The role of Caribbean people’s relationship with the divine and the expression of that relationship in the Arts will be at the forefront when the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus Dominica and the Cultural Division host the Fifth Annual E.O. Leblanc Memorial Lecture on Thursday, October 6, 2016 commencing at 7:00 p.m. at the Fort Young Hotel Conference Room.
This event is free and open to the public.
Mr. Vladimir Lucien, award-winning poet, author and actor from St. Lucia, will present on the topic: “Folk Songs Have No Authors: Creative Force and the Individual Talent in Caribbean Arts and Culture.”
Caribbean people’s relationship with the spiritual has always extended to several spheres of life. From election outcomes to upward and downward social mobility, to love relationships and art, the region’s people have always believed in divine connections. Mr. Lucien’s presentation will focus on the talent evoked through Caribbean works of art as an expression of the relationships that artists have with the Divine. It will be an exploration of the connection between Caribbean spirituality and the Arts.
The E.O. LeBlanc Memorial Lecture public lecture series forms part of the National Independence Calendar and focuses on cultural themes in celebration of the life and work of Edward Oliver Le Blanc, Dominica’s first Premier. He was devoted to culture and was an avid reader and poet.
The previous presenters of this lecture series were Mr. Alwin Bully, Dr. Lennox Honychurch, Dr. Irving André and Professor Hazel Simmons-McDonald.
How does a simple word “Devine” in the title of the lecture bring out all the self-righteous preachers out of their holes, beating their breasts and spewing all kind of condemnation on their neighbors and seeking their destruction in the some final conflagration? You people are too religious which does not necessariy mean that you are honest, or fair or just or even charitable. You use your religious opinions to offend and to condem others while promoting yourselves as oracles with all the answers or as paragons of virtue. Is there not room in your minds for a discussion on the arts, on culture, on our place in the world as a people? Can we not have that kind of conversation with ourselves? Does every conversation about ourselves have to go the way of shallow religious quarrels? So sickening!!!
Wow look at all this black people promoting the white man’s adoptation of a jewish religion
E.O. was the closest to an honest politician that ever coud be.
I remember when even as PM, he used to play dominoes with us in the print yard in Roseau and was always willing to listen and to have a chat. A most unassuming and pleasant man. He did what he said and said what he did – no frills, no BS.
I guess that once, as PM, it dawned on him that he either had to obey his masters (as all politicians must), or face a life of living hell, he bottled out – to his credit.
E.O, in my opinion is one of the greatest role models with have in Dominica. He taught is all that you should never sell your soul to the devil and sell out your countrymen for a few bucks irrespective of what power you hold over them.
A truly marvelous man – not like some people I know (not mentioning names, but you can work out who I am taking about).
Patricia, if we are talking about true equally we should call for the best person for a job to be appointed, regardless of creed, religion, race ethnicity,…or sex.
I would hate to see a system of affirmative action to be brought into play here, which has so enfeebled our people by indirectly stating that we can not compete evenly because of our skin colour, that we are inherently inferior and therefore need a leg-up. Just imagine a similar pc approach to the appointment of women! I would not equate that with equality and hate it.
There is one and only one TRUE and LIVING God. He is the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Spirit.
God was the Father of Adam by creation. When Adam sinned he lost his connection with God (the Divine). Since then the entire human race has been separated (alienated) from God.
The arts have value. But the arts cannot restore our relationship with God. They cannot reconnect us with the Divine.
Only Christ can reinstate us to harmony and fellowship with our Creator. He alone can do it because He died for our sins on the cross. To show He was satisfied with that sacrifice God the Father raised Him from the dead.
Now we must receive Christ as our personal Savior by believing in Him and trusting Him alone according to John 1:10-12. It is what He did for us on the cross that brings us back into the relationship with God that was lost because of Adam’s sin. Read Romans 5:6-8, Ephesians 2:8,9, and 1 John 5:11,12.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill.
Divinity is not going to save our country, Too many pharisees already.
If you reject Christ you will spend eternity with Pharisees. Where I am going there will be none.
Only those who have confessed they are hell deserving sinners and trusted Christ and HIS precious blood alone for their salvation will be in heaven.
Pharisees are those who think they are good enough for heaven because their ”good works” outweigh their sins. They think they will go to heaven because are not guilty of certain transgressions and have done enough charitable deeds.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill.
You can help save it by genuinely worshiping God.
Our Lord said: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Therefore, do not cry and criticize that nothing is done in Dominica, never will and it is this and that when you refuse to do nothing. God will hold you accountable for not recognizing Him and doing nothing. Your day is coming.
Read the KJV (original version) bible and you will find Chirst. Everything that is happening to you and in the world today is predicted in the bible. Your salvation awaits you.
We reside in a world where people have all sorts of views. Some of them were once baptized, believers and worshiped The Triune God. They now have a different outlook as they state.
You can only be one way; not another way nor different ways.
Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Do not deny Holy Scripture as not being the authentic truth of God, His existence, Creator and Ruler of the world who will, one day judge us all when we die.
So when you say the divine and spiritual force, who are you speaking about? By no means Our God. He is to be called God! Not by any other name which means something else and has no relation to Him.
Did E.O. LeBlanc not die a practicing Christian?
Have your art and its discussions but give him his dues as a Christian who worshiped the One True God; nothing else.
How many artists have connection with God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit?
Divine connections? The spiritual, creative force and divine, Caribbean spirituality. What’s that?
Did you lose your Christian teachings and beliefs or had none in the first place?
It is obvious you are not referring to Our One and Only True God.
Divine – connected with, coming from, or caused by God or a god or goddess.
Having godlike nature – being God or a god or goddess.
Realize something – transitive verb to come to understand or realize something.
Connected with worship – relating to the worship or service of God or a god or goddess.
Discover something as if supernatural – transitive verb to learn or discover something by intuition, inspiration, or other apparently supernatural means.
Predict something as if supernatural – transitive verb to predict something by apparently supernatural means.
God, or an underlying creative and sustaining force in the universe.
This is what such people mean.when they make such statements. They do not refer to Our One God.
I think that is time we grow up LEBLANC days was the 50s & 60s we are now in the 20s be for real
Wow, Wallace, spoken like a true genius there! I don’t think anyone involved in the lecture is asking to go back to LeBlanc days. I try my best to attend the UWI lectures and the DSC lectures when I can. It is refreshing for me to be able to participate in an intelligent conversation when it is available here. Let me ask you though: have you ever attended one of the lectures? (I think I know the answer to that). Perhaps you don’t live in Dominica…. yet there must be activities like these, named in honour of someone where you live. Have you ever attended? (I think I know the answer there too).
In 1923, the USA started programs to modify the earth’s weather: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_climatechange73.htm
E. O was a 50’s man, a fairly modern take in the circumstances, don’t you think?
There is nothing wrong with speaking about “the divine” but if the idea of “the divine” is simply based on “spirituality, without the sense of an” actual Person”– a living Person–when referring to that divine or spiritual, then it is all meaningless and the end product is always emptiness or nothingness.
Genesis 1 speaks of the Divine, who is the Spirit of Light in Love; that Divine called for His own Medium through whom He gave Life to a void and barren Earth; that call of His simply said: “Let there be Light” Genesis 1: 3
The apostle John said: ” All things were made through Him” John 1:3 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
We know that the name of the Person of this Divine Spirit, who is the Eternal Christ, is Jesus. Matthew 1: 21
Without the name of “Jesus” there can be nothing “divine”–take note of this!
And without this Christ who was with God in the beginning, this virgin born Son, the One who died for our sins and rose again, you cannot be re-connected with God.
The arts are nice in so many ways but they are the product of human effort. The Bible says ”For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill.
Leblanc rolling in his grave
my point is has Dominica evolved from all those historical aspects?
look at how low dominica has sunk> no national pride. selling Dominica passports without any transparency to the public….would know Hon E.O.Leblanc be accountable to the Dominican Public?…
the double standards that exist in today’s dominica is “PURE EVIL” to hell with them at that showcase of events for the upcoming independence activities….
under E.O.Leblanc, would he be comfortable with dominica being the Poorest and Slowest Economy in the region, would he be traveling in excess as a leader playing games with the society…….to hell again with dominica what dem sow them repeat poverty and evil deeds….
Understand that E.O. LeBlanc resided in another era. You must not compare that era to today. There were no TV and Internet then. Fortunate there was Radio.
Do you want Dominica to revert to what it was in those days? Whatever you feel is occurring in Dominica today, it is much better than it was in those days and I am criticizing no one.
It is time to set aside your negative ways and ill-feeling. They do you no good or others who listen to you and read your comment.
Yes, we want to revert. You have a problem with that?
EO knew what the deal was and left before he had to sell his soul to the devil.
Grow up my man. Do you really think that our regime as the masters of their destiny?? Do you really think that no ‘officials’ in our ‘visa-free’ travel countries in our passport are getting backhanders from our passport sales?
Do you honestly think that our regime is smart enough to get away with a CBI that flies in the face of FATCA sponsored by the masters of our world?
No, our regime members are merely puppets and have to follow the diktats of their handlers. Feel sorry for them. Their souls are are long gone to the devil and in the end they have only hell to look forward to.