The 35th anniversary of the Cuban Scholarship Program is being observed by the Cuban/Dominica Association.
The program was initiated in 1979 by O.J Seraphin Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica and leader of the then Democratic Labour Party.
Following Hurricane David on 29th August, 1979, he sat with Fidel Castro at their first appearance at the U.N and sought assistance as if pertains to Scholarships for deserving students from the Commonwealth of Dominica.
There was follow up through Grenada based Cuban Ambassador Russo and then P.M Maurice Bishop of Grenada who followed through their respective diplomatic channels in pursuit of the process of arrangements to board/ lodge and access students to relevant campuses in Cuba as Dominica hadn’t any Diplomatic relations.
A meeting of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) was held in Cuba where Dominica became an associated member. Dominica was represented by Bernard Wiltshire as an envoy of the P.M O.J Seraphin.
At the meeting members pledged huge resources of support to the government and people of Dominica which included the Kuwaiti Fund which did benefit Dominica’s infrastructure up to recent times in the Roseau to Botanical Gardens Circuit Road.
Dominica had been enjoying very positive relations with the US and through the appointed Ambassador Sally Shelton, Dominica was well placed to receive benefits following the Hurricane David of August 1979.
Despite the friendship of the Prime Minister and the Embassy then, the US was vehemently opposed to Dominica engaging in relations with The Non Aligned Movement which was a platform of Anti- Imperialist/Anti- American sentiments as well as Cuba was considered a hostile state under US sanctions.
Indeed the offer of Scholarships by Cuba to Dominica met aggressive resistance from the American Embassy who concluded that this represented an attempt at corrupting Dominica’s brightest young minds and which could convert them to becoming Regional Communists Agitators and activists.
Indeed there have been only few Cuban trained professionals who became parliamentarians over the 35 years since the inception of the Cuban Scholarship program — Dr. Darroux/Dr. Worrel Sanford and Attorney Julien Prevost and a few others, who were activists, Dr. Dublin, Mckenzie and Pascal none of whom pursued communist inspired activities, however like the next 300 trained professionals from Cuba over the years have been leaders in their respective areas of training thus contributing to the intellectual resource development of Dominica.
The Prime Minister O.J Seraphin offered US Ambassador Sally Shelton an alternative by requesting that the US replace and offer similar scholarships on an annual basis to the Commonwealth of Dominica which she claimed was under consideration by the US State Department but was unable to deliver on the promise.
A 50 percent of 42 Scholarships promised by Cuba was proposed as a possible compromise to balance the possible advent of a total indoctrination of our young professionals through a communist Cuba as perceived by the Americans. The 21 other possible candidates were sacrificed on the altar of well-intended diplomacy as again the US failed to deliver.
In the years following 1980, the Democratic Labour Party merged with the Dominica Labour Party at the Historic St. Joseph Central Committee joint meeting which led to the mass convention of Londondery of the unified party in 1983 where O.J Seraphin emerged Leader and Patrick John Deputy political Leader of the Dominica Labor Party.
By 1985 the Dominica Liberation Movement had been assimilated and Mike Douglas and by association Rosie Douglas all became unified. Mike Douglas did become leader in 1985 with O.J Seraphin Deputy Leader, Babs Dyer 2nd Deputy Leader of the DLP in an accord of 20 persons at Mahaut of various political personalities who were opposed to the Dominica Freedom Party.
During the years from 1980 onwards the opposition engaged in recruitment of students to Cuba.
The incoming Freedom Party not only refused acceptance of government sponsored scholarships to Cuba but also denied Cuban trained professionals from the program to be employed by the government over the ensuing years.
Today however most doctors appointed to serve by present governments are Cuban trained. Many professionals are actively involved in nation building including as many as 10 Architects when no locals were trained prior to 1980.
The historical facts are that it was only on the emergence of the U.W.P in 1995 did government resume the official state to state scholarship program reestablishing the government program which was initiated with Cuba by the O.J Seraphin administration of 1979.
Today we recognize the role of the Cuban Government in the resource development process of Dominica, we salute the students who despite challenges were focused and committed and now contribute as positive citizens offering professional services to our country. We must in so doing give honour when it is due and affirm the leadership by the then P.M O.J Seraphin who during the cold war did have the temerity to face off with the US as the principle of educating our young people by introducing the Cuban scholarship program was done despite persuasions and protestations of the United State- the world’s super power to do otherwise.
DNO should check its facts before going to print with these historical revisions. As far as I am aware Mr. Seraphine did not meet with Fidel to arrange any scholarships. That is not how it happened. I fully agree that OJ should be given credit for accepting the scholarships as PM – indeed for sending me to the non-alligned Conference with full authority to negotiate assistance for Dominica after hurricane David, but I had to issue a threat to get them accepted after Rosie and I returned from Cuba. The old Freedom extremists such as Eugenia Charles, Charles Maynard and Brian Alleyne were dead against. They rejected the doctors out of hand. I had to threaten to denounce the government around the country if the scholarships were rejected. I said to Seraphine “Perry be a man” and ignore the old plantation class nonesense. That put some steel in him. That is how the scholarships got accepted. I then proceeded to select the students and travel to Cuba at my expense with their…
ADMIN: The piece was written by OJ Seraphin himself, are you saying he is lying?
What I have said is what actually happened. OJ, as I said before, deserves full credit for having accepted the scholarships by virtue of the fact that he was the PM at the time. I have no problem with that; but I am sure that he will agree that he did not specify what I should ask for in Cuba. In that respect I was acting as a plenipotentiary; that is, with full discretion to negotiate as I saw fit. You must bear in mind that the country at the time lay in utter ruin; I had to make my own way to Cuba as best I could. It was at the height of the “cold war”. I had previously suggested to OJ that he should go to Cuba himself, but he refused for fear of being labelled a Communist. Mike Douglas and Athie Martin refused same way; So I suggested myself. The scholarships could not, therefore, have been the result of prior discussions between OJ and Fidel. But full praise to OJ for accepting. Shame to the reactionary Freedomites for obstructing! History will judge them harshly!
that’s the thing with the US always ready to oppose but never willing to help unless they benefiting financially,, and if O.J didn’t stand his ground, today Dominica won’t have all them trained professionals,
The Left and progressive forces within the Dominica Labour Party(1979-1980) together with the Edison James Administration(1995-1999) must receive full recognition and commendation for the Cuban Scholarship Programme together with the DLP Administrations from 2000-the present.
The Dominica Freedoom Party–Dame Mary Eugenia,Charles Maynard, Henry Babs Dyer, Brian Alleyne, Ronan David,Rupert Sorhaindo, Charles Savarin, Southwell(Allison et al),Lennox Honychurch, Clarence Seinhoret ,Franklin Baron, Heskeith Alexander ,Mary Davis Pierre, Armantrading , John-Charles ,etc .etc.–denied the sons and daughters of the working class and peasants of Dominica these scholarships for FIFTEEN (15) years!!!A-las! Yet these misguided poor were shouting “VIVA MAMA””We HOOK on Freedoom” for these same years. How sad!
Although done in the third person this is welcome historical facts. O J Seraphine must be commended for his fortitude, resilience, tenacity and contributions to this country. Needless to say our biases, myopia and political selfishness help to stifle innovation and encourage others who would like to do more. He may not have been a wise politician, didn’t allow his charisma to take him and subsequently the country far enough after Dominica was devastated physically, politically and economically. But thanks O J.
smf;;;;;;; head