Learning remains a path to liberation and a bridge to a better life, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said on Friday, urging the Caribbean to invest in education and the people who champion it.
Phillips, delivering the keynote address at the Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence ceremony at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, said education must remain a defining force in shaping the region’s destiny, alongside the wider community — elders, religious leaders, neighbours, and relatives — that guide future generations.
Reflecting on a question posed by the late Guyanese musician Dave Martins — “Where are your heroes, Caribbean?” — he told the audience the answer is in the room but not only there.
“They are in our universities, our laboratories, our boardrooms, our clinics, our studios, our families, our farms, and our communities. They are walking among us, often quietly, often without fanfare, but always with impact.”
Phillips said Caribbean excellence was not rare but recurring, rooted in a history of survival forged through slavery, colonial domination, indentured servitude, and post-independence struggles.
“We are, therefore, not accidental survivors. We are the descendants of resistance. We are the heirs of resilience. We are a people forged in struggle, but not defined by it.”
He argued that the region’s small size had fostered adaptability, resourcefulness, and innovation, and identified entrepreneurship as one of its strongest assets.
The Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards, he said, do more than honour individuals — they tell a regional story of excellence.
“We must understand that within the DNA of our Caribbean region lies a blueprint for excellence. It is encoded in our history.
It is expressed in our culture. It is visible in our achievements. And it is waiting to be fully unleashed in future generations.”
