20 Facts About Rosie Douglas

Roosevelt Bernard "Rosie" Douglas was a politician and human rights activist from Dominica.

Rosie Douglas served as Prime Minister of Dominica from February 2000 until his death in office eight months later.

Rosie Douglas was the son of the late Robert Bernard Douglas, a wealthy businessman, coconut farmer, and conservative politician who named his boys after world statesmen.

Rosie Douglas was schooled in Dominica's capital, Roseau, before being accepted to study agriculture at the Ontario Agricultural College.

Rosie Douglas became involved in politics as a member of the young Conservative Party of Canada, under the guidance of the right honourable John Diefenbaker.

Rosie Douglas used his platform within the Tory Party to advocate on behalf of Caribbean women who came to Canada under the domestic scheme, better housing conditions for blacks living in substandard conditions, particularly in North Preston, Nova Scotia, equal employment opportunities for blacks in Canada, and addressing racism in Canada as part of the Tories' national platform.

However, Rosie Douglas left the conservatives when national student leader Joe Clark refused to address the issue of racism on a national level.

When black students began to protest racism at Sir George Williams University, Rosie Douglas had by then had moved on to his master's program at McGill University.

Rosie Douglas emerged as the media-savvy leader of what has come to be known as the Sir George Williams affair of 1969.

Rosie Douglas, who was not present at the time of the conflict, maintained that the fire was set by agent provocateurs, but was identified as the ring leader and charged with mischief.

Rosie Douglas served 18 months in prison before being deported in hand cuffs and leg irons, vowing that he would only return as "Prime Minister of my own country".

Rosie Douglas became the Executive Chairman of the Libyan-based World Mathaba, a group that trained and advised guerrilla resistance movements worldwide.

Back at home, in his native Dominica, Rosie Douglas launched the Popular independence Committee which agitated for full political independence from Great Britain, helping to pave the way for Dominica to become an independent nation in 1978.

Rosie Douglas served as the International Secretary of the Dominica Labour Party, eventually becoming leader in 1992 after the death of his brother Michael Douglas.

Rosie Douglas formed a coalition with the moderate Dominica Freedom Party and began office on 3 February 2000.

True to his promise, in May 2000 Rosie Douglas returned to Canada on an official state visit as the Prime Minister of Dominica, holding bilateral talks with his Canadian counterparts.

Rosie Douglas signed a US$300 million MOU with the Chinese for the building of an international airport, sought to establish a special relationship with the European Union with Dominica being sandwiched between two Departments of France, built stronger ties with the British Labour Party of Tony Blair the French Socialist Party of Lionel Jospin, the German Social Democratic Party of Gerhard Schroder and other social democratic parties in Scandinavia, Italy and Portugal.

Rosie Douglas sought increased development spending from Canada, Swedish assistance in transforming Dominica into an information technology centre, foreign direct investment in eco-tourism and medical tourism, and increased economic cooperation with Africa.

Rosie Douglas appealed directly to African Americans to invest in Dominica, and for the Congressional Black Caucus to lobby for the Caribbean in Washington in same way American Jews did for Israel.

Rosie Douglas had returned the day before from state visits to Australia, Taiwan, Canada and Libya for the reconvening for the World Mathaba.