Newsday’s Editorial
Thursday, July 3 2008
Where do the neophyte Ministers of the PNM regime get the idea that taxpayers’ money is not taxpayers’ business? Was this what they were taught at their retreat last year, which was also at taxpayers’ expense, to learn about their responsibilities? Or are they merely falling into the easy contempt with which politicians too often treat the citizens of this country?
In the Senate on Tuesday, the Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, Marlene McDonald, was asked to name the persons who had received financial assistance by way of scholarships, or awards to the tune of $45 million over the past six years. Ms McDonald’s absurd response was that the names were “personal information” and so she would not disclose them. This reply echoes an equally unacceptable reply some weeks ago from Attorney General Bridgid Annisette-George who, when asked in the Parliament to say how much money had been paid to Douglas Mendes SC by the Government, claimed that the Constitution prevented such disclosure – an assertion widely derided by persons clearly more competent in legal interpretation.
To Ms McDonald’s statement, Opposition Senator M F Rahman’s response was to ask what was the difference between the Government scholarships and the Ministry’s award programme. He is perfectly correct: The names of national scholarship winners are published in the newspapers because they are funded by taxpayers. The money Ms McDonald’s Ministry is using to fund its awards is also public money. And where public expenditure is involved the public has a right to know who the beneficiaries are. The Minister’s reluctance will surely now raise suspicions in the minds of citizens about these “ghost scholars”. Do they even exist? And, if they do, what were the criteria by which they were given taxpayers’ money to pursue their studies? Was it merit or was it political connections? The Ministry has disbursed $45 million in the past six years. How many applicants got this money? If it were 20 persons, that means that each of them got a cool $375,000. If it were one hundred persons, each got $75,000. What are these sums being used for?
All of these questions may be entirely unfair to the persons who have gotten these Ministry awards. But Ms McDonald, by her secrecy, has opened the door to such speculation. It must be noted, too, that the PNM’s record in such matters is rather spotty. In one of the few official records of special scholarships given by the PNM administration, for example, the statistics suggest racial bias in the persons chosen, in marked contrast to the national scholarships, which are based on merit.
This pattern strongly suggests that the criteria being applied in the award of “special” scholarships may not be based on academic excellence. Yet, it could reasonably be argued that not all scholarship awards should necessarily be based on that one criterion. Other factors, such as a disadvantaged socio-economic or psychological background or physical disability, could also determine who gets financial assistance. But, if non-standard criteria are being applied, then the Government should let the public know this. These scholarships or awards or whatever they are, since they involve public monies, must be as transparent as possible. It is worrying to note that such transparency is becoming increasingly alien to the present administration and its servants.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/editorial/0,81830.html
The practice of “granting” scholarships to PNM insiders and their families is not new. It has been going on since the Eric Williams era. It is only now that people are demanding transparency in this process. As a matter of fact I studied overseas with many recipients of these government scholarships and wondered how they received these handouts.What was even more disappointing was fact that many of these “scholarship” winners were failing their courses at the time.
Those of our people granted scholarships during the Eric Williams Era, include, the founder of the Unit Trust Corporation, and a number of distinguished scholars who went to UWI. Some could not live on campus because of married commitments, but the Class of ’67 distinguished itself. Many had begun going part time, on evenings, after their day jobs, until the government granted them two year scholarships to finish as day students. MAny of them took their A-levels on their own, while working full time.I ent know what T-man talkin bout. The level of verbal malignancy visited on the PNM reverberates as a blight on the whole country. Try thinking positively about the only country you have. It might help.
I have other concerns as well. I can well recall that part of our major problems in the land where “money is no problem,” was that folks would finish their scholarships abroad then walk across to our embassy’s and practically ‘flip the bird’ at our officials In essence, telling the country and taxpayers to go to hell.
What is most revolting to me however is the fact that one of our most famous sons left this country through one such scholarship to study in good old England and became so enamored with it that he never found the need to give something back. As a matter of fact, had I known that my country would not even get an honorable mention for laying the foundation for such an ingrate when he achieved his highest accolades , I would not have taken the time so many years ago to read ‘The House for Mr. Biswas’ and ‘Miguel Street’. How does the country that abides by such noble principles as inclusiveness and of forgive and forget? We give him the highest award of the land. The connection and obsessions with the motherland is understandable, but credit must be given where it’s due. That is the non patrotic culture that needs changing in our beloved country if we are to become anything of importance in the world. If not, Europe and North America will continue to drain our region with the lure of a better life via the brain drain , and discard perceived problems-that they helped create.
Ms. Edwards,
The problem at hand is not whether or not the recipient of these scholarships succeed or not, whatever that means, but the criteria being used to determine eligibility for these scholarships.
Should scholarships be based on race or political partisanship? Maybe in your world. Should the spending of MY money be disclosed to me? I think so!
Please, this is not 1967 – it is 2008. I am sure these recipients will be proud to have their names published. I care little what they do AFTER they receive their monies – what I care about is WHY they were chosen and others not!
Seems Linda has taken T.Man’s comment as a personal attack.
The Class of ’67 is not unique. Even today there are people all over Trinidad who go to extremes to get a decent education. What people are asking is not about the Scholarships that made public knowledge but the grants made in secret that the broader population knows nothing about. What makes one person more eligible for a grant than another? I hope the term “our people” used refers to Trinidadians as a whole and not PNM supporters.
I can speak from personal experience on this one and I have to agree with T.Man here. I know of someone who I had much better grades than but that person was selected over me for one of these grants. The Ministry did not even have the decency to inform me that I was unsuccessful. I found out through the person who was awarded the grant. He was in shock when he found out that I did not get the financial aid and initially assumed that I had gotten a different “scholarship” so I was disqualified from the one we both applied for because his thinking was since I had the higher grades and both our parents were in the same financial bracket, that if he got a grant, then I too would get one. To possibly diffuse the situation, he made a joke about my hair not being curly enough to get tht government scholarship(we were close enough friends that we joke like that.)
So to the PNM sympathizers who prop up ever leg that buckles, the verbal malignancy visited on the PNM is sometimes well justified. Remove you donkeys need to remove the Balisier Blinders.
Linda, There is nothing negative about suggesting a fair, open and transparent process for spending taxpayers dollars on student scholarships.There is nothing negative about the expectation that those who receive these scholarships should succeed.
Congratulations to the class of 67. It is unfortunate that UWI has lost its once prominent international status, but that’s another topic.
I take personally only those things that affect my bank accounts, my children, and my nephews and nieces. When people make blanket statements about secret scholarships, I feel that the character of a whole slew of people who helped build Trinidad and Tobago, from independence on, are maligned by such comments. I point out to those who were not born yet, some facts that they are unaware of, because, while I support open disclosures about public moneys,I get damn tired of sweepingstatements made about us as a people, that impugn the chracter of entire groups who worked for what they got.Once, government service was looked down upon by many, and so, scholarship opportunity to improve the public service would not have been given to them.
If this young minister did not understand what sort of information is required by law as public disclosures, then she can be educated on the issue without sweeping statements and faulty generalizations.
In my class at UWI were a number of older teachers whom I tutored on my own time, and one Mrs. Kamaluddin Mohammed, who was nearly fifty at the time. I helped explain the history courses that she did not understand. My thanks for that, was that I was helping to build a better ocuntry. This is what I am still doing. There are some who may not understand this. Their ancestors arrived here under very different circumstancs from Mingo ewards, who got here in 1815.
Whereever I am, I correct people who have misconceptions about my homeland, be they politicians, bloggers or modern exploiters with laptops.Recently I met a young Trini at a festival in Texas. She had switched to pale hair and was wearing blue contacts. She immediately told me that “Trinidad gone to the dogs yes”. My very uncivil response was that “it figures the cats and rats were jumping ship.”I well understand that my motives can be seriously misinterpreted, because they are being judged by people with an entirely different set of motives and criteria.
Glad to have given some of you an opportunity to switch the heat from her to me.
One of the first steps to effect change is to recognize and admit the realities of any situation. The reality in my country is not pleasant. The country is being seriously affected by corruption of every type,crime,inflation and a crisis in education at every level.For example, the quality of lawyers we are producing necessitates the hiring of British lawyers for every important case.Also, the failure of our politicans is being attributed to the increasing number of UWI graduates in government and opposition. To blindly claim nationalistic fervour in the face of such eroding performance is honorable but not realistic.
Pity we cannot find a way to encourage those with what we consider more laudable credentials to come home and function outside of the public service. Political patronage might be the single impediment to development in the Global South.
Contrary to Neal Noray’s perception, every country in the world improves through its public service. Business and industry are parallel entities, but it is the state that designs the framework in which businesses flourish.Look at models from the developed world. They all function within standards and laws created buy government entities. If private enterprise was simply left to d as they please, there would be chaos in the world.
A number of women have distinguished themselves in the public service- in education, law and the judiciary, some are now branching out into private enterprise, maybe because the country’s ethos no longer dictates that women get jobs on their backs. This is due to the frameworkk set by governments everywhere.
Legislation creates the framework in which all else happen. That is the business of the state. Too many people have looked down on national service as if it is a disease. Every person blogging here, benefitted from the national service given by teachers, for example.
Linda you seem to have this distinctive penchant for deliberately distorting the comments made by some of us on this board- especially myself. It is obvious that each of us that post via this forum have preferences /angles/ agendas of our own. It is just that some are more subtle than others in disguising them by using what Ckalkdust referred to as “spin bowling” techniques -if you catch my drift.
Where in my last post or anywhere else did I say that public service was irrelevant or a drain on a country in Trinidad or any where is in the universe? Where also have I belittled the contributions of women?
I am extremely ecstatic for the benefit of your educational wisdom to be enlightened about the important role of legislation in advancing changes and enhancing development to previously neglected entities within a country. We know also that governments make laws and civil servants as extensions of it enforce or implement them. We continue to delude ourselves however, if we continue to believe that the way forward is to continue to open the civil service as the perennial cash cow via useless employment for political hacks, supporters, and fan bases.
In the mean time the teachers you adore so much have to contend with the senseless common entrance I believe that the Brits have discarded years ago. UWI the engineering leader in the Caribbean is preparing everyone to work in the Oil industry while no inventions of worth were created in all the years of its existence. We have no concrete programs aimed at encouraging private citizens’ entrepreneurship for those left out of that area for so long.
It is my hope that you can review some of the comments by others that feels left out of this love feast during the past 35 out of 46 years of perceived monopoly by one regime .Let us cease looking over our shoulders in nostalgic fashion like ‘Lots wife,’ about perceived broad-based pro – people policies in this country of ours by your illustrious party. Credit is due in some areas but we are in dire need for fresh ideas and directions.
An A level student, or first year grad can figure out the problem in Trinidad and Tobago today. It is the presence of neglected peoples on both sides of the divide. You are correct; it is the responsibility of government to set the agenda to make T&T the Dubai of the Caribbean. Can they do it? Not if they are perpetually locked in stupid headlocks and fights with the opposition. Can the opposition grasp the reign and advance the nation? Not if s few of its leaders are only content to condemn the opposite ‘dominant majority’ -that it obviously needs for political power -as succeeding at their own expense In reality, in-depth analysis would show that with few exceptions, this group remains in the bottomless economic abyss since 1962, with apparently little hope in sight .
This may be off topic, but the Government(s) MUST re-evaluate how scholarships are awarded. It makes no sense to award a schol to a student from an already wealthy family, family income MUST be taken into consideration. Secondly, the government(s) are giving these schols too freely to too many ungrateful people, who REFUSE to return and help develop TnT when they have completed their studies.
(sorry but I have seen the ugly side of scholarship winners and I wanted to rant about it a little)
The service contract required of some gradutes trained at government expense, was and is ridiculous. There is this thing called a substantive post, which is the position you had before you got the scholarship. A Miss Ivol that I knew, went to study criminology. After being trained, she returned home to find that no one seemed aware of what she had been sent to study, and she was returned to her previous post as clerk at Sando Hospital. How long you think she took before she migrated gain? Then there is my friend Sarge, who, when he returned, found that his ministry could not find his folder or qualifications. When he determined that he was going to turn the file room upside down to find them, he was assured that they had looked throrughly for two days. Then he spotted some files used to raise the height of a desk where a petite little clerk sat. She was sitting on his file, she had simply used it to raise the level of her seat, since the mechanical device for this had failed.
Then there is the case of my brother in law. He completed his Masters and Bachelors in two and a half years, but found that his department had no place for him at a higher level of responsibility, although, unlike Ms Ivol, he was already working in his field.He was forced to continue at his previous post for about three years, while some knucklehead above him tested hether he had become swell headed , being the only person in his area of work with a master’s degree. You want to guess where all these people now living?
I do not think it is the fault of the scholarship winners, but that somewhere in the system, there is an absence of plannning, that fails to reognize and place those who come home wanting to serve their country, there is also the petty jealousy of the “never left”.
Many of these people could have gotten lucrative positions abroad, but they wanted to come home, but home had no place for their new skills. Cold storge training is a waste of time.
Of course in the private sector, at that time, people were still apparently employing their family or their own kind. The RAm Kirpalani Empire was an example of the private sector. These three mentioned here were Afro-Trinis. In frustration, they worked out their service, and left.
There may well be a new Trinidad and Tobago now. The problem is, that one gets spoilt about what one’s income can buy. In the USA and CAnada,, two years’income can buy a house, four months income can buy a brand new small car;also, turn the tap on, water, clean clear water comes out, every time. The power sometimes goes in a storm, until the back-up gererator kicks in. When there is a crime, the police respond. There are gangs of prisoners who routinely pick up trash alongside the highways, and the paid garbage collectors come as scheduled.
Those of you living in or near Port-of-Spain should go to the Hospital and see the mountain of trash piled up on the grounds, right near the Medical Sciences building. I do not know if it is there to provide rats and flies for scientific study. Recently, I was walking at the hospital with two young people from Sweden. The flies and the smell were appalling.
For this, one should leave a good job, and come home, to be frustrated daily?
You gotta be kidding.Love of country can happen in absentia. That is why so many Brits and Americans live outside their country. Nigerians and Indians too.
Of course there are scholarship winners of the Vidia variety, but most really would have liked to help, at least those I know.Those who return, and are determined to stay, are like Dr. Stephan Gift., working through teaching, to produce a better TnT., despite frustrations. Now, he could have migrated and made millions in industry in North America. He did not Dexter should know there are many like him.
“Many of these people could have gotten lucrative positions abroad, but they wanted to come home, but home had no place for their new skills. Cold storge training is a waste of time”.
Let me get it, we want to come home with our newly acquired foreign skills, but because we cannot get a government job its sorry T &T tax payers? This is getting more and more comical, how would this region of ours ever develop if no one is prepared to push private entrepreneurial initiatives aimed at creating jobs and building sound leaders through proper mentoring?
Like the building of one’s own country, love too, cannot exist on barren soil. It needs nourishment in order to grow. One can love one’s country for all one is worth, but the constant eating away at the soul, in trying to build a better TnT, with no one to help, can cause people to quickly return abroad. I constantly encourage young people, engineers, agronomists, to choose their Caribbean to work in. Some of these are not scholarsghip winners, but paid their own way. If some of them come home, the frustrations could get to them in no time, unless of course, they come home to work with a foreign company, where they get all the perks that North American and European techies get. To come back with a Phd in something saleable, and live in your mother’s back room in Barataria,or Caripachima with no AC or hot water,and uncertain daily tap water, because one loves one’s country and wants to build a better TnT, is nonsensical. A few try itfor a few months, then catch the next plane out. From out here, they can rebuild their mother’s old house, so she could rent out the back room, and have an income. This is reality.
Love in a cottage on a beautiful beach is a dream too, but the sand flies get to you.
You do have a valid point Ms. L. and I can see where I might have come across as a bit naïve perhaps not only on this issue. Thanks for bringing me back to earth as it were. No one should expect the task ahead to be easy. It certainly calls for some creativity by interested parties. The new buzz word that is branded about in international circles is ‘human security.’ Where our country stands on this score is anyone’s guess.
It is not only our leading politicians, but we have some very disingenuous leaders parading throughout our nation with the freedom to say whatever they desire with little thoughts of consequences. Their comments and actions of course, have contributed to this despair, and malaise that is permeating the consciousness of citizens. It might have also deterred others from abroad perhaps from attempting anything tangible towards development, challenging as it obviously is.
Take a look at the caption and smiling faces of the people in this picture. A very proud day for a wonderful family, after a hard working daughter is finally about to be accepted in our beautiful country as a full fledge lawyer. The irony is that in the ceremony that they just attended, a learned judge could have the audacity to call our country a “fail state”. http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,82307.html
Mind you, he did not say, take heed people, get your act together soon or else…… . Would this behavior be tolerated in any of the so called developed democratic countries that we so cherish?
It is why our kids and young people abroad must accept most of the derogatory comments about this country with ‘a grain of salt’. In failed states, children do not come home to continue political dynasties started by their fathers. They are fearful that they’ll suffer the same fate of places like Pakistan, where late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s daughter blown up for the world to see. Absolutely nothing is wrong in staying abroad to make money as well as try to solve the issues of the world at large, but ensure that a stake is made towards the preservation of this jewel of ours. A word to the wise should be sufficient, hmmm?
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,82307.html
Miss Edwards thanks again for such an invaluable piece of insight, but again it begs the question of ‘how do we get the qualified and educated nationals return to TnT to reclaim our country from the fools who are running it?’. It HURTS me to see Trini nationals educated by the purses of the Trini treasury abroad and refusing to even attempt to return home. At least the people that you mentioned attempted, the people who I have spoken to have made up their mind not to.
Where are the nine? There’s one left behind, were there not ten sent, but where are the nine?( Old gospel song)
Recent efforts by the consular offices of the Government of TnT, have included visits to every large city where we live in the USA. Their pitch was to come home and help build the country.
If people do not feel that TnT is their country, nothing would make them come home. A sense of paatriotism might be missing here.
Let me tell you a tangential situation. I am involved in a programme that brings nationals of foreign countries to the USA for periods of study, in the interest of international friendship. They all know before they come, that their stay is for a specified period, after which they MUST go home. They sign the papers. As soon as they get to the USA, some do everything possible to try to stay.Staying would defeat the purpose of the program, but many get bug-eyed at the “Things” they can own living in the USA. For they younger generations, thngs may matter more than love of country or building up ones nation. such people are better left surounded by their acquisitions.
Governments may develop treaties that may make scholars unemployable in their host country, until they complete their obligations to country of origin, but that may seem contrary to individul human rights.They may also be unenforceable. Teaching love of country from earliest school days mya help. for all this country’s, USA, faults, its people love it. We could copy that.
Perhaps the solution is to now strive to see if the mountain can come to Mohammed, as opposed to to the other way around. Instead of every Third world child being encouraged to run to America and Europe, we start thinking about putting up institutions of learning at home perhaps in partnership with some of the foreign countries themselves. Notable examples are St. George’s University in Grenada, and Ross University in Dominica. Universities are known to do wonderful things for a community in terms of jobs and a nation as a whole. High accredited standards can be demanded and maintained as the influx of foreign Professors and students will also be a factor.
Before our beloved country can make any headway however, we must decide where we want to go in terms of niches. What are our needs? Is it security throughout the nation, entertainment/sporting events tourism, or can it be computer industry be the lift in much the same way as Asia led by India had successfully done? I’ll say we need jobs, jobs, and more jobs-the understatement of the century. We claim to be this emerging oil giant, but only so much of our youths can be absorbed in that sector. The government for years has been a source of employment for many, but more kids are entering the job market that can be absorbed. This leaves limited room for many of our high skilled educated masses from abroad that want to return. Everyone is not a lawyer, nor have any interest in running for political office. It may be unconstitutional, but I personally believe there should be a moratorium on accepting more lawyers in T&T. Just kidding, we need our highly skilled debaters and future legislators.
India especially has carved out this high tech niche, made it a priority, and even have a Minister of Science & Technology that clearly shows its seriousness thanks to PM Manmohan Singh, to escape the neo Marxist travesty began by Nehru and daughter Indira .Now because of this major emphasis, the country is beginning to see huge dividends in that instead of brain drain, it is now seeing levels of ‘brain gain’. Folks are returning home and either creating companies, encouraging companies to come to India, or finding sustainable jobs in the industry. Of course it does not hurt to have close to a billion people in your population.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4447833.stm
Am I saying that we can emulate full-scale the successes of these countries? No, but we have a blueprint in which we can follow. We can even lead the drive to make the ACP countries a force to reckon with, coupled with closer and more sensible bilateral relations with our Asian brothers.
Let’s begin therefore with security, as we recognize the immediate crisis that is plaguing our society, the region and others we care about. With our vast resources, we can invest in this as an industry, get our house in order, and then reach out and extend this useful service to others in need. Tourism and the hospitality field have been neglected for years, and its time for innovation on that score.
A huge influx of Germans, Italians, Irish, Swedes and Americans came on a vacation, fell in love with a particular section of our country so much that they want to gobble it up and in so doing drive locals out of the market, because of a sleeping nation .They should know that business as usual is over, this is not Argentina, Chile or Little England/Barbados. In those countries, the natives will forever sell their soul for a few pittances. They prefer to live in a virtual jail so that others can have the private enclaves they desire while providing nothing substantial in terms of development for the country. We prefer to take a page from the UAE’s / Dubai’s of the world- a country that incidentally is less than 40 years old, and ten times more diverse than ours. At least that’s what I hope, or can Dexter be correct in saying that our country is run by fools? I want to think he’s wrong. I hope Ms. L was able to convince him by her many wise admonitions on this board that development of a country also requires the efforts and initiatives of the private sector, and citizens as well. Changing a government is the easy part. Coming home once a year around February/March alone won’t cut it. A government will continue to treat its people with contempt for a particular reason- if we allow them to. It matters not which ethnicity, race or political party you are a part of.
Just to diverge a bit, I would like to relate my life story to you guys. I am a Trinidad National, who spent(30 yrs)in Jamaica. After graduating from UWI, I worked with the Jamaican Government for four years. Whilst there, I received a scholarship to study in Europe, spent two years there, saw the world etc., got a Masters degree, then returned to Jamaica, where I served out my three-year bond.
Life in Jamaica was (and still is) very hard economically, so although I really really loved that country, I found it very hard to remain, although I was wholeheartedly committed to nation-building and development.
I thought that while I was unable to “make” in Jamaica, I could perhaps contribute to development in Trinidad, and in so doing, still impact Caribbean advancement. I returned and spent the next 10 years working with WASA. Although, the economics worked in my favour, I however, ended up migrating to Canada a few years ago. WHY?
The answer….personal fulfilment and appreciation. I reached a point in my professional development where I felt stymied by the lack of opportunities for advancement and the lack of recognition on the part of my employers, where I felt that I was being kept down because I wasn’t a political party tow-liner. The latter may have been my perception, but guess what, it was a powerful one.
Now what’s a guy to do here? Should one stay solely for love of country, or for national advancement,when that devotion is not reciprocatory? I know that I am not alone here, and unless goodwill towards that creation of fair conditions for personal and professional advancement can be demonstrated by the employer (in my case…WASA), then there are going to be those who will leave for greener pastures.
It’s all good and well for one to look at the issue of serving one’s country in black and white, and judging based on one’s personal patriotic standards and experiences, but each one of us needs to feel some sort of appreciation and worth to be able to commit themselves to anything, including nation building.
Don’t get me wrong..I am patriotic as you all and the next guy, but I do have my limits (in Jamaica it was economics, and in T&T, opportunities and advancement….and appreciation)…I think that we all do.
Anyone that demands that a national do what is against his or her own particular interest and make undue sacrifices with limited returns ,is either unwise or unfair ,and therefore should not be listened to. I am not going to use the forum to relate my story, but as I have alluded before we all have individual angles, concerns, even unique stories, complaints, as well as sense of injustice possibly at the hands of our government and by extension country. The problem develops when you or myself believe that our scenario is worst than the other. I’ll do a Michelle Obama for you and claim the following to illustrate my point: In all my years, there is absolutely nothing that my country and government has ever done that benefited me or my family in any tangible way- especially at some of my moments of most need. I too have served for 10 to 11 years as a civil servant, and the last 17 years abroad looking out for, and representing my country’s interest as a result of my work.
Irrespective of this treatment, I still feel a sense of obligation to see my country thrive, and will defend its name and people wherever I go from Afghanistan to Zagrib .I believe that with all its limitations, it can stand up against any of the so called democracies across the globe. Do you doubt me on that score? I want you to take the 1990 debacle, and put it in any of your most treasured countries that you model as epitome of democracy ,and see if the end result will be the same. I want you to show me the public or not so public figure that keeps his job in America -the bastion of democracy -that tries to justify September 11th 2001 on the prior foreign policy of the country . That was the type of stupidity that reigned throughout our own country by many seemingly respectable citizens .Today many are in a quandary as to why our country has degenerated into the seemingly chaotic war zone- where crime is out of hand , and kidnapping is considered the norm. That was my turning point ,as I was one of those law enforcement individuals that were impacted – perhaps not directly- by the actions then.
I will venture to say that our education and world experience is of absolutely little use if we cannot find a creative way to do something tangible to help foster the development of this twin Island Republic -from wherever we choose to reside.
The average 1st year and 3rd year grads from across Europe and North America possess little intentions of living in any of the nations of the Third world that they travel to, yet they can start excellent social and economic enterprises that can benefit both themselves, and the people that they wish to help in these countries. We however see this as some monumental burden to give back something even to an Alma Marta that ensured our educational embryonic start.
What Trinidad as a whole need to eradicate is the culture of selfishness, and cast off this overwhelming fascination and sense of intrigue they tend to feel for everything foreign. This obviously came about because many foolishly believe that they are anything but Trinidadians for whatever misguided reasons. We do not even see the good in reaching out to each other and attempt to uplift even while we are abroad. Most have never experienced any major crisis, and tend to hide behind a laugh and an impish grin at things others cry about. Most importantly, we are dishonest, even with ourselves especially as to what our real grievances are.
It has however been well documented that doing some good is excellent for the soul.Find a cause and reach out , but God forbid ,do not give up your 12 room mansions in Vancouva British Columbia or Saskatchewan . I wish you luck as well my friend, as no one in the world can legislate that you love your country unquestioningly, even as you might despise particular elements within in the power elites.
Those who laud and glorify India’s technological development from afar, and it surely has made tremendous advances, are ignoring the most abject poverty in which most Indians live. Two friends of mine have recently visited, higher up people, one with a Red US passport and one on a techie company’s expense account. They were shocked at how the poor is treated. The heavy loads carried by women bent over with burden. The barefoot men who pull rickshaws through the streets. One, who is definitely not a poet reported “India is beautiful and sad. Sad and beautiful. It makes me want to cry.”
Sure it has the nuclear bomb, made a cost effective artificial limb that a man could run on, and created at remendous green revolution; but at the level of the lower two thirds of the society, there are seven hundred million people, almost all at the level of starvation.
seven million is twice the population of the USA.
We have asmaller population, and we cannot build a society along India’s lines. Our country has wealth enough to be distributed fairly, a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, regulated by the state, and safe working conditions, with adequate mother and infant care These are things we had forty years ago. Then, something happened. what? We need to stop and reflect before plunging forward.
Everything in life is really a matter of scale. Thanks Linda for highlighting this tidbit on India. I have often wondered what the hype was over that country, and it being up there with China on the developmental scale. The economics may look promising on paper, but, on the ground it’s eye opening…poverty beyond our wildest dreams!
I would venture to say that Trinis have it relatively easy, compared to the majority of the Third World. They however, need to take stock and be more cognisant of where they want the country to go. This means becoming more involved, working with the Government, demanding fair governance and distribution of the wealth.
One of our problems is that we try to take giant leaps in T&T. Just look at what we call development towards the 2020 vision. On the contrary India is removing millions of people daily from levels of poverty to a more comfortable lifestyle.
Unfortunately there are folks with Red Passports and high tech degrees that would pretend to be shock to realize at the extensive levels of poverty that exist in North America and parts of Europe. It is part of the problem of being an elite , as you enjoy the position of privilege while isolated in that narrow prison called home they fail to comprehend the real reality . Now ever so often someone comes along with the gumption to stand up and be counted – in recognition that ‘unto whom much is given much is expected’. As such, this person or persons decides to be part of the solution, instead of perennial whiners. Then guess what, things get done. They become the catalyst for change and so spur others perhaps with more resources to be jump into the fray into action.
. My objective in bringing this example was to merely inform readers that citizens of other countries were doing something even against overwhelming odds, and never to indicate that all is well in India or China. What smaller developing countries have to do is find a way to emulate some of that success. Find a niche, focus and develop it.
As for Trinidad, its problem has always been that they attempted to put the issues of others before first attempting to address the needs of their own citizens and this is a travesty. Note where our PM went recently? To Grenada to assure the safety of the new PM whereas security at home is abysmal. Grenada now probably has one of the most comprehensive disaster relief programs in place after their last hurricane; Tobago and most of the country at large is lamenting what might be their fate if a hurricane soon comes their way. Mr. London, the head of the Tobago assembly is now a deputy leader- that will keep him quite for a few years.
“We have a smaller population, and we cannot build a society along India’s lines. Our country has wealth enough to be distributed fairly, a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, regulated by the state, and safe working conditions, with adequate mother and infant care These are things we had forty years ago. Then, something happened”.
You are correct we are a smaller population and should not attempt to build a society along India’s lines. After all,last year some $210 million was given as bribes by the poor to officials to get basic amenities such as police security, schools, hospitals and electricity. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/29/india.corruption/
If our own country cannot work together then it is impossible to benefit from the much larger Caricom pool, or the African Caribbean and Pacific groupings. What is the state of that Caribbean Court of Justice?
In answer to the question as to what happened. I believe that we can first look closely
at the behaviors of the children of both the 184,183 thousand lower cast indentured Indians workers that came to Trinidad from 1845-1917 , and those of the 17,439 African discarded/emancipated slaves they replaced . Both groups are struggling to achieve the same things- genuine political and economic power for all. Both are dominated by a small elite that enjoys the fact that the massive lots remains at the bottom, as it solidifies their feeble control of wealth and tenure on power. This rapidly expanding mass at the bottom becomes very convenient scapegoats for the power brokers to point to as reasons for any failure to achieve upward mobility since independence.
Let me re emphasize the ironic situation, both groups were led to believe that every success of the other was chiefly at their own expense. Throw in the interethnic by products of these two large majorities, and the privileged old colonial castoffs from outside this milieu, and you have one convoluted problem as oil prices brings more dollars into the coffers of the economy and we fight baseless corruption appeals in England, and decide how many more rooms to put in the future President’s mansion.
. Now a few of us can continue to stay on the sidelines and pontificate about the glories of Europe and America, dismiss any attempts at solutions across the globe as mere aberrations, and selectively denigrate present leaders as much as we want.
However such actions never changed a system, removed a government, create jobs or put a dent on crime. But then, it is so much easier to “venture to say that Trinis have it relatively easy, compared to the majority of the Third World. They however, need to take stock and be more cognizant of where they want the country to go. This means becoming more involved, working with the Government, demanding fair governance and distribution of the wealth.” In essence, be part of the problem, never the solution.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/08
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/06/29/india.corruption/
Neal, there is poverty and crime in every country. This does not mean that a country like Trinidad and Tobago should not help, nor fail to send criminologists to Guyana to investigate all those masss murders. Grenada with security. When disaster strikes, all countries pitch in and help the devastated one. That, my friend is called being human.
If I have one pound of flour, I may be poor, but if my neighbour’s children have not eaten in a week, I should feel obligated to make a bake and share it with them, rather than hide and eat alone.If it is one think I wholehertedly support Mr. Manning on, its his offering Trinidad’s helping hand to our CAricom neighbours.
Do you know how many hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of help Trinidad and Tobago get from abroad every month. Aid comes in the form of technical advice, scholarships and grants for study abroad,
some subsidized medicines and so on. When we help Grenada nd Guyana, we are living up to our Christian commitment to be charitable. Charity is lov.helping yourself alone is not loin your neighbour.
If you think trinis are “poor” get on a boat and go up th eislands, and see how their poor live. Mr. Manning here, is doing the right thing. Years ago we gave scholarships to their students to study at our Teachers’ Colleges.Now we help subsidize UWI students from the poorer islands. It is the right thing to do. Stop griping about that. Its NOT a legitimate cause of concern. All civilized nations do the same.
The issue here is that persons unknown/whose names are being witheld are/have been receiving taxpayers’ money by way of a grant (meaning, no requiremnt to give back) from a govcernment department that has nothing to do with tertiary education. Some TT$45m (to date) of our money has been thus given away. I tried to access one of these scholarship grants for my daughter who excelled at her CAPE studies, but, guess what, up to now I cannot get to link up with the officer in Community Development who handles these awards.