In a way, it was typical Ella Andall. In other ways, it was Ella extraordinaire two Saturdays ago at Hotel Normandie where, as an insertion into Calypso History Month, she sat with an intimate audience for an evening of conversation and music. A singer-woman whose body channels ancient rhythms, Ella …
Read More »A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; Port of Spain ushers in “gay pride”
A couple made their way from South. It was already dark. The historic Pride Parade in Woodbrook had ended but, “I had to be here for some part of this day,” said the elder partner as she entered the after-party. As a young gay woman, living with her partner in …
Read More »“[An] obzocky boulder in dirty water!” Dr Rampersad explains how Guardian got Ahye story wrong
The Guardian didn’t do a shitty thing; they did a shitty job. Fleeing from journalistic intelligence, skill and artfulness, they saw the kernel of a legitimate news story, wrapped it in cultural conformity and late afternoon testosterone, then dropped that obzocky boulder into dirty water. The splatter soiled; the shame …
Read More »Suffer the children: Some changes at Children’s Authority but protection challenges remain
Will the recently announced Board of Management of the Children’s Authority be able to rise to the challenge of resolving the many problems that have plagued the organisation over its two years of operation? SHEILA RAMPERSAD concludes her investigation into whether the Authority is fulfilling its promise. Among the Authority’s …
Read More »Suffer the children: Turbulence and threats; under-fire director Noel tries to tighten reins
At the end of two turbulent years of existence, the Children’s Authority was shaken by the launch of an investigation into the questionable decision taken by Director Safiya Noel to “adopt” without observing the normal protocols a teenage boy who had been assigned to the Authority’s care. SHEILA RAMPERSAD continues …
Read More »Suffer the children: How the empowered Children’s Authority is failing T&T
Operationalised in May 2015, the Children’s Authority marks its second anniversary this month. SHEILA RAMPERSAD has been looking at what impact it had in confronting the bogey of child abuse and whether returns match expenditure. This is the first installment of a three-part series. Parts Two and Three will be …
Read More »To whom will UNC turn? Sheila Rampersad reviews a party at a crossroad
During an interview for the Industrial Court’s 50th anniversary publication, Journey to Gold, Basdeo Panday told me that ‘Indian people’ tend always to search for and support a pahalwan—a wrestler, gladiator or strongman—to fight on their behalf. ‘Bas’ himself was finely suited. He was a real wrestler donning the presidency …
Read More »Politics abusing children: has T&T always been a dark, violent place?
A homemade video of a child being abused and forced to drink milk is yet another window opened into the culture of violence in T&T. You can be sure that had the perpetrator and amateur filmmaker known that police would be searching for them, they would not have uploaded that …
Read More »Consultation conundrum: Sheila ponders a long-standing Gov’t tradition
Civil society, perhaps more than any other sector, knows only too well that a healthy serving of scepticism inside the doubles is necessary when governments talk consultation. In T&T, “consultation” is sometimes political-speak for “we eh touching that,” “we eh know what the hell to do with that” or “we …
Read More »Come better than that: Sex and the State
Three years ago, at a workshop on women’s health, a street-smart 23-year-old from along the East West Corridor asked me, “If a man — in my mouth, I could get pregnant?” It will shock many to know that while in popular discourse about sexuality, young people are stereotyped as sexually …
Read More »Memo to Dr Rowley: Somebody’s watching you, PM
The new Government deserves time to settle in. Dr Keith Rowley is a first time Prime Minister, he is leading a team of wide-eyed inexperience and it has been a long, tense campaign getting here; we are all tired and bruised. Alas, after eight years of Patrick Manning and Company …
Read More »Public interest in private lives: Reshmi, Kamla, Jack and sex in the media
Less than eight months after Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the People’s Partnership skilfully navigated the crest of a high wave in a sea of yellow and assumed governance of a nation, the name Reshmi Ramnarine entered the national vocabulary. The PP government was elected on May 24, 2010. News of Ramnarine’s …
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