by Prime Minister the Hon. Dickon Mitchell
Theme: Anchored in Faith, Guided by Purpose
My fellow Grenadians, at home and across the diaspora, distinguished guests. Good afternoon, and may God’s grace continue to rest upon our beloved nation.
Today, we gather not merely to mark a date on a calendar, our 52nd anniversary of independence— but to renew a covenant — with God, with country, and with each other.
Fifty-two years ago, Grenada stepped forward into independence.
Not as a giant among nations, but as a people with courage in our hearts, faith in our souls, and hope in our hands. We did not know every challenge that lay ahead — but we trusted that the same God who carried us through slavery, colonialism, hurricanes, and hardship would guide us still.And He has.
Yet today, I say to you plainly: independence is not something we inherited; it is something we must practice.
Independence is not fireworks. Independence is not just our flag. Independence is not just a date. Independence is not a trophy we polish once a year. Independence is a decision — a decision we must make — every single day. It is a discipline. It is work.
Independence is a Deliberate Choice
Too often, independence is spoken of as freedom from — freedom from colonial rule, freedom from domination, freedom from control. But true independence is freedom for. Freedom to work. Freedom to build. Freedom to produce. Freedom to take responsibility for our own destiny. Independence is not permission to rest — it is a summons to labour.
Independence Is Work
Fifty-two years ago, when Grenada stepped forward into nationhood, that step did not promise comfort. It did not guarantee ease. It did not remove struggle. What it gave us was something more demanding. It gave us responsibility. It gave us ownership. It gave us work.
Independence did not hand us a finished house It handed us tools and said: “Go forth and Build.” Independence is not a hammock to rest in. It is a field. And a field does not feed you because it is free, it feeds you because it is worked.
And so, I say to every Grenadian listening: Freedom without effort is fragile. Freedom without discipline is dangerous. Freedom without productivity is temporary. If we want a strong Grenada, we must choose work over excuses, contribution over complaint, discipline over dependency. A nation that consumes more than it produces is like a tree that bears no fruit. It may be tall. It may be beautiful. But in the season of hunger, it cannot sustain its people.
If we are to honour the sacrifice of those who came before us, then every Grenadian must see independence as a personal assignment.
- To the farmer: Independence means productivity in the soil
- To the teacher: Independence means shaping minds with excellence
- To the public officer: Independence means service with integrity
- To the entrepreneur: Independence means innovation and risk
- To our young people: Independence means discipline before entitlement
Faith without Work is dead. And independence without productivity is hollow and empty.
Independence is a journey, not a date
My fellow Grenadians, so while today, 7th February 2026, is the marker, it is not the mission. Independence is our road to travel; it is not a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Independence is a marathon, not a sprint. Independence is a pilgrimage, not a party.
Every generation must re-earn independence in its own way. Our parents earned it through courage. Our grandparents dreamed it through sacrifice. Our task — this generation’s task — is to sustain it through competence.
We must ask ourselves honestly:
Are we more resilient than we were 10 years ago?
More skilled?
More productive?
More united?
More prepared for the future?
If independence is a flame, then each generation is either a torchbearer — or the wind that lets it go out. This generation MUST CHOOSE to carry the flame. But independence does not mean standing alone — it requires interdependence.
But my brothers and sisters, there is a myth we must reject. The lie that independence means doing it alone. No human being succeeds alone. No community survives alone. And no small nation, none, not one, thrives alone.
Independence is not isolation. It is interdependence with dignity. At the personal level, our progress is tied to our neighbour’s stability. At the community level, strong villages build strong parishes. At the national level, government, workers, farmers, teachers, nurses, entrepreneurs, each of us rowing the boat in the same direction. And at the regional level, because in a storm, small boats survive best in convoy. And at the international level, partnership without surrender, cooperation without losing who we are.
Independence is not saying, “we need no one.” It is saying, “we know who we are.” And we are a small state in a new world order. We are living in a world that is being rearranged before our eyes. Power is shifting. Technology is rewriting rules. Climate disaster is our reality. Regional and global alliances are fluid, and certainty or reliability is rare. In this world, size alone is not strength; strategy is.
Grenada must be nimble where others are heavy. Smart where others are loud. Principled where others are desperate. A small nation must think like a chess player, not a boxer.
We must:
- Invest in human capital, because brains travel further than borders
- Build economic resilience, not dependence on a single sector
- Protect food and energy security, because sovereignty begins at the table and the socket
- Embrace technology and digital governance, because distance no longer protects or limits us
- Be climate-smart, because survival is the first strategy of all
And above all, we must be anchored in values, because a nation without moral ballast will drift, no matter how weak the current.
National Goals and Measuring Progress
Faith gives us vision. Purpose gives us direction. But measurement gives us accountability. A nation without goals is like a ship without a compass — busy moving, but unsure where it is going.
Grenada must be bold enough to say:
- This is where we are going
- This is how we will know we are getting there
- This is why this Government has articulated Vision 75
- This is why this Government has promoted and used the National Sustainable Development Plan 2020–2035
This is what progress looks like. Not slogans, but standards. Not promises, but performance.
We must measure:
- How many families move from vulnerability to stability
- How many young people leave school with skills, not just certificates
- How many businesses grow from survival to success
- How many communities become safer, healthier, and more connected
And just as importantly, we must measure citizen responsibility.
Independence does not belong to government alone. It belongs to every household, every classroom, every workplace. Grenada is not built in Parliament alone, it is built in homes, in habits, and in hearts. Our theme reminds us that we are Anchored in Faith, Guided by Purpose.
My fellow Grenadians, Faith is our anchor. Purpose is our sail. Work is our wind. When the waves rise — and they will — faith keeps us steady. When the horizon looks distant — and it will — purpose keeps us moving. We are not the largest nation. We are not the richest nation. But by God’s grace we are a called nation, and a God-fearing nation.
We are called to excellence. We are called to responsibility. We are called to unity. We are called to hope.
As we celebrate 52 years of independence, let us recommit, not to comfort, but to calling; not to reminiscing, but to nation-building. Let history say of this generation:
- They did not waste their independence
- They worked on it
- They guarded it
- They grew it
May God bless you. May God bless Grenada. And may our nation remain — now and always — anchored in faith, guided by purpose.
Happy 52nd Independence, Grenada.
When will our pm stop talking nonsense