Prime Minister The Honourable Baldwin Spencer

Address

at the Independence Youth Rally

October 29, 2004

at the

Antigua Recreation Grounds

Girls and Boys:

Young Antigua:

Whatever you do in your remaining days at school;

Whatever you do when you eventually leave school and enter the world of work;

You will look back on your schooldays and see them as the best time of your life.

It is very important that you make the best use of this time of your life.

With all the help you will get from your parents;

With all the help you will get from your teachers;

It is up to you to make the best use of the best time of your life.

Your country will do all that is possible to give you a good education.

It is your duty to do all that you can to be all that you can be.

All that you will be will depend on how hard you work on your education.

There is no substitute for hard work.

That applies to students as much as it applies to athletes and entertainers.

You might not have thought about it but there is also no substitute for speaking English.

I know how comfortable it is to talk in slang.

Slang will not get you very far in life.

You will not pass exams that you write in slang.

You will not get good jobs if your applications or your interviews are in slang.

It is said that image is everything.

Image has a lot to do with how you speak.

I want you to believe that any child in Antigua and Barbuda can grow up to become Prime Minister.

I got this job, and so can you.

However, you have to work hard for anything worth having.

The road ahead will not be easy.

Your journey through life will be very challenging.

As you travel through life, you must find time to help others.

You must respect your elders.

You must support your colleagues.

You must have faith in God.

You must have faith in yourself.

You must be prepared for disappointments.

You must remember that success is never final.

You can always do more.

You must remember that failure is never fatal.

You will always have other opportunities.

I want you to understand that the future of our nation is in your hands.

The Government is working to make Antigua and Barbuda a land of opportunity for all of our young people.

No one will be left out. No one will be left behind.

You are tomorrow’s leaders.

You will inherit the world.

Go bravely into the future.

Later on you will go bravely into the world.

As you go forth, I want you to take some words from the IGBO people of Nigeria with you.

Not to know is bad.

Not to want to know is worse.

Not to hope is unthinkable.

Not to care is unforgiveable.

I leave these words, these thoughts with you.

I also leave God’s blessings with you.

Happy Independence!