Volume No. 2 Issue No. 49 - Monday August 4, 2008
The rule of Law Vs the Law of the Jungle (part 4)
 Gerald La Touche JP
Gerald La Touche on the left being sworn in as a London magistrate.
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In part three of this commentary celebrating Dominica’s 30th anniversary of independence, I entered the Americas and introduced, with the help of a few examples, the various experiences of independence, which this region presents.
As I embarked on my journey through the experiences of the Americas to try and understand the diversity of post-independence outcomes, I introduced the question of the North Vs South divide: Why has post-independence development been so different for the nations of North America Vs those of South America?
However, before I can continue this journey that I started in part 3, I must make a detour right here and now. This digression also has a bearing on Dominica’s post-independence status and it is one that I had planned to come to closer to November 2008.
However, I am forced to touch on this subject at this precise moment for reasons I shall now explain. While I am writing this episode, I have just this minute sent a complaint to the Editor of the New Internationalist (NI) magazine.
Having just received my copy in the post today, I quickly made my way to the “Country Profile” in this issue, NI 414 August 2008, page 36. That country is Dominica (Commonwealth of Dominica – but the NI simply has Dominica, but that is not the problem)).
This issue of the NI presents a smart little profile on Dominica, written in a very palatable language. Not like the hard-core economic profiles you get in magazines like The Economists, which is equally brilliant for their audience.
I quite enjoyed reading it. With its presentation of facts and figures, the NI presents an intriguing and curiously inviting synopsis of Dominica. As I proudly waved it to my colleague at work exclaiming “that is my country”, I froze – “this is not our flag!”
Yep! They had done it again! An international magazine had “Dominica” in profile but displayed the flag of the Dominican Republic next to the profile. Well, I have written to the editor demanding that next month’s issue of the New Internationalist carries an apology and a display of the correct flag with an explanation of the meaning of our flag.
But I am sure the Dominican officials in government or at the High Commission Office in London will spot it and make a similar complain.
No offence to the NI for an obvious error. As I said earlier, I welcomed Dominica being in the “Country Profile” and I think it was very well written. The last time that Dominica was featured in the “Country Profile” of the NI was, by their own admission, the issue of July 1997.
I do not know what flag was used then. But here lies a major post-independence challenge, which shows its head every now and again! It was the same issue with the lady from France explaining to a colleague of mine here in the UK that she had visited the Dominican Republic while on holidays in Martinique and Guadeloupe.
When she was told that the island she was describing was in fact the island of Dominica, more officially known as the Commonwealth of Dominica, she said no. And continued to explain, “I am sure it was the Dominican Republic, between the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.”
Shocking, is it not – I hear you say! That in the 21st Century, the dawn of the information age, that someone could still get this wrong. Well sorry to disappoint you but not exactly. While we are so proud of our Dominica and think that everyone should know the difference – they don’t!
While Dominica has been emerging on the travel destination maps for a niche market, and we have had a few political incidents and natural disasters to turn heads on the international scene, to the truth of the matter is that the Dominican Republic is very widely internationally known, and its capital Santo Domingo is also known as the oldest continuous European settlement in the Americas.
Not only that, but it has been an independent nation from Spain since 1865! This is a well-aged nation and as such when most international developers, academics, writers and probably even governments hear the word Dominica – they think first the Dominican Republic. Even the most educated ones in international relations make this mistake!
I am not trying to excuse the ignorance of the world! I simply am trying to explain what we are up against when promoting or advocating for Dominica and its future development. That there are circles where some credit due to the Commonwealth of Dominica goes to the Dominican Republic.
I have seen advertisements in Europe offering all the ‘accoutrements’ of Dominica while offering the Dominican Republic. To have been born in Dominica and then listen to someone who had visited Dominica on holiday explain how beautiful an experience the island is and then erroneously advise a colleague that “you must visit the Dominican Republic” is heart breaking!
While a lot of money is spent re-branding the ‘tourism product’ of the Commonwealth of Dominica, I believe some consideration should be given to a more significant re-branding! That Christopher Columbus named two landmasses in the Caribbean Sea, Dominica, should not disadvantage a nation and its people more than 500 years later.
That our destiny is still hindered by the actions of a European more than 500 years ago is worth at least a discussion! Or maybe you do not know what the effects are; the disadvantage and loss we have suffered because of this confusion.
And not only as a ‘tourist product’, I am talking about the identity of a whole nation – how we define ourselves, the way we identify, as proud Dominicans.
And so we should be! But also the way we are perceived internationally when at first hearing “I am Dominican” my international official immediately assumes without further verification that I am from the Dominican Republic.
I am not going to say anymore here on this topic. I believe I have left you enough food for thought. As I said earlier this was an issue I had planned to get to closer to November.
The debate on the renaming of Dominica comes and goes with the political euphoria of the time. With that said I am fully aware that this would be a very costly process and could not be considered nor justified in such challenging economic times.
But the debate should be have and a decision taken to consider in the future. Our 30th anniversary of independence is a very good time to have this debate. In the meantime I shall wait and see if the NI does apologise and publish a descript of the Commonwealth of Dominica’s flag in the September issue which will be out by August end.
One of the challenges of writing this independence paper with a view to the past whilst at the same time placing the debate in a current context is that the current can easily overcome the historical.
While this makes for a more interesting and captivating writing, the challenge for focus on the independence theme is greater – but enjoyable. Where I have journeyed today was not where I had planned to go, but in part 5 we shall continue the journey of independence through the Americas.
Read part 1
Read part 2
Read part 3
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