##Happy Independence, Bahamas!##
Today The Bahamas celebrates 42 years of Independence. Celebrations abound, under the theme, *“Our Children, Our Future”*.
In his address to the nation on this auspicious occasion, Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie called on Bahamians all across our archipelago come together to celebrate . *“I urge you to become ever more personally committed to the task of nation-building, one citizen at a time. There is no one else in the world who can do this for us. We must do it ourselves. That’s what Independence is all about. That’s what mastering our own destiny really means.”*
The Prime Minister reflected on the heroic struggles and sacrifices of the men and women who committed themselves to the ideals of Independence and made it a reality. *“It is also worth reflecting”*, he said, *“on the post-independence generation, those citizens who have lived in a free and independent nation over the course of the past 42 years and who by their exemplary commitment to the common good have given renewed meaning to the ideals of Independence and national sovereignty.”*
Dame Marguerite Pindling, Governer General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas asked Bahamians to rejoice “*in our accomplishments with jubilation, and re-committing ourselves to the further development of our Sovereign Country.”* She commented on the appropriateness of the theme, given that the majority of Bahamians are under the age of 25 years.*”Our young Bahamians are the leaders of the future, and it is essential that they be well equipped in order to build on the foundation already established, and which, properly nurtured, will carry The Bahamas forward in the years to come.”*