Commitment to the development of people is the hallmark of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) vision for Grenada. That is the word coming from the Political Leader of the Congress Party, Tillman Thomas as he outlined his party's vision for Grenada last Saturday night at the Grenada Grand Beach Resort at a ceremony held to commemorate its 20th anniversary.

Thomas, the Political Leader of Congress and Opposition Leader in Parliament indicated that under an NDC regime, a collective effort involving government ministries, the private sector, Non-governmental Organisations, and community groups will mark a turn around in the trajectory of Grenada's social development.

He said that a new direction of putting people at the core of nation development will have a profound impact on Grenada's progress and that is the commitment which NDC weill give to the people in office.

Thomas charged that any government which dedicates itself in an unbalanced manner to infrastructural development alone runs the risk of impoverishing its people and inducing social and chaotic instability.

He said it is the duty of a government to put right the social conditions under which most Grenadians live. In a clear attack on the policies pursued by the Keith Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP) that has been in power since 1995, the NDC Leader said that in the current socio-economic and political environment, Grenadian households find themselves having to combat joblessness, dysfunctional families, poorly developed social skills and habits, and lack of institutional support.

"These factors are hindrances to productivity and, therefore, to social and economic growth," he told a packed crowd assembled inside the hall. Thomas disclosed that an NDC Government in office will put in place a strategy to achieve the goal of social transformation.

He said that through the establishment of a social development agency, they will begin to shape policy direction from a wealthier prospective to a strong developmental orientation."This new platform will be the foundation for genuine empowerment as distinct from purpetuating a culture of dependency and patronage," he added.

According to Thomas, the NDC's vision for social development will be realised through reforms and other initiatives to be implemented in education, training, human resource development and increased economic production. He lashed out at the current poverty levels especially in St. Mark's and St. David's, sicne he said they provide strong evidence of neglect and lop-sided development by the current NNP administration.

Thomas said the programme to be initiated by NDC will focus on families, youth, children, the poor, physically challenged and other vulnerable groups in society. Local Churches are to also benefit from NDC's Social Development Programme.

Thomas stated that there will be a spiritual access component, through which an NDC Government will provide support to all Churches to enable them to expand their evangelisation and social outreach activities. This assistance, he said will not be a programme that is run on the whims and fancies of politicians.

He spoke of plans to implement an institutionalised system to be supported by a legal and policy framework that will define the criteria by which entitlement to State's assistance will be determined."Benefits of any kind cannot and will not, under our administration, be granted on the basis of political association or political access.

The NDC's boss also addressed the growing tendency of violence against women and child abuse. He said that a Congress administration will adopt zero tolerance in those two areas and that laws and policies will be reviewed so as to ensure that the rising level of sexual and physical abuse in the home is curtailed.

The Opposition Leader said that his party is pained by the loss of ten-year old Tahira Roberts of Upper Capital, St. Andrew's. Roberts was allegedly strangled to death by her uncle, Alvin Roberts who has been charged with murder.

Several villagers in the area have alleged that the uncle had been commiting incest with the deceased. Thomas said: "Incest is prevalent in Grenada. An NDC Administration will ensure that the systems are put in place to help the Tahiras of Grenada including the strengthening of what is presently a very weak and ineffective Child Welfare Authority".

He announced that a programme will be designed to address the challenges of female-headed households, and the resulting feminisation of poverty which has a significant impact on dependant children. Thomas also spoke of developing and implementing a human settlement's policy which will improve the housing conditions of the most disadvantaged groups in the country.

He gave assurances thats an NDC government in office will seek to implement incentive programmes for mortgage financing, low and medium income housing, as well as reorganise the Housing Authority of Grenada (HAG) in order to ensure that the housing needs of the disadvantaged are met.

Thomas stated that the human resource constitutes a primary national asset which must be developed and maximised if Grenada is to achieve its full potential and be a beneficiary of economic and technical opportunities in the national, regional and global market places.

He said NDC's human resource development strategy must facilitate the attainment of his party's vision to be a modern, prosperous and highly productive society. He identified educational reform as the most critical policy issue that confronts Grenada in the field of human resource development.

Thomas said that an NDC administrtaion will intervene in public sector management, and that training to Master's Degree level will be made available to enhance capabilities in specified areas of management, public sector middle-management, and general market.

The targeted areas will include food technology, art and music, events management, water engineering, sports education and fitness management.