A Christmas message from the Bermuda Democratic Alliance:

This Christmas season gives all of us the opportunity to reflect on what is most important. For many of us that will be time with our families and friends, spending the holiday season celebrating the traditions or customs we are used to. Whether Christmas for you is spent eating turkey and cassava, having breakfast on a beach or worshipping in a church, this Christmas, let us focus not on what is different between us, but on those things that we have in common with one another. Let us all remember what this season is all about.

A common thread during this season is the spirit of giving and love. The past few months have been very challenging for Bermuda. As if it were not enough for our economy to be struggling through what is a global recession, the increase in gun violence has caused many in Bermuda to feel that we, as a country, have lost our way. Not only fear and grief, but also a sense of hopelessness has been in the air.

Despite these dark times, we have seen rays of hope appearing in our community. We have seen young people marching on Parliament calling for peace, and grassroots groups forming to not only call for peace but to actively take part in achieving it.

The Bermuda Democratic Alliance believes a Better Way exists for Bermuda and believes a Better Way can be found through important common values, such as a belief in equality of opportunity, social and economic justice, fiscal responsibility, security and safety, environmental sustainability, transparency, honesty and fairness in government.

We want a better education system, a better justice system, improvements in healthcare and other important social areas. This can be achieved through a collective and sustained effort. Sometimes we hit rock bottom before we realise what we have. Let's not get to that point and instead celebrate our Island home and seek positive solutions for our problems.

During this season of giving and love, we encourage the people of Bermuda to focus on what each of us can do to make steps, even small ones, toward meaningful change for Bermuda. This season, we encourage you to reach out to your neighbours, introduce yourself if you have not already met and consider setting up a neighbourhood watch in your area to offer each other support. Sign up to mentor a young student, offering them not only help with their homework, but be an example to them of a responsible member of our society.

We, the Bermuda Democratic Alliance, believe that we offer a Better Way and believe that we offer hope to Bermuda. We believe that Bermuda can do better, can be better if we all remember our love of this country and focus on ways to give back.

Four hundred years ago the first settlers were divided on how to proceed, but by finding a common goal they came together through adversity and trying times. We can do the same now. We can again demonstrate our resilience in these trying times. We can celebrate our differences and use those differences to make us stronger. We can again be a strong Bermuda.

The Bermuda Democratic Alliance wishes everyone a joyful, peaceful and happy holiday season.

l More Christmas messages on Page 12