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Limitless Symbolism In the COP Circles
Posted: Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Congress of the People (COP) Logo
Congress of the People (COP) Logo

By Stephen Kangal

The interim adoption of the artistic, abstract creation of the Circle of Circles and registration with the EBC as the symbol of the newly formed Congress of the People (COP) Party reflects the philosophic base/ideology of the movement and indeed the new brand of politics (not politicians) that it espouses. It is refreshing to see a new party adopt an abstract image that is so overwhelmingly pregnant with rich and limitless symbolism. I am convinced that the young voter who made up 35% of the 15,000 Congress attendance at Macoya on September 10 and now constitute 53% of the electorate will be enamoured with this allegoric and parabolic Circle of Circles as representative of a powerful message with which they can identify.

At the launch of the COP Party Card on Friday last Mr. Dookeran likened the new movement to his sowing of a grain of mustard seed that would grow into all-inclusive concentric circles (expanding horizons format) to become a large samaan tree firmly rooted in and fed by the principles and practices of fairness, integrity, transparency (the white surface), participatory democracy and equality. That is captured in the individual circle (seed) at the epi-centre that radiates outwards into larger circles (organisational growth). The COP will benefit from organisational behaviour, growth and development (expanding circles) and emerge as an independent viable organisational entity and not be the permanent "child" or anyone’s personal fiefdom. That centre circle is also in keeping with Dookeran’s philosophy that the centre (government) must hold to keep the rest of us on an even keel and to prevent ethical collapse and moral decay of T&T.

The Circle of Circles is hitherto the best, most effective symbolic representation of Unity in Diversity (Together We Aspire Together We Achieve) or the theology of Multiculturalism in T&T or the Community of Communities Concept. Cosmopolitan T&T is symbolised by the individual innermost circle while the outermost circle represents our diverse socio- cultural and religious communities (Hindus, Moslems, Christians etc) placed in a position of equality (the Round Table) but held together (Unity in diversity) by the higher loyalty that each community must have for the epi-centre of Mother T&T.

By the way the Circles also capture the concept of the political earthquake that COP will trigger (party tectonics), according to Mr. Dookeran, in the politics of T&T by emerging as an all-embracing movement to include everyone in T&T. The magnetic field of the COP will keep the various interest groups (planets) in their own separate orbits to prevent conflict (political investments) to ensure the future sustainability of the organisation. The COP Circles emblem depicts both the celestial cosmic harmony and integrity of the macrocosm of the Universe as well as that of COP- T&T that will in fact be a microcosm operating in perfect republican synergy with universal values and the several legitimate stake-holding communities.

The Circle of Circles also symbolises the biologic conception of life and the limitless possibilities inherent in the human personality for which the COP is committed to providing on an equal opportunity basis.

I commend the designer of the COP emblem. I recommend its limitless, pervasive and powerful messages to the enlightened, discriminating and issues-focussed electorate of T&T irrespective of how they get their food in their mouths.



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