The people of Montserrat will get an opportunity to see the CARICOM Torch of Unity from May 7-9, 2003. Confirmation of this has come from officials in the Office of the Chief Minister and the Sports Officer, Fitzroy Buffonge.
The Torch is scheduled to arrive in Montserrat on the morning of May 7 on the ferry from Antigua.
According to the Sports Officer, two local athletes ( male and female) will run with the Torch from the port at Little Bay to Government Headquarters. The torch will be displayed at Government Headquarters until May 9 before it is returned on the ferry to Antigua.
Members of the public will be allowed to view the torch while it is on display.
A short ceremony is being planned for May 7 to provide some background on Montserrat’s involvement as a full member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) family.
The CARICOM Torch of Unity is one of the elements of the programmes of activities commemorating this year – the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Caribbean Community and Common Market.
The Torch of Unity Run is taking place in every member state and associate member of CARICOM. It is intended to heighten awareness of the Integration Movement and to involve as many representatives of the various sectors of the community at the national level, including young people and the sports community.
The CARICOM Torch of Unity was lit at the opening ceremony of the Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government held in Trinidad and Tobago on 14 February 2003 by the Prime Minister of the twin-island Republic Patrick Manning. Since then, the Torch has successfully done its tour through Suriname, Guyana, Barbados, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia and Dominica.
According to the schedule released by the Caricom Secretariat, the Torch should be currently in St Kitts and Nevis before moving on to Antigua and Barbuda on April 30.
It is expected the Torch will complete its journey in July and will be handed over to the then Chairman of Caricom, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson of Jamaica, at the conference of the Heads of Government in Montego Bay.
The carriage of the Torch is being facilitated by the airlines that fly the Caribbean skies namely BWIA, LIAT, Carib Star, Air Jamaica, Suriname Airways, Bahamas Air, American Airways and Air France
Office of the Chief Minister
Brades, Montserrat
