One of the greatest privileges I grew up with was the quality of conversation in my home. In many ways, my family was more interested in the year we became a Republic and the historical movements that led up to that because it brought about a more comprehensive form of political sovereignty. But, this Independence, in our 52nd year, I think it is a powerful occasion for us to reflect on the state of the nation.
Over Independence Lunch, these were our 4 Reflections on our 52nd year of Independence:
1. A Mixed Bag Of Politics: Cheap Order of the Order of Trinidad and Tobago
Do I think PM Persad-Bissessar did too much to force the debate about national awards? Yes. Did former PM Manning ‘set de record straight’? Why should he? PM Persad-Bissessar put our two former prime ministers in a situation where they were both ‘damned if yuh do’ and ‘damned if yuh don’t’. Mr. Manning formally responded to the media (and on Facebook) about his rejection of the award due to the lack of integrity in the process of his nomination.
In all fairness, the award is greater than any individual and political party. However, due process seems to be lacking in the selection process. Formal letters should have been exchanged and this dialogue should not have been put out in the public. PM Persad-Bissessar should not have gone to the public with the announcement first. In addition, the PM could have been more crafty in honouring Manning and dress it up as the “Cabinet has decided to recommend Mr. Manning and Mr. Panday for their contributions to the Republic…etc”. What many of us fail to realise is that it is the President’s “honour” to ‘make the decision’ on the award. But I think Mr. Manning could have played his card differently and let Dr. Rowley do the politics aloud. Still, I do not criticise the former PM Manning for his decision. I cannot tell a grown man to to make a decision that does not fit the integrity of his ideals. It may not be a popular view but I really do not think Mr. Manning needed to get in the mud and respond publicly. He could have declined in writing and continue to lead his life as a senior statesman of Trinidad and Tobago.
The family of Dana Seetahal also refused to accept her posthumous Chaconia Medal (Gold). I am more concerned about a national award discussion entering the public domain. The right thing is not the popular thing. Many things could have happened in the background and outside of the political theatre. Maybe we learn from this moving ahead.
2. Kublalsingh, Beetham, Green Space
The poor will continue to be fragmented as long movements divide their issues from other pressing ones. Dr. Kublalsingh has lobbied for the basics: state accountability and development sustainability in Trinidad and Tobago. It is a brand of ethical economics that people will continue to fail to grasp as long as we plan our development and spend for the short-term rather than invest in our future and the long-term vision for our independent nation.
Sometimes we get too excited by the vision of New York City developments and their ‘developed’ way of life. We imagine nightclubs and roads of grandeur that suit needs of territories with very different geographical and sociological realities. We believe unchecked capitalism is the most efficient way in getting the job done and we should “learn to be grateful” when high buildings are erected and we occupy them. This is a story of a twin island dreaming outside of itself for better days. Of course, I would a love a highway from St. Augustine to the Moon. However, a simple thing such as a Social Impact Assessment is what is required before I make my decision. I am only prepared to agree on anything unless I, along with my community, was consulted for the purpose of genuinely allowing my view and opinions to impact the decision-making in the project. In an age of ecological concern and less skepticism about nature and spirituality, Trinidad and Tobago, an island that is the treasure vault of Caribbean people and genius is in a fortunate position to articulate what progress can look like in the 21st century. Will we take up this challenge?
What hurts me is that the struggles in Debe and the highway and dust are no different from the struggles in the Beetham with ‘fumes’ and rubbish, which are no different from the struggles in Tacarigua for green space and community and livelihood. All these issues speak to sustainability and all these different geographies, social communities, class positions and political affiliations have one thing in common; they are citizens of Trinidad and Tobago who commit themselves to the democratic process. Yes, they want economic and social growth but at they same time, they need good governance which allows them to participate in the democratic process and make decisions about their future. We need to commend their discipline, tolerate the long wait for progress and their consciousness raising which produces affirmed citizens who stand up for what they believe in.
3.Cultural Hardware and Cultural Software
We need to seriously reflect on what makes life in Trinidad and Tobago worth living. I always saw the Caribbean as a space that had to construct its own terms of civilization. Sometimes, we fall down on the old adage “it makes no sense reinventing the wheel” and ultimately do a disservice to our creative intellect and imagination. How does our development planning and our day-to-day life seek to confront and address the problems of racism, (hetero) sexism, and classism in education, shadism and blatant disregard for the disabled? We talk about racism being a major problem and many hope for the mythological dougla Prime Minister to come along and solve these problems magically. When in fact, the “douglarisation of the politics” is when we deal with our issues. We deal with groups of development problems not the voting patterns of ethnic groups! If you want to help poor Africans and poor Indians, then, construct pavements along the Eastern Main Road so that the elderly can walk them hassle-free on their way to temple, mosque and church. If you want a politics that reaches out to all people, then transform City Gate under the Operational Health and Safety laws and ensure the disabled, pregnant women and the elderly have equal access to the same facilities. We don’t see the potential for developing consumer standards in restaurants for vegetarian food and the economic and nutritional potential it has for the population. We completely miss the serious investment into our national library services and the shelving of the imagination of our children. And why can’t we read to our children the mythology of the Temple on the Sea alongside Hercules and Osiris?
I am encouraging us to educate the public to become productive citizens. Our politicians must campaign and print in their manifestos about their commitment to the eradication of the poverty of information. Development does require infrastructure for our ideas to be institutionalised; however, we need to create the environment for our ideas to contend and create the new society. Let us invest in both the cultural hardware and software. Rex Nettleford spoke about these issues concretely. Our people will be able to think critically about what is proposed and what they can lose or gain.
The cultural hardware refers to the buildings and technology – that is the easy part. We need to develop the cultural software, which refers to the technical know-how, philosophical know-why, and the spiritual who-we-are.
4. Caribbean Court of Justice
Every year, thousands of CAPE Caribbean Studies students write about the need to decolonise our Caribbean space and they justify the reasons we need to establish the CCJ as our final appellate court in Trinidad and Tobago.
If I had to make a presentation to Parliament on the debate to join the CCJ, after all the debates and loud anti-regionalist agitators outside the parliamentary halls, I would print screen an image of Google Maps: Caribbean Court of Justice, Trinidad and Tobago.
That is all. We need to stop playing around. CCJ Now.
Tomorrow will be September 1st and I remember those haircuts we all sported on the first day of school. September was always the first month of the New ‘School’ Year and maybe this reflection can help me define the work that must be done moving ahead.
Happy 52nd Independence Day, Trinidad and Tobago.
Great read.