You ever eat food and talk about the recession? Pick seasoning in your front yard and reason about the economy? Next thing, Jean-Claude tell me this: “Linked to the idea of youth is that someone is there to look after you. I think the nation is entering a general phase of adulthood where children are asking themselves questions parents were asking years later…” Ah take out meh notes…the interview start!
A mutual friend, Junior Prout, first introduced me to Jean-Claude in the heyday of U.WE SPEAK at “The Headquarters” (also known as the Humanities Undercroft), at UWI St. Augustine Campus. He was a bright-eyed poet and youth advocate. He dresses casually in most settings, in white shirt, blue jeans and leather shoes. Now, he is the leader of the youth organisation with the largest community reach in Trinidad and Tobago, The 2 Cents Movement (2CM). Jean-Claude Luc Cournand, Managing Director of The 2 Cents Movement and Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Bocas Lit Fest, is ne of the leading social organisers of our generation – in the background, pushing others in front. But, the 2CM story is the work that fits only part of his vision. When I asked him about his thoughts on youth and our place in the nation, he shared, “I want to inspire this generation to be socially concerned, socially responsible citizens, to value their intellectual development, solution oriented thinking about Trinidad and Tobago. I want them to be able to imagine a country they want to live in.”
This is the vision of a writer, thinker and to many, a good friend who provides an example to his younger sisters and brothers by the work he does. Students from secondary schools across the country reach out to Jean-Claude to follow up on his current activities, on the possibilities of internships with the organisation, and also for employment that his team provides.
Jean-Claude never falls short in motivating and inspiring his team members to be efficient. He offers them fair pay and the opportunity to network with other youth with aspirations for leadership. 2CM is a special kind of organisation and Jean-Claude is a special kind of guy.
Long before you could change your profile picture to a rainbow for a US Supreme Court decision, Jean-Claude was in public and community centres building solidarity lesbian and gay youth locally. How did he develop an awareness of these issues from so early? He said:
“I knew people who did not fit the mould of what was described to me as gay. I knew people who I respected, admired and learned from and what persons said about their sexuality is not what I saw. What was said did not make sense. Gay people impacted my life creatively and intellectually. The assumption that people made about categories of people was something I needed to explore myself and I wanted other people to explore their assumptions on their own.”
He does not excel in the social sphere alone. Many youth business ideas owe part of their start-up plans to JC. And if his peers had to reimburse him the gas money for their travels, he would own two pieces of land! After all this, there is a Jean-Claude whom I got to know intimately and cherish. A boy in him who shared a love for philosophy, ordinary things and social spaces that bring about a sense of purpose in youth. We were not just peers, we were bredren. Our connections were strengthened about the island. We discussed The Four Noble Truths over doubles, over a drain, in the heart of Central. I wanted to understand what stimulated his interest in philosophy, he explained that he believes “a big part of our actualisation is in exploring our intellectual abilities, being able to ponder, to think, explore our possibilities. It is the special gift of asking a question. Philosophy, [therefore,] is important for living people to satisfy their lives.”
I know his pain. I know the pain of a twenty-five year old that has made the hard choice between not advancing his personal spoken word poetry career for the development of young talent around him – many of whom have surpassed him individually in the eyes of the public. I know that every time he submits a proposal or grant application that is approved by funders in seconds because of the positive brand recognition for the name “The 2 Cents Movement,” he gets flashbacks to the lesser-known beginnings of Debating Society events at the University of the Southern Caribbean and meetings on lawns with the Association for Young Intellectuals.
Respect to the young man, the academically inclined student, grounded in East Trinidad, graduate of St. Mary’s College, then “chicken fryer” at Kentucky Fried Chicken, later neighbourhood wacker man, turned university graduate in Psychology and youth leader.
Take a bow, Jean-Claude.
Blog Featured Image retrieved from Facebook, The 2 Cents Movement, May 9, 2014
