Editor’s note: Due to technical difficulties which DNO was experiencing, last week’s edition of Business & Life was not published in its entirety. DNO and the column’s author, Dr. Henry, have therefore, decided to republish the same column this week.
This week, we focus on Independence. On November 3, 2013, we will celebrate 35 years of independence under the theme, “One Mission, One Dominica Celebrating 35! I want to extend my best wishes to Mr. Raymond Lawrence who will be retiring soon as Chief Cultural Officer. He has served well in this capacity and as the founder of the Waitikubuli Dance Theatre, in existence for more than 40 years, he has ensured that our culture is alive and well. Mr. Lawrence as you retire from public service, I am confident you are not retriing from promoting and strengthening our culture, I, on behalf of VF Inc, wish you God’s continued Blessings, Protection and Peace. As the Africans would say, as you move on, “Walk Good!” You have and continue to serve Dominica well. Congratulations! I hope you have planned at least a short vacation to just be! You deserve it. You are allowed to take a few bows! We can all say “Well Done, Good and Trusted Servant!”
Before I delve into the topic, I want to thank “Anonymous” who gave a succinct explanation behind the Wob Dwiyet. In 1986, Dominican students at UWI, Cave Hill Campus decided we were going to celebrate our Independence and asked and received permission for a flag raising ceremony on Campus. We decided we would be dressed in national outfits and cook and display our local dishes and then have a brunch. Many of us however, did not have a Jupe, much less a Wob Dwiyet! Mrs. Alix Boyd Knight, Speaker of the House of Assembly, a law student at the time, offered to make the national outfits. She organised for the purchasing of the material out of St. Lucia and made the ladies our jupes, blouses and petticoat and the men the red cummerbunds and sashes. Following our successful presentation, students of other islands adopted the idea. I still think this celebration of independence by students of the different islands happens at Cave Hill. Mrs. Boyd-Knight, I take this opportunity to thank you again for your generous offer and national spirit.
I now understand the reason behind the Dwiyet being made with non-madras cloth. History is really important in our understanding of our culture and who we are. In the bygone days madras was the cheaper material, like codfish and smoked herring, now they have taken pride of place in leading the prices! I remember as a child our neighbours pouring alcohol and a match to smoked herring, as they did not want others to know they were cooking smoked herring. It was called “the telephone”, as with the scent the entire neighbourhood knew what you were cooking. I remember asking one neighbor why she was going through all that trouble, as we never did that at home. So what if the nieghbours knew you were cooking smoked herring? I loved smoked herring and still do to this day. I will have it any day!
Independence, what does it mean? I am not going to delve into a treatise on the meaning or even to mention the many definitions. I will focus on one meaning, “freedom.” In 1978, when we gained our independence from Britain, we were celebrating our freedom to choose our path of development, to govern ourselves and to define ourselves as Dominicans. One can ask what have we done with that freedom, or how successful have we been in governing and defining ourselves and choosing our path of development. I am also not going to delve into this. This week, I am going to focus on the theme, “One Mission, One Dominica Celebrating 35.”
One Mission signifies one goal, one purpose, and one vision. One Dominica signifies one people, one team, so the two together, One Mission, One Dominica signifies a team working together to achieve a common and shared goal. It speaks to unity of purpose and indeed, this is something worth celebrating. However, what is this one Mission, we as one people, are working towards? And back to the theme of “celebrating 35,” have we been working towards this goal as one people for the past 35 years? What was the Mission/Vision/Goal of Honourable Patrick Roland John for Dominica when he led us into independence? What was the Mission/Vision/Goal of Honourable Oliver J Serapahin, who led the interim government after the 1979 coup d’état? What was the Mission/Vision/Goal of Honourable Mary Eugenia Charles who led Dominica for fifteen years? What was the Mission/Vision/Goal of Honourable Edison James who led Dominica between 1995 – 2000? What was the Mission/Vision/Goal of Honourable Roosevelt Douglas who brought the Labour Party in from the political Wilderness in 2000 and led for a mere nine months? What was the Mission/Vision/Goal of Honourable Pierre Charles who took on the mantle following the death of PM Douglas and who sadly also died in office in 2004? What is the Mission of Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit who assumed leadership in 2004 following the demise of PM Charles and who received his own mandate from the polls in 2004 and 2009, the latest mandate being an 18-3 victory?
Do you see where I am going? What is this one mission that we Dominicans have been working on or towards in the last 35 years? I don’t know about you, but I cannot name one mission that has been spelt out by any of our Governments in the last 35 years, whereby a call for national unity has been made to get us to work towards, where government has concentrated its spending on achieving. Our governments have worked and our current government is working – they have spent and spend money on infrastructure, education, health, social services, business, agriculture, tourism etc., but this is towards what end? What is the driving force that is uniting us as a people? What is this goal that we are working towards that is igniting our passion to give our all, to rise above partisan politics, personal likes or dislikes? I know PM Skerrit has articulated that he wants a graduate in every household by 2015, however, is this the end or a means to an end? If the latter, what is the bigger picture which a graduate in every home will help realise?
Even now with the theme, “One Mission One Dominica Celebrating 35,” what is this one mission we are called upon as one Dominica to work towards and to celebrate? The theme is therefore vague. It may be emotive, but the substance is absent. If we take a short hop away to Trinidad, the PNP Government articulated its vision for Trinidad, with a fifteen-year strategic plan dubbed “Vision 2020”, based on five pillars. This was a rallying call, which saw Trinidadians from every walk of life embracing, such that even with a government change and shifts as expected, in certain policies, strategy and even name, “Vision 2020” remains. This is what we call, One Mission, One Country, in that case, One Trinidad.
When we look around in Dominica today, with allegations of constitutional trampling and calls for boycott of the Youth Rally and National Rally, can we say we are embracing and living this theme? I believe one must express one’s views and in certain cases demonstrate one’s displeasure, however, I strongly maintain that we must respect the positions of authority. If we denigrate a position, how do we expect people to respect it? It reminds me of a ladder. If we destroy the rungs on our way up, how are we going to get down, but with a mighty fall? We may dislike and even not respect a person in a position however we must respect the position.
What is that Mission? This I believe the government needs to articulate and publicise in the coming months for you see a Mission/Goal gives a sense of purpose. We must know and believe in it so we can own it and work towards its attainment. This Mission needs a deadline or timeframe for this gives the sense of urgency. There must be periodic reporting on the progress towards attaining that mission and this will provide the accountability, which is critical for performance. And to get us united as One Dominica in achieving this goal, there must be respect, transparency, trust, integrity, honesty and good governance. Then we will certainly need to celebrate, not just at the end of 35, but everyday.
As we celebrate this 35th Anniversary of Independence, let us begin to think about the goals that we would like to achieve as a people and nation.
Until we meet again, May the Lord Continue to Keep Us in the Palm of His Hands.
I wish you could get an interview,from the Prime minister and from the Opposition Leader,on the topic;ONE MISSION;ONE COUNTRY; I would love to hear their take on that.You would be a good INTERVIEWER.It’s time someone get some sort of dialogue on NATIONAL TOPICS; from the diffrent parties,I know debate is not in their cards,but some sort of discussion need to take place,on topics of NATIONAL intrest,by someone like you.
ONE MISSION – Could that be it, V. “every Dominican must “commit to the mission of pursuing excellence in our approach to work and the conduct of our lives.” (Skerrit, November 2013).
I am always inspired by your profound publication that serves as a source of education to we the readers on DNO. I have interacted with you several times and whenever we converse I have always felt elevated after learning something new.
Dr., you are a true patriot and I do appreciate you for who you are.
Keep up the good works!
Well written and well worth the wait continue to inspire
Dr. Henry,
I find your writings to be very profound and nonpartisan. Can you host or organize leadership training sessions for our leaders – current government and opposition? The conduct of our leaders does not depict unity.
Base on your writings I can tell you are a wise woman. Please reach out to our leaders so we can have a better Dominica.
I appreciate your weekly writing. Great job!