British high commissioner opens line of cooperation with HMC

WESTERN BUREAU:

British High Commissioner Alicia Herbert has opened a line of cooperation with the administrators and staff at the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC).

Herbert, who began her tour of duty just over a year ago, has outlined plans to visit all the municipalities across the islands as a way of developing an understanding of the local government bodies operate and to see what avenues exist for collaboration.

“So, I have been making my way across all the parishes of Jamaica, and this is the most western part of the country that we have come to so far,” she said during her visit to the HMC on Thursday.

Herbert said she has set herself the task of visiting all the parishes with a view to understanding the “rhythm” of the country.

“I think that to be an effective high commissioner, I need to understand Jamaica, I need to understand what sits under the skin of people here, how it moves, how it breathes, the rhythm of this country,” she said. “I think to do that one must go from parish to parish, and each parish has its own personality as it were.”

Her meeting with the HMC team and other officials from the parish was attended by Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels, the chairman of the HMC; David Gardner, chief executive officer of the HMC; Hanover Custos Lennox Anderson-Jackson; and Heatha Miller-Bennett, member of parliament for Hanover Western.

The discussions revolved around establishing partnerships in projects, technical cooperation, knowledge sharing, heritage preservation, and skills development and education among other subject areas.

Giving an insight into what Hanover is like, Samuels told Herbert that while it is the second smallest parish in Jamaica, the people of the parish are immensely proud of their rich history, vibrant tourism sector, agricultural roots, and their resilient communities.

“We look forward to building a future grounded in mutual respect and shared goals,” he said, naming the revitalisation of the Hanover-Nottingham Friendship Agreement, which was signed on March 2, 2007, as a project he would like to see re-energised.

“We kindly ask for the high commission’s support in re-establishing dialogue with the Nottingham City Council to breathe new life into this partnership,” said Samuels. “We view today’s introductory visit as a strong foundation for ongoing collaboration in education, youth development cultural preservation, and sustainable local economic development.”

Herbert said the request would be looked into.

Anderson-Jackson also spoke to Hanover’s endearing qualities, noting that its greatness is not measured by its size but by the strength of its people, the richness of its heritage, and the boundless possibilities of its future.

“Your visit today represents more than a diplomatic courtesy, it is a meaningful expression of friendship, good will, and the enduring relationship between Jamaica and the United Kingdom,” he told the high commissioner. “Our two nations share longstanding historical, cultural and educational people to people connections, so we value the opportunities for continued cooperation, and mutual respect and partnerships that contribute positively to the advancement of our people.”

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