes not just a holiday gesture, but something that makes a real difference.

Finally, can I conclude by wishing everyone on Montserrat, on behalf of Jane and myself, a very, very good Christmas and New Year. Enjoy the festivities, but keep everything in moderation so that our police, emergency services and hospital staff can enjoy their Christmas too.

I wish you all well.

BARONESS AMOS VISITS MONTSERRAT

Baroness Amos, the Minister with responsibilities for the U.K. Overseas Territories paid her first visit to Montserrat on Saturday 22, December 2001.

Her visit allowed her to maintain the constructive dialogue
with the Hon. Chief Minister, Mr John Osborne and the Government of Montserrat and to reaffirm Her Majesty's Government's committment to Montserrat and its people.

Baroness Valerie Amos was created a Life Peer in August 1997 and was appointed Parliamentary Under -
Secretary for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs on 11, June 2001.

She was formerly the Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission and has been a commentator on public policy issues and a member of a wide range of charities. In South Africa she was an advisor to the Government on public service transformation, human resource development, employment equity and human rights between 1995 and 1998.

During her one day visit to Montserrat she toured development projects including Lookout Housing, the new MVO, police and fire station sites, visited shelters and also visited the Montserrat National Trust.

In the January edition of the Montserrat Newsletter there will be a full report on Baroness Amos visit to the island.

OVERSEAS TERRITORIES DISASTER MANAGERS MEET

The National Disaster Co-ordinators of the British Overseas Territories (OT's) met in the British Virgin Islands for a two day planning workshop in late November.

At the opening ceremony, the Disaster Management Advisor to the Overseas Territories, Mr Roger Bellers said
"All the OT's have hazards and the capacity to address those hazards differ. There is room for improvement everywhere and through collaboration we can assist the futures of the OT's."

The workshop, sponsored by DFID, was designed to build OT ownership of the Network of Emergency Managers of Overseas Territories (NEMOT) initiative, to ensure future direction and to foster committment.

Over the course of 2002, NEMOT will focus on:

• Emergency Operation Centre Management Training
  
• Shelter Programme Development
  
• Warehouse Management
  
• Work Programme Development
  
• Evacuation Planning
  
• Training in Exercise Planning
  
• Revision of Oil Spill Response Plans
  
• Basic Training in Disaster Management for Community Organisations.
  

NEMOT was formed in June 2000 following a meeting of the National Co-ordinators to facilitate disaster management activities among OT's and to provide support by way of exchange of information, best practice,
training liasion, expertise and co-ordinated approaches to relevant organisations.

NGO MANAGEMENT COURSE COMES TO AN END

The Management of Non Government Organisations in Montserrat course was completed in mid December. The course, funded by a grant from the Governor's Office, was mounted by Partners of the Americas in collaboration with the University of the West Indies.

The 20 hour course saw participants from a variety of NGO's follow a programme featuring Management, Meeting Procedures, Project Planning, Leadership, Evaluation Techniques, Communications, & Fiscal Management amongst other topics.

Course Lecturers were drawn from a wide cross section of the island's NGO's, the Governor's Office, U.W.I., and Financial Institutions.

The purpose of the course was to prepare a cadre of qualified leaders in the NGO movement to allow the voluntary sector to be better equipped to access monies from funding agencies. The NGO's can now manage more
dynamic projects and implement them in a cost effective manner.

It is expected that the course will be repeated in 2002 so that even more leaders from the voluntary sector can be trained to run their NGO's more effectively.

MONTSERRAT SIGNS ST. GEORGES DECLARATION

Montserrat became the final OECS Member State to sign the St Georges Declaration of Principles for Environmental Sustainability in the OECS when the Minister with responsibilities for the Environment, the Hon. Margaret Dyer - Howe signed on the dotted line on Thursday 22, November.

The signing of the declaration came as part of the opening ceremony for the 5th meeting of the OECS Environmental Policy Committee (EPC) held at the Vue Pointe Hotel.

The St George's Declaration carries twenty one (21) principles. These principles will be effected through the implementation of a National Environmental Management Strategy in each OECS Member State as well as the OECS Environmental Management Strategy.

The EPC meeting was attended by Ministers of the Environment from throughout the region who sought to collectively prioritise initiatives in light of new and emerging issues in development. Montserrat will chair the EPC for the coming 12 months.

The Opening Ceremony also saw a cultural presentation from pupils of St Augustine's School and remarks from
George Goodwin the Acting Director of the OECS. The feature address was delivered by Hon Margaret Dyer - Howe and the vote of thanks came from Mr Gerald Gray, the Director of Agriculture here in Montserrat. The opening ceremony was chaired by Miss Ann Marie Dewar
the Permanet Secretary at the Minisstry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environment.

ASSISTANCE FOR CULTURE

A group of local musicians and calypsonians recently received funding of EC$6000 from the DFID Small Grants Scheme, administered by the Governor's Office, to record a CD of authentic Allioughana music.

The CD has now been released and during the first week of December several of the artists appearing on the recording met at the studios of ZJB to release the CD and to present 20 copies of it to the Montserrat Branch of the Red Cross.

The Red Cross now have the CD on sale (EC$40) and the proceeds will go towards the building of their new headquarters. The CD is a total local production with all material written in Montserrat, recorded by local musicians at a local studio and engineered by local sound technicians.

Images from the Red Cross children's Christmas party