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Walking around Hamilton at this time of year is a lot of fun. The decorations are up, the lights are on, the last minute gifts are being purchased. Just about everyone has a smile on their faces. And what a variety of faces they are. Young and old, black, brown, white, Asian and families of every mixture imaginable. A few weeks ago I was in London and it was the same story there.

In fact, across the globe now, people of different origins are living together and mixing together as never before. And nowhere more so than here in Bermuda. Over the centuries we have attracted people from Europe, from the Caribbean, and from North America. In the last few years we have built an economy which attracts the best and the brightest from all over the world.

Now we have to work together to preserve our prosperity and our peaceful way of life for future generations. We have to do it by seeing our diversity as a source of strength rather than a source of tension. We have to make reality of the slogan we use to attract tourists - 'Feel the Love'.

Most of the Bermudians I meet are as determined as I am to help bring about a Bermuda characterized by common purpose and shared values. Former Premier Alex Scott used to say to me, "Bermuda works best when we work together." But we all know of occasions which have fallen well below that - hostility between gangs of young people, lack of respect between Bermudians and non-Bermudians, sometimes, shamefully, downright prejudice between races.

Make love, not war

If this is the time of year for resolutions, then let us resolve to replace every act of hostility or resentment or prejudice with an act of kindness or friendship. Every kind word in a supermarket to someone whose skin happens to be a different colour from yours, every good deed to a visitor to our islands, every generous gesture to a sporting rival, these are the building blocks for tomorrow's Bermuda.

Tomorrow's Bermuda isn't going to be about wealth: We have a lot of that already. In fact, the average Bermudian is ten times wealthier than the average person on earth, and a hundred times wealthier than the average African. Tomorrow's Bermuda is going to be about values - the values of liberal democracy, of accountable government, of racial diversity, of the peaceful resolution of disputes.

This is a good time of year to remind ourselves that we must not take these things for granted. We must respect the institutions that protect individual rights and provide the freedom to raise our families without fear. We should rejoice in a free press, a vigorous opposition, a fearless auditor, an independent judiciary, a non-political civil service, a healthy volunteer sector.

A good starting point is a shared awareness of our history and heritage, because those values are embedded in it.

Bermuda has had an unbroken link with the British Crown since it was first settled nearly four hundred years ago. We were delighted when the Princess Royal visited in June and carried out such a full programme of engagements.

Here at Government House we encouraged a group of local archeologists to excavate our grounds to find out more about how our predecessors used to live - and, guess what? - they didn't throw anything away until it had no use at all. They'd be appalled at the rubbish we chuck out now.

Another good starting point is the young people who will help shape tomorrow's Bermuda. They will have to find their place in a much more competitive world than before. It's good to see them being inquisitive, and we certainly enjoyed being interviewed and challenged by the Learnalots at the beginning of the year.

Their world will not be a world of entitlement - not by qualification, even less by nationality, less still by racial origin - but a world which judges by achievement and which is indifferent to nationality or race.

That is the spirit that we will need in Bermuda. And what better place to find it than in Bermuda's very own Sail Training Vessel, The Spirit of Bermuda? Spirit's arrival here, a huge achievement by all who have worked on the sloop project for so long, will give generations of young Bermudians the opportunity to develop skills of resilience and team working that will serve them in good stead in later life.

Above all though, tomorrow's Bermuda is going to be about whether we are at ease with each other on this small island. We may all feel at ease around the festive family table during the holiday season. Let's make sure we feel the same way when we go back to work. Let's make sure that everyone on this island, whether resident or visitor, can truly 'feel the love'. Meanwhile, my wife and I send to you and your families our very best wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year.[[In-content Ad]]

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