Tourism Minister, Robert Tonge, has said that a second look is being given to Reunion 2018 since some changes have to be made after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
“We are relooking at Reunion 2018,” he said. “Obviously after the storm, we have some changes to make.”
Last year it was announced that Reunion 2018 would be staged to commemorate Dominica’s 40th anniversary of Independence. It was proposed that the Reunion Year of activities will run from January to December 2018.
It was aimed primarily aimed at inviting overseas-based Dominicans to return home sometime during Reunion Year and was meant to build unity among the population, encourage tourism, promote cultural, economic and educational activities and help strengthen national identity and pride.
However, Hurricane Maria which ravaged the island last September appeared to have placed a dent in some of what was being planned.
According to Tonge, during the year some of the island’s major events will be promoted more than before.
“So what we are looking at is to see how we can use one or two of three of one of the major events and basically push those more than we have done in the past,” he said, giving independence celebrations and the World Creole Music Festival as examples.
He added, “Normally you have more Dominicans coming around that time, so as opposed to trying to spread out right now I think we need to kind of focus on it a lot more and make sure that people are aware of these activities and everybody comes back to Dominica to celebrate.”
He said teams organizing the event met last week to restructure the plan.
“Hopefully once we get ratification from cabinet, that will be promoted so that everybody will be aware of what the activities will be,” Tonge stated.
It matters not what changes you make, it will not alleviate the suffering, and hunger throughout every length and breath of the island. It is not going to help those who are not recipients of passport money to repair their damaged homes, and without a source of income.
Because the grass, and trees are become green again does not mean all is well in the country; we still see photographs of the misery on the island. You and Roosevelt idea is nothing more than get the people inebriated. As long as you give them the (boom-boom-boom), the beating of the drums, and the drinking of the cheap white rum, or the brown casks rum to burn their belly, and damage their internal organs such as their liver, that’s fine with you!
An inebriated (drunken) person do not feel hunger until the guzzling down of alcohol frenzy is over!
Yes, keep them drunk they will not see their poverty and backwardness; they will think their life and Dominica is perfect!
Postpone Reunion 2018 for next year (If everything goes well). We will understand. I’d rather have an enjoyable time instead of another year of grief.
We all want to come home to party but when you have the Machoucherie by-pass and Atrium road seriously compromised, I would hope that instead of paying artists to perform you put the money towards the rebuilding the country. I myself had planned on being home for festival and carnival. BUTTTTTT I now have a home to completely rebuild. Why should I come to party and half my house gone? Why should I spend money on an event that cannot generate enough funds to help Dominica get out of its current state?
Let’s think of the average Dominican who needs help and not of you and your family that are living a good life or living in a bubble. Why not organize a series of huge community service project for a two week period over independence, ask people to come to volunteer etc.
LET’S BE REALISTIC. KEEP THE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES, DON’T WASTE MONEY OF FOREIGN ARTISTS . WE CAN BE CREATIVE WHILE NOT SPENDING WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE.
cancel it. we are not ready. that they like to do. make party and pass free drink and rum. WE have a country to rebuild. why are we trying to distract the people with these non profitable activities. year in year out you say festival doesnt make money for dfc.
Amen! His job is too darn easy, that’s why.
Garson call that party fest rum drinking nonsence off.. Cover that man or that lady roof. Fix them death traps road all you inviting people from overseas to drive on ETC..Sad.
Correction . That should have started out saying :Tourism Minister, Robert Tonge, Ti fere’ to Skerrit (both & many of us know) has said that a second look is being given to Reunion 2018 since some changes have to be made after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
SMH Robbie.You have guts not cojones on being in the same party with your Gran fere; LMAO real loud.
Robbie apparently did not know at the time he was going to be hit by a category 7 hurricane when he said”………………………..do” the other half did him a disservice. NOW, Robbie know & the other stakeholders an expression the all use excessively just like the next level about everything. SMH LMAO real loud.
Robbie DA is small to small the bouef is all over.
Hahahahahah so Robbie want the whole nation to be drunk to hide their pain? We eh following you Robbie deal with your gran fere’ Ti Fere’ issue by yourself. Remember Joshua telling LL in China he not in his cosohnie when asked to get into a photo taking shoot. Joshua is back in the coshonie anew.
Smh. The usual, Raaaaaa, stating the obvious, and appropriately, and conviently, there’s something else to use as an Excuse, other than the Obvious, incompetent. Tired of the same thing. We love to use, mother nature’s wrath when it suit our cause. Enough already. Only in Dominica!
To me Dominica should focus more on rebuilding/re-roofing.. When you have activities going on, the rebuilding process and everything is on a stand still.
You have bridges collapsing or being compromised, Antrim Road slowly deteriorating, many people still under tarpaulins. Electricity and hotels for housing still poko-poko.
To me its like the priorities are not in order.
If we were promised a year free of inclement weather then it would be something else, but that is not the case. Mother Nature has no favourites. So many debris still out-there
Tonge please,used to think highly of my birth place,but now the political division and hate that is in the country gives me nothing to look forward to come home,You guys need to come together and work in putting citizens back to work and not the begging DOMINICA IT HAS BECOME.
I feel the same as you do. However, I’m not going to allow these devils to keep me from enjoying my Country. To L with these politicians. We sing a song in our Church that goes something like this, ” I’m not gonna let no body steal my joy.” If there are termites in your house, do you run and abandon your house? Hell No! You call for the exterminator on election day and smoke out the termites once and for all; then you can continue to enjoy your house. Dominica is my home.
@ jihadist, We don’t need you in Dominica, anyway what good are you to us?people like you are losers useless brainless donkeys prefer to be dogs in a white man country having 2 to 3 part-time jobs in 12hrs a day and that is just to pay the Rent, food money isn’t available yet, mama i said what boy and some big cockroaches all over the place, it’s a good thing my bank account and Barclays card was healthy after a week i headed back to the UK, most of that same lots staying back in the U.S. talking crap about Dominica and our beloved Dr.Skerrit prime minister,whose working very hard for the good off every Dominican is being insulted by vagabonds and nasty idiots.