Some so-called Environmentalists think Bahamians don’t know the difference between saving the environment and trying to destabilize a government!
Dear Editor,
It has been brought to my attention that Bahamas Press issued a statement noting my resignation as a director of Save The Bays, indicating it was the start of a crumbling organization, and I would like to take this opportunity to clarify my position and reiterate my strong support for the work that Save The Bays is doing to raise environmental awareness.
First, please understand and appreciate that my resignation as a director was strictly for professional reasons and was not related to politics of any sort. In public relations, it is critical to have respect for — and be respected by — decision-makers. Their work, whoever they are, impacts life and especially so in a highly centralized governmental system as is The Bahamas. For more than 30 years, no one has ever tied me to one party or another and, in fact, most of the time the PLP has thought it was FNM, the FNM thinks I am PLP and the DNA believes I am neutral, simply lending the time and talent of my very able staff to further worthwhile community efforts when called upon by all governments since the days of Sir Lynden Pindling. It has long been a company policy that a generous portion of our work is pro bono but we can only afford to give our time and talent if we are successful in the work we do for paying clients.
While I resigned as a director, I am very proud to continue to represent Save The Bays in bringing sensitivity and awareness to matters involving the environment. I want to go on record saying that I believe Save The Bays has done an amazing job of making people aware of how important their voice is in having a say in how their communities are developed, in the need for a Freedom of Information act, in protecting mangroves that are the nurseries of the fish, conch and crawfish that are so much a part of the Bahamian culture, in promoting a return to the land with expanded farming and agri-businesses to diversify the economy, in sharing with the youth of the country the beauty so majestic it takes our breath away.
Every one of us who loves The Bahamas for the richness of its beauty has within us the desire, even if unspoken, to preserve that beauty and I applaud Save The Bays for reinforcing that message. That has nothing to do with politics, it is simply a matter of wanting to make sure that we will always have a Bahamas where the sight of our water lifts our spirit, the clear blue sky makes our soul soar and the people who hail you on the street make you feel like you are part of one family so proud of the land and the life we enjoy.
Di
Diane Phillips, President
Diane Phillips & Associates
