Hamilton Knight Associates Ltd. (HKA) celebrates 23 exciting years of business and delivery of world class services in human resource development.  In blessing and "warming our office" we celebrate the goodwill and support of great customers who have helped us to weather the ups and downs of the Jamaican economy and the cutbacks which have taken place, particularly in relation to human resources and human capital.  We ttake this opportunity to extend our special thanks to you, friends, associates and members of the media, who have joined us this evening.  We are also honoured to have no less a person than the Bishop of Kingston, Right Reverend E. Don Taylor to bless the occasion. 

We have been motivated through difficult times and have have inspired by our unwavering faith in Jamaica, particularly in the spirit of Jamaican people, who have domonstrated their resilience and ability to find powerful solutions.  It is the spirit which won't allow us to give up or to accept second class citizenship.  We are proud to be Jamaican and to serve Jamaica, through both business and social outreach activities.

HKA and many of our customes which celebrate our office warming with us this evening are persons who like us have invested their trust, creative energies and business acumen in Jamaica and are the survivors of tough times.  We have chosen to live here to work here, to make sacrifices and to give back.  Jamaica is our home and we will not accept the label of a failed state, nor treat failure itself as a final state.  We can, we have and we will continue to make a difference and to let our voice and work contribute to positive changes.

We have witnessed the closure and demise of many businesses, drowned in the tide of changes, economic vicissitudes and downsizing of the past tow decades.  We have witnessed the pain of persons losing jobs and even losing hope.  We have chosen not to dwell on failure, but have instead focused on programmes that help to empower, inform and redirect persons to new options.

We affirm the belief that there is opportunity in the midst of changes, that order can be found in the midst of chaos and that we also need to find the creative chaos in order.  Jamaica has a mixture of all these options, so we do not have to look far.

We therefore advocate a position which says "let us not be daundted by difficultes and failures, nor let us dwell on the failure of others, but let us learn from them, energize our creative capacity to confront change and focus more time on solutions than problems.  In keeping with this philosophy, HKA has launched a number of initiatives which have become calendar events, successful networks and outreaches.  These are:

• Careers & Lifestyles Expo Symposium
• Power Speakers International Forum - Powerful Solutions
• Career Talks and outreaches for schools, universities and communiteis islandwide
• Jamaica/Global Network
• Jobsandcareersja.com