GRADUATES of the University of the West Indies' Cave Hill, St Augustine and Mona campuses were told yesterday to seek to fulfill the various roles they have been called to accomplish.

This advice came from Professor Dr Zelma Edgell of Belize, who was conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters degree during the graduation ceremony.

In her brief feature address, she told the over 220 graduates attending the morning ceremony that they could also rekindle in the hearts of all those present the passionate belief that each person "has a necessary and particular task to accomplish which could help lessen our vulnerability and further secure our sovereignty, wherever we are and in whatever work we are engaged".

"We are the protagonists in our own lives. We continually battle the internal and external obstacles that beset us as we try to reach the goals that we hope will make us feel all right inside, and that will help our families."

She stressed that since

many people were still in cages of illiteracy, ill health, poverty and debt, countries were left vulnerable.

"This undermines the Independence we struggled so hard to achieve.

"There are many well-known and unknown experts working hard to resolve the obstacles that beset us on our journey to reach the goals our early leaders fought and sometimes died to achieve on our behalf."

Quoting from author Barbara Kingslover, she told the graduates: "The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. The most you can do is live inside that hope." (CH)