ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, will be the featured speaker at the 2024 National Heroes Day celebrations, which will be commemorated on October 19 under the theme “Unity in commemorating our heroes: past, present and future.”
Culture Minister Adrian Thomas announced during a news conference on Thursday.
This is the second year Grenada observes October 19 as National Heroes Day. It will be a national holiday, and the main event will be a rally in the eastern parish of St Andrew’s.
October 19 is significant because it’s the date in October 1983 that deceased Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and several others were killed at Fort George due to internal conflict within factions of the People’s Revolutionary Government.
Before 2023, the day was commemorated with a church service in the area of the Fort where the killing occurred and the laying of wreaths by family members, friends, and supporters of those who were killed.
Thomas told journalists that, like in 2023, no one would be named a national hero at the commemorative event because the committee organizing the 2024 celebrations does not focus on that.
“We have the committee established; they will come up with the criteria for selecting national heroes, and the committee in 2025 will be naming some of the national heroes we hope will inspire our Grenadian people,” he said.
However, section 16 of Grenada’s 2007 National Honours And Awards Act establishes a Commission known as the Prestige Order of National Hero Commission. The function of the Commission is to make such investigations as it thinks fit to determine persons, living or dead, upon whom the Prestige Order of National Hero may be conferred and issue a report to the Prime Minister on the result of those investigations.
The legislation says that the national hero title can be awarded to any person born in Grenada or a citizen of Grenada at their death. That person must have given outstanding service to Grenada where that service has altered the course of the history of Grenada; given service to Grenada which has been exemplified by visionary and pioneering leadership, extraordinary achievements or attainment of the highest excellence, and which has redounded to the honor of Grenada; or through their heroic exploits or sacrifices contributed to the improvement of the economic and social conditions of Grenada.
When establishing a hero’s park, Thomas said that the government had already identified the land, but consultation could change the location. “If people think that the best place may not be Camerhogne Park in St George, but the best place is Leaper’s Hill in St Patrick, then we have that discussion but come 2025, we will be turning the sod for the establishment of a heroes Park,” said Thomas.
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