Free is not always free professor warns

 Dr. Simon B. Jones- Hendrickson
Dr. Simon B. Jones- Hendrickson

A Professor at the University of the Virgin Islands is warning small island states that they must be careful when it comes to developmental aid since ‘free is not always free.’

Professor of Economics and Dean (Interim) of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the university, Dr. Simon B. Jones- Hendrickson, said during  a public lecture at the Fort Young Hotel on Tuesday, that island states must heighten areas of development but must bear in mind that everything comes at a price.

“So what are the development options open to us?” he asked. “First the region has to raise its development trajectories to be able to be on the cutting edge of new transformation, while at the same time not being sucked into the kind of developments with big buildings or constructions that may be conducive to other worlds but not necessary to our worlds.”

Jones-Hendrickson warned that when it comes to developmental aid,   island states must take into consideration elements of the Trojan Horse. “One thing is clear we are a lover of big buildings in the Caribbean … but too often we fail to love the maintenance of these buildings; so gifts of big buildings, stadiums, hospitals, community centers are fine, don’t get me wrong … I like them too, but we should always remember the element of the Trojan horse … free things are not always free,” he pointed out.

He also argued that island states cannot get away from the reality of globalization. “We cannot get away from the fact that globalization is here to stay … it is irreversible. In that regard we have to locate our small states in the globalization process and adopt, adapt, imitate and craft features of the world economic systems that would enhance our lifestyles and our preferred modes of developments,” he said.

Jones-Hendrickson noted that the interest of leaders of small island states must focus on the welfare of the people. “There should be permanent interest, and not permanent friends. The permanent interest of our leaders and the leadership in our country should be the enhancing of the welfare of our people in our countries,” He explained.

The lecture was based on the title ‘Size and Survival in the Era of Globalization’ and was done in conjunction with the National Bank of Dominica, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and the University of the West Indies Open Campus Dominica.

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41 Comments

  1. just a suggestion
    April 5, 2013

    To late!!!!

  2. Anonymous
    April 4, 2013

    When a country cannot manage itself and use it resources the superpowers use this opportunity to exploit them. As Dr. Hendrickson said, globalization is here to stay however we must make it work for us. Small islands trying to build their cities to resemble NYC is not the answer. We must maintain our culture and morals. We have alot of natural resources that we can export. We can build factories to process some of these resources.

    • anonymous2
      April 4, 2013

      The natural resources have been taken over by the Chinese and the IMF as collateral for loans. Skerrit needs to listen to this gentleman. The globalists (UN) are out to destroy almost everyone and everything.

  3. April 4, 2013

    I am interested to know if the rumor is true if 10,000 Chinese are due to migrate to Dominica Portsmouth. If it is true what contingency plans have been discussed e.g. There are alot of empty apartments in the Portsmouth area as many locals built for students which has now resulted in supply outstripping the demand. So will the Chinese community be encouraged to rent from the locals for a period of time whilst interrogating or will they be encouraged to buy land. The Chinese will naturally open shops etc reducing local business in the area, has this been discussed. I can see in the future the local Dominicans will become the underclass in Dominica if they do not hold onto their natural/inherited wealth of land because there is hardly any employment opportunities. Dominica needs to export more produce than import to generate wealth.

  4. April 4, 2013

    1)How does Dominica benefit to have a Presidential Palace? 2)How many business visitation will this generate. 3)When the deal was done with china why didn’t the government not negotiate a 30%/40% Dominican and a 70%/60 per Chinese builders this could of had been a great employment opportunity for some young Dominicans to gain skills and generate employment. These projects with China would well have been the only major building projects within the next 10 years. This could well have been an employment opportunity that is now missed. :(

    • anonymous2
      April 4, 2013

      The building belongs to the Chinese government.

  5. from no where
    April 3, 2013

    Many of you may not like my comment but I really dont care.Dominica is rich.We have alot of rich soil and many other things to get by but the Government and the people are lazy. Why cant they go out there and seek markets for all the rich products/produce /agricultural things that we have.Coconut water,mango juice cane juice etc.Name them we have them.Dominican depend on people overseas to send them everything just like the government depend on china and others for help,What do we export?Name a few.China does nothing right.They put all kinds of wrong things in whatever they make.Watch out Dominicans for all the chinese products you buy.

    • Anonymous
      April 4, 2013

      if you waiting for your barrel from overseas, i never get barrel neither all those I know. all my life i work like many other domincans. nobody give me anything. u haven’t talk of the high price to do any business in Dominica and why business is failing when people try. is it just another overseas dominican yapping away at all what dominicans can do excluding themselves from t he equation? all you want to go overseas and enjoy the life sitting in office, and then criiticise how dominicans don’t want to plant bananas any more. why don’t you come and plant the bananas? everyone want a better life for themself too. So come and start the juice factory in your country and just let us know how it goes.

      • anonymous2
        April 4, 2013

        It’s not easy to do anything here.

  6. Light
    April 3, 2013

    We need more of this intellectual power and open learning environment to help us raise our standards in Dominica. We must learn to open our minds to the uplifting suggestions that will advance our nation in the right direction. We should break ties with the negative elements which desire to keep us down.
    Thanks Prof!

  7. Anonymous
    April 3, 2013

    Does anyone recall that it was because the trinkets given to our forefathers were not free, why we ended up on this side of the globe?

  8. Richards
    April 3, 2013

    I missed it all. I really wish i was there.

  9. April 3, 2013

    Back to straw house, tell the people in st crox,

  10. Confused
    April 3, 2013

    I was at the Lecture and it was very good. However, as with other things that are supposed to stimulate us intellectually, there were several empty seats.

  11. dee
    April 3, 2013

    im glad someone can point it out. these days so many people scared to speak out. sigh

    • Anonymous
      April 3, 2013

      I wonder who forced the thousands of scaredy cats out of their homes and dragged them to Lagoon on the night of 19th March 2013. SMH!!

  12. Anonymous
    April 3, 2013

    Dear everyone, someone,
    Could this lecture by copied in its entirety? If now, where could I get a copy online please?

  13. Peeping Tom
    April 3, 2013

    Well, bahumbug!! Someone has discovered that free is (corrected, NEVER) free. It was never free.

  14. No Dunmb in a can
    April 3, 2013

    Professor of Economics and Dean (Interim) of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the university, Dr. Simon B. Jones- Hendrickson, said during a public lecture at the Fort Young Hotel on Tuesday, that island states must heighten areas of development but must bear in mind that everything comes at a price.
    tell medard about the MOU the road rehabilitations, Stadium etc goes hand in hand with the non-employment of D/cans on those projects.Our passport in the hands of denizens, buying out our properties. What gov’t would allow chinese investors to purchase the most valuable assets of it’s country? Answer only a hungry and uneducated one without forsight. good thing it was repurchased. It should never be allowed.
    There is so muchmore the statements of the good professor addresses.
    But a non -reading population is a gullible one.
    eat ur peas D/can or you shall surely it doodoo n the end.

    • RightMind
      April 4, 2013

      You went on to elaborate about Dominica’s non-employment on various projects, have you seen Dominicans at work, example there is a contractor from Mahaut building a reinforcement wall in St.Joseph ,at approx 0900 hrs those Guys down tools go onto the bench under the Mango tree by the gas station and they spend several hours sleeping they have been on this job several months now and there no light at the end of the tunnel, we need to address this problems before blaming others for not employing the indigenous people, a small project like this the Chinese would long have completed it. The wall is a waste of government funds, a wall has to be continuous and not have broken sections as soon as we get heavy rains the water will just wash away the weak areas.

      • anonymous2
        April 4, 2013

        Very true. That is why if you want to get anything done in a hurry and in a professional manner, you bring in your crew from elsewhere e.g. Pizza Hut.

  15. Tijhan
    April 3, 2013

    Well he’s got that one wrong. Free is NEVER free!

  16. Give me
    April 3, 2013

    Free Is Not always free!!!

  17. santa
    April 3, 2013

    i would like to support that article by this professor.i am for aid from the chinese,but the people must benifit in this programes unless it’s seltcentered.
    With the high level of unskilled labour in this country,it would help the government and the country if more locals were employed on these projects.(It’s like when the rivers swell during rainny season,all little ravins comes alive,)is the same way unskill persons benifit from thoes project.that is our major set back.

  18. Morihei Ueshiba
    April 3, 2013

    Tell that to the Chavez Boy from vielle case.

    • Anonymous
      April 3, 2013

      When you learn to equate income with gainful productivity, you will not find time to write things that are clear evidence of your envy, your anger, and disenchantment with your life. This cannot be good for your psyche. I am of pensionable age, but still work hard and also in my garden, I commune daily with nature as my hands work the soil to produce food and flowers for my tables. I spend just a small amount of time on here and have read what you write. You need to shake off that debilitating mindset for your own good and peace of mind.

      • Morihei Ueshiba
        April 4, 2013

        U know, Jesse James was shot in the back & killed by his cousin, Robert Ford. Jesse & his “gang” had been Confederate partisans but were not allowed surrender and parole at the War’s end, so they just kept on fighting and robbing banks. If people like you don’t do like Robert Ford, Dominica will continue on its downward spiral to oblivion Anonymous! Stop the pm, and stop him Now! :mrgreen:

  19. wotton waven /Possie
    April 3, 2013

    yOU ARE A Professor of Economics, so you must have the idea that because we in administration, beleives to the contrary , that free things are always free, that is why we had to succumb to 1% and 1.5%. We are paying back so heavily for some things that we cannot afford to pay our workers proper remittancesw

  20. IPO
    April 3, 2013

    So long I have been advocation for a one room hospital and a single wheel plane for Dominica. Why big big building and airport….is this guy for real???

    Free is not always free ….holy cow…good is not alway good…bad is not always bad and you know what

    Water is not alway water, not even DNO is alway DNO

    • BRAIN DAMAGE
      April 3, 2013

      …… And you know what? IPO will stop it one day.

  21. wotton waven /Possie
    April 3, 2013

    Sir, i love that i love the element of the Trojan Horse, Sir, felt very pathetic about your deliberation on the topic free things are not always free–Sir, u tried to pacify the statement so that no one does not feel offended but that is true to the core.You touched the hem of my garment in your effort to show us that everything has a cost involved and that someone has to pay back.Just yesterday my mum and myself was in an exchange of words about getting free things, i love free things, but i know in the long run i have to pay back whether directly or indirectly and that’s a fact

  22. cc
    April 3, 2013

    I hope when China sends the bill for the roads, stadium, hospital etc DA is able to pay it.

    • Peeping Tom
      April 3, 2013

      CC, are you ever concerned about the “bill” from the Americans, British, and Canadians or are you only interested in one kind of bill from one set of countries? I mean, so far, the Brits and Canadians have already threatened to withhold their goodies if we do not repeal our anti-homosexual laws. This is a bill, you know? So, aren’t you even a bit concerned about their price for their “freebies”? You see, your post does not show that you do. Maybe you are simply ignorant of the facts of geopolitics or maybe you are simply too blind to see. Or, maybe you are simply too wicked to care for the “bill” from your favored countries, who may have all sucked us and shafted us miserably in the past and present.

      The lesson for you, cc, is that NOTHING is ever free; not even from your preferred group of countries. Yet, states, like humans, will coexist in “scratch my back and i scratch yours” relationships.

      • still
        April 3, 2013

        We have already been paying the US for the free stuff that they give. Do you remember when our coast guard was held hostage until we signed the agreement giving us soldiers immunity in our country. I Guess moody out us won’t because it its not China but every country will send us their bill.

    • IPO
      April 3, 2013

      CC …your slaves dad worked for free to build your colonial masters….I have no problemin we getting free aid to help[ build Dominica…

      Worry about what free assistance you can give to the kids, elderly and less fortunate than to worry about free aid we get from a super power

      • freedom
        April 3, 2013

        IPO and Peeping TOM;you may have all the reasoning to everything that is questioned on this site,and you may think that you are right.
        But while there is no price to pay for all the gifts that enrich you FEW,
        There is one thing for sure;The TRUTH(of which you are prisoners) will set you FREE.

      • IPO
        April 3, 2013

        @Freedom I am always right, why comment if I am wrong…

        As for Peeping Tom, this guy is alway on point..I call him the Crystal Ball

    • anonymous2
      April 4, 2013

      It won’t be able to pay it and they know this. Therefore DA is in their debt and they own a piece of it.

  23. ok
    April 3, 2013

    i am sorry i missed the program due to other important app. but from this report,it must have been good. probably someone on the island will take note of the lecture and proceed to govern with caution re the Chinese and other donors. please publish in the papers or TV or on radio so those of us who missed it could be exposed to the information. thanks

  24. TRUEMAN
    April 3, 2013

    *****THANK YOU****

    Thank You Dr.!!!! Many politicians need to…
    …”PAY ATTENTION” & lead us /our islands accordingly!!

    -Thanks

    • anonymous2
      April 4, 2013

      They don’t necessarily know how to lead and are easily misled.

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