Over 170 Jamaicans to be honoured today

Kingston, Jamaica – More than 170 Jamaicans will today be conferred with National Awards by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen at King’s House in Kingston, as Jamaicans celebrate National Heroes’ Day, a day in tribute to and reflection on the country’s National Heroes and Heroine.

These Jamaicans will be honoured for their meaningful and significant contribution to national development.

This year’s theme for Heritage Week celebrations is “Our History… Our Strength”, which Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said in her message reported by the JIS, that “it is the awareness of what our heroes’ and heroines’ lives and experiences can teach us… that “the past is not irrelevant. It reminds us that when a people do not know their history, they lose their identity and their confidence because valuable reference points are missing”.

The recognition of Jamaicans, like those to be honoured today for their service and contribution to nation building, was made possible through the National Honours and Awards Act of July 1969. This Act allows for citizens to be recognised with the following honours and awards: the Order of National Hero, the Order of the Nation, the Order of Excellence, the Order of Merit, the Order of Jamaica, the Order of Distinction, the Badge of Honour, and the Medal of Honour.