![\"Commentary\"](\"http:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/commentary2.jpg\")
The 35th anniversary of the Cuban Scholarship Program is being observed by the Cuban\/Dominica Association.<\/p>\nThe 35th anniversary of the Cuban Scholarship Program is being observed by the Cuban\/Dominica Association.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t any Diplomatic relations.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s infrastructure up to recent times in the Roseau to Botanical Gardens Circuit Road.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s brightest young minds and which could convert them to becoming Regional Communists Agitators and activists.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
During the years from 1980 onwards the opposition engaged in recruitment of students to Cuba.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s super power to do otherwise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"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…","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":39536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n