Thank you Fidel.
As this is the final moment of the burial of a man who towered as one of the most influential in his generation this is the time to reflect on his legacy and his inspiring leadership.
There may be some who saw him as a source of their pain as witnessed by the demonstration in Miami but to Dominica he gave us an opportunity through his scholarship program to receive the gift of raising the less fortunate children of the urban and particularly the rural community, to an opportunity to ascend to the pinnacle of professions which a generation ago was the privilege of the most fortunate well to do members of our society and or by rare and very competitive scholarship .
It was my experience and great fortune to be given the grace to sit with and be introduced to this towering figure of the 21st century at the UN general assembly in 1979 due to the alphabetical order of D –DOMINCA and C-CUBA at his final visit to this august body .
He gently inquired of me the condition of Dominica following the tremendous unprecedented damage occasioned by Hurricane DAVID of 29th August 1979. He sought with earnestness to assist wherever possible and agreed to process our requests through Maurice Bishop of Grenada and Ambassador Russo.
He was made aware of the need for further education and the immense destruction of Dominica. He offered to have us invited to the UPCOMING meeting in Havana of the Non-Aligned Movement which embraced African Latin America and the Arab countries that year to lay a platform for aid.
In particular, Fidel offered the Cuban scholarship program. The scholarship program became the most effective contribution to Dominica -23 students left our shores in 1979-80 although more was offered for the coming years.
Despite the termination of the scholarship program by the incoming Government this program continued by the Labour Party in opposition until the arrival of the UWP administration in 1995 when the program was embraced by that government. The graduates of that year and succeeding years were a testimony of opportunity and privilege and were a demonstration of the social revolution and the dynamics of change in the Medical profession .Today more Doctors from rural Dominica are serving this country and the world community than ever in our history. So indeed are the other disciplines Architects ,Engineers etc .
The invitation to the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement did indeed come through the diplomatic channels and I sent as my emissary Bernard Wiltshire to that conference. Dominica received the observer status and was awarded huge financial grants in the millions from the respective NAM Countries including Venezuela, Morocco and Kuwait etc. which still to this day continues to be donors and contributors to the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Venezuela had been among the first responders of aid to Dominica having come In with massive assistance with large transport planes of food, clothing tents etc and through the red carpet official state visit by invitation of PRESIDENT Luis Herrera Campins where the treaty of Cooperation which was signed by us and which today remains the hallmark and foundation of the relationship still being enjoyed and actively promoted and developed by the present Government of Dominica.
Fidel did continue his program of assistance in the areas of health and Eye care services which remains as an area of support to Dominica and other OECS territories .
To those who have received the benefit of education which otherwise was impossible due to economic costs to our nations and which have befitted our now educated sons and daughters of the under privileged poor, to those whose sight had been restored, to the friends and connections which was born out of the intervention of Fidel at the Non Aligned Movement and to his support and inspiration to the poor and oppressed in the Caribbean , Latin America and Africa.
We can all say well done faithful servant, may your soul rest in peace .
O.J. Seraphin is a former Prime Minister of Dominica
All R dem Dick-tatahs should go in a stone.
I need clarification on paragraph seven! I’ve always wanted information on Castro and Dame Eugenia Charles’ relationship. Are you saying that her administration canceled programs with Cuba? I know Charles had a cozy relationship with the Americans, and “communism” scared her. Please respond. Thanks.
No mention of Dominica signing diplomatic relations with Cuba.
I wonder why one would leave that out?
Why aren’t millions of people running to Cuba to experience heaven on earth is unbelievable!!!!!!!!!
How many churches willing to bring de God conscience to ordinary Cubans without fear of death???????
I wonder how many Chinese and Russians live and work in Cuba?
Compare that figure to the ordinary Cuban citizen.
My freedom of speech and freedom of thought is MINE!!!!!!!!!
Castro had freedom of speech!
Castro had freedom of thought and conscience!
I bet Castro had his own god too!
All coins have 2 sides!
Whatever freedom he enjoyed
should be shared with de Cuban people he claimed to love so much!
A man without a free conscience becomes a walking dead……..just a THING!!!
A SLAVE!!!!!!
SLAVERY NEVER DIED!
SLAVERY WAS NEVER ABOLISHED!
SLAVERY CHANGED FACES!
Ask the politicians and the church clergy………they operate hand in hand!!!!!!!!
There are too many hopocrits like OJ Seraphin who are benefiting from free market capitalism coming to praise the achievements of Fidel Castro. Did you ever wonder why none of these people ever migrate to Cuba? The reason is if they did, their private property would be confiscated, they would not be allowed to start any shipping business, and many of them would be among the 60,0000 political prisoners in Cuban jailed for criticizing the government something they spend quite a lot of time doing on facebook, daily which is banned in Cuba and other mediams!
If one has to look at it, who is not a hypocrite, including yourself?
When people die, God weighs the good and the bad. If the good outweighs the bad, they will remain in his grace and one day will be in his presence.
The good that people do follow them. Fidel Castro left his mark of helping those in need.
It is to be expected if you are in a dictatorship country, you keep your mouth shut. Everyone should know that. No use making an issue out of it. Furthermore, it is stated in our very Holy Bible to obey authority. If authority is wrong, as God is the Judge, He will determine the overall situation.
In the democratic world, some people try to play God. They judge and condemn when they may be wrong.
We do know that Fidel Castro ruled Cuba and its nationals in the manner he knew. We must not overlook the good that he did, much more than the US, Canada or Europe. For this, he must be praised and remembered for his good works. Let God Judge.
You must be Catholic – Goods woks? Will me your possession, nuh!!! Datil really be good works. Then you could ask St. Peter to squeeze you in through de pearly gates. Not so my friend. One must put trust and faith in the finish work of Jesus Christ. He did all the “Good works” for us already.
In addition, Fidel Castro assisted wherever he saw the need, wherever people were vulnerable to capitalism, wherever they had no one to help. He wanted everyone to have an education. He did all this without expecting anything in return. This is saying much for him.
Let me further inform you, if Fidel was a man as the likes of Hitler and some other types as Hitler who took it all and never gave anything in return, I would not have stated the aforementioned.
We must give compliment where it is due. I reiterate, let God who is the Judge and the Final Judge to judge everyone and their works. For what Fidel Castro did as we all know, I pray God forgave him.
Another matter, as I read on a Toronto News Website, Fidel sent homosexuals to be re-educated. I like that. I add, for their benefit. It was not said he killed them. The man had his ways but he had some good ones. All governments that legislated this abomination should have learned a lesson from him.
Private property confiscation is CONSISTENT in capitalism! I’m glad Fidel restricted the media because the majority of those outlets are nonsensical and vacuous! Castro’s goal was always about basic needs and people; not the overspending and waste that capitalism encourages. Over 800 political prisoners were recently released.
I agree that Castro had his flaws, but he saw the evil of capitalism and wanted change.
“Private property confiscation is CONSISTENT in capitalism!”
No it isn’t. Eminent domain is a power of the state, it doesn’t exist in a true market economy.
Indices that make a nation the richest nation in the world, no national debt, sound money with real value, no need for doctors or hospitals for citizenry, produce more than we consume, and abundant agriculture, Deuteronomy 15:6 & Deuteronomy28:12 Dominica does not have any of these indices, so what did castro do?
Only thing Fidel Castro contributed to Dominica is Communism, that is why this country is so poor. Cuba had a policy of exporting communism to latin America & the caribbean, so they used education. When u all boast education and health services, what change did it bring to Dominica, today, I hope u OJ don’t end up at pmh like some Dominicans begging skerrit to send you martnique. Dominicans catching their tale at the pmh by the same doctors who studied in cuba, u know why cause some teachers accept bribes from students for exams, today we have engineers from Cuba designing mediocre work, yes he gave less fortunate scholarships but it was more indoctrination than education as they return to Dominica without any original ideas, one of the reasons skerrit so popular is they all communists like him. Dominica is in decline thanks to castro and naive Dominicans who like free lunches and cannot see beyond the veil of deceit from people bearing open arms with agendas.
Very acrimonious and closed minded view in your comment. I would accept this if you yourself had gone through the Cuban scholarship program. By your very words I can tell you depend on hearsay as a light in your darkness.
But I understand the reason for your frustration. Skerrit has put a terrible blight on Dominica, but I assure you that has nothing to do with Cuba and professionals who studied in Cuba.
Wonder where Dominica would be now without Doctors from Cuba at the PMH, or Engineers who studied in Cuba. Surely DA would be worse off..
Skerrit is the way he is because …………….(something Fidel never promoted) and blinded Dominicans who continue to vote for him. I encourage you to continue to talk about the injustice going on in Dominica.
I wholeheartedly agree with you 100% that is why i live in America not Cuba, I love capitalist countries, they give me more opportunities to earn a living, i love the choices i get in capitalist America i can go to the mall a pawn shop and the Govt leave me alone. Thank God for America, all those people praising Cuba not living in Cuba. Castro killed millions of his own people. God will deal with him.