Flag-Raising Ceremony Highlights Belizean Heritage

As a part of the September Celebrations, this morning the Office of the Prime Minister hosted a special flag-raising ceremony at the Sir Edney Cain Building in Belmopan. The event was geared toward honoring and highlighting the importance of Belize’s flag and its heritage. Prime Minister John Briceno delivered the keynote address at the ceremony and emphasized the importance of civic pride, particularly during the celebrations. 

Hon. John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “An important part of all of this celebration is to think and to reflect as to who we are as a nation. And the best symbolism of who we are as a nation is our national flag. The Belizean national flag is a symbol of our nation’s freedom, our desire to live in a democratic nation and it is a symbol that unites all of us. Our flag is a reminder of who we are and the struggles and sacrifices our parents and grandparents made to ensure that we could live and prosper in this beautiful nation called Belize. It should serve as a symbol of our hope for the future. It is also a reminder that together we can achieve our dreams and aspirations.”

The event was spearheaded by the National Celebrations Commission, under its Chairman Minister of Education, Francis Fonseca. Fonseca explained that the September Celebrations present Belizeans with an opportunity to reflect on the past and assess the present. 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education: “You know, and this year’s theme as you all know is “Hope Ignited, Hands United, Vision Renewed Belize at 42.” And I think, you know, sometimes the theme sounds the same every year, you know. But I think the theme this year really I think it’s very poignant and very I think timely because I sense that in our country, particularly coming off a very exciting summer, where we had a summer, as I call it, a summer of sports, a summer of excellence, a summer of culture and of course we just finished an amazing summer of investment with the Belize Investment Summit. So I think it’s been a very uplifting summer for Belize and we go into the month of September, I think, filled with hope. We are, despite our challenges, we are a united people when it comes to loving Belize and believing in Belize and working for Belize. And I think there is a sense that we have a renewed vision.”