 Ysgol yw'r rhaglen a gweld, mae'r ffordd a'r bwysig ar gyfer y newid yn ymgyrchol iawn. Rhyw hwnnw gynnwch ymwysig a'r gilydd i'r bwysig, yw'r ffordd, yw'r ffordd, a'r ffordd, yw'r bwysig am yw'r bwysig. Yr hwnnw'n gilydd i'r bwysig, yw'r bwysig am y gilydd i'r bwysig? Rhyw hwnnw'n gilydd i'r bwysig am y gilydd i'r bwysig. Mae'n byddio i wneud, dyna fel y cymdeinig, mae'r bomieith yma bod gyda'r ddau, ac mae'r cyflawn am ystafell, prefyniad, ac mae'n ddim yn herach, mae'n ddeni ar gyfer tîm o'r byd, byddai'n gyflawni gyflawni gyda y mae'n gyflawni Cymaint, a dyna Senau, Marysia Thomas Francis a'r ddawn i'r ddweud yma. Dwy 30 o gyflawni'n gyflawni geithredig awyr i'r ddweud. Mrs Sen Kwa is the secretary, so thank you for joining us here today. Thank you very much for having us. Thank you so much for this opportunity. You're very welcome. Now, as I said, around this time of year, because we normally have a little conversation about how we are seeking to get nominations for awards and such likes. But before we even get into that and talk in respect to how people can actually make nominations, tell us a little bit about the awards. When did they first come about and maybe even give us some insight into why the awards were first started? Well, good morning again. The awards started from sometime in 2000, an act was approved by parliament to recognise persons who have made significant contribution of national importance to Sen Lusia. The act was further amended in 2015, amendment number 18 of 2015, and the awards are concerned with the order Sen Lusia. It provides for the grant of awards to citizens of Sen Lusia and other persons for distinguished outstanding or meritorious service or achievements or for gallantry and related matters. The National Awards Committee of which we are part of comprises seven members, and I think it would be important to let you know the persons who are on that committee. We have our chairperson, Senator Mauricio Thomas Francis, and she was appointed by the Governor-General. The deputy chair is the chairperson of the Public and Teaching Service Commission, Mr Wilbert King. We have our commissioner of police, Mr Severin Moshery, and there are three persons who are represented by the public, appointed by the Governor-General, but represented by the public. And they are Mr Gregory Serju and Mrs Orissa Demboul-Bullen, and one on the advice of the leader of the position, and this is Mr Lezymond Daisy. The secretary was appointed on the advice of the prime minister. That's a little history about the awards themselves and such like, but how does one, in that case, tell us a little bit about how one can go about making a nomination? I know that's what we're really trying to do here right now, get people to nominate people they believe to be deserving, so how would I go about doing that? Thank you very much. Of course, this is the first in a series of road shows that we are undertaken to ensure that we sensitize the public as to what the awards are about, how to go about nominating someone for the awards, where they can find the nomination forms for submission. And in that regard, I'd like to state that nomination forms are on the government website. Madam Secretary, in a while, we'll give the details of that website and walk people through how to get to that. We also have forms at the various social organizations, the Rotary Club, Lions Club, Kiwanis at the banks, at the credit unions. We have nomination forms also at the town and village councils, government offices and what have you. So anyone can access a form and as well they can access a form from the prime minister's office through our secretary. So they can access the forms and the forms are very easy to navigate. The form provides information on the various categories of awards. So one has to be cognizant of that to select for the right category of award. And also it requires that one provides a sort of a CV or background on the person who has been nominated. Historically, we've received quite a few nominations and we have honored quite a few deserving solutions from various spheres of life. Persons who have gone over and above the call of duty to give selfless service and who have committed acts of bravery and what have you. What I want to state this morning categorically is that everyone who submits a nomination form will not qualify. However, we want to get as many qualified nominees as possible and this morning we are going to take some time to explain what constitutes a qualification or what qualifies one to win a nomination. A good nomination is one where, for example, it is not okay to say that somebody worked for 50 years in the public service or worked for 40 years in the banking sector and did X, Y and Z. It should not be where one itemized the duties that were performed which one got paid for. It should capture that however in addition and more importantly it should capture what did the individual do over and above the call of duty to create value. To create value selflessly, to add compassion to what was done, to add care, to reflect customer centricity. So it has to go over and above just itemizing the role that the person played because as you know when you're in a job you've been paid to do the job. So I don't think it necessarily requires one to get an award for doing a job that you were paid for. It has to be the additional value that was created and in submitting the nomination this must be reflected adequately such that a nomination can win. Okay, brilliant. Well I was going to ask you about the criteria but I mean you kind of touched on this. I mean if there's anything else you think people should know about the criteria at all? Okay, well in addition to what our chairperson has indicated, I just want to add a bit. The justification is important. For instance we have instances where someone may have pursued academic advancement and did extremely well. They've returned to the island and they have performed in their field very well but what have they done in that area that has national importance to Senwysha? Gone as Madam Chair said above and beyond to create that national importance and significant contribution to Senwysha. Now the forms actually should be submitted with the person's name, the information at the date of birth and so on. We need to ensure that the person who is making the nomination put in the name clearly legible because you cannot be wondering who submitted the nomination. The name must be legible on the form. It must be signed with received forms where the names are not there or it is signed that we cannot identify, I mean not identify the signature. And some persons have, although we have gone above and beyond indicating that we need a justification, people would normally put a CV, a touch a CV that is just not sufficient. I think especially at this time we are looking for some good nominations for our 40th. We'll be celebrating 40 years of independence. This is a significant milestone and it will be a privilege for someone receiving such an award to receive it in that year. So we are really looking for some awards, some nominations where when we award, we feel that we are doing a good job. We have awarded someone who merits consideration. Okay, brilliant. Okay, but we're just going to take a short break now. But when we come back, I just want to speak to you about even the youthful aspect. Because I remember last time I was speaking to you, you were talking about wanting more young people to maybe even nominate more young people as well. So when we come back, we'll discuss that. We'll be back in a moment. Thank you. Good morning, sir. Good morning. Good morning. Nice time, Bill. Yeah, thanks. How was your weekend? Same thing. I went to the beach, but to tell you the truth, I should have just stay home and sleep. I just feel like I need help with my future goal, but I just don't know where to start. I love my job, but I'm not as productive as I used to be. Maybe I should speak to a councillor. What should I do? But it's so expensive. It's not my business anymore. But look, it's not even listening to you. You work with the government of Zellucia, and the Ministry of the Public Services is offering free counselling to government workers under the Employee Assistance Programme. All in. Really? The Ministry is offering free counselling services for government workers? Yes, it's easier as calling the unit. The EAP telephone number 468-2269. Call in. If you have to pour out your heart, talk with a caring professional who is trained to listen to your deepest feelings. Call the EAP unit at 468-2269. EAP works. Let it work for you. Jo, you were saying something? Welcome back to Issues and Answers. I am Jolym Beset Joseph. Today we are talking to members of the National Awards Committee. We have the chairperson with us today and also the secretary. We are talking about nominations and the processes for nominating somebody. The right way to go about doing so. Before we went to break, we were talking about, again, the way to nominate people and such like. I mentioned that in this day and age, it's important to get more young people involved in a lot of the things that are happening. Can you speak to that at all for us about how you would want more people to get involved, young people? As you know, the youth contribute significantly to national development. We have a number of young persons who have actually excelled in the field of sports, in the field of business and what have you. Some of them have received accolades, but we would like also for citizens to use this media to sort of nominate some of our young people. Such that they can continue to inspire and be inspired to continue to do better and do well for St Lucia. Madam Secretary mentioned that next year is a milestone year for us, 40 years of independence. And what better year to recognize more of our young people, more of our citizens who have actually gone over and above the call of duty to serve. There will be no nationhood without the contribution of the collective solution community, whether we are talking about here or in the diaspora. So I just want to mention that persons in the diaspora also have an opportunity to nominate persons for those awards. Madam Secretary spoke a while ago about how to go about completing the form. I just want to add that we expect a high level of integrity in the nomination process. We have had instances where we were being told that people would nominate themselves or ask people to nominate them. There should be a surprise element in that if one is being nominated for an award, one must not know. Therefore, if there is a situation where an application does not meet the set criteria, it should not create uneasiness for persons who are aware that they were nominated and did not get through. So we want people to bear that in mind. It has to be an instant where you are nominated. Yes, there will be information gathering and so on, but I think there are ways of doing it such that the surprise element is maintained. If one wins, one has to know on the day that that call comes from government house to say we want you to attend the investiture because you've been nominated and you've won an award. This is how we want it done. So we just want the public to know that. The other thing I want to add is that sometimes we've received forms where people are nominated for more than one award. The expectation is that you will be nominated for one award. So when you receive a form and more than one box is ticked, it's difficult as a committee to determine what exactly this person should really be nominated for. So outright, we end up rejecting those and it could have been otherwise a very good nomination, but the process wasn't followed adequately. So we are asking the general public to bear that in mind. Completing the form properly is important. Making sure the form is signed is important. Making sure that there is a high level of integrity in the nomination process is also extremely important. We are looking forward to receiving a lot more nominations this year. In a while, Madam Secretary will tell you the deadline for submission of nominations and what we are going to do in a little more granular detail as it relates to the road shows that are coming up after today. Before we just get on to that though, I just want to ask, specifically you were saying you don't want one person to be nominated for many awards, but one person can make more than one nomination, right? Absolutely. One person can make more than one nomination. However, a nomination form should not suggest that someone is being recommended for more than one award. It has to be one. I don't know if that's clear. Yes, that is clear. Madam Secretary, the senator was referring to maybe the deadline, because I believe the deadline has been extended at the moment in time. So if you can speak a little bit to that. Okay. So the deadline has been extended to January 4, 2019. So we have quite a bit of time to put in the nominations. I want to add to what Madam Chair said. Quite apart from, I mean, we need the integrity in there, must be of a high level, but we also do not want relatives to nominate each other. We have had instances where a relative might nominate a mother, father, brother, sister. It is just not appropriate at all. So the deadline has been extended to January 4, 2019, and I'd like to take this opportunity to just go through the categories of awards, right? So we have the Senator Cross, and in this category, it is in the gold category, and we have this award in three awards in any two successive years. The Medal of Honor, we have gold and silver. We have at least six persons who could be nominated and recommended, and three in each category that is. We have Medal of Merit. We have gold, silver as well, and also six, three in each category. And the Lipitor Medal, we have in three dimensions gold, silver and bronze. Three in each category, so we can actually award nine persons for the Lipitor Medal. We also have the National Service Cross, and this, the National Service Cross and the National Service Medal pertains to police officers, the Royal Central Police Force, the Fire Service, and the Correctional Service. And no one beyond or below the rank of deputy can be awarded for the National Service Cross at that level. For the National Service Medal, however, we have members of the police force, the Fire Service Correctional, and other credit card. You can be recommended. Okay, brilliant. And the second chair has actually stated earlier that you've given us some insight as well as how people would go about going through the government websites also, right? So exactly where would they go to the address? Yes, we do have the forms on the government website and this is at, the government website is at, I'll call it out, it's http gov.general.govt.lc.oners. anewords, and also on http.recognition.govt.lc. We have forms at the office of the Prime Minister. Two persons can call in. We can email two forms, if they call, email a form two persons, if they call on us, we can send by email. But we really, really want to encourage the public to nominate persons that you believe are the American consideration. We talk about the youth. We have persons who have been around for a long time. They have not been identified or recognized, but they have done quite a bit of significant importance to Senwsha. And we want to ensure that the process is fair, transparent, and of a high standard. So we encourage every single one to take this award seriously. I believe it is a prestige to be awarded, a national award out of a country of so many persons, and you've been called up on to receive that award. I think it's a prestigious event, and it is an honor, and we look forward to receiving as many nominations as possible. Okay, well thank you very much. Now we're running out of time, so just before we go, I'd like to know if there's anything that Madam Chair would just like to add before we wrap up. Yeah, I'd just like to say that I am very proud and honored to chair such an important event. As you know, we cannot achieve sustainable development unless we excel at what we do, unless we have compassion, unless we are able to exhibit a level of nationhood, a level of patriotism that goes over and above what we require to do on a normal day. So it is an honor for us to serve at that level and to be part of a process that actually selects persons to be recognized in that manner. So we look forward to receiving top quality nominations this time around. We want to thank in advance all the persons who have nominated persons in the past and who are going to do this again for us this time around. We also want to take this opportunity to compliment and congratulate all the awardees over the past years and to implore them to continue the good work and to continue to inspire others in what they do and what they do best. Excellent. Well thank you for joining us Madam Chair and Madam Secretary. However, it's time for us to say goodbye from issues and answers. However, do stay tuned to the National Television Network. Bye bye. Thank you.