AS Barbadians celebrated 40 years of political Independence yesterday, Opposition Leader David Thompson outlined a number of areas he wanted to see this country move toward during the next 40 years.

Thompson, who is also the political leader of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), outlined his vision on Wednesday night during his party's traditional Independence political mass meeting. This year it moved from Independence Square, which is being upgraded, to Jubilee Gardens at the other end of the City.

In a wide-ranging speech, he said that his message was a simple one given that 40 was a special age; adding that the number was a mythical and religious figure. As Barbados celebrated its 40th anniversary of Independence, Thompson said: "We can bask in the glory of being the most highly developed small state in the world.

"Only 30 countries in the world rank higher than Barbados, according to the United Nations Human Development Index. And all of them are large developed countries mainly in Europe and Asia.

"But let us not sit on our laurels. It is very easy to fall from grace in the hurly-burly of a rapidly changing world," he said.

The DLP president said he wanted to shift attention from the attainment of the country's 40th birthday to Barbados 40 years from now, adding that the country by now should have laid the foundations for sustainable development over the next 40 years.

"Barbadians, my message for the next 40 years is to know thyself and to be yourself. Let your culture work for you to boost your self-esteem and create wealth," he said.

Speaking before the full DLP team of elections candidates and hundreds of supporters who crowded Jubilee Gardens, Thompson dealt with five areas of concern: education, families, healthy lifestyles, economic development and living within our means.

On education, he said that while the country had achieved universal

secondary education and was on the way to having a graduate in every household by 2015, there are fundamental questions that must be asked about the quality of education the children were getting.

While outlining concern about the increase in anti-social behaviour among school children, he asked whether "we transmitting essential moral values to them" and also whether they were being educated and trained to succeed in a competitive world.

Thompson, who set up Families First in 1997, said his research and consultations with ordinary Barbadians suggested that the family unit was in trouble, pointing to reports of high levels of child abuse.

He said: "During the next 40 years, I would like to see Government doing more for families, particularly single-parent families," adding that simple things would go a long way.

"Every family needs help to acquire decent affordable housing. One of the priority areas should be to help poor families to get a roof over their heads. Housing is too essential a need to leave exclusively to market forces.

"Every young family with children and working parents needs help with child care. Every community and every workplace should therefore provide facilities for child care," he said.

On healthy lifestyles, he noted that diseases related to obesity were the major cause of death, while HIV/AIDS remained a disturbing time bomb.

"And yet our young people are continuing to engage in the same sexual behaviour as their parents and grandparents. The only way we can stop the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is to train young people to change their lifestyles.

Food security

"The biggest challenge facing us in the next 40 years is therefore whether or not we succeed in developing healthy lifestyles among our people."

Turning his attention to economic development, Thompson said while tourism was our flagship industry, he asked who owned the means of generating this island's tourism products and whether tourism was really everybody's business. He also wondered what would happen when cheaper destinations like Cuba were opened.

He also spoke about his concerns relating to the agricultural sector and the attendant high food import bill, noting that many items in the supermarket were outside the reach of too many Barbadians.

"During the next 40 years I would like to see my country pay more attention to food security and healthy eating habits," the DLP leader said.

Thompson said he feared that "we are no longer living within our means" and pointed to Cricket World Cup. While noting that hosting the tournament was a major achievement, he added: "We have spent millions Kensington Oval without increasing the number of high-class cricket facilities in the island.

"My conviction is that this money could have been better spent if we had built a new stadium in St John, St Joseph or
St Lucy and kept the Mecca as a historic venue. Similarly, we will be forced to spend millions of dollars on cruise liners to accommodate visitors, without adding
permanent beds."

He said when a country hosts a major world tournament it makes back its money from producing goods and services, but in our case we have to buy these goods and services.

"The money therefore does not circulate within the economy. It's a case of in and out, leaving the host country to pick up the bills. I believe that Barbados is no longer living within its means."

The DLP leader pointed to the following specific areas he would like to see positive achievement in over the next 40 years:

* a more cultured and self-confident Barbados that is conscious of its interdependence with its Caribbean neighbours;

* a more diversified economy driven by local entrepreneurs;

* a more egalitarian society in which there is equal opportunity for Barbadians to achieve their goals in their own country;

* a society that is morally grounded and throwing up principle-centred leaders;

* all Barbadians leading healthy lifestyles; and

* Barbadians relating more effectively to family and community and placing more emphasis on service to others.