For your information I would like to report on an article in the Dominica LINK Newsmagazine recently published by Parbel Enterprises , Editor Parry R Bellot It covers a wide range of subjects from National Awards through Nation Building to People.. Under People, the Good and the Bad the magazine has singled out Clayton Shillingford, Gabriel Christina and Thomson Fontaine as the persons who " gave their organisation such a bad name that DAAS is now at the cross roads. The Dominica Academy of Arts & Sciences ..was once a great example for the extraordinary contributioins that individuals in the Diaspora can make to thier homeland . The organisation, however , has become very political..according to some of its own members! There have been internal problems and very conflicting visions with suggestions about inflexibility on the part of some members of its leadership" I do not wish to speak for others but I fully intend to reserve the right quite separate from DAAS official non partisan policy to speak my mind openly on any matter where I hold my individual view..as does anyone else. regardless of what organisation they belong to. I hope I have made my position clear once again. Should the DAAS leadership and members feel that I have violated some constitutional rule they need only initiate a process to have me removed. Parry Bellot says "other members joined the chorus and CRIED that DAAS should remain apolitical and neutral.". I never shared the neutral view .. . There..I admit my guilt .. Trust others in the Dominica political leadership can be honest enough to do the same. At this point I would like to remind Parry Bellot that he owed DAAS EC$300 given to him to help organise the DAAS Local Chapter..The task was not done ...and he did not repay and forced me to take him to Magistrate Court to recover funds that I was responsible for..Is that political ? Is that event in part the genesis of his hostility? C A Shillingford
