2008 probably will not go down in the annals as one of Bermuda's better years.

Rising violent crime, the highest number of roads deaths in a decade and a fast slowing economy all make this one of the less happy year ends in recent years.

Many Bermudians will look to 2009 with more trepidation than hope.

That's too bad, because 2009 should be a year of hope and optimism as the Island celebrates 400 years of human settlement.

And it is fair to say that not all is wrong with the Island.

It remains one of the most prosperous and beautiful places on earth, and the Bermudian traditions of civility, tolerance and enterprise should stand the Island in good stead.

There are also signs that Government and others are working to improve things for people.

Increased numbers of Police officers, a more friendly attitude towards international business than has hitherto been the case, and a refreshingly open and constructive debate on race relations in the House of Assembly before it broke for the year all suggest that the Island has the capacity to overcome the multiple challenges that 2009 will present.

But it will also require a greater change in mindset than has been the case recently.

Bermuda has been very fortunate over the past two decades to have enjoyed unprecedented levels of economic growth and the benefits that that brings.

But proesperity brings its own problems. Growth needs to be sustainable and it is critical that Bermuda looks after the environment that contributes to its success.

Economic success also brings a sense of entitlement that too often can result in complacency and a lack of competitiveness. The next 12 months will bring shocks to many people who may have believed that a job is a right, regardless of the level of performance, or the lack thereof.

And while Bermuda has a story that it can rightly be proud of – an isolated island with literally no natural resources which has the highest per capita income in the world – we have to remember that we did not get here alone.

Unfriendliness to foreigners, be they residents or visitors, will hurt us all in the long run.

And much of Bermuda's economic prosperity is indeed dependent on the kindness of strangers, whether they are tourists, US congressmen or OECD mandarins.

It is a truism that Bermuda's success can be taken away with the stroke of a pen, but it is a truism because it is all too accurate.

Above all, we need to recognise that much more unites us than divides us. Whether we are white or black, young or old, rich or poor, Bermudian or non-Bermudian, we need to work together on this 22-square mile rock perched in the North Atlantic if we are to survive and to succeed.

It is worth remembering as we celebrate the next 400 years that Bermudians did not have it easy for all of that time. From the time of the early settlers through the era of slavery to the Second World War, there were times of severe hardship when survival sometimes depended on the arrival of the next ship or the next rainshower.

In these times, a love of our fellow human beings, a willingness to look past others' faults and above all, a passion for Bermuda, are more necessary than ever.

We wish all our readers a happy and prosperous 2009.