Wednesday, November 4, 2020 — The Commission of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) extends to the Government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica warmest congratulations on the occasion of the nation’s 42nd Anniversary of Independence under the theme: “Embracing New Opportunities“.

A virtual flag-raising ceremony was held at the OECS headquarters in Saint Lucia on Tuesday, November 3rd 2020 to commemorate the event. The brief ceremony featured an address by the Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules. The national prayer was delivered by Msgr. Hon. Dr. Patrick Anthony, Director of the Archbishop Kelvin Felix Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre, Saint Lucia.

In his address to the virtual audience, Dr. Jules stated:

“Dominica, more than any other OECS Member State, has experienced with undue intensity the existential challenges of our time. The nature isle has felt the wrath of nature and brawn the brunt of climate change through Hurricane Maria and now shares with us and the rest of the world the crippling impact of Covid 19.

Throughout all of these challenges, past and present, Dominicans have demonstrated the resilience of character and the determination to overcome all odds.

The government and people of Dominica have never waited on anyone to solve their problems. Post Hurricane Maria, in spite of the billions promised for recovery, Domnica has lifted itself by its own grit and courage, with the help of a few friends, to stand tall again. 

From our many lessons that we can learn from the examples of Dominica, perhaps the biggest of those is to recognise that in an unsentimental world we have no one to rely on but ourselves and our sisters and brothers of the Caribbean; that in a world in which the arteries of conscience are hardening, the spirit of sharing the family of integration is now our only protection; and that in an age of heightened fake news and fake reality, none but ourselves can free our minds.

The theme of the 42nd Anniversary: ‘Embracing New Opportunities’ speaks to the visionary perspective of the leadership of Domnica at this time when what everyone sees are not exciting

new opportunities but new debilitating challenges. This theme calls for us to lift our eyes to the light and not be consumed by the darkness; to lift our gaze beyond the threatening clouds to see the blue skies beyond; and to find buried within the problematic of our overwhelming challenges the exciting immensity of the opportunities.

We therefore join hands together with Domnica to embrace these opportunities. “

The Commission looks forward to continuing in the service of the Government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica in the ongoing quest for the realisation of their development aspirations and extends very best wishes for continued good health, peace, progress and stability.