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In commemoration of International Women’s Day, local NGO – the Medical Research Foundation, in collaboration with its partners, offered free screening for cervical cancer and counselling to reduce women’s risk for gender-based violence.

The foundation's technical director Dr Nyla Lyons said the aim was to reach vulnerable women who are at high risk for cervical cancer and who are otherwise unable to access screening, a media release said.

The foundation's office at Queen's Park West was visited by Sharon Clark-Rowley, national champion for the Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women, who joined celebrating International Women’s Day on March said.

The programme was initiated in 2020 at a time when public health services faced disruption because of the covid19 pandemic. Since then, the programme expanded to meet the needs of vulnerable women in the south as well.

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THE EDITOR: Drivers going to and from St Raphael via the Cumuto link road are unaware that a portion of the roadway collapsed during heavy rains last November.

Two metal barriers were placed on the roadway to prevent traffic using the road. However, the people responsible for maintenance of the road have not seen it fit to place signage warning drivers of the danger or temporary closure of the road, which is close to a housing project.

The private land developer has used his creativity and placed concrete cylinders to create a detour so traffic can flow to and from the two villages.

I suggest a Bailey bridge be placed across the affected area to facilitate a safer flow of traffic, particularly at night, until the construction of a new bridge.

DOMINIC SALVARY

Champs Fleurs

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Promoting gender equality in the workplace, and in the communities within which it operates, is a high priority for Flow, local telecommunications leader.

Against the backdrop of International Women’s Day, which this year was celebrated under the theme #EmbraceEquity, Flow joined the National Commission for Self Help Ltd to demonstrate support and appreciation for 40 single and vulnerable mothers in Trinidad by donating 40 devices for their personal technology use.

Simone Martin-Sulgan, vice president and general manager of Flow, said, “Access to technology is a basic human right and has the potential to improve inequality, so we were honoured to be invited to partner with the National Commission for Self Help to support 40 single-mother households.

“We provided them each with a device that can afford them with enhanced technology access which can lead to significant learning and career opportunities.”

The women came from the communities of Diego Martin, Laventille, Lopinot, Mayaro, Moruga, Oropouche, Port of Spain, Siparia, St Augustine, St Joseph, and Tabaquite.

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Culture Matters

DARA E HEALY

“…on V-E Day…Masqueraders were yelling themselves hoarse. All over the main thoroughfares of the city they screamed out the calypso: ‘It’s your moustache we want, Hitler – you Nazi dictator!’ Also dominating the celebrations was another of the popular calypsoes of the time: All day, all night, Mary Ann. The year was to begin an era marked by turmoil in the colonies, which was nothing less than the beginning of the fight for political freedom.”

– Michael Anthony, Port of Spain in a World at War

THe year 1945 WAS a volatile and complicated one. The end of the Second World War naturally gave many a reason to celebrate. In TT, the sounds of steelpan erupted onto the streets for the first time after much frustration over the banning of Carnival from 1942-1945.

The steelband fraternity did not agree with the cessation of cultural activities because of the war, so they continued to develop the pan and play whenever possible.

This sparked considerable resentment amongst the social elite. One magistrate declared that the “drum beating has definitely got to stop,” while a distinguished "Creole" barrister recommended that pan players should be taught “how to express themselves musically.”

That same year, Lord Kitchener would also feel the wrath of the censors, despite being one of the rising stars of the new calypso tent House of Lords. Yankee Sufferers, his commentary on the social havoc caused by the presence of American soldiers, was banned.

Supposedly, it upset the sensibilities of our US allies by making a link between American soldiers and the economic survival of prostitutes: “…now the war is over/Trinidad getting harder/Some of the young girls bawling for murder/…no more Yankee dollars they spending…” Four other calypsoes were banned for reasons spanning indecency and taboo subjects.

Calypsonians focused on other critical issues. The global military conflict highlighted the racist treatment of soldiers of African heritage and the social inequities created by racist policies in the Caribbean and elsewhere under colonial rule. Many servicemen returned from war disillusioned, questioning their loyalty to an empire that did not return the sentiment.

Their calls echoed those of Uriah Butler, who led the 1937 labour uprisings for better wages and working conditions. When Butler was released from prison in 1945, he took to the streets and immediately began planning his next stage of social agitation.

The convening of the 5th Pan African conference in Manchester in 1945 was crucial to the international conversation about identity and freedom from oppressive colonial rule. Contributions were made by noted pan-African voices such as Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkrumah, Amy Ashwood Garvey and TT national George Padmore, under the chairmanship of WEB Du Bois, famed African American civil rights leader.

Some calypsonians attempted to enter the conversation about identity by singing about African spirituality, even though practising the Orisha belief system, Spiritual Shouter Baptist religion, bongo and other forms of African culture and spiritual expression were banned. Unfortunately, in hindsight, many did not appear to have the ideological clarity or information to craft songs to effectively shift negative attitudes of the time. Indeed, some reinforced such stereotypes.

Those years also witnessed the beginnings of Beryl McBurnie’s Little Carib Theatre in Woodbrook, then described as “a small rickety wooden shack,” constantly under threat of being pulled down by the authorities. The Royal Victoria Institute became the National Museum to better serve the national interest. And a grand celebration of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of East Indians took place in Skinner Park.

On this International Day in Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, I honour the millions of souls who perished during that brutal period. My thoughts also go to our indigenous peoples who endured disease, spiritual abuse and genocide and our East Indian community who suffered tremendous indignities as indentured workers.

Our nation is fragile, but we are grounded in diverse ancestral legacies that make us strong. Perhaps even more potent is our culture, the thread that connects us. From calypso to kuchipudi, from soca to gatka, limbo and blue devils, from chutney to Auntie Beryl’s broom dance, Gang Gang Sara, parang, stickfight and pan – we already have most, if not all the ingredients for a unified, stronger nation.

We may yet escape the horrors of another world war, but should heed the lessons of the past to ensure peace within our own shores.

Dara E Healy is a performance artist and founder of the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN

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One Dance One Stage (ODOS), a benefit concert for Anderson Mitchell takes place on Sunday at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA).

Mitchell a freelance graphic and web designer in the local advertising industry has been battling chronic kidney disease for a decade and has been on dialysis treatments for the past six years. Anderson said the show will be, "the variety concert event of the year."

A top-notch line-up of performers include Freetown Collective, Dev, Rocky868, Lil Bitts and Syo. Anderson is also a talented Latin dancer, and the dance community will be out in full force to show their support. Aerialists, salsa dancers, hip hop acts, rhumba, and Indian dance will showcase the incredible diversity and talent of the TT arts community.

"Besides creating an unforgettable experience for everyone who attends the concert, we're aiming to use the ODOS platform to raise awareness and help other chronic kidney disease sufferers to access care and lifesaving surgeries," said Anderson.

Tickets for the concert are available online at 1dance1stage.eventbrite.com, at the NAPA box office and at outlets listed on the website. The organisers also accept donations from individuals and businesses who cannot attend but would like to contribute to the cause.

"We hope to see everyone there on March 26. So, bring your dancing shoes for the afterparty," said Anderson. "Together, we can make a difference."

For tickets and more information visit 1dance1stage.eventbrite.com. Or donate in-person or online to: Republic Bank Ltd; NuArtillery Ltd; Chequing Account: 290801255301 @ Tragarete Road

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PHILIP AYOUNG-CHEE

OVER THE last five years and more, West Indies cricket has been in a slump. Small flickers of hope present themselves with many fanfares, only to be followed by dismal failure. It is quite apparent that the present administrators seem to have no solution to the problem.

The TT captain, after two consecutive losses in five matches, reportedly said his team is tired. This after the team had been in camp for more than a month. The manager reportedly said the team needs to become involved in non-cricket activities and played basketball the next day. The CEO stated that the team is more concerned about clothing, going home and financial remuneration, with little focus on cricket.

In summary, therefore, none of the TT cricketers are ready for West Indies Test cricket.

An American-run university in Grenada has now established a cricket academy for West Indies cricket. Three of the selectees declined to join the academy for the current session. It is rumoured they are more interested in being selected for the West Indies A side. It is expected that Cricket West Indies (CWI) will inform the three misguided youths that they are banned from all future selection. And one hopes that the CWI does possess that fortitude to make such a decision.

Before every tour, there is a two-week training camp. Yet many players are leaving the team with injuries. Performance is below par, except for the first match. After that, it is all downhill.

After a season of mediocre performances in five regional matches, Test cricketers are born. The regional season consists of a maximum of seven matches now, if one reaches the final. History will reveal that all of our past cricketers played in the English county league that consisted of over 23 four-day matches, with one-day matches in-between. It is thus quite apparent that our cricketers are lacking match practice and are also unfit.

Caricom, at the head of state level, has recognised the problem and has even formed a special committee on West Indies cricket. The University of the West Indies (UWI) has allowed an American-run university to establish the first cricket academy in the West Indies. In fact, the UWI has not established any sporting facility or programme to promote sport academics in the West Indies in its 50 years of existence. It is now safe to say that the US, as in other spheres of our life, control our sports. Disgusting!

Sport today is no longer confined to “raw” talent. There are many aspects to being successful. There are physical, social, psychological, economic, nutritional and other aspects that have to be dealt with. The Australian cricket team underscores this point, sometimes travelling with its own cook. Substitute players for the Waugh twins, Warne and Gillespie, were instant successes at World Cup 2003. Even the substitute for another substitute Symmonds was a success.

So what are some of the solutions?

1. The regional season has to be longer than six or seven weeks. Home and away matches among the six traditional teams will result in a ten-week tournament. Add one or two invitational sides, if such teams are really needed, and we now have an 11-12-week tournament.

2. Caricom and the respective regional governments should sponsor their individual teams so as to create a professional-type league that may result in a level of professionalism. Cricket and the UWI are the only unifying aspects of life in the West Indies.

3. Only players who participate and are outstanding in the regional tournament will be eligible for West Indies selection. Hence the dates for the regional tournament must be planned two years in advance so that ignorance is not an excuse.

4. While the participation of a youth team is commendable, it only serves to decrease the standard of play and should be ceased.

5. UWI should create an academy/faculty of sports. Through this faculty the university should be encouraged to participate in the regional tournament. This is preferred to the youth team. Thus, we may now have a 14-week regional tournament.

But it seems that the Shell Academy of St George's University is the preferred and accepted system of the CWI. Hence the participants at this academy should form the basis of a youth team, thereby showing if they did in fact learn anything.

6. Each regional side should be allowed to select one or two non-West Indian players for each match and for the entire season.

7. The CWI and the regional affiliates should become more business oriented and should market the West Indies to the max.

8. Training camps should be organised throughout the year, in addition to just before a tour. Players should be subjected to routine fitness and training programmes.

9. Age-group programmes should be developed in all countries. Tournaments will only be successful if the programmes have developed quality players.

10. Coaches and other team officials should resign or vacate their positions after failure to produce results. Having three-year contracts do not mean that the sport must tolerate three years of failure.

It is important that all sport administrators, be they involved in cricket, soccer, athletics, etc, become serious and professional in the development of the sport they control. They must not assume positions for want of power, for a free airfare, for a free ticket to competitions and tournaments and, more importantly, for self-gain.

The present “Mafia-type” attitude to hold on to the mantle of sport administration, while the sport continues to deteriorate to extinction, must be stopped now rather than later. Sport in the West Indies today needs innovators and thinkers, developers rather than linger-ons. There are many young aspiring athletes who will require guidance and support for continued success, both of which are presently lacking.

One must not expect overnight successes. The CWI should project a turnaround in five years' time, allowing the present young players to be fine-tuned and to develop maturity and experience. Youth programmes should be developed, with the primary aim of ensuring a basic standard of performance. Errors displayed at an international level during the 2022-2023 Australian series were an embarrassment to regional cricket.

During the next five years, the respective governments should invest in their respective teams. As the regional cricket becomes a success, sponsorship will return, eventually relieving the governments of this burden.

But assistance, financial and otherwise, is needed from the governments in the next five years. Otherwise, World Cup 2027 will be a financial venture and not a sporting venture.

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A BLAZING heat is upon the land, and by this we refer not to the dry season, but the continued imbroglio involving the highest offices and the management of the criminal justice system.

This much we know: for any citizen to have confidence in the justice system, there cannot be the slightest hint, iota or suggestion of political interference. The law is the law. It should apply to all, regardless of political affiliation.

And the prosecutorial powers of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) should never be co-opted for the purpose of pursuing political vendettas.

If such a thing were to occur, the entire apparatus of law enforcement would be transformed into little more than a mongoose gang.

And yet our constitutional arrangements are such that the lines are blurred.

The Office of the DPP is nominally independent, yet it falls administratively under a ministry controlled by the Attorney General.

The DPP exercises sole discretion in relation to initiating and discontinuing criminal charges, yet relies on the Cabinet and Parliament for an annual budgetary allocation.

A DPP’s prosecutorial decisions are meant to be shielded, yet the post-holder depends on the State for staffing, accommodation and other practical needs.

All of this goes some way to diluting the notion of true independence, even as post-holders have exercised their functions with utmost integrity and decorum.

Justice must famously not only be done, but be seen to be done.

It is in this combustible context that we must view the conduct, in recent weeks, of the Prime Minister, Chief Justice Ivor Archie, Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC; Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC; and DPP Roger Gaspard, SC.

The awkward nature of the relationship between the State and the Office of the DPP has never been a secret, but all but one of these officials have recently paid inadequate heed, in our respectful view, to the need for sensitivity when it comes to handling this crucial part of the criminal justice system.

On Thursday, Dr Rowley sought to downplay the notion of a tiff between his administration and Mr Gaspard.

Having added fuel to the fire of controversy by very publicly questioning the DPP’s failure to move into premises provided by the State at great expense, he sought to cry foul and assign blame to every other party but himself. But the genie is already out of the bottle.

The Prime Minister and all stakeholders would do well to focus on fixing the problem, not trying to close Pandora’s Box.

To this end, we strongly welcome Dr Rowley’s commitment to a proposal to recruit prosecutors from the Commonwealth to supplement the DPP’s staff. Barring complete constitutional overhaul, which would be excessive, that is the kind of move that will take us forward.

Otherwise, the system will continue to burn while our leaders fiddle.

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THE EDITOR: On September 30, 2022, the Mexican Government lost its case against ten US gun manufacturers for being part of the smuggling of illegal guns across the Mexican border. It was seeking US$10 billion in damages.

In dismissing the case, the federal court in Boston ruled that federal law strictly prevents lawsuits against gun manufacturers when guns are used for their “intended purpose.” But since guns were used to commit crimes, that argument does not apply.

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) prevents firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes committed with their products (Wikipedia). “Mexico is seeking to hold defendants liable for practices that occurred within the United States and only resulted in harm in Mexico, this case thus represents a valid domestic application of the PLCAA, and the presumption against extraterritoriality does not apply.”

Despite the headwind of the PLCAA that caused the failure of Mexico’s case, the TT Government has joined the appeal of the Mexican Government. Is that to detract from its failure to prevent crimes at home? The shocking news is that the US or, for that matter, no sovereign nation can be held liable for the failure of foreign governments to control extraterritorial crime?

The Mexico and TT Governments, two woe-begotten countries mired in murders they are helpless to maintain, are looking to point their blood-stained fingers at wealthy corporations outside their borders.

Gun smuggling is a growing industry in Trinidad. Blaming the US or Austria, where the top-selling handgun, the Glock, was designed and primarily manufactured, is not the answer to our crime problem. But, apart from the US, three major gun manufacturers are Russia, France and China.

Moreover, strictly relying on God or any deity to solve murders, home invasions and robberies is not the solution. Furthermore, we cannot ask the police alone to end crime. Their job is to respond and protect the public from criminal elements, and now, because of our porous borders, the criminals have ready access to firepower as never before.

Therefore, all arms of the social order must be involved, beginning with the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministries of Finance, Education, Caricom and Foreign Affairs, Community Development, and Energy. It is everyone’s job to join in this fight for survival.

Therefore, the Government should stop clutching at straws by looking to scapegoat the US. Instead, it needs to devise a comprehensive action plan with all arms of the relevant institutions – police, military, judiciary and even religions – involved and go all out to protect innocents who become collateral damage in gang operations that are daily exacerbated by the free flow of arms across the land.

All lives, from the poorest to the wealthiest, are precious and must be protected at all costs. Anything less is an abrogation of the primary purpose of government. If this Government, after seven years, cannot get the job done, then it should do the honourable thing – step aside and let the people choose a successor. Our beleaguered nation cannot wait for the 2025 general election when countless others would have needlessly died. We need to end the carnage now.

Apart from the failed PNM Government, the UNC fell during its time in government. Now that it is the opposition, a viable part of governance, it cannot stand in the shadows and throw barbs at the PNM at every opportunity hoping it will fail so that the UNC can boast, “I told you so.”

If, however, it had implemented institutional and constitutional reforms when it held the reins of power, it could have claimed the high ground of morality and integrity and still be the party in power. But it did not, so it is not.

If, at the next general election, either the PNM or the UNC wins, I will be the first to admit that we are an existentially failed state and will remain so in perpetuity. I will then hang my head in shame at what this once great nation, with so many resources and potential, has become.

REX CHOOKOLINGO

rexchook@gmail.com

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