MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, July 5, 2007 -- Clarence Lancelot Dunn describes his exciting voyage touring the Cook Islands as he encountered rough seas, lush environments, and alternate ways of life and experienced the warm spirit of the island societies in his book, "Adventures in Development" (now available through AuthorHouse).
The journey began in 1981 when Dunn became a project manager for International Human Assistance Program and was stationed on the Cook Island of Rarotonga. He was charged with the task of administering an integrated rural development program among the 15 islands scattered over 770,000 square miles in the Polynesian Triangle. Dunn was up for the challenge and embarked on what was to be the most interesting and rewarding time of his life.
Traveling from Rarotonga over a two-year period, Dunn visited all but one of the 15 islands. He describes his fascinating encounters with the delightful people on the isolated islands, as well as the perils of the voyage itself. Although the missionaries had an enormous impact on these societies, the people still clung to their way of life. "The most remarkable aspect is the vibrancy of their traditions and culture," says Dunn.
On the island of Aitutaki, Dunn met with the Island Council and attended a boy's haircutting ceremony. After a dangerous passage to the islands of Palmerston, Pukapuka and Nassau, Dunn witnessed the painful loss of a tractor into the sea during unloading, which was scheduled for delivery for much-needed assistance harvesting coconuts. He also was privileged to experience the crowning ceremony of an Ariki, an elaborate event full of ancient traditions including gift-giving, processions, investiture, anointment and feasting.
"Life in the islands is like taking a step back in time," Dunn says. "However, if the purpose of life is the pursuit of happiness, the Cook Islanders have fulfilled that mission. They are genuinely happy and seem free from the burdens of daily life that are so pressing in modern societies. It is expressed in the slow pace of daily life, in song and dance, in the peacefulness of their communities, in their warmth and genuine consideration for others and the desire to live their lives to the fullest."
Beautiful full-color photographs accompany the text that document and vividly display the events described within the book.
Dunn was born and raised in Jamaica where he graduated from the Jamaica School of Agriculture. Later, he earned a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Cornell University and a master's in agricultural economics from Penn State. After 20 years experience with the Ministry of Agriculture, he began his career with the International Human Assistance Program, which spurred the events of "Adventures in Development," his first book.
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