SUNDAY 3RD AUGUST, 2014 – UWI TODAY
15
THE UWI HONORARY GRADUAND:
ROBERT MOORE
VB:
What made you choose the field
of radio broadcasting?
RM:
I went back to Guyana from the University College
of the West Indies in 1955 eager for Guyanese to
become aware of the history of the other British
colonies in the Caribbean, especially as talk of a
federation was in the air. With my new position
on the staff of Queen’s College, I was brimming
over with the desire to teach West Indian history
to the students, but was astonished to learn that
the curriculum was limited to British and empire
history. The Head of the History Department was
not interested in changing that focus, and he was
supported by the Principal.
That prompted me to contact Rafiq Khan at
Radio Demerara with a proposal to find a place
somewhere in their monthly broadcasts for a six-
minute segment on Guyanese history. He agreed
and the public response was overwhelming; such
was the hunger among Guyanese for knowledge
of their past. Thus the field of radio broadcasting
came into my life.
When the Principal realized that the six-minute
segment was arousing interest among the public,
he summoned me to suggest that we try a weekly
lesson in the fourth form on aspects of Guyanese
history. And that is how the teaching of West
Indian history made its way into the curriculum at
Queen’s College.
It developed into a full course, with great
excitement among the Upper Fourth boys and
considerable interest from the parents. That, in
turn, stimulated the Radio Demerara audience to
ask for more Guyanese and Caribbean history.
Thus began a long and most rewarding relationship
between me and Radio Demerara which
lasted until I went to Canada as Guyana’s High
Commissioner.
VB:
How would you say the standards of regional
radio broadcasting have fared over time?
RM:
I think radio broadcasting now owes less to the
BBC and more to local cultural and regional
assumptions than I when I first started. In short,
West Indians, right through the Caribbean are
being made aware of their past which has been
helping them to forge their future.
VB:
What are your thoughts on the current state of
CARICOM and regionalism – how relevant are
both?
RM:
This is a very difficult question to deal with. West
Indian educators have been trying, over the past
40 years, to make students more aware of their
environment and their own past. I believe that the
seductive power of North American culture and
its easy accessibility through the media makes it a
very strong rival to the understanding of the West
Indians about their history and collective culture.
Much has been done in the last four decades, but
the North American competition is very strong.
The most positive thing about CARICOM is
its capacity for survival, even as the allure of
the United States often takes many of our finest
thinkers away from the Caribbean. This makes
it a constant struggle to assert our own mores
in the face of such competition. At its inception,
CARICOM was considered to be an excellent
medium for West Indian cultural and economic
independence. But current models may have
stalled in the wake of American and European
influence on regional economy and capacity. The
fact is that some Caribbean states seem to prefer
dealing with the world at large on their own terms
and invoke CARICOM when the complexities of
these times make it difficult to achieve their goals
unilaterally. UWI decentralization is reaching a
growing number of Caribbean students through
regional campuses and distinctly more relevant
courses. This gives the university a greater capacity
to nurture a Caribbean comity and regional
identity with skills and commitment to help the
region find its place within globalization.
VB:
Which of your achievements
do you value most?
RM:
It is the organic mix of my academic and
diplomatic achievements with my global
experiences that have had a great effect in my
life. My formative years gave me both a love of
language and a pride in my Guyanese heritage. My
UWI years gave me a regional outlook and opened
the way for a more global consciousness which is
very important at this particularly point of time in
history.
VB: What does this honorary D.Litt mean to you?
RM:
This honour has come to me at age 82, and has
inspired me to reflect on my achievements to date
and the importance of UWI in defining many
of the paths I have taken. It has woven together
various experiences I have had and the effect that
they may have had on me. If my pedagogue’s life
has helped others to expand their own horizons
to work within a world that is rapidly becoming
smaller by communications and larger by
responsibility to each other, then I can rest satisfied
that my life has not been in vain.
Among our eight honorees this year is
Robert Moore
, an educator and broadcaster who has
lectured extensively on several issues. Dr Moore, who was named a distinguished graduate of The
UWI in 1998, was a Ford Foundation Fellow and was presented with the UWI Vice-Chancellor’s
Award in 2010. He was a Founding Member of “Caribbean Contact,” a regional newspaper
which ran for 25 years. Dr Moore will be conferred with the D.Litt at the St. Augustine campus
Graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Humanities and Education in October 2014. He shared
some thoughts on the regional landscape with editor,
Vaneisa Baksh
.
A Caribbean Contact
My UWI years gave me a
regional outlook and opened
the way for a more global
consciousness which is very
important at this particularly
point of time in history.
