Mama Vilma Arceo and her National hero... Hon. George C. Price... R.I.P. Long ago in San Pedro
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of The Right Honourable George Cadle Price
Happy Birthday Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price!
Written with Love by Zoila Palma Gonzalez
Today marks the birthday of the Father of our Nation, Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price. Price was also the founder of the Great People’s United Party and the Belize Times Newspaper. We bade farewell to his physical self on September 19, 2011 but his life-long contributions to Belize remain forever grounded in our hearts. Price’s life in politics teaches us that the true meaning of being a Leader is by always being a servant of our people. He nurtured this nation and saw it through some of the hardest of times, including the fight for Independence and standing firm in relations regarding Guatemala’s unfounded claim to Belize. Price defended Belize along every step of the way. In his own words: “The Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of Belize, is NOT for negotiation, nor for arbitration and not for litigation. "
Price was elected to serve in the town board six times, he was elected in the Legislative council and served from 1954 to 1961. Price served in the Legislative council until 1984. He also served as First Minister from 1954 to 1961. Price then served as Premier until 1981 and then as Prime Minister until 1984. From 1989 to 1983, he again served as Prime Minister of Belize.
Throughout his life, Price won many awards and was recognized as the Father of the Nation for leading the struggle to gain Belize’s Independence and on that faithful night ON September 20, 1981, when the Union Jack was lowered and the Belizean flag was lifted for the first time, it was until then that Belizeans felt the real meaning of belonging to a free, sovereign and Independent nation. The air was filled with the gleeful spirit of unity and nationhood. Our great grandfathers and grandfathers, grand uncles and aunts can vividly recall this day and every year as we celebrate our Independence day, we must remember the struggle that Price led for each and every Belizean to have the right to vote and the right to self-government.
Price’s attributes including his love for Belize allowed him to garner support from Central American and Caribbean countries for Belize’s quest in becoming an Independent Nation. In 2000, Price was honored with the highest order of distinction, the order of National hero. My wish is that the legacy of his selflessness, his spirit of giving and enthusiasm to serve the people of his nation continue to be taught to our young Belizeans.
On his birthday, may we all remember his endless love for Belize, his call for UNITY among our people and service to our community, our nation and our people the way he taught us. His life continues to inspire Belizeans young and old and his legacy lives on in our hearts forever.
Let us continue the Peaceful Constructive Belizean Revolution! Long Live Belize! Que Viva Belize! Thank you and Happy Birthday our National Hero, Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price.
100 Years of George Cadle Price
by Lisa M. Shoman
Today marks the 100th Anniversary of the birth of the Right Honorable George Cadle Price on January 15, 1919.
The man who we now call the Father of the Nation was not always universally revered nor was he uniformly prized for his just achievements during his lifetime.
In fact, it was not until after his death on September 19, 2011, that the tributes and praise came pouring in, from a grieving nation in which all then realized the extent of our loss.
Today is one of celebration and commemoration for the life of one remarkable man, who with a singular vision and a determination of purpose, held our hands and walked with us to our independent destiny, to achieve the birth of a sovereign nation, with its territorial integrity intact.
To be sure, he did not do this alone, and he was always careful to ensure that Belizeans understood that all our collective effort was going to be necessary in order to build our nation.
One of his best-known poems exhorts and reminds us that “Nation building is a task for giants.” It is clear that George Price expected us Belizeans, ordinary and extraordinary, to BE giants, to work at the task, without “looking out to sea.”
On reflecting in the last few days on the life and achievements of the Father of our Nation, and thinking about the upcoming referendum, I was comforted by one thought: that Price never took either the praise or the vilification to heart, and he certainly never allowed either to distract him from his central purpose – building a nation.
There must have been many times when he felt exhaustion and despair, but he never permitted either emotion to derail his purpose. Being human, he must have felt fear, but as a devout man of faith, he never allowed fear to rule or govern him nor his actions.
You see, Presho had faith in the US, in the ability and capacity of Belizeans to be nation builders. He expected us to do the work, and to do so with the same passion and singular purpose that he had, and without fear.
All the histories and biographies about Price say the same thing that he knew that his cause was just and that he did not falter or fail to focus on achievement of that purpose: our independence with our territory intact.
There were so many who predicted economic and political failure, invasion, who said that we were not ready, and warned that without a defense guarantee that we were doomed.
GCP heard it all, including the voices of those who called him a traitor and accused him of selling out to Guatemala, and still, he moved steadily towards September 21, 1981, unshaken.
He did so, despite the protestations of a prominent political leader who went to the UN, fueled by doubt and fear, to say that Belize should not proceed to independence until there was a settlement of the unfounded Guatemalan claim.
Price would not permit Guatemala any such veto over our national destiny. And even though he knew that we would not get the defense guarantee that we wanted, armed with the UN Resolution passed in the General Assembly on November 11, 1980, and approved by 139 votes in favor, 7 abstentions and none against, with all Security Council members voting for it, moved ahead to Independence Day.
None of us are born without doubt and fear, but it is what we do despite that doubt, in spite of the fear that really matters. George Price acted. And we became a nation, sovereign and free with all our territory intact, 37 years, three months and 26 days ago.
If you truly want to honor George Cadle Price and his legacy to our nation, then fulfill his faith in us and build our nation. Build our nation by overcoming your fear and doubt, stop looking out to sea hoping for salvation from elsewhere, pick up your tools and follow the Father of our Nation.
Words are not enough. Work is required. And the time is now. You are the builder
Photograph by Kay Scott
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