| AGRICULTURE:For
many years we have noticed how many of our mis-leaders have neglected farming.
All of the Caribbean islands have good, fertile, farm land. Yet everyday
you can see us depending on the importation of most of our basic food products!
We are paying high prices for foods that we can grow right here, locally.
We are mainly talking about common vegetables, such as carrots. Imagine,
we are buying carrots grown in the United States, when we could be growing
them right here! We understand that we must trade because we cannot
grow everything that we need, but basic vegetables? Haile Selassie
addressed this topic when he said:
"From
the beginnings of recorded history, right up to the medieval ages, and
even as late as the industrial age in which we live, agriculture has always
constituted the fundamental source of wealth for the human race, and only
when a solid base has been laid for our country's commercial and industrial
growth can we insure the attainment of the ultimate goal of our development
programme, namely a high standard of living of Our People. Commerce
and industry can only develop and profit from existing resources, but cannot
actually create things which did not exist before." from Selected
Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I.
We
had mentioned that we were seeking some land from the Department of Agriculture
in St. Croix. Well, we have now received a small plot from the government
to do some farming. Now we'll truly be able to fulfill our farming
goals!
Education:
My
father always said to I, "John, education is a treasure, seek for it by
any means necessary. A man doesn't have to go to a university to
achieve a real education, yet he must attend some kind of institution to
get a legal qualification . . . to be able to teach in the system."
I, Ras Untunga, first President of the Ras Makonnen Local No. 5, never
made it to a college or university. So to speak on Education, one
of our most important objectives, I will simply quote from the Selected
Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, page 13. Here's
what His Majesty said on higher education and the need for leader ship:
"We
all know that the need for good leadership in every way of life is much
greater today than ever before. Every aspect of living demands guiding
hands: business, the professions, the fine arts, the mechanical arts, all.
And all of you, young people, who have been given the enriching opportunity
of an advanced education will in the future be called upon to shoulder
in varying degrees the responsibilities of leading and serving the nation.
It is important, however, to remember that leadership does not mean domination.
The world is always well supplied with people who wish to rule and dominate
others. The true leader is of a different sort: he seeks effective
activity which has a truly beneficient purpose. He inspires others
to follow in his wake, and holding aloft the torch of wisdom, leads the
way for society to realize its genuinely great aspirations. You have learnt
from your study of history that the story of nations is often told in terms
of the accomplishments of individuals. In every significant event
in history, you will find a courageous and determined leader, an inspiring
goal or objective, and an adversary who sought to foil his efforts. In
any normal society, every one has some opportunity to show himself as a
leader. Even the mechanic or clerk who has an assistant assigned to him,
not to speak of the doctor with all his helpers, or the officer who commands
his troops, is a leader. Within his own sphere, each has the same
opportunities for showing ability and the same potential satisfactions
as has the leader of a government. The leader is marked out by his
individual craftsmanship, his sensibility and insight, his initiative and
energy."
Haile
Selassie I indicated that all ones have the potential to be leaders, to
be able to help the people--especially for the younger ones to inherit
a good educational base and structure--for all their future developments.
This is why we, at Local # 5, take stock to put in place under our Education
committee the task to visit the high schools and the universities in our
area and look for members who can promote this effort, and help build a
more grassroots approach to higher education. At the Ras Makonnen Local,
we intend to have:
(1)
After school computer training classes: This way we can help those youths
who might not be able to afford this genuine opportunity. This, so
they may learn more than what they do from limited school programs.
(2)
Language studies: For instance, Amharic, one of the world's oldest languages
(of Ethiopia); Spanish or French, which are so significant in our neighborhoods;
Hebrew, which is another of the older languages; and any other linguistic
objective that we can handle in the future.
(3)
Film Festivals: It is known throughout the world that film is a positive
way with which to disseminate and educate, especially in the arts and cultural
experiences of different countries of the world. We intend to show
many films of great interest to all.
(4)
Agricultural Research: Sometimes even in farming one has to learn certain
techniques to help raise the standard of the food one is producing.
We need to learn how to grow more and better crops so we can be able to
trade in the existing markets of the world, yet still protect our farming
industry as a whole.
We
at the Local will endeavor in every way to fulfill our objectives. Our
Education Objective will continue to grow . . . In closing, let me quote
again from the Selected Speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie
I, who said,
"Education
and the quest for knowledge stop only at the grave . . . "
Arts
& crafts: I,
once gain, write on another important aim and objective of the Ras Makonnen
Local No. 5 . It is to help our local artisans showcase their
talents by creating and marketing crafts right at the local site.
I have seen many brethren and sisthren in the Virgin Islands drawing and
creating original crafts that could be sold to our many visitors.
Some of the proceeds from the sale of these original, local pieces, could
be used to channel our youth interested in learning this area of work,
to find expression through their own creations.
One
idea would be to establish an after-school program for young people, and
all those interested in craftsmanship, using our earned proceeds and other
donations. A long-range plan would be to establish a craftshop area
that would also include a gallery and exhibition hall. Our brothers
and sisters could then design and create bowls, pictures, walking sticks,
mortars & pestles, clocks, chairs, and other practical items to be
sold, all right at the local!
These
goals and objectives are taking shape, and are growing daily, as the Local
matures and grows. We have other aims and objectives that we will
post in the future.
Meanwhile,
Jah Ras Tafari Guide Us All, as we develop our locals in the Virgin Islands
and world wide.
Ras
Untunga I
|