AELLC News Updates

ReUnion 08 Proposal: Village Beautiful and Sustainable

In response to the request for involvement in Reunion 2008, the AELLC proposes that DAAS sponsor a project entitled "Village Beautiful and Sustainable". We recognize that the first three topics do not fall within our mandate, but they all share a common theme which is "education". Asnew members on the block, we appreciate that some of our suggestions may have already been tried.

The project would be run as a competition or contest but will essentially give the villages an opportunity to showcase both their problems and their achievements, and will help them promote development in a sustainable and participatory way.We propose four parts to the contest:

• Beautification (village aesthetics competition)
• Economic & Environmental Sustainability (village production, service and other income-generating projects -- e.g. how is the village coping with the loss of the banana market; involvement with tourism? what about environmental sustainability?)
• Participatory Democracy (evidence of civic involvement and participation in village governance -- who is involved? what about women and youth?)
• A history and creative writing component entitled "Our Stories; Our Lives", which will showcase a "Village History: Oral and Archival Sources" section and a fiction writing section.

This competition will reward the best accounts of village history using oral sources (interviewing older informants) and various archival sources (village and national archives; church archives; family letters and other private collections), AND the best fiction writing -- maybe limited to short stories -- with village life and Dominican settings being featured. We can have a Dominica-wide or "Dominica-at-large" section in which folks from Roseau and Portsmouth (who may not be eligible for the Village History section), or folks who prefer to write about these two towns or Dominica at large, can take part. The project would maintain a focus on the villages.

The Adult Education Committee, would sponsor and coordinate the last section ("Our Stories; Our Lives"). Prizes could include: money; being featured on a new "Village Beautiful and Sustainable" website being guaranteed the services of at least one consultant in an area of need defined by the village for up to one year (we would have to get the DAAS membership in on that!); or resources such as computers or agro-processing machinery.

We welcome your comments and suggestions. Based on your comments, etc. the AELLC will work on a template and needs analysis for the fourth part.

Shirley Richards on behalf of Adult Education and Lifelong Learning Committee.

DAAS/DSC Proposed Summer Institute

On Tuesday, November 7, 2006 representatives of DAAS (Vincent John, Mervin John, Clayton Shillingford and Shirley Richards met with Dr. Bardouille, President of the Dominica State College (DSC). Among the issues discussed was the hosting of an annual Summer Institute in Dominica. The Summer Institute would be a collaborative effort between the DAAS and the DSC. The topic of the Summer Institute had previously been the subject of a discussion between Cecilia Green (AELLC of DAAS) and Dr. Bardouille. (Read Full Report).

As in the past, the response by Dr. Bardouille was very positive as she viewed it as an essential step for the DSC which would allow it to develop much needed relationships and partnerships and provide the much needed exposure for the college. This would be a major undertaking requiring careful planning by everyone involved. If this endeavour is to get off the drawing board, we need to begin some serious discussions.

Update October 10, 2006 - AELLC

The discussions between Cecilia Green (on behalf of the AELLC) and Dr. Bardouille, President of the Dominica State College identified two separate immediate needs for the Dominica State College: (Read Full Report)

1. Relationship between the Dominica State College and DAAS.

   Progress to date:

   • On the advice of the DAAS Executive, the AELLC made contact with Dr. Peter St.Jean to align the efforts of the AELLC with those of the Youth Development Committee.
   • Identification of a pool of qualified Diaspora members and friends of Dominica to assist
   
   To Do:
   
   
   • Continue to identify interested and qualified committee members
   • Formalise a Memorandum of understanding between the DAAS and the Dominica State College
   • Implement an ongoing summer institute

2. A formal relationship between the Dominica State College and Canadian Educational Institution.

   Progress to date:

   • Arranged for 7 Dominican teachers to enrol in Teaching Effectiveness Certificate program with Humber Institute of Advanced Learning and Technology
   • Four of the seven have successfully completed the program
   • Pat Hedley, the Director of the Professional Development Department at Humber and Shirley Richards, Consultant with the Professional Development Department to visit Dominica from October 20th. During that visit, certificates will be handed to the successful candidates
   • Scheduled meetings with representatives of the Dominica State College to identify possible relationships between Humber College and the Dominica State College.