By Stephen Kangal
August 06, 2017
There can be at least three reactions to the question of lumping Indians and Africans together by Sir Hilary Beckles for advancing his money-based regional CARICOMesse reparations agenda:
1. One cannot trust Afro-Caribbean intellectuals to sincerely look after the interests of Caribbean Indians after they have been excluded in the first instance by CARICOM.
Continue reading ‘Timeo Beckles et Dona Ferentes’
By Corey Gilkes
August 01, 2017
No, I haven’t gone completely mad, just thought I’d try to grab your attention and so make you understand the importance of understanding what power words have.
Today is Emancipation Day, celebrating the ending of the enslavement of African people. You will hear the usual platitudes and speeches about how great we are and how we “broke the shackles of slavery”….and so on. Now as cynical as I’m sounding, those are important words to hear. So too are the sights of people walking around dressed in African or African-inspired attire, all that is praiseworthy.
Continue reading ‘MOST OF US ARE ALREADY EMANCIPATED, UNFORTUNATELY’
By Sean Douglas
August 01, 2017 – newsday.co.tt
PRESIDENT Anthony Carmona yesterday publicly supported a call to have European governments, whose countries benefited from slavery in the West Indies, to pay reparations to the descendants of African slaves.
In his Emancipation Day message, Carmona said TT should support the efforts of Caricom governments as expressed by Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and Chairman of the Caricom Reparations Commission, in an address to the British House of Commons on July 16, 2014.
Continue reading ‘President Anthony Carmona: Pay for slavery’
By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 16, 2017
PART 2
The Anti-Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa, offers an excellent exhibition on the life of Nelson Mandela, the most recognizable person of the twenty-first century. On one of the walls there is a quotation that is attributed to Aristotle, the Greek philosopher. It reads: “Good moral character is not something that we can achieve on our own. We need a culture that supports the condition under which self-love and friendship can flourish.”
Continue reading ‘Long Walk to Freedom – Part 2’
By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 10, 2017
PART 1
I spent four weeks in South Africa and Swaziland at the end of June and the beginning of July. These were some of the most educative and inspiring days of my life. I had followed the South African liberation struggle since the late 1950s when Miriam Makeba sang her freedom songs. In the 1960s I read Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country and cried. Later I read Peter Abrahams Tell Freedom. It did not produce the same emotional impact on me.
Continue reading ‘Long Walk to Freedom’
By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 02, 2017
Last Sunday Anthony Bourdain presented a well-researched, balanced, and superbly crafted depiction of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) in his program “Parts Unknown.” All the interviewees portrayed T&T as a sophisticated, talented, diverse and intelligent community. Then, without much prompting, Mario Sabga Aboud, reminded Trinbagonians about a truth they know but rarely discuss publicly: The Syrian/Lebanese, a community of approximately 5,000 people, is the most powerful ethnic group in the country.
Continue reading ‘State Capture: Syrian/Lebanese Style’
By Stephen Kangal
June 28, 2017
In the post -election scenario, various incarnations of Brexit assumed centre stage at both Westminster and in the unforgiving British media. It even caused a delay in the delivery and contents of the Queen’s Speech that normally heralds the ceremonial opening of a new parliamentary term. Even Her Majesty’s presence at the Royal Ascot race meet was delayed.
Continue reading ‘May Proposed a Brexit But The People Disposed’
By Stephen Kangal
June 22, 2017
HM The Queen relinquished the pomp, colour and pageantry that is symbolic and synonymous with the ceremonial State opening of the Palace of Westminster after the June 8 elections. Her Majesty assumed an unusual, low-keyed civilian profile dressed in an EU-blue day outfit to send a further message of the sombre mood into which the UK has descended after four terrorist attacks and the Grenfell disaster that killed 79 people so far.
Continue reading ‘Minus Sceptre and Crown The Queen Opens British Parliament’
By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
June 20, 2017
Rosh HaNikra, the northernmost point of Israel, borders Lebanon. On Saturday, June 10 (the Israeli Sabbath) I found myself at the entrance gate to Lebanon discussing the intricacies of Israel-Lebanon relations with a junior commander of the Israeli army. As I looked up at the darkening clouds that were enveloping the sky I thought of a world of so much beauty that is blemished by the suffering caused by the many wars that are fought in the name of peace.
Continue reading ‘On the Israel-Lebanon Border’
By Stephen Kangal
(who was in London for the British Elections)
June 15, 2017
Outgoing British Conservative Prime Minister Mrs Theresa May called a General Election for June 8- three years before they were due unexpectedly on April 19.
She clearly wanted to strengthen her negotiating position on the Brexit foreign policy issue with with the European Union that is scheduled to commence on 20 June 2017. It will last for two years until 20 June 2019- one year before the then scheduled elections.
Continue reading ‘Labour’s Youth Tsunami Shreds May’s Majority’
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