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By Dominican journalist Luis Gonzalez
The Commonwealth is comprised of 54 countries, which in most cases, have historical and cultural ties with the United Kingdom. 19 countries are in Asia and Oceania.
Among those 19 is the most populous of all members of the Commonwealth, which is India, with its 1.21 billion habitants, is the second in the world. India is also one of the most promising emerging economies, a member of the BRIC group, world's largest democracy and nuclear power.
Australia, which is of all countries of the Commonwealth which has the highest Human Development Index, which is also the largest in the Asia-Oceania and second in the world after Norway. It is also the country with the second largest territory of the Commonwealth, exceeded only by Canada.
Singapore and New Zealand, two prominent members of the Commonwealth pertaining to Asia-Oceania, top the list of least corrupt countries in the world according to Transparency International. Brunei joins Singapore, for the first two of the Commonwealth and the first in the world in gross domestic product (GDP) to values of purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita.
Malaysia, in addition to being a country in economic rise, joins Singapore, to be perhaps the two countries in Asia, members of the Commonwealth, which are the most important strategic location for global trade.
Besides India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, of which we highlight some features, other countries in Asia-Oceania, members of the Commonwealth, are: Bangladesh, Cyprus, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Maldives, Nauru, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
These 19 countries in Asia-Pacific, and the other 35 of which 3 are from Europe, including the United Kingdom, 13 in America, most of the Caribbean and 19 from Africa, the Commonwealth has as Head Elizabeth II Queen of Britain since Wednesday February 6, 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. On Monday February 6, 2012, commemorates the 60th anniversary of the reign of Isabel II, which is cause for joy, joy, celebrations for the 54-member Commonwealth.
Our congratulations to the Queen and we hope this will be expressed through the British Ambassador in the Dominican Republic, Steven Fisher. Congratulations to all Commonwealth countries, especially those in Asia-Oceania which have diplomatic relations with the Dominican Republic. Citizens of Commonwealth countries who reside in the Dominican Republic, who do business with those countries, the bi national chambers of commerce and the Round Table of the Commonwealth Countries in Dominican Republic, which heads Fernando Gonzalez MBE.
We hope the United Kingdom whose Queen will celebrate 60 years, of great importance to Chinese culture, reflects on the potential for the Commonwealth countries in Asia-Oceania as per the large markets and of raw materials, strategic geopolitical location.
If the United Kingdom as head of the Commonwealth treats each country as part of a community, a relationship of respect, solidarity, cooperation, I am sure that not only maintain and strengthen the Commonwealth, but will grow together and prominent actors in the construction of the new world order that is expected to be peace and security for all citizens of the world.
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She has been a great example of a hardworking ,sincere leader who , as she said in a rare interview, never had any training for her position ,,she just was suddenly there and did what she calls the right thing as well as she could .
I am an admirer ,,very much
Before you beat on your chest and boast on Australian accomplishments first read all you can on Dominican history, learn about our socio-politicall processes, then you can make a fair comparison. Australia was a distant, relatively isolated nation and left pretty much alone to develop by itself without constant interference from the outside world.
Unlike the DR who was invaded by various nations and numerous times ransacked, burned to the grown, rob of its richest by English pirates, Spain, Portugal and France. In constant threat by enemies next door and later conquered by those neigbors who happen to be illiterate slaves that bought the country into backwardness and still continue to peacefully invade. The DR is a defacto colony of the US and even Germany wanted to take control, but US foreign policy under the Monroe doctrine did not allow nor wanted European powers to exert influence on any nascent nations of the Americas. (continued)
We were a country in constant turmoil, and repeatedly just when we thought it was all over and done, we had to start from scratch once again. It has not been easy, but we have managed. Considering the circumstances, I think we have done quite well and will continue to improve in spite of all the challenges, difficulties and vicissitudes faced in the past and what we will and have encountered throughout the centuries.
Australia was colonized at a very different time from the Caribbean, and for different reasons too. The Spanish, Portuguese and the Dutch all knew to some extent about the existence of Australia, but were not interested in colonizing it. The British were only interested because they didn't want the French to beat them to it, and as somewhere to dump convicts, since after independence, America was no-longer an option.
However the early settlers had different, but equally difficult challenges. They did not have the benefit of slavery, or an established civilization there before them, only stone-age savages.