Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, Dr. Luz Longsworth has praised Dominica on its recovery thus far following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika on August 27, 2015.
She has visited Dominica on many occasion, however this is her first visit since the storm wrecked havoc on the island.
Dr. Longsworth said on Tuesday that she was happy UWI was able to play a small role in easing some of the difficulties faced by the country’s citizens.
“Driving in from the airport, I am amazed and I am full of admiration for the people of the Commonwealth of Dominica for your resilience, which I would speak of in my lecture tomorrow evening,” she said. “Also, just for your ‘let’s get along and get it done attitude’ because this is our life, our country and I just want to congratulate the entire population of Dominica.”
She stated also that, “it is not often that you go to a country that has had the kind of devastation that Dominica had and the images that we saw on the media, really horrified us across the region.”
She made reference to Hurricane Andrew which devastated Miami in August 1992.
“I remember many years ago going to Miami after the devastation of Hurricane Andrew, almost a year later, and there were mountains of debris in the open areas that had not yet been moved,” she explained. “There were still poles that were down.”
Dr. Longsworth stated that what have been achieved in Dominica should not be taken lightly.
“We hide out light under a bushel, so to speak in the region, because we somehow feel that we are the developing world and we are at the same pace as the developed world,” she noted. “But what you have done in your process of recovery is very very praiseworthy and as a Caribbean person, I am so proud to have come to Dominica to see that plane land on a runway that is still under repair, but still able to open so that you are opened for business.”
Dr. Longsworth said the message she would take back to anyone who plans to visit Dominica is, “Dominica is opened for business, the people are alive and kicking and well and the country is beautiful, nature has regenerated itself and it is perhaps even more beautiful than I can remember, if that is possible.”
Dr. Longsworth will deliver the Ninth Annual National Bank of Dominica Ltd. & UWI Open Campus Dominica National Distinguished Lecture on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 commencing at 7:00 p.m. at the Fort Young Hotel Conference Room.
She will speak on the topic: A Teacup in a Storm: Developing Leadership Resilience in Disruptive Change. She will examine how leaders of both large and small organizations can develop resilience to external and internal shocks caused by disruptive change, which is a constant feature of the 21st century organizational environment. In examining a model for resilient leadership, she will explore how leaders of any organization can create an environment where resilience means not just bouncing back from a crisis, but bouncing forward to strengthening their staff, their organizations and, by extension, the region.
Dr. Longsworth has over 25 years of experience in both academia and business. Her research areas include leadership development, change management and organisational development and transformation. She is also a certified trainer in leadership courses.
UWI is losing out,so they have to try making inroads with the politician.Come on proffessor,the government has heard you,your job is secured,no need to worry!UWI+Fort Young=government!Everything seems to be tied up with dirty politics!Madame,we are on the ground and can see clearly what has been going on and what is going on!
Now there it is. It is shameful that this highly qualified lady is being savaged by those who don’t want anything positive to be said about our country. These COUNTRY HATERS will definitely get their comeuppance they will definitely realise this character assassination is not helping our country one bit but then again what does one expect when a potential leader is uneducated
The poor woman said at a lecture last night that she was told 90 percent of Dominica was destroyed by Erika. She was given the wrong info, hence her comment.
Poor Doctor Longsworth is obviously blind! Stupes, can’t stop laughing too funny!
My degree is in Music Production….I was in D/ca this past March and I can certainly say this lady is trying to lift spirits, that’s all. Everything else she claims is a joke. Must they keep lying to us about the trail of human misery and degradation in the country? Why don’t these people just tell it like it actually is, and not what they think we want to hear?
La situation est difficile
Sitiyasyon an se difisil
The lady was being polite. Since she was not here immediately after Erika passed, and this is her first visit after the event it should be obvious that she has no base for comparison to make such a comment.
i must say that Dr. longsworth is as blind as they come……since ericka there is absolutely no developement, economically, infrastructural development is in a tail spin while ministers continue to buy houses land and very big SUV’s…
HAAAAAAAA. The cheque is in the mail.
Hi Dr Longsworth, welcome to our beautiful country and thanks for the positive words. Just something to keep in your mind; the fastest way to make enemies in Dominica is to speak positive of Dominica (strange but true). However, in general we are strong, positive and resilient people. Hope your stay here is successful.
Am … come to potters ville by the Berean Church …. but be careful not to fall into the river …….
I would excuse Dr Longsworth as the horrendous photos that went viral after the storm gave outsiders the impression that the entire country had suffered this devastation. So obviously since this is her 1st visit since the storm, she would be under the impression that most of the country has already been rebuilt. I really don’t think we can blame her as her current opinion is based on a false impression that she may had after Erika. A # of my friends like her, were misled by the photos.
Fed Up
And who was responsible for posting the photos? People who live overseas were sending me photos of rivers running in streets that I did not recognise before I had word of the devastation right where I was. Just as people take photos of murder victims on their phones and post them on the internet even before families of those victims are aware that their loved ones met their demise. I hope that you are not trying to blame the authorities for that!
But no, the photos were not misleading, the damage was horrendous! When I travelled through Macoucherie soon after the storm I was totally disoriented, couldn’t recall where the playing field was or where the river originally ran. The work there to restore access is quite good. The Hillsborough area is another example, so whether we like to hear it or not, the recovery work was tremendous, still much to be done but really commendable as money cannot drop from the sky to do the work.
Here it is a none citizen comes to your country see’s your progress after such a great storm, and you sit there and chastise a person who says you are open for business? These are the same people who comes on here and lay blame when the tourism industry fails, you’re hurting your selves, you can’t let politics hinder your daily bread people. Since then the airport was flooded twice, some wants the airport to close so they can start to cry even more, but each time they clean up within a day and the country moves forward. I want to say to the lady thank you for saying what you see, and everywhere you go tell them we are up and running.
Garson you really a jackass!!!
jackass jones if you are ugly too then i would feel absolute grief for you…. because someone cannot be an idiot and still ugly..
All I can do is laugh at this one! Dominica is truly one big comedy show after another!
LabourOfLove
Only for people like you! Look well and you will see who is creating the comedy every day! Never a dull moment!
Lol…yea right…I was home a few months ago, nope!
This woman needs a psychiatric evaluation. Her head is not good.
Woman,are you serious? Aben bon! Zor pa feb.
Committed
If I were in your place I would try to beat her to it! She is serious. She actually made a comparison with another country that she visited after devastation. You would have listened, I hope to your TV after Katrina to hear how long some of the people in the State that was hit, mostly black, had to wait for restoration of basic services. That was the mighty USA. The comparison she is making is also about a State in the mighty USA.
Get the drift?
The poor woman said at a lecture last night that she was told 90 percent of Dominica was destroyed by Erika. She was given the wrong info, hence her comment.
The biggest JOKE for the year….No wonder so few people are registering to pursue studies at UWI!!
Do you have facts to support that statement? I think you are just talking out of your krack, but I suppose that is your right.
Are you for real, lady? Is this another Baroness singing from Skerrits hyme sheet? Why do all these people come to Dominica and try to sell us more nonsense?
AA Gabriel
I was just about to caution the good doctor that she better not let anyone like you hear her say anything good about Dominica otherwise, with all her qualifications and stature as a UWI official and her over 25 years in academia and business, she is going to end up on the dump heap of being a Skerrit-paid sychophant! Such is the nature of our society these days!
Miss, Mr, Mrs Gabriel, you people are going to wake up one day when all the hate that is spewed and spawned day after day will have borne fruit, and wonder what hit you! Unfortunately, people like me who love and praise Dominica (no matter what and in spite of Skerrit) might also become victims of the society that you people have created.
I would recommend to the lady that she secure some body guards to ensure that she goes back to UWI in one piece because who knows when the hate that you people carry around will propel you to harm innocent people who don’t say what you want to hear.
Shameful!
Nothing at all to do with hate. Since you are so enlightened and can clearly see better than me make a list of all the things the government has done since Erika and give us an estimate of how much money was spend on these repairs/investment. You’ll soon find something does not add up. Skerrit has spend most of his time after Erika out of state and selling passport. Do you know where the funds of these sales are?
Barbara Saunders, I must say that I am quite disappointed in you! It appears to me that you don’t want people to comment on what they see before their own eyes. Although you seem to be an educated person, you seem to be echoing the Supreme Leader’s sentiments that anyone who speaks of the problems facing Dominica he/she is crying down the Country. Ms./Mrs. Saunders do you drive around Dominica at all? I do!!! Seven months after the passage of Tropical Storm Erika, there are MAJOR infrastructural damages that are yet to be addressed…the section of the road in Belles that fell into the river, the section of the road that broke off right before the bridge at the Riverstone Bar and Grill leaving Belles, the section of the road that fell into the river at Dublanc, the entire road system at Woten Waven and so many areas too numerous to mention. Barbara Saunders if you’re in Dominica and don’t see the slow pace of recovery you are the one who is biased!
Labour of Love and AA Gabriel
Don’t be disappointed! This is called democracy. I cannot stop you or anyone else from writing your comments. What I do is analyse the comments and give my take which often differs from the general drift because I take pride in trying to be objective.
This is Dominica where I have lived all my life. I do not remember a time when money fell from the sky to do anything. Our progress has been slow, whichever government was in office because of our terrain and other attributes which in some cases are our pride and joy and in other cases our challenge to development.
As for the list of things done, I could in fact cite a list but not sure to what avail, as you all have already made up your minds that nothing has been done and I try to avoid futile pursuits. The question that you must ask, as I ask myself, would things have been different, were a different leadership holding the reins at the time of the crisis? Perhaps you can answer!
really!!! Gabriel,sorry to bust your bubble baroness is ajeun senjo,so you can labba your big mouth all you want,she is here to stay