Castries, Saint Lucia – Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies [The UWI] Professor Sir Hilary Beckles will give the feature address at the Independence Lecture.

This year’s instalment of the Independence Lecture will scrutinize the legacy left behind by regional champions of nationalism and nationhood and also the historical context of Saint Lucia’s and the Caribbean region’s pursuit of independence and political separation from the former colonial rulers.

“The Caribbean, connected by our beautiful seas, culture and people has seen many challenges. Tune in to the Independence Lecture for an even deeper understanding of how we, as a unified people, one people, are shaping our destiny together.” Sir Hilary said.

The Independence Lecture is carded for February 23 and is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm. The Lecture is open to the public and will be staged at the Finance Administrative Centre. It will be broadcast live on the National Television Network [NTN] and relayed on participating cable TV channels.

Sir Hilary has lectured extensively in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas and has published over 100 peer-reviewed essays in scholarly journals and more than twenty [20] academic books. He has received numerous awards, including Honorary Doctor of Letters from Brock University, the University of Glasgow, University of Hull, and also the prestigious Dr Martin Luther King Jr Award for global advocacy, academic scholarship and intellectual leadership in support of social justice, institutional equity, and economic development for marginalised and oppressed ethnicities and nations.

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles is a distinguished academic, international thought leader, United Nations committee official, and global public activist in the field of social justice and minority empowerment. Sir Hilary is a director of SAGICOR Financial Corporation PLC, the largest financial company in the Caribbean region, Chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council [CXC], the former chairman of The University of the West Indies Press, Chairman of the Caribbean Community [CARICOM] Commission on Reparation and Social Justice, President of Universities Caribbean, an editor of the UNESCO General History of Africa series and a Director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.