Tag Archives: Stephen Kangal

General T&T, International, Politics, USA, Venezuela

Contradictions Mar our Foreign Policy on Venezuela

1 Comment

By Stephen Kangal
April 18, 2019

Stephen KangalAfter five decades of exercising our nationhood and political independence during which our foreign relations were carefully crafted and marked by clarity, unimpeachable consistency and firmly grounded in the achievement of our national interests on the global and regional stage by the likes of Rose, Constantine, Mc Intyre, Seignoret, Abdullah, Major, Ballah, Dodrige Alleyne, Naimool, Dumas et al our current foreign policy on Venezuela now in the hands of Prime Minister Rowley and a lame-duck Foreign Minister is driven by confusion, contradictions, lack of parliamentary over-sight and embarrassingly and patently inconsistent.
Continue reading Contradictions Mar our Foreign Policy on Venezuela →

Education, General T&T, Religion, Schools

Celebrating An Educational Template of Presbyterian

5 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
March 23, 2019

Stephen KangalOn the occasion of the observance of 150 years of Canadian Presbyterianism introduced by Dr John Morton in 1868 into Trinidad to rescue the rurally- isolated and marginalised sugar- working indentures from educational neglect and English illiteracy it is right to celebrate, emulate and imitate this rich template of multidisciplinary excellence achieved by the high- performing schools administered by this small and dwindling denominational organization.

However while the educational platform built by this small church largely through volunteerism is a success story its primary evangelical component suffers from increasing statistical decline.
Continue reading Celebrating An Educational Template of Presbyterian →

General T&T, International, PNM, Politics, UNC, USA, Venezuela

Kamla’s Position on Venezuela Ascended the High Moral Ground

4 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
March 09, 2019

Stephen KangalIn the face of rapidly unfolding political and diplomatic events globally and the current isolation of T&T for its ill-advised decision to recognize unwittingly and side with the internationally denounced illegal and illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro bilaterally while pursuing a contradictory neutrality/ non-interference position at the multilateral Caricom and UN levels, it appears to me that Kamla outwitted Prime Minister Rowley in her strategic support for Interim President Juan Guaido.
Continue reading Kamla’s Position on Venezuela Ascended the High Moral Ground →

Caribbean, CARICOM, General T&T, PNM, Politics, Venezuela

Montevideo Mechanism Product of Corridor Diplomacy

2 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
February 18, 2019

Stephen KangalThe Chairman of Caricom, St Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister Harris described the Montevideo Mechanism as a blue print or framework to process and resolve all political conflicts. However Caricom’s immediate mandate was to deal exclusively with identifying specific proposals/measures/ the way forward for abating and resolving the worsening humanitarian and political crisis in Venezuela via peaceful means.

This so -called peace-making Mechanism contains four theoretical modules that students develop in their conflict resolution classrooms. It is not self-executing and depends on the push and pull intervention by Mexico, Uruguay and Caricom for its fulfillment in Caracas. No word is forthcoming on progress being achieved this front.
Continue reading Montevideo Mechanism Product of Corridor Diplomacy →

General T&T, International, PNM, Politics, UNC, USA, Venezuela

Using Parliamentary Time to Humiliate the USA

3 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
February 11, 2019

Stephen KangalI am getting the impression that although we are mere seven miles from Venezuela, have potential energy interests there to safeguard and cultivate we also have even more compelling economic, technical co-operation and diasporic interests within the USA that is in fact our largest trading partner and source of actual and promising huge investment prospects.

Why is T&T giving undue precedence to propping up illegitimate and dictatorial Maduro and humiliating the USA in our current foreign policy posturing?
Continue reading Using Parliamentary Time to Humiliate the USA →

General T&T, USA, Venezuela

Venezuelan Crisis is Now Regional In Scope

2 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
January 30, 2019

Stephen KangalIt appears to me that the latest statement issued by Minister Stuart Young deputizing for a missing -in-action Minister of Foreign Affairs on the situation in Venezuela stands on the following three planks:

  1. The UN principle of the Sovereign Equality of States
  2. Non- Interference by T&T in the internal affairs of sovereign state of Venezuela
  3. Non-Intervention militarily but potential mediation in crisis Venezuela
    The first thought that strikes me is that were the international community deterred by the first two above-mentioned pillars in South Africa, the despicable policy of apartheid in South Africa would have been still with us today. Infringements of human, civil and political rights concerns globalize the situation in Venezuela beyond its sovereign/territorial boundaries.

Continue reading Venezuelan Crisis is Now Regional In Scope →

General T&T, PNM, Politics, Tourism

The Democratic Ethic Stopped A Secret Sandals Deal

12 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
January 22, 2019

Stephen KangalThe Sandals debacle is a reflection of our growing maturity as a Nation propelled by a strong interactive Westminster democratic ideal and a Civic Society that is vigilant and untrusting. Poor Project Management Skills as well as a very incompetent and arrogant political leadership and unilateralism contributed to the mismanagement of the Project in getting a discerning public to buy into it.

That is the crux driving the abandonment of the Sandals Resort that was to be constructed in Buccoo on very fragile and pollution-sensitive wetlands.
Continue reading The Democratic Ethic Stopped A Secret Sandals Deal →

General T&T, Hinduism, Race and Identity

Declare Divali Nagar a National Festival

1 Comment

By Stephen Kangal
November 11, 2018

Stephen KangalThe current international outreach achieved by the annual Divali Nagar exposition having already cultivated cultural links with numerous Caribbean countries hitherto as the first platform, is something to be applauded as it redounds to enhancing the image of T&T as a multicultural destination to be visited by cultural enthusiasts and people of the Indian diaspora.

The Nagar has been in existence for more than 30 years and developed exponentially as a showcase for many things unique to the Indo-T&T population.
Continue reading Declare Divali Nagar a National Festival →

General T&T, Politics

Relocate the Capital from Earthquake- Sinking PoS

4 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
August 31, 2018

Stephen KangalIt is now compulsory that tribal politics aside, the capital of T&T must be removed in the medium term from its present earthquake- susceptible location in POS to one that is less vulnerable to the damaging effects of a seven and more seismic event that is nearer and less deeper than last Tuesday’s traumatic wake-up call.

This must be a first step of any natural disaster mitigation/avoidance strategy because were a strong above seven earthquake to strike again, POS will sink as proposed by the UWI seismologist, Dr Illias Papadoupoulos.
Continue reading Relocate the Capital from Earthquake- Sinking PoS →

Gender, General T&T, PNM, Politics, Racism Watch

Selective Apology from PM Rowley on Sari Skit

5 Comments

By Stephen Kangal
August 21, 2018

Stephen KangalI find that there is a disturbing dysfunctional disconnect between what the PM Rowley said initially in cheap and embarrassing defence of the Sari Skit, the several reasons for his retraction/backing down of those ill -thought out statements, his conditional but confusing apology directed to a deliberately selective audience/aggrieved party and his continuation of his diatribe on associated matters against so-called saboteurs.
Continue reading Selective Apology from PM Rowley on Sari Skit →