Author former Governor of St. Maarten Eugene B. Holiday autographing a copy of Nation Building for Leroy “Beau Beau” Brooks and his wife Ann Marie Brooks during the book launch on December 13.
The book was officially released on December 13, during a well-attended book launch at Sky Vogue on Front Street, in Philipsburg. The launch included the presentation of the first official copy of Nation Building by Holiday to Governor Ajamu Baly, a book review by Dennis Richardson, a Nation Building Trivia challenge by Marie Louise Holiday and remarks and signing of the book by the author.
Photos of the book from different angles.
PHILIPSBURG--Former Governor Eugene B. Holiday has released a 365-page book titled “Nation Building, Our Challenges, Resilience and Responsibility.”Ω
In the book, Holiday delivers a socio-political history book covering significant developments of the first two decades of 21st century St. Maarten and provides building blocks for the nation’s further development.
The book documents and chronicles important historic developments leading up to the attainment and during the formative years of St. Maarten’s country status and highlights some of the author’s actions and decisions.
According to a press release, when reading the pages of Nation Building, the reader will learn as stated in the preface that “... a lot has happened, constitutionally, politically, economically, socially, culturally, environmentally, and in …. transatlantic relations.”
“You will read about the screening of candidate ministers, ship jumping, Hurricane Irma, COVID-19, COHO [Caribbean Body for Reform and Development], border disputes as well as the transatlantic political tensions.”
Nation Building, besides its introduction and epilogue, contains 56 chapters, organised in seven parts or sub themes. During the author’s Governorship from 2010-2022 he wrote over 150 speeches. The book contains a selection of fifty of those speeches presented in different chapters. The speeches in each part are preceded with an overview of significant developments intended to provide some background and context to the speeches. The seven parts or sub themes are: Part 1 – The Pursuit and attainment of country status based on the exercise of our right of self-determination; Part 2 – Promoting Excellence in Governance;
Part 3 – Upholding our Constitution as anchor in political developments; Part 4 – Fostering Economic Sustainability; Part 5 – Promoting Social Cohesion; Part 6 – Safety and Security; and Part 7 – Strengthening Partnerships and Cooperation.
These parts or sub themes reflect the author’s view on the required steps towards effective nation building for current and future generations. The book concludes with an epilogue titled: “Our country will go as far as we take it.”
According to the release, “it is in other words our responsibility, the responsibility of each succeeding generation to build our nation, St. Maarten.”
The book, the release said, “is intended to stimulate dialogue and to be a source of information and inspiration for government and business officials, their advisors, community leaders, educators, residents, and particularly our youth for the further building of our nation, St. Maarten. This is based on the author’s belief that “our knowledge based on our recording of our history is the best foundation for the building of our future.”
Nation Building is now available in St. Maarten as a paperback at Van Dorp Eddine and at Ty Art Gift Shop, as well as on-line as an e-book at global digital stores Apple Books, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.
